Colorado University Athletics
Tuesday Press Conference Quotes
September 03, 2019 | Football
Colorado Head Coach Mel Tucker
Opening Statement
"We had a good day of preparation. The guys were really focused today. I was really happy with the approach. Tuesdays are a big workday for us on both sides of the ball and special teams. From the time the guys walked into the meeting until the end of practice, it was focused and they were getting after it, so right now it's all about preparation for us. I'm really looking forward to a great football environment on Saturday. It's going to be great for our players and our coaches, our fans are going to be into it, they're going to be loud. We're going to have 10,000 plus students there so there's a great atmosphere and a great opportunity for us to go out and perform. Right now it's all about the day to day preparation and that's where our focus is."
On Having Any "Jitters" For His First Home Game In Boulder
"I don't think of it that way, in terms of jitters and things like that. Obviously I'm looking forward to playing at home. We've got a great venue, a great stadium, our fans are going to be loud. Our students are going to be into it. You know, Ralphie is going to be running a little bit faster. It's really about our focus and our preparation leading up to the game. The game will take care of itself."
On Momentum Swings In Rivalry Games
"Well, there's momentum swings in every game. We talk about it all the time, the pendulum is going to swing back and forth. You've got to play for 60 minutes and play to win. To keep our guys focused and to keep our guys on an even keel, it's really about playing the next play. We talk to our guys all the time about not watching the scoreboard. It's about our performance and our behavior and playing the next play. That's how you stay focused. I know that all sounds cliche but that's the way you keep guys on an even keel. Obviously there's going to be momentum swings in the game. I've coached in Ohio State vs Michigan, Auburn vs Alabama, Georgia vs Florida, Georgia vs Georgia Tech, Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh, Chicago Bears vs Green Bay. That's what makes the game great. That's what everyone wants to see, and that's why players come here, to play in big games like this. And that's why you put in all the work in the offseason and then during the season, to be able to put your best foot forward in these types of games. So I look at it as great moments and opportunities to perform."
On Rivalry Games He's Been InÂ
"I anticipate this one being probably the most intense because it's the one that's up next. And you're only as good as your next game and that's where your focus has to be. But, rivalry games, in my experience, are usually the hardest-hitting, cleanest football games that you're going to play."
On Nebraska Quarterback Adrian Martinez
"He's an excellent playmaker. It's rare to see a quarterback that can throw the ball accurately in the pocket and is also a threat to run at any moment. I believe your quarterback has to be your number one competitor, and on tape, he looks that way. He puts a lot of pressure on you defensively because of all the things that he can do. Everyone's going to be at the point of attack on every play. We'll have to be at our best. Some players you can win with, and some players can win for you, and he's the type of guy that can win for you."
On How He Has Approached This Week With The Team
"First of all, you really can't downplay rivalry games. You have to embrace them. They are what they are and that's what makes this game great. However, our focus is really on the preparation and what it's going to take to put ourselves in a position to perform the way we need to perform in the game. I just put a message out on teamworks again that I don't want our guys talking. This is not a time to talk, this is about preparation. There's already a date on the game."
Colorado Players
Steven Montez, Sr., QB
On The Rivalry
"Just like you said, we treat every week the same. Just a nameless, faceless opponent. I mean, with that being said, we do understand how deep this kind of hatred goes for Nebraska, and I know they don't like us either. But I mean, we're just going to go out there and play the best football we possibly can for four quarters, and if it takes more than that, then it takes more than that. But, we're excited about it, the rivalry games are always fun. The stadium is going to be packed and it's going to be the highest revenue, I think that's what Rick [George] said, in the history of Colorado football, so that's huge. That being said, the atmosphere should be great and we're just excited to get out there and play."
On How The Offense Played Against CSU
"I thought we looked good. We looked really clean and I thought we ran things really well. We didn't have a lot of foolish penalties, maybe we only had one false start, which is really good for us. If we can cut those down or just keep them where they're at, that'd be really good. But I mean, no turnovers, which is another big checkpoint that we reached last week. I think if we could just keep doing those things, taking care of the ball and just keep running the offense at a very high level, I think we'll be in good shape."
On Appreciation For Wide Receivers
"Tony [Brown] and I have a really great chemistry. It's always a really positive thing when you throw a ball out there, and it's going to be a close call with the safeties or corners or whoever, and the receiver takes a hit and holds on to the ball. That's a real motivator and really gets everybody going. It gets the offensive line going, it gets the running backs and all the other receivers going, and it just shows a lot of toughness. I think that's what our guys have outside and up front, and all over the field, just that toughness. Coach Tucker has been preaching to us about toughness and physicality. Those are the attributes that we want to have as an offense, and I think they definitely showed up in some of those catches that our guys made."
