Colorado State University Athletics
Postgame Quotes--CSU 37, Fresno State 0
11/5/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
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POSTGAME QUOTES
Colorado State 37, Fresno State 0
Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016
Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium, Fort Collins, Colo.
COLORADO STATE HEAD COACH Mike Bobo
(opening statement)
"What a great day to be a ram. Really proud of our football team today. I challenged them for the last two weeks of building on that momentum that we created at UNLV, how hard we played and played together as a team. Sometimes you worry as a football coach, when you have a lull, when you have some success, when you are going to be mature enough to handle that success and come out and play well and I cannot say enough about the football team today how they played, especially our defense; a shutout is unbelievable, I believe six halves of football this year, where we played shutout football and in today's times in football it is hard to shut people out as much as people do offensively with RPOs (run-pass options. That is a team that has some weapons on offense and I know they have had some struggles but were able to score some points and the way our guys played today, they challenged for four quarters. I cannot say enough about that effort. Now, we have to continue to build on that and progress. We have a tough game next week against Air Force. It is a whole different brand of football. We have not won there since 2002 and so we have to challenge, keep working and getting better. But that is what I expect our guys to do. I feel like we are growing up and if we will continue to grow up, we'll have a chance to finish the season strong."
(on whether he knew it had been since 1997 that the Rams had shut a team out)
"No, I was not aware. We were just trying to get the victory. As the game goes on and you kind of have it in hand, you want the defense to finish with a shutout. I was disappointed offensively with our back-ups in the game that we could not generate some yards and some first downs to keep them off the field, to help secure the shutout and play the offense hard. But it was great we got some young guys in there defensively that have not played a lot and to go out there and play and for them to get the shutout and not our starters, says a lot about our coaching staff getting everybody ready to play, not just the 11 starters or the 13, 14 guys that are playing, but they got everybody that was on the travel team ready to play and everybody knew how to execute the calls and play extremely hard today."
(on the team coming together and clicking now)
"Well, I think you look at the guys that are the Marvin Kinsey Juniors, the Michael Gallups, the Detrich Clarks the guys that were some newcomers. They are starting to understand what we are trying to do offensively, understand how to line up fast. And not have to tell them every play. Earlier in the year, they really did not understand what we were trying to do, did not understand the whole playbook. I said it, I think they will continue to improve and if they improve, I think they have a chance to be dangerous and they have improved and you can see that when they had the ball in their hands something might happen every play. (I) have to give the offensive line credit. I think that has been the one mainstay of our offense, (despite) earlier in the year a lot of the time asking what is wrong with them. I thought the offense line was playing extremely well all year. They played physical, they played tough, they get after people and that gives us a chance and now we are getting some guys in the game that when they touch the ball they can be a difference."
(on Nick Stevens' first half)
"He played awesome. He played extremely well and I might have said it to you guys this past week, we are going to be a little different than we were last year at the end of the year. I want to still be balanced where last year we just had to grind it out and run the ball. We want to be balanced and this is what I envisioned of our offense, being able to throw and pass the ball, being able to give the guys different personal groups, different formations, and then give them and then be able to line up in a 2-back set or a 3-wide receiver set and go spread and go fast. Make guys defend 60 yards of football is what we are trying to do but still have that element of, you better be ready when you come to the ball park to play us because we are going to be a physical brand and it all goes through Nick Stevens. We put a lot on our quarterback in the run game, a lot on him in protection and the past games you have to hit your target and he's not a mobile quarterback so he has to execute within the system and he did a great job of that the last two weeks."
(on Nick Stevens getting more comfortable with Michael Gallup)
"There is no question, and we are calling something directed to Michael but he (Stevens) feels comfortable with him (Gallup). Michael is gaining confidence every week of, `I am going to try to dominate every snap.' Nick is doing a great job getting him the ball and Michael has been doing a great job after the catch. I am just proud of both of those guys. I've seen Nick grow more in the leadership role of holding guys accountable. Several times this past week...you hear him call a guy out on what he is supposed to do. He calls Michael Gallup out on what I'm expecting here and what I want. That's what you've got to have come from the players and he does a great job of that."
