Monday Presser: Preparing Correctly Still Being Taught

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FORT COLLINS, Colo. – As a coach, Jay Norvell knew one of the areas he was going to have to teach his new roster was the type of work required to be a successful football team.

Saturday showed there's still some instruction needed, which was why there were some meetings called with the players.

"I think we still have aways to go in understanding the type of preparation you have to have. We have them for a couple hours in the morning, we have them for a few minutes of meetings and then they have class and other responsibilities," Norvell said at his Monday press conference. "Good football teams all over the country, they come back and watch film, they're getting with their coaches, they're spending extra time, really sinking their teeth into the game plan. We've got some guys who have done that; we've got some guys who don't understand that at all.

"We have some room to improve in that area. That's part of teaching a football team how to win and how to prepare to win. That's something we knew that was our job coming here, and we're in the process of getting them to understand that. We're making strides, but there's a certain commitment level you have to have in your preparation and were getting guys to understand that."

Offensive lineman Gray Davis said his group was Exhibit A. The offensive line lost the starting two tackles heading into the game, though Dontae Keys gave it go for a few possessions. When the moment calls, players have to be ready to step into the void.

The next-man-up mentality has to be a way of life, he said.

"What happened on Saturday is a good example of why everyone needs to be ready. Just because you're not on Monday or Tuesday a starter going into the game, what happened on Wednesday you can be a starter withing 2 minutes if something happens," Davis said. "So, everyone needs to prepare, and I think things that happened on Saturday are a good way of showing our team, look, people have been saying this to you guys and it's true. You could be in the game at any time."

For Norvell and his veteran players, being prepared means spending extra time with coaches and film to pick up every nuance they can. Davis uses film to study who he is facing and trying to pick up on their tendencies. And not just individual players, but entire units. There are keys which can be read.

C.J. Onyechi said the motivation for all of them should be clear.

"Just remember your why. Why you play this game, because throughout the season there's going to be a lot of ups and downs," the defensive end said. "You might not be getting the reps you want, you might not be playing the level you want to, you might have an injury, you just have to remember what your why is and why you come out to play this game.

"You just have to be in that mindset to play every down, because if you don't have that mindset, you're not going to be ready."

Taking Note

Washington State enters the game at 2-0 and fresh off beating a ranked Wisconsin team on the road. That grabs your attention.

Watching closer, it was the way they did it which caught Norvell's eye. He grew up in the neighborhood of Camp Randall Stadium, his dad and brother played there, and he knows the program well having coached there himself.

"You don't go in there and beat that team unless you're physical," Norvell said. "They did a really good job of playing their heavy sets and stopping the run game. It was an impressive performance, especially defensively what they did. They played complementary football on offense. They didn't really have overpowering statistics, but they did enough to win, and they drove the ball and scored when they needed to. They're capable of being very good. I was just really impressed with the physicality they played with last week."

The Cougars have not run past anybody this year, beating Idaho at home by a touchdown to open the season and clipping the Badgers 17-14, but they are winning. It is their first 2-0 start since 2019, when they began the season 3-0.

Here and There

Colorado State fans fondly remember the only time the two teams played, a 48-45 win in the 2013 New Mexico Bowl as the Rams erased a 45-30 deficit by scoring 18 points in the final 2:52 of play … WSU defensive coordinator Brian Ward was in the same role with Norvell at Nevada the two seasons prior … The Rams have not started a season 0-3 since 2010.

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