by Bill Seals
Opening comments:
“I’ll just wrap up the Oklahoma game. Like I addressed here after the game and certainly with our kids, I was really proud of our kids’ effort and I thought they played really hard throughout the game. We gave ourselves chances to be in the game. We didn’t capitalize on a couple of opportunities. We take the good and we take some of those areas we need to continue to grow on. We had a good practice on Sunday and obviously get into another huge opportunity for this football team to go on the road and win a conference road game, which hasn’t been done here in a while. It’s a great challenge for our football team.”
On the depth chart at running back and where guys are with injuries:
“It continues to be interesting to see where we’re at. One thing I will say is all three of our guys were out at practice on Sunday, which was really good to see. Mike (Warren) back, David (Montgomery) practicing and Kene (Nwangwu). The one thing we all feel really good about is you saw those two young guys, and I don’t know if they could have played any better on a bigger stage than what they did. On Joel’s touchdown run, the block David Montgomery has in that game is incredible. It’s great to see Kene get in there and get some reps. We feel really comfortable with all three guys. Where is their health? Where are they at? By the middle of the week we should know a lot more.”
On if they are all cleared to participate:
“As of right now, yes they are all cleared. All cleared last week as well.”
On what will help decide the running back rotation for the Kansas game:
“If all healthy, practice with help be a great indicator because we feel really good about all three of those guys. David has continued to show significant improvement and played really well in the game Thursday night. We know what Michael can do. He has the ability to run the football and do some really great things with that. Kene is really starting to come on and getting more reps. He continues to show he deserves carries. It’s a good situation. It’s hard to have one guy carrying the football all the time. When there is competition in practice for carries, that’s a great thing as well.”
On if the quarterback rotation of Jacob Park and Joel Lanning will get any tweaking:
“I don’t know if it’s any different, other than we see how practice goes, what’s the game plan indicate a little bit and what gives us the best opportunity to have success. The thing I’m really proud of is both guys will be a part of that. Joel and Jacob both playing their best football together in the last six quarters that we’ve played. That’s been positive. We have to continue to find what that is, continue to see what gives us the best opportunity to have success as a team and make that happen.”
On if he’s decided which of the two quarterbacks will start:
“More than anything, it comes into game plan. What gives us the most opportunity to have success early in the game. I don’t think we want to wait for a quarter to say, man, who is this or what is this. You’re never always right either in that when you’re trying to play that guessing game. Practice still has a major indicator of what and whom starts the football game. I look at it as we have two guys that are starting quarterbacks for us and either of those guys will play, both will play. Who is the first guy that goes out there – a lot of it is dictated on game plan a little bit. Certainly, that’s what went into it last week against Oklahoma.”
On how much the seniors have played a role of late in playing teams closely:
“A lot of it has to do with our seniors. You look at that game Thursday night and some of the guys that played – our whole team grew up a lot, but our seniors really played well. Jomal Wiltz, Demond Tucker and Nick Fett. I could have told you that, because they practiced their tails off on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. They were as locked in as anybody I’ve seen since I’ve been here. To me, I continue to challenge this senior class and team. This senior class has the chance to put their stamp on this thing and come back here some day and say we changed this and we changed the foundation. They are continuing to show the way of, how I prepare, how I come to practice, how I do the little things right.
“That’s what you hope you have in a program, that your seniors are leading the way. That group has steadied the ship. That group has not allowed this program to just go by the wayside and play for next year. I told our kids and coaches, I’m not playing for next year. I’m playing for right now and today. We’re not quitting on those seniors, either. I want to do everything in my power to give those guys an opportunity to win each and every one of their remaining football games.
“You talk about winning. Winning is a byproduct of what happens. I knew we were going to play well last week, because we practiced our best three days of practice of the entire year. Now can we match that this week and continue to understand the value of preparation and detail. Those are the things that have really held us back from the scoreboard tilting the way we needed it to. I really look forward to that process this week.”
On what he’s seen of Park, who has gotten more throwing opportunities in games of late:
“Jacob has gotten some more of those passing reps in the game. What you like is what you see, which is some of the big plays that game. He’s made some big touchdown throws. He has the ability to get rid of the ball really fast and he’s a really accurate thrower. What you want more of is more reps, to see him settle in and play the game more and get more of those reps to see what that overall byproduct looks like. I’ve been really happy with the progress Jacob has been able to make throughout the season. Equal to that, I’ve been really happy with the progress Joel has made throughout the season. Those guys have impressed me of who they are and what they are as people and at the quarterback position.”
