Nov. 2, 2010
SDSU Football Weekly Press Conference Quotes Aztec Athletics Center
Head Coach Brady Hoke
Opening Statement:
"It's good to win on the road. Now we get to come back home. It's always exciting to play in front of all the Aztecs here. With two road games in a row, it was time to get back here. We've got a great challenge with a team that's won two out of three. We've only beaten them once in San Diego since 1993. They're playing well (and) they're running the football. In conference, they're averaging 189 yards a game rushing the football. We struggled a little last week and obviously the BYU game we struggled against the run. They run down hill and they're very good up front. I think (quarterback) Pete Thomas is doing a great job. He got in there in January and he's done a great job of learning the offense. He's very efficient and manages the game well. He throws it well and they've got guys who can get down the field and stretch the field. That's a part of (coach) Steve [Fairchild] and their background. They can run it, run it, run it and then play action you. From a defensive standpoint, they've got some really good play makers. Their secondary has been very active. They've really developed on defense just as they've developed as a team during the course of the season. We've got a lot to do. We've got to correct some things in our kicking game, but they're all fixable."
On recent struggles of the run game:
"Some of it is due to the early part of the season and some of the things we were able to do. You've got to continue to get better up front offensively. Those guys are really working hard and I'm proud of them. But what we're doing right now is not good enough. We've got to coach it better and we've got to play it better. I think a little of it is Ronnie (Hillman) is a little beat up. He's not a big physical guy and he's only 19. His maturity level is something you're going to deal with. We've got to be more consistent in all aspects of the game."
On success of the offensive line:
"When team's run on you, it goes right down to the defensive line. I think it's the same in the running game. If you're struggling a little in the run game then it has to start up front. You have to be willing to get guys knocked off the ball. Even if they're putting eight guys up there, you've got to get some movement. I watched the tape, and we got some movement. It's not just on them; you've got to hit the holes harder too."
On Ryan Lindley's injured ankle:
"I think he'll be fine. I don't think he's 100 percent today, but with the progress he's made I don't see any problem with him being in there."
On Ryan Lindley's performance this year:
"He's grown so much within the offense. The play he made for the touchdown to D.J. Shields (against Wyoming) is probably the best football play I've ever seen him make."
Junior Quarterback Ryan Lindley
"It's good, Mark (Haines) has been doing a great job with me in the training room. We have a great support staff down there, and they're doing a great job. I'd say it's probably 80-85 percent and I'm real excited about the progress we've made since Saturday. I just have to keep going at it and working down there. It's just a regular ankle sprain, I'll be good."
On his ankle:
On how we he felt with the running game struggling:
"It's part of being a balanced offense. Different teams are going to do different things to try and shut down our passing game on the outside or load up the box to stop the run. If anything, it's a perk of being balanced and having great playmakers on both the inside and outside."
On the late touchdown to seal the win:
"We wanted to put it out of reach and that's what we preached in the huddle; going down and scoring. Coach Borges dialed up a great play, it was a great game plan all week and we really did a good job of executing it in the second half."
Senior Defensive Lineman Ernie Lawson
"The fourth quarter and second half were disappointing. Early on, we did play well. Coach Long had a great game plan and we weren't able to execute at the end of the game like we should have. That's always disappointing. While it was encouraging that we started fast, we have to finish better."
On the defensive performance at Wyoming:
On Pete Thomas:
"I've watched a couple games of his. He's a good quarterback, especially as a true freshman. He got in there early, so he has a good grasp on the offense more than a regular true freshman would. He's playing good football game, and he has a good running game to rely on as well."
Junior Offensive Lineman Tommie Draheim
"It's a lot of fun; you have more kids around campus saying, `Hey good game on Saturday.' I'm glad that we've been able to represent them in a good way. To have them meet us with the band and fight song, it was just a lot of fun. People have really been lifting their support for us. You can tell they're proud of us."
On the campus/community reaction to a 6-2 start: