On the team’s mentality on Sunday …
“Sunday was good. There were so many things on that film that you see, it seem so cliché to say it’s a game of inches and it is such a game of inches. An inch too far and you don’t get a block. An inch too tight and you get blocked. An inch off the ground and Les Maruo picks it instead of a dig being caught. Throughout the film there was so much of that. So we’re close. We’re not there yet but we’re close in making some of those plays. It is what I thought it was on the field. We are a much-improved football team that played a quality opponent, that made strides in various areas that we’ll need to continue to improve.”
On Kansas State …
“This opponent is the best that we’ve seen. They are extremely well coached; the best offensive line unit. They have two or three guys that have been playing together and play with great chemistry and camaraderie. A defensive-line unit that edge rushers are tenacious in pass rushing. They get off the ball. They have interior guys that push the pocket and corners that are dynamic in their own right. They have two punt returns that were returned for touchdowns already in this short season. One was negated by penalty but the other one counted. Sean Snyder, who is their special teams coordinator, is one of the elite special teams coordinators. Every year, year in and year out, they are a top team. This team will pose a tremendous concern in our ability to stop a run game that is very formidable.”
On if he’s every coached a game at Kansas State …
“No, I’ve never been to Manhattan, Kansas. I’ve always watched Coach (Bill) Snyder from afar and admired the job that he’s done. When you can be that consistent for 25-plus years, it speaks volumes for the amount of respect that the program has for him and he has garnered over the years. Truly one of the elite coaches in college football.”
On if the team was surprised by the Baylor onside kick last week …
“We actually see it, our front foot is right at the 47-yard line, (and) it needs to get to the 45 yard line. The spacing was where we needed to be. Andrew Martel sees it, redirects and it dribbles perfectly at the right tempo and right when it hits the 10-yard mark the kicker swats at it and it kind of goes backwards. He initially has it and then it’s a squirm for it. Before we went out that was the last thing said. What you had is four minutes or so left in the half and a defense that was reeling and it looked like they could score. So we were saying to our offense that we needed to mount a drive and allow those guys to recover. That was a long drive that they had just scored off. It was optimal time for an onside kick. Make sure we see it off the tee. It kind of bounced in the right direction and was executed very well. We weren’t shocked. It wasn’t like we were deeper or caught off guard. When you look at the footage, we are watching it and it was well executed on their behalf.”
On the fight his team showed to rally from down 10 early …
“That is one of the highlights if there were any, just to see our team continue to fight. We used the word finish for our theme for this year, coupled by start fast and finish. So now we need to get that part going and stop digging these holes for ourselves. We are not a team that can spot somebody 10 or 15, which we’ve done the last two weeks. If we are able to start fast and take the lead, which we have not been in position to so far, I think it will help our team and our approach for the remainder of the game.”
On if he’s been satisfied with the play of the secondary …
“Yeah, I think so. Not in week one but in week two I think so. We’ve drawn a very interesting set of opponents. One that, again, I’ve said it before and I said it after, the tandem at Arizona State is the best in the best in the Pac-12 and arguably the country. For sure, I think N’Keal Harry will be a top draft pick. Then you look at Baylor – they have size and speed, with the addition of Jalen (Hurd) – a transfer from Tennessee, who I recruited in high school and is 6-foot-4, 220, who will be an NFL prospect. Both those teams will have two receivers picked in the first two rounds. That is just the luck of the draw. They are talented players, but our guys are up to the task. We go out and compete to the best of our ability. We’ve just had some very talented receiving corps in the first two weeks that we’ve had to go up against.”
On if the team will have to alter practice for Tuesday due to weather …
“I haven’t even looked at it be honest with you. I’ve been here since the crack of dawn watching Kansas State. Sometime here in the next few hours (Director of Football Operations) Amanda (Gilpin) will grab me and say that we need to make that plan. When I meet with her this afternoon, we’ll make those concessions if need be. We’ll have a plan in place.”
On if the offensive line improved over the first two weeks …
“Overall, a better performance. You go from nine sacks allowed to three, which is a good thing. There was the initial play call, the quarterback designed run, where the improper technique used didn’t come from the offensive lineman. We didn’t seal the edge defender the way we should have and it was a tackle for loss but not due to an offensive lineman’s responsibility. So you see that tackle for a loss and chalk it up to the offensive line when it wasn’t one of those guys that had the improper technique. In the run game we were much improved. There were holes there that you could run through. It wasn’t as messy as it was a week ago. Guys were on the right people. When you have 10, 15, 20-yard runs, and multiples, it speaks to the progress of that offensive line. “
On Jacob Graner’s start on the offensive line …
“He played well. It was interesting because on Friday’s run-through practice he was figuring it all out and he played like someone who was trying to analyze everything. So post-practice, I talked to Jacob about his temperament. It is interesting in his rebuttal; he said I’ve never been a starter in a Friday practice. So just even the transition on how to practice on a Friday, that is so technical and meticulous – your eyes, your hands, your feet – even though its not real bursts every time. So he was trying to figure that out and I was worried that he may have been a little nervous. But he had a solid performance.”
On Blaze Moorhead’s big game with four catches for 35 yards and a TD…
“It was good to see Blaze have that moment. A great throw and catch, and a significant one at that time in the game. He has worked diligently during his time here and it is good to see a player reap what they sow.”
On some guys making fill-in starts for injured first teamers in week one and two …
“They’ve been admirable. Some didn’t know they would be the guy until the week of, but that is the whole premise of trying to develop that quality depth. You’d like to be able to at least start out with the ones and then make it into the depth chart. At some cases we didn't even make it. Our team will be fine. We are youthful at some of those spots but we are also new as a staff. New offensive, defensive, special teams coordinator. Everybody working together. New defensive line and linebacker coach. We are a different team. We are not the same team with the same personnel we were last year, staff or players. “
On how the staff communicated in week two …
“Much better because you learn one another so there is anticipation that allows you to be much more proactive if you will – in the call, in the alignment. That only comes with working with someone. You and I can know each other and be good buddies, but until we work together in the line of fire, it’s different.”
On what a win at Kansas State would mean for the youthful program …
“It would be tremendous. We have a chance against a very quality opponent that I respect to the utmost. Our team is a quality football team that continues to make progress. How much of a jump we make from week one to week three, we’ll see on Saturday. Hopefully we can hit stride and find a way to find victory.”
