Tulane had its bowl media yesterday after practice, and Sumall talked for more than 17 minutes. Here's the transcript:
On Florida having 19 sacks in its past three games:
"They are big, they are athletic, they are multiple with what they do. We've got our work cut out for us. They are really freaking good, I mean really good. There are a couple of guys that stick out that look like pro players and there are a couple of other guys that look like all-conference SEC players, and there's a couple more guys that stick out. They are really good. We need to not get behind the chains, maybe take our chance to throw off schedule, first down. If you get in a third-and-extra long, they are freaking good."
On DJ Lagway not having spectacular numbers but playing in OT loss to Tennessee, starting in wins over LSU and Ole Miss, having 10-3 lead vs. Georgia when got hurt:
"He's super talented. He has a huge arm. There's not a throw he can't make. He's a great runner. I've been really impressed with his poise for such a young player. He's made their team different, and the team results they've had with him inserted as a starter speaks for himself. With him at starting quarterback, they've looked like a playoff team. That's what it is. We're getting ready to play a playoff team. If he had been their starter the whole year, we might have been talking about that. This is a very challenging group we're going to be playing. I watched the tape and it was like all right, let's go, let's get ready, buckle up. You are going to play big-boy football here. This group's off the charts, really good."
On Billy Napier emphasis on run and New Orleans native running back Montrell Johnson, a De La Salle product who followed Napier to Florida from ULL:
"He's talented. He's physical. He runs hard. They are committed to running the ball. They've played the game probably really similar to us. When I watched the tape, it looks a lot like us at times. It looks a lot like Louisiana-Lafayette, who we played earlier this year. They are really good with committing to the run and then taking the play-action shots off the run. What makes them unique is they've got a couple of good backs and the quarterback runs good, but they want to run the ball. They want to mash you a little bit, and they've been able to do it. They are really good."
On his relationship with Napier:
"I've never worked with Billy. Know him. Ton of respect for him. When I got to Troy, he had just left Louisiana-Lafayette and he had dominated that league. When I took the job at Troy in December of 2021, I studied what did Louisiana-Lafayette do in this league, and we kind of emulated some of it. I have a ridiculous amount of respect for him. He's a phenomenal coach and clearly a great leader. They were in a high-pressure situation with everybody thinking this, that and a third about the status of their team this year, and what they've done the last month speaks volumes about what type of leader he is and what type of coach he is and what type of man he is. I've got a lot of respect for him. Frankly I've studied, when I became a head coach, what they did at Louisiana-Lafayette. I tried to go, OK, how'd that work? It worked pretty well for them. I'm really happy he's still the head coach there. This day and age everybody wants to pull the plug on something just because it's not going good in year 2 or year 3, whatever. What he's done is really recruited at a high level, just tried to change maybe how they played the game, and he's got a real good plan. He's a program-building guy. I have a lot of respect for Billy. A lot."
On if Patrick Durkin will be the placekicker for bowl:
"I think he is. The missed kicks had zero to do with him. I hate it because everybody just, like I have a family (member) who was what's wrong with the kicker. Did you watch the damn game? The first hold, the ball wasn't down to kick. And the second one was delayed down to kick. You could be Lou Groza and it doesn't matter if the ball's not there to kick. Yeah, he's going to kick. He's earned it in practice. He's earned it in games. The two opportunities he missed last game had zero to do with the kicker. I'm not saying he's going to make the rest of them for the history of his career, but those two, I'm not going to bench a guy because we didn't get the operation right. That would be like the guard missing a block and the quarterback getting sacked because the guard missed the block. Why would you do that? It's the guard's fault, not the quarterback's fault. I hate it because it's a pressure situation and all that and high attention, but it had zero to do with the kick. He'll probably be the first guy out."
On what he wants to see from Ty Thompson:
"Ty's developed mentally a ton. He's really a smart kid already. Even though he didn't win the job in August, he's invested the time and preparation watching film, meeting with coach Craddock like a starter. You walk by the staff room and Ty is in there all the time by himself watching tape on the computer in there. I kid around it's his office. The staff room has become his office. He's very passionate about his craft. He's going to play really hard with energy and emotion. I'm excited about watching him play. I genuinely am excited about watching him play. Hats off to him for the way he's responded to what his role was this year. He's earned my respect just because of how he carries himself as a man. It's got nothing to do with what he's done between the white lines. It's who he is as a person, who he is as a human. I can't wait to watch him get his opportunity."
On how players have responded to Mensah's departure:
"Good. We say that to everything that happens around here. Good. If something bad happens, we say good. If something good happens, we say good. The guys' response has been good. We've got no control over it. I'm not going to worry about it."
On if they have to be careful how they use him with no significant backup:
"We'll play the game. It's the last game of the year. He will run the normal offense. When he's come in the game this year it's been run, run, run, maybe a pass. It's probably going to be a handoff, a handoff, a pass, maybe a run with him, maybe a pass, maybe a handoff. Will he maybe run it more than we have this year at quarterback? Yeah, that's a little bit more of what his game is, but we're not going to switch to triple option. He'll carry the ball a few times. He'll probably hand off more than he carries and he'll throw it probably more than he carries it, but some of that's going to be flow of the game, down and distance. We're going to play the game somewhat conventionally but catered to what he does well. His throws are going to look a little bit different. He's got a huge arm, like you better defend 50 yards down the field because he can throw it further than we've throw it all year. He has got a rocket-launch arm. If we have to put another guy in the game, we'll put another guy in the game. We're not exactly the deepest in the country right now. We may have to get coach Craddock loose."
