Not sure when the rest is coming. But here’s the first part.
Dave Aranda
I think to get a win when you don’t play your best, to get a win when you’re almost fighting against yourself, and I think there were multiple times in that game just on the sidelines where we’re remembering West Virginia. It felt a lot like that game. To pull it out somehow and to grit it out, all of it is a credit to the players for sure. I’m thankful for their effort and appreciative of their grit. When you get a win and you’re not at your best, and there’s a lot to improve on, it shows good for your team. So we’re looking forward to being home. I think the two weeks on the road is a whole thing, and so to be home and play in front of a big crowd and play a really good K-State team that I have so much respect for, I’m looking forward to that.
(Sqwirl’s game) It’s really cool. Sqwirl ran hard, I mean the dude’s like 160 pounds, and is pulling guys with him, right? And O’linemen see that, and they’re tired and they want to go back to maybe where the ball’s going to be placed eventually. They see him running into dudes that are twice his size, and that now inspires them to push a pile. So all of that is way cool. I think prior to that last one, we’re talking about hey this is no mas, and we just get a first down and that can close it out. We’ve been in that before where everyone says that in a time out, and it’s not executed, and so for him to have the awareness and to do it just speaks so highly of him. I’m thankful for it.
(Reese) We’re kind of battling a flu bug that’s gone throughout the team, so he’s battling that right now.
(Last TD drive) Going into the game, the previous defense earlier in the year, odd fronts, four-down fronts, edge pressure, inside pressure, twists, everything. These last two games, kind of four-down fronts, some corner pressure, some linebacker plugs, interior stuff, and really that’s kind of it. So not knowing what we’re going to get, and then getting into the game, they brought some corner pressure, they brought some mike plugs, and they brought the jack and the will from the boundary. So having to make the adjustments for that and the identification for all of it, that’s one thing. But the other thing is the O-line knowing we’ve got to do this to win this game. That’s way impressive to see, and you can build off that for sure.
(Fourth and short any hesitation) No.
(Closing out games) I think you just kind of keep coaching. But then the relationship has to be good enough that when you want something and you’re not doing it and it’s all wrong, and then there’s a scoreboard and the losses pile up and the criticism comes, to stay together so you can still coach and get what you were trying to get the whole time in the first place. I think losing complicates things so much. So I thought everyone did a good job with that and staying aligned and not losing themselves amidst the losing. So that’s allowed us to get back to really who we are. I think there’s a bunch of learning and growing for coaches, and then there’s a bunch of immaturity that’s got to be shed from players.
Dave Aranda
I think to get a win when you don’t play your best, to get a win when you’re almost fighting against yourself, and I think there were multiple times in that game just on the sidelines where we’re remembering West Virginia. It felt a lot like that game. To pull it out somehow and to grit it out, all of it is a credit to the players for sure. I’m thankful for their effort and appreciative of their grit. When you get a win and you’re not at your best, and there’s a lot to improve on, it shows good for your team. So we’re looking forward to being home. I think the two weeks on the road is a whole thing, and so to be home and play in front of a big crowd and play a really good K-State team that I have so much respect for, I’m looking forward to that.
(Sqwirl’s game) It’s really cool. Sqwirl ran hard, I mean the dude’s like 160 pounds, and is pulling guys with him, right? And O’linemen see that, and they’re tired and they want to go back to maybe where the ball’s going to be placed eventually. They see him running into dudes that are twice his size, and that now inspires them to push a pile. So all of that is way cool. I think prior to that last one, we’re talking about hey this is no mas, and we just get a first down and that can close it out. We’ve been in that before where everyone says that in a time out, and it’s not executed, and so for him to have the awareness and to do it just speaks so highly of him. I’m thankful for it.
(Reese) We’re kind of battling a flu bug that’s gone throughout the team, so he’s battling that right now.
(Last TD drive) Going into the game, the previous defense earlier in the year, odd fronts, four-down fronts, edge pressure, inside pressure, twists, everything. These last two games, kind of four-down fronts, some corner pressure, some linebacker plugs, interior stuff, and really that’s kind of it. So not knowing what we’re going to get, and then getting into the game, they brought some corner pressure, they brought some mike plugs, and they brought the jack and the will from the boundary. So having to make the adjustments for that and the identification for all of it, that’s one thing. But the other thing is the O-line knowing we’ve got to do this to win this game. That’s way impressive to see, and you can build off that for sure.
(Fourth and short any hesitation) No.
(Closing out games) I think you just kind of keep coaching. But then the relationship has to be good enough that when you want something and you’re not doing it and it’s all wrong, and then there’s a scoreboard and the losses pile up and the criticism comes, to stay together so you can still coach and get what you were trying to get the whole time in the first place. I think losing complicates things so much. So I thought everyone did a good job with that and staying aligned and not losing themselves amidst the losing. So that’s allowed us to get back to really who we are. I think there’s a bunch of learning and growing for coaches, and then there’s a bunch of immaturity that’s got to be shed from players.
