We should get a 2-deep at some point. Will post that and the full transcript when those are available.
Only thing notable is that Aranda said safety Christian Morgan, who missed the opener against UAlbany with tweaked hamstring, should be available for BYU Saturday.
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Two-Deep for BYU - Click it to open it
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Opening Statement
I feel good going into this week, way proud of the team for their effort, focus and energy. So much of it is trying to get out of our own way and really reveal who we are and what we’re all about and all of it. I thought for so many guys’ first game, so many guys played, and so many guys had new roles, leadership roles. There’s always the anxiety or the view of like I need to make every play. I have these accolades, I need to do this, I need to do that. I didn’t see any of that. I saw young guys who stepped on the field for the first time and felt like they belonged there. So I credit the team, I credit the coaches for a lot of that. You talk about the task within the task. What we’re doing is to play green, and it gets harder from here. So what a great opportunity with this next game vs. BYU. Kalani (Sitake) and his team are playing at a high level. It’s an opportunity for us to show what we’re about.
(What impresses you about BYU) They’re a veteran group. I want to say there are eight guys back on either side of the ball. They’ve got a lot of experience on top of just that as well, so they’ve been playing for a while. There’s a great physicality about them. I think their size and their physicality really stand out. They play a real physical kind of old school kind of game, and it’s cool to see from the outside. It’s another thing to be lined up against it, and so we’re definitely going to be challenged at the line of scrimmage.
(BYU QB Jaren Hall) Great play-action pass thrower. I think he can move in the pocket and create things when things aren’t there. He’s going to be one of the better quarterbacks we’ll play all year. The film’s impressive in terms of the decisions he makes, and the throws he doesn’t take. He doesn’t put the team at risk. He was good last year, he’s better now.
(Do you have to rein in Blake Shapen when he’s scrambling) There’s times when we all want him to slide. Every Tuesday we have the drill of the day, and the position coach will start with that drill. Here’s the drill and here’s how it shows up in the game. It’s important to do that because it ties individual work to games. It’s not lost that it’s all scheme or this design or this adjustment or this check. It’s much more foundational. It’s much more created and run by players. The drill of the day, I think a week ago, we had quarterbacks sliding. So we probably need another one.
(Did specific guys emerge at running and back and receiver) It was good to see. I think that’s ongoing. Monaray’s (Baldwin) role is bigger now, so for him to take hold of that right away and run with it is cool to see. I think Hal (Presley) in the position he’s playing now is a big one coming from last year. For him to make his own mark early is cool to see. I thought Seth (Jones) did a lot of good things, blocking, a lot of little things that he’s really worked hard on in camp, and to see the transformation he’s had is cool. He’s emerging, and it’s good to see. To have Jaylen (Ellis) catch that ball at the end is pretty neat. He’s always fighting something, some kind of ankle injury or knee injury. To get him running like that is good for the future.
(Why is LaVell Edwards Stadium so hard to play at) They’re great at welcoming you at the beginning of the game, just a really friendly fan base. Once you get in the game, it’s packed, it’s loud, especially now that the games are later in the evening. It’s a whole thing as well being in your hotel looking at the clock. If there is a home advantage there, that’s a storm we have to run into, and we’ve been talking about and preparing for that, so we’ll see.
(How do you prepare them for the hospitality on the road) From the very beginning, from January all the way on. Just every obstacle that’s hard, everything that’s not easy, everything that’s not comfortable, saying yes to those things.
(Will Christian Morgan be ready to play Saturday) I hope so. I’ve not heard anything different than that, that’s our expectation.
(Went 5-1 versus ranked teams last year, is it realistic to think you can have a record like that this year) We don’t really look at the opponent that way. So, it’s all really just about what we’re doing. I have to imagine that probably sounds old hat to you guys. We talked today about narrowing the focus, upping the quality and increasing the speed. And I think those are the things that can travel and can play when it’s third down there and you can’t hear anything. And they’re aligned in a look that maybe we haven’t seen yet, and we have to execute, it’s got to be our best versus their best. So, to narrow the focus is to control the things that you can control. I anticipate that this week just the outside noise will probably get more, more people, with more opinions. And I think a lot of it, for a fan, is good. And I appreciate all that, but I think from the inside out, those could be looked at as distractions. So, to focus on what’s right ahead of us. Let’s have the best Tuesday practice, the best Wednesday practice, so on and so forth. And then, to up the quality, what are we going to call when we’ve got to have it? I have to imagine there’s going to be a lot of got-to-have it plays or situations in this game, being closely contested. So, let’s not have a lot of fluff, let’s have the real stuff. And then the speed. I think we had 12 guys over 20 miles an hour, we had 30 total over 20 mph in this last game. So, we’re playing really fast and we want to continue that. So, as we’re looking at the game plan, does this increase our speed or does this decrease our speed?
