ACC Kickoff Transcript | Syracuse
Syracuse football took the stage at the ACC Kickoff on Tuesday as Dino Babers, Matthew Bergeron, Mikel Jones and Garrett Shrader spoke to the media.
HEAD COACH DINO BABERS
Q. Going into this season with your No. 7, we have seen, obviously, some changes with the coaching staff and whatnot, and I know bringing in a new offensive coordinator and quarterback coach, just what you can say, they've already done to improve this team in your opinion and the leadership moving forward for Syracuse?
DINO BABERS: Right after you got through with "coordinator," I didn't hear the word that you said that was the whole key to the last part. Give it to me one more time.
Q. Just what bringing in Coach Anae and Coach Beck what they've done already in your opinion. What felt right to bring them into the program with and what you see on the offensive side that's going to provide good leadership moving forward?
DINO BABERS: First of all, I liked what they were doing over at Virginia. I looked at the numbers they were putting up. Coach Anae is someone that I have never worked with before, but we've walked the same path. He is a graduate assistant at the University of Hawaii after I was. He played for BYU where I was playing at the University of Hawaii. That game came down to Hawaii versus BYU back in the day when I was there, who was going to represent the Western Athletic Conference. I know a lot of the people that he knows. He knows a lot of people that I know. I just felt that it felt like he was one of those guys if he ever became available, that I really think it would be a good fit because we really do kind of see things the exact same way.
Having the opportunity to bring Coach Beck along was just icing on the cake, and he has done a fabulous job for us. I think he is one of the bright minds in college football and one of the up-and-comers.
I don't want to miss out the two other new coaches we brought along. Michael Johnson, the wide receiver coach, was a player at Arizona State when I was a graduate assistant there back in the '80s with their Rose Bowl team in 1987. He is someone that I followed his career. He has been in the NFL. He has been in college football. He has really done a fantastic job with our wide receivers. I think that tripod of new coaching has really helped us on that side of the ball.
One of the things we really wanted to shore up from last year's football team was the special teams, and I would be remiss if I did not talk about the addition of Bob Ligashesky. Someone that we hired from Bowling Green State University. Before that he was at the University of Illinois. He's won a Super Bowl ring with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Handling our special teams.
We felt that with the coaches that we had on the staff and being able to bring those four coaches with their experience and to infuse them into what we have, we really feel like that we're on stable ground and we're ready to see if we can make one of those jumps or make one of those moves in the ACC Atlantic.
Q. Had a bit of a controversy last year. What went into the decision to bring Garrett this year?
DINO BABERS: Garrett is one of our team leaders. He is a guy that made us go. He is one of those guys that when you are seeing him out there play, like all three of the young men up on this stage, that there's no doubt that not only does he bleed orange, but he has the respect and the love of the people around him.
I think any time you have that type of leadership out of the quarterback position, it's always going to be someone that not only do you want to show, but you want other guys on your team to know that these are the guys that we're going to put out in front and these are the guys we want you to emulate.
Q. Last season in the Dome you guys played teams close. You lost to Wake Forest in overtime. Lost to Clemson by three. This year you've got really pivotal season-changing games at home against teams like Notre Dame and NC State. How do you take advantage of that home-field advantage and protect your turf and potentially change your season?
DINO BABERS: Didn't you say gold and black? Isn't that with the University of Purdue.
Q. I'm with Wake Forest.
DINO BABERS: I thought you were trying to get a fast one on me because we're playing Purdue in the Dome as well.
Q. No, sir.
DINO BABERS: I apologize. I think the biggest thing in answering your question is any time you get a team at home, you feel like you have an advantage. We think we have a strong Twelfth Man. We believe when we're at Dome with the noise that we can make in the Dome it gives us an advantage on offense, and it definitely gives us an advantage on defense.
When you give our defense an advantage, we feel like it should be something we should be able to take advantage of. Our home record is not what we would like based off of last season, and based off of how tough our schedule is. We must do a much, much better job at home, but we feel like the effort has been put in. We feel like we're doing the correct things, crossing Ts and dotting the Is, and we're looking forward to playing that home schedule in the Dome this year.
Q. Happy birthday.
DINO BABERS: Happy belated birthday. Thank you very much. What else? Where else would you want to spend your birthday except right here with the media here at North Carolina representing the ACC? It's awesome.
