Eric Studesville – August 23, 2021
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Monday, August 23, 2021
Co-Offensive coordinator/Running Backs Coach Eric Studesville
(When you come into a position where you are taking over co-offensive coordinator roles and obviously your focus is going to be on getting the most out of QB Tua Tagovailoa, did you go back and look at all of Tua’s film to get a starting point for what you can build on? What was that like) – “Film from last year?”
(Yes.) – “Well, we always go back and look at what we did last year. It’s part of the self-scouting. We try to evaluate what we did well, what we feel like we could do better, what we can improve on and the way to do all that, as well as add new things as the staff comes together and use a collaborative effort to bring ideas from different places. So we always bring, we always go back and look at what things will give us a chance to be successful.”
(Over this months-long process, is there anything in particular that you really want to hone in with QB Tua Tagovailoa? Whether it is pre-snap, footwork or whatever it may be?) – “It’s like all the players, it’s everything. We are always trying to improve on everything to get better from where they are and accentuate what he does well, the things that he does well. He throws the ball really well. He’s a smart guy. He can handle it and everything that goes into that position, which is an all-encompassing position. He’s doing a great job. He’s working at it. He comes in every day and he’s working hard at it every day.”
(He’s talked so much about Year 1 to Year 2. Is it really just a matter of getting more familiar with everything whether that’s the playbook, the process, seeing more, getting more reps. Is that really all it comes down to in terms of that Year 1 to Year 2 jump?) – “Is that all it comes down to? I think that’s probably a generalization. There’s a lot that goes into it but I think the more experience guys have, the more they understand what needs to get done and when.”
(I wanted to ask you about the running backs. RB Myles Gaskin had a great preseason game this past weekend and after you guys started RB Malcolm Brown the first time, do you feel that this second game was more of what we will see in the regular season or is it still a matchup-based every game will determine it?) – “I think we want to give each guy exposure in doing different things. They’ve gotten different reps in the different games but we want to see what we have in doing different things and experimenting with different combinations and situations and just give guys a chance to get in and play. They need game reps. That’s really what we are trying to get out of it at this point.”
(How are decisions like that made – who’s going to work more, get more starts and things like that?) – “We talk about it as a staff before we go into a game. Flo’s (Head Coach Brian Flores) got an idea of what he wants to see and he tell us, ‘hey, were thinking about this many plays,’ or whatever it is and that’s how we go with it. It doesn’t always go that way but it’s outlined like that.”
(What are the benefits of when one starts before the other? When RB Malcolm Brown goes in first, does he wear teams down so the other guys can do what they do?) – “I don’t know that there’s a benefit to it. They’re different backs and they do different things. We just want to see them operate within the offense. That’s really what we are trying to evaluate at this point in time.”
(What did you see out of QB Tua Tagovailoa? Obviously he had a great game this past weekend and what have you seen as he has progressed through training camp and these first preseason games?) – “I think he’s showing that the work and time and effort that he’s putting in to improving and getting better, it’s starting to show now. We just want to keep that going and keep pushing and trying to get better. We feel like did some good things the other night but we still have a lot of areas to work in. That’s not just him, that’s everybody. We just keep working and grinding and going forward.”
(When it comes to the elements of the run-pass-option, how involved are you in that? There’s a lot of voices on the offensive coaching staff and I’m trying to get an idea of what you key in on versus maybe Co-Offensive Coordinator George Godsey or Quarterbacks Coach Charlie Frye.) – “We are all looking at everything. We are all involved in it and everyone’s hands are involved in it. If it’s a pass play, the backs are involved in a pass play. If it’s a run play, the quarterbacks are involved in a run play. All of us are involved in it. We have to all be on the same page as far as how we design it and how we want it executed.”
(It has been fun seeing RB Salvon Ahmed and RB Myles Gaskin as receivers. We saw a lot from Myles in that area last year. Does this give you a weapon that not every team has? Obviously some teams have backs that can be really effective in the passing game but with Salvon’s speed that we have seen on a sideline run, does this give the offense a dynamic that not every team has?) – “I hope so (laughter). We are going to try to use their skillsets, whatever they do best and do things. He can obviously run and he can catch.”
(Is RB Myles Gaskin your starter? Is that an open competition among the three of them?) – “We haven’t made any of those decisions yet. We are giving them all reps, we want to see them all play, they need game-time reps right now and that’s really what we have been rotating them doing. We’ll figure it out. Whatever gives us the best chance when we need to make those decisions.”
