Weekly Press Conference Transcript
9/27/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Quotes from Montana State head coach Rob Ash and Bobcat players during Tuesday's press conference...
BOBCAT COACH ROB ASH
What did the film show from an offensive standpoint?
“First of all, Weber State really understands their concept on defense. They’re committed to the man concept, they mixed some different blitzes in that we weren’t prepared for and didn’t pick up as well as we’d hoped, but I thought we had some good ideas in our game plan and at times we executed very well, but we were inconsistent in our execution. Part of it was because we haven’t gone up against this type of defensive scheme yet, so it was like a first game in that respect, the heavy commitment to the man coverages. Now that we have a game under our belt, we have those plays on tape, we got a chance to see what we need to do to improve, the next time we see something like that we’ll be much better at the execution.”
How important is it to improve in the kicking game?
“Actually I was concerned on the bus trip home because of the same things, but as I watch the tape I see things that can easily be fixed. One play that didn’t go in the record books that Sweeney made on a play there was a penalty, and it was prior to the snap so there was no play. But the ball was snapped and kicked and it was about a 47-yarder, and he made it. We didn’t get a chance to take or decline those points because it was a no-play. I liked that kick. The one he missed was a good kick, high, it wasn’t a shank, it wasn’t a low kick, it was very well struck, it was just a little bit off. The one that was blocked didn’t have anything to do with the kicker. We can fix that. So I don’t think we’re as far off as it appears, and I think Sweeney is doing a good job. I like what’s happening with Fisher’s execution on punting and kicking right now. So I like our lineup, and I think it’s going to work well for us. A little fine-tuning is more what I see us needing to work on.”
Would you take the points or the penalty in a case like that?
“I probably would take the points in a situation like that. A 47-yard field goal, I’m not one for taking points off the board, early in the game, especially.”
Have you been patting Jamie Marshall on the back this week?
“For years now I’ve patted him on the back. I patted him on the back when he helped us win two championships at Drake as a player. (laughs) He called a great game. He did a terrific job. He had the guys well-prepared, they were motivated. I can see improvement in our defense every week in terms of assignments, understanding where they’re supposed to be and how they fit. I thought they did an excellent job. He was definitely a hero this week.”
Is the defense playing with more confidence?
“Jamie and Coach Joseph and the other defensive coaches are all about playing fast. If you think about the things I talked with everyone this summer, about our defensive style, that’s one of the things I kept saying. We’ll keep things in front of us, and inside of us, it won’t be real mysterious where we line up, but we’ll play fast, and we’ll run to the ball. I think what’s happening now is that guys are getting a comfort level with where they’re supposed to be lined up, with where they’re supposed to be on the snap, and what their keys are. I thought we played really fast on Saturday, and that’s a sign of being decisive. That’s really important.”
What makes Jamie Marshall a good defensive coordinator?
“The first thing I like about Jamie is that he’s patient. He doesn’t panic when we (give up) a play. He assesses what happens, he’ll go to something a little bit different, but he’s not going to shy away from his base calls, he’s not going to panic and start scrambling away from his game plan if a play or two goes against him. I think that’s an important characteristic to have as a defensive coordinator, because in college football people are going to make some plays. He’s patient between the 20s, he’ll put the hammer down a little bit more with his calls in the red zone, but he sticks with his game plan and that’s an important characteristic. He’s also very demanding. He understands exactly where everybody needs to be pre-snap with their alignments, and he’s very demanding on his assistant coaches and on his linebackers that he coaches to be in the right place prior to the snap so they can be in the right place to go make some plays.”
Is it hard to be aggressive and still play in the framework of the defense?
“The score thing and the takeaways and all the things we talk about, that’s an attempt to create a mentality on defense that every time the ball’s in the air there’s an opportunity for either team to end up with it no matter whether you start in a base defense or a blitz or any type of alignment. It’s not about the design of the play it’s about the mentality of the players. I think that’s what he’s really emphasizing when he talks about that.”
Did you expect two scores from the defense Saturday?
“Should I say yes? (laughter) Of course not, no, but it’s interesting how it’s sometimes a self-fulfilling prophecy or however you want to say it. I’m a big believer that what you coach and what you ask for you’re going to get. I remember a long time ago listening to a coach talk about how upset he was for a 6-5 season. He talked about it with his staff for hours on end at a staff meeting, and then after he’s finished with the staff meeting he had all these ideas for why they were only 6-5 for the year. He went back, put his notes away, saw the preseason file sitting there, opened it up, and the goal they put at the beginning was, the realistic goal, we hope we can be 6-5. So they had assessed it before the season, he had forgotten about that by the end of the season, but the whole point is what you shoot for you’re going to get. Coach McEndoo calls it big, hairy, audacious goals. There’s nothing wrong with that. You set your sights high, and occasionally you’re going to get there. You don’t predict it, but you do shoot for it.”
Talk about the environment Saturday, with the game nearly sold out.
“I think it’s terrific. I’m really excited about the crowd support and the fans and the sellouts, and I know our guys are, too. Believe me, I’m a big believer that you win games on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so we’re going to talk about it the next couple of days as a motivational tool for our team. And we should be motivated. We owe it to the fans and the boosters and the supporters that want to come out and see good football played by this team. And I know it will help us on Saturday, it’ll get our guys excited about the game and I think it will keep us in the game if we have any lulls. We need the fans to be there to just buoy up everybody. It couldn’t be a better situation.”
