Jackie Sherrill on the need for dominant LBs, importance of bye weeks

Key quotes from Jackie Sherrill interview

“Going into the bye week for A&M there are a lot of pluses, there’s no question.  But, when you look at the receiving corps, and certainly when you get Speedy Noil back, I don’t know if there is a better one in the country.  You know, you have some really outstanding players.  Then you come back to defense – I think the front, the inside guys are getting better.  The outside guys are outstanding.  The safeties are playing really well.  If you could say, 'What are two areas that you wish you could have a lot more production?’ We’re doing very well in the running game, but you would like to average 150-200 yards a game."

When you look and break down the tackle chart in the SEC, in the top-13 there are 10 linebackers, two secondary players, Armani Watts is in there at number seven, and one defensive lineman.  And then when you go deeper, you have 25 linebackers and 17 defensive backs, three defensive linemen and one defensive end.  So, linebackers are so important in the game in this day and age, because you have to have people that can make plays in space, sideline to sideline.  You would like to have linebackers that are making 15 tackles a game, that’s when you know you have a dominate linebacker."

"Looking at the stats, the team that jumps out at you defensively is Missouri. For the last three years, the reason they have gone to Atlanta is – everyone talks about their offense – but it’s been their defense. That’s what has put them in Atlanta.”

“Everyone gets enamored by looking at offensive stats and scores, but a true football person really looks at the game two other ways -- defensively and the kicking game.  It still hasn’t changed, if you can play defense and have a kicking game, you’re going to win a lot more games than you are going to lose.”

"The kicking game has never changed.  If the ball is on the 16, that means you have a 16% chance of scoring.  If it’s on the plus-16, you have an 84% chance of scoring.  That will never change.  You have to look at one guy and that’s Drew Kaser.  I mean, what an advantage he is and how much he has improved from his freshman year.  He’s turning into a complete punter.  He knows how to punt the ball out inside the 20, he knows how to kick it away from returners, he’s really special.”

“There are three of them back there, you know Armani Watts, Justin Evans, and Donovan Wilson.  I kept trying to get Coach Chavis, I said, 'You know, you got three guys back there who are making all the plays, why not put them at linebacker?’”

"Yes, Donovan Wilson does remind me of Domingo Bryant. Stature wise, Domingo was like a string, but he had more explosion than any kid on that team, for his size – I mean in weight size.  When he hit you, it hurt.”

“If you had to press and pick, you would have to press that Dak Prescott was still the best QB in the SEC.  But, Kyle Allen is really – no turnovers, he’s really done a great job.  And you see that he’s getting better and better.  His play selection, meaning where he’s putting the football is good.  He’s putting everything together, the running game is improving, the offensive line is protecting him.  But, as a quarterback, your worth is getting that team in the endzone.  I’ve always told the quarterbacks, we can block everybody but one person, and that one person is yours.  Whether you side step him or feel the pressure from the backside and are able to get out of the way or be able to read the blitz and get rid of the ball before he can touch you.  He’s done a great job, when you look at how he’s performed.”

“The biggest thing that you got to do is help them mentally and physically on this bye week, and that is to rest.  When you play five games and start off the season with Arizona State, it comes down to where your team mentally needs a break, and also physically.  The best thing about an off-week, is you get time to spend fundamentally with your younger kids and there’s a lot of work to be done there.  I mean, you look at our defensive inside guys, especially Daylon Mack. At times he gets held up, he gets blocked because he doesn’t use his hands, so you develop that.  It gives you time to develop technique and fundamentals.  But, the happiest time is when these kids get this weekend off, and they get to go home and get Mom’s cooking and get Mom’s hugs.”