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Fairchild: Rams have no finger-pointing, good work ethic, positive attitude
Head coach's Monday press conference transcript
Nov. 2, 2009
Opening statement: “I sound like a broken record, but just like last week, we are disappointed in how we played Saturday. We certainly had some facets of our team playing well, but just didn’t play well in enough areas and weren’t consistent enough to really be in the game, so congratulations to Air Force. We realize we are on a bit of a skid here and need to get things turned around. The formula is still very clear to me; if we continue to practice at a great tempo and with great effort, we will eventually break through. As the week starts, we will put all of our efforts into having the best week of practice we can to prepare for UNLV this Saturday.” On re-evaluating the quarterback’s play after putting QB Jon Eastman in against Air Force: “Obviously Grant Stucker played very well for us the first half of the season. We have struggled in our passing game of late, which is a shame because I think our offensive line is playing as well as it possibly can. If we get a little help in the other areas, I think we can get our offense back like last year to being fairly productive in the last part of the season. We have struggled, but it’s like I always say, it’s not all the defensive backs, it’s the pass rush, it’s the offense controlling the ball. The same thing with the passing game; it’s not just the quarterback, it’s the details, effort of the receivers, protection by the offensive line and the backs knowing what they need to do and so forth. We realize that is an area we have to get better in, and obviously it will be a big focus for us the remainder of the season.” On the specific area in which he sees the team struggling: “The protection has been excellent. We have struggled some at running back in recognizing things; we should be farther along there than we are. As far as the offensive line goes, that part has been very good, but our quarterback and receivers’ consistency and details, things you need to be a good passing team, we have not exemplified on the practice field or in the game as of late. Obviously, things need to get there in a hurry.”
On whether the passing game has taken a step back: “They have, for whatever reason. I don’t think it is terribly tough to fix, we just have to regain our form.” On whether the starting QB will be a game-time decision: “It really is no different in that every job we have on our football team is open. If Grant Stucker doesn’t practice the way we aim to practice around here, we will play another quarterback. It’s really no different. Everybody knows in our program that you are a starter for that play only and you have to keep your job. It will be up to Grant to do that this week.” On whether backup QB Jon Eastman will get an equal number of reps at practice this week: “Not equal, but of late we have been letting him take a few reps in practice just because I’m curious as to where he is at right now. I got a good look at him in spring football and a little bit in fall camp, but as time progresses, quarterbacks sometimes get more comfortable. I would anticipate Grant being our starter, but, again, guys have to go out and guys have to produce.” On translating great practice play to great play on game day: “It is translating in some spots. There are a lot of factors; if I run down the list of things it sounds like excuses, and there are none. We are in a results oriented business and obviously we are not getting the results right now that we desire. Having said that, it still doesn’t change the plan in what’s right. Sometimes, it’s like anything else in life, we all want results but you better pay attention to the process and make sure the process is right. That in itself will lend itself to the right result.” On what he is seeing that is keeping him confident in this team: “Just the way our players work, the way our staff works and the way we are recruiting, the support I get on a daily basis from our athletic administration and the support I get on a daily basis from our school administration. You can look around and see facilities, and you see new locker rooms. And, there is an extremely positive attitude permeating our football program, so that to me is reason enough.” On keeping the players’ attitudes positive: “I see good, positive attitude, and obviously I’m not worried about it. We have good kids in this program and we know how to work. You would like results, you know, I feel bad every day. I feel bad for the students, I feel bad for our athletic department, our players and our coaches. I certainly would like to win every game and intend to win every game, and we have and will continue to train that way. I knew this was going to be a lengthy process, but there is still a lot out there for us this season, we just have to find a way to win a game.” On pressure, more or less, compared to earlier this year: “I’m not sure if I said we have something, even after last year and then a 3-0 start. You look around the league and you know where we have to get to, and we never approached that level quite yet, we are going to, but like I said, it is just a process. You can get way too far-sided in this, with what you can control and what is important. Obviously for us, it is to go out and practice absolutely as hard as we can on Tuesday and enjoy what we are doing, have some fun and try and get better. I’m very confident we can do that.” On why Grant Stucker has stayed in the pocket more this season with his running ability and whether he is free to roam: “He scored on a designed run, and we do run him. He is a part of our running game. He is not free to bail out of the pocket, because if we have a pass called there is a progression that we would insist that he get through. I would like to run him more, but also the quarterback running game lends itself to having more than one quarterback at that point.” On defending against UNLV’s athletic QBs and their mobility: “It is a little bit different; obviously they are not like Air Force. They are more of a spread gun-run team with very talented wideouts. They are in a little more of the mode of the University of Utah, so the game plan will shift accordingly.” On UNLV’s QBs and their tendency to run more than TCU or Utah’s QBs: “It changes a little bit, but their structure is still the one-back spread, multi-wide receiver gun and run, so it’s similar to those other teams. Everybody has their nuance from every team in the league.” On whether the game plan will change to defend against the QB run once Mike Clausen enters the game: “I think you have to play it similar; both