(How do you feel about Kyron Drone’s development) Really good. I thought Kyron did a lot of good things. I thought there was a poise about him, which I had always kind of figured it would be like that, but you never really know until you know. And there’s a smile and a confidence about him on the sidelines and there was good vocal leadership on the field with him. So, excited about what he can do. A couple of those throws, he’s slinging it. So, excited about the future for him.
(Your thoughts on playoff expansion) I think it’s good for the sport. Once that shows up, if you from a big perspective, you immediately go to, what happens to bowl games? Do bowl games lose their importance? I think you could probably make that argument now, that that’s already happening now. So, with this, do bowl games really become an afterthought? So, I have to imagine there are people that are working all that out in terms of solutions for that, but I think having that opportunity, no matter where you’re at, to have a shot to get in and compete, I think will be way cool for the sport. And I think it’s needed.
(Will the running game need to be established earlier) I think so. I think there’s both a full understanding and appreciation for the looks that we’re going to see. And then, I think it’s also getting some of the happy feet, maybe the insecurities out of the guys that are carrying the ball. I think those two things. I think a lot of it is, you go through the first one so that you can be better for the second one. And we’re hoping that that’s the case.
(How much do you lean on Grimes and Mateos in making this trip back to BYU) Yeah, there’s good feedback from them, just on the experience of playing at night and what that’s like. Obviously, they know the coaches there and there’s a good awareness of personalities. I have not worked with Kalana (BYU head coach Kalani Sitake), but I’m close to Kalani. (Linebackers coach) Kevin Clune is on that staff. I’m close to him. (Assistant HC, special teams coordinator) Ed Lamb, I worked for I think for two months when I left Delta State and Roberts and prior to going to Hawaii, I was there with Ed at Southern Utah. A lot of those guys, I know, too. We’re all a close group.
(In terms of most non-conference opponents, players might not know what to expect on the field, a lot of guys on this team have seen BYU before, how much of a benefit is that)
Yeah, it works both ways. I think looking at them, there is a flare of game planning on the defensive side of the ball in particular. And so, [as] you look at week to week, they change some [a little]. There are some consistencies but not as much as maybe your typical outfit. And so, I think that shows up, which will kind of detour the ‘We played them last year’ thing. And then I also think, though, that offensively with Grimy and Eric being there, and having some of the roots of it and then seeing how it's expanded in the throw game particularly, I think the changes from last year to this year, I think, are many and they're probably growing.
(Is it weird seeing Gerry in a USF uniform on tape?)
Well, I was pulling for him. I hope for him, for all the success and I know they had a tough one versus BYU and BYU does that to a lot of people. So, I was definitely interested in following it as it was going – right after, rather – and watching the tape, for sure.
(How important is it to have Monaray’s versatility)
Yeah, I think it's good. I'm thankful for his ability for that and also Dallas [Baker] and Shawn [Bell] and Grimy and all that because we're making what we do what he does. And so, I think there's a lot more option routes, there’s a lot more screens [and] fly sweeps for sure. Moving him around trying to find roles for him that he can do what he does really well. I think those guys have a great – juice is right in there too – they've got a great read and all that. And so, I think together it's a real cool thing to see. And then I think Jordan Nabors is kind of right in that role, as a guy that's kind of an apprentice that's coming along too so, we're kind of creating the spot as it goes.
(Did week one tell you something about your depth?)
No, I thought it was good for the team for as many guys that played as they did. It was really the first time since I've been here that we've been able to do that. And it's been difficult because we’ve wanted to do that for a while. When we have a new guy on a kickoff, there’s Chance going – I think we talked about this last time – BoChao [Jin]’s in there and the whole sideline was calling his name and think he got in on the last play on a tackle. And so, it's very cool. You don't have a bunch of those. So, you try to be able to take advantage when you can.