(on the shutout)
"We talked about not taking for granted the opportunities you have week-in and week-out. Yes, we were up 35-nothing but you have 30 minutes left to play football with your family. We shouldn't have any regrets. We only have three games left now. Take advantage of every opportunity and work extremely hard year-round for 12 opportunities. Why would we go through the motions for a half? Let's go out there and play ball and enjoy every minute of it. Have that championship mindset of I'm trying to dominate. I am trying to dominate my job on every play and that's what we've talked about for the last two weeks. I was glad the guys came out and they did it. They took it upon themselves to play that way."
(on the young players on the defense making plays)
"These guys got in a little bit later in the year than some of these guys on offense but Arjay (Jean) is on our third-down pass rush package right now. He does a great job and had a sack today. He has to learn to get on the edges of guys a little bit more. He's what we're looking for. He's long, he's got speed. He's going to be a very good player for us one day. His reps aren't only helping him this year but it's going to help him in the future. Toby (McBride) is a guy, when we signed him, who's going to be a blue-collar workhorse guy like Colorado State has had in the past. The guys that helped them win championships. For a freshman to come in that's a little bit undersized and to play as much as he has, it's a credit to him of his toughness. Guys like Robert Awunganyi are playing, Shun Johnson...I know he got the pass interference but he is competing. Those throws are contested. Max McDonald got to play so all those guys get to play. It's going to help in the future. (Freshman) Jamal Hicks, and Braylin Scott is a young guy...he's a sophomore. These guys are getting more confidence and they are understanding what we are trying to do and understand where their help is because a lot of our early woes defensively was not understanding how to fit things or understanding where your help was in coverage and that comes with experience."
(on whether this was the complete game he was looking for)
"No, I never think it's perfect (smiling). There was a lot yards out there in the second half. It would have been perfect if we never punted. One time at Georgia we went 10 for 10 on third downs and never punted and shut the team out. That's a complete game. There were a lot of things we could teach off of and a lot of things that might have cost us first downs and might have cost us chances to get points like execution there on those first couple drives. We don't execute and settle for a field goal. We get a stop and settle for a field goal. We wanted to start fast and that was our chance to start fast. We didn't do it there offensively and have a chance to go up 14-0. There are always things we can work on. This was our most complete game of the year...no question about it. I know I say it every week but we can get so much better. We have to continue to strive to get better week-in and week-out."
(on the better the team gets the pickier Bobo will get)
"That's correct. We should never be satisfied with our performance. As soon as you get satisfied, you go the other way. We always have to strive to get better and that is what the championship mindset that I have been talking about...that's what a champion does. Every day he wakes up...he tries to make an impact and get better and dominate in whatever he's doing...in the classroom, in the field, in the weight room and that's the culture we're trying to build here. We want to dominate as a football program. We have a long way to go but we did a nice job of dominating today."
(on Marvin Kinsey's involvement in the run game)
"He has a quick first step and he has speed to take one to the house and then he has the ability to break tackles. He runs angry. He runs hard. When he touches the ball, he wants to score and not that the other two (Dawkins and Matthews) don't but he just has something about him. I have to give it up to Dalyn Dawkins...he got a little banged up and that's why he didn't play in the second half. Dalyn has been a great mentor for him (Kinsey) on how to practice, how to go to meetings and how to approach every day. Dalyn has the championship mindset and Marvin has done a nice job of watching him and learning from him. Marvin could have played more in the second half. He could have had a chance to get 100 yards but it wasn't worth it because as the season goes on, he might get a little more touches."
(on switching to Braxton Davis on PATs and whether that is going to be a regular thing)
"No, we had a competition this week. Wyatt (Bryan) has had a little bit of an injury. The ball hasn't been jumping off his foot like it was early in the year. I think he is dealing with that more than he is saying. He ended up winning the competition this week and he missed the one PAT. I am not an expert on kicking but it looked like he just stopped and didn't finish his swing. When we came back out, I told coach (Jamie) Bryant (Special Teams Coordinator) that we were going to decide in warmups who we were going to go with and they decided with Braxton (Davis). We'll have a competition this week. Going into the game, Braxton was going to kick 48-yards plus and Wyatt was going to handle everything else."
COLORADO STATE PLAYERS
QB Nick Stevens
(on whether that was the complete game Coach Bobo was talking about)
"It was nice. It was what Coach has been looking for. It was a good, complete effort. Hats off to the defense for the shutout and good job by everybody on the offense to put up 37 points."
(on Coach Bobo saying the better the team gets the pickier he's going to get; is that what this team needs?)
