Tuesday Press Conference Quotes

Head Coach Mike MacIntyre

Opening Statement
"The first two weeks were exhilarating for our team. You play you two biggest historical rivals, neither one at your home stadium, and you're able to beat both of them. That's a credit to our staff and our players. Saturday was extra special. I had never been (to Lincoln) for a game before. The sea of red and their fanatic fans were amazing, and to see our kids keep fighting, stay calm, keep competing and stay together. We started fast we finished strong. We kind of sputtered in the middle some, but that's what our slogan is: start fast, finish strong. We did that. We just have to make sure that we sure it up a little bit more in the middle. (Nebraska) is a physical, good football team. They're really big and powerful, especially their defensive front. I was pleased with our guys and now we've got to keep moving forward. If we want to be champions, we have to keep getting better. We have a saying: you're either getting better or you're getting worse, nothing stays the same. Hopefully they carry that mantra on into life. We're playing an FCS program that has gone to the playoffs 14 years in a row. No (other) FCS team has ever done that. Since 2004, they've won more division I football games than any FCS football program in the country. We're playing against a team that's excited to come in here and play, not scared of it. New Hampshire is the team. That's where [UCLA Head Coach] Chip Kelly kind of started cutting his teeth, his main mentor is the Head Coach at New Hampshire. They're a great program in FCS and one that's not worried about coming in here to play. I think I saw their slogan on their twitter page: the next one. Talking about the next big team they're going to get. They have a lot of confidence and our guys need to be ready, they've practice well the past two days. I'm excited about playing at home. We're excited about playing at Folsom Field, I expect to have a ton of fans there to watch this team play. This is an exciting team that we have and I hope to see 50,183 in our place. Our student body will be there. It's going to be a great day. It's a 3 o'clock kickoff which is what everybody I've ever talk to say they want, a 2 o'clock or 3 o'clock kickoff. We've got it. That place needs to be packed and ready to roll and ready to watch this exciting team play. It's going to be a tough contest and we're going to need help making that Folsom environment what it should be."

On WR Laviska Shenault Jr.
"It's his hair. There's no doubt. He's kind of like Samson. He has the long good looking hair. The thing about Laviska is, he is so humble as talented as he is. Can you imagine him as a seventh or eighth grader? I mean, he looks like a Greek God now and he did as little guy too. When you have that happen, they usually get a big head so quick. He's one of those big time recruits that doesn't have a big head, that really cares about his team. I saw it after the (Nebraska) game they asked him and he said, 'I'm just playing for the name on the front of my jersey.' Wow. I think that sums up Viska. He can play everywhere, he can do everything, he's a model teammate, he works hard at everything. Chev (Co-Offensive Coordinators Darrin Chiaverini) and Klayton Adams have done a phenomenal job of moving him around all over the place and getting him the ball in different ways. His athletic ability is off the charts, but it's really his humble heart and his attitude that make him special."

On K James Stefanou's misses and the kicking game
"He'll have the confidence. He tweaked his groin a little bit on the last extra point before those two (missed) kicks. He was trying to get it loosened up. I didn't know it at the time, he tried to kick with it. We might have gone with a different kicker later on when we realized what was going on. He thought he could kick through it. He hasn't kicked at all this week right now. We're hoping that he can kick Saturday but we're not sure. That kind of happens sometimes. He's an excellent kicker and I guarantee he'll make those kicks when he's completely healthy. If you watch the film, he started going across the ball because his leg was tight instead of going up through it. That's what happened in that situation. I told him, 'hey you have to come tell that you tweaked it a little bit.' Hopefully he'll be fine."

On stopping to smell the roses during his son's (WR Jay MacIntyre) senior season
"I sure hope they're not [reading their headlines], that was one game and we have a lot left to do. Practice has not shown that [complacency] the last two days, meetings, the way they've showed up to work, their attitude, their focus, hasn't showed any of those signs that you'd notice. I feel like they're locked in and want to go play really well in Lincoln."