(Single digits, strategy leaving one out?) No. So those single digit numbers, guys that academically are it, right? Are achieving, guys that character wise are living everything out the right way. Whether it's in the bank, treating people the right way or it's out in class or your learning specialists or just anyone that you're interacting with. We talked about respect the other day and it’s like a reinspect. It’s like take the time to get to know who you're with, there's not an entitlement or taking things for granted. So, you want people that are taking the time to know their people. And then I think the other part with that would be football, that they're a contributor. And so, I think those single digits have a lot more to do with off the field than on. That’s something that’s earned right now.
(Gavin’s role) Yeah, so I think Gavin right now, he’s kind of coming on strong. I think starting off in spring, I think all of it was, again, new for him. And then kind of getting his legs back and then fall camp, started really strong. [Then] kind of got tweaked up a little bit. And now this is about his second week back. And he’s getting stronger and stronger. So, fully expect him to be in rotation and be a strong contributor. He is already a leader of that group.
(Is BYU’s running game a lot different with Tyler Allgeier gone?)
No, the Cal transfer they have [Christopher Brooks], [he’s] physical, is kind of a, it’s ‘Here we go again.’ He’s a physical runner, falls forward, he's got good speed. I think his vision was strong. I think he's a force. The offensive line and their cohesion and their ability to communicate with each other, they've been going at it for a while, a lot of those guys. I think there's one tackle that’s a transfer as well. But outside of that, that group’s been working with each other for a while and so it's very clear on film. But their running game is the first thing you have to stop and it's immediate when you watch the tape.
(Is Apu the honorary tour guide for this trip) I think you know, it's one of those things where Apu, Sunday morning he’s up early watching film of BYU. I think he will be ready to play this game. I think we're going to have to do a good job as coaches to not make it be bigger than what it needs to be. I think that's probably going to be the concern, is for him – like we talked about earlier – to narrow the focus and control what you can control. If we're talking motivation, the motivation is there for him.
Only thing notable is that Aranda said safety Christian Morgan, who missed the opener against UAlbany with tweaked hamstring, should be available for BYU Saturday.
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Two-Deep for BYU - Click it to open it
****
Opening Statement
I feel good going into this week, way proud of the team for their effort, focus and energy. So much of it is trying to get out of our own way and really reveal who we are and what we’re all about and all of it. I thought for so many guys’ first game, so many guys played, and so many guys had new roles, leadership roles. There’s always the anxiety or the view of like I need to make every play. I have these accolades, I need to do this, I need to do that. I didn’t see any of that. I saw young guys who stepped on the field for the first time and felt like they belonged there. So I credit the team, I credit the coaches for a lot of that. You talk about the task within the task. What we’re doing is to play green, and it gets harder from here. So what a great opportunity with this next game vs. BYU. Kalani (Sitake) and his team are playing at a high level. It’s an opportunity for us to show what we’re about.
(What impresses you about BYU) They’re a veteran group. I want to say there are eight guys back on either side of the ball. They’ve got a lot of experience on top of just that as well, so they’ve been playing for a while. There’s a great physicality about them. I think their size and their physicality really stand out. They play a real physical kind of old school kind of game, and it’s cool to see from the outside. It’s another thing to be lined up against it, and so we’re definitely going to be challenged at the line of scrimmage.
(BYU QB Jaren Hall) Great play-action pass thrower. I think he can move in the pocket and create things when things aren’t there. He’s going to be one of the better quarterbacks we’ll play all year. The film’s impressive in terms of the decisions he makes, and the throws he doesn’t take. He doesn’t put the team at risk. He was good last year, he’s better now.
(Do you have to rein in Blake Shapen when he’s scrambling) There’s times when we all want him to slide. Every Tuesday we have the drill of the day, and the position coach will start with that drill. Here’s the drill and here’s how it shows up in the game. It’s important to do that because it ties individual work to games. It’s not lost that it’s all scheme or this design or this adjustment or this check. It’s much more foundational. It’s much more created and run by players. The drill of the day, I think a week ago, we had quarterbacks sliding. So we probably need another one.
