Montana State University
Northern Arizona University
MSU Football Press Conference Transcript from October 6
10/7/2009 2:57:19 PM | Football
BOBCAT SAFETY MICHAEL RIDER
Have you watched the goal-line stand? How fun was that?
MR: I have. It was fun, definitely fun to watch. It was a team effort, a fun play. They lined up against a pretty good defense of ours and we had a pretty good play-call on and things worked out. We executed really well.
How about the third down play, where it was just you and Smith?
MR: It was kind of a one-on-one deal, and luckily we got him stopped a yard short. Everybody did their job and it came down to me and him and he was one yard short, thankfully.
Is that a safety's dream?
MR: Definitely. That's an opportunity to show your tackling skills and what you work on. We do a drill like that every single day without fail, so it's encouraging to see that carry over from practice to a game.
Did you think he was going to jump?
MR: I did not. I thought he was going to try to just cut it in or maybe put his shoulder down. Once he jumped I just tried to get a hold of one or two of his legs, and fortunately I did.
Did you see on the film how close it was to missing his legs?
MR: I actually didn't. I really didn't see how close it was. I got a hold of one, and that was good enough for me.
Conference player of the week, that's pretty cool.
MR: That's a good honor, but it just shows how well we play as a defense. We stopped them in the red zone and played real well. We were all in the right spot. I happened to make a few plays, but it was more of a team effort than anything. I'm real proud of the defense and where we're at.
Do you feel more comfortable after four starts?
MR: Every game is important and adds to your confidence and you believe in what your doing, yourself making plays and the defense as a whole making plays. I'm definitely more comfortable and gaining experience, and that's important.
NAU has put up some numbers, what do you know about their offense?
MR: They put up a lot of points, they have some real good players, they have a good quarterback, a good running back with a lot of speed. They're going to try to throw the ball and run the ball and do what they can to get the 'W' and we're going to line up and play our hearts out.
Coach Joseph talked about the plays you didn't make earlier in the game, can you talk about those?
MR: There was a play down on the goal line, about the four or five yard-line, and we blitzed and I had a wide open shot on Trevyn Smith and I really whiffed, totally whiffed. That was frustrating. The following play they ended up fumbling, we stripped it there on the one or two yard-line, I was thankful for that. I missed the opening tackle of the ball game, again on Trevyn Smith, he's a heck of a player, he wasn't three-time all-conference for no reason. I missed some plays, but fortunately I was able to bounce back.
How excited are you to face another great offensive team a week after dealing with Weber?
MR: It is exciting, more because we know we can do it. We have confidence in our defense and how we're playing and what we're doing. Lining up against a skilled set like the quarterback and running back and receivers they do have, we're confident in our ability to perform and do the right things.
How long did it take you to come off that high of the win?
MR: You know, we had a seven hour bus ride. People kept talking about how bus rides are no fun, but you got to soak it in. We talked about it for seven hours, people were talking about plays and how much fun it was. We soaked it in and enjoyed it Sunday during film, but it's time to move on, time to move on and look at NAU.
Are you excited to play another home game?
MR: Definitely. It's important to be able to play on the road, and we felt like we've done a good job of that, but coming home is the best feeling ever, especially when you're winning on the road. We're looking forward to the opportunity to play hopefully in front of a packed house. It should be a good weekend.
What do you think the rest of the Big Sky thinks of
MR: I'm sure they saw the win, but that doesn't mean anything. We have to control what we do. We can't worry about what they think or what they saw. We're going to take one week at a time and worry about what we do here in
You like talking about the team, but four weeks into the season do you feel like you've arrived and maybe you're a little surprised how quickly it's happened?
MR: I'm not surprised. I've worked hard. My parents have always taught me, and my coaches have always said, no one can take your work ethic away from you. Always out-work people. That's just what I'm doing. So am I surprised? No. Am I thankful? Yeah, I'm really thankful, I feel really fortunate. But it's a team game. It doesn't involve just me. It's everybody. I'm thankful for that and thankful for the team and how we're playing. I'm hopeful we can keep things rolling.
