ZACH SMITH
(reaction to starting this week) Yeah, I’m real excited to go out there and face Duke. These last few weeks have been kind of rough, but looking forward to moving on this week and really executing the offense.
(having a full week to prepare, versus getting thrown out there the last two weeks) Yeah, for sure. Really get kind of an ease, I know that I’m going in there, what I have to do, what they’re going to do. I’m just looking forward to going out there and playing.
(challenging couple weeks with the losses) They’ve been rough. We had a really good camp. And we go out there and we don’t play our best football. It’s rough mentally knowing we can do it and we don’t go out there and do it. But, looking forward to moving on and really clicking on offense this next week.
(staying prepared to do this) Yeah, I’ve always kind of seen myself as . . . even when we were competing and stuff, I always kind of saw myself as the starter. Even when he announced Anu, I always thought of myself as a starter and a leader on this team. So, I prepared like I was going to start each week, because you never know when you’re going to go in.
(having that mentality) I think so. If not, you’re kind of cheating yourself, because you’re not going to prepare as hard if you don’t think that. You’ve just got to keep pushing yourself and preparing every week like you’re going to be the guy.
(how much does last year help you) I think it’s going to help translate a lot. I think I grew up a lot last year in those four games, so I’m looking forward to going out and executing.
(how much more prepared you are than your first start last year) Light years ahead. I’ve got some more experience coming in, and I’ve really been preparing hard these last few weeks, and I’m going to prepare hard this week. So, I’m looking forward to it.
(can you see on film that maybe you’re not actually that far off on offense) Like Coach Rhule said, before we’re going to win we’ve got to play winning football. So, we’ve got to execute all our assignments, no missed assignments. We’ve got to go out there and be mentally focused and we’ve got to execute. If we don’t do that, then the outcome’s not going to be what we want. So, we’re going to have to go out there and play our best football.
(hangover from Liberty game) I don’t think so. That happened, we played obviously not very good that game. UTSA, we just didn’t come out, we weren’t flying around, we weren’t executing and we were missing tons of assignments. So, those were the last two weeks, though, so we’re putting that behind us. We’re looking forward to going out and playing Duke. They’re a really good football team, so we’ve got to go out there and we’ve got to really execute.
(too much thinking going on) On defense, we had a couple guys come back, last week was our first game with them getting a lot of reps. So, I think they’re getting used to it. The more they do it, the quicker it’s going to be and the faster they’re going to fly around. We know what to do, we just have to go out and do it.
(watching from the sidelines the last two weeks help you going into this game) Obviously I’m on the sidelines, I’m ready to go in, stuff like that. But watching from the sidelines, seeing what we were doing last week, I know that we’ve got to have urgency, we’ve got to really pick up our pace. So, looking forward to going out there.
(how much the young guys have grown up) A lot. These freshmen running backs coming in, John and Dru, they’re really going to have to grow up. And the receivers . . . but I think they’ve done a great job so far. They’ve really picked up the offense and they’ve been translating well into this system. So, I’m looking forward to see what they’re going to do the rest of the season.
(the way it finished out last year) We’ve just got to execute, that’s all it is, really. It just comes down to executing. We know what to do. We practice it every day, a lot. So, it just comes down to knowing and doing your job and don’t beat yourself. That’s all you’ve got to do.
(Duke’s defense) They’re physical They’re big, they’re physical, they play hard every play. So, we’re going to have to go out there and we’re going to have to execute. We’ve got to be grown men out there. They’re a grown-men football team, so we’re going to have to go out there and play them with the best we’ve got.
(need something good to happen after losing eight of the last nine games) Obviously one day at a time, one week at a time. But, I think if we can go out there and get a win this week, I think it will really help with the team morale and stuff like that, really get us picked up. Looking forward to going out there and giving it our best shot.
(first road game, change of scenery needed) It will be a little bit different traveling. We get to wear our suits on the plane, so we’ll be looking good. But looking forward to traveling out there to Duke and playing them. It will be a change of scenery, but I think we’ll handle it well.
(us versus the world mentality on the road) We’re a really solid team, we know it’s a brotherhood, so we’ve got a lot of camaraderie and I think we’re all going to have each other’s backs. For us to win, we’re going to have to do that.
(on the receivers) We’ve got tons of talent. They used to say Wide Receiver U., but we still have the receivers. We’ve got talent, we’ve got to get them the ball and we’ve got to make plays.
(take a bigger step in leadership) I’ve always prepared and felt like I’m a leader on the team. But, I really have to step up and just got to go out there and play my game. Don’t try to do too much, get the ball to my playmakers, be decisive. So, I think just stepping up as a leader. I think I can do that. I think I’ve been doing that pretty well.
(ankle feel good) Yeah, for sure, a lot better than last year.
(feel quicker, with the ankle better and losing weight) Yeah, I feel a lot better.
