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STORRS, CT - The UConn Huskies will be at home at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field on Saturday to take on the Syracuse Orange of the ACC. Watch Head Coach Jason Candle's press conference previewing this week's match-up. Embedded video transcript: Jason Candle Week #5 Press Conference | Syracuse Yeah, good afternoon. Thanks for coming. Um You know, you know, I think a a a really critical task and a really tough test for us this weekend is to you know, see if we can get off the mat and go respond to, you know, some of the adversities that showed up in the football game on Saturday. You know, it's a good football team we're playing. You know, Coach Brown has done a good job in his time there of you know, putting a good product and seeing consistent improvement. I mean, sometimes it may not show up in the record, but um you know, they play really hard on defense, you know, very sound schematically on defense. They got a lot of playmakers on the offensive side of the ball. You know, capable at quarterback with a couple guys, capable at receiver with many guys, capable at running back with a few guys there. Um massive on the offensive line. You know, and and like I said, schematically defensively very familiar with the scheme, you know, my former defensive coordinator Toledo is the defensive coordinator there. So, he's going to have them guys ready to play. They'll be sound that way. And then you know, in the kicking game, they're going to challenge us as well there. So, you know, we we got to be at our best. Um some things that maybe showed up in the football game on Saturday where we didn't capitalize on some of our opportunities. And we're going to take them off the tape. And that's that's easier said than done with a young team. And um we got to really grow from Saturday. We got to really learn and and continue to to move forward. I mean, you're you're starting to approach October here. You know, all across the country in college football, this is contenders versus pretenders. This is the month that separates everybody. So, um consistent improvement here in our building, take care of us, and and all and then ultimately at the end of the day get ready for real quality opponent. >> Okay, with the questions, stand up for a mic, please. >> Coach, how much how well do you know Vince? It goes back decades, doesn't it? And and in terms of his offense versus your defense through practices, I mean, uh are you excited about this match-up? Do you think that he he knows too much about you? >> Yeah, I mean, these these uh these things are, you know, they're fun, but they're not fun. Right? I mean, you know, great relationship, mutual respect. Um, talk weekly, you know. I mean, just a guy that I just I love him, you know what I mean? And um, I hope for his success. I hope they they shut out every opponent they play, except Saturday. So, um, one of those type of things. So, you know, we're going to put together a really good plan, give us our best crack to try to go uh, win the game and and play really well, and I know he'll have his guys ready to do the same. >> Coach, in the same sense, you have uh, Coach Nunzio and uh, Jaden Hart. How much does that help you prepare for Syracuse? >> Well, I think, you know, obviously, you know, with Coach Campanile being here, there's there's roster familiarity. Um, but I do think that they're so drastically different on both sides of the football. Um, you know, there's it's a new team, you know, this is this is the new college football. In January, rosters turn over, you know, at a rapid rate. Um, you know, so you may you may fall into some familiarity thing familiar familiar things, and uh, but you I think you can get caught in that rabbit hole, too. You know, you got to really pay attention to the the game play and the tape that you see up until this point time, and and and really, you know, put your energy in the right place there. >> Coach, with with Caleb, you've mentioned sort of the decision-making and all the process of, you know, getting him comfortable as a starter. Um, did you feel like that was kind of what led to it uh, Saturday and the timing sort of felt like it was a little late? >> Led to what? >> Led to the offense kind of stalling out. >> Um, I think there's a couple things. There's one, I think this is this is program-wide. I mean, I in 11 minutes and 47 seconds on the clock in the second quarter, we got the ball at the plus 42-yard line. Uh, we got a 14-point lead, and we go into halftime 14-14. You know, we didn't recover from mistakes. We let one play carry into two, and um, you know, a mistake that that happened. Our the event still bothered us for We carried that too much. I mean, we got to be able to let go, and we got to be able to get rid of it. I mean, um, you know, we give up a fourth and one on a pass. I mean, we had, you know, put them in a position where, you know, they didn't I don't know if they felt like they couldn't run it or not, but they play action passed us, and they took the check down. The check down gained, you know, a first down. And then the very next play, we don't crack our place, and they score a touchdown in the next play. So, we we let the fourth and one carry over to the next first and 10 multiple times. You know, we miss a an out route