Transcript | UMass HC Joe Harasymiak 8.7.25
Everything UMass head coach Joe Harasymiak said to reporters on Thursday.
UMass head coach Joe Harasymiak met with reporters following Thursday’s training camp practice.
Here’s a transcript of that Q&A session.
Are you about where you want to be at this point in training camp?
“Our guys are doing a good job winning the mental battle with themselves. I think camp is a grind. They understand that. We are pushing through. We have our scrimmage coming up Saturday, so today, every fourth day we kind of go with a runthrough/walkthrough mindset. So we'll kind of recover. The mindset behind that is we will never practice more than three days in a row during the season. So starting to get their body clocks and those types of things going. But the strength staff's done a great job and we're progressing. We're going.
“A lot of situational football now. We're working on end-of-game stuff. Practice yesterday we had first, second, third down, red zone, two-minute. So we're starting to put all that together and when that happens, you really either sink or swim. So we're kind of finding out what some of the guys, what they can handle and what they can't. So it's been going really well. We're progressing, taking a small step forward every day.”
What is the scrimmage going to look like on Saturday? What do you plan to do?
“We had 40 team plays yesterday at the end, kind of a rack of 10. So four quarters there. We had 20 there, so we had 60 total. If we can get someone in the 60 to 80 range of live tempo. We've done about 20 to 30 plays of live right now. That'll be the big key there, especially defensively, that's a big thing defensively. Everybody's a great tagger in practice, but it's a little different putting your face on people. We've got to get that evaluated.
“Then offensively, you've got to make sure you secure the ball. So I think that's going to be important for us moving forward. But I think they're in a good mindset. I think they're ready for that. And then we'll also finish with another two-minute there for the scrimmage. So we'll keep hitting that.”
You will be tackling any scrimmage though?
“Yeah, we will be. Yep. 100 percent.”
Do you feel like you're ahead of where you thought you might be? Behind where you thought you might be? Right on target?
“I think perspective for us is taking each day. Some of the things we don't really talk about moving forward, but I think where we are right now is exactly where we want to be. I think there's guys that are elevating their game and there's some guys that are kind of staying put and some guys have to pick it up. I think that's what happens in camp, but they've got to take ownership for that. They've got to understand where they are and push forward. But I think we're right where we want to be. I'm happy with the way they're responding to things.
“It's like anything, right? Nothing's going to go great all of the time. I always tell them the analogy that I use all the time. It's like you go into Coach (George) Greene for a day or two, take your shirt off, look in the mirror, you're probably going to look the same. Human nature is to give up. But if we don't grow weary of doing good, at some point, we'll reap a harvest if we don't give up. So we've just got to keep pushing.”
Is red zone one of those things where you don't really know what you have until you get in one of those situations in the game?
“Red zone's an interesting place. The field, once you hit the 17, gets twice as wide as it is long. So I think understanding those situations, and that's something that we do in the team meetings every night with whatever's going in the next day. We talk about that and more situational stuff will come up. But certainly there offensively. you've got to protect the points. We should have three no matter what, especially with our kicking game and then understanding when to take the risk and not. I think Coach Jake (Mike Bajakian) and the offensive staff do a great job. But to be effective, we've got to run the ball down there first and foremost, and then we've got to win one-on-ones. So a lot of man coverage on there, those types of things. It is different and I think our guys are doing a good job understanding that.”
T.Y. mentioned the goal is bowl game and a MAC championship. As a head coach, what are your goals? Are they as concrete as that? How do you measure success throughout the season?
“I think for us, we define success as leaving something better than you found it. Because I think a lot of times with success, just like depth chart decisions, you put a date on it, your mindset moves forward. A result is at the end of something, but that result is defined by what you put into it. So our input will determine all the scores that we're going to have and the win/losses. So for me, it's just taking day by day. Certainly we're here to win. I know why the administration and everybody's supporting us. We expect to win. And I don't know when that's going to be, but I know if we do the right things and we stay on the right path, that will be closer to getting the result that we want.”
Are you any closer to naming a starting QB?
“Yeah. I think we're progressing. Again, kind of what I just answered. The reason we didn't give those guys a date or any depth chart decisions at date is because that's all they'll think about and then they won't perform. And we always want them focused in. All three of them are doing a great job. We're rotating the reps. This Saturday, when the live bullets are flying - certainly they won't get hit still - but that that'll be big. And getting out there. I think everybody else around them is doing a great job. Again, every period is different. They're taking reps with the ones, twos and threes and we rotate that evenly so they're progressing good.”
