SDSU Football Press Conference Quotes
Head Coach Rocky Long
Opening statement: “Since now it’s official, we’re pretty excited about being in our fifth-straight bowl game. I think that’s a pretty big accomplishment since we’re one of 27 schools in the country that have done that. There’s only two schools in the state of California that have done that – us and Stanford. If you go to the non-Power 5 leagues, I’m guessing it’s only us and two or three other teams that have done that. We’re happy about our accomplishment, we’re excited about staying home, we’re excited about going to this bowl game and the matchup is perfect for San Diego. Since we’re a Navy town, I’m sure there’s bragging rights involved. We’ll see what we do, but we’re excited about the position we’re in.”
On if going to five-straight bowl games is a big recruiting tool: “I don’t know how big it is because we said that last year too. I don’t know if that makes a difference or not. You would think continued success makes a difference in recruiting, so hopefully we can keep it going.”
On what he likes about the matchup with Navy: “I think it gives this town something to rally around, and we’re hoping and kind of expecting there to be a good-sized crowd there. I don’t care who they’re cheering for, just the energy in the stadium makes it different, makes it special. I personally have great respect for the military academies because of what kind of guys they are. I don’t know their coach (Ken Niumatalolo) real well, but this is the third or fourth time we’ve gone against each other over the years. He and his staff do a great job and they’re great guys. It makes it fun because the two teams get along, there will be some mutual respect and then they’ll try to beat each other’s brains out on game day.”
On Navy’s offense: “They’re good on offense because they’re fundamentally sound, they play hard, they never give up. Their offense is more traditional wishbone and triple-option than anyone we’ve played over the last three years. This is truly a wishbone, triple- option team. They’ve got an experienced quarterback (Keenan Reynolds) that is really, really good, and he throws the ball well if you do a good job against the run. They know what they’re doing, they’ve been running the offense forever, the quarterback knows how to operate it and you can’t beat it on the grease board. What else do you want?”
On his team’s past success against triple-option teams: “This is the first true triple-option team we’ve played since we played (Navy) in 2010. People get confused because Air Force lines up the same way sometimes, but they do not run the same offense. (Navy’s) fullback is going to carry the ball 35-40 times.”
On their depth on the defensive line: “I’m concerned about our depth on the defensive line because Alex Barrett got operated on and he’s not going to play in the (bowl) game. You can argue he’s our best defensive lineman. Dakota Turner got a high ankle sprain in practice the other day, so he’s not expected to even practice for a week or 10 days. So I’m concerned because the defensive line and linebackers are critical in slowing the running game down of any triple-option football team.”
On what type of turnout he expects for the Poinsettia Bowl: “I don’t know what to expect. I’m hoping it’s a huge crowd. I don’t know why it wouldn’t be. Obviously, there’s a lot of people in this town associated with the Navy and associated with the military, and it gives them a chance to come support their team. And I hope the San Diego State fans step and have a big showing too so at least its equal. It’s a chance for SDSU fans to not only support us, but support Navy as well. In a military town, you would think a lot of people would buy tickets just to the see the game and don’t have any real loyalties to either team.”
On stopping a triple-option team: “Every defensive guy in the world has a different idea on how to stop it. I believe you have to do it inside-out. You cannot let the fullback get going. If the fullback gets going, everything else works. No. 1, you have to control the fullback. You have to make him only get three yards a carry. The next option of it is the quarterback carrying the ball – he’s their leading rusher and their best ball carrier. I think you have to keep the option running sideways, so you have to make the quarterback pitch the ball. Then hopefully you have enough speed on defense that once you make him pitch the ball, the other guys can get over there.”
On if they have the defensive personnel to stop Navy: “We’re plenty talented enough. It’s not a talent issue. That’s why the academies run those types of offenses, because it offsets a lack of size or a lack of ability in certain spots. On the chalkboard they win every single time. It’s the biggest challenge I face every year.”
On J.J. Whittaker and Jake Fely returning for next season: “Both those guys coming back is a big boost to our program. They’re both good guys and they’re really good football players with a lot of experience. We just need to get (Fely) through an entire season without getting hurt and he’ll make a huge difference on our defense. With (Whittaker) coming back, I thought we had the two best corners in the (Mountain West) this year and our two backups are pretty good too. It just makes us a lot better on defense with those two guys coming back.”
On defensive back Damontae Kazee: “I think he’s played really well and some games he’s played extremely well. Some games he’s struggled a little bit, but when you’re a cornerback in this day and age, that’s a tough spot to play.”
On the team awards presented on Sunday: “It’s all about the seniors. The individual awards are just tradition. If we didn’t have to give them out, we wouldn’t. It’s all about the seniors in your program.”
Senior quarterback Quinn Kaehler
On practicing for the bowl game: “We obviously want to practice hard each day. There’s been less scout team work up to this point. We weren’t sure who we were going to play last week. We kind of had an idea that it would be Navy but for the most part, we were just trying to get better at the fundamentals. From now on, it’s going to be geared towards Navy and it’ll really ramp up about a week prior to the game.”
On playing Navy in the Poinsettia Bowl: “They are disciplined in what they do. They’re not going to give you any cheap plays and we’re going to have to work hard for all the yards that we get.”
On playing one more game at Qualcomm Stadium: “I’m just excited to play another game with the team and play it here in San Diego. It’s one more game on our home field. There’s nothing like playing here (at Qualcomm Stadium).”
Junior corner back J.J. Whittaker
On returning for the 2015 season: “I’m truly excited, blessed and fortunate enough to get to come back next year. I get to finish up school which was really important in my decision to come back.
On being a veteran and coming back to play with the team: It’s going to be a great feeling. We have a lot of vengeance this year after not making it to the championship. Just to be able to come back and win another championship means a lot. It’s a lot on my plate trying to get there next year.”
On his contribution to the secondary: “Just being a leader and getting into everyone’s heads about having a great attitude and coming ready to play each day. Practicing good habits has helped the younger guys a lot.”
Senior linebacker Cody Galea
On J.J. Whittaker’s contribution: “A lot of it is energy and great play, it doesn’t get any simpler than that. Anytime you come out to practice, (Whittaker) and his whole group are just the wiliest group of guys on the field, just ready to play and have fun. It gets everyone else going, too. If I’m a little slow getting ready for practice, I’m definitely ready by the warm up with him next to me.”
On playing Navy in the Poinsettia Bowl: “Being in the Poinsettia Bowl is awesome and being back to play our last game there (at Qualcomm) is huge. Playing Navy in a bowl game is kind of déjà vu for me because the first year I was here, we played Navy in the Poinsettia Bowl. I like everything surrounding the bowl game, like going on to the USS Midway with the Navy football team for the banquet. It’s a great environment. It’s nice to have naval ties here in San Diego along with us being the home team. It’ll be a good game. Their offense is very complex and they’re very good at it. They’re disciplined. It’s a big challenge for us to go against Navy and that’s the biggest thing I’m looking forward to.”
On assignment football: “There’s pros and cons when you’re playing against them as a defense. Navy is a pretty true triple-option team. They don’t really get away from that like Air Force or New Mexico does. To beat a team like Navy is basically assignment football. Depending on what defense or coverage you’re playing, it fluctuates on what your assignment is. You have to match their discipline. You can’t make mistakes or mental errors because they’re not going to. Being tougher than them is basically what it comes down to.”
On head coach Rocky Long’s experience with triple-option teams: “I think it’s a pretty big factor in how we play against triple-option teams. He played in it when he was in college and played a lot of it here. There’s two teams in our conference that run it and we play Army and Navy pretty frequently. Every time we play these times, it’s not such a big deal because we know how to play as a defense.”
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