(Did specific guys emerge at running and back and receiver) It was good to see. I think that’s ongoing. Monaray’s (Baldwin) role is bigger now, so for him to take hold of that right away and run with it is cool to see. I think Hal (Presley) in the position he’s playing now is a big one coming from last year. For him to make his own mark early is cool to see. I thought Seth (Jones) did a lot of good things, blocking, a lot of little things that he’s really worked hard on in camp, and to see the transformation he’s had is cool. He’s emerging, and it’s good to see. To have Jaylen (Ellis) catch that ball at the end is pretty neat. He’s always fighting something, some kind of ankle injury or knee injury. To get him running like that is good for the future.
(Why is LaVell Edwards Stadium so hard to play at) They’re great at welcoming you at the beginning of the game, just a really friendly fan base. Once you get in the game, it’s packed, it’s loud, especially now that the games are later in the evening. It’s a whole thing as well being in your hotel looking at the clock. If there is a home advantage there, that’s a storm we have to run into, and we’ve been talking about and preparing for that, so we’ll see.
(How do you prepare them for the hospitality on the road) From the very beginning, from January all the way on. Just every obstacle that’s hard, everything that’s not easy, everything that’s not comfortable, saying yes to those things.
(Will Christian Morgan be ready to play Saturday) I hope so. I’ve not heard anything different than that, that’s our expectation.
(Went 5-1 versus ranked teams last year, is it realistic to think you can have a record like that this year) We don’t really look at the opponent that way. So, it’s all really just about what we’re doing. I have to imagine that probably sounds old hat to you guys. We talked today about narrowing the focus, upping the quality and increasing the speed. And I think those are the things that can travel and can play when it’s third down there and you can’t hear anything. And they’re aligned in a look that maybe we haven’t seen yet, and we have to execute, it’s got to be our best versus their best. So, to narrow the focus is to control the things that you can control. I anticipate that this week just the outside noise will probably get more, more people, with more opinions. And I think a lot of it, for a fan, is good. And I appreciate all that, but I think from the inside out, those could be looked at as distractions. So, to focus on what’s right ahead of us. Let’s have the best Tuesday practice, the best Wednesday practice, so on and so forth. And then, to up the quality, what are we going to call when we’ve got to have it? I have to imagine there’s going to be a lot of got-to-have it plays or situations in this game, being closely contested. So, let’s not have a lot of fluff, let’s have the real stuff. And then the speed. I think we had 12 guys over 20 miles an hour, we had 30 total over 20 mph in this last game. So, we’re playing really fast and we want to continue that. So, as we’re looking at the game plan, does this increase our speed or does this decrease our speed?
(How do you feel about Kyron Drone’s development) Really good. I thought Kyron did a lot of good things. I thought there was a poise about him, which I had always kind of figured it would be like that, but you never really know until you know. And there’s a smile and a confidence about him on the sidelines and there was good vocal leadership on the field with him. So, excited about what he can do. A couple of those throws, he’s slinging it. So, excited about the future for him.
(Your thoughts on playoff expansion) I think it’s good for the sport. Once that shows up, if you from a big perspective, you immediately go to, what happens to bowl games? Do bowl games lose their importance? I think you could probably make that argument now, that that’s already happening now. So, with this, do bowl games really become an afterthought? So, I have to imagine there are people that are working all that out in terms of solutions for that, but I think having that opportunity, no matter where you’re at, to have a shot to get in and compete, I think will be way cool for the sport. And I think it’s needed.
(Will the running game need to be established earlier) I think so. I think there’s both a full understanding and appreciation for the looks that we’re going to see. And then, I think it’s also getting some of the happy feet, maybe the insecurities out of the guys that are carrying the ball. I think those two things. I think a lot of it is, you go through the first one so that you can be better for the second one. And we’re hoping that that’s the case.
(How much do you lean on Grimes and Mateos in making this trip back to BYU) Yeah, there’s good feedback from them, just on the experience of playing at night and what that’s like. Obviously, they know the coaches there and there’s a good awareness of personalities. I have not worked with Kalana (BYU head coach Kalani Sitake), but I’m close to Kalani. (Linebackers coach) Kevin Clune is on that staff. I’m close to him. (Assistant HC, special teams coordinator) Ed Lamb, I worked for I think for two months when I left Delta State and Roberts and prior to going to Hawaii, I was there with Ed at Southern Utah. A lot of those guys, I know, too. We’re all a close group.
