Arizona Football Press Conference

e e e and withes e e question for Noah and Jonah what's it been like being a part of the documentary it is it's pretty special it's a cool experience um but at the end of the day we we're trying to focus on what really matters and that's winning so that's kind of the mindset we're in and we're looking forward to season finally being here it's cool you know get to tell my background but you know like one all said the main focus is this week Saturday night and that's what we're attacking on mat Michael for both Josh and Jonah I mean for you guys going into a season opener with some actual film on a team you know they played a game but how different does that you know make the preparation how just kind of unique scenario is it to have a week zero game a tape on it's awesome because we have a general idea of what we might get um yeah what bigger said you know um it's good for them that you know they played off four quarters and it's good for us too you know we have something to watch on going into week one specifically with them I mean they had a lot of success on delayed blitzes um you know they were able to obviously we have two scoop short shots yeah I mean you know they're going to do it again because that's inner scheme so we're going to expect it and we're going to prepare for it coming Saturday Michael and Brian for the of lineman um during training camp there was a lot of guys kind of in and out of the lineup including yourself Josh for a while um how do you feel like the line has come together here as the season approaches what have you guys done to U make sure that you have the cohesion and chemistry that you need it's coming together uh pretty good now now that we've gotten uh like you said many guys able to get some reps in there so we have more cohesion more dep with more guys able to come in and fill in roles as we need them uh that's what summer was for you know kind of get the guys together you know we're off our know we on nothing we got no school so that's where we come together as a team get in The Firm room attack and then just build that chemistry Brian uh Noah what's been the biggest difference for you this preseason compared to last year that like knowing that you are the guy and and being the leader as opposed to having to always ready that's what you said so many times last year like be ready in case something happens to J I think last year was more about kind of myself and really taking care of what I had to take care of and now um this year it's about the team and kind of um having cohesion through all the through all the position groups and not just worrying about my my um responsibility so that's the biggest difference and uh we have some really good people in our building from coaches and players that make my job easy to this day do you find yourself watching almost as much if not more film of the other position groups as as your own uh I always kind of just watched a lot of film that was just kind of my nature to be prepared um so I wouldn't say there's a drastic difference in in that phase one of Mexico's DBS I believe was one of your teammates at survived Noah Avenger what's the scy report on him he's he's a special player and you kind of saw what he did last week um he played corner for us growing up and obviously now he's playing safety so um playing that boundary safety he's not scared to hit um a lot of their DBS had a lot of tackles um so that's definitely a a fun group um we know that they're going to come down and and play hard so we're expecting a a great opportunity to be able to play against a really good defense a really good defensive coach and um we're just going to try to be the best us we could be how cool is it to see not just at Arizona but around college football all the the serite guys it's awesome I mean these guys that we grew up with these are guys that we uh went through a lot of adversity with growing up so um it's special to see a lot of people um live out their dreams Matt and Michael no when you walked out in the K Fort 7 months ago it was like you guys were ready to strap it up and play a game then has this felt like just a super long offseason just how exciting is it to be a game it's super exciting we're finally here um but I mean I think I think through all of the things that we had to go through as a team we're closer than we've ever been um you talk about the culture and it's it's continued to grow so I'm really excited to be able to um finally play with these guys um be able to uh just compete at the highest level and we're looking forward to just taking this one week at a time Michael and Brian um with all the individual work that T-Mac did before reintegrating himself into the offense how do you think that might help him to become an even better player yeah you talk about tmac you obviously first you think about all of the Just the special intangibles he has um and the athleticism that that god- given for him but kind of just having that time with Coach Wade and um having that time with Coach Carol on the side you can see him kind of building building his um repertoire from his speed and his strength to just little tricks that that you've never seen him comfortable doing he's trying new things and one-on on he's trying new things um in the game and it's going to make him even a better receiver so when you take the best player in the country and you give him more tools um it's kind of scary what what he's going to do on this year for Jonah or Josh what's what's the key to to recognizing those delayed blitzes like is there a certain tendency that you have to be checking on cuz you're going from blocking one guy someone else is coming in specific uh specific player alignments just like being in the film room and over time and time and time and time again watching uh certain plays you're going to be able to see tells of what's coming yeah I mean it's going to take eight eyes to to identify what they're doing I'm not just just because you know Josh the centor doesn't mean he has to make all the calls you know I'm kind of there for him to look out to to the Apex and see if the corner is