Tuesday Press Conference Transcript, 10/2/07
10/3/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Quotes from Bobcat coaches and players during Tuesday's press conferences...
BOBCAT COACH ROB ASH
Is the team confident right now?
“I think any time you win three games in a row you feel confident. The guys are playing solid football and overcoming adversity when we have it, so there (are) a lot of positives to be taken from it. Confidence is a two-edged sword because it’s always borderline whether you’re going to be overconfident, and that’s what we have to guard against as a team right now. We need to make sure that we are confident and sure of ourselves and our abilities, but we’re also preparing well and respecting everything that’s in front of us during the season. Confidence is something that you want to have, just not in too large of a quantity.”
Watching film, do you see things you didn’t see during the game?
“The game always surprises you. You see things happening in the trenches in particular that you miss when you’re standing on the sideline. My seat’s the worst seat in the house, you see very little (of the game) sometimes. What I was impressed with in the second half was the effectiveness of the offensive line play in the run game, being able to get a hat on a hat and get excellent leverage on the defender so we could run the football. Demetrius’ runs in particular were better than I remembered. He made some great plays. Sometimes you just say, that was a 10-yard play, what’s the next call? When you look at that run the next day you see a couple of guys that were in position and he made them miss. Those are things that are fun to see. Defensively, I liked the way our guys reacted to some different blocking schemes in the second half, we started to play more and more sound inside. There were a lot of positives that we found hidden in the tape and a lot of things we need to work on, as well.”
Does playing a non-conference game Saturday concern you?
“I’m absolutely very concerned that it’s a non-conference game. We put a lot of stock in Big Sky games the last two weeks, and I think it helped us get motivated and ready to play. Preparation was very good, better even against Idaho State than it was the Weber week. We kind of built on the Weber game and had a good outcome against Idaho State, now you step out of league and it could feel like kind of a bye week somehow, not because of Southern Utah at all but because it is not a conference game. I am very concerned about it, and I’ve talked to the team about it already. We have to continue to get better, we have to prepare the same way, even though it’s a non-conference game. I’m very anxious to see how we come out on Tuesday and Wednesday again because we’re out of the league.”
Can you talk about the coaching staff and making adjustments at halftime?
“I think the coaching staff has done a very good job, and I’m very happy with what we’ve been able to do. One of the reasons I brought these guys together is that I think they are all great students of the game and they’re great teachers. Adjustments have two components to them. One is you have to first analyze what’s actually happening out there, and get it right. The second thing is to find a solution for what’s happening, and get it taught. That has to occur in such a quick, short time frame, that it takes a special coach or coaching staff to be able to do it. I actually thought our halftime was a great classroom, a great laboratory of what to try to do. This past game there was lots of great teaching going on. We’re down by three, we trailed and we hadn’t played very well, but there wasn’t any yelling and screaming, there weren’t any tirades in there, it was all just teaching, here’s what we need to do to execute better in the second half. Then we went out and executed pretty well. I’m very proud of the guys, Coach Marshall and Coach Ploessl, the coordinators, are doing an excellent job of preparing their teams of coaches and being able to adjust on the fly.”
What do you see from Southern Utah?
“They’re a very scary football team to me because of the schedule that they’ve played. You look at the teams they’ve played, they’re tremendous. The Griz, Southern Illinois, McNeese, all the teams that they’ve played are tremendous football teams and they’re playing them tough. They’ve got some good schemes and some very good athletes out there. I know this, a team in their situation, if they get in a game and it’s close in the late third quarter and they see an opportunity to win, they’ll be as good as any team we play all year in that third and fourth quarter. We’re concerned because they’re athletic and they play tough competition and I know they won’t back down one ounce against us. They will bring their ‘A’ game.”
Does your defense stack up better against an option offense than a power running game?
“On paper you might think that… but the reality of the situation is that option offenses if they’re executed well, and Southern Utah does a good job with theirs, can be very tricky, very difficult (to defend). Texas A&M to this date is the team that has the most yards and most points against us. You have to be very conscious of where you are or else all of a sudden you have a big play and they’re out the gate and have points on the board. I’m very respectful of what they do, and I think their attack is something that will really keep us busy all week long trying to get ready for them.”
