Bobcat coach Rob Ash
Photo by: Kelly Gorham
Bobcat Football Tuesday Press Conference, 10/10/2012
10/10/2012 1:04:00 PM | Football
Transcripts from MSU's weekly press conference
TUESDAY PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
October 9, 2012
BOBCAT HEAD COACH ROB ASH
How is Eastern Washington, better or worse or about the same as last year?
“Boy, they're always good. Eastern Washington has had great teams for years and years, they've been outstanding every year I've been in the conference, they were national champions in 2010. They were terribly, terribly banged up with injuries a year ago. I think they're healthier than they were. I think that's the biggest difference now, they're healthier than they were.”
What do you think you can do against them?
“We've got to get out there and keep the ball away from their offense a little bit but we have to put points on the board, so that's always the quandary you're in on that side. And on the other side, they're very balanced. They will come out and run the football at you, and then they have a very scary passing game. So it's very balanced, and we just have to be fundamentally sound in all areas.”
How challenging will this be for your secondary?
“It's a huge, huge challenge. (Brandon) Kaufman is a fabulous player, Vernon Adams is throwing the ball beautifully, right on target, but you can't just concentrate on one guy. They have other excellent receivers that catch the ball, running backs are running hard. The scariest part, to me, watching the North Dakota game was that they only threw the ball 15 times but they had four touchdown passes. They dominated that football game. So you can't say they're just a passing team, and you can't say they're a one-receiver team by any stretch of the imagination.”
How important will it be to get pressure on the quarterback to eliminate some of those big passing plays?
“You could say that every week. Pressure is a huge part of the game. We've got to get there, but we also have to be sound in coverage. We've got to watch for the play action and the double moves and the shots down the field that they take. So there's just a whole range of facets that we have to be good at.”
Do your wins the last two years over Eastern give you confidence?
“We played two really good games the last two years against Eastern and we're very happy about those wins, but that doesn't help us this year. I think it does give us a little confidence. If they had a six-game winning streak against us or if none of my teams had ever beaten them that might play into your (mental) framework a little bit, but I always tell my team, we get no points for anything we did last week or last year. We have to start 0-0.”
What did you learn about your team last week?
“We've got to hang onto the ball. We keep making mistakes. That's two weeks in a row. We've got to get that fixed. But I learned that this football team of ours never gives up on a game, never gives up on a series, or on a player. When a guy makes a mistake we roll that guy right back into the mix and let them play, and guys who make mistakes usually try to atone for them with better performances. And I think that happens at times. But we are a gutsy, determined team. We can still play better than what we've played, that's the good thing, and hopefully the best is yet to come.”
What did you do about the turnovers last week, and what will you do this week?
“(laughs) We talked about it, and we'll keep talking about it. It's something we'll get fixed. It's a technique issue in some respects, and that's just on us. We have a saying in our program that anything you see on the field is something either we taught or we allowed to happen. I can't say I talked about it so it's someone else's responsibility. It's my responsibility, and so I'll take full responsibility for what's happening on the field and and I've got to be a good enough teacher to find ways to get it eliminated. We either taught it or allowed it to happen, and we didn't teach (turnovers) for sure, so we're allowing it to happen and we have to find ways to fix it.”
Why does your team play a little more efficiently at home as opposed to on the road?
“I think most teams probably do. I think that's across the board. I think that's why the advantages or lines you usually see on games favor the home team. In all of athletics, I think, everybody prefers to play at home.”
Where does this game rank for games your team has played in your time here?
“It's pretty special right now, it's a huge opportunity for both teams to take a big step forward in the conference race and the national rankings. It's two really quality football programs and football teams. We have a ton of respect for Eastern. They've played two great games against FBS teams already this year, beat Idaho and played a great game against Washington State. We know how good they are. It's an awesome challenge, but it's the kind of game you want to play. As the head coach of a good football team you want to play the best teams that you can play. This is going to be a marquee game that we'll all remember.”
How do you prepare for a player like Brandon Kaufman?