"He's a very dynamic back, very fast and shifty. As you guys saw on Friday, his balance is a little bit different. He can break that first tackle, whether they're pulling on his leg or grabbing him by his jersey, he kind of just slips the tackle, does a little stumble, and just goes and scores a touchdown. So, his balance is his best quality. And then, just as a person, he's a funny dude. He's a little different, but definitely funny and a good guy. He's also humble and good to be around in the locker room."
On Having Alex Fontenot As Another Offensive Weapon
"He makes our offense that much more dynamic. We can just hand the ball off and be good, we can draw back and pass the ball as well, and it helps us do some good things and positive things. So, I think it was definitely a big step in the right direction going out there and showing that we can run the ball, and hopefully we can do that again this week."
On The Influence Last Year's Win Has On This Year's Game
"It might have, but I can't really speak from their shoes. I know last year we went out there and tried to play the best football we possibly could for four quarters, and it ended up being enough to get the job done. As far as their talking goes, they're talking enough for both of us."
On Difficulties For Defenses To Prepare For Their Offense
"I think it's more difficult for other teams to prepare for because we have so many different looks that we get into and that we show the defense. It's just a different look, when you get into 12, when you get into 11, and when you spread it out. It's not so much all spread or all shotgun all the time like we were last year a little bit. It's definitely nice to get under center and just try to run that ball right down somebody's throat. I don't think there's any better feeling than that."
On Not Being Sacked Versus CSU
"First of all, I've got to give credit to the big guys up front. I mean, they did a phenomenal job on Friday, protecting me and doing good things not only in the run game but also in the pass protection game as well. They played their butts off and I think it's also just a mixture of me getting the ball out a little bit quicker and just kind of getting into those reads a little faster."
On How Big The Game This Week Is And What It Means
"It doesn't really change my approach. At the end of the day, football is football, no matter how many fans are in the stadium. Obviously it's going to change the atmosphere a little bit, it will probably be a little bit louder. I'm sure there will be a lot of Nebraska fans here trying to be loud when we're on offense, which is fine. We've played in loud environments before, so it's not going to be any different to us.
On The Opportunity To Play A Nationally Ranked Team
"We're excited to get up and play anybody. It doesn't matter who it is, and it doesn't matter if they're ranked or not. We'll get up and play anybody you want us to get up and play against. I mean, we're excited about just having the opportunity to go out there and play football, which is the game that we all love. We get the opportunity to do that again Saturday, so we're pumped about it. We're very excited."
On Who The Better Team Is
"I don't know, you guys watch the game, so I guess you'd have to tell me."
Mikial Onu, Sr., S
On What He Saw From CSU Film
"I think the biggest thing was just first-game jitters. They came out with some looks that we weren't seeing consistently in practice. In the first game, you've got to kind of just get settled in. I think the biggest thing for us was just to settle down. Coaches made great adjustments at halftime, we made the adjustments on the field. We came in and we talked about it. We settled down, we got more comfortable with the flow of the game, and then we were able to respond."
On Key Points For Practice This Week
"The biggest thing for us is we want to continue to try and be more physical. We want to get better every day, we want to preach physicality. We want that to be our brand, so every day we have to try and improve that. I didn't play perfect, no one played perfect. I think we have a long way to go, we can improve on a lot of things. The key to getting better every day is just finding a thing that you need to get better, addressing that problem, and then finding a solution. We're never satisfied. It doesn't matter how well we play, there's always something to get better at it."
On Communication Between The Defense On The Field
"Next to physicality, communication is probably the second most important thing for us to improve on. We've just got to get used to communicating back there and getting comfortable with each other. When the games going fast you have to be able to look for calls and try to listen, even though it's kind of loud sometimes. And that'll get better with time, we definitely harped on that this week and I think we'll see an improvement in this game."
On Wearing Red In Boulder
"It's funny how this happened. On Sunday I had on a red, white and blue shirt, but it was mostly red, and I was wearing a red hat as well. I came into the training room and I walk in and everyone's giving me these death stares. And I'm looking around like 'what did I do?' and they were like 'it's Nebraska week now!'. So all my red shirts and shorts and hats have been put away into storage until further notice."
On What Makes Scott Frost's Offense Challenging
"I did play against Coach Frost during my sophomore year. The biggest thing with them is they get lined up quickly. They line up really fast and they give you some really different looks. They're really good at the RPO game. The biggest thing for us is just to get lined up and get lined up quickly, then look for the call and then quickly make adjustments. Our communication has to be sharp. I think the hardest thing about their offense is how quickly they move and how many different looks you can get in that short period of time."
On How The Scale Of The Game Affects Him
"For me, it's just another game. It's another opponent that we have to go against. I think when you get too high and too involved in what the media is saying or what fans are saying, that can kind of get you off track. I think the biggest key for us is to stay focused and treat it like another game. Just go out there and prepare the same way, keep the same level of focus at practice and walk-throughs. You never want to get too into that kind of stuff."
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