(What has RB Gerrid Doaks shown you so far?) – “I think he continues to develop and work hard. He’s done a nice job. I think there was a lot at the beginning but he’s very conscientious, he’s very smart, he’s very competitive and he wants to be good. He just keeps working every day and I think he will continue to improve.”
(As far as how RB Gerrid Doaks runs the ball, what’s the strength there? Is it power, instinct? What is it?) – “I think it’s some of each. I’d like to see a little more power and I’d like to see him react a little different some times but I think that’s going to happen the more he plays.”
(Your offensive line, you have been moving guys around. When would you, as a co-offensive coordinator, want to see that settled? I would assume that settles a lot with the quarterback knowing who’s where and the running backs knowing who does what.) – “We’ll settle on that. It’s a process. We move people around and we are looking at combinations. We will know when the time is right to do it. I don’t think there is a specific timeframe set for that.”
(What do you think of the offensive line’s performance this last game?) – “I think they continue to work and develop, all those guys. Even though they’ve been in different spots doing things and we’ve had some guys in and out, but they continue to work and it’s a cohesive group. I think they work good with each other and they work good with the backs and the quarterbacks. We want the whole offense, much like they are, to continue to develop and grow and work together as a unit so we can be effective.”
(Did it feel like you had that flow is going? It seemed like the offense was kind of natural, everybody is doing their thing.) – “I think at times. There’s some things we did really well and there are some things that we need to improve on still going forward. It’s not a finished product. Our guys are working hard and they are committed to what we are doing. We will just keep working and going forward.”
(Obviously, QB Tua Tagovailoa is going to develop. It’s his second year. Do you see more of his relationship with his offensive line taking more time with that and taking more pride in that type of stuff? In the end, it is going to help him the most.) – “I saw him do that last year too. It’s a continuation. Relationships grow and develop. They’ll evolve as time goes and the more time you spend with each other.”
(There’s a lot made about the top three running backs. Did you see any separation on Saturday night?) – “I though the whole group played well. I though they played hard. I thought we did good things at times and I think there are still things that we can improve. I hope that’s every game, that we still have room for improvement everywhere.”
(You guys give so many multiple looks with the running backs that you do have. How much of an advantage is that? As a guy who is involved in that some people might not be thinking of a certain thing and you guys can throw wrinkles on almost every play with those guys.) – “I hope that’s what opponents think and that’s what they’re worried about. That’s a good problem to have then. (laughter) I like the group. There are different skillsets within the room but the common skillsets are their competitiveness, their work ethic and the fact that they all want to be really good and they work at it.”
(It’s funny because they’re all running backs and want the ball. These guys are all like best friends. For a coach to know that you don’t have selfish guys, that’s got to be great for a coach.) – I think it speaks volume for who they are as young people. The fact that they’re each confident in their own individual skillsets but yet they want what’s best for the team and what gives everybody a chance to be successful. They cheer each other on. They help each other. They work with each other. They correct each other. It is a good environment to be in.”
(Just to see the offensive line clicking and creating lanes for RB Myles Gaskin and RB Salvon Ahmed, your observations and did it feel good to see things come to fruition in the game?) – “Well hopefully it’s not a finished product and it’s a work in progress. That’s what we are hoping. We did some good things the other night but there are still a lot of areas that we can work to improve on things. Not just up front, but in our room in doing things too. It was good to have a productive performance like that from the group as an offense – the line, the tight ends, the wide outs, the backs, the quarterbacks and everybody. We like that performance but we need to keep building on that.”
(When RB Myles Gaskin scored his first touchdown, I noticed that there was no one more excited on the field than QB Tua Tagovailoa. I thought that was an interesting relationship to see, to see the whole drive kind of come together for both of them. What can you say about their relationship as teammates and how it has evolved?) – “I don’t know, you’d have to ask them. I just know what I see. I think they like each other. I think our team likes each other. They cheer for each other, which I think is a positive for the entire team.”
(Everything smooth, everybody making a big deal about the play-calling and how everything works? Was it smooth this game again?) – “I think so, yeah (laughter).
(It looked pretty good) – “Then I would say yes.”
(I asked Head Coach Brian Flores about this the other day but I wanted to get your thoughts on how you balance what you put on tape for your regular-season opponents in the preseason compared to getting stuff to work on. How do you balance that? Is that a tough balancing act or is that something you just do?) – “I don’t know that it’s tough. We go in and we want to see certain things so we put things in that we want to see. We are evaluating, really, what everybody can do. The things that we need to evaluate can be evaluated on lots of different plays. One play doesn’t evaluate just this skillset. We can see a lot of different things.”