If the weather is poor again on Saturday, how does that affect the football team?
“My preference is to play when it’s not raining, as a coach, since I don’t get to be in the (press) box like some of the other coaches do (laughs), but the team this past week, as the forecast kept getting worse and worse, just kept saying, even Saturday morning when it was snowing, ‘This is good football weather, coach.’ Our attitude as a team about playing in bad conditions is extremely positive. In fact, I think some of our guys think it’s an advantage. I wouldn’t be less optimistic about the game if the conditions were poor on Saturday.”
Players have talked about meeting goals, is that a positive sign to you?
“I’m glad you brought that up, because I was thinking the same thing back there. I’m glad to hear that coming from the players. Here’s how I think about goals – goals are completely meaningless unless they motivate the players to play better on Saturday. That’s what goals are supposed to be about. They’re not for statisticians, and they’re not for media use. It’s about trying to get the guys to play better. If the offensive linemen are out there thinking, we’d better get going to meet our goal, we’d better block harder or smarter to meet our goal, then it’s working. That’s what a goal is supposed to do. I was really happy to hear Jimmy (Verlanic) talk about that. We also have a goal on yards per rush, which I think is an important one, too, so that we’re consistent and the guys consciously think about both of those. That’s very satisfying.”
Do you use national rankings to motivate the kids?
“First of all, it wouldn’t matter if I said anything about them or not, the guys are going to know (laughs). They’re going to know where you rank, where you fall on the charts. I’ve always said this, the most important thing for us is that it’s a nice compliment to our program. We like that, we’re glad that people across the country think that we have a solid program that deserves to be ranked where we are. By the same token, the reason we moved up is that four or five teams lost that were ranked about where we were now, so the other part of this is that our team has to realize that wherever you are people are going to take a shot at you if you’re on that list. Somebody’s going to try to knock you off that pedestal. Hopefully it’s a motivation not to get complacent because you’re good but to get prepared for each game because people are going to be coming after you.”
What does Demetrius Crawford’s emergence do for your offense, particularly in opening up the play action game?
“There’s no question about it, Demetrius’ emergence has been exciting to watch. He’s a catalyst right now for our fans and for our whole football team. He’s a very important part of what we’re doing. I said from the beginning this summer that we want to put together a balanced attack, to be able to run and pass, both. Right now, we’re able to do that. And you’re absolutely right on another point, which is when you can run, that sets up play action. By the same token, I still believe in Aaron Mason and Isaiah Taito. They’re both really good runners, they both will be really important parts of our season before it’s all over, as soon as this week, when they’re going to get their carries again. The combination helps us. Being able to get Demetrius a limited number of carries, sort of like we did this last week, he’s going to be at his most effective. Aaron or Isaiah, either one, could come ups with a big game here, too. Whoever gets the hot hand will get the most carries, and right now Demetrius has that.”
How is your team’s health?
“Knock on wood, we’re still in pretty good shape. I think our practice lineup today will be pretty solid. Brandon Hoffenbacker will practice today, Isaiah will practice today, Jack will practice today, and so we feel pretty good about the overall health of the team.”
Are you excited about Homecoming?
“I’m thrilled about the fan support, I’m excited about the turnout. I questioned everybody last week that I could ask, will these fans really come out on a day like this, you know, because the forecast was so bad? And they did. I’m grateful to our fans for the support they showed us in tough conditions. So I know, even if the forecast does turn bad again this week, I’m confident we’ll have another great crowd. Homecomings always concern me a little bit as a coach because I think there’s no group of fans that the players want to play for more, except maybe Mom and Dad, than former players, guys they know, guys that come back that they used to play with. I think players like to play well for those former teammates, and that concerns me at Homecoming because maybe they try a little too hard. We just have to make sure that we don’t think about that, or the conditions, or anything else, and just play our game.”
CENTER JIM VERLANIC
With new parts to the puzzle in the offensive line this year, can you comment on how you have progressed through four games?
“I guess we entered the season with very limited experience, the most experience was all in one guy, so that was one thing we concentrated on was work ethic, just because we had no game-time experience. Now, after these couple games we’ve definitely gotten some game experience and we’ve been doing really well.”