On ILB Nate Landman
"We knew he was a really good player, it was a hard recruiting battle for us. He was the Northern California Player of the Year on defense. He loved it here. (His recruitment) went right down to the wire and we're glad he came. He has great vision. He can see and diagnose quickly. He is explosive and powerful, he weighs 20 more pounds than he did last year. When he arrives there, I always say that he arrives in a bad mood. When he hits you, it seems like the guys body always gets jarred one way or the other, and the football went flying a couple of times. He'll keep doing that. The thing he does really well is, when he sees (a play developing) he goes, he doesn't hesitate. He has an innate ability to do that. Not everybody can do that. Then he has an explosion and power because he's such an excellent athlete. He can power clean a ridiculous amount of weight, he can squat. He's explosive and he's 230-something pounds. He kind of has it all. The other thing is, he is extremely bright. He can think under pressure. That's what Rick Gamboa does so well, he is so bright and can diagnose so quick. Both of those guys really feed off of each other in there. From A to B in a 5-to-6-yard area, he can really explode to the football."

On who he had to beat for Landman's commitment
"About everybody in the Pac-12, especially Cal. Washington I think. I can't remember all of them but it went down to the wire between us and Cal."

On the team's placekicker if K James Stefanou is unable to play
"Right now we're working between the Price is right (brothers Evan and Davis Price). Evan or Davis, whichever Price is right. I tell them that all the time. We're working with both of them. I'm not sure right now, they both kicked today. If Alex Kinney were healthy we might have let him kick field goals or taken kickoffs off of Davis and let him (handle placekicking). Davis is going to have to punt and kickoff, if Evan can handle it might be a better load. If he can't, we'll see. We've been working them and I'm sure Mrs. Price is a little nervous right now thinking about it."

On if he has crossed paths with New Hampshire Head Coach Sean McDonnell
"Very limited. I just know that when I was talking to [UCLA Head Coach] Chip Kelly at the Pac-12 meetings out in Arizona, he asked me who we play before them and I said, 'We play New Hampshire.' He goes, 'Oh!' We started talking and he was telling me all about what he had done there and what Sean had done. I knew he had a great, great program and I knew that when we put them on the schedule a few years back I said, 'Shoot. They're really good.' They are a really good program. The way I understand it, Chip was saying he is one of his main mentors and who he kind of cut his teeth under. That is something that [Nebraska Head Coach] Scott Frost told me before the game. He saw that we were playing them next and said, 'Hey, that's Chip Kelly's guy.' We were talking about that right before the game started for a minute."

On freshman K Evan Price benefiting from new redshirt rule
"It is a benefit. He could play four games throughout the season here and still get redshirted. We will see if James [Stefanou] will be ready to go. If he's not, we've been kicking the other guys today and tomorrow. We'll make a decision on Thursday, then go with it depending on where James is physically at."

On adjustments in he run game moving forward
"The running game did struggle a little bit. One of the rules that I don't like about the NCAA, and I do like about the NFL, is that the NFL takes sacks away from the passing game, not the rushing game. I think that is the way it should be done in college football too, but they have been keeping stats for so long that it would be too much care. We really had more rushing yards than it looked like because they take sacks and minus that from it, but we do need to run the football better. I thought their football team up front was very physical and they ran guys in and out. We will get better at that as the year goes on and we rushed really well the week before. The way they were fitting the run and doing some things, they gave us the ability to make some big pass plays which won the game, which is what we did. There is a flip side there. Sometimes you say, 'Well, you have to run the ball to win.' Well, not if they're doing that. Throw it over their head and score touchdowns. It's all about scoring points on offense and on defense and it's all about keeping them from scoring points. Yardage, to me, is a misnomer in today's football. It really is when you think about it. It's all about points. How many points can you stop them from getting and how many points can you score? Yards is a little bit of a misnomer. I always tease our defensive coordinator because the worst thing to be in college football is a defensive coordinator in college. The way the game is set up and the way that everybody runs offense and the way they do everything is a misnomer. You'll have teams that throw for 500 yards and score 14 points, and you'll have teams who throw for 300 yards and score 28 points. It's just how you get the ball in the end zone. We do need to improve our run game, but we are going to find a way to win the game on each Saturday. Each time the team is different, but their front was really good. We'll get better."