Q. In your six years you've struggled in November and December, 6-18. Why have you guys struggled late in the season, and would it be -- how much better would it be if you guys were better than you were in the beginning of the season?
DINO BABERS: When people start talking about scheduling, struggling late, I wouldn't go there. What I would go there is look at the opponents that we've played.
It seems like our schedules are backended, and that's okay. You are going to end up playing everybody, but when you acquire some injuries or you acquire when the transfer portal came up, and all of a sudden people were transferring in the middle of the season, that can affect your depth. When you don't have a lot of depth, that can change the outcome of the games later on.
We have worked hard on that. We think we have a really stable foundation right now. These leaders behind me have done a fantastic job in the offseason in growing up the young people, the underbelly of this football team.
We think that we have the type of team now that can go deep into November and do some of the things that we think we needed to be doing in some of those other years.
Q. Wanted to ask you about Sean Tucker coming off of such a great season. Obviously, a record-breaking season at Syracuse. What makes him such a special talent, and how can he elevate his game this year?
DINO BABERS: I'm going to answer that two ways. First of all, Sean is relentless. He works out all the time, and this year he was actually a member of the track team and ran with the track team. While he was running with the track team, he never missed a football practice during spring practice. When the rest of the team went home over Christmas, I'm going into the office because I'm not going anywhere, and I see him working out by himself. The track team is gone. The football team is gone. Here he is still on campus working out.
I'm not making this stuff up. This is stuff that just happened in 2021. Now, all that being said, I stood behind him in spring and watched every one of his runs live. Without hesitation I'll tell everybody in the room that I believe he is better. I'm saying that being modest that he is not the same. He is actually better than last year.
I'm really excited to see what he can do in 2022.
Q. Kind of talked about it already the new faces on the offensive side of the ball. Year three of the 3-3-5 defense, though, where do you think that unit is at? How do you think it's progressed since you've changed that in 2020, and have you recruited to that system successfully to this point?
DINO BABERS: Let's start from the back end because you asked a whole bunch of questions. Yes, we've recruited that to 3-3-5, and we feel like we're heading in the right direction as far as the depth and the personnel that we're trying to go.
When we initially went in and had the COVID stop, it was very difficult to put that brand new defense in based off of the limitations that we had with contact and how we could meet and so forth.
I think that this year -- and you'll get an opportunity to ask our defensive captain, Mikel, I really believe these guys know the system. I really believe that they're all speaking the same language, and they can all pass the language test that defense is moving around, it's fast, it's quick, and I think we have a lot more depth. We're young at the front end. There's no doubt about it. Everything behind those young kids, they're frosty guys that know exactly what's going on.
Q. Dino, we look at the fact that we have divisions here in the ACC for one more season, and then we'll switch to that 3-5-5 model. What is it about the model that you like and the fact that Syracuse will have BC, who you already play, Pitt who you already play, but you'll have Florida State as a permanent as well. Just what you think about that model moving forward?
DINO BABERS: I think that's a similar model when I was in the Big 12 -- when we were in the Big 12 early and we had divisions when I was at Texas A&M. We were in the same division as Oklahoma. Same division as Texas. Same division as Texas Tech. We had a drought where you really have to play some good football to get out of that division. That's when I was at Texas A&M, and I went to Baylor, and we started that same way with Baylor being in the division with Texas A&M and the people I talked about. Then we went to that model where we could play everybody. That was one of the big turnarounds with the Baylor schedule.
I could still remember when I was a coach at a school other than Baylor that they used to run this thing on the ticker on ESPN. It used to say, schools that have not gone to a bowl game. I still remember seeing Vanderbilt and Baylor on the bottom all the time. Next thing you know I was at Baylor after ULA, and they used to run "Baylor" across that ticker.
When we finally went to a bowl game at Baylor, I'll never forget it, I want to talk to ESPN about it. The year we went to a bowl game and they stopped running off that Baylor had never gone to a bowl game, they stopped doing the ticker. You have never seen the ticker since.
The last two schools I remember is Vanderbilt and Baylor, and then they never did it again. Point being is this, that schedule, being able to play everybody, I thought really helped Baylor in that turnaround that they were doing. We love being a part of the Atlantic, and we make no bones about it.
I think it's going to be a lot better for a lot of people when they get an opportunity to play everybody in the league and not just a select few.