Are you pleased with how things have gone, gaining over 400 yards three times?
“The offense is going great, and I think it was great this last Saturday when we met all our rushing goals. That was a big one going into the fourth quarter. The two drives we made rushing the ball really exemplified how well the offensive line has come together.”
Do you guys take pride in being able to control the game like that in the fourth quarter?
“That was one of the greatest games I’ve ever played in, just because we got the ball as an offense and just controlled the clock and scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter, just rushing the ball. I think we threw the ball one time in the fourth quarter, maybe twice. (EDITOR’S NOTE: MSU threw five fourth-quarter passes, but only one on the touchdown drive.) That’s definitely big-time something to be proud of as an offensive lineman.”
Is that an offensive lineman’s dream, they know you’re going to run the ball but they can’t stop you?
“Definitely. They knew the whole fourth quarter that we were going to be running the ball, and we ran it right down the field.”
What adjustments did you make at halftime?
“We just concentrated, really, on adjusting to their blitzes. They brought a lot of zone pressure and we just adjusted our blocking schemes accordingly.”
What does Southern Utah like to do defensively?
“So far I just know that they’re a lot like Weber State. I know their coaches have worked together in the past and their defenses are essentially the same. They both play man-to-man coverage and 4-2 under defense. I imagine they’ll try to bring pressure, looking at the Weber State game, but looking at how well we handled pressure against Idaho State I don’t know if I can say that they will.”
Does your rushing goal change each week, or is it just a flat goal?
“It’s pretty much the same. We adjust accordingly, but we were trying to rush for over 175 yards (against Idaho State) and we almost got 200.”
How comfortable is this team starting to feel?
“Very comfortable. This team, especially the O-line I can speak for, is the most comfortable around each other that I’ve seen us since I’ve been here. We’re playing together better and better every week.”
Is there room for improvement?
“Every week, if you’re not getting better you’re getting worse. I believe we can get better every week.”
You’ve blocked for Aaron before and Isaiah before, how exciting is it to block for a player like Demetrius who, even if you miss a block can run past people?
“Having backs in the backfield like the three we have is great. If you can make guys miss, it just makes us look that much better. (laughs)”
DEFENSIVE TACKLE AARON PAPICH
What is it like for a defensive lineman seeing a defensive player going the other way?
“It’s unreal, you know? It seems like we’re scoring on defense every game. We’re just doing our responsibilities, doing our jobs. We practice turnovers, and that’s one thing we’ve really adopted this season, turnovers. It’s been happening for us, and it all starts in practice.”
You guys in the trenches are doing the hard work, when you see stuff like that happening does it reinforce what you’re trying to do?
“Without a doubt. Paul Bartsch had a nice tip on a pass, Epi picked it off, so he did a great job there. It’s a team effort, and I know as a D-line we’re doing a great job whenever we see a turnover. ”
Saturday’s game wasn’t an enormous comeback, but does coming back from down by 10 give you confidence?
“It gives me a lot of confidence, because it shows that when we’re facing adversity we can come back. During halftime coaches drew up a really good game plan, what gaps we should be in, what assignments we should be doing. It really paid off in the second half.”
Making adjustments seems to be a recurring theme, talk about that process.
“It’s just something that happens, just part of the game. We can only get an idea of what they’re trying to do through film, so when Saturday comes and we start playing they’re going to show us different things. It’s up to us to adjust to it. If we can’t adjust then we’re not going to win, and it’s our ability to adjust that’s been helping us out.”
Talk about the matchup with Southern Utah?
“They played the Griz really tough in the first half, they’re a good team. We’re not taking them lightly at all. We’re going to practice really hard this week. We’ve got to be 4-1, we just have to. It starts in practice Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, the hay’s in the barn after Thursday and we’re ready to play.”
How easy is it to come back every Tuesday and get the focus back? Do the wins make it easier to do that?
“They really do. They make Sunday’s film a lot easier, and they definitely make Tuesday’s practice a lot easier, but we can’t be complacent with a win. There are a lot of things I saw on film that I need to work on and that the D-line needs to work on as a whole, and Coach Beck is going to have that today, just little things that we’re going to work on. That will help us throughout the season.”
