Notre Dame offensive coordinator Gerad Parker met with local beat writers Tuesday evening following Notre Dame's 17-14 loss to Ohio State and ahead of Saturday's game at No. 17 Duke. Below is a transcript of that conversation.
Questions may be paraphrased. Answers are not.
GERAD PARKER
Was this the best offensive line performance of the season? What does it tell you about the group stepping up against Ohio State?
“Yeah, I think it tells you a lot, right? You all can go back. These are the hard ones. It's easy to come in here for four weeks after the way we started, right? These are hard on you guys. They're hard on us. For that offensive line to do what they did. If you go back and look and see the efficiencies of what was done and how they played and what we put on them, it's pretty impressive. They expect it. They're dialed in. They're awesome. It says a lot about who they are. They embrace it, and that's who we are. That's where it all starts, and who we are. It's certainly been impressive for them to start. We've got a long way to go, but it's an impressive start.”
What did they do that was a step above on Saturday?
Note: I believe Parker thought “they” in the question meant Ohio State. I think it was supposed to mean ND’s offensive line.
“What they had done well is what they do. They're good. Now, so are we. But they're good, and when you play great defenses just as opposed to playing great offenses, right? When you have to go the long hard way and travel the way we did, it makes it hard. Should we? Could we? I could go through the calls with you and you could map them out. How many of these could we talk about that if they go the other way, it's easy for y'all to write a lot of good things?
“And instead it was, it was just, ugh. And there were a couple of, yes, we dids, you know? So, in a game like that, that's what it is. But that's who they are. They're tough to fit. You see them change coverage almost periodically about every snap and the way they fit you, and they've got really good players. And so it was a heavyweight fight. We fell a step short and didn't finish on some drives that you would love to see us finish on.”
You took less deep shots against OSU than the previous games. Is that gameplan/opponent specific?
“I think there's two things. One, you're very calculated for sure. You saw it get lifted, and I tried to be calculated to get it lifted. We just didn't hit. We got the one P.I. or hold on the one, and we missed a couple that were right there. If you hit on those, it changes, but you gotta be careful when you take them. You're always thinking about risk, reward and efficiencies and not being lost yardage, which we did a good job of. But there is a balance of how much calculated are you to the risk of it, to stay ahead of the chains, so to speak. And you have to risk it. Those are things I'll evaluate of myself week in and week out. As I do that, we'll make sure that we take enough risks to put points on the board, because we all know 14’s not enough. We'll challenge ourselves to make sure it is. That's the honest truth.”
It looked like Rocco Spindler had an effective game. How would you evaluate it?
“It was a great front, great second-level players. I'm careful of throwing out the things that we all know about the game, but again, it's the first time in my career that I can remember being a part of what they did — not I — of no sacks, no penalties, no turnovers, no drops. That's a zero. That's a percentage rule of four things that we always track. And for that to be that tells you what we did up front and across the board. Now we gotta finish. I'm not denying that, and I'll keep saying it. I'll keep repeating it. I know, but there was a lot of good there. When you strip it away and look at it, what we did up front in those capacities are good. Now we've just gotta keep on rolling.”
Did your gameplan unfold the way you wanted it to? Your running backs were averaging 5.3 yards per carry. You’re getting into their territory. You’re moving the football. Your worst drive was your last one, unfortunately. Did it all unfold the way you hoped and anticipated?
“An honest answer is yes. Do I wish we'd have gotten the two fourth downs? Do I wish we would've finished? Yes. But as far as how we wanted that to go and how we ran the football and how we controlled pass and how those things went are exactly how we thought it would go and hoped it would go to control that game and time of possession and those things worked out that way.”
How do you amplify the good from Saturday without players being bogged down by how the game finished?
“This is my job, I believe. Like empower those guys, let them understand it's on me. I want them to not shoulder any of it without the responsibilities of what they know they have to do in execution. I want them to know that it's on me. I've gotta put them in better situations. We'll go back and evaluate it no harder on me than Kandi (his wife) is on me to make sure we're better. I want them to feel empowered, because you can't see through and just see through all the good and then sit here and then them lose confidence. We're a really good offense. They better know that by now, and they do. So, we gotta make sure they stay empowered to feel that way before we accept a failure and think that's suddenly who we are. Does that make sense?”
How would you assess what you’ve seen out of them the last two days, especially today with a real practice?
“Today's finally when you can kind of get the filth off. I would say this, it's no different than what we probably would've expected. We have great leadership. These guys are pros. They are hungry to get back to work and find a way to step back in the arena, if you will, and get this thing back to what we want. That's who they are, our offensive guys, our defensive guys, our staff. It's impressive because that's who they are. You wouldn't expect anything less.”
Did you look at the screen pass in the final two minutes that if you hit this, the game’s over, because the way the blocking was in front?
“I'm glad. I appreciate you guys doing your homework to see it. Let's see it for what it is. You want to know the truth, it's like, 'Hey, we can hand this off.' Or it went unfortunate with some of the execution on the first one right before it. If we get that thing finished, then you guys, everybody, we're good. He made a nice play on it. I thought it was a calculated fair one that would get completed. It didn't get completed, so then I get the brunt.”
But you knew JT Tuimoloau has picked off two of those before. Did you try to design it to go away from him?
“We did. We just got stuck on a hash. We knew he'd play them well, and we were hoping we could get a float to it and go. They brought pressure, which made it easier for him to fall out if you recognized it. So that made it easier for him to fall out. You were hoping a non-pressure look that would've made it easier and not have to deal with him, but he certainly has a knack for it.”
What’s your teaching point to Sam Hartman on his fourth-down rollout play that failed?
“First off, you go through things that you want to make sure you get called depending on who your defense is and who you are. Felt good about that as being our first short-yardage [play]. We knew those were coming in that game, and they played it well. He came out of it well. He did everything right.
“Then there are scenarios as a staff, we have to keep on reminding our guys, but what are the rules of engagement? When do you reach a ball out and make sure you get things, right? When you're on the sideline, when it's fourth down, when it's end of game or two-point. We just gotta keep on reviewing it like that. That would be like when you would coach to say, 'Okay, what could we make sure of?’ Would be to go ahead, it's safe to extend the ball there and make sure because you're out of bounds. If that makes sense.”
How much will the OSU defense prepare you to see another top-five pass defense at Duke?
“I think they all do. NC State made us take a step in physicality and how they fit you and how aggressive they were to lead to Ohio State. Now this one this week with no time to rest and take a breath. They do a great job. [Head coach Mike] Elko’s familiar with this place. He does a great job. So, those games and those fits and those moments and how good and aggressive they are as a defense prepares you to let these guys know, 'Hey, this is a tough task.' I mean, we play, like you said, a top-five, I think, statistical defense, and we face it every day. So, it's gonna be a struggle, and we're gonna try and embrace it and continue to grow as an offense and get these guys in positions to maybe be the best versions of themselves.”
Do you hear from David Cutcliffe after a nationally televised game like that?
“I didn’t. I know he was watching. He’s a football fan. I love him to death. But I didn’t hear from him on that one. I think sometimes in tough ones, everybody ghosts you.”
What did the time around Cutcliffe do to prepare you for moments like this?
“When you are around a guy as offensive-minded as he was and ahead of his time as he was with offensive football and how he treated the relationship of skill players to the quarterback and how the program has to take care of the development of the quarterback is invaluable. In being there around him to see him he do that was something that I’ll always keep with me. He was brilliant.”
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