MSU coach Rob Ash looks ahead at the MSU-Eastern Washington game
Montana State Coach Rob Ash Tuesday Press Conference Transcript
9/21/2010 5:29:23 PM | Football
Bobcat coach looks ahead to Saturday's crucial matchup with Eastern Washington
A look at Tuesday's weekly Bobcat press conference, with MSU coach Rob Ash...
TUESDAY PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
September 21, 2010
MSU COACH ROB ASH
As you know we've suspended Jason (D'Alba) for the upcoming game against Eastern Washington. When I do not see a play in person during the game, which I did not see this play againstDrake, then I have to look at the tape, which I did on Sunday. What I saw was a helmet-to-helmet contact, that's punishable a one-game suspension by our team policy. It's also punishable by a one-game suspension by the Big Sky Conference. The Big Sky Conference reviewed the play on Monday morning, and also decided to levy a one-game suspension against Jason D'Alba. Those two suspensions will be concurrent, so he will miss one game, against Eastern Washington, then both suspensions will be served.
We had a very in-depth educational program this preseason with our players about helmet-to-helmet contact. It's a vicious part of the game that has to be eliminated from our game. We showed a videotape to our football team with helmet-to-helmet contact and educated them about that. They all know that it's a play that has to be eliminated from the game and they know the consequences are going to be severe if it happens. Having said all that they all know the situation, and what I want to clarify about Jason's actions were that he under no circumstances was trying to injure anyone. He was playing hard, he made a mistake, a dumb reaction, and was late on a play, he hit the man in an unfortunate position, helmet-to-helmet, and that's why he is suspended. That['s the situation and the chronology of that event, and I wanted to address that first.
The second statement is about Ben Tauanuu. Ben has suffered a broken leg. He is going to have surgery and be out for the season, so that was a significant injury to our team during the Drake game.
Who steps in for Jason and who steps in for Ben?
We have been playing four guys at two positions in the defensive line, so this week we'll play three for two positions in the defensive line. So Christian Keli'i and Zach Minter and Dan Ogden will man those (two) positions. The fourth guy is Zach Logan, a true freshman we're trying to redshirt. We'll try not to play him, but if a situation came up then he would have to be ready to step into action. On the offensive side Jesse Hoffmann and Shaun Sampson are both going to work in the offensive line to see what lineup we're going to put out there. It will be a competition this week to see how we're going to staff that hole, because it's a big hole. Ben's a big guy. We're very thin on the O-line. This is one area where we couldn't really afford injuries, but they've happened. The good news is Conrad Burbank is making some progress and there's a slight chance he might be able to come back this week. But we're not going to rush him into service because Ben's out, we're going to do the right thing medically with his recovery.
Last year you saw Taiwan Jones out of the backfield as a runner and a receiver. When someone can do as much out of the backfield as him, what do you focus on?
We saw way too much of Taiwan Jones. Taiwan Jones is an outstanding football player, he is really, really special. He's been extremely productive so far this year. We do remember last year, when he singlehandedly took over the game in the fourth quarter and produced touchdowns and stole a victory away from us that we thought we were going to have there in Cheney. I don't think you can stop him completely in any circumstances, you just have to limit his impact on the game as much as possible. We have to be aware of where he's lining up and what kind of plays he gets the ball on, and we have to make sure we stop everybody else, too. So it's a tall order and something that we obviously will spend a lot of time on this week. He's really good.
What makes him so good?
The first thing that jumps out at you about Taiwan is his speed. He has the ability to take any kind of mundane play, a swing pass, a check-down, a handoff, and he can make it a 70-yard touchdown. Instantaneously. He can run away from everybody. That's the first thing. But he's not just a fast guy. He's really getting better all the time at breaking tackles, spinning out of plays, making good moves. I see him maturing all the time as a football player. He's getting more and more complete, which makes him tougher to defend.
What jumped out at you from Eastern's win over Montana other than the red turf?
Nothing jumped out at me more than the red turf. That was difficult, it made it hard to find the players sometimes. I've watched that entire game. It was a really close, hard-fought, well-played in terms of effort (game). There were a lot of mistakes in the game, too, on both sides. I think that was a case of tremendous emotions on both sides in that game. Big plays happened, and the game of football usually comes down to that when you have two evenly-matched good teams. There's seven or eight or nine plays in every game that are just big, pivotal, huge plays in the game, and that usually dictate the outcome. Eastern Washington just got one or two extra ones of those and were able to pull it out.
How do you replicate what Taiwan Jones does this week?
That's one of the hardest things about it is that you can't simulate his speed. You can't put another guy out there and say, 'You be Taiwan Jones this week.' We just mostly have to watch it on tape, review the tape, see where he gets the ball, what kind of moves he makes, how he plays the game, where he's going to be, and try to adjust to that. But there's no way to simulate it in practice.
Who is going to be Taiwan in practice?
I don't know if that assignment has been made yet. I've got to talk to Coach Marshall about that, but there will be a 22 out there somewhere.
If you're going to win the Big Sky in 2010, is this a game you have to win?
I think every game is one you have to win. There isn't any doubt. If we win this one, we've got to win next week. If we lose this one, we've got to win next week. That's just the bottom line. There isn't any breather in the conference. Every win is a must-win game.
These guys have had your number the last seven years, can you put a finger on what that is?
These guys have only had my number for three years (laughs), that's all we've been here. Eastern Washington has got great talent. They're physically a very imposing, fast, athletic team, and the games we've played them they've been very well-coached. That's a good combination. They've got an excellent football program there. They've just been solid.