“He's a phenomenal player. He's going to make some plays. It's the classic answer that probably every coach would give you in this situation: we're not going to stop him, we have to try to limit his impact on the game to a certain extent, realize he's going to make some plays and try to compensate in other areas. But I can't tell you that we're going to shut him down, nobody seems to be able to do that.”
Can players like Darius Jones and Joel Fuller who have competed against him throughout their careers tap into that experience?
“That's not really the way we approach it. It's not going to be one guy against him, it's going to be our defense against their offense. We'll match it up across the board. You never know, Brad Daly could have a big hand in stopping Brandon Kaufman, it might not be that man that's matched up outside. We won't put a certain guy on him, we'll line up like we do every week and wherever his spot on the formation matches up that's the guy that's going to cover him on that play. That's not disrespectful in any way, we just have to do what we do.”
Does the experience of having faced their offense last year help?
“It's kind of nice to get back to a team that we're familiar with, and they're probably feeling the same way. They know what we do, in general. There will be some wrinkles that each coordinator comes up with that will be fascinating to watch as the game unfolds, then it will just be who plays the best football as the game goes on, who hangs onto it the best, who makes the best plays in special teams, and all those other factors that are always key in big games.”
How important is it that this game is at Bobcat Stadium?
“I love having it at Bobcat Stadium, I won't deny that at all. Our crowd, with the new end zone now, the noise level is up, the environment is fantastic, it's a great place to play, we sleep in our own beds. There are a lot of reasons. We're not afraid to play anybody on the road, anywhere, anytime. That's not a problem. But we do like playing at home.”
Did your secondary gain confidence from playing Stephen F. Austin earlier in the year?
“I don't think there's any value in comparing teams we've played to who we're playing now. I think our schedule has been tough, we've played some good players, we've gotten some good experience throughout the course of the season, and now we're playing a very, very good football team. Hopefully we're ready to go.”
What is it about Eastern that brings out the best in your team?
“The road to the conference championship goes through Eastern, just like it goes through Bozeman and Missoula. They're one of the premiere teams in the Big Sky Conference. We knew we had to beat them in 2010 to have a chance to get in the race, and we did that. From that day on this rivalry has sort of been established. They came back, of course, with a tremendous finish to that season, winning the national championship. Last year they were so beat up with injuries it made it difficult for them to repeat. But (Eastern is) just a fabulous program, they've been one of the key programs in the conference, and if you have aspirations to be at the top of this conference you've got to play well against Eastern Washington.”
Can you talk about your two seniors in the defensive backfield, Joel Fuller and Darius Jones?
“They're both fine players. The thing is … that they've been out there for many, many, many plays now over the course of their careers. Both of them played as true freshmen, neither one of them redshirted. Now they're seniors, they've been out there, they've done it, they're very heads-up guys. They're also the kinds of competitors that play their very best during the best games against the toughest teams. I'm happy we've got them out there, and it is something we'll have to rely on, their experience.”
Can you talk about Eastern defensively?
“They're very athletic on defense, their front four's very good. They're probably the best front four we've played so far this year. Their linebackers are rangy and fast, their DBs are excellent, they've got an all-conference corner. They've got talent at every position, so we just have to work our schemes, do what we do. We've got to get a hat on a hat, try to make some plays if we can, be patient, and try to move the ball a little bit against a very good unit.”
Any word on whether Cody or Jody will play, and other injuries?
“Cody (Kirk) and Jody (Owens) are officially 50-50 right now, that was the report I got this morning from the trainers. (Matthew) Devereux is going to try to practice, he's likely to play. Tiai Salanoa is out indefinitely now with a lower leg injury … he got leg-whipped on the sideline and got injured in the lower leg, he'll be out for a few weeks.”
SENIOR DEFENSIVE TACKLE ZACH MINTER
Is there any such thing as the Minter Effect for you this past weekend?
“I don't think there's a Minter Effect, I think it's just being in the right place at the right time. I think our coaches put us in position to make plays, and when we've got the opportunity to make them I think we do a good job.”
Have you looked to see if you're related (to LSU's Kevin Minter)?