coming out, you know, in the in the red area there. And then later on, we miss a bubble read, and it just there was That was all over the tape. One play turned into two. Um, and when you're playing a really quality team, which, you know, look, like we're There's 10 years of culture there of a head coach who's been there for over a decade and has a really good plan on all three phases and has his program where it needs to be in the sense of how they want to operate, how they want to play football. You know, we're at 9 months here. Um, and we're trying to strive to get to that point time. And then when you're not there, no matter how talented you may think you might be, those things can't show up in those type of games because the margins are very, very small. And we have to understand that that's the reality of college football. Um, and if we want to be where we want to be, you know, we got to really own that. And um, it's one thing to talk about, it's another thing to do it. >> Uh, Coach Syracuse is a team coming off their bye week. How do you attack a team differently compared to someone who might have played the week before? >> You don't. I don't think it changes anything. Um, I can't control what goes on in Syracuse's building and how they prepare and what they look like and what they're trying to do. Um, we can only watch the tape that we have. Um, and again, I think again, for me, always, it starts inside out. We have to address us before we can worry about anybody else. And we're not going to deviate from that because I don't think that, you know, if you get caught up and just if you just get caught up in moments and you just get caught up in Saturdays, and outcomes, and wins, and versus losses, then are you really building a team? Are you really getting better? Are you really doing what you said you were going to do in January? I don't think so. I don't think that's the case. So, I'm looking for consistent improvement. I'm looking for guys that come in here with a great attitude, and they're willing to get better. Um guys that, you know, really have some humility about them. Guys that have the ability to keep the main thing the main thing, and I really don't care who we're playing, honestly. I don't. And I don't every week. I really don't I don't. Game one has its own set of challenges. I know nobody wants to know that or think about that, because it's an FCS opponent. It has a whole set of set of challenges. If you're playing the New York Jets this weekend, it would have its own set of challenges, and anywhere in between. So, um we got to handle us. We got to we got to force, and we got to demand consistent improvement to you know, to have the competitive excellence that we're striving to have. >> Hey coach, just uh can you talk about um the end of the game against Miami, um going forward on fourth down, possibly a PI? Um was there any thought process to kick a field goal, or just walk us through the process of the decision making there? >> Yeah, I don't I didn't really feel confident into the wind with a 56-yard field goal with a freshman kicker after watching the Miami kicker kick a, you know, low 40s yard yard from there, and it hit the crossbar, and bounced up in the air. Um yeah, I mean, you know, we we we were trying to go win the game, you know, and uh then we had some cracks at it that we were just we just off on the play on the on the sideline where we didn't quite get a foot in. The ball was just off to the side a little bit. You know, the ball down the field on a post. I thought, you know, the guy grabbed him, but I don't, you know, like I think it's still catchable. Um then we had opportunities. I mean, again, like of all the things that maybe would have went wrong, I mean, we are in the moment right there at the end of the game with a chance to go win the game, and we just didn't we didn't seize it. So, um it just tells you you're not a finished product. You don't know where you need to be at, and you got to go back to work, and fix the mistakes. >> Coach, the difference between young players earlier in the game when maybe the stress factor's down a little bit, don't have to make plays as opposed to late in the game, young players stress levels up, now they've got to make plays. >> Yeah, I I happy medium. Um I think what I'm more disappointed with is is maybe the the And and this is society to a certain extent, but like it's never going to be easy, right? I mean, you have to prepare yourself for 3 and 1/2 hours of hard every Saturday. And like that's just what it's going to be. And I don't care how it starts, how good it starts, I don't care how bad it starts. You know, I mean, I I think back to like 2016, we're we're playing at BYU and you know, night game, Taysom Hill hits a slot fade on the first play of the game for a 65-yard touchdown. And I'm looking at our defensive players like this is either going to go one of two ways. Um you know, and we stuck to to that team and and lost on a last-second walk-off field goal, but that team's got enough mental resolve and enough mental toughness to hang in there and just understand that it's one play and one play can't turn into two or three or four. And Saturday, I thought at times that, you know, that showed up. And you know, look, like that's that's on me to fix that. I mean, we got to continue to coach, we got to continue