(In terms of most non-conference opponents, players might not know what to expect on the field, a lot of guys on this team have seen BYU before, how much of a benefit is that)
Yeah, it works both ways. I think looking at them, there is a flare of game planning on the defensive side of the ball in particular. And so, [as] you look at week to week, they change some [a little]. There are some consistencies but not as much as maybe your typical outfit. And so, I think that shows up, which will kind of detour the ‘We played them last year’ thing. And then I also think, though, that offensively with Grimy and Eric being there, and having some of the roots of it and then seeing how it's expanded in the throw game particularly, I think the changes from last year to this year, I think, are many and they're probably growing.
(Is it weird seeing Gerry in a USF uniform on tape?)
Well, I was pulling for him. I hope for him, for all the success and I know they had a tough one versus BYU and BYU does that to a lot of people. So, I was definitely interested in following it as it was going – right after, rather – and watching the tape, for sure.
(How important is it to have Monaray’s versatility)
Yeah, I think it's good. I'm thankful for his ability for that and also Dallas [Baker] and Shawn [Bell] and Grimy and all that because we're making what we do what he does. And so, I think there's a lot more option routes, there’s a lot more screens [and] fly sweeps for sure. Moving him around trying to find roles for him that he can do what he does really well. I think those guys have a great – juice is right in there too – they've got a great read and all that. And so, I think together it's a real cool thing to see. And then I think Jordan Nabors is kind of right in that role, as a guy that's kind of an apprentice that's coming along too so, we're kind of creating the spot as it goes.
(Did week one tell you something about your depth?)
No, I thought it was good for the team for as many guys that played as they did. It was really the first time since I've been here that we've been able to do that. And it's been difficult because we’ve wanted to do that for a while. When we have a new guy on a kickoff, there’s Chance going – I think we talked about this last time – BoChao [Jin]’s in there and the whole sideline was calling his name and think he got in on the last play on a tackle. And so, it's very cool. You don't have a bunch of those. So, you try to be able to take advantage when you can.
(Single digits, strategy leaving one out?) No. So those single digit numbers, guys that academically are it, right? Are achieving, guys that character wise are living everything out the right way. Whether it's in the bank, treating people the right way or it's out in class or your learning specialists or just anyone that you're interacting with. We talked about respect the other day and it’s like a reinspect. It’s like take the time to get to know who you're with, there's not an entitlement or taking things for granted. So, you want people that are taking the time to know their people. And then I think the other part with that would be football, that they're a contributor. And so, I think those single digits have a lot more to do with off the field than on. That’s something that’s earned right now.
(Gavin’s role) Yeah, so I think Gavin right now, he’s kind of coming on strong. I think starting off in spring, I think all of it was, again, new for him. And then kind of getting his legs back and then fall camp, started really strong. [Then] kind of got tweaked up a little bit. And now this is about his second week back. And he’s getting stronger and stronger. So, fully expect him to be in rotation and be a strong contributor. He is already a leader of that group.
(Is BYU’s running game a lot different with Tyler Allgeier gone?)
No, the Cal transfer they have [Christopher Brooks], [he’s] physical, is kind of a, it’s ‘Here we go again.’ He’s a physical runner, falls forward, he's got good speed. I think his vision was strong. I think he's a force. The offensive line and their cohesion and their ability to communicate with each other, they've been going at it for a while, a lot of those guys. I think there's one tackle that’s a transfer as well. But outside of that, that group’s been working with each other for a while and so it's very clear on film. But their running game is the first thing you have to stop and it's immediate when you watch the tape.
(Is Apu the honorary tour guide for this trip) I think you know, it's one of those things where Apu, Sunday morning he’s up early watching film of BYU. I think he will be ready to play this game. I think we're going to have to do a good job as coaches to not make it be bigger than what it needs to be. I think that's probably going to be the concern, is for him – like we talked about earlier – to narrow the focus and control what you can control. If we're talking motivation, the motivation is there for him.