On Hike For Her
"This is ovarian cancer awareness month. Ovarian cancer is what took my mother-in-law, Jenny Rowan, in November of 2015. After that, my wife started a thing called Hike For Her to make the awareness for ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is extremely hard. There is no diagnosis for it, but you have to know the signs. My wife's goal is to educate others about signs and symptoms, and if we can, we believe we will be able to save a lot of lives. It is kind of the silent cancer killer amongst women, and you don't really know until it's too late, but there are a lot of signs and symptoms. We are trying to make awareness. A lot of people know about breast cancer, which is critical. Not many people know much about ovarian cancer. My wife started a hike for her a year ago. She was on a television station this morning in Denver. Sunday at 8:30 a.m. at the NCAR Table Mesa Road Hiking Trail we have the Hike For Her and the awareness of it (ovarian cancer). We would like everybody to come out that would like to. It's a big deal. In the game, we are going to where a teal ribbon on the back of our helmet representing and recognizing ovarian cancer. I really appreciate what my wife does. She is an incredible woman. I love her to death. She has put up with me for 29 years. I hope she puts up with me for one more year, we'll see. She is special and her mother Jenny was special to me, especially since Trisha and I started dating when I was about fifteen. She kind of raised me too. That is what this is about. There is a website (cubuffs.com/HikeForHer). We would love for everybody to get involved that could. Also at the game on Saturday, they are going to have a minute there to recognize Kristine Padilla, who is going through it for I think her third time. She just keeps battling it. She has become a really good friend of my wife. They want to really make a big awareness of it. There is a neat video about it on the website, and I'd like you to check it out. It's a big deal for my wife and I think it's a big deal for ovarian cancer. Hopefully we can make a small impact and save a few people's lives."

Junior Quarterback Steven Montez

On What He Learned About The Team After Saturday's Win
"No matter who we play, it doesn't really matter. We go in every week and prepare to get ready mentally and physically for the team that we play. We know that we are going to get everybody's best so we have to be prepared to give them ours, as well."

On The Key To His Fourth Quarter Touchdown Pass To Laviska Shenault Jr.
"I looked out there and saw that the DB was pressing Laviska, which is a big no-no. They had a middle field safety who was kind of shaded over the top of Laviska's side so I knew I was going to have to work him a little bit, which I did. In the first couple steps of my drop, I looked off to the left, and he moved one or two steps and that was all we needed to get the ball in there to Laviska. It was a great route and a great catch my Laviska. We had great protection up front so it just ended up working out for us."

On When He Knew Laviska Shenault Jr. Was Special
"Ever since Laviska kind of got on campus, I think everybody on the team knew that he was going to be something special for us. He didn't play very much last year. We had a bunch of senior receivers, but in the back of everybody's mind, we kind of new that when number two gets on the field and he starts routing people up, it's going to be tough to stop him. He is playing very well right now."

On If He Feels Like He Is In A Groove
"I don't know if it is so much a flow, that is more of a basketball thing when you're kind of hot and are shooting well. You are kind of in a grove then, but I think with each game you just have to prepare. Your level of preparation is going to determine how you play. Me and Roper (QB coach Kurt Roper) kind of have a feel for each other and know how to prepare for games and he knows how I prepare. What he does best is help me get ready and help me understand what I am going to see and how it is going to look. I think it is more preparation than being in a groove."

If He Feels Good About The Reads That He Is Making
"Most definitely. Coach Roper should get all of the credit there because he has been huge in my development and helping me understand what I am seeing on the other side of the ball."

On His Connection With Jay MacIntyre Against Nebraska
"Jay Mac is a great receiver as well. Some of the plays that we had called, we had him schemed up a little bit so we knew that we were going to get Jay to the flat and that he was going to be open a lot. We took advantage when they were there. There was one that I missed, it could have been a touchdown, I just feel off balance and threw it straight into the ground. We'll work on the footwork fundamentals there and get it ready for next week."

On What He Thinks Has Made Nate Landman To Flourish
"I think he just like the physicality of the game. He loves being physical and when he hits somebody, he kind of feeds off of it. He hits people now. He is coming downhill full speed and when he hits you, you know that the hammer just hit you (That is what they call him). He is a great defensive player and he is going to be a very special dude for us here this year and the coming years. He has been working for it. We knew he was special after the blocked kick last year against USC and all of that. He is a very good player. He is a very physical player which is good, you need that on defense."

On The Home Opener
"We are very excited to play at Folsom and are excited to play in front of our fans. Hopefully we have a good showing out there. Either way, we are going to do what we do on offense and on defense. We are going to play our game just like we have been. Once we have this full week of practice, I think we'll be prepared and we'll be ready to go."