to, you know, work to establish the culture and the foundation that we want. Um and live with some of the mistakes that some of our young players are going to make. And you know, how we respond to those suc- successes and so those failures, I think ultimately determine your fate. >> Jason, on on that topic of young players, how much do you rely on kind of your vets, your seniors to kind of help them through, uh you know, getting through those big spots? >> Yeah, I I think you do a lot, but I think there's there's few and far between guys that care that are just so good in this sport that can consistently make everybody around them better on every single play. There's got going a level of personal accountability to what you do. And you know, that part of of the level of improvement that is needed um for some young players that are in new positions in this position for the first time, man, it's eye-opening. So, um it's and it's only an indictment of that more uh you know, or a deterrent for what their future looks like if they don't learn from those mistakes, right? And they don't do it better the next time. So, we're going to be in that situation again, and hopefully between now and then we have a better process on what it is and we're more prepared for it. And you know, yeah, what is experience is a great teacher, but it doesn't guarantee that it's going to go right the next time. So, you got to go do it. You got to practice with great effort. You got to really buy into what fundamentally wins games in tough moments, and then you got to go execute. >> Coach, uh looking ahead to Saturday, just how much are you looking forward to just being back at the Ren in front of the home crowd? >> Yeah, I mean, I hope we have a great crowd. I really do. Um I hope that we have a great crowd. I hope we have a great showing from our fans, and I hope that we put a really good product on the field that makes our fans proud. Um you know, and we're going to work really hard this week to make sure that that gets done. >> Coach, you you you stressed consistent improvement a few times, not just today, but in in the past. Did you see some steps forward on Saturday, or was it a a step back for the team? >> Yeah, I we had 255 yards offense in the first half. That's not a common thing. But, we only had 14 points. Um and again, we had the ball with up 14 with 11 minutes and 47 seconds to go on the 42-yard line, and and went into halftime, right? So, um you know, like there's things that happen throughout the course of a football game that you know, you could get caught up in and make a big deal about it. I don't Those are going to happen. I mean, we got an interception that wasn't a pass interference, and it What's the response like? It happened. The guy's not going to go over there and pick up the flag and put it back in his pocket and say, "I'm sorry." What's the response? The the can't be the very next play give up an explosive touchdown. Like, it just can't be that way. So, we got to understand like whether it's good or it's the worst day of my life, there's some learning to be done and we got to stay in the moment and play the next play because there's 70-some-odd plays in a football game on on either side of the ball and if you're playing in the kicking game, there's 30-some of those every game. So, you have plenty of opportunities to impact the game even if it didn't go your way. And you know, how football is played today, if you're a wide receiver or you're a DB, man oh man, like the pressure's on you at all times. If you drop a ball or you give up a play, uh if the other guy is on the other side is a really good coach, he's going after you on the very next one, right? He's going to challenge you and press you at the line of scrimmage if you just had a bad moment at receiver. And if you're a DB, they're trying to throw it over your head on the next play if the guy knows what he's doing. So, uh you got to be able to bounce back. You got to be able to be right and get back and play and and and settle down. And I think there were moments in the game where, again, we just the response wasn't great. You know, so, am I seeing improvement? Absolutely. In a lot of ways, right? I mean, let's be serious here. Like, if you give up 24 points in a football game in today's college football game, you should you should win the game, right? We should. So, we can get upset about our defense and they give up some yards, but 24 points is enough. Like, we should win the game and we didn't score enough points on offense to do that. >> Coach, when you when you look at Syracuse, obviously the season hasn't started the way they wanted it to, but what challenges do they present on offense and do you have to prepare for two quarterbacks this week? >> Yeah, I think I mentioned them. I think massive up front, you know, um the biggest offensive line we'll see. Two quarterbacks that are capable going the game and play well. Um you know, really good backs. Run behind their pads, good after contact. Solid vision in the hole to set up, you know, what's the second level of defense looks like when they break through. Um receivers on the perimeter they can run and can make the quarterback better. Um you know, good up front, like I said, you know, like good up front in a good offensive unit as a whole. So, um, yeah, I mean, I don't know who they'll