Realistically, is this where you expected the team to be right now?
“We’re doing great right now, we’re 3-1. It was a tough game against A&M, they’re a great team, I still think we played well. Right now, I think we’re doing pretty well.”
What about Southern Utah’s offense stands out?
“They have a really good option offense. We have to have responsibilities, who has the quarterback, who has the pitch, who has the veer. As long as we can get those three things cemented in our minds as a defense I think we should do a pretty good job.”
Is it difficult to adjust to a different kind of scheme this week?
“Basically every week it’s different. Our scouts have been giving us good looks, and it’s just basically clearing the slate clean and seeing what this team does and adjusting to it and changing your technique up a little just to make sure it’s a good performance on Saturday.”
Does Southern Utah’s style of option present different challenges than Texas A&M’s?
“Any time you’re playing an option team they’re going to have different variations of how they’re doing it, it almost seems like they have tricks up their sleeves, but like I said, as long as we cancel out and have our responsibilities in the game it should be fine.”
Can you comment on the support and the sellout crowds?
“It’s awesome, it’s really exciting. It’s usually during the Griz game when it’s a huge, huge sellout when we have the stands out on the sidelines. I haven’t seen that, only in the Griz games when we’re at home. Seeing that the third, fourth game of the season, that’s huge.”
If ever a crowd was going to stay away it was on a day like that.
“It was pretty cold, for sure, but I saw a lot of our Cat fans without shirts on, painted, which I really like. It’s cool. We have great fans, great support, and it definitely helps us out on the field.”
Does Homecoming add any extra incentive?
“There’s a lot of incentive. We want to show that we’re a good team, we’re working really hard. It’s business first, we’re taking care of business, and I think the fans will definitely see that we’re working hard and doing our jobs.”
With Southern Utah’s difficult schedule, you can’t really look at their schedule, can you?
“You can’t at all. The minute you underestimate your opponent is the minute they beat you. You attack every game like you’re playing A&M. That’s something I try telling the D-line and we like to keep repeating, that you’ve got to play it like it’s A&M every time, and once you do that and you’re out on the field you’ll play a lot better.”
BOBCAT COACH ROB ASH
Is the team confident right now?
“I think any time you win three games in a row you feel confident. The guys are playing solid football and overcoming adversity when we have it, so there (are) a lot of positives to be taken from it. Confidence is a two-edged sword because it’s always borderline whether you’re going to be overconfident, and that’s what we have to guard against as a team right now. We need to make sure that we are confident and sure of ourselves and our abilities, but we’re also preparing well and respecting everything that’s in front of us during the season. Confidence is something that you want to have, just not in too large of a quantity.”
Watching film, do you see things you didn’t see during the game?
“The game always surprises you. You see things happening in the trenches in particular that you miss when you’re standing on the sideline. My seat’s the worst seat in the house, you see very little (of the game) sometimes. What I was impressed with in the second half was the effectiveness of the offensive line play in the run game, being able to get a hat on a hat and get excellent leverage on the defender so we could run the football. Demetrius’ runs in particular were better than I remembered. He made some great plays. Sometimes you just say, that was a 10-yard play, what’s the next call? When you look at that run the next day you see a couple of guys that were in position and he made them miss. Those are things that are fun to see. Defensively, I liked the way our guys reacted to some different blocking schemes in the second half, we started to play more and more sound inside. There were a lot of positives that we found hidden in the tape and a lot of things we need to work on, as well.”
Does playing a non-conference game Saturday concern you?
“I’m absolutely very concerned that it’s a non-conference game. We put a lot of stock in Big Sky games the last two weeks, and I think it helped us get motivated and ready to play. Preparation was very good, better even against Idaho State than it was the Weber week. We kind of built on the Weber game and had a good outcome against Idaho State, now you step out of league and it could feel like kind of a bye week somehow, not because of Southern Utah at all but because it is not a conference game. I am very concerned about it, and I’ve talked to the team about it already. We have to continue to get better, we have to prepare the same way, even though it’s a non-conference game. I’m very anxious to see how we come out on Tuesday and Wednesday again because we’re out of the league.”
Can you talk about the coaching staff and making adjustments at halftime?
