MSU Tuesday Press Conference
9/23/2009 6:00:28 PM | Football
Sept. 23
A look at the transcript from the Tuesday Press Conference involving Bobcat Football players and coach Rob Ash...
BOBCAT COACH ROB ASH
Is this a good team to be starting Big Sky play with?
RA: I'm not sure there's a good team or a bad team to start with, really. Every game's going to be tough. You've got to play them all at some point in the schedule. I don't think it makes any difference. All I know is that we went down there two years ago and they won, and that's been my focus, personally, just try to play better on the road and play better at Greeley than we did two years ago.
Do you use that as motivation for the team?
RA: I think increasingly as we get towards the game it'll become more motivating. Right now they're practicing well. I use motivation at the point in time where we need to use it. If we're not practicing well we try to motivate them to practice well. We've been practicing hard. The guys have done a really good job, and so our focus is going to be as we get closer to the game what it means to play well down there and how tough it was down there two years ago, those kind of things, to get the game focus down.
How was the bye week?
RA: Really good. I've got to give Jamie Marshall and the defensive staff credit, because they came up with the idea of changing practice all around, a different order of things, different drills, and the players really responded well to that. We had a lot of variety, a lot of competition, we had some good crossover work with the ones against the ones, we scrimmaged the scout team players, which everybody enjoyed. We got a lot of work done, but we made it fun and interesting for the guys, too, I thought that was really good.
How important is it to start the conference season with a win?
RA: I think it's critical every week to win. It's hard to really down-play that. There's never a game in the season where you say, 'This is one we can lose.' We've got to go every week and play our best. Obviously this is a game that's one we have to win because it's this week's game. I think it's an opportunity, though, in that we looked at our schedule at the beginning of the year with our first two Big Sky games being on the road, and instead of looking at that as a negative we looked at it as an opportunity. If we can go play well on the road early in the Big Sky season that'll set us up well for the rest of the season, so we can make a negative into a positive by (taking advantage) of the opportunity to get off to the good start on the road.
Given the nature of the game the last two years, do you consider this game a rivalry?
RA: I've just been in the league for two years, but I can't remember a team in two years that wasn't up for the game. I think everybody's up for the game, it's a great conference that way. There hasn't been a soft touch, there hasn't been an easy game, there hasn't been a game where I'd say the other team played flat. I'm not sure it really matters. Everybody's going to be geared up to play because they know the conference is good, you have to play every week, anyone can beat anybody on a given day. We just need to be on an even keel.
How good has Michael Rider been at your old position?
RA: We did some fix-it periods. We did some zone drops with our defensive secondary, we tried to fine-tune our passing game, just trying to get on the same page in our route timing and recognition of adjustments. Pass protection, we worked on that. Another item we looked at is the left side of our offensive line, with Leo Davis and Ben Tauanuu competing for that fifth offensive line spot. We wanted to tighten that down a little bit. Primarily we wanted to get better as a team. We wanted to play hard and practice hard and get better every single day that week even though we didn't play a game on Saturday.
How is that competition?
RA: Actually, it fizzled at the end of last week because Ben got sick and missed a couple days. Leo got all the reps and is running with the ones again now. Ben's coming back, feeling better this week, so we'll see how he practices this week. But Leo's ahead right now, and is slated to start.
It seems like there's been a few people on the team sick the last couple weeks.
RA: We've had some sickness, I think everybody in the country's had some. I wouldn't say we've had a terrible bout with it yet, knock on wood, but I'm sure we're not done with it yet, either. You just never know who it's going to hit. You treat them all the same no matter what the symptoms are. You get them away from the team, make sure they get plenty of fluids, get their fever down, then they can come back.
How tough is it to combat that sickness once it gets going?
RA: Again, that's why everybody in the country's getting it. We're together all the time. We try to practice good hygiene, if you look around our offices and locker rooms there's hand sanitizers out, we're talking all the time about washing hands, not sharing water bottles, all the things you normally do. There's probably a heightened emphasis on that right now because we have had some guys get sick, but you can't avoid it altogether, there's just no way.
How have the two new coaches impacted the offense?
RA: I think they've both done a fantastic job. Coach Applewhite is a running back expert. That's the position he played, that's what he's always coached, I think he's developed a great relationship with the players at his position. They're competing with each other and they're sharing playing time, but they're all motivated and happy, and they know that he's going to be fair and he's going to play them when they deserve to play. All those things are working out well, we've gotten good production there. Coach Von Bergen's been terrific with the wide receivers, as well. They're playing with good technique, I think they're executing fairly well, and we've got a bunch of new guys there, so it has not been easy. He's brought some good concepts to us, too, with the pass game, that he brought from Miami, Ohio. I'm very happy with both of them.