“No, I've kind of wondered if we're related, but as far as seeing if we actually have relatives… I don't know.”
How are you guys approaching this game and how big is it for you?
“It's always fun playing Eastern, and the games that we've played that have been close have always been fun. That's what you play for. But as far as this week and preparation for playing Eastern, we're going to do what we do. We're going to focus on what we can control, we're going to focus on what we can do to get better each and every day. We're going to focus on what we can do to beat Eastern this week.”
Which is what?
“Be a good defense, be a good offense, be a good football team, play for each other. It comes down to executing and doing the little things right, and taking care of the ball, and doing all the little things it takes to come together to get a win.”
Why do you guys seem to rise to the occasion against Eastern?
“We know we can play with any team out there, and when it comes to playing and when it comes to playing for each other we focus on playing for the guys next to us. When it's a dog fight and it's crazy out there we just hone in and we have faith in each other and we believe that everyone's going to do their job to get the win.”
When you play a team that throws the ball so often how much falls you the defensive line to relieve pressure on the back end?
“We like when a team throws the ball because then we can get after the quarterback. It's not so much quick stuff, either, or run-run-run, it's time to get after the quarterback. When we've got a team coming to town that can throw the ball we focus on getting after the quarterback using good technique and making sure we do our job so the guys on the back end can do their job as well.”
Zach, how much have you improved since you came here?
“I think I've improved quite a bit. I was young-minded playing the game, I started playing the game as a junior in high school, so to come in and be with the coaching staff and be with my position coach, Coach Beck, I think that I learned a lot, I've matured, but also I've grown a lot as a person. I'm just thankful that I came here, I believe it's the best thing that's happened to me so far, I'm just glad to be a Bobcat.”
How much have you grown physically?
“I'd say quite a bit. (laughter) I've put on a couple pounds. I'll never forget the film session my true freshman year, Coach looked right in my eye and said, 'If you don't gain weight you are not going to play,' and after that it was schwag, schwag, Miller Dining Hall for days. (laughter”
How difficult has it been for you to get to this point?
“It's not hard, all you got to do is eat, really. (laughter) But as far as working out and the strength program here at Montana State, with Coach Willcox we've seen tremendous gains with what he's brought to the program. I'm kind of jealous that the younger guys get to keep him for as long as they do. But as far as getting to where I'm at today it comes from the guys next to me. We all worked together, we came in as freshmen, we had a good freshman class. So I think we got better together.”
When you're facing one of the best receivers in the country, is there anything that goes through your mind as a defensive lineman about containing this guy?
“As far as receivers, they've got a good receiving corps. They can catch the ball. We're going up against a pretty shifty quarterback, also. We just try to do our job week in and week out. We try to get better, we try to improve, we try to get more sacks, we try to get more TFLs, we try to continue to improve and play good football. And I think when you have certain areas where it does fall onto you to get pressure I think our defensive line does a good job, as (well) as our front seven and our (whole) defense.”
How did you think Alex Singleton played last weekend?
“I'm a big fan of Alex Singleton, I think he's a great player. He's a good kid, too. It's unfortunate 'cause he plays behind an All-American, he plays behind Jody (Owens), who's also a great player. But as far as Alex Singleton goes, he's a football player. That's pretty much what it is. He knows where to be at the right time, he knows his reads, he's a fast kid, he's a pretty big kid so he's pretty physical. I think he's going to do well here. I think he's going to have a great career at Montana State.”
How glad are you that this game is at Bobcat Stadium?
“I'm glad. I can't show our fans enough appreciation. Really. I (wish) I could give them each an individual high-five or something. When it's loud and it's third down and they're backed up in our end zone, you can see what the effect is. You can see offsides, you can see penalties because they can't communicate, they can't get calls off. I'm glad that it's here. I haven't played in front of our crowd for a while now, so I'm excited to get back out there. I know that our team thrives off our fans because it is one of the biggest fan bases in the FCS. When you come to Bobcat Stadium it's loud and it's tough.”