BOBCAT RUNNING BACK AARON MASON
How long did it take you to come down from the high of the win?
AM: I think after a couple hours on the bus I was over it, wanted to get back and take a look at our next opponent, NAU, and see what they have for us.
How does NAU look?
AM: We haven't got a chance to look at them yet. The tape wasn't prepared. But I'll be in later on this evening and see what they have.
Is there any lingering emotion from last year's game at NAU?
AM: This is a completely separate game. We take it one week at a time. You can never base your game on the game you played before. You just have to go into the game with the plan that we have and try to execute as many plays as possible and try to do what we can to win the game.
Are you happy for Alex Henderson? He's gone through some of the same things you have.
AM: It's pretty nice to see someone else go through the same things you've gone through, having the ups and downs of your career. I remember my true freshman year, it was me and him, he was a I think a redshirt freshman and I was a true freshman and we were going at it for yards in the conference. The next thing you know he was off the scene and I was off the scene because of injuries, and me and him both made a comeback. I think that it's great to see his hard work and where he's at now, and where I'm at now. Have you ever talked to him before? No, I've never spoken to him.
With the two league road wins, can you talk about the opportunity in front of you now?
AM: It all starts with our work ethic in the off-season. Pretty much everyone stayed, and a lot of true freshmen came in early to get things going. We all wanted to compete, and everyone told each other that if we want to win this thing we all (have) to stay and commit ourselves to the team. There's no individual that's higher than the team. I think that has a huge part of our success on the road right now and where we're headed throughout the whole season ahead.
As a veteran, do you see this team growing up, with all the young players?
AM: Yes, I do. There's still always going to be those freshman mistakes, and older guys are going to make mistakes, also. It's just a matter of getting those plays and learning a little bit more about the game each game every week. I think those young guys are stepping in. I don't see them as freshmen, I see them as veteran guys, also, because they're out there making plays, and if you're making plays you are a vet. There's nothing more to it. I don't separate the freshmen from the older guys. Their expectations are just as high as ours are. I think that they're doing just fine, they're where they need to be, and they're always getting better.
The Bobcats traditionally start slow, how big a difference does a fast start make?
AM: It makes a pretty huge difference because I think that if we can get off and start fast we can pretty well, also. Sometimes if you start off slow the game doesn't always look (good), but it's not always about how you start, it's about how you finish. And if you finish the game well then 90% of the time you're going t come out with a 'W', and that's what we need to do and keep doing to win games.
Does the cold weather benefit the running game because it's tougher to throw?
AM: It's a running back's dream (laughs) to get the ball 30 or more times. I think if it comes down to us running the ball it's an 11-man effort. We're all going to have to do our part. The receivers are going to have to block, the running backs, if we have to pass we'll still have to block. I think it's going to come down to an 11-man game, which it always is, and we're just going to have to go out there and execute.
Were you surprised how big the holes were on Saturday?
AM: Man, it was ridiculous. (laughter) Those guys paved some holes like no other. I was just excited to be able to run behind those guys. I give all the credit to those big guys up front. Those guys, they don't get any credit, they walk around and no one knows who they are, really, and I think that they deserve a lot more attention and a whole lot of other things that they don't receive. I give it all to those guys. I make moves and everything, me and CJ, we do our thing, but those guys deserve all the credit, 99.9% of it, we just have to run through the big holes they create.
BOBCAT PUNTER ERIC FISHER
What went through your mind on the bicycle kick punt?
C: Basic instinct, to be honest. I wish I could have done my job, what I was supposed to do, get the hold and put it down for Jason to seal the game for us, but unfortunately it didn't work out that way. I just picked up the ball and kicked it. I grew up playing soccer, and some people compare it to a soccer bicycle kick or whatever, but it was in my hands too long so I kicked it. That's it.
Did you know how close it was?
V: I could feel that, I got hit after I kicked it. Luckily Jason made a good block, watching the film he kind of ad libbed and made a block. He thought I threw it, he didn't even know I kicked it either, both of us were just doing whatever we needed to do to survive at that point.
