Nov. 6, 2007
SAN DIEGO -
SAN DIEGO STATE FOOTBALL NEWS CONFERENCE QUOTES
AZTEC ATHLETICS CENTER
NOVEMBER 6, 2007
Head coach Chuck Long
Opening Statement:
"Well, it's another week of football and we are looking forward to the challenge at UNLV. I am really excited and pleased with the way our guys finished the game (against Wyoming). I am very happy for them. It was as jubilant a locker room as I have ever been in, and I have been in some pretty big games in the past. I am also very proud of our coaching staff and their efforts. (The comeback) really started at halftime. We came in with a big drive at the end of the first half and then we had some senior leaders take control at the break. (The coaches) presented the plan and adjustments and they (seniors) took it from there. That is what you want on your football team. Guys like Nick Osborn and Kevin O'Connell stood up and told the team that they could get it done. It was a great game for us and we obviously want to build on that.
"I am very proud of our defense. We had 15 tackles for loss in that game (against Wyoming). They are really coming on strong. From game one to now is like night and day. It took that experience from some tough games early on to get to this point.
"We are looking forward to the challenge this week (against UNLV). We have some buzz and confidence on our team and the guys are feeling really good about themselves, which is always a plus going into the next game, especially when you're on the road."
On using a no-huddle offense:
"The no-huddle offense was something we went to and it was based off of our two-minute drill in the first half. We will work it again in practice and will go from there. It was a change of pace that we needed (against Wyoming) and our offense really liked it, so it is something that we may use again."
On senior quarterback Kevin O'Connell:
"Kevin had a rough start, but he finished strong. He hung in there and made the play when he had to make it. I just thought it was another great comeback on his part. Those are the type of games that at the end of the day, the stats aren't great, but you know in watching the game that he has developed and matured as a quarterback."
On the importance of the comeback win against Wyoming:
"I am hoping this is a game that one day we can look back on and realize it was a turning point for us. We do have a strong belief on our team now and we need to carry that on (to this week). We still have some youth out there, but they are getting better by the minute and it has been really fun coaching them. Last week's game was big for us and we definitely want to build off that."
On what was said at halftime to spark the comeback:
"Kevin and all the seniors talked to the guys, letting them know that they could get it done. But it was more than just talk. You could feel that they really had a belief in what they were saying and that it was going to get done somehow, someway."
On the difference in SDSU's defense between last week and earlier in the season:
"We just have more experience now. We had a great attitude in those early games and I really credit our guys for hanging in there and showing resiliency throughout the (Wyoming) game. We had some tough early games and we knew because of our lack of experience that we were going to go through some growing pains. Now, (the defense) has seen it and they are more experienced. They are playing faster and the tackling in our game was more explosive than it had been all season."
On sophomore linebacker Luke Laolagi:
"Luke Laolagi has been playing really well. He had four tackles for loss last game and he is all over the field. He was still finding his way and learning to be disciplined within our system earlier this year. Now that he is starting to do that, he is getting to the ball faster and is finding his way to the right gap at the right time. I am very proud of his efforts. Luke is not a very big guy back there, but he makes up for it with some savvy and speed to the football."
On how the team will respond after a big win last week:
"Our guys enjoyed (the win) on Saturday night, but they came back in on Sunday in a great way. This is a team that wants to be together. They are excited and I trust our leadership. Guys like Nick Osborn and Kevin O'Connell will come back today and they will have a purpose and focus that the rest of the team will follow. I believe we will have a good week of practice."
On the challenges UNLV will present this weekend:
"(UNLV) has one of the best linebackers in the league, in Beau Bell, who is leading the conference in tackling. They have a lot of youth on their team, just like we do. If you look up and down their roster, they have some freshmen and sophomores playing and they are obviously building for the future as well, but their defense can run. (Jeremy) Gaethers is one of the better pass rushers that we will face in the league this year and they are just really sound in everything they do."
On how the defense will prepare to stop UNLV running back Frank Summers:
"We will have to rally to the football and gang tackle. Our tackling has gotten so much better, but when the first guy gets there, we can't assume that (Frank Summers) is going down. We have to get two or three in there to stop him."
Senior quarterback Kevin O'Connell
On the feeling of the team at halftime being down 21-7 against Wyoming:
"We were still confident. The big key in the game was our ability to get points right before halftime. Offensively, we watched the defense play really well (in the first half) and we sputtered, especially with me throwing two picks. We were beating ourselves. To get that drive at the end of the half gave us a positive to build on. We knew that there was a lot of football still left in the game and that we needed to keep getting stops."
On how the team came together to believe they could rally for the win:
"It's a good feeling to know that everyone is on board and that everyone believes we can win. There wasn't anybody on the team that when we fell behind, thought we couldn't win. It takes a game like this past one to learn about who we are as a team. The game earlier this year against Colorado State, even though it wasn't from 21 down, gave us the confidence that we could come back. Knowing that you have come back before and also being at home helps."
On how important Michael Hughes' punting was in the game against Wyoming:
"We take for granted how good we have it with Mike, (long snapper) Tyler (Schmitt) and (kicker) Garrett (Palmer). He (Hughes) was big-time for us, kicking the ball from his own end zone time-and-time again, and he isn't done. We're going to continue to need him to help us out in these final games."
On how his ability to throw while scrambling helps during games:
"It (throwing on the run) helps, especially against a highly-ranked team against the pass like Wyoming. Wyoming likes to keep the quarterback in the pocket and squeeze. When you are able to break the pocket, either on design or in the flow of the play, guys don't know if you are going to run or throw. A couple times during the game we caught the linebackers in a bind trying to come up and we were able to get behind them. We'll do whatever it takes to win."
On the challenges of playing at UNLV:
"I know for me, the challenges of playing at UNLV are different than you might think. They have a stadium that sits in the middle of nowhere and the winds get going pretty good. When you watch film of a game (at UNLV), rarely do you not see trash blowing or the goal posts shaking from side-to-side. We've been through elements like that before. My one trip to Las Vegas in 2005 wasn't a good memory and is something I want to forget. At the same time it makes you hungry to go back. Luckily, I get another chance to go to Vegas and hopefully we get this thing done."
Senior punter Michael Hughes
On his 75-yard kick versus Wyoming:
"All game, I was hitting the ball consistently. There were times when I didn't get the perfect hit and than there were the two consecutive 50-yard punts. I felt a big (kick) coming sooner or later. Lucky for me, (Wyoming's) Hoost Marsh fell when he was running backwards so the ball was able to roll another 25 yards. I knew we needed a big kick right there and once it took off I could tell it was a good one. When you have a good hit you don't even feel it come off your foot and that's what happened."
On how the win against Wyoming can have a positive effect on the rest of the season:
"Big wins like this can really help a team. We haven't come back from a 21-point deficit since 1974. That speaks a lot about our team and how we are able to come back from being down. The morale in our locker room was positive. Everyone knew we were still in the game and could come back. I knew we were in the game and I had faith in my teammates and Coach Long. I have no doubt that this kind of a win can turn a program around."
Junior linebacker Russell Allen
On this week's game versus UNLV:
"It's a huge game for us. We're really excited after having a great win on Saturday. We're looking to keep the momentum going, starting with practice today. UNLV is always very fast and physical and will challenge us."
On what the defense has done to improve as the season has progressed:
"It has taken a lot of hard work. After the first couple games we knew we needed a lot of work. Each week we have continued to put in the time and effort and have gotten better. Now we are at a point where we are able to play with some confidence. It's exciting to see us getting better with each game."