Q. Robert Anae's offenses at Virginia were sensational on third down. He had slot receivers like Billy Kemp, always getting the ball to them to extend drives, and he presided last year over Brendan Armstrong's record rush per game pass season. You were second be in rushing, 14th in passing. What impact will he have on your passing game?
DINO BABERS: I think he has already had a drastic effect on our passing game. I think he has had a fabulous effect on our offensive personnel. These young men watch TV as well. They've been able to see what that offense can do. When you bring in an offensive coordinator like that with his credentials, we know what he can do, so it's a matter of getting the pegs in the right spot and making sure those guys are giving them their best performance and getting the effort that needs to be given in order to win football games. I think those guys have gone out and did that in the spring. I think they carried it over in their voluntary workouts during the summer, and now we're really excited to see what we can do in fall camp.
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN MATTHEW BERGERON
Q. Matthew, this year you are a leader big-time, so what are you doing differently to prepare this season that you didn't before to be a leader?
MATTHEW BERGERON: I feel like this offseason I've been more vocal and leading by example for the young guys.
Q. You've been under Coach Mike Schmidt, the offensive line coach for a full year now. How did the unit progress under year one with him, and how have you seen yourself grow under his leadership?
MATTHEW BERGERON: Oh, man. I already saw my game change from last year to this year's spring ball. Me and Coach Schmidt developed a good relationship over our time together, and I'm excited to show you all what we've been working on behind closed doors.
Q. Is it a little bit difficult to pass block for a quarterback like Garrett, where you could be locked up with somebody and then suddenly one second later thinking that he is back in the pocket, he is scrambling, and you have to let go?
MATTHEW BERGERON: I wouldn't call it difficult. I think it's a little bit different than what I've been used to, but I'm excited about it. It creates a little fun to the game. It's fun blocking for Garrett. Yeah, I love it.
Q. You played left tackle and right tackle on this offensive line. Just what you can say about your versatility and if there's a place where you have felt more comfortable, be it the blind side or if you don't mind switching back and forth?
MATTHEW BERGERON: I've been lucky to be in a position where I can play as a freshman, start as the right tackle my freshman year. Sophomore year started as a right tackle and middle season switched to left tackle. I played left tackle ever since. I feel like I've been really comfortable at that left tackle spot, and I think that's the spot where I want to keep going as a player.
Q. How would you describe the offense now with Coach Anae's input? How would you kind of sum up or give a not-too-in-depth scouting report because you don't want to give up any secrets, but what can you tell us about what he has brought to the offense?
MATTHEW BERGERON: What I can tell you, I think we'll be more explosive, run game and passing game. You guys saw last year the way we were running the ball, and I think we'll be a little bit more balanced next year.
Q. I saw a stat that you're credited with opening up holes and allowing Sean Tucker to run for 4 yards per carry. What do you do in the run game to allow you to open up space for him and be so successful?
MATTHEW BERGERON: I'm blessed to be blocking for one of the best running backs in college football right now, and just doing my job. Whenever I miss a block, I got a guy like Sean Tucker in the back field that can make it happen. I'm really blessed to be blocking for Sean Tucker.
THE MODERATOR: From the podium, you were relatively unrecruited. Why do you think that was, and why was Syracuse such a good fit?
MATTHEW BERGERON: Being from Canada, I didn't have a lot of offers or whatever. I came down for a camp and got an offer, and it was Syracuse. Got to Syracuse, things happened. I ended up being in the mix. I never left the field ever since, so I've been working hard for this, and I'm excited to be in this position.
THE MODERATOR: Being from Canada, and excuse me for not knowing, how is your French?
MATTHEW BERGERON: My French is really good. It was my first language. I learned English through school. A little bit how you guys learn Spanish in school.
THE MODERATOR: You want to give us a little sample?
MATTHEW BERGERON: What do you want me to say?
THE MODERATOR: It's a great week here in Charlotte. I'm proud to represent Syracuse.
MATTHEW BERGERON: (Speaking French).
THE MODERATOR: Very well done.
MATTHEW BERGERON: Thank you. (Laughing).
Q. You started 28 consecutive games. What do you want to add to your game this season to be most ready for the NFL potentially next year?
