Rutgers Football DC Joe Harasymiak talks Bye Week
Rutgers Football Defensive Coordinator Joe Harasymiak talks with the media on Thursday afternoon following one of the program's bye week practices.
How have you thought you guys have done defensively this season? You guys are ranked in the top 25 in multiple categories.
JOE HARASYMIAK: “It’s been a good start and we’ve built that over the summer and the spring. I think a lot of those guys have more experience and we brought a lot of those guys back. I think it shows later in games where we were kind of getting hurt a little bit last year, I think they’ve stepped up and chopped more. They’ve sustained their effort and energy and effort through that. We’re pleased where we are at, coach (Schiano) has been talking to us and it’s just a mile marker and we have a lot of games left. We have to take care of the bye week right now, but certainly we are happy with a lot of the things we’ve been doing.”
Coach said the other day that Tyreem Powell is likely to miss the rest of the season. How do you kind of absorb that type of loss with the way he’s been playing this year?
JH: “Disappointing for him because I think if there was an award in college football for most improved, I think he’d deserve to be up there. Credit to coach (Corey) Hetherman for what he’s been able to do with him, but I think you guys saw his development here over the past two years and even my time before I was here. He’s just lights out. We wish him a fast and speedy recovery. We got enough depth there, we will be fine. Corey, coach (Charlie) Noonan and John Schiano do a great job of getting those guys ready and we play a lot of guys to begin with, so just like anything people have to step up and be ready to go.”
You’re going to face one of the top receivers in the country next week in Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., just curious what your approach will be going against a talented player like that?
JH: “There’s a lot of good ones, but he certainly stands out. We are starting to watch some tape this week and see how they get him the ball in a variety of ways. He’s not as stagnant as he was in last year’s lineup, where he was in one spot. He moves everywhere. It’s pick your poison, you stop him and there’s two other guys and then their running backs will be back for us. So we are going to have to come up with ways to certainly give them some different looks, but after watching the first eight weeks of them, they’ve seen everything and everyone has tried everything. I think the best teams have been able to matchup, play and win their one on ones. If you look at Notre Dame and what Penn State attempted to do, that’s what everyone is trying to do. Usually the good ones, they get theirs. It’s not about giving up a big play and just doing those kinds of things to keep the game going.”
Would you try to put your best cornerback on him specifically or do you just leave your guys where they are?
JH: “To me? I trust all my guys. To be honest with you, we haven’t had to match up this year at all, whether that’s Max (Melton), Beam (Robert Longerbeam), Eric (Rogers) or whoever is there. Whether it’s at nickel, we’ve rotated a bunch of guys there too. We just kind of just play what we do and I think those guys are up to that challenge and they want that. No matter who’s got him, we will roll with it.”
What’s been the key for this pass defense so far this year?
JH: “Limiting the big play. Over the past 12 quarters we’ve only given up one that’s been over 25 yards, the busted coverage against Indiana. If you look at the season overall over the eight games, I think we’ve given up seven or eight. So that’s about one a game and it’s been critical. Certainly the human beings out there who have been in coverage have a lot to do with it. Coach (Mark) Orphey and (Drew) Lascari and what they’ve done with those guys coming back, we can cover with the best of them and it obviously helps me to call a game knowing that I got Melton, Beam, Eric and all those guys out there doing a great job.”
What have you seen out of Flip Dixon this season since you did coach him previously at Minnesota?
JH: “He talks a lot more than when I used to know him. I say that because I recruited him and he didn’t say a word back in the day. The number one thing from Flip is that he loves football and when you find guys like that, no matter what their personality is and when they come into a culture / environment like this, they are going to kill it. He’s mature, confident and very steady. He doesn’t waver up and down, which makes people who don’t know him just question him and be like hey is he okay, but that’s just him. Getting someone like that who I coached in a system very similar to this and getting him here, it was literally just plug him in and let him go. He’s been a great addition and I’m just happy to see his personality come out that his mom always told me about. I’ve been actually seeing over the past six months.”
What have you seen out of Aaron Lewis this season and what do you hope to see out of him over these next few weeks?
JH: “Aaron’s been doing a real good job and a lot of times on third down, he’s been getting some slides and stuff, everyone just knows where he is. I think for a player, one of the biggest transitions that you go through is no one knows who you are to knowing exactly where you are at all times. I think we got to do a better job as a staff of putting him in some better situations because of what we’ve been doing over the first eight games, a lot of teams have been protecting differently and we’ve got to come up with ways during the bye week and moving forward. His effort never changes, what he’s all about never changes and it’s just a matter of time. We talk about taking the ball away more, we are doing the right things in practice and there’s going to come a time where he explodes and hopefully it will be very soon.”
Mohamed Toure is a versatile guy who’s lined up at multiple spots for you this season, what does that versatility do for your defense?
JH: “It’s huge. On the flip side, it’s like when someone lines up at tailback or wideout, kind of like what they were doing last weekend, it’s just a little bit more challenging. Mo’s versatility for us is all about putting him in the right situation to be successful. So game to game that’s what we have to figure out as coaches and it puts a little bit more challenges on him, coach Hetherman and myself because it’s a lot more learning. That’s the number one job of the coach is to put them into a position to be successful. He’s done a great job and will continue to progress moving forward. Certainly with Tyreem being out, his role is going to expand even more and be a big time player for us.”
With your success here, maybe some other places would see that and pursue you as a head coaching option or another defensive coordinator gig. Do you have any interest in a head coaching position if something like that were to arise?
JH: “Yeah I mean it was a lot of fun being a head coach, but my job is here and I love it here, my family loves it here. I’m back where I’m from and New Jersey kind of makes me who I am, my personality and I love being here. So I’m going to be where my feet are and I’m going to do the best job I can do here. It hasn’t crossed my mind because I know we have a gigantic game coming up and the rest of the season. Like coach said, this is a mile marker, we got to a bowl game. I know this, whenever you start thinking about everything else in life, you suck at your job. So I’m just going to keep doing what we’re doing and keep the pedal down here.”
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