October 9, 2012
BOBCAT HEAD COACH ROB ASH
How is Eastern Washington, better or worse or about the same as last year?
“Boy, they're always good. Eastern Washington has had great teams for years and years, they've been outstanding every year I've been in the conference, they were national champions in 2010. They were terribly, terribly banged up with injuries a year ago. I think they're healthier than they were. I think that's the biggest difference now, they're healthier than they were.”
What do you think you can do against them?
“We've got to get out there and keep the ball away from their offense a little bit but we have to put points on the board, so that's always the quandary you're in on that side. And on the other side, they're very balanced. They will come out and run the football at you, and then they have a very scary passing game. So it's very balanced, and we just have to be fundamentally sound in all areas.”
How challenging will this be for your secondary?
“It's a huge, huge challenge. (Brandon) Kaufman is a fabulous player, Vernon Adams is throwing the ball beautifully, right on target, but you can't just concentrate on one guy. They have other excellent receivers that catch the ball, running backs are running hard. The scariest part, to me, watching the North Dakota game was that they only threw the ball 15 times but they had four touchdown passes. They dominated that football game. So you can't say they're just a passing team, and you can't say they're a one-receiver team by any stretch of the imagination.”
How important will it be to get pressure on the quarterback to eliminate some of those big passing plays?
“You could say that every week. Pressure is a huge part of the game. We've got to get there, but we also have to be sound in coverage. We've got to watch for the play action and the double moves and the shots down the field that they take. So there's just a whole range of facets that we have to be good at.”
Do your wins the last two years over Eastern give you confidence?
“We played two really good games the last two years against Eastern and we're very happy about those wins, but that doesn't help us this year. I think it does give us a little confidence. If they had a six-game winning streak against us or if none of my teams had ever beaten them that might play into your (mental) framework a little bit, but I always tell my team, we get no points for anything we did last week or last year. We have to start 0-0.”
What did you learn about your team last week?
“We've got to hang onto the ball. We keep making mistakes. That's two weeks in a row. We've got to get that fixed. But I learned that this football team of ours never gives up on a game, never gives up on a series, or on a player. When a guy makes a mistake we roll that guy right back into the mix and let them play, and guys who make mistakes usually try to atone for them with better performances. And I think that happens at times. But we are a gutsy, determined team. We can still play better than what we've played, that's the good thing, and hopefully the best is yet to come.”
What did you do about the turnovers last week, and what will you do this week?
“(laughs) We talked about it, and we'll keep talking about it. It's something we'll get fixed. It's a technique issue in some respects, and that's just on us. We have a saying in our program that anything you see on the field is something either we taught or we allowed to happen. I can't say I talked about it so it's someone else's responsibility. It's my responsibility, and so I'll take full responsibility for what's happening on the field and and I've got to be a good enough teacher to find ways to get it eliminated. We either taught it or allowed it to happen, and we didn't teach (turnovers) for sure, so we're allowing it to happen and we have to find ways to fix it.”
Why does your team play a little more efficiently at home as opposed to on the road?
“I think most teams probably do. I think that's across the board. I think that's why the advantages or lines you usually see on games favor the home team. In all of athletics, I think, everybody prefers to play at home.”
Where does this game rank for games your team has played in your time here?
“It's pretty special right now, it's a huge opportunity for both teams to take a big step forward in the conference race and the national rankings. It's two really quality football programs and football teams. We have a ton of respect for Eastern. They've played two great games against FBS teams already this year, beat Idaho and played a great game against Washington State. We know how good they are. It's an awesome challenge, but it's the kind of game you want to play. As the head coach of a good football team you want to play the best teams that you can play. This is going to be a marquee game that we'll all remember.”
How do you prepare for a player like Brandon Kaufman?
“He's a phenomenal player. He's going to make some plays. It's the classic answer that probably every coach would give you in this situation: we're not going to stop him, we have to try to limit his impact on the game to a certain extent, realize he's going to make some plays and try to compensate in other areas. But I can't tell you that we're going to shut him down, nobody seems to be able to do that.”