"Yes, definitely. We can't get complacent, especially at the end of the year. You have to keep getting better because everybody else you play is going to keep getting better as the season goes on. That's what we're going to expect from him and it's not going to surprise anybody."
(on his leadership abilities improving since he returned to the starting role)
"Yes, definitely. Not playing gave me an opportunity to take a different role and I carried over some of the stuff I was doing at that point, some of the corrections, holding people accountable, when I got back out on the field. I think it's helped out a lot. Especially with me and Mike (Gallup) kind of building our chemistry, because he's able to know that I'm going to come to him and tell him exactly what we're looking for. And the same thing for him, if he wants a certain ball a certain way. I think it's definitely helped out our chemistry, and all the other receivers who are playing."
(on whether this was his best game of the season)
"I'm not sure. I think it was definitely efficient for me, this game. I'm happy again to have no turnovers--luckily with that holding call (smiling). I made a couple of mistakes, but for the most part it was pretty good. I did a good taking care of the ball, and that's the biggest thing. And I think we were pretty good on third down, so that's also really good."
(asked to compare the playmaker Michael Gallup has become with the way Rashard Higgins played for CSU)
"I think they're very, very similar. They're both playmakers who are dependable and are going to go up and make a play for you."
(on the leadership role QB Nick Stevens has taken since returning to the starting role)
"It's really important because he's the one who's dishing the ball, he's the one who tells everybody where to go. Like today, there was one route I had and I clearly ran the wrong route and he jumped on me real quick, and after that we didn't any more mess-ups. So, it's good to know that he's back there almost being a coach on the field."
(on the confidence he and Nick Stevens are developing together)
"We're getting a lot of confidence back. He's just noticing that sometimes you just have to take shots (down the field). And after you take that one shot (and it's completed), it's like `I can give it to him now.'"
(on his quiet personality for a guy who is becoming a `superstar' for this team)
"If they throw the ball my way I just want to come down with it. You don't really need to have a `superstar'...it's a team effort. Having that role, if anybody wants to say that or talk about it, it's cool, but I'm just another player like everybody else."
LB Kevin Davis
(on what it would have felt like to have the shutout spoiled)
"I would have been pretty disappointed. We almost did it, I think, against Wyoming last year. It was fun though, because we had a pretty big rotation going on. We had 2s and 3s in there and they were playing great and getting off the field, so it was awesome to see."
(on how long it's been since last shutout, 1997)
"I kind of remember if from last year, with the Wyoming game, so I knew it was in the `90s, but I didn't know which year."
(on how good it feels to end that streak of 225 games since the last shutout)
"It's pretty awesome, but we have another streak to end next week."
FRESNO STATE INTERIM HEAD COACH ERIC KIESAU
(opening statement)
"You've got to give a lot of credit to Colorado State. They did a really good job. They played a really physical brand of football tonight, and you've got to give a lot of credit to them. They gave us some pressures - and we had them picked up - but they just played really physical, and like I said, you've got to give a lot of credit to them."
(on Fresno State's first eight-game losing streak in program history)
"That's tough. It's painful. I didn't really realize what the losing streak is each week. We just try to be prepared and try to win the game. We don't get so caught up in the long-term losing. It's obviously not what we're looking for, and not what we expected or wanted, but that's where we are right now. We've just got to fix it, move on and take these last two weeks and try to get another win for these seniors."
(on the importance of Fresno State's upcoming bye week)
"I wish it was a couple weeks ago to be honest. We'll try to get our bodies healthier. Our guys are banged up, especially after a physical game like tonight. It'll give them a break. We'll take a few days off and get their bodies right in the training room so we can get regrouped and come back for these last few games."
(on QB Zach Kline's performance)
"It's tough. I think he had a lot of pressure around him. There were a few times where he should have settled his feet down before throwing the ball. Without looking at the tape, really looking at it - I don't want to speak prematurely - he had a few mistakes, obviously, but he had a lot of stress around him. He was trying to scramble and trying to run and he was giving everything he had. He had a great effort, it just wasn't our night tonight."
(on the decision to cover up the names on the back of the jerseys)
"It was just to get these guys to focus on the team. Everything we're doing here since I took over is really to focus on the team. If there's anything we can do to get them off individual and buy in more as a team - which they're doing a great job - it's just one more way to symbolize that as we move forward. It's just really building it about Fresno State University and not the name on the back."
