Stanford Football: Coach Taylor Weekly Press Conference | Notre Dame

for e good morning everyone we are here with head coach Troy Taylor we will take questions right off the bat please use the raise hand function and we will call on you in the order hands are raised Troy you're up first hey coach good to see you uh got to start here uh your reaction to Tristan Sinclair the targeting situation as was handled in real time and how it's been handled since then so uh yeah we got uh we put in an appeal um and they officials uh stated that it was not targeting that it was incorrect and so um he will be able to play in the first half against Notre Dame my reaction is um you know it was a crucial play obviously and um disappointed they didn't get it right but you know people make mistakes and we move on thank you Troy John coach second sort of referee question and I don't mean to be whining and I don't I'm not asking you to comment on the call but on the on the Mendoza play that initially was ruled a fumble and then later a um an incomplete pass my surprise was how quickly the review happened is that a Pack 12 rule it seemed like it was a 10-second Booth review can you shed light on that or or yeah you know they they review everything um and so you know they tell you at the beginning of the game that we review everything so that you don't have to utilize you know a timeout so um yeah I you know I mean on the reception by Sam I had to call timeout on that one as it looked as though it was a reception to me from the other side of the field and then I looked quickly up on the scoreboard and um luckily you know called timeout um and it was a it was a big play so they to answer your question they're supposed to review everything um that you know that theoretically it's you're wasting your your time out I guess unless um somebody's going fast but just sometimes I I mean I think they're wrong you know so um I'll call it timeout if I need to you know um so luckily did that with Sam's reception but um yeah they're supposed to look at everything that's you know that's the disappointing thing is when it's when it's reviewed and they take a long time you know on a call you would hope you know you just you would hope they get it right um but like I said you you know we're we're all imperfect Steve yeah Choy excuse me sorry to uh continue on this but more kind of a general thought on the on the targeting from my perspective whether or not Tristan was targeting whether the call was correct or not to me the penalty for him and for your team is too much even if it were targeting for a guy it's a first time it's a first time for the team I I know targeting something that is meant to not only protect the ball carrier but to protect the defensive player but is there a way to have something more of a sliding scale you know if it's a firsttime offense maybe it's just the 15 yards to have 15 yards and to be gone for in effect the full game to me that just doesn't seem appropriate in that situation you're right because in then retrospect you know it's great that he can play in the first half against Notre Dame but we we can't get him coming back from you know and we can't get the yardage back and the first down and all that um I mean they I think they are adjusting they've tried to to adjust how they do targeting it's um I I I think most people are very confused me being one of those on what what is targeting and what is not so like when I see it I'm just like you know I think some of them are really clear um and then some of them you know we're just not we're not sure I mean sometimes it seems like the reaction of the player you hit that does play a role it's Pro they would probably tell you that's not the case but I think using common sense I think that seems to happen um but uh yeah I mean I listen I I'm all for player safety so whatever helps you know um the the defensive players uh rule I think is fantastic I know a lot of people didn't like that I've always thought that we should you know protect people that don't see the hit coming because you can still wall them off um I think all those rules that make the game safer are are great um just the clarity and some things are you know missing with targeting and I'm not alone in that um it's frustrating but I do think generally speaking they're trying they're trying to get trying to get right for player safety but I think you're right I mean the the player missing out on the the whole half and then you find out later that it's it was not the incorrect call it's it's a pretty big deal Harold yeah with the senior day coming I'm just wonder I know you've only spent a year with them but how would you kind of characterize the senior class I love these guys um you know there's you we don't have a lot of true seniors you know so uh Spencer Jorgenson is is one he's a is really the only one that's a true senior with u last year of Eligibility he's a walk-on linebacker um from Utah that uh earned a scholarship and has been really important to this program um really special guy appreciate him um you know with with the way the covid you know impact with guys getting extra years and all that it's just it's kind of a it's one of those things where you know they they may come back they may not come back some of them are ready to move on with their lives um some of them are feeling a little beaten up and dealing with injuries so um they they might move on so it's it's kind of a I think after this year it'll be there'll be a little bit more clarity getting back to kind of the way it used to be when you knew who was his Junior who is a senior and all those things but to answer your question um I would say this team there's not a a player on this team that I don't really admire and appreciate um just everything they've they've given me um personally as a head coach and then our staff and then this University they're just they do everything the right way um you never worry about them making poor decisions you know off the field in the classroom all those things