Can players like Darius Jones and Joel Fuller who have competed against him throughout their careers tap into that experience?
“That's not really the way we approach it. It's not going to be one guy against him, it's going to be our defense against their offense. We'll match it up across the board. You never know, Brad Daly could have a big hand in stopping Brandon Kaufman, it might not be that man that's matched up outside. We won't put a certain guy on him, we'll line up like we do every week and wherever his spot on the formation matches up that's the guy that's going to cover him on that play. That's not disrespectful in any way, we just have to do what we do.”
Does the experience of having faced their offense last year help?
“It's kind of nice to get back to a team that we're familiar with, and they're probably feeling the same way. They know what we do, in general. There will be some wrinkles that each coordinator comes up with that will be fascinating to watch as the game unfolds, then it will just be who plays the best football as the game goes on, who hangs onto it the best, who makes the best plays in special teams, and all those other factors that are always key in big games.”
How important is it that this game is at Bobcat Stadium?
“I love having it at Bobcat Stadium, I won't deny that at all. Our crowd, with the new end zone now, the noise level is up, the environment is fantastic, it's a great place to play, we sleep in our own beds. There are a lot of reasons. We're not afraid to play anybody on the road, anywhere, anytime. That's not a problem. But we do like playing at home.”
Did your secondary gain confidence from playing Stephen F. Austin earlier in the year?
“I don't think there's any value in comparing teams we've played to who we're playing now. I think our schedule has been tough, we've played some good players, we've gotten some good experience throughout the course of the season, and now we're playing a very, very good football team. Hopefully we're ready to go.”
What is it about Eastern that brings out the best in your team?
“The road to the conference championship goes through Eastern, just like it goes through Bozeman and Missoula. They're one of the premiere teams in the Big Sky Conference. We knew we had to beat them in 2010 to have a chance to get in the race, and we did that. From that day on this rivalry has sort of been established. They came back, of course, with a tremendous finish to that season, winning the national championship. Last year they were so beat up with injuries it made it difficult for them to repeat. But (Eastern is) just a fabulous program, they've been one of the key programs in the conference, and if you have aspirations to be at the top of this conference you've got to play well against Eastern Washington.”
Can you talk about your two seniors in the defensive backfield, Joel Fuller and Darius Jones?
“They're both fine players. The thing is … that they've been out there for many, many, many plays now over the course of their careers. Both of them played as true freshmen, neither one of them redshirted. Now they're seniors, they've been out there, they've done it, they're very heads-up guys. They're also the kinds of competitors that play their very best during the best games against the toughest teams. I'm happy we've got them out there, and it is something we'll have to rely on, their experience.”
Can you talk about Eastern defensively?
“They're very athletic on defense, their front four's very good. They're probably the best front four we've played so far this year. Their linebackers are rangy and fast, their DBs are excellent, they've got an all-conference corner. They've got talent at every position, so we just have to work our schemes, do what we do. We've got to get a hat on a hat, try to make some plays if we can, be patient, and try to move the ball a little bit against a very good unit.”
Any word on whether Cody or Jody will play, and other injuries?
“Cody (Kirk) and Jody (Owens) are officially 50-50 right now, that was the report I got this morning from the trainers. (Matthew) Devereux is going to try to practice, he's likely to play. Tiai Salanoa is out indefinitely now with a lower leg injury … he got leg-whipped on the sideline and got injured in the lower leg, he'll be out for a few weeks.”
SENIOR DEFENSIVE TACKLE ZACH MINTER
Is there any such thing as the Minter Effect for you this past weekend?
“I don't think there's a Minter Effect, I think it's just being in the right place at the right time. I think our coaches put us in position to make plays, and when we've got the opportunity to make them I think we do a good job.”
Have you looked to see if you're related (to LSU's Kevin Minter)?
“No, I've kind of wondered if we're related, but as far as seeing if we actually have relatives… I don't know.”
How are you guys approaching this game and how big is it for you?