Do the need to experience the success you’ve had at A&M and Weber to begin develop confidence?
“There is great validation in victory. It’s not that we would have thrown everything out the window and had a disastrous season if we’d have lost one of these two games, but by the same token, as I assessed it and looked at how the schedule played out these were must wins. Dixie was a must win. Weber was a must win, in the sense that it was going to get us started into the season with our first game, which was important, our first conference game, our first road game. All those things were critically important to validate what we were doing as a staff and give the guys confidence that we can put this together on short notice and be competitive. Now we get into the heart of the schedule and we’ve got those things out of the way, I feel, and the players feel, that we’re on a level playing field with the other teams in the Big Sky. Now you just go out and duke it out and the best team’s going to win. But I feel like we’ve got ourselves caught up because we’ve been able to get ourselves off to a good start.”
Are you confident now that you’ve beaten at team at your level?
“I am, and I know it’s going to be tough, too. I know that we’re going to have good, close games throughout the course of the Big Sky season. That’s what I expect, that’s what our players expect, but I know we’ll be able to get in the game and match up and then it will be a battle of wits and a battle of execution to see who actually comes out on top. But I think we’ve got players in this program who can play in the Big Sky. I’m respectful of the players we’re going to face, also. It should be exciting the rest of the way.”
What matchups with Idaho State concern you?
“Their offensive skill players are very impressive. Barnett and Thompson and those guys are great skill players, and we’ve got to keep them contained and not let them have big plays that are going to let Idaho State get into the game and put points on the board. The other one is our offensive line, the continuing saga of our offensive line. The guys are working hard, they’re playing smart football and doing well, it’s just the matchups. We’re going to be playing against big, strong, physical people on the defensive line, linebackers, of every team in the Big Sky. We just have to keep working to get better there.”
Being back at home, is this a must win?
“A long time ago when I was an assistant coach, my first job, I made a comment to my head coach that some game coming up was a must win, and said, when is there ever a game you don’t have to win? And really, that’s true. There’s almost never a game that comes up that you don’t need to win. This one is certainly a win that we hope to get, and I know Idaho State needs it to get back into the conference race, and sometimes those games concern me the most because you’ve got a team now in Idaho State that is in very much a must-win situation to get their season where they want it to go. So it’s really a must-win for both teams.”
Is this game important to get the domino effect going the rest of the year?
“Jeff Brown said it the best, we’ve really tried to zero in on the preparation at hand – this game, this opponent, specifically what do we need to do? I always have said my most important motivational speeches or motivational purposes every week are on Tuesday and Wednesday. If I can motivate my team on Tuesday and Wednesday to prepare well for the team we’re playing this week then everything else will fall into place. That’s really, truly what I concentrate on every week as we go through it.”
What is the status on Josh Lewis and Isaiah Taito?
“The word we got on Josh is that he’s got a pretty good chance get back and play this week, and that Isaiah’s a little more doubtful.”
Is tackling a point of emphasis this week?
“Definitely. We talked about it after a game and watched it on tape and realized that in fact is a concern. We’re not wrapping up, we’re not fundamentally sound all the time on tackles, although when you look at the game there were several examples of exactly how you are supposed to tackle by some of those guys out there. Our guys did play well at times. Missed tackles are one of the things we chart, keep track of. We do work on tackling every day in practice, not necessarily live to the ground. There are techniques you can use. Coach Joseph does a drill where there’s absolutely no contact, but he works with his defensive backs on getting their feet in position, up close to the (ball carrier) before you start to wrap up. There are other factors, other key coaching points we’re trying to teach our guys all the time about tackling. We need to improve in that area. That’s an important, obviously fundamental skill on defense that we identified early as an area we needed to try to improve.”
Do the coaches talk to the kids about not needing to make a big hit that’s going to end up on ESPN, but just wrapping up and making the tackle?
“Probably not in exactly those words, but that concept, yeah. We don’t mention ESPN (laughter), but we do talk about it. It isn’t about the big hit. Special teams are probably most commonly where that mistake happens, guys run all the way down on kickoff or punt coverage and they see that highlight-reel big hit in their eyes, and then the guy just sidesteps them and they’re gone, they whiff. You’ve got to talk to guys about breaking down, getting in position, cutting to the ball carrier, making sure we’re in the right leverage position, and then see your work, bring your hips, wrap your arms, drive your feet, all the coaching points, and hopefully that’s going through the player’s heads.”
How do you balance working on execution and preparing for your next opponent?
“That’s hard. Half of your practice on Tuesday is going to be about game plan – here’s the tweaks this week, here are the wrinkles, we’re going to adjust this, this is how they line up, these are the blocking adjustments for this running play, whatever. So there’s some academic learning going on that specifically relates to the game plan. But we always have several periods in each practice that are just basic periods for fundamentals and execution. We have our individual periods, we have our seven-on-seven, where part of it is just our offense against our own defense, just running our own stuff and working on execution. We’ll do the same thing occasionally with the whole 11-on-11, or an inside run period. So it’s probably a 50-50 split between fundamentals (and) full-speed execution, and then game plan preparation.”