going to come and then just let him know but you you know we're all going to work together through Dam so know you're talking about the difference this year being essentially focused right focusing on the bigger picture what is that like for you uh I mean it's not it's not too different from how I was raised um just kind of it's always about the team that's that's the main part and that's just kind of Coach Brandon um has kind of referenced that a lot uh coach Tommy's thing is the team the team the team so that's just kind of how how we're built that's just kind of what we take pride in and if we want to do what we want to do this year it's about it's about this team it's about us it's not about one individual a question for Josh and Noah can you guys share with us just the relationship that you guys have as quarterback Center what that we got a special relationship and act kind of yeah it's I mean it's been a three-year relationship now and um the first year and a half was just kind of me admiring his work ethic his his football IQ and just the things that he's able to do and then once I got in um he took so much weight off of my shoulder so I'm forever indebted to him for that but but um he makes my job easy allows me to just kind of um read the defense from a coverage standpoint while he takes care of all the pressures it's been amazing to see a young kid a couple years ago come in with such a professional attitude and such a such a again just like professional mindset com in working hard every single day not missing a beat um and able to step up when his name was called it it's it's just been amazing to see that um for Josh and Jonah uh I don't want to put out any bullets and door material or anything like that but you know when you see you know what Montana state did in New Mexico last week and knowing that how much during fall Camp running the ball has been a huge part of you know the development of this offense how exciting is it to you know you have that first game you get to go out and be physical and Road D just a little bit and get your feet underneath with that it's about time you know we've been banging on each other our own defense so being able to you know finally looking forward to play a different team you know it's exciting oh it's exciting every week to get out there and see what we're going to get and line up and next you to play all right last question to Justin so jaor crossy Meritt will be playing against his former team personal game for him uh just what do you guys think about the addition and and what he's brought to the team that kid so special and he's an All-American for a reason I mean you don't just throw that order so you see the just see the kind of his capabilities um we understand this is a a personal game for him but at the end of the day we kind of been telling him all week um that we have his back and to not make this more than it is we're just another football game um and we're looking forward to being able to be on the same team as him and kind of just let him let him do his thing all right that's our time appreciate y'all thank you'all for coming [Music] in e well was probably like hund and something outside do you go into a game saying we need to run a balanced offense or do you believe in balance or just a the the game called for well I think that uh everybody wants to be balanced because if you're balanced you're unpredictable but when defenses are geared to stop the run you've got to be really really good to run it when they're geared to stop it so if you can get some kind of balance somewhere in there whatever those numbers are that normally gives you the best opportunity to be successful in offense from Individual players standpoints what have your tight ends shown you during fall camp that shows they can be Balan bed and you know be uh mind have the mindset of blockers that can also get out and that catchers you know that's that's interesting because I got an opportunity to talk to him today and uh I think the uh we've I've had tight ends that have played for me before at this school and they both of them are all three of them ended up being in the pros and I told them I said if you learn how to block here you'll always have a job they may hire you as a receiving tight end but that guy gets one one contract and and then he's gone to some other place I said if you can block you'll get two or three contracts and just watch the guys that have gone through here so it's the key thing for a tight end is he's part running back part offensive lineman part receiver but if you do the two parts first if you're a blocker and you're a running back if you're a lineman and you're running back and you can block that means that the defense has to put heavier Personnel in there and then when you put heavier Personnel in there that means you get to run routes versus linebackers and safeties instead of going against nickels and DBS and that's what really gives them their value what are Jak's biggest strengths as running back uh he's big I think the when you talk about the strengths I don't know I don't know if I like to pull it out I don't want to separate it like that I'm not a scout I do have eyes I do know what he does well and what he doesn't do well but I'm not going to put that in the newspaper put it in the Press I think that uh that entire group has worked hard and uh I think as a group we've got a very ex we've got a very good group I think we're almost four deep and I'm excited to see what they can do Brian Michael when we uh talked with you last week you would said that you you really hadn't seen the the possible starting lineup on the offensive line working together with this extra week do you feel more confident that that you're going to have the best five out there both in terms of health and and performance you never know with the health we still got some guys that are banged up from a camp and as they get healthy and if they show us what they need to show us they'll have an opportunity I really don't think that uh offensive lines really get settled until like the third and fourth week of the season and then you've got two-thirds of the