(on his message to the fans on the final two games)
"To the `Red Wave,' I'd say that I know it's disappointing. It's not fun, we're all disappointed. These kids are working really hard. These seniors have two games left. That's all they're guaranteed, that's all they have. I hope they come out and support these kids. I know sometimes it's not easy, but if you think about these kids as individuals and what they've done for the last four or five years, I hope they'll be out there to support these kids more than anything."
FRESNO STATE PLAYER QUOTES
QB ZACH KLINE
(on the team being shut out for the first time in the season)
"It hurts, it hurts. It's something that stings deep and it's something we've got to bounce back. This bye-week is going to be big. We've got to get healthy, we've got to come together and finish out. For the seniors, you know me and my guys, you know me being a transfer and knowing these guys for a short amount of time but you know I love these dudes and these guys fight hard, you know, just fight their heart out and its tough. It's tough but we're going to come back. We are going to come back stronger and we're going to reevaluate and were going to come out fighting. You know the dog is never done. We're going to come out and we're going to come out fighting. So I'm confident in us in these last two games."
(on his playing time increase after the injury to QB Chason Virgil)
"Love it. Like you said, `next man up'. I've been preparing all year for it, you know when the play is there, you've just got to react and do what I've been doing you know these past five years and that's play football. So that's a good team out there. They're going to have a good rest of the year for sure but yeah we fought hard out there and it definitely was tough for us because you know we get so close and we're just not there. So close and not there. That's the game of football though and we're going to bounce back. We're going to bounce back and I am confident in our guys that we are."
(on what he practices most)
"You know me, I'm a thrower. I'm sitting in the pocket throwing and it's really the amount of work our coaches put in day-in and day-out is just honorable, really. I'm there from 6 a.m. to when I have to go home late at night and these guys are still going. They're going past what's wanted of them and so we fight for them and they put a game plan together that's to our strengths and for us, we've just got to execute. We've got to go out there and do it and we're all ready, we're prepared, we just got to go out there and execute it. So honestly, every guy goes into a game feeling comfortable with what we have in store, with what's in front of us. So personally, I know what every play called you know, one, I've run it before. Two, I know it's going to work. This is the best play Coach Kiesau is dialing up and I am ready to roll and same with all the other 10 guys on the field and we've just got to do our `one-eleven' and fight."
(on how crucial the upcoming bye week is)
"It's big. When you've got time off to recover and reevaluate and look at yourself and look at the team and just know that we get to take a step back and watch more film than you probably did beforehand and obviously get healthy is a big one for us. So I think that we're going to bounce back strong and that's what the team is. There's never been a moment this year with these guys that we've just sat down and laid down, there's never been a moment. I know these guys are going to come out fighting and its hard man. You know, I'm tearing up, I'm tearing up in the locker room because these guys want it, I want it. Every single one these guys is a fighter and so it's tough but we're going to bounce back. That's how Fresno State is. We are going to bounce back."
DB JUJU HUGHES
(on the team being shut out for the first time in the season)
"You know it hurts because we work hard as team all week together. We battle, grind at practice and it hurts to see it go that way but we're not worried. We know there are some things we can work on and get better."
(on how crucial the upcoming bye week is)
"Yeah it's very big. You know we've got a couple guys banged up. Our senior corner, Tyquwan (Glass), you know I got some extra minutes because he was banged up. It will be big for us, a lot of guys get to get healthy, we get to think about some things, talk through some things as a team. It'll be good for us."
(on his comfort level playing with the rest of his secondary unit)
"The guys, you mean? Yeah the guys I am very comfortable with all the guys and stuff. I just got to get more and more used to the game speed and more and more used to the game and everything like that. As far as the guys and stuff like that, I am very close to everybody."
(on what the team's new `I'm in' warmups mean to him)
"It means I'm all in. I am going to do whatever it takes for this team and whatever they need me to do, I'm going to do it at any time."
(on what it means to him to not have the players' names on the back of their jerseys)
"I take it as we're not playing for the names on the backs of our jersey, we're playing for the names on the front of our jersey. It's more about for Fresno and the town we are playing for more than just ourselves."
(on what he wants prove in the last two games)
"I just want to show everybody that I am a competitor. I can play this game, I'm going to give you guys all I got every week and I am going to battle. I want to make plays and I want to do whatever it takes to win for everybody."