Do you work with Jack on consistency of his fundamentals?
“That’s why we videotape the game and watch it with the players. Coach Svoboda sat with the quarterbacks on Sunday for a couple hours and watched the game. I get a copy of their grade sheets and notes, so I know what they say to all the players even though I can’t be in 10 meetings at once. I read through his comments, and obviously it’s a mix of positive feedback and negative feedback and constructive criticism. There’s always areas you can improve, that’s why we do it. That’s why videotaping this particular game, with man-free looks and five-under, two-deep looks, that we hadn’t had a lot of videotape on, was really important for Jack and for the receivers.”
This will be one of Coach Zamberlin’s Big Sky game, do you ever think about that?
“I told all those guys this summer that it’s not a fair fight, because they got to be at their places for spring ball. They’re not rookies any more, I’m the only rookie. (laughs) I’m trying to give myself a little lee-way. I do sympathize with the coaching assignment, the coaching task. It’s a challenge to try to build your program and have your team ready. I did meet John this summer at the Big Sky meetings. I was very impressed with him, he seems like a great person, and he seems like a guy that players would want to play for. My anticipation just talking to him is that he’s going to be disciplined and structured with his players. Looking at their team on tape I see them making progress in that direction. I’m sure they’ll be ready. He had some great wins with his program at Central Washington, and I know they’ll go on the road and play a great game.”
TIGHT END ELLIOTT BARHNART
You have a good cheering section that accompanies the Bobcats on the road, don’t you?
“Yeah, it’s not too bad, the fans are awesome, you know.”
This offense, at least the passing game, really looks like it thrives on being able to spread the ball around. Is that a fun way to run a pass on offense?
“Oh yeah, definitely, I had an opportunity to catch a ball or make a play or contribute in any way is always nice. But it also makes it less predictable as far as who the ball’s going to.”
Last week’s game was the first time the offense didn’t pile up 400 yards. How did you get back to producing what you did in those first 2 games?
“I think the most important thing is just to, this week during practice, just to try to work on being as consistent as possible. Last week, things would happen and we just couldn’t get it done, but I think mostly just consistency is the biggest thing.”
The last time you guys were home the offense did well. How much do you want to emulate that to the fullest extent now that you guys are back here?
“Definitely… with every game you want to play at the highest level, but I think most importantly you want to try to improve every game, you know, and that’s what we’re going to try to do, definitely.”
Are you starting to get to a comfort level the way the offense is going?
“Oh yeah, definitely, it’s starting to click a lot better and every game we get more and more comfortable, but I’d say that, yeah, we’re definitely feeling more comfortable.”
You just talked about playing at home, so how fired up does it get you guys to know we’re still a week away and there’s only 250 standing room only, limited edition tickets that… how is it to know that you guys are continually selling out?
“Yeah, it’s awesome, and I know, you know, I remember talking to Break Wolf way back when I was a freshman, he said, “you know it wasn’t always that way.” You know, definitely the fans are just amazing right now and it’s a great feeling running out on the field with that many people screaming.”
What was the first Bobcat prowl walking from the Field house over to the stadium and seeing all of the fans in gold on each side of the road?
“It was pretty awesome, definitely, you know, slapping kids’ hands and just getting fired up, you know, it was pretty cool.”
You scored your first touchdown of your career at Texas A&M. When you caught that ball and you see the sideline, what’s going through your head?
“Well, I just wanted to get into the end zone as quick as I could and it wasn’t the most athletic- looking touchdown, but it’s about time I got one, definitely.”
Similar situation but it looked like your momentum carried you out of bounds in this game where you had some room for an in.
“Definitely, that’s one thing I need to realize, where I am out on the field, but there’s definitely some relief when the defense got that touchdown.”
What do you see from Idaho State on film that you know you have to pay attention to this weekend?
“They’re definitely an athletic team, you know very athletic, and I think their speed’s going to be a big part of what we’re going to have to focus on trying to stop. It’s just basically their athleticism, whereas last week (Weber State) was a little more physical I’d say, but yeah, we’re definitely going to have to bring our “A” game.”
QUARTERBACK JACK ROLOVICH
How does the execution improve each week?
“I think, you know, maybe better preparation, more time in the film room, stuff like that, and I think last year the offense didn’t play too good against Weber State, and I don’t know, they’re a good team on defense and always have been.”
If you see man-to-man again do you feel more confident that you’ll be able to deal with it better?
“I think that, you know, I myself could prepare a little bit better for that, as far as hanging in there a half-second more, you know, giving the receivers a better opportunity to get separation.”
How much different is Idaho State’s defense going to be from Weber?
“I think that they do play a little bit more zone, which, you know, doesn’t really matter to me that much, as long as we can prepare for what they’re doing. I think they both have a good defense and I think, you know, as a whole Big Sky has good defenses. I think everyone does a pretty good job, and I think last week against Eastern Washington I think the other way, and you know, I think that Eastern Washington had five turnovers or something like that, so, obviously there’s something to show about defense.”
The whole team wasn’t as crisp offensively, but with you back there, you threw balls away instead of forcing them is that just experience and learning from the Dixie game?