Sophomore Linebacker Nate Landman

On The Difference From His Freshman Season To His Sophomore Season
"For me, it is just getting more reps at it. You see something once, you're not going to remember it, but if you see something twenty times, then you have a better understanding of it. My position coach Els (ILB coach Ross Els) actually had us do this exercise once where he gave us a bunch of numbers and we had to memorize them. None of us could give it back. He let us sit on the numbers for a little while and as he asked us later, we could say the numbers. What I am trying to say is the more you see something, the easier it gets like in practice and seeing more plays. Older guys have done one defensive call 800 times, where I've done it forty times. Having that experience during practice and during games definitely helps."

On Where He Developed A "Downhill" Style Of Play
"I definitely think some of it is instinctual. I've been playing this game since I was seven years old, starting in first grade. I've had a lot of great coaches along the way. They have all taught me a lot of different things. I just keep building on my knowledge of the game. As an inside linebacker, my main focus is to stop the run, definitely to get back in coverage, but being a downhill linebacker is definitely one of my main focuses."

On Maintaining Focus For New Hampshire
"We are going to treat them just like anybody else. This game is the most important game on our schedule right now, because it is this week. The last two weeks were great, playing our game and being the Colorado Buffaloes. We are going to continue to have that mentality going in. We are going to take it one week at a time and right now New Hampshire is the most important game on our schedule. We are going to focus on being Colorado and playing Colorado football."

On Being Named Bronko Nagurski National Player Of The Week
"I was not aware of that. (When you hear news like that, what is your first reaction.) Wow. I love all of the accolades and everything, but I always bring it back to my teammates and my coaches and everyone who has helped me along the way. I obviously can't do what I do without all of the other people behind me, helping me get to there. We play as a team. We are a brotherhood and coach emphasizes that all the time. This year, we really bring that brotherhood to the table. It allows us to play as a team."

On His Fourth Quarter, Fourth Down Stop, Against Nebraska
"We knew that was going to be a big play in the game. We had a stunt on. Where the ball actually hit wasn't my gap. We tell our guys to go make a play. It's football, you can't always do the right thing every time. Our D-line had great penetration. They moved their offensive line back. I found a run through, and being fourth down, there can't be any hesitation. I just went full speed. I didn't even wrap up, I was just downhill. Everything kind of went blurry and I was just gone. To see the crowd go wild and our Buffalo fans go wild, I knew we made the stop. That was a great feeling."

On His Hands And His Two Interceptions On The Year
"As a young player, I was actually a skills player. Growing up I was a running back, never a receiver or anything. In high school, I went and played defense. My Junior year I had to play center and as I grew a little bit and got a little more speed, my senior year I was able to play slot on my high school team. I think that is definitely where my hands developed most. I've always been outdoors. I have two brothers and from playing catch with my brothers and playing baseball, I can see those skills coming over to football."

On The Emphasis Of Getting More Takeaways
It was definitely an emphasis. As a defense, we have a lot of goals coming into every game, but one of our main goals is three takeaways. During camp and during the spring and practice, we always have takeaway drills where we are working different scenarios. Whether it is balls on the ground, stripping balls, or interceptions, the coaches do a great job of implementing that every week and everyday pretty much. This year we have really taken it up a notch and taken those drills seriously. You can see them coming into the game. Against Nebraska on the first forced fumble, instead of someone trying to pick it up, we dove on it. We recovered that possession and we work on that kind of stuff all the time."

On This Weekend's Home Opener
"I am definitely excited. Folsom is a great atmosphere. We have the student section right by the sidelines. Everybody is pumped and we have our home base here. We have a great turnout. Last year we had a lot of people show up to our games. Usually when you go to other games you see not a lot of students show up. It is great to have that fan base. Being in Folsom, we just bring a new energy. This is our stadium. It is definitely hard for people to come here and play because of the energy we play with. Our stadium is great. It is one of the best locations. I am definitely excited for the energy that it brings."

On His Ability To Get Into The Backfield Quickly
"We work on so many things in practice. Being downhill and being a linebacker, our main goal is to stop the run. That is what is going through my head. We practice so fast and do so many things so quickly so in the game, everything slows down a little bit. For me, my body kind of takes over. I don't have to think as much. It kind of lets me take over and just play. I guess that is one of my instinctual things, to get in the backfield as a middle linebacker."

Head Coach Mike MacIntyre

Junior Quarterback Steven Montez

Sophomore Linebacker Nate Landman

Players Mentioned

Rick Gamboa

Alex Kinney

Nate Landman

Jay MacIntyre

Steven Montez

Davis Price

Evan Price

Laviska Shenault Jr.

James Stefanou

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