Is it tough to play Eastern Washington in your Big Sky opener?
No, I like it. I think it's great. We're ready to go. It's early in the season. I think we've got a great opportunity facing us. We've had three non-conference games. I don't have any problem playing them first because it's an opportunity. It's not a disadvantage, it's an opportunity for us to take a huge first step in the conference race. I like it. I think it's at the right time.
Does Eastern's win against Montana raise the stakes?
I think any time any team knocks off the top-rated team in the conference it's probably good for everybody else in the conference. So that much is good. But they're one of the top teams in the conference, so somebody needs to knock them off. So we need to win it, but we needed to win it before the game last weekend, also.
Do you feel your program is closing the talent gap with Eastern Washington?
There's no question about it, we've improved our talent every year we've been here, and we've done that in a couple of ways. Our guys have worked hard in the weight room, they've worked hard in the off-season program in the summertime throwing the ball, their skills. And we've recruited well, I think, to try to get speed and size and athleticism in our program. Yeah, we're getting better all the time.
Does having Jason Cunningham this week give you more confidence?
The first thing is, it's not Saturday yet, so let's wait and see. We didn't know we weren't going to have our kickers until the day before the game last year, so let's get through the week first. But obviously Jason Cunningham is a great weapon for us and Rory Perez is an outstanding punter, also. Those two guys are a very, very important part of this game.
What's the most effective way to bother a quarterback like Bo Levi Mitchell?
I think the toughest thing for a quarterback is mixing it up, trying to dabble in some pressure, change coverages, show one thing and end up in something different. Keep them guessing, off balance. That's kind of our strategy on defense, and I think it's going to be pretty consistent in every game we play.
Has his transition been seamless, or is he still learning a little bit?
He's doing a great job. They're putting a lot of points up, and their offense is rolling. He's obviously got great skills, and the good thing for them is he's obviously a first-year starter but he's got two years of experience under his belt so he's not a rookie, so that's benefit for them.
Do you sense the team is excited to get conference play started?
Yes. There is no question, this is a special game for us. We talk about wanting to win a championship, that's been our stated goal from the beginning of the season, now it's finally here. Those other games were important and exciting but they weren't conference games. Now we have a run of eight straight, seven in a row before we even get a bye. So yeah, we're ready to start. It's time to raise it up a level.
What is Aleksei Grosulak doing that allows him to keep improving?
Aleksei Grosulak is just playing very fundamental, sound football right now. He's in the right place. He knows his assignments. He knows all the positions, and I think knowing the big picture of the defense has really helped him. He's in the right place at the right time, and when he has the opportunity to make a play he's making a play. He's a very sure tackler, and I think that's one of his best assets. And he's very decisive. When he decides to go, he goes. When he's taking on a block he's very decisive and aggressive.
What has allowed him to come out of nowhere?
I think a lot of it is the physical development that happened over the redshirt year. When he came in he was a good, solid high school player, but he used his redshirt year wisely. He got stronger, he's gotten quicker. He used spring ball wisely, he learned the system, how the defense operates. He had a good summer, he's made great advancement physically in the 12 months he's been here, and he's stepped out there and won a job.
What will be his role in stopping Taiwan if you can do that?
I think everybody on the team has to tackle well this week, and we have to be in the right spot. We have to cup the football, like we always do, outside in, inside out. We have to get a lot of people to the ball carrier, and we have to tackle well.
Do you have to focus on their using the middle of the field on those dump-offs?
We have to know where Taiwan Jones is all the time. They hurt us with those plays last year, and we've seen them on film this year a couple times, so clearly that's a point of emphasis to try to come up with some ways to stop that. But the bottom line of football is you can't stop every play with every defensive call. There's certain calls that match up better against defenses than other calls do. If an offensive coordinator hits a call against a certain defense then that's probably going to work. And if the defensive coordinator hits a call against a certain offensive play that defensive call is probably going to work. You can't coordinate it so that those things never match up that way, it's going to happen sometime, we just have to rally when it does.
What else do you see from Eastern Washington?
They have a big, physical line. I'm very impressed with what they've done there. They obviously worked hard in the weight room, they look good. And they're a little more wide open this year, throwing the ball a little more, which means they have confidence in the quarterback.
What do you see from them on defense?
They're fast. Their two tackles, Jolley and Williams, are really good players, their inside guys, 300-pounders, they're very agile, they're very active players. And of course they have J.C. Sherritt who was a Buchanan finalist last year and a very strong candidate for that award this year, one of the best linebackers in the country, so they're very strong in the middle.
How has Casey Dennehy progressed?
Casey's been great. He's put on probably 50 pounds, he's gotten a lot stronger and adapted well to his position. We played him at center earlier in his career and moved him to guard this year, which has been a good move for him. He's pretty athletic. He still shows a little of that running back footwork when he pulls and tries to get to that second level. I think that's been a big asset and a big help for him.
What's your evaluation of Denarius McGhee?
I like what he's doing. He's leading the team, and the confidence the team has in him is very special. He has to protect the football better, he knows that, we've talked to him about that. Obviously the whole offense has to be better in the red zone, we need to be more productive, more efficient in the red zone. Offensive productivity always comes down to the quarterback, so we've got to work on executing down there and protecting the ball, but otherwise he's doing a great job.
Thursday, July 31
Monday, May 19
Wednesday, May 03
Wednesday, May 03