“Coach Ash really stresses the turnover ratio and stuff like that. And, you know, I’m pretty confident in my throws, but when it’s not there it’s either ours or nobody’s, you know what I mean, and I think a lot of the throws that I threw I felt guys weren’t open and I’d be forcing it and, you know, a lot of them looked like bad throws and they were obviously on purpose, I wasn’t trying to squeeze it in there or anything.”
Coach told us that Josh is almost probable for next week, how nice will it be to have what has become your top receiver back, and talk about Jamelle Banks stepping up?
“I’ve always thought Jamelle (Banks) has had the physical attributes to be a great player, ever since he got here. And now it’s just a matter of him grasping the offense and grasping the defense, but having Josh back will be great because I’m used to throwing to him, and me and him were almost always on the same page when we’re out there, so it will be nice.”
Talk about that and how important is to have time to kind of be able to look at the offense and make the decision with your feet planted.
“I think ever since I’ve been a quarterback, I’ve always been told I have a strong arm and I’ve always had a lot of confidence in my own arm and I kind of shy away from the fact that I try to do too much with my arm sometimes and I don’t set my feet and that can be good in some situations, but in some situations bad too because obviously the throw isn’t going to be as good if your feet aren’t set, so.”
When you work with the coach, I would assume that footwork is an absolutely huge aspect of what he tries to drill into the quarterbacks. Is that true?
“Of course, yeah, just because, you know, I came from Hawaii, I was always in the shotgun you know, footwork wasn’t stressed as much as it is now as it was when I got here. It was more, you know, grasping a new type of offense and stuff like that and coach does a good job, he knows where my strengths and weaknesses are, footwork wise because a lot of the stuff, you know I haven’t done my whole life so it’s a little bit different, but he does a good job, we were out there at individual periods, you know, while working on footwork while practice, so.”
You’ve thrown a lot from your left this year, is that part of that confidence in your ability to make that play going that way? A lot of quarterbacks don’t like throwing like that.
“Yeah, for sure. We do a drill that we run circles around each other, we practice throwing both ways, and it’s really effective. Actually, my brother had taught me that drill, he learned it when he was at San Francisco City College and I’ve put it in here too, so it’s obviously pretty effective. I’ve always been confident in my arm rolling to the left and overcompensating and stuff like that, but if I was to roll out either way I’d probably still choose my right.”
Is there any one thing that you guys need to improve on?
“I think just consistency. There’s drives where we look like the best team around and then there’s drives where we go three-and-out. I don’t know what that’s attributed to, whether it’s momentum or what, but it’s something we’ve got to shake and get rid of.”
SAFETY JEFF BROWN
Tell us about getting four turnovers last week.
“We practiced that a lot in practice last week, so that was a big goal of ours, to get turnovers and force the ball whatever way we can. Fortunately that happened for us.”
Can you get something early on a team that has struggled offensively?
“I’m pretty sure we’ll be practicing that week again, going after the ball, getting turnovers, takeaways. And like Coach Ash said before, Coach Marshall, that’s the first thing he said.”
How big a change has it been going from the 3-4 Flex defense to what you play now?
“For me, I didn’t play that much last year so it wasn’t really a big difference. This year, I love the cover two, two safeties in the back and we get to fly around and make plays. Guys like Bobby Daly, he’s going to excel no matter what. You can put him in any type of defense and he’s going to execute.”
What did Coach Marshall tell you about the kind of defense he wants to run?
“I really can’t put my thumb on it for exactly what he said, but I know the first thing he talked about was scoring on defense and being aggressive. Most defensive coordinators in this league and in college (football), being aggressive and getting takeaways, that’s the goal.”
How much do big hits in games get the players fired up?
“We kind of challenge each other to see who can go make a play, and me and Kevin were two that put some pretty good hits on those guys. It’s exciting. Not too many guys get to play college football and do this every Saturday. It was a lot of fun.”
Are you understanding what the coaches want from you better and playing more by instinct?
“Definitely. From week one to week three is a big turnover. The guys were thinking too much in week one, and then in week two against Dixie we started getting everything right, and now we’re all gelling together, less thinking more just making plays on instinct now.”
Have you become familiar with Eddie Thompson yet?
“I definitely know who Eddie Thompson is, I took a peak at him last year and I watched film on him (Monday). He’s a good player. We look forward to the challenge.”
Do you try to give a good receiver like that a little bit without letting him loose, or do you try to shut him down altogether?
“We’re going to play our game, and whatever happens happens. We need to execute. We’re worried about us, not them.”
Do you look forward to building off the last two wins?
Our philosophy is one game at a time. We have a goal of being conference champs and also national champs, so it’s one game at a time. This week it’s Idaho State, next week it’s whoever’s on the schedule. We focus on one game at a time and getting that (next) win in Bobcat Stadium.”
Do you build confidence with each passing week?
“We don’t want to get complacent, we like to build on things we did wrong. We’re never going to get complacent. Each week we feel like we can get better and find different things to work on and execute.”
What went through your head when Coach Marshall said that the defense’s first goal each week is to score?
“Oh, man, I haven’t scored a touchdown in a long time, so for me it’s exciting. I get to go after a ball and possibly score. I’m still waiting for it (laughs).”
How much of a thin line is it, knowing if you get burnt you might give up a score?
“I don’t think you can play football by questioning yourself. You can’t think about it, you just have to go have fun, and it’s going to come to you. You can’t think about it, you just have to go make plays and it will come to you.”