MATTHEW BERGERON: I would say I would like to be more consistent as a player. Work on my hand placement. I feel like last year I got in trouble in pass protection with guys getting to my chest, and I've been working on that with Coach Mike Schmidt, and I think that's going to translate to the next level. In the NFL you have to be consistent with your hands and stuff because they got a lot of good rushers there, so yeah.
THE MODERATOR: From the podium here. On Twitter, on June 9th, there was a picture of you at a cookout. What is your favorite cookout food?
MATTHEW BERGERON: Ever since I got into America I think the ribs, man. The ribs. I fell in love with American ribs. I still got to go down south to explore the barbecue. I've heard a lot of good stuff about Texas. It might be my next vacation spot.
LINEBACKER MIKEL JONES
Q. We've seen a lot of positive things that have happened on this defense last season going into this year. Your decision to be a part of the team here in 2022, just what you can say about your leadership and what you see from the rest of this unit that makes you believe that the defense can be even stronger this year.
MIKEL JONES: I feel like I am growing as a leader and growing as a leader I feel like bringing other guys like Marlowe Wax, Stefon Thompson, the guys who play next to me, I feel like I help bring leaders out of them too and it's just helping the team and the defense overall.
Q. You had a decision last season of whether to go to the NFL or come back to Syracuse. What ultimately led you to come back to the team this season?
MIKEL JONES: It was in my best interest and my best team interest to come back and get better, honestly.
Q. You don't really have any question marks on defense in the second level. They're all really up front on the D-line with all the guys that left last year. Are you confident in that unit and that it can be serviceable for you this year?
MIKEL JONES: Yes, sir, I am confident in this D-line coming up. They don't have a lot of experience, but the guys who have played last season, I feel like they show what they can do.
Q. You look ahead to Week 1, you have Louisville. How tough is a challenge for that the defense with an explosive offense and explosive quarterback like Malik Cunningham?
MIKEL JONES: We see it as a good opportunity. We don't think it's going to be a tough challenge. We're excited to play those guys the first week.
Q. Mikel, Dino described you a lot as a quarterback of that defense. How are you going to continue to be a leader for the defense?
MIKEL JONES: Yes, ma'am. I do continue being a great leader for this defense along with the other linebackers, and our secondary leadership, Garrett Williams, Ja'Had Carter, those guys have stepped up this offseason to be more vocal and load by example, leading from the front, and I feel like it filters through the defense. Also, the offense.
Q. Mikel, I know that you may be partial to this answer that I'm about to ask you, but Sean Tucker in your opinion, is there a better back going into 2022 in all of college football?
MIKEL JONES: Nobody is the answer because he is my teammate. That's the best running back I've played all four years playing in the ACC.
Q. Mikel, Syracuse quietly became one of the best defenses in the league last year, but here's the thing, you were second in rushing defense, second in pass defense, second in total defense, but only sixth in scoring defense. You got almost everybody back. What do you have to do to get more credit for the good stops that you make and give up fewer points?
MIKEL JONES: Focus on the turnovers more. I remember the 2020 season, I'm not 100% sure, but I knew we were top three in turnovers, probably top two. Just getting back to those old habits. We have a lot of experienced guys that are capable of making turnovers and turn it into points, so I feel like that's what we're going to get back to this season.
Q. This probably will be your last season of college football before you go pro. Almost did last year. When you leave and you look back on this season and on this team, how would you label success?
MIKEL JONES: It's going to be a long time coming success. I haven't been in a bowl game since I've been here, and I understand my class of people who came in my class in 2019 and we stayed along the journey of the wins and the losses and a little bit more of the losses, it's going to be a good feeling to come back and see what we do this season. Plan on having a great season.
THE MODERATOR: From the podium, your presence on the field, obviously, makes the Orange better, but how do your teammates and how does Syracuse make you better?
MIKEL JONES: Just the support system. My teammates are so supportive. When I came to my official visit, that was one of the biggest reasons and seeing the culture that Coach Babers had brought to the team. Not only the coaches, but the people in the academic building. It's always a lot of support. Nobody will let you fall on your face unless you absolutely want to do it yourself.
QUARTERBACK GARRETT SHRADER
Q. I'm curious how you've kind of begun laying a foundation for your relationship with the new offensive coaches, coordinator and quarterback coach? What has that process been like, and how are you enjoying those guys?