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On Florida having 19 sacks in its past three games:
"They are big, they are athletic, they are multiple with what they do. We've got our work cut out for us. They are really freaking good, I mean really good. There are a couple of guys that stick out that look like pro players and there are a couple of other guys that look like all-conference SEC players, and there's a couple more guys that stick out. They are really good. We need to not get behind the chains, maybe take our chance to throw off schedule, first down. If you get in a third-and-extra long, they are freaking good."
On DJ Lagway not having spectacular numbers but playing in OT loss to Tennessee, starting in wins over LSU and Ole Miss, having 10-3 lead vs. Georgia when got hurt:
"He's super talented. He has a huge arm. There's not a throw he can't make. He's a great runner. I've been really impressed with his poise for such a young player. He's made their team different, and the team results they've had with him inserted as a starter speaks for himself. With him at starting quarterback, they've looked like a playoff team. That's what it is. We're getting ready to play a playoff team. If he had been their starter the whole year, we might have been talking about that. This is a very challenging group we're going to be playing. I watched the tape and it was like all right, let's go, let's get ready, buckle up. You are going to play big-boy football here. This group's off the charts, really good."
On Billy Napier emphasis on run and New Orleans native running back Montrell Johnson, a De La Salle product who followed Napier to Florida from ULL:
"He's talented. He's physical. He runs hard. They are committed to running the ball. They've played the game probably really similar to us. When I watched the tape, it looks a lot like us at times. It looks a lot like Louisiana-Lafayette, who we played earlier this year. They are really good with committing to the run and then taking the play-action shots off the run. What makes them unique is they've got a couple of good backs and the quarterback runs good, but they want to run the ball. They want to mash you a little bit, and they've been able to do it. They are really good."
On his relationship with Napier:
"I've never worked with Billy. Know him. Ton of respect for him. When I got to Troy, he had just left Louisiana-Lafayette and he had dominated that league. When I took the job at Troy in December of 2021, I studied what did Louisiana-Lafayette do in this league, and we kind of emulated some of it. I have a ridiculous amount of respect for him. He's a phenomenal coach and clearly a great leader. They were in a high-pressure situation with everybody thinking this, that and a third about the status of their team this year, and what they've done the last month speaks volumes about what type of leader he is and what type of coach he is and what type of man he is. I've got a lot of respect for him. Frankly I've studied, when I became a head coach, what they did at Louisiana-Lafayette. I tried to go, OK, how'd that work? It worked pretty well for them. I'm really happy he's still the head coach there. This day and age everybody wants to pull the plug on something just because it's not going good in year 2 or year 3, whatever. What he's done is really recruited at a high level, just tried to change maybe how they played the game, and he's got a real good plan. He's a program-building guy. I have a lot of respect for Billy. A lot."
On if Patrick Durkin will be the placekicker for bowl:
"I think he is. The missed kicks had zero to do with him. I hate it because everybody just, like I have a family (member) who was what's wrong with the kicker. Did you watch the damn game? The first hold, the ball wasn't down to kick. And the second one was delayed down to kick. You could be Lou Groza and it doesn't matter if the ball's not there to kick. Yeah, he's going to kick. He's earned it in practice. He's earned it in games. The two opportunities he missed last game had zero to do with the kicker. I'm not saying he's going to make the rest of them for the history of his career, but those two, I'm not going to bench a guy because we didn't get the operation right. That would be like the guard missing a block and the quarterback getting sacked because the guard missed the block. Why would you do that? It's the guard's fault, not the quarterback's fault. I hate it because it's a pressure situation and all that and high attention, but it had zero to do with the kick. He'll probably be the first guy out."
On what he wants to see from Ty Thompson:
"Ty's developed mentally a ton. He's really a smart kid already. Even though he didn't win the job in August, he's invested the time and preparation watching film, meeting with coach Craddock like a starter. You walk by the staff room and Ty is in there all the time by himself watching tape on the computer in there. I kid around it's his office. The staff room has become his office. He's very passionate about his craft. He's going to play really hard with energy and emotion. I'm excited about watching him play. I genuinely am excited about watching him play. Hats off to him for the way he's responded to what his role was this year. He's earned my respect just because of how he carries himself as a man. It's got nothing to do with what he's done between the white lines. It's who he is as a person, who he is as a human. I can't wait to watch him get his opportunity."
On how players have responded to Mensah's departure:
"Good. We say that to everything that happens around here. Good. If something bad happens, we say good. If something good happens, we say good. The guys' response has been good. We've got no control over it. I'm not going to worry about it."
On if they have to be careful how they use him with no significant backup:
"We'll play the game. It's the last game of the year. He will run the normal offense. When he's come in the game this year it's been run, run, run, maybe a pass. It's probably going to be a handoff, a handoff, a pass, maybe a run with him, maybe a pass, maybe a handoff. Will he maybe run it more than we have this year at quarterback? Yeah, that's a little bit more of what his game is, but we're not going to switch to triple option. He'll carry the ball a few times. He'll probably hand off more than he carries and he'll throw it probably more than he carries it, but some of that's going to be flow of the game, down and distance. We're going to play the game somewhat conventionally but catered to what he does well. His throws are going to look a little bit different. He's got a huge arm, like you better defend 50 yards down the field because he can throw it further than we've throw it all year. He has got a rocket-launch arm. If we have to put another guy in the game, we'll put another guy in the game. We're not exactly the deepest in the country right now. We may have to get coach Craddock loose."
MORE TO COME