BOBCAT COACH ROB ASH
What did the film show from an offensive standpoint?
“First of all, Weber State really understands their concept on defense. They’re committed to the man concept, they mixed some different blitzes in that we weren’t prepared for and didn’t pick up as well as we’d hoped, but I thought we had some good ideas in our game plan and at times we executed very well, but we were inconsistent in our execution. Part of it was because we haven’t gone up against this type of defensive scheme yet, so it was like a first game in that respect, the heavy commitment to the man coverages. Now that we have a game under our belt, we have those plays on tape, we got a chance to see what we need to do to improve, the next time we see something like that we’ll be much better at the execution.”
How important is it to improve in the kicking game?
“Actually I was concerned on the bus trip home because of the same things, but as I watch the tape I see things that can easily be fixed. One play that didn’t go in the record books that Sweeney made on a play there was a penalty, and it was prior to the snap so there was no play. But the ball was snapped and kicked and it was about a 47-yarder, and he made it. We didn’t get a chance to take or decline those points because it was a no-play. I liked that kick. The one he missed was a good kick, high, it wasn’t a shank, it wasn’t a low kick, it was very well struck, it was just a little bit off. The one that was blocked didn’t have anything to do with the kicker. We can fix that. So I don’t think we’re as far off as it appears, and I think Sweeney is doing a good job. I like what’s happening with Fisher’s execution on punting and kicking right now. So I like our lineup, and I think it’s going to work well for us. A little fine-tuning is more what I see us needing to work on.”
Would you take the points or the penalty in a case like that?
“I probably would take the points in a situation like that. A 47-yard field goal, I’m not one for taking points off the board, early in the game, especially.”
Have you been patting Jamie Marshall on the back this week?
“For years now I’ve patted him on the back. I patted him on the back when he helped us win two championships at Drake as a player. (laughs) He called a great game. He did a terrific job. He had the guys well-prepared, they were motivated. I can see improvement in our defense every week in terms of assignments, understanding where they’re supposed to be and how they fit. I thought they did an excellent job. He was definitely a hero this week.”
Is the defense playing with more confidence?
“Jamie and Coach Joseph and the other defensive coaches are all about playing fast. If you think about the things I talked with everyone this summer, about our defensive style, that’s one of the things I kept saying. We’ll keep things in front of us, and inside of us, it won’t be real mysterious where we line up, but we’ll play fast, and we’ll run to the ball. I think what’s happening now is that guys are getting a comfort level with where they’re supposed to be lined up, with where they’re supposed to be on the snap, and what their keys are. I thought we played really fast on Saturday, and that’s a sign of being decisive. That’s really important.”
What makes Jamie Marshall a good defensive coordinator?
“The first thing I like about Jamie is that he’s patient. He doesn’t panic when we (give up) a play. He assesses what happens, he’ll go to something a little bit different, but he’s not going to shy away from his base calls, he’s not going to panic and start scrambling away from his game plan if a play or two goes against him. I think that’s an important characteristic to have as a defensive coordinator, because in college football people are going to make some plays. He’s patient between the 20s, he’ll put the hammer down a little bit more with his calls in the red zone, but he sticks with his game plan and that’s an important characteristic. He’s also very demanding. He understands exactly where everybody needs to be pre-snap with their alignments, and he’s very demanding on his assistant coaches and on his linebackers that he coaches to be in the right place prior to the snap so they can be in the right place to go make some plays.”
Is it hard to be aggressive and still play in the framework of the defense?
“The score thing and the takeaways and all the things we talk about, that’s an attempt to create a mentality on defense that every time the ball’s in the air there’s an opportunity for either team to end up with it no matter whether you start in a base defense or a blitz or any type of alignment. It’s not about the design of the play it’s about the mentality of the players. I think that’s what he’s really emphasizing when he talks about that.”
Did you expect two scores from the defense Saturday?
“Should I say yes? (laughter) Of course not, no, but it’s interesting how it’s sometimes a self-fulfilling prophecy or however you want to say it. I’m a big believer that what you coach and what you ask for you’re going to get. I remember a long time ago listening to a coach talk about how upset he was for a 6-5 season. He talked about it with his staff for hours on end at a staff meeting, and then after he’s finished with the staff meeting he had all these ideas for why they were only 6-5 for the year. He went back, put his notes away, saw the preseason file sitting there, opened it up, and the goal they put at the beginning was, the realistic goal, we hope we can be 6-5. So they had assessed it before the season, he had forgotten about that by the end of the season, but the whole point is what you shoot for you’re going to get. Coach McEndoo calls it big, hairy, audacious goals. There’s nothing wrong with that. You set your sights high, and occasionally you’re going to get there. You don’t predict it, but you do shoot for it.”
Talk about the environment Saturday, with the game nearly sold out.
“I think it’s terrific. I’m really excited about the crowd support and the fans and the sellouts, and I know our guys are, too. Believe me, I’m a big believer that you win games on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so we’re going to talk about it the next couple of days as a motivational tool for our team. And we should be motivated. We owe it to the fans and the boosters and the supporters that want to come out and see good football played by this team. And I know it will help us on Saturday, it’ll get our guys excited about the game and I think it will keep us in the game if we have any lulls. We need the fans to be there to just buoy up everybody. It couldn’t be a better situation.”