GARRETT SHRADER: It's been awesome. It all started with I have a little bit of background with air raid, the same system they came with when I played under Mike Leach, Mississippi State. That was good common ground. A lot of stuff we were running I already knew and was familiar with, so that was awesome.
I love those guys. They coach you hard with passion, and it takes a little bit off everybody else because they will absolutely coach you hard.
My job is just to try to be an extension of them. Being a coach on the field and being able to get all these guys right and get them to where they need to be. Obviously, these guys here as well. But Matthew Bergeron, he sets the tone from up front because you can't do anything with from offensive line. He is clearly the leader in that group. Just trying to be an extension of them.
I think it's been good so far, and we're working intent and know where we are right now, but we know where we need to become this fall.
Q. Garrett, you and Sean Tucker combined on the ground for over 2,200 yards last season. Just what you can say that means to you to be in this offense as a part of that tandem? And then, secondly, on the passing side of it, just what Coach Beck is doing to open up your game a little bit more so we can see what else you can do on the field?
GARRETT SHRADER: As far as the run game goes, we'll address that first. It starts up front, first and foremost. We have a great offensive line that are doing a lot of good things. We have a great running back, obviously, in Sean Tucker. He can do a lot of things, very versatile.
A lot of things that most people don't see that goes unnoticed is the coaching staff and how creative we actually get in our run game and putting us in the best situation to have one-on-ones or be running on air basically most of the time. That's the credit needs to be given to. That definitely needs to be addressed, and the position that they put us in to be successful in the run game.
Moving on to the new staff and offensive-wise, they're doing the same thing we've again doing last year, keeping that and then bringing what they brought from Virginia. You know, it's not necessarily a concern of if we can get the job done because we know we're more than capable and competent, and we've got a lot of receivers that didn't get a chance to show themselves. We have some names that will be big this year and put on a lot of good plays. We're looking forward to it. We're going to be explosive this year. I will say that in both aspects of the game.
Q. Two new quarterbacks in the locker room with you now. What's your relationship like with the new guys?
GARRETT SHRADER: It's been good. We have got a good group of guys. They're a little bit younger, a little bit less experienced, but our room was a little dwindled down due to the transfer portal and other reasons.
We have a good group, and we feel a little better. We lost one key aspect of the room this spring. We're just trying to bring those guys along. There's a big learning curve. This is my fourth offense in four years, and one of those I wasn't even playing quarterback. I've seen a lot of football and learned other systems, but I've been playing the whole time, versus these guys that are just trying to learn a new system and haven't had the experience. Just trying to bring those guys along and trying to help them out as best I can. We're all in the same goal, same mission.
Q. You just mentioned it, your fourth different offense in four years. Is this offense the most tailor-made to fit your skill set, and how do you feel going into I guess what would be the second year in this offense even though there's a new coordinator?
GARRETT SHRADER: Oh, yeah. This is the most excited I've been since I have been in college for a football season. Part of that is just because I feel like it's my offense, my team that I can kind of go wherever I decide to take it. These coaches have done a great job. They're really, really exciting to play for and just have coaching on the field.
Moving forward, we've got all the pieces we need. Now we have to go out, and Coach Babers has given us all the support staff and tools that we need. We just have to go out and do it. That's what we're looking forward to. We're excited because we're going to be given the opportunity.
Q. You mentioned a couple of the wide receivers going under the radar coming into this season. Can you elaborate a little bit on that and what your chemistry with them has been like throughout the offseason?
GARRETT SHRADER: In terms of air raid, that background that they have, we've been given the framework, and within that, you know, we're running our offense based off the defense.
I have built a little bit of a chemistry with those guys, but even last year I didn't -- I wasn't the starter until Week 4. Just continuing. We were growing the whole time last year. It wasn't like it was a finished product at all. Then we have a new system. We have a little bit of structure, but we're continuing to work on those fine details, but we've got a great group of receivers and I'm excited about what we're going to be doing this year.
THE MODERATOR: Your last question from the podium. Your father has called you an old soul. Why is that?
GARRETT SHRADER: I listen to the same music that he listens to. That's part of it. '70s. Listen to the Eagles and all that stuff. I don't have a lot of social media and all that stuff. I don't really care for it either.
That's probably the biggest reason. I like to hang out with people. I like to be with my guys. Got a good group of guys, and that's all I really need.
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