On how he thought his group played

I think we actually played pretty solid. We didn't have any busted coverages, which is really good. The communication in the backend was really good with the linebackers and DBs. Really across the board, even the front guys. That's what I focus on the first couple of games. Make sure we're communicating, make sure we're on the same page and not doing something that's not uncommon. I tell them all the time, we're going to make practice extremely tough and demanding so when you get there in the game, the game is not hard. It should be pretty easy. Just do what you normally do. Keep being consistent in all of your actions and don't change. The uniform, how you communicate to how you want to play. Just lock in and I was pretty pleased with all the guys.

On Josh Wallace and Keon Sabb

How do you guys think they did? I think they did pretty good. Defended the deep ball pretty well, that was a heckuva play Josh made. That rule is a little different. That guy was out of bounds when he touched it but that was a great reaction. We haven't seen that for a couple of years other than DJ Turner and Will Johnson, guys turning around and finding the ball. That was really good to see. Really pleased with that. Want to continue to build on some things with both those guys. The more exposure they get against top-end receivers it'll be a really good test. That was a good start. This week with a quarterback who has a strong arm and they have really fast receivers, it'll be a little more of a test for us outside in the corner spot. They'll be isolated a lot, they'll have to win their one-on-one quite a bit.

On the improvement of angles to the football

Jesse and I talk all the time, every day, so we were talking this summer. Listen, we ought to put on some film from last year's practice and watch this year's first Monday practice going into the game week and see the difference. It was night and day. Communications, angles to the ball. The effort. Defense is about passion and effort. Yeah, you gotta be smart, yeah you gotta understand what your opponent is doing and have great communication, finish on the ball, tackle, be physical. At the end of the day, if you've got great passion and you play really, really hard, you're going to be on the field. You watch our guys how they destroy blocks now. Each coach has really taken pride in an area of the four pillars to make our group better and you see it over and over again. The effort and angles is just unbelievable. You talk about the last two drives, a couple young guys in there, the effort and angles in there, some missed tackles with even our feet, our angles weren't great and that's where you see it start to fall apart a little bit, just slightly. The first three quarters you'll see us just closing on the ball. If somebody missed a tackle, before you knew it, somebody else was there. I think the big difference if you watch film like we do, you see more gang tackling now and that's because of the effort and angles.

On the new game clock rule changes

I'm a defensive guy so I think, for the game, the rules that they make helps the guys and their safety. The number of plays that the offensive teams want to get and they eliminate that a little bit. Couple more plays and players are at risk for injury and stuff. I'm fine with it. Things like that, I think it changes the games a couple of minutes. At the end of the day, it's still about winning the point of attack, making your play. I'm fine with that. I think any rule that they put in there for the players safety I think is great. When I'm recruiting, I'm talking to people all the time when I go to these schools, the offense wants to get 100 plays in a game, I tell people all the time as a defensive player that's going to expose you to injury, going to expose you more to just being on the field more. Yeah, you think it gives you more opportunity to make a play but when you're out there 80 snaps as a defense, usually it doesn't end great for you. We're out there 25 snaps a half and another 30-40 in the second half, usually, we can control our outcome.

On who stands out with UNLV

Their quarterback definitely stands out, he's got a strong arm. You saw how many points they put up, he overthrew two or three other touchdowns. Guys wide open and just overthrew them by a couple of feet. I think you always see a big difference from week one to week two and I think they'll probably correct that and his timing will be better and his receivers will run under the ball so I think he's the first one that stands out. They have a couple of receivers that are really fast guys. A returner as well who can go from point A to point B and put points on the board in no time. Just watching those guys. Of course, they run a different offense, a Go-Go offense. Just having great eye discipline has been the biggest focus for us and allowing our guys upfront to do their job and not allowing them to create the big shots and plays that they want. Their quarterback has kind of really stood out to me and their receivers, the running backs are really good, too.

On whether he is watching tape from previous stops of UNLV coaches

Next question. No, I'm just joking (laughs). I think anywhere I think people look at stuff I've done at Kentucky, stuff Jesse has done in the league or at Vandy. I think you always try to figure out what the coach's vibe is. It may not be the exact players, right? The players might be a little different but how is it? When you're watching me call a game from when I called things at Cincinnati or calling scrimmages or something here, I'm coming after it. Everybody knows that. In the spring game, here, I knew you were blitzing on that play. Well, that's me, that's my personality. You try to figure out when he's going to throw shots or when he's going to run the ball, when something crazy might show up so you try to watch film on the coaches from previous stops if you can. The one thing about that, just like going into the first game, you don't want to chase ghosts. You start to cover a lot of things then you don't cover anything. We want to be focused on what our fundamentals are and really want to stop the run, have good eye discipline and when the ball is in the air, take the ball away and destroy all the blocks, have great effort and angles and communicate. As long as we focus on those four things for us, then we'll be OK.

On whether he expects Rod Moore and Will Johnson to play

They're getting closer and closer every day. I kind of stay out of the training room with them so when they're out there on the field, I'm coaching them. Yesterday they both practiced and that was awesome. I think they're getting closer and closer every day. The big thing with those guys, having the issues that they had, it's not to rush them back. Make sure they're comfortable. Especially when you're a DB and you're out on an island, you rush a guy back too fast it can really set them back a little bit. I think coach has done a great job, our training staff has done a great job, bringing those guys back the way they need to be. Right on time. Not too fast, not too slow. I'm excited about seeing them out there this year. I think Makari out there for a few plays last week made a big difference. Helps some of those young guys get their feet wet with the older guy, with a veteran out there on the field, physical out there on the field. You kind of set the tone and I let the rest of the guys play the rest of the game. Getting those guys closer and closer will help us get them a few plays here and there until they're 100% ready.