“I think the coaching staff has done a very good job, and I’m very happy with what we’ve been able to do. One of the reasons I brought these guys together is that I think they are all great students of the game and they’re great teachers. Adjustments have two components to them. One is you have to first analyze what’s actually happening out there, and get it right. The second thing is to find a solution for what’s happening, and get it taught. That has to occur in such a quick, short time frame, that it takes a special coach or coaching staff to be able to do it. I actually thought our halftime was a great classroom, a great laboratory of what to try to do. This past game there was lots of great teaching going on. We’re down by three, we trailed and we hadn’t played very well, but there wasn’t any yelling and screaming, there weren’t any tirades in there, it was all just teaching, here’s what we need to do to execute better in the second half. Then we went out and executed pretty well. I’m very proud of the guys, Coach Marshall and Coach Ploessl, the coordinators, are doing an excellent job of preparing their teams of coaches and being able to adjust on the fly.”
What do you see from Southern Utah?
“They’re a very scary football team to me because of the schedule that they’ve played. You look at the teams they’ve played, they’re tremendous. The Griz, Southern Illinois, McNeese, all the teams that they’ve played are tremendous football teams and they’re playing them tough. They’ve got some good schemes and some very good athletes out there. I know this, a team in their situation, if they get in a game and it’s close in the late third quarter and they see an opportunity to win, they’ll be as good as any team we play all year in that third and fourth quarter. We’re concerned because they’re athletic and they play tough competition and I know they won’t back down one ounce against us. They will bring their ‘A’ game.”
Does your defense stack up better against an option offense than a power running game?
“On paper you might think that… but the reality of the situation is that option offenses if they’re executed well, and Southern Utah does a good job with theirs, can be very tricky, very difficult (to defend). Texas A&M to this date is the team that has the most yards and most points against us. You have to be very conscious of where you are or else all of a sudden you have a big play and they’re out the gate and have points on the board. I’m very respectful of what they do, and I think their attack is something that will really keep us busy all week long trying to get ready for them.”
If the weather is poor again on Saturday, how does that affect the football team?
“My preference is to play when it’s not raining, as a coach, since I don’t get to be in the (press) box like some of the other coaches do (laughs), but the team this past week, as the forecast kept getting worse and worse, just kept saying, even Saturday morning when it was snowing, ‘This is good football weather, coach.’ Our attitude as a team about playing in bad conditions is extremely positive. In fact, I think some of our guys think it’s an advantage. I wouldn’t be less optimistic about the game if the conditions were poor on Saturday.”
Players have talked about meeting goals, is that a positive sign to you?
“I’m glad you brought that up, because I was thinking the same thing back there. I’m glad to hear that coming from the players. Here’s how I think about goals – goals are completely meaningless unless they motivate the players to play better on Saturday. That’s what goals are supposed to be about. They’re not for statisticians, and they’re not for media use. It’s about trying to get the guys to play better. If the offensive linemen are out there thinking, we’d better get going to meet our goal, we’d better block harder or smarter to meet our goal, then it’s working. That’s what a goal is supposed to do. I was really happy to hear Jimmy (Verlanic) talk about that. We also have a goal on yards per rush, which I think is an important one, too, so that we’re consistent and the guys consciously think about both of those. That’s very satisfying.”
Do you use national rankings to motivate the kids?
“First of all, it wouldn’t matter if I said anything about them or not, the guys are going to know (laughs). They’re going to know where you rank, where you fall on the charts. I’ve always said this, the most important thing for us is that it’s a nice compliment to our program. We like that, we’re glad that people across the country think that we have a solid program that deserves to be ranked where we are. By the same token, the reason we moved up is that four or five teams lost that were ranked about where we were now, so the other part of this is that our team has to realize that wherever you are people are going to take a shot at you if you’re on that list. Somebody’s going to try to knock you off that pedestal. Hopefully it’s a motivation not to get complacent because you’re good but to get prepared for each game because people are going to be coming after you.”
What does Demetrius Crawford’s emergence do for your offense, particularly in opening up the play action game?
