May 3, 2007
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State head football coach Chuck Long announced Thursday afternoon that senior Kevin O'Connell (Carlsbad, Calif.) is the team's No. 1 quarterback following the conclusion of spring practice. O'Connell, who has started 21 career games over the past three seasons, beat out fellow San Diego native sophomore Kevin Craft (Valley Center, Calif.) for the top spot. Craft played in nine games a year ago, starting five times and leading the squad to two of its three victories in 2006.
Below is a transcript of coach Long's and Kevin O'Connell's meeting with the media at the Aztec Athletics Center this afternoon:
Head Coach Chuck Long
General Comments:
"We decided that Kevin O'Connell will be the No. 1 quarterback going into training camp. We like the way Kevin Craft has done in the spring as well. We like that competitive situation, and think it has raised Kevin O'Connell's game to a higher level. We like where he's at and he's earned it. He's going into training camp No. 1, but there's no guarantee that he'll start the first game at No. 1. He has to go into (fall) camp and keep (his position).
"We liked what Kevin Craft was producing as well and it stepped up his competition to another level. Kelsey Sokoloski will be our No. 3, because we're going to continue to move Darren Mougey around in the offense like we did this spring."
On what made Kevin O'Connell the starter:
"His numbers were better and his efficiency was better coming out of spring. He did better overall in spring and ended on a good note. We like all the intangibles that he had - he had more huddle presence at this time and the way he efficiently ran the offense. There were a lot of little things that I noticed as a head coach and he was a little ahead of where Kevin Craft is at this point, but Kevin Craft is not too far behind. We're fortunate to have two guys who can both produce and win for us and that's the way we look at."
On the importance of having a solid backup at quarterback:
"I remember last year's training camp when Kevin Craft came to me, and he was the No. 3 (quarterback) at the time, and asked me where he stood. I told him that if you have a uniform on, you better be ready to play, which I learned a long time ago. Last year was a valuable lesson for everyone that even if you're a back up player you better be ready to play."
On whether there was a front runner going into spring drills:
"We kept it open in the spring, based on how they played during the year. Kevin O'Connell got hurt and we didn't want him to lose that position, because he earned it going into camp. Then Kevin Craft won a couple of ball games for us and did well. We felt there was a separation between the two and that's why we named Kevin O'Connell (the starter)."
On what their reaction was when they got the news:
"Coach (Del) Miller sat them both down yesterday, because I was on the road recruiting. The feedback that I got from coach Miller was that Kevin O'Connell was elated and happy to be the starter, but he also knows that Kevin Craft has been pushing him. Kevin Craft was excited too about the opportunity to keep competing and we're going to give him that chance as well."
On the team coming out of spring drills as opposed to last year:
"We are so much better coming out of this spring than last spring, just because of health reasons. Our expectations are very high and we want to fight for a conference championship every year. We feel like we're in a better position to do that going into this summer, because we just had some minor injuries instead of some major ones, and we're in much better shape and condition. Some of the feedback that I've gotten thus far is that we're a lot more physical in practice this year than last year, which is a good thing to hear."
Kevin O'Connell, Senior Quarterback
On being named the starting quarterback:
"It was a goal to get things defined coming out of spring. I knew it would be difficult because spring ball is equally distributed as far as reps and there's a lot of emphasis on the young guys getting a lot of work. I took the mindset this spring as a time to get things accomplished in any way I could, whether it be in the scrimmages or everyday in practice or even in the smallest little drills. I was excited (to be the starter), but it's just another part of the process. Now we go into our summer program and it's the most important time of the year for us. We've got to get things done."
On if he felt that it was his job to lose:
"You can never feel like that, because once you start feeling like that karma hits you and something bad happens. I've felt like that before and went out and didn't practice that well. I went into it with an open mind and every day tried to be consistent in everything that they gave us and tried to accomplish that every day."
On Kevin Craft:
"Kevin had a tremendous spring. A lot of the offense's success and growth can be put on the quarterbacks. We were consistent as a group, all the way down to Josh O'Brien and Kelsey Sokoloski. Those guys, when they both got in there, did their jobs well. I think offensively the staff is really happy with everything we did. Kevin had a great spring and he's going to keep pushing all the way through the fall. As he sees it, it's just one play away just like last year, and he has to be ready just like everyone else on the roster."
On his relationship with Kevin Craft:
"Our relationship, is one that you would never be able to tell we're competing. I've known Kevin since we were little and he used to play Pop Warner for Valley Center. Nothing is going to change between us. We both have the goal of winning football games and we're going to do whatever it takes to do that, but friendships are not lost along the way."
On his goals for this coming season:
"It's my fifth year and you'd like to think that your four years lead up to this season and everything comes together for you. But it (still) takes hard work. I have goals like every one does that I won't tell people, but they're pretty lofty and most of them are team goals - winning games and getting places we haven't been in awhile. It's time and as a program we're ready to take that next step and move on."