“It's always fun playing Eastern, and the games that we've played that have been close have always been fun. That's what you play for. But as far as this week and preparation for playing Eastern, we're going to do what we do. We're going to focus on what we can control, we're going to focus on what we can do to get better each and every day. We're going to focus on what we can do to beat Eastern this week.”
Which is what?
“Be a good defense, be a good offense, be a good football team, play for each other. It comes down to executing and doing the little things right, and taking care of the ball, and doing all the little things it takes to come together to get a win.”
Why do you guys seem to rise to the occasion against Eastern?
“We know we can play with any team out there, and when it comes to playing and when it comes to playing for each other we focus on playing for the guys next to us. When it's a dog fight and it's crazy out there we just hone in and we have faith in each other and we believe that everyone's going to do their job to get the win.”
When you play a team that throws the ball so often how much falls you the defensive line to relieve pressure on the back end?
“We like when a team throws the ball because then we can get after the quarterback. It's not so much quick stuff, either, or run-run-run, it's time to get after the quarterback. When we've got a team coming to town that can throw the ball we focus on getting after the quarterback using good technique and making sure we do our job so the guys on the back end can do their job as well.”
Zach, how much have you improved since you came here?
“I think I've improved quite a bit. I was young-minded playing the game, I started playing the game as a junior in high school, so to come in and be with the coaching staff and be with my position coach, Coach Beck, I think that I learned a lot, I've matured, but also I've grown a lot as a person. I'm just thankful that I came here, I believe it's the best thing that's happened to me so far, I'm just glad to be a Bobcat.”
How much have you grown physically?
“I'd say quite a bit. (laughter) I've put on a couple pounds. I'll never forget the film session my true freshman year, Coach looked right in my eye and said, 'If you don't gain weight you are not going to play,' and after that it was schwag, schwag, Miller Dining Hall for days. (laughter”
How difficult has it been for you to get to this point?
“It's not hard, all you got to do is eat, really. (laughter) But as far as working out and the strength program here at Montana State, with Coach Willcox we've seen tremendous gains with what he's brought to the program. I'm kind of jealous that the younger guys get to keep him for as long as they do. But as far as getting to where I'm at today it comes from the guys next to me. We all worked together, we came in as freshmen, we had a good freshman class. So I think we got better together.”
When you're facing one of the best receivers in the country, is there anything that goes through your mind as a defensive lineman about containing this guy?
“As far as receivers, they've got a good receiving corps. They can catch the ball. We're going up against a pretty shifty quarterback, also. We just try to do our job week in and week out. We try to get better, we try to improve, we try to get more sacks, we try to get more TFLs, we try to continue to improve and play good football. And I think when you have certain areas where it does fall onto you to get pressure I think our defensive line does a good job, as (well) as our front seven and our (whole) defense.”
How did you think Alex Singleton played last weekend?
“I'm a big fan of Alex Singleton, I think he's a great player. He's a good kid, too. It's unfortunate 'cause he plays behind an All-American, he plays behind Jody (Owens), who's also a great player. But as far as Alex Singleton goes, he's a football player. That's pretty much what it is. He knows where to be at the right time, he knows his reads, he's a fast kid, he's a pretty big kid so he's pretty physical. I think he's going to do well here. I think he's going to have a great career at Montana State.”
How glad are you that this game is at Bobcat Stadium?
“I'm glad. I can't show our fans enough appreciation. Really. I (wish) I could give them each an individual high-five or something. When it's loud and it's third down and they're backed up in our end zone, you can see what the effect is. You can see offsides, you can see penalties because they can't communicate, they can't get calls off. I'm glad that it's here. I haven't played in front of our crowd for a while now, so I'm excited to get back out there. I know that our team thrives off our fans because it is one of the biggest fan bases in the FCS. When you come to Bobcat Stadium it's loud and it's tough.”
Leon Costello Press Conference: Kennedy-Stark Athletic Center
Thursday, July 31
A Conversation with President Dr. Waded Cruzado | Montana State Athletics
Monday, May 19
Big Cats, Little Trucks - Willie Patterson
Wednesday, May 03
Matt Houk Introductory Press Conference
Wednesday, May 03