On the defensive line play vs. ECU

You always talk about the sacks, right? You have to compare the times we had sacks and how many times the quarterback scrambled and got away. I don't know remember how many scrambles and getting away. I think our guys did a great job compressing the pocket and doing what they needed to do. Keeping the quarterback in the pocket, try to make him make great throws which he wasn't able to get those. The interception, the first interception, Kenneth Grant affected the quarterback's throwing movement and Mikey always comes and gives those guys credit because that's the truth. Like the play against Ohio State, Kris Jenkins affected the quarterback's throwing motion, that's what allowed him to get there and knock the ball out. We're working hand in hand. Whether it's sacking or getting pressure on them, it's our job to get the ball out when they get close to the receiver we pick it off. We give them a little more time I think we can get a couple more sacks. We don't put that on the front end, I think they're doing a great job with pocket integrity, collapsing the pocket on the quarterback. I think the secondary can give him a little more time to hold that ball and then we'll get some sacks.

On DJ Waller

DJ Waller has been really, really—the older guys like having him around. He's a big, physical presence. Doesn't say much, he's quiet. But he works hard and anything we challenge him on working on, finish it. In the game, we felt like he could've made two tackles. His angle to the ball carrier was not proper and the one time he pushed the guy out of bounds which we don't do, just go watch UNLV. First play of the game they try to push a guy out of bounds and they score a touchdown. That's why we don't push. You get a penalty. He's learned from that and he wanted to do it during the opportunity scrimmage and he did that. He shows that he can tackle, he's in there tackling people. Watching him in practice, trying to thud everybody up. Whatever you talk to him about, he goes and he works on that thing. It's not an issue anymore. That's what we like about him. You're fine with correcting and coaching as long as you don't have to do it over and over and over again. He's one of those guys that you correct him once or twice and he'll find a way to get it done. The players respect him and like having him around.

On why players gravitate to Mike Sainristil

In my opinion, you have followers, you have leaders and you have influencers. I think Mikey is an influencer. Mikey has changed the mindset of everybody on our team, not just the defensive backs. He's easily to be drawn to. If I was a player, if I wasn't Mikey, I'd be right there next to him. I tell the guys, hey, listen, we watched film last week and watch a guy play man defense and he made a good play. Guess who it was? It was number zero. Watch someone destroy a block. It was zero. He got beat on a play and the guy caught the ball running down the sideline, he punched it out. Sounds familiar guys? Number zero. He never stops. He's always going and going. When he makes a mistake, like I mentioned earlier, the great ones they correct it. He's a great guy to be around. He's always trying to do things with the players. He's never too busy, never. The young guys want to watch film and we may not be around or in meetings, Mikey texts them, hey, young guys, I'm in the building. If anyone is around let's watch film. That's why they want to be around. He shows them just like a coach, he shows them that he cares and he loves them so that's why they always want to be around them. I love that kid. I love all our players but he's a special kid.

On Jyaire Hill and Brandyn Hillman

I think that whole freshmen class, including Cameron Calhoun, I think those guys have a lot of talent. I think DJ Waller is very focused. I think his focus is kind of rubbing off on the other guys and now they're locked in a lot more and you see them in there when I give them a chance to play, they're trying to concentrate on their job, execute so that we can trust them. I told them, if we can trust you guys on the field, we're going to play you because the guys you just mentioned, all of them, they're special now. The older guys know that. I'm an honest guy, if you guys can't tell, I'm a straight-forward guy. My players know, hey, these four guys, they're just as talented if not more talented than you guys in this room. When you guys leave, these guys might set the bar even higher. It's your legacy to teach them so they continue to make it grow. You guys, your legacy to touch the young guys coming in to be humble and learn from these older players just like you're going to ask the next group in two or three years. We'll keep elevating as a secondary and as a defensive unit. That's my job to bridge that gap and make sure that there's no separation but those young guys can keep growing. They're very talented, they're smart young men, they work hard and they've bought into the culture. I like being around them. It's been really fun coaching them.

On Ernest Hausmann

Ernest is a young man who puts in the time and work, you guys have probably heard that. He puts in all the time. He knows his assignment. He probably knows what everybody on defense is doing, he knows so much. He's a great communicator and he's a really, really great teammate as far as bringing people along, trying to be patient with them or at least working with them. You can see on the film, turn around looking at the safeties communicating back and forth, I think that also rubbed off on the other linebackers that he's working with. He's been a great addition, love having him out there. I don't know where we would be without him but I think he's been a great addition to our team and I think he'll be a great addition to our defense as you continue to see more of him and he'll keep making impactful plays.

On Amorion Walker

Amorion is a special talent, we all know that. What I see from him now, the spring doesn't matter. The summer doesn't matter. What I see from him now? He's locked in. He's not able to practice but he's watching film, he's taking notes. You should see his notes. I take his notes and show them to everybody. He's taking notes, it's everything, birthdays, he'll write down birthdays. He's taking notes and listening to everything, he's being a sponge and that's what you want from your players. If they're not able to do it physically, do it mentally. Now when a younger guy wants to talk to him, he can give them the right answer. I've been proud of him about how he's handled this. It's not been an emotional deal where he'll disappear or you won't see him while he's injured. He's here every day all the time. We text and communicate every day so when I think he does come back, it'll help him catapult to where he was and maybe even surpass it. Looking for big things from all those guys and I think they've done a great job.

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