(reaction to starting this week) Yeah, I’m real excited to go out there and face Duke. These last few weeks have been kind of rough, but looking forward to moving on this week and really executing the offense.
(having a full week to prepare, versus getting thrown out there the last two weeks) Yeah, for sure. Really get kind of an ease, I know that I’m going in there, what I have to do, what they’re going to do. I’m just looking forward to going out there and playing.
(challenging couple weeks with the losses) They’ve been rough. We had a really good camp. And we go out there and we don’t play our best football. It’s rough mentally knowing we can do it and we don’t go out there and do it. But, looking forward to moving on and really clicking on offense this next week.
(staying prepared to do this) Yeah, I’ve always kind of seen myself as . . . even when we were competing and stuff, I always kind of saw myself as the starter. Even when he announced Anu, I always thought of myself as a starter and a leader on this team. So, I prepared like I was going to start each week, because you never know when you’re going to go in.
(having that mentality) I think so. If not, you’re kind of cheating yourself, because you’re not going to prepare as hard if you don’t think that. You’ve just got to keep pushing yourself and preparing every week like you’re going to be the guy.
(how much does last year help you) I think it’s going to help translate a lot. I think I grew up a lot last year in those four games, so I’m looking forward to going out and executing.
(how much more prepared you are than your first start last year) Light years ahead. I’ve got some more experience coming in, and I’ve really been preparing hard these last few weeks, and I’m going to prepare hard this week. So, I’m looking forward to it.
(can you see on film that maybe you’re not actually that far off on offense) Like Coach Rhule said, before we’re going to win we’ve got to play winning football. So, we’ve got to execute all our assignments, no missed assignments. We’ve got to go out there and be mentally focused and we’ve got to execute. If we don’t do that, then the outcome’s not going to be what we want. So, we’re going to have to go out there and play our best football.
(hangover from Liberty game) I don’t think so. That happened, we played obviously not very good that game. UTSA, we just didn’t come out, we weren’t flying around, we weren’t executing and we were missing tons of assignments. So, those were the last two weeks, though, so we’re putting that behind us. We’re looking forward to going out and playing Duke. They’re a really good football team, so we’ve got to go out there and we’ve got to really execute.
(too much thinking going on) On defense, we had a couple guys come back, last week was our first game with them getting a lot of reps. So, I think they’re getting used to it. The more they do it, the quicker it’s going to be and the faster they’re going to fly around. We know what to do, we just have to go out and do it.
(watching from the sidelines the last two weeks help you going into this game) Obviously I’m on the sidelines, I’m ready to go in, stuff like that. But watching from the sidelines, seeing what we were doing last week, I know that we’ve got to have urgency, we’ve got to really pick up our pace. So, looking forward to going out there.
(how much the young guys have grown up) A lot. These freshmen running backs coming in, John and Dru, they’re really going to have to grow up. And the receivers . . . but I think they’ve done a great job so far. They’ve really picked up the offense and they’ve been translating well into this system. So, I’m looking forward to see what they’re going to do the rest of the season.
(the way it finished out last year) We’ve just got to execute, that’s all it is, really. It just comes down to executing. We know what to do. We practice it every day, a lot. So, it just comes down to knowing and doing your job and don’t beat yourself. That’s all you’ve got to do.
(Duke’s defense) They’re physical They’re big, they’re physical, they play hard every play. So, we’re going to have to go out there and we’re going to have to execute. We’ve got to be grown men out there. They’re a grown-men football team, so we’re going to have to go out there and play them with the best we’ve got.
(need something good to happen after losing eight of the last nine games) Obviously one day at a time, one week at a time. But, I think if we can go out there and get a win this week, I think it will really help with the team morale and stuff like that, really get us picked up. Looking forward to going out there and giving it our best shot.
(first road game, change of scenery needed) It will be a little bit different traveling. We get to wear our suits on the plane, so we’ll be looking good. But looking forward to traveling out there to Duke and playing them. It will be a change of scenery, but I think we’ll handle it well.
(us versus the world mentality on the road) We’re a really solid team, we know it’s a brotherhood, so we’ve got a lot of camaraderie and I think we’re all going to have each other’s backs. For us to win, we’re going to have to do that.
(on the receivers) We’ve got tons of talent. They used to say Wide Receiver U., but we still have the receivers. We’ve got talent, we’ve got to get them the ball and we’ve got to make plays.
(take a bigger step in leadership) I’ve always prepared and felt like I’m a leader on the team. But, I really have to step up and just got to go out there and play my game. Don’t try to do too much, get the ball to my playmakers, be decisive. So, I think just stepping up as a leader. I think I can do that. I think I’ve been doing that pretty well.
(ankle feel good) Yeah, for sure, a lot better than last year.
(feel quicker, with the ankle better and losing weight) Yeah, I feel a lot better.