Do the need to experience the success you’ve had at A&M and Weber to begin develop confidence?
“There is great validation in victory. It’s not that we would have thrown everything out the window and had a disastrous season if we’d have lost one of these two games, but by the same token, as I assessed it and looked at how the schedule played out these were must wins. Dixie was a must win. Weber was a must win, in the sense that it was going to get us started into the season with our first game, which was important, our first conference game, our first road game. All those things were critically important to validate what we were doing as a staff and give the guys confidence that we can put this together on short notice and be competitive. Now we get into the heart of the schedule and we’ve got those things out of the way, I feel, and the players feel, that we’re on a level playing field with the other teams in the Big Sky. Now you just go out and duke it out and the best team’s going to win. But I feel like we’ve got ourselves caught up because we’ve been able to get ourselves off to a good start.”
Are you confident now that you’ve beaten at team at your level?
“I am, and I know it’s going to be tough, too. I know that we’re going to have good, close games throughout the course of the Big Sky season. That’s what I expect, that’s what our players expect, but I know we’ll be able to get in the game and match up and then it will be a battle of wits and a battle of execution to see who actually comes out on top. But I think we’ve got players in this program who can play in the Big Sky. I’m respectful of the players we’re going to face, also. It should be exciting the rest of the way.”
What matchups with Idaho State concern you?
“Their offensive skill players are very impressive. Barnett and Thompson and those guys are great skill players, and we’ve got to keep them contained and not let them have big plays that are going to let Idaho State get into the game and put points on the board. The other one is our offensive line, the continuing saga of our offensive line. The guys are working hard, they’re playing smart football and doing well, it’s just the matchups. We’re going to be playing against big, strong, physical people on the defensive line, linebackers, of every team in the Big Sky. We just have to keep working to get better there.”
Being back at home, is this a must win?
“A long time ago when I was an assistant coach, my first job, I made a comment to my head coach that some game coming up was a must win, and said, when is there ever a game you don’t have to win? And really, that’s true. There’s almost never a game that comes up that you don’t need to win. This one is certainly a win that we hope to get, and I know Idaho State needs it to get back into the conference race, and sometimes those games concern me the most because you’ve got a team now in Idaho State that is in very much a must-win situation to get their season where they want it to go. So it’s really a must-win for both teams.”
Is this game important to get the domino effect going the rest of the year?
“Jeff Brown said it the best, we’ve really tried to zero in on the preparation at hand – this game, this opponent, specifically what do we need to do? I always have said my most important motivational speeches or motivational purposes every week are on Tuesday and Wednesday. If I can motivate my team on Tuesday and Wednesday to prepare well for the team we’re playing this week then everything else will fall into place. That’s really, truly what I concentrate on every week as we go through it.”
What is the status on Josh Lewis and Isaiah Taito?
“The word we got on Josh is that he’s got a pretty good chance get back and play this week, and that Isaiah’s a little more doubtful.”
Is tackling a point of emphasis this week?
“Definitely. We talked about it after a game and watched it on tape and realized that in fact is a concern. We’re not wrapping up, we’re not fundamentally sound all the time on tackles, although when you look at the game there were several examples of exactly how you are supposed to tackle by some of those guys out there. Our guys did play well at times. Missed tackles are one of the things we chart, keep track of. We do work on tackling every day in practice, not necessarily live to the ground. There are techniques you can use. Coach Joseph does a drill where there’s absolutely no contact, but he works with his defensive backs on getting their feet in position, up close to the (ball carrier) before you start to wrap up. There are other factors, other key coaching points we’re trying to teach our guys all the time about tackling. We need to improve in that area. That’s an important, obviously fundamental skill on defense that we identified early as an area we needed to try to improve.”
Do the coaches talk to the kids about not needing to make a big hit that’s going to end up on ESPN, but just wrapping up and making the tackle?
“Probably not in exactly those words, but that concept, yeah. We don’t mention ESPN (laughter), but we do talk about it. It isn’t about the big hit. Special teams are probably most commonly where that mistake happens, guys run all the way down on kickoff or punt coverage and they see that highlight-reel big hit in their eyes, and then the guy just sidesteps them and they’re gone, they whiff. You’ve got to talk to guys about breaking down, getting in position, cutting to the ball carrier, making sure we’re in the right leverage position, and then see your work, bring your hips, wrap your arms, drive your feet, all the coaching points, and hopefully that’s going through the player’s heads.”
How do you balance working on execution and preparing for your next opponent?
“That’s hard. Half of your practice on Tuesday is going to be about game plan – here’s the tweaks this week, here are the wrinkles, we’re going to adjust this, this is how they line up, these are the blocking adjustments for this running play, whatever. So there’s some academic learning going on that specifically relates to the game plan. But we always have several periods in each practice that are just basic periods for fundamentals and execution. We have our individual periods, we have our seven-on-seven, where part of it is just our offense against our own defense, just running our own stuff and working on execution. We’ll do the same thing occasionally with the whole 11-on-11, or an inside run period. So it’s probably a 50-50 split between fundamentals (and) full-speed execution, and then game plan preparation.”
Do you work with Jack on consistency of his fundamentals?