Opening comments:
“I’ll just wrap up the Oklahoma game. Like I addressed here after the game and certainly with our kids, I was really proud of our kids’ effort and I thought they played really hard throughout the game. We gave ourselves chances to be in the game. We didn’t capitalize on a couple of opportunities. We take the good and we take some of those areas we need to continue to grow on. We had a good practice on Sunday and obviously get into another huge opportunity for this football team to go on the road and win a conference road game, which hasn’t been done here in a while. It’s a great challenge for our football team.”
On the depth chart at running back and where guys are with injuries:
“It continues to be interesting to see where we’re at. One thing I will say is all three of our guys were out at practice on Sunday, which was really good to see. Mike (Warren) back, David (Montgomery) practicing and Kene (Nwangwu). The one thing we all feel really good about is you saw those two young guys, and I don’t know if they could have played any better on a bigger stage than what they did. On Joel’s touchdown run, the block David Montgomery has in that game is incredible. It’s great to see Kene get in there and get some reps. We feel really comfortable with all three guys. Where is their health? Where are they at? By the middle of the week we should know a lot more.”
On if they are all cleared to participate:
“As of right now, yes they are all cleared. All cleared last week as well.”
On what will help decide the running back rotation for the Kansas game:
“If all healthy, practice with help be a great indicator because we feel really good about all three of those guys. David has continued to show significant improvement and played really well in the game Thursday night. We know what Michael can do. He has the ability to run the football and do some really great things with that. Kene is really starting to come on and getting more reps. He continues to show he deserves carries. It’s a good situation. It’s hard to have one guy carrying the football all the time. When there is competition in practice for carries, that’s a great thing as well.”
On if the quarterback rotation of Jacob Park and Joel Lanning will get any tweaking:
“I don’t know if it’s any different, other than we see how practice goes, what’s the game plan indicate a little bit and what gives us the best opportunity to have success. The thing I’m really proud of is both guys will be a part of that. Joel and Jacob both playing their best football together in the last six quarters that we’ve played. That’s been positive. We have to continue to find what that is, continue to see what gives us the best opportunity to have success as a team and make that happen.”
On if he’s decided which of the two quarterbacks will start:
“More than anything, it comes into game plan. What gives us the most opportunity to have success early in the game. I don’t think we want to wait for a quarter to say, man, who is this or what is this. You’re never always right either in that when you’re trying to play that guessing game. Practice still has a major indicator of what and whom starts the football game. I look at it as we have two guys that are starting quarterbacks for us and either of those guys will play, both will play. Who is the first guy that goes out there – a lot of it is dictated on game plan a little bit. Certainly, that’s what went into it last week against Oklahoma.”
On how much the seniors have played a role of late in playing teams closely:
“A lot of it has to do with our seniors. You look at that game Thursday night and some of the guys that played – our whole team grew up a lot, but our seniors really played well. Jomal Wiltz, Demond Tucker and Nick Fett. I could have told you that, because they practiced their tails off on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. They were as locked in as anybody I’ve seen since I’ve been here. To me, I continue to challenge this senior class and team. This senior class has the chance to put their stamp on this thing and come back here some day and say we changed this and we changed the foundation. They are continuing to show the way of, how I prepare, how I come to practice, how I do the little things right.
“That’s what you hope you have in a program, that your seniors are leading the way. That group has steadied the ship. That group has not allowed this program to just go by the wayside and play for next year. I told our kids and coaches, I’m not playing for next year. I’m playing for right now and today. We’re not quitting on those seniors, either. I want to do everything in my power to give those guys an opportunity to win each and every one of their remaining football games.
“You talk about winning. Winning is a byproduct of what happens. I knew we were going to play well last week, because we practiced our best three days of practice of the entire year. Now can we match that this week and continue to understand the value of preparation and detail. Those are the things that have really held us back from the scoreboard tilting the way we needed it to. I really look forward to that process this week.”
On what he’s seen of Park, who has gotten more throwing opportunities in games of late:
“Jacob has gotten some more of those passing reps in the game. What you like is what you see, which is some of the big plays that game. He’s made some big touchdown throws. He has the ability to get rid of the ball really fast and he’s a really accurate thrower. What you want more of is more reps, to see him settle in and play the game more and get more of those reps to see what that overall byproduct looks like. I’ve been really happy with the progress Jacob has been able to make throughout the season. Equal to that, I’ve been really happy with the progress Joel has made throughout the season. Those guys have impressed me of who they are and what they are as people and at the quarterback position.”
