INSIDE
COACH
with
the
THIS IS YOUR PLACE TO ASK
THE COACH YOUR QUESTIONS
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Q: Is your team prepared for the
Mississippi heat and humidity?
A: I think we’re in as good
as shape as we can be. We’ve
worked real hard and practiced
every afternoon in pads in
the heat of the day. There
were two or three times
during fall camp that the
humidity index was within
10 points of what it was
in Starkville.
Q: How are you going to
play the two quarterbacks?
A: We’re going to play both.
We’re committed to a two
quarterback system at this
point, for the first couple
of games I think. We’ll see
how it goes. Obviously
performance is going to be
the indicator on who plays
the most. I don’t know it’s
too important who takes
the reps first in the game.
We haven’t decided whether
it’s play by play, series by
series, or quarter by quarter.
We’ll talk with the quarterbacks
a little bit, Andy and I and sit down
and visit about it. I feel comfortable
and confident that gives us the best
chance to maximize our potential
offensively and to attack defenses
in some different ways. Statistically
they’ve been fairly even, pretty
close. They each have different
strengths and I’m not going to detail
their strengths and weaknesses, but
I really do think that each can bring
a different thing to the table and put
pressure on the defense. They both
deserve to play and both have done
a great job of leadership and they’re
great kids and I’m excited because
I think they’ve improved. I think
this takes the pressure off a little bit
on the initial starting thing. It just
puts more pressure on performance.
It’s really like every other position.
The kid has to go out there and
perform and if they do, they continue
to play and get more reps and if they
don’t, we give the other guy the rep.
I don’t think it’s less pressure in
a game situation but they but I think
it’s less pressure in that now it’s “hey
I know I’m going to get to play.”
Q: What are your concerns about
Mississippi State?
A: They’re a pretty veteran team.
They have 16 returning starters
which is more than we do. They’re
solid in the kicking game. They have
a veteran quarterback returning.
Actually they look like us a little bit,
but they have 5 new coaches and
new coordinators on both sides of
the ball. My biggest concern is that
they come out in something that
we’ve never seen which they could do.
So, we’re looking at 3 different kinds
of film from last year and trying to
kind of guesstimate what they are
going to do. It’s the unknown factor
that’s always true for any first game.
I’ve said often we’re probably more
concerned for the first game what we
do and making sure we do things
well that are sound. The biggest thing
is that I want us to play hard. I want us
to play with energy and with purpose.
Q: You mentioned that you’d like
the team to play with a “chip on its
shoulder”. How are they doing?
A: I see good focus. I’m pleased with
the attitude of this team. They come
to work. They really come to work.
I mean the positives of coming out
here and getting things done in
a positive manner, constructive,
pushing each other. We have
something to prove. We know that
and I think that’s a great way to go
into the season.
Q: What or who has been the
pleasant surprises of fall camp?
A: I can point to several. Reggie
Kerney has dramatically improved
over last year. Junior Siavii has
dramatically improved over last year.
A couple of freshmen, Dante Rosario
and Dan Kause are probably the
biggest surprises to me. Marques
Binns has improved dramatically.
Paul Martinez is as advertised as
punter. He has a great leg and as
he refines his technique he’s going
to be really awesome. Those guys
have been the standouts of fall
camp. There are others but those
guys were not necessarily people
I could count on and I think I can
now. Dante is the biggest surprise
because we thought it’d take him
a year to adust from 2A high school
football. He’s a football player. He’s
a very good athlete. He’s going to play
some fullback for us. He’s starting
on two special teams right now and
probably will be starting on four. by
midseason. He has made the transition
very easily and that has been our
most pleasant surprise of fall camp.
Fearless Forecasts
by Ducks Illustrated Staff
JERRY
THOMPSON
Editor
1. Arizona State
2. Southern Cal
3. Ducks
4. Washington
5. UCLA
6. WSU
7. Oregon State
8. California
9. Stanford
10. Arizona
JIM
NAKADATE
Feature Writer
4 AUGUST 28, 2003
Ducks I llustrated
1. Arizona State
2. Washington
3. Southern Cal
4. Ducks
5. Oregon State
6. UCLA
7. WSU
8. Stanford
9. California
10. Arizona
STEVE
TANNEN
Feature Writer
1. Washington
2. Southern Cal
3. Oregon State
4. WSU
5. Ducks
6. Arizona State
7. UCLA
8. California
9. Arizona
10. Stanford
KEN
WOODY
Feature Writer
CORY
HOWARD
Feature Writer
1. Washington
2. Arizona State
3. Ducks
4. Southern Cal
5. Oregon State
6. California
7. UCLA
8. WSU
9. Stanford
10. Arizona
1. Washington
2. Arizona State
3. Southern Cal
4. Ducks
5. Oregon State
6. UCLA
7. WSU
8. Arizona
9. California
10. Stanford