“That’s why we videotape the game and watch it with the players. Coach Svoboda sat with the quarterbacks on Sunday for a couple hours and watched the game. I get a copy of their grade sheets and notes, so I know what they say to all the players even though I can’t be in 10 meetings at once. I read through his comments, and obviously it’s a mix of positive feedback and negative feedback and constructive criticism. There’s always areas you can improve, that’s why we do it. That’s why videotaping this particular game, with man-free looks and five-under, two-deep looks, that we hadn’t had a lot of videotape on, was really important for Jack and for the receivers.”
This will be one of Coach Zamberlin’s Big Sky game, do you ever think about that?
“I told all those guys this summer that it’s not a fair fight, because they got to be at their places for spring ball. They’re not rookies any more, I’m the only rookie. (laughs) I’m trying to give myself a little lee-way. I do sympathize with the coaching assignment, the coaching task. It’s a challenge to try to build your program and have your team ready. I did meet John this summer at the Big Sky meetings. I was very impressed with him, he seems like a great person, and he seems like a guy that players would want to play for. My anticipation just talking to him is that he’s going to be disciplined and structured with his players. Looking at their team on tape I see them making progress in that direction. I’m sure they’ll be ready. He had some great wins with his program at Central Washington, and I know they’ll go on the road and play a great game.”
TIGHT END ELLIOTT BARHNART
You have a good cheering section that accompanies the Bobcats on the road, don’t you?
“Yeah, it’s not too bad, the fans are awesome, you know.”
This offense, at least the passing game, really looks like it thrives on being able to spread the ball around. Is that a fun way to run a pass on offense?
“Oh yeah, definitely, I had an opportunity to catch a ball or make a play or contribute in any way is always nice. But it also makes it less predictable as far as who the ball’s going to.”
Last week’s game was the first time the offense didn’t pile up 400 yards. How did you get back to producing what you did in those first 2 games?
“I think the most important thing is just to, this week during practice, just to try to work on being as consistent as possible. Last week, things would happen and we just couldn’t get it done, but I think mostly just consistency is the biggest thing.”
The last time you guys were home the offense did well. How much do you want to emulate that to the fullest extent now that you guys are back here?
“Definitely… with every game you want to play at the highest level, but I think most importantly you want to try to improve every game, you know, and that’s what we’re going to try to do, definitely.”
Are you starting to get to a comfort level the way the offense is going?
“Oh yeah, definitely, it’s starting to click a lot better and every game we get more and more comfortable, but I’d say that, yeah, we’re definitely feeling more comfortable.”
You just talked about playing at home, so how fired up does it get you guys to know we’re still a week away and there’s only 250 standing room only, limited edition tickets that… how is it to know that you guys are continually selling out?
“Yeah, it’s awesome, and I know, you know, I remember talking to Break Wolf way back when I was a freshman, he said, “you know it wasn’t always that way.” You know, definitely the fans are just amazing right now and it’s a great feeling running out on the field with that many people screaming.”
What was the first Bobcat prowl walking from the Field house over to the stadium and seeing all of the fans in gold on each side of the road?
“It was pretty awesome, definitely, you know, slapping kids’ hands and just getting fired up, you know, it was pretty cool.”
You scored your first touchdown of your career at Texas A&M. When you caught that ball and you see the sideline, what’s going through your head?
“Well, I just wanted to get into the end zone as quick as I could and it wasn’t the most athletic- looking touchdown, but it’s about time I got one, definitely.”
Similar situation but it looked like your momentum carried you out of bounds in this game where you had some room for an in.
“Definitely, that’s one thing I need to realize, where I am out on the field, but there’s definitely some relief when the defense got that touchdown.”
What do you see from Idaho State on film that you know you have to pay attention to this weekend?
“They’re definitely an athletic team, you know very athletic, and I think their speed’s going to be a big part of what we’re going to have to focus on trying to stop. It’s just basically their athleticism, whereas last week (Weber State) was a little more physical I’d say, but yeah, we’re definitely going to have to bring our “A” game.”
QUARTERBACK JACK ROLOVICH
How does the execution improve each week?
“I think, you know, maybe better preparation, more time in the film room, stuff like that, and I think last year the offense didn’t play too good against Weber State, and I don’t know, they’re a good team on defense and always have been.”
If you see man-to-man again do you feel more confident that you’ll be able to deal with it better?
“I think that, you know, I myself could prepare a little bit better for that, as far as hanging in there a half-second more, you know, giving the receivers a better opportunity to get separation.”
How much different is Idaho State’s defense going to be from Weber?
“I think that they do play a little bit more zone, which, you know, doesn’t really matter to me that much, as long as we can prepare for what they’re doing. I think they both have a good defense and I think, you know, as a whole Big Sky has good defenses. I think everyone does a pretty good job, and I think last week against Eastern Washington I think the other way, and you know, I think that Eastern Washington had five turnovers or something like that, so, obviously there’s something to show about defense.”
The whole team wasn’t as crisp offensively, but with you back there, you threw balls away instead of forcing them is that just experience and learning from the Dixie game?
“Coach Ash really stresses the turnover ratio and stuff like that. And, you know, I’m pretty confident in my throws, but when it’s not there it’s either ours or nobody’s, you know what I mean, and I think a lot of the throws that I threw I felt guys weren’t open and I’d be forcing it and, you know, a lot of them looked like bad throws and they were obviously on purpose, I wasn’t trying to squeeze it in there or anything.”