Will other teams see the passing yards you've given up and try to take advantage of that?
RA: You do, you watch tape and you see that and you attack where other teams have been successful. The thing you have to remember is that every team in the country that has some area that has been exploited on tape is going to try to work hard to fix that during the week. A lot of times that's the wrong thing to do, is to try to do what somebody did two weeks ago, because we've been working two weeks to fix it. Hopefully that'll be the case, they'll try to throw and they'll throw into some fix-its that we put together and we'll be better off. That's how you have to hope that it goes. But I'm definitely sure that people will try to throw the ball.
Is Northern Colorado different from Dixie and Michigan State in that they run to set up the pass?
RA: I think Northern Colorado's pretty balanced. The addition of the running back has really helps them. They're able to have the element of the run game, to have some power, to be able to grind out some drives and hurt you when you try to play cover two, and those sorts of things. I think that's where they've made the biggest improvement. They still want to throw the ball, but they're patient with it, they don't take a lot of chances, they're pretty steady. I like their balance. I think it's a good scheme.
What concerns you most about Northern Colorado?
RA: They're a strong team physically, they have confidence against us. Starting in '06, the year before I got here, they played a tough, close game with Montana State. I think they have confidence about the fact that they can play with us, and I think they will play a good game against us, and that concerns me. They have a confidence level against us that's probably greater than against some other teams in the league.
Is your confidence level against them lower?
RA: No, I think our confidence level will be good. We'll probably have more respect for Northern Colorado than maybe some other teams in the league that did not experience what we did two years ago in Greeley. If that doesn't have our attention nothing will. We'll play hard, and we respect them a lot.
Kevin Retoriano struggled at times Saturday, will he stay at cornerback?
RA: I think he's done a great job. I think it was more about that big pad on the elbow than anything else last week that caused him some trouble. He's been great in practice, he's working hard to work on his technique, and I think he'll develop into an outstanding corner. He'll make us a better team by playing there.
How well is the defensive line playing?
RA: Our front four is a strength of our football team. It has been. We try to get pressure no matter how many guys we rush. In three-man rush situations what you hope happens is, by dropping eight, there's less lanes early in the play for the quarterback to throw the ball to, and so it's kind of a coverage sack situation. It gives guys time to get there. Our guys have taken advantage of that, and I think a couple guys have taken advantage of single-blocking assignments against them because Dane Fletcher's getting so much attention with the blocking schemes designed to stop him. In all respects I think they're doing a good job. We've forced a lot of hurries, if not sacks, and I think that's a statistic that goes unnoticed sometimes. Especially in the Dixie game, a lot of the four interceptions came because of the pass rush.
BOBCAT CORNERBACK KEVIN RETORIANO
How's the elbow doing?
KR: It's doing good, it's doing a lot better. I think about another couple weeks til I'm 100 percent, but I'll still have to wear (the brace). I've got some new padding for it, so I'm not going to have the big white thing on there any more, so that's nice.
How did it happen with the padding around the brace?
KR: We didn't know if I was going to have to wear anything. One of the refs came up and said I might use it as a weapon so was going to have to pad it up, get a half an inch padding on it. I wasn't too happy, but you have to do what they say. But we got it all figured out now with the head Big Sky official.
How has the transition been to cornerback?
KR: I think it's been real smooth. I played it two years ago in the spring game. A lot of people make a big deal about it, but I think I can play any position back there. For me, it's been really easy.
Do you find it tough to motivate teams during a bye week?
KR: The techniques in the man situations are different. They teach it different. … It's my second week now, so I'm getting it down.
How much is it trial by fire?
KR: I think it all is. They try to put me out there in as many game-type situations during practice as they can. I have to learn, too, during games.
How good has Michael Rider been at your old position?
KR: Really good, I'm really excited for Mike Rider. He's been playing perfect, everything he's been doing is good. He's worked really hard to get in that position. Coach Joseph is always talking about getting the best four on the field no matter what positions, that's what we had to do, and if I had to move to corner, that's what we had to do.
How did you feel you performed against Dixie?
KR: I feel I performed alright, I felt could have done a lot better. When anyone catches anything on me, no disrespect to them, but it's nothing they did, it's something I did wrong. That's how I felt. I didn't use the right technique in those situations, that's why he caught them.
It looked like you had trouble getting your arm up on one play because of the pad.
KR: It happened on the fade. I couldn't get my arm up to break the pass up so I just tried to push him out of bounds, and I guess he got a foot in.