“There’s no question about it, Demetrius’ emergence has been exciting to watch. He’s a catalyst right now for our fans and for our whole football team. He’s a very important part of what we’re doing. I said from the beginning this summer that we want to put together a balanced attack, to be able to run and pass, both. Right now, we’re able to do that. And you’re absolutely right on another point, which is when you can run, that sets up play action. By the same token, I still believe in Aaron Mason and Isaiah Taito. They’re both really good runners, they both will be really important parts of our season before it’s all over, as soon as this week, when they’re going to get their carries again. The combination helps us. Being able to get Demetrius a limited number of carries, sort of like we did this last week, he’s going to be at his most effective. Aaron or Isaiah, either one, could come ups with a big game here, too. Whoever gets the hot hand will get the most carries, and right now Demetrius has that.”
How is your team’s health?
“Knock on wood, we’re still in pretty good shape. I think our practice lineup today will be pretty solid. Brandon Hoffenbacker will practice today, Isaiah will practice today, Jack will practice today, and so we feel pretty good about the overall health of the team.”
Are you excited about Homecoming?
“I’m thrilled about the fan support, I’m excited about the turnout. I questioned everybody last week that I could ask, will these fans really come out on a day like this, you know, because the forecast was so bad? And they did. I’m grateful to our fans for the support they showed us in tough conditions. So I know, even if the forecast does turn bad again this week, I’m confident we’ll have another great crowd. Homecomings always concern me a little bit as a coach because I think there’s no group of fans that the players want to play for more, except maybe Mom and Dad, than former players, guys they know, guys that come back that they used to play with. I think players like to play well for those former teammates, and that concerns me at Homecoming because maybe they try a little too hard. We just have to make sure that we don’t think about that, or the conditions, or anything else, and just play our game.”
CENTER JIM VERLANIC
With new parts to the puzzle in the offensive line this year, can you comment on how you have progressed through four games?
“I guess we entered the season with very limited experience, the most experience was all in one guy, so that was one thing we concentrated on was work ethic, just because we had no game-time experience. Now, after these couple games we’ve definitely gotten some game experience and we’ve been doing really well.”
Are you pleased with how things have gone, gaining over 400 yards three times?
“The offense is going great, and I think it was great this last Saturday when we met all our rushing goals. That was a big one going into the fourth quarter. The two drives we made rushing the ball really exemplified how well the offensive line has come together.”
Do you guys take pride in being able to control the game like that in the fourth quarter?
“That was one of the greatest games I’ve ever played in, just because we got the ball as an offense and just controlled the clock and scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter, just rushing the ball. I think we threw the ball one time in the fourth quarter, maybe twice. (EDITOR’S NOTE: MSU threw five fourth-quarter passes, but only one on the touchdown drive.) That’s definitely big-time something to be proud of as an offensive lineman.”
Is that an offensive lineman’s dream, they know you’re going to run the ball but they can’t stop you?
“Definitely. They knew the whole fourth quarter that we were going to be running the ball, and we ran it right down the field.”
What adjustments did you make at halftime?
“We just concentrated, really, on adjusting to their blitzes. They brought a lot of zone pressure and we just adjusted our blocking schemes accordingly.”
What does Southern Utah like to do defensively?
“So far I just know that they’re a lot like Weber State. I know their coaches have worked together in the past and their defenses are essentially the same. They both play man-to-man coverage and 4-2 under defense. I imagine they’ll try to bring pressure, looking at the Weber State game, but looking at how well we handled pressure against Idaho State I don’t know if I can say that they will.”
Does your rushing goal change each week, or is it just a flat goal?
“It’s pretty much the same. We adjust accordingly, but we were trying to rush for over 175 yards (against Idaho State) and we almost got 200.”
How comfortable is this team starting to feel?
“Very comfortable. This team, especially the O-line I can speak for, is the most comfortable around each other that I’ve seen us since I’ve been here. We’re playing together better and better every week.”
Is there room for improvement?
“Every week, if you’re not getting better you’re getting worse. I believe we can get better every week.”
You’ve blocked for Aaron before and Isaiah before, how exciting is it to block for a player like Demetrius who, even if you miss a block can run past people?