QBs have their strengths, but the game plan does not change a great deal.” On defending UNLV’s talented receivers with the struggles of the CSU secondary: “We have to get more pressure. Obviously we have to do a better job of playing the ball in the air. On third down we have to know the down and distance and play that accordingly. There are a lot of areas we can improve on, but they will challenge us. They have a good group of wideouts and that is for sure.” On whether DeAngelo Wilkinson (foot) will travel this week, and other injuries: “I don’t know, it will be close throughout the week. Speaking of injuries, we will know more with Eric Peitz. I’m sure he is not playing, and is quite possibly out for the year. (Chris) Gipson has the shoulder, but that has been the same case over the last month. (Mychal) Sisson will play, guys start getting a little dinged up this time of year, but they are going to play. But Eric is the one you can pretty much say is not going to play this Saturday.” On TE Norman Gee coming in to replace Peitz: “We really need Norman Gee to step up this week. Adam Seymore has done a nice job when he has been in there. Adam is very good at the point of attack blocking, and has improved and has done well in the past game as well. I am kind of excited to see what Adam Seymore does given more time, but we also play multi-tight-end sets so Norm will play as well. Norm is a talented young man and now has a chance to showcase himself for three games, and, I have to say, I’m excited to see what he can do.” On FB Zac Pauga playing tight end in situations: “He has been doing that all year. So, when Zac Pauga comes in the game, we are not in a two-back offense all the time; he has played with his hand down. Zac is a very talented young man that can catch, run and block. As I look back over the last year, and I will look back again this year, I probably need to get him more involved because every time he is involved something good happens.” On how valuable the fullback position is: “They are getting harder and harder to find. They are hard to find in the NFL because people in college don’t play with them, and now they are getting harder to find in college because people in high school don’t use them. You have to be a tough guy to roar in there on a linebacker and then we ask you to catch the ball, then put your hand on the ground and block a defensive end, and then we hand you a belly play and want you to run up the middle. We ask a lot out of that spot, and Zac Pauga is a tremendous football player for us.” On younger players who can help the team next year: “I hate to start listing guys. I have said this all along; we have some good young players in this program. The defensive line for example, with (Zach) Tiedgen and C.J. (James) and guys like that, that are young and are playing and have three more years after this year to play. There are guys like that in every spot and it is our chore to back up last year’s recruiting class, which I think is very good, and back it up again this year with one and back it up the year after with one, and then all of a sudden you get a little of competition and a little depth when guys get hurt. That is just how you build a football program and it’s very clear; it just takes time.” On enjoying seeing the young players’ progression: “I really do. I enjoyed last week immensely. Obviously, I spend a little more time on the offensive end, but because of our weather situation last week and the way we structured some things we actually, at times, had practice going on two different ends, an offense and defensive type of practice. I got to go down there and watch (RB) Raymond Carter and (WR) Vernon Scott and those young offensive lineman and all those guys play on the scout team. Things like that get you excited; nobody is a savior around here, but you just keep getting good kids in the program and get your numbers going and, I’ve seen it before, that is how you get a good football program up and running.” On needing depth on a football team: “Every football program does that. You have an unlimited amount of numbers and then as your numbers dwindle throughout the year, the depth on the field is one thing that could suffer, and really the depth of your scout team, because we just don’t line up with 11 guys who run a look for the team; sometimes you have roll with different guys in there to keep them fresh to get a good look, and as your numbers dwindle that can sometimes be a chore.” On wanting to build that depth and if that would help in a situation like the team is in now with multiple starters injured: “Hopefully, but, again, there are no excuses. Guys just have to line up and go, and guys have to line up and play and play well. That is just what it is.” On running game showing improvement the last two weeks: “We have blocked the run very well all year. At times we haven’t finished with our running backs like I envision Colorado State doing, but at times we have and we flashed in the run game. Again, if we just start producing in the other areas, it will get better.” On the team having a lot to play for, even the possibility for a bowl game: “We are all smart enough to know where we are at, and speaking of where we are at, we need a win; and to be thinking about anything other than trying to play well and beat UNLV is silly on all of our parts.” On being able to congratulate his team and not the other team: “I’m starving for a win to be honest with you. I’ve been sitting here for six weeks doing TV, radio and press conferences; I would like to walk in, in a good mood. Again, I like our kids. There is no finger pointing; there is good work ethic and good attitudes, and that makes coming to work fun. Hopefully, not just for our players, but for everybody, we will break through this and get something going on.” On taking things one game at a time and not using bowl eligibility as a carrot: “I don’t believe in that stuff; I’m worried when we beat CU and we line up against Weber. People that play and coach this game know better. Really, what is important is what we do in the next 72 hours on the practice field and showing up and playing hard and smart football next Saturday night.” On whether this experience this season makes the team stronger: “I believe that, in life in general, and always have. I’ll even go as far to say that when a guy has won everywhere he has been, sometimes going through stuff like this does make you better. It teaches you a lot about yourself and a lot about working with people, but I wish it upon no one. Everyone is trying to win every game and that is what we are paid to do, and hopefully that is what we do.” |
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