How does the bye week help when you're learning a new position?
KR: I think it came at the perfect time, because I get to work on all my technique. The hardest thing is playing off-man. When I'm pressing I feel comfortable, but off-man, that's all I've been working on, last week and this week. I think I'm getting there as far as feeling comfortable.
How did the team take to the bye week?
KR: I feel like that was our best bye week since I've been here. The coaches did a good job changing up the practice situations so we didn't get tired of doing the same things over and over. (We saw) a lot of game-type situations, a lot of competition between ourselves. I think we did well.
Is there extra excitement this week knowing it's your first conference game?
KR: Definitely, and what happened last time down there gives us a little bit more motivation. Coach Svoboda was talking (Monday) night, and he's like, 'Let's just go down there and know we're going to beat them. If we have that mindset, it's likely to happen.' So I think that's what we're going to do.
What do you know about Northern Colorado's receivers?
KR: They're a good bunch. They've improved a lot since last year. Watching the film against Kansas, they're a Big 12 team, Kansas, and those (NC) receivers were running by their corners. They have speed, they've improved their route-running a lot, so we're going to have to change up some of our techniques, do some different things, just to try to get in their hair.
Greeley wasn't an easy place for you guys to play last time.
KR: The last time we went down there it was a horrible feeling walking off that field. I think we went into it not taking them as seriously as we should have, and that showed throughout the whole game. They made some plays, we didn't make some plays, we kept them in the game, and when you do that you give them a chance to win.
What do you expect from Northern Colorado?
KR: They like to run a lot of vertical routes, and a lot of slants, too. You have to be disciplined in what you do. Obviously they have a good running back now, he's a big guy, so they're going to try to run the ball. They're balanced, so I think they're going to try to do a little bit of both, run and pass.
So you compare yourself to your counterpart on the other team?
KR: Definitely. I want to be the best in the Big Sky no matter what position I'm at. I go out there and work as hard as I can to do that. It's a hard thing, moving to corner, but I think in due time I can be the best in the Big Sky.
BOBCAT RECEIVER ELVIS AKPLA
You were open some against Dixie State, is it frustrating when the ball's long or short?
EA: That was frustrating, but on offense it was frustrating in general. We shot ourselves in the foot. But we've improved and we should be ready to go against Northern Colorado.
Have the players talked to you about what happened at Northern Colorado last time?
EA: I have no idea what happened there last time, but when I came on my recruiting visit (last fall) it was against Northern Colorado, and it was a tough, tough game, it was a hard game both ways. I didn't know I was going to play against them yet, but the corner (Quincy Wofford) looks like a good football player. I'm really impressed by their team.
How important is winning your first conference game?
EA: It's very important. It's the only way you can move forward and build momentum into the next game. If you keep winning that makes it that much easier to play with some confidence. We just want to start off on the right note and go from there.
After two games where is this offensive unit?
EA: I think we have built a good base for our team, and we've worked on figuring out what we need to do and what works best for our offense. I think we've got that squared away now. That bye week helped a lot. As an offense we're waiting to break out and show everybody what pretty much everybody's been talking about since the summer. We're really confident with our talent, we're just waiting to put it together in a game.
How do you do that?
EA: I just think going forward in the right mentality, with everybody being on the same page for the entire game. If we put our minds together and come to play we're a force to be reckoned with.
Did you work on catching passes over the middle last week?
EA: I didn't really focus on it. Catching the ball's never been a problem for me, it's more getting myself as open as I possibly can, whether it's a step or five yards. Catching the ball is easy, it's just concentration, that's all it is. I should be fine.
How did the team come through the bye week?
EA: We had so much energy throughout all the three practices during that bye week. We were ready to go, we competed really hard. The coaches did a good job changing up the practice schedule, they made it pretty competitive, a lot of ones vs. ones, a lot of team stuff. I think as a team we realized that it was really important to get some good practices for the opener of the Big Sky.
With Gianni Carter back, is it good to get more receivers healthy?
EA: It's really great to see him back. I think coach was telling us yesterday that the receiving corps is the only one that doesn't have anyone on the injury list, it's good to have everyone back, getting healthy. The more people you have at your position, the better your position gets.
Have you watched film on Northern Colorado?
EA: We watched film yesterday. They have a good defense. They have good, physical corners. It should be a good game.
How did the name Elvis come about?
EA: I was born in Africa. There's a famous singer in Africa who's named Elvis who was named after Elvis Presley, so I was named after the African singer. Indirect Elvis Presley. How many Elvis Presley records do you have? I don't have many, but I know a lot of his songs. (laughter)