Coach told us that Josh is almost probable for next week, how nice will it be to have what has become your top receiver back, and talk about Jamelle Banks stepping up?
“I’ve always thought Jamelle (Banks) has had the physical attributes to be a great player, ever since he got here. And now it’s just a matter of him grasping the offense and grasping the defense, but having Josh back will be great because I’m used to throwing to him, and me and him were almost always on the same page when we’re out there, so it will be nice.”
Talk about that and how important is to have time to kind of be able to look at the offense and make the decision with your feet planted.
“I think ever since I’ve been a quarterback, I’ve always been told I have a strong arm and I’ve always had a lot of confidence in my own arm and I kind of shy away from the fact that I try to do too much with my arm sometimes and I don’t set my feet and that can be good in some situations, but in some situations bad too because obviously the throw isn’t going to be as good if your feet aren’t set, so.”
When you work with the coach, I would assume that footwork is an absolutely huge aspect of what he tries to drill into the quarterbacks. Is that true?
“Of course, yeah, just because, you know, I came from Hawaii, I was always in the shotgun you know, footwork wasn’t stressed as much as it is now as it was when I got here. It was more, you know, grasping a new type of offense and stuff like that and coach does a good job, he knows where my strengths and weaknesses are, footwork wise because a lot of the stuff, you know I haven’t done my whole life so it’s a little bit different, but he does a good job, we were out there at individual periods, you know, while working on footwork while practice, so.”
You’ve thrown a lot from your left this year, is that part of that confidence in your ability to make that play going that way? A lot of quarterbacks don’t like throwing like that.
“Yeah, for sure. We do a drill that we run circles around each other, we practice throwing both ways, and it’s really effective. Actually, my brother had taught me that drill, he learned it when he was at San Francisco City College and I’ve put it in here too, so it’s obviously pretty effective. I’ve always been confident in my arm rolling to the left and overcompensating and stuff like that, but if I was to roll out either way I’d probably still choose my right.”
Is there any one thing that you guys need to improve on?
“I think just consistency. There’s drives where we look like the best team around and then there’s drives where we go three-and-out. I don’t know what that’s attributed to, whether it’s momentum or what, but it’s something we’ve got to shake and get rid of.”
SAFETY JEFF BROWN
Tell us about getting four turnovers last week.
“We practiced that a lot in practice last week, so that was a big goal of ours, to get turnovers and force the ball whatever way we can. Fortunately that happened for us.”
Can you get something early on a team that has struggled offensively?
“I’m pretty sure we’ll be practicing that week again, going after the ball, getting turnovers, takeaways. And like Coach Ash said before, Coach Marshall, that’s the first thing he said.”
How big a change has it been going from the 3-4 Flex defense to what you play now?
“For me, I didn’t play that much last year so it wasn’t really a big difference. This year, I love the cover two, two safeties in the back and we get to fly around and make plays. Guys like Bobby Daly, he’s going to excel no matter what. You can put him in any type of defense and he’s going to execute.”
What did Coach Marshall tell you about the kind of defense he wants to run?
“I really can’t put my thumb on it for exactly what he said, but I know the first thing he talked about was scoring on defense and being aggressive. Most defensive coordinators in this league and in college (football), being aggressive and getting takeaways, that’s the goal.”
How much do big hits in games get the players fired up?
“We kind of challenge each other to see who can go make a play, and me and Kevin were two that put some pretty good hits on those guys. It’s exciting. Not too many guys get to play college football and do this every Saturday. It was a lot of fun.”
Are you understanding what the coaches want from you better and playing more by instinct?
“Definitely. From week one to week three is a big turnover. The guys were thinking too much in week one, and then in week two against Dixie we started getting everything right, and now we’re all gelling together, less thinking more just making plays on instinct now.”
Have you become familiar with Eddie Thompson yet?
“I definitely know who Eddie Thompson is, I took a peak at him last year and I watched film on him (Monday). He’s a good player. We look forward to the challenge.”
Do you try to give a good receiver like that a little bit without letting him loose, or do you try to shut him down altogether?
“We’re going to play our game, and whatever happens happens. We need to execute. We’re worried about us, not them.”
Do you look forward to building off the last two wins?
Our philosophy is one game at a time. We have a goal of being conference champs and also national champs, so it’s one game at a time. This week it’s Idaho State, next week it’s whoever’s on the schedule. We focus on one game at a time and getting that (next) win in Bobcat Stadium.”
Do you build confidence with each passing week?
“We don’t want to get complacent, we like to build on things we did wrong. We’re never going to get complacent. Each week we feel like we can get better and find different things to work on and execute.”
What went through your head when Coach Marshall said that the defense’s first goal each week is to score?
“Oh, man, I haven’t scored a touchdown in a long time, so for me it’s exciting. I get to go after a ball and possibly score. I’m still waiting for it (laughs).”
How much of a thin line is it, knowing if you get burnt you might give up a score?
“I don’t think you can play football by questioning yourself. You can’t think about it, you just have to go have fun, and it’s going to come to you. You can’t think about it, you just have to go make plays and it will come to you.”
Wednesday, June 10
Friday, March 27
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