they just do everything the right way so um love these guys and um we'll miss the guys that move on but they'll always be a part of our our Stanford family Troy didn't realize my hand was up uh certainly I can ask again um twoo conversions uh kind of what's your kind of take us through your methodology as far as deciding when to go and and and when not to go whether it's gut or whether you have a sheet that you adhere to or or things like that can you kind of take through that great question so there there are cards and we have a you know a little cheat sheet that tells you what the the my contention is to not go for two when it's early that there's just so many things that can happen with extra points and you know I also think that we have incredible kicker so we can be in a position where an extra point that you don't get um could be something that you regret you know um the one we went for um you know felt felt uh felt it was the right time to do it um shoot almost got it but uh yeah it's one of those things there's I mean I know now the NFL teams are saying to go for two um you know because you'll I think that the theory is um if you're down by you know seven or whatnot that you there's a high probability you're going to get one of the twoo conversions if you have to go for it you know if you get to go for it twice I don't know um I kind like getting the points on the board unless you start getting you know into the late third or fourth quarter and then it's also how quickly are you scoring points um if you're scoring a lot of points and you're moving the ball you know at will then probably just keep kicking the extra points but you know if you're struggling to to get points when you get an opportunity to close the game to within seven or or tie it then it's probably worth it and then if you have a good play you know if you feel like you have a a good play versus what you think they're going to do on a two-point play We Carry usually five to six two-point plays every week just because you could possibly get in you know um an overtime where you're going back and forth like a penalty kick deal you know so you got to have some some ones that you feel comfortable with and sometimes you have to use them like against Colorado and then um sometimes you don't so and sometimes they carry over from week to week sometimes they're very specialized um so that's that's my answer on that John coach the The Gauntlet of really good quarterbacks continues uh talk about Sam Hartman how he compares to some of the other excellent ones you faced earlier this season really really good mature makes good decisions um you can tell leader of the team um a very study player study approach study personality all those things you want in a quarterback uh these guys are are really good y might be the best defense that we faced all year um just uh very well coached um outstanding secondary players physical upfront downhill linebackers um very challenging so we're uh we're finishing off with a really really good opponent um obviously they've you know they've lost a few games against really good opponents but uh they're they're outstanding I mean got a chance to watch what their game versus USC that was really impressive what their defense was able to do against an incredibly talented USC offense so this is a this a great challenge Ben do you feel it helps your guys at all to have a game like Notre Dame to kind of close out the season after after difficult big game losses in terms of rivalry choping the line that sort of thing does that maybe kind of help kind of put a big game loss in M Mir more easily do you think or not necessarily yeah I don't know it's a it's a good question how they view Notre Dame obviously one of the most historic programs or maybe the most historic college football program so um that might um you know tend to motivate somebody more I I think I'd like to hope that most of our guys just realize they only get 12 games and they're all super important um that's kind of how how I look at it but uh you know everybody's different Kevin coach can you kind of talk about the offense you guys had a few missed opportunities last week in the passing attack how do you kind of change that is that just uh making throws or is there certain looks that you guys were getting that you weren't expecting maybe yeah no I wouldn't say um you know they we were struggling to run the ball and when you when you struggle to run the ball um it makes everything challenging so um defenses will tend to be a little bit softer and pass coverage and keep everything in front of them and it limits your opportunities to take shots up top um because they're they're in softer zon so I'd say most of the the the challenging things that we faced was just you know not getting enough movement up front and making people miss and and be becoming a one-dimensional team now we were able to get a few of the quarterback runs going uh but for the most part they did they did a really good job of containing our Run game and that makes it difficult doesn't make it impossible but it makes it difficult so you know um are we going to change that in the week you know would like to think we would but probably not realistic um but we'll continue to try and run the football and um and you know in the future in this program it'll like it always has been for me something that's really important to to to be a balanced team that can that can win by running or throwing the ball Harold I think Stanford is the only team without a home win this season I know on the flip side of that is you obviously have a winning record on the road um but I know you want to win every game but would a carry like kind of additional significance you know to be able to win this last game and get that home win before the season ends yeah you want to you know you want to win them all but obviously being at home is is supposed to give you an advantage um and uh you know we haven't won a game at home it's the the reality so we haven't played well enough part