Oct. 14, 2008
SAN DIEGO - Football Press Conference Videos
Coach Chuck Long | Lindley, Allen & Boudreaux
SDSU Football Press Conference
October 14, 2008
Head Coach Chuck Long
General Comments: "It is New Mexico week now and we are excited. After you go through a tough loss, the best thing about football is you have another game to look forward to. Our number one challenge with New Mexico is nobody on this football team has beaten them. Our seniors have never been part of a victory against this team. Offensively, New Mexico is a team that has a big offensive line. They pound the football. We're not quite sure what we are going to see against their defense. Sometimes they blitz every other play and then there are other games when they play coverage and don't blitz so much.
"One of the themes I told our team on Sunday is that the football world doesn't wait for teams to feel sorry for themselves. Life doesn't work that way and neither does the next opponent. I put it on the leaders of our football team to bring the energy to practice and in games. The rest of the football team should be responsible for their roles, whether it be starter, backup, special teams player or scout team. They have responsibility to that role to help our team the best way they can.
"I go through the locker room each day after practice and still see a good energy. They were down about the (Air Force) game on Sunday, but I know they were together."
On the defensive formation:
"We've also talked about changing our front on defense from a 43 to a 34. It might have to come down to that if we get any more guys hurt. There are issues with that, because that's adding another linebacker and we are thin there. We would have to bring some safeties in the mix. We are still working through that. That may happen during the course of the week. It comes down to numbers though. Who do you pull? You're robbing Peter to pay Paul? If you take one from another position, you are leaving those guys thin."
On Ryan Lindley's health:
"The update on Ryan Lindley is he threw Sunday. Sunday is our practice day and we take Mondays off. He came back Monday morning to the training room and wasn't as sore. The soreness is less and less which is a great sign. We are going to progressively throw him throughout the week. We'll start him a little slow today and then we'll add as we go. The biggest question mark is zip on the footballs and downhill throws. We'll have to see today being his first full day of practice this week."
On New Mexico's defensive play against BYU:
"I thought they played very well. They went in there and got after those guys. They were very sound in what they did. They didn't blitz that much, but played more coverage. But I thought they played them extremely well. That's (New Mexico head coach) Rocky Long's strength. He's a defensive coach and grew up that way in the coaching ranks. That's what he takes a lot of pride in and it showed against BYU."
Linebacker Russell Allen
On his frustration level:
"Obviously we are frustrated. We want to win, that's the reason we play the game. But I think that we are able to kind of take that frustration and set it aside and get ready for another big week of preparation going into a huge game, a game that I know all of us want to win really badly. No one on this team has beaten New Mexico. We are able to kind of realize that things haven't gone our way but it's a good opportunity for us to come out and change that."
On what the main issue has been in losing:
"Speaking mainly of the last two weeks, the issue has not been missing assignments or not being in the right spot, or not knowing what to do. The issue has been kind of getting bushed a little bit. Being in the right spot and instead of it being a no yard gain, it turns into a four or a five-yard gain and that's tough to get off the field. If you allow four or five yards on first down and four or five yards on the second down then its tough because third and one stops are hard to make. I think the key is going to be being in the right spot like we have been but then making the play and stopping them for no gain. That's the bottom line."
On how the 3-4 will help:
"I don't know how to answer that. I think that like I said before, the bottom line is not getting blown off the ball and not getting bushed. Regardless of the defense that we are running, we have to play better. That's just the truth. If we are running 3-4 or 4-3, whatever it may be, we need to improve."
On what has affected the team:
"There are a lot of things. Speaking defensively we have really been beat up this year. Not to make an excuse but that's the truth. We've got three true freshmen who had significant playing time on Saturday and that's tough. Those guys have only been here a couple months and haven't had the opportunity to work with (strength and conditioning coach) Francis in getting stronger and getting better. These guys were playing high school football last year. That's a huge jump. Like I said we are ready to come back out this week and try to get a turn around."
On New Mexico running back Rodney Ferguson:
"He's a good back. He's physical and he doesn't go down. He breaks tackles for a few extra yards which always poses a problem especially when we have been getting pushed back for a couple extra yards the last few weeks. He also has a lot of experience, has been around a long time and has good vision. He presents a lot of problems for us."
Quarterback Ryan Lindley
On his shoulder:
"It feels good. I feel a lot better. It's a big turnaround from where I was about a week ago. (Head athletic trainer) Don Kessler has been doing a great job with me in the training room. I am just going to go around at practice this week throwing and see how it goes. I think the biggest thing is I feel fine as far as mobility goes. I feel like I have improved a ton right there. It's more just kind of putting zip on the ball and putting effort into it. I think that's the main thing I am going to work on this week; getting the zip back and the strength back. I am going to out there today with kind of limited throws and try to participate in practice as much as I can. Whatever Don wants me to do, because I am very trusting and confident in our training staff."
On his long passing ability:
"I think that's one thing we are going to test. Don kind of wants me to start short and move my way up. I think we are just going to work on the core of the short quick throw. Just trying to get those out quick and then we will just work our way up from there."
On sitting out Saturday:
"It's tough. That's really the first game I have sat out of. All through high school I was always in the game. There were a couple games where I was hurt but I was always in there. It was rough sitting out the whole game. But I was excited for the way the guys played, especially coming out in the first half. Drew (Westling) and the offense did a good job. In the second half, Air Force just found some ways to stop the things we were doing and we didn't rebound fast enough."
Safety Corey Boudreaux
On the possibility of a 3-4 instead of a 4-3:
"I really don't think it affects us that much because regardless of what defense is doing, the safeties are always involved a lot with the run and a lot of the fit safeties evolve to it. One of our base coverage's we have is where the safeties drop down and do kind of the linebacker thing and I think we are comfortable with it. Whatever it takes to win we are going to do it."
On his role as a leader and team captain:
"One thing we tr to do, all us older guys, is just back them no matter what happens. They are young and inexperienced, but they are still here playing college ball. Whatever happens we take them under our wing let them know we are there and behind them. We push them to do what they can to make it right and just let them know that people are going to make mistakes. Things aren't always going to go your way but we are still always here backing you up."