How tough was it to be thrown into the fire like that?
V: It was tough, especially because I'd been out for two weeks being sick. I hadn't gotten reps at holder (during that time). Before I'd gotten sick I was getting some reps at holder and I would have been a lot more comfortable going in. At half I went out and got a lot of holds and felt pretty comfortable with it. Clearly, three minutes left in a tight game adds a little pressure to it. Unfortunately I didn't quite perform as well as I should have, but it worked out and we won and that's all that matters.
BOBCAT OFFENSIVE TACKLE JEFF HANSEN
Do you expect a Rolex from Aaron Mason?
JH: No. He gets us donuts and orange juice, though, in the morning, and that's pretty equal for an offensive lineman. (laughter)
How do you assess the offensive line performance?
JH: I think the offensive line performed really well. The biggest thing was five guys working together. It was the first time all season that all five of us have graded out together to be in the winner's circle (85% or better). That was really nice to see. It wasn't just one or two or three or four guys, it was all five. Along with those five efforts and everyone else on the offense, it was really a team victory. Watching the tape there are still a lot of things we need to do better, and I think we will. We're just trying to improve every week.
How do you keep the team focused after two big road wins?
JH: That's always a difficult position to be in. I think our coaches do a great job of working into us that we need to respect every opponent equally every week, and also they always say winning never gets easier. I think that's entirely true. Winning programs, people go out there with the intention to give you their best game every time they go on the field. That's why it never gets easier when you're winning football games. As a team we need to really realize that and strive to get better every week and not take any steps backward.
What do you know about NAU?
JH: I know NAU is a good football team, just like everybody in our conference. Every time we step on the field we need to expect a four quarter battle. I know they're a little bit decimated by injury on defense, but they're doing some different things that are keeping them in games, and they're doing well with it. That's about as far as I know about NAU, but by the end of today and tomorrow that will probably have doubled. But they're a good football team and they always play us tough. That's the way it should be expected in the Big Sky Conference.
Is the O-Line coming together as the unit as the season progresses?
JH: I think that's really helping. One thing about the offensive line is that you really have to be comfortable playing with the guy next to you. That's one reason Mike Person and I play so well next to each other, we've started a lot of games next to each other. I know him inside and out, I know he's going to get his job done and he knows I'm going to get my job done. It's just figuring out the little things, the little nuances here and there, of playing with the other guys next to you. We're all starting to figure those out. I'm starting to figure out Alex's, how he plays. That really helps you as the season progresses.
Mike graded out at 97%, have you ever graded that high?
JH: I think when I started at center, when we played NAU my first year, I graded out at 98 or something like that, and I think I had a 98 at
Do you compare grades?
JH: No, it's one of those things that I want Mike to do that well. I want to see him to succeed because he's a really good friend of mine. It's not so much a competitiveness as I want us both to be there, I want everyone on the offensive line to be at that level. I'm really happy for Mike that he can play like that.
How much better is the left side getting with Conrad and Leo?
JH: They're doing a lot better. The difference was night and day for Leo and Conrad from previous weeks. Leo had been struggling a little bit and hadn't previously made the Winner's Circle. I think he really stepped up this week. Working with Conrad and Alex and Mike and myself, he was able to step up his level of play and he did a great job.
Is it fun to watch the back of Aaron Mason and CJ Palmer run downfield?
JH: I'm taught never to watch the running back because then I'm not doing my job, so the only part I ever see is him celebrating in the end zone or the whistle. Coach Mac teaches us to drive or guy into the ground or until the whistle blows. So I never get to see him run down the field.
Do you ever get the feeling blocking that this hole's going to be massive?
JH: That's kind of what we strive for. We want to be people movers, and we want to give Aaron or CJ or Ricky or whoever's back there, Blayde, we want to give them the best opportunity to be successful possible. We can only block so many guys. From there on it's on them to make somebody miss and that kind of stuff, and those guys do a good job of running down hill, running people over, running around people. They do a great job of running the ball.