Season left but I am excited about what I've seen the last four or five practices out and I do think that they're coming together uh coach Brendan said uh that Noah faita is maybe the best leader that he's ever been around um what have you observed in that regard when he comes to know I I keep saying the same thing and I apologize he's he's an exceptional leader he's an exceptional person he's a young man of Faith which is rare at that age and uh he's either the first or second best I've ever been around and uh you know the other guy is still playing in the National Football League so all I can say is what I end up saying all the time is he's not average the more and more you're around him he's just like the guy is special and he needs to be treated as such who the other guy you mentioned the other day Jimmy garoo oh Jimmy Garo yeah when it comes to season openers the first non-conference games of the season their tools obviously you want the first priority is winning the game but they're also evaluation tools to some standpoint do you put statistical marks that that you want the offense to hit do you put performance marks grade each individual player how do you self-evaluate for this game we will we'll grade the players you know but a lot of it comes down to uh not only what they did in practice but how they perform in the game and the number one thing is to win the football game no football team grows more they grow football teams grow the most between the first and second game and the team that we saw on Saturday between 1 and 4:30 Pacific time is not the team that's going to be here we're going to find a team that's much improved much better and we need to be able to make sure that we're playing up to our standards and no one else's I know it was only one game but what do you think is the identity of New Mexico's defense and what they're going to bring coach Bronco menen Hall was was the head coach of Virginia when I was the head coach of Syracuse uh he's a fantastic coach his offensive coordinator was a person of that name made offensive coordinator at Syracuse by last year there he he's a fantastic coach I know that they will have that team ready to go and I know that they're doing everything that they can possibly be to put their best foot forward those guys are good coaches those players are good tough players and we're looking excited for to our contest coming in here on Saturday Jason and then Michael uh the players often mention that they're tired of going against the same guys every single day as a coach is it kind of a nice change being able to go against a different team and call plays in that situation yeah I'm tired of going against our defense too it's it's one of those things where you know you work you work you work you work and and hello and uh and now it's time to uh you know go start the season and go play everybody's ready to go play everybody's tired of banging on each other and and uh we want to go out there and find out exactly what we can do um in a situation where you're heavily favored you pay ATT to such things do you is the messaging at all different to the to the team than it would be otherwise I don't even know what we're favored and whatever that is that doesn't make any sense I think that Florida state was really favored and that when you looked at it you know I won't talk of another team those things happen all the time that's what makes college football so great is you can't predict it and what we need to do is cross the te's dot the eyes uh win the turnover battle make sure our kicking game is intact score SC points on offense stop them on defense play with a physical attitude keep penalties to a minimum and then maybe if we do all that maybe we'll have a chance uh this what first time in maybe 13 years that you're heading into a season opener where you don't have to worry about all the ducks in the row just a a set one how has this kind of this preseason all that been for you not having to to worry about everything I thought I would sleep better but I'm not I really thought I would sleep better but but it hasn't happened yet I'm still sleeping the same hours those last 13 years but it is it is uh it's it's it's interesting to get back to just worrying about 54 guys instead of 108 or 120 and uh it really allows you to focus and really give more uh to the 54 and I'm looking forward of this I'm looking forward to the opportunity of giving these young men more on the offensive side of the ball not that I don't talk to the defensive players and espe team players but uh it's going to be fun to go down the road and go into war with them last question M as evidenced by the fact that the guys just came off the field coach brenon is an advocate of morning practices versus late afternoon or evening um what did you do when you were uh a head coach and what are the pros and cons of you know e well you're trying to get me to go against my head coach I can't do that but I was we started off when I first started as a head coach we were an evening practice team and when we ended up we were a morning team and to me mornings you get the best out of the young men before they go into the classroom and they're all going to go into the classroom and do their best it's an early start and it's a long day for the coaches but you know we'll get over it and uh we can get tired we just don't want them to get tired and by going early in the morning you can get them in early to bed so they can get their rest which is important to be ready to go the next day and and uh the one the last thing that I'll say on that is when they're have to check in to a football complex at 6:30 between 6:30 and 700 a.m. in the morning for a 9:00 practice or a 10 o'clock practice it kind of puts them in the same pattern that they're going to need to they need to be in to they're going to need to be in when they leave college and they start working they're providing for their families so you know get up early go to work do your job come home enjoy your lifestyle and uh that's what one of the things I thought that was really positive in moving to morning practices all right that's thank you guys for