Nov. 8, 2005
SAN DIEGO - SDSU Football
Weekly Press Conference Quotes
Nov. 8, 2005
Head Coach Tom Craft
On the team's goals for the rest of the season:
"We have a chance in these last two conference games to be 4-4 and be tied for fourth place, which would give us our third upper-division finish here in four years. We were picked eighth (in the preseason), but we could finish way beyond that. If we could win the last three games and get to six, we could be bowl-eligible, but because it's based an 11-game season, we wouldn't qualify this year. It would be our second six-win season in the last three years, so we have a lot to be playing for right now. It would obviously serve as a springboard for our football team into next year. We've had two great wins against Utah and BYU and that's happened (in the same season) for the first time in 19 years. There are some things that we're proud of and we still have a lot to playing for in these last three games. Getting a win up at Colorado State would be big for us."
On Colorado State:
"(Quarterback) Justin Holland is a terrific passer. He's one of the better passers in the league along with John Beck from BYU. (David) Anderson is a great threat at receiver. Every team seems to have one and he's one of the best. I think he's battling (Aztec receiver) Jeff Webb for the receiving title right now. Then, they have those two running backs (Kyle Bell and Nnamdi Ohaeri)."
"Defensively they're doing more with an extra man in the box. They're not running an open two-deep zone as much as they used to be. That's because the quarterback position has changed that defensive philosophy. I think they want to get an extra guy in the box to accommodate for the quarterback, because there's a lot of running quarterbacks in the conference now. They have played a lot more with a closed middle; they blitz more and do more with multiple fronts. There's a little bit of variety on defense this year from Colorado State."
On quarterback Kevin O'Connell's toughness:
"I think people have forgotten that (O'Connell) started five games last year and played with a torn labrum like (New York Jets quarterback) Chad Pennington did. He missed all of spring practice and he worked hard on his own to come back and win the starting position. He got off to a terrific start this year, but did get beat up last week. We had three running backs go down in the TCU game and he carried a lot of the load from that football game. Even though we're a one-back offense, there's the presence of a two-back set with him at quarterback and he played a very tough, courageous game. He got hit in the ulnar nerve and lost a lot of feeling in his hand during the second half. The guy is a real warrior and he shows his toughness not only mentally but also physically. He's a great example of what we're looking for at that position."
On quarterback Darren Mougey's role for the Colorado State game:
"We would never compromise our ability to be competitive, but he's obviously earned the right to play. He's gotten an extended amount of practice time behind him now with the injury to Kevin. We anticipate playing him, but how much we play him depends on how the game goes. We always start it with Kevin. We are going to be committed to playing Darren at a certain time in the game, how much and when will be dictated by how the flow of the game goes, but we anticipate playing him like we did earlier in the season."
Kevin O'Connell
On his shoulder
"I just got done getting some treatment and it's feeling pretty good. The plan is for me to start on Saturday and I'm 100 percent comfortable with the game plan and everything that goes with it. I'm excited for Saturday."
On no longer playing for a bowl game
"Going into the season, we were just going to take it one game at a time. I know it's an old cliché, but it's the truth. We've learned some lessons each week and were able to get some big wins that we're really excited about. Unfortunately, we are out of the bowl season but we still have a chance to finish 6-6. With the quality of our schedule this year, by no means are we going to be happy with it. But it is something to build on and go into the offseason with. We can really show our redshirts and young guys that even though the season wasn't what we wanted in the beginning or in the middle, you can still finish strong and make a positive out of it."
On Jeff Webb
"He's been my comfort zone. He's the kind of a guy you want to get rolling early. Once he feels he can dominate those guys on the other side of the ball, which is nine times out of 10, he's a dangerous player. We just need to find a way to get him the ball. We've had some quality efforts from Chaz (Schilens), Robert (Ortiz) and Brett (Swain) and I think those guys are learning a lot (from Jeff).
On Colorado State
"On top of some quality coaching, they have some really good players. It's going to be a challenge. That place is a tough place to play, but we are prepared and ready for the challenge, we just need to go out there and execute."
Jeff Webb
On a rivalry with David Anderson
"He is a really good guy and plays hard. He plays big and I'm a fan of David Anderson. I got to spend time with him and got to know him a little better when he came down (to San Diego) for (Mountain West Conference) media day. Of course I want to do better than him, but I also want (our team) to win and a win would be much more important."
On Kevin O'Connell
"We have a chemistry together, not just Kevin (O'Connell) and I, but the whole receiving unit. We feel very comfortable with him staying in the pocket and delivering us the ball. We're out there to execute."
On playing Darren Mougey if O'Connell is unable to play
"I feel comfortable with Darren (Mougey) in the pocket. He's very mobile, can stay in the pocket and reads coverage very well. That's why in practice you go with Kevin O'Connell, Darren Mougey and (Matt) Dlugolecki, so you can get the timing right. No matter what, we'll be ready to go (this week)."