“Having backs in the backfield like the three we have is great. If you can make guys miss, it just makes us look that much better. (laughs)”
DEFENSIVE TACKLE AARON PAPICH
What is it like for a defensive lineman seeing a defensive player going the other way?
“It’s unreal, you know? It seems like we’re scoring on defense every game. We’re just doing our responsibilities, doing our jobs. We practice turnovers, and that’s one thing we’ve really adopted this season, turnovers. It’s been happening for us, and it all starts in practice.”
You guys in the trenches are doing the hard work, when you see stuff like that happening does it reinforce what you’re trying to do?
“Without a doubt. Paul Bartsch had a nice tip on a pass, Epi picked it off, so he did a great job there. It’s a team effort, and I know as a D-line we’re doing a great job whenever we see a turnover. ”
Saturday’s game wasn’t an enormous comeback, but does coming back from down by 10 give you confidence?
“It gives me a lot of confidence, because it shows that when we’re facing adversity we can come back. During halftime coaches drew up a really good game plan, what gaps we should be in, what assignments we should be doing. It really paid off in the second half.”
Making adjustments seems to be a recurring theme, talk about that process.
“It’s just something that happens, just part of the game. We can only get an idea of what they’re trying to do through film, so when Saturday comes and we start playing they’re going to show us different things. It’s up to us to adjust to it. If we can’t adjust then we’re not going to win, and it’s our ability to adjust that’s been helping us out.”
Talk about the matchup with Southern Utah?
“They played the Griz really tough in the first half, they’re a good team. We’re not taking them lightly at all. We’re going to practice really hard this week. We’ve got to be 4-1, we just have to. It starts in practice Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, the hay’s in the barn after Thursday and we’re ready to play.”
How easy is it to come back every Tuesday and get the focus back? Do the wins make it easier to do that?
“They really do. They make Sunday’s film a lot easier, and they definitely make Tuesday’s practice a lot easier, but we can’t be complacent with a win. There are a lot of things I saw on film that I need to work on and that the D-line needs to work on as a whole, and Coach Beck is going to have that today, just little things that we’re going to work on. That will help us throughout the season.”
Realistically, is this where you expected the team to be right now?
“We’re doing great right now, we’re 3-1. It was a tough game against A&M, they’re a great team, I still think we played well. Right now, I think we’re doing pretty well.”
What about Southern Utah’s offense stands out?
“They have a really good option offense. We have to have responsibilities, who has the quarterback, who has the pitch, who has the veer. As long as we can get those three things cemented in our minds as a defense I think we should do a pretty good job.”
Is it difficult to adjust to a different kind of scheme this week?
“Basically every week it’s different. Our scouts have been giving us good looks, and it’s just basically clearing the slate clean and seeing what this team does and adjusting to it and changing your technique up a little just to make sure it’s a good performance on Saturday.”
Does Southern Utah’s style of option present different challenges than Texas A&M’s?
“Any time you’re playing an option team they’re going to have different variations of how they’re doing it, it almost seems like they have tricks up their sleeves, but like I said, as long as we cancel out and have our responsibilities in the game it should be fine.”
Can you comment on the support and the sellout crowds?
“It’s awesome, it’s really exciting. It’s usually during the Griz game when it’s a huge, huge sellout when we have the stands out on the sidelines. I haven’t seen that, only in the Griz games when we’re at home. Seeing that the third, fourth game of the season, that’s huge.”
If ever a crowd was going to stay away it was on a day like that.
“It was pretty cold, for sure, but I saw a lot of our Cat fans without shirts on, painted, which I really like. It’s cool. We have great fans, great support, and it definitely helps us out on the field.”
Does Homecoming add any extra incentive?
“There’s a lot of incentive. We want to show that we’re a good team, we’re working really hard. It’s business first, we’re taking care of business, and I think the fans will definitely see that we’re working hard and doing our jobs.”
With Southern Utah’s difficult schedule, you can’t really look at their schedule, can you?
“You can’t at all. The minute you underestimate your opponent is the minute they beat you. You attack every game like you’re playing A&M. That’s something I try telling the D-line and we like to keep repeating, that you’ve got to play it like it’s A&M every time, and once you do that and you’re out on the field you’ll play a lot better.”
Wednesday, August 19
Wednesday, June 10
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