play at quarterback. That's not That's not my decision. Um, but, you know, ultimately, we've got to be ready to affect whoever is in there and and put the best plan together between now and Saturday that we can. >> You got a new look in the tight end room in the second half of that game with Matt Reagan. He gave you some nice catches in the fourth quarter. Just talk about him a bit and what he adds to the table from the tight end spot. >> Well, happy for him to be able to He's back, um, first and foremost. Second thing would be the the impact of our team just to have the depth there that we need. Um, but yeah, I mean, a guy that has worked really, really hard, very cerebral player, a guy that, um, you know, is a highly accountable guy and and it's very important to him to be successful. And not only just on the football field, you know, in the classroom, you know, he's a grad student, you know, and working on his MBA, like guy's going to be really, really successful in whatever he chooses to do after football. Um, we're just trying [clears throat] to find a way here to make sure that he's really good at football while he's here, um, before, you know, the next phase of life begins. But, uh, glad he's in our program, fun guy to coach, great kid to be around. >> Coach, now that you've had Ishaan back for a few games, just talk about what he's shown you so far. >> Well, I think that, you know, Ishaan's a good player. Um, he's a guy that can be disruptive. He's got really heavy hands in there. He's good at taking on double teams. Um, you know, he's what a your prototypical college football defensive tackle should look like. So, um, you know, he's a He's an impact, you know, in there and and he's It's good to have him back. And again, like Matt, you know, very happy for him individually that he's able to get back out there and enjoy and play his his final year. So, um, we're going to need, you know, him to be at his best here down the stretch if we're going to continue to improve like we want to. >> Coach, postgame you had mentioned that there were opportunities to maybe punch out some balls that the defense didn't take advantage of. So, how do you work on that with the group and balance the the ability to force turnovers in that way versus making sure you're still wrapping up and getting tackles? >> Well, I think you answered your own question. It's a fine line, right? I mean, you you know, you want strip attempts, but you also got to make sure the tackles are secured. Um it's not for lack of trying at practice, I promise you that. I mean, it's something that we we put a high emphasis on and we work on daily. Um you know, and I think that those moments will come. You know, I've coached teams where man oh man, like we've we've we've led the conference in turnovers. And we practice ball security and takeaways the same amount of times the years where we didn't take it away at all, right? So, um when those moments show up, and they're going to, we just we got to get them and we got to you know, we got to take full advantage of them. And uh you know, you know, hopefully that these guys give us a couple of those opportunities this weekend, too. >> Anything else, guys? >> Coach, do do you mind your quarterback being your leading rusher for the team as long as it's a somebody as athletic as Caleb is? >> Yeah, I mean, uh look, we're not asking Dan Marino here to run quarterback draw every play. Like, we're not asking Tom Brady to run quarterback sweep here. We're asking a very athletic guy to make the right read when the defense allows him to do it. And when he can do that on fourth and one and run in touch for 40 some yards into the end zone, I'm not going to yell at him for not giving the ball to the running back. So, when the plays are there and the plays are able to be made and he makes the plays he's going to going to make by making the right reads, run like hell and run all damn day. Uh when it's not and you start to do your own thing, which he hasn't done, then yeah, we got a problem. But um I can't control how many defenders are at the line of scrimmage. I can't control, you know, what the defensive coordinator plans and how he wants to put the ball in and what what player of the ball he wants to be put or they want to put the ball in whose hands cuz you can do that on defense. Um, you know, and like I said, we're this is not this is not a statue that we're asking to be our leader in leading rusher here. This is a this is a real athlete that, you know, if he continues to make the right reads and does what he needs to do and he gains the yards he gains, so be it. Do I want him running around and scrambling around and getting hit because protection breaks down? I don't. Uh, is that a is that a a level of comfort that we should fall into? Absolutely not, right? So, uh, we got to get the ball out of our hand on time in the passing game. We got to do a better job of hanging in there and protecting him a little bit better. Um, you know, and there are going to be some off-script plays where he gets out and he makes he makes some guys miss and uh, does what he does. So, it's got to be a weapon that is used at the right time for the correct reasons. It can't be a luxury that you fall into and it becomes a crutch and all of a sudden you're that crutch just becomes your greatest downfall. Appreciate it.