Sept. 28, 2004
San Diego State Football
Tom Craft Weekly Press Conference
Aztec Athletics Center
Sept. 28, 2004
Head Coach Tom Craft
General Comments:
"We've got some injuries right now. (Linebacker) Freddie Keiaho is probable - he turned his ankle in the Nevada game. The encouraging thing is that we got (defensive lineman) Nick Osborn and (defensive end) Antwan Applewhite a lot of snaps against Nevada. That was a real encouraging sign for two freshmen. We really think Nick will make a big impact and help us up front on the defensive line. Overall, we have some things to improve on but I am looking forward to the next couple of weeks. We want to play a good game against UCLA and just stay healthy as we head into our conference schedule."
On the offensive line injuries/changes:
"We are in a delicate situation with our offensive line and we have a number of injuries we're concerned about. Mike Kracalik is our top (offensive) lineman this season and to have him go down with a ligament injury is difficult to deal with. He is definitely out for the UCLA game, but we are crossing our fingers that he will be ready to go against Wyoming. Will Robinson, who has now played four positions for us as a redshirt freshman, will go to left tackle. Pat Justman will move from right guard to left guard and Mike Kravetz will move to right guard. We hope that Chris Pino can continue to go a whole game for us at right tackle. He (Pino) has really worked hard to get in shape and he went 80 plays last week against Nevada. We now have five new guys who weren't starters at the beginning of the year."
On the freshmen tight ends:
"We played the two freshmen tight ends, Eric Miclot and Lance Louis, about 40 snaps each. We were very pleased to get the effort out of them and it is a trend that I would like to see continue. It made Jeremy Justice more effective in the ball game. He had a little more rest and more bounce in his play. I like what is going on at tight end."
On the wide receiver situation:
"Ramal Porter and Marcus Edwards played very well against Nevada. Devin Pitts is feeling better after his hip pointer and will have the opportunity to play this weekend. He (Pitts) and Jeff Webb, who hasn't practiced this week because of a lower back strain, will be working at the split end position."
On UCLA:
"UCLA is a much improved football team, specifically the offense. They have gotten better up front and their effective passing game has helped the running game. (Maurice) Drew is off to a great start and I think that is because of the improved passing game. They're probably the most improved team in the Pac-10. Defensively, they don't have the experience we do, but they are still very talented. They like to pressure the ball. Two years ago, we got clobbered. I think we have closed the gap and have done what we needed to do recruiting wise to compete with them. We're not at full strength, but we're excited and anxious to play. "
On SDSU's offense:
"We have seven starters out, yet we're 26th in the country in offense and we've got a very bright future. We have a lot of these guys coming back next year and things are only going to get better. It's hard not having the continuity, but our new guys are improving and working hard."
On UCLA's Maurice Drew:
"He's got a good low center of gravity and is a strong runner. He makes some good cuts and can break tackles. Those two factors, along with an improved offensive line, are the result of his improved play. He's tough to tackle and we need to get a lot of guys on him to bring him down. We need to stop the run and be able to contain the passing game. Our good defense matches well with their good offense. It should be fun to watch."