Oct. 22, 2007

HEAD COACH Brent Guy

Recap of Nevada game:

"After watching the film, it feels just as frustrating and disappointing as after the game. It was pretty obvious that the third quarter, with their ability to run the football, use time off the clock, keep our offense off the field, was without question the difference in the ball game. Their running back's longest run was only 28 yards the whole game, he just chipped away at us the whole time. On that long drive that they took from the 10-yard line after the penalty and went 90 yards and scored, they only got in one third-down situation and it was a third-and-one. I felt like that set a bad precedence for us and obviously in the third quarter, they scored 10 and we scored nothing and that was the difference in the ball game in the end. After that, I still felt like defensively we did enough things and fought back enough creating turnovers to give ourselves a chance. Offensively we never could help ourselves, we did score down in the red zone when we got the chance to go ahead and make it 28-24. We converted six-of-nine third downs in the first half and were only able to convert one in the second half. They did just the opposite, they were two-of-six in the first half when our defense did a good job of keeping their quarterback off rhythm and got him hit a couple times, but they came out and were five-of-eight in the second half's. We went into the game with one of our goals being to be 50 percent on third-downs. We haven't been very good on third downs this season. We came out of the game seven-of-14 on third-downs, just like they did. We pushed that with them."

"When you look at the game, they made the plays in the second half on third-downs and we didn't. We didn't get ourselves in enough third-downs because we didn't have the ball enough and obviously didn't gain enough yardage. Then when the defense did create a turnover for us, we didn't make the play. Even there at the end when we had the good field position after Kevin's (Robinson) great effort on the kickoff return, we had two negative yardage plays to take us out of field goal range. We were trying to work our way into field goal range to at least give Pete (Caldwell) a chance to try and tie it up. But then they get the ball with five minutes left and run the clock out. That's why I continue to say you've got to be able to run the football, no matter what style of offense you are. A week ago they scored 67 points at Boise and so when you look at this ball game in the end, they ran the football a lot better than us and that's why they won the game."

"When we had gone to the locker room with 21 points unanswered after being down by 14, that's probably what made me feel the best about our football team. Having been down 14 and coming back with 21 unanswered, we haven't done that since I've been here. So that does, even though we haven't won a game, still instill confidence in me that my football is still listening, still passionate about playing and still competing because a year ago had we got down 14, it would have ended up the same score as at Nevada last year, 42-zip. This team popped back and I don't know the last time that kind of comeback happened, I don't think it's been on my watch."

On Louisiana Tech:

"Louisiana Tech is, I think, the talented sleeping giant of this league, I really do. When I watch them on film, they're really very talented at running back, at fullback, at tight end. They've scored some points on some people at times. They had a tough loss at Ole Miss, they really ran the ball pretty well up and down the field and just turned it over some and had some penalties at unfortunate times. They had a heartbreaking loss early on against Hawai'i when they score a lot of points, and I just think they may be as talented of a team that's come to Romney this season in the WAC, that we've seen as far as size and speed and guys that run around. So we're going to have to continue to get better and know that we're going to have to play better each week because even though their record is comparable to Nevada, I think they have more weapons actually than Nevada as far as their size and speed of their football team."

JUNIOR OFFENSIVE TACKLE Derek Hoke:

On Nevada game:

"The Nevada game was a heartbreaker. We came out and things didn't go right for us at first, but we fought hard. It's frustrating to score 21 unanswered points, went on a great run and did a lot of good things, a lot of really good things. We even overcame two turnovers that were big drive-killers, but then when we had the ball we went down and scored. Our defense was playing pretty well the first half. So then we go into halftime on top of the world but we didn't think it was won by any means. We knew we had to come out and fight the second half, but we knew that it was a battle that we could and should win. It was hard to come out in the second half and things just didn't go our way. We had 15 or 16 plays and that's what killed us. With a lot of our offensive goals, we want to be on the field about 80 plays or as many plays as we can and put the ball in our hands and let us do something with it. When we're on the field for 15 snaps or whatever, it's hard to get going. A lot of that was three-and-outs, which is on everybody in the offense, especially the O-line. We felt that we ran the ball in the first half. We had 100 and some yards of offense in the first half and we want at least a 200 yard game as our goal as an offensive line to especially feel like we can control the game and take it over and run the ball. When we only have 104 yards the first half and then we barely had any the second half, it's tough to keep our offense on the field and our defense off the field and be able to score at will. We've got to do a much better job of running the ball, which is on us as an offensive line and as a whole offense to keep our defense off the field. They play hard and we've got to create better chances for us."

On Louisiana Tech:

"La Tech is a great football team. I remember playing them in the years past and they've always been good, they're been physical and they've been a good team. I haven't watched any film on them yet, that's what I'm doing today, so I haven't seen any of their games on tape yet but I know they're a great, physical team and I know it's going to be another challenge. I feel that no matter what the challenge is, no matter who the team we play, that if we go out and we play our game and we dominate up front we'll have a good outcome and that's what we look forward."

On last year's meeting with La Tech in moving the ball well and making some big plays:

"That was a tough game. I remember we had a lot of turnovers. We had a lot of things not go our way, but when we did have the ball I felt that we were able to move the ball pretty well. It was a tough game to lose, but I feel that we can move the ball on anybody. We did it some last year and I think this year we can be able to do it to if we go out and execute and play like we can."

On being more physical-minded to get the running game going:

"About physicality, it can always be better. I think we're a pretty physical O-line, we like to go out there, we like to try to dominate, our goal is to dominate and punish people and just go out there and take over the game. I mean of course that can always be better but a lot of it is that we're going great things, we just need to stay on our blocks just a little longer. That's what a lot of coaches say. We have a very smart offensive line, we don't make a lot of mental mistakes. We just need to stay on our blocks just a little bit better and be a little more physical and I think that's pretty much the whole key."

On improvements of team, with closer games than last year and what's holding that last step back:

"I think we've improved because we have a bunch of committed players on the team. There's a lot of people who care, there's a lot of older players, like me, that have put a lot of time into this program and that really want to see it succeed and are willing to work and do anything to get it that way. We have some great coaches. Our coaching is outstanding, that has really put us in the right place to play the game with the right frame of mind, the right training, everything. I think we're pretty much better all around. The games are closer because we have a lot of talent, we have a lot of people that want to go out there and play and put it all on the line. The next step? That's a million dollar question I think. We've had a lot of late leads late in the game that we felt that we should have won. So the next step is just to find some way to make the plays down at the end. Like Coach Guy has told us, everybody can think of a play that they could have done a little bit better in the fourth quarter. I know I could have on a couple drives. So if we just make those plays and step up at the end we'll be able to do it. We're putting ourselves in great position we just have to learn how to finish. A lot of that is experience, when you win a game you know how to do it and it gets easier. When we haven't won a game yet, it's a little bit harder to take that step. But I think we can do it, I think we will do it and when we do do it, I think we'll be in an awesome position from then on out the rest of the time and we'll be able to finish the games a lot better."