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ATHENS, Ohio — Ohio football's defensive coordinator John Hauser met with Ohio Athletics' Sam Hyman yesterday (Aug. 12). They discussed the defenses' progress so far, positives coming out of the team's first scrimmage and what he's enjoyed in his first Fall Camp overseeing the entire defensive unit.  
 
On observations on the defense so far  
"I think our guys, they're playing hard. We're a new looking group with a lot of new faces, but our kids have been playing hard and I've been pleased with their ability to get to the ball and have a desire to get to the ball. We've been preaching it a lot. I know our assistant coaches have been all over it— that's kind of our mantra. They bought into that which I'm pleased with."

On positives from the first scrimmage of fall camp
"I like how we tackled. I thought we tackled better than we have a lot of times in first scrimmages in space. It's another thing we've been working on a ton; we don't go live every day, so that's a point of emphasis for us when we are in tag off of getting in position. But I thought our tackling was really good in space. I saw a couple frontals that we could have been better on, but I was pleased with our ability to get guys on the ground."

On current defensive focuses 
I think it's the basics still – we stick with the basics. Pursuit getting to the ball, tackling and block destruction, but it's also about the install slowed down now and we have about everything in. So, the details of the position situational football: down in distance, how we want you to play this technique depending on what the down in distance is, what the offensive formation is telling us. It's starting to get into the knowledge of what the offense is doing. We have to know what we're doing, now it's, 'Hey, what can give our guys an advantage to knowing what's coming,' and things like that."

On his favorite part about being the defensive coordinator
"It's just the relationships. Before, I had 10 to 12 guys that I was their primary position coach. Now, just having a relationship with different guys now— all the defensive lineman, the linebackers, being able to get to know those guys better, see what makes them tick and just get feedback from them, from their perspective which I didn't really do as the as the safeties coach. I was only concerned about my guys. I know what I want it to look like and getting that message sent to all [starting] 11 and everybody on defense, just getting the message sent how I want it to look. The assistant coaches do a great job of relaying that message as well.
 
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