of that is our opponents we played some good teams but part of that is we're not we're not playing well enough to to win for whatever reason um so yeah I think it's um you know in the coming years in this program and certainly this week we'd like to start out we're going to we're going to have to be a great team at home and a great team on the road um a lot of those things you know there there's certain advantages you you get to playing at home um some places more more than other but I think there is a comfort level uh to being at home um but there's also something to be said for going on the road and having a little little edge and a little focus and KN one then you're you know in a unique place or a foreign place um but we got to we got to get better and everything we do um and uh that certain certainly playing at home playing better at home is one of those things Steve kind of kind of following up on that a little bit whether you were playing your last game at home or on the road against a Pack 12 team or against Notre Dame is there a carryover from the last game of the season into the into the next season some coaches will say it's really important say for spring practice even to have the a winning feeling in the last game and some people say you know look the season ends in November we start practicing in you know March or April we don't play another game till September the last game really doesn't have any carryover effect what do you think yeah I think um a little bit of both I mean I I I want to win you know and and it is good to have momentum and especially beating a team like Notre damee would be fantastic for the program and the momentum and all those things but that being said no matter what happens um our expectations how we work what we're going to do in the offseason none of those things will change um My Hope and belief in this program and where we're going to be is has not been diminished at all whether what happens on Saturday or not um I know we're we're going to be a fantastic program we're going to win conference championships all those things are going to happen regardless of of Saturday but we want to we want to win on Saturday uh deeply Harold oh sorry I didn't realize my hand is on okay uh John coach looking at the tape from the Wake Forest Notre Dame game and and becoming acquainted with Rico Flores Jr um from falam high school just any you being from being a Sacramento guy what your Intel is on him or if you were familiar with his high school and sort of more broadly the falson program coach because I look at these rosters and I know you got Ari and kind of the falsom name I know state championships it's plural it's been the last 12 years but kind of what's going on with that program that is producing so many good players yeah you know um yeah I did I'm very familiar with with Rico saw him play a lot on tape and saw him play live a couple of times um outstanding player really competitive uh great adjustment to the ball um competitive when the ball's in the air physical tough all those things outstanding player you can play anywhere in the country um so I have great admiration for him um and then the you know fulson prog obviously has been something that's been very important in my life and like I've said before it's really where I learned how to coach and so um you know I watch the program closely and um you know guys from that program always are ready to play and they're competitive and and and all those things so a lot of admiration and uh it's fun to watch the you know the fome guys across the country Jake Browning's you know now the a starter for Cincinnati for the Bengals so um you know I think we had there was two players on the Cincinnati Bengals teams that were starting on the last game Jonah Williams which was an offensive tackle that played for for us and then Jake Browning so it's kind of kind of fun you always root for guys that you coached and um and that it'll always have a special place in my heart Troy uh Personnel wise we saw Simi P get the start again but I don't believe he finished how's he looking and is there anything else Personnel wise as far as folks that might be able to come back for this finale that might be on the horizon yeah Simi um yeah it was he he tried to play did pretty good job but I think it was a little bit tentative uh with his with his injury um but we we think you know obviously um haven't practiced yet um but we we think he's going to be fine um well obviously kind of see that as it goes week the week goes on but my anticipation would be he'll he'll be be ready to roll Ben you guys got an interception uh on Saturday uh almost got a fumble almost for force a fumble on the Mendoza actually almost forced two fumbles because on the targeting hit that was I was wrongfully called um that was really a fumble as well though he was down so we're looking at you know M you know you know one turnover you forest and a couple other near ones as well it just seems like that area has improved for you guys forest and turnovers on defense just kind of what's gone into the Improvement you guys have made on that end well I think you know our guys continue to play hard I think they're they've improved their tackling as the the year has went on um so yeah I mean we we need to create more turnovers um and I think that will will come as we become faster and more physical and uh know the system better and all those things it's a big part of it you know we've done a good job most games have have taken care of the football um but we definitely need to create more turnover but I do think that will come as our program grows Kevin coach can you kind of talk about how good of a job Marcus Freeman's done at Notre Dame he's obviously one of the younger coaches in college football and um that's a pretty big job for his first head coaching stint so could you kind of talk about what he does well and um just the overall landscape of his program yeah I think Marcus has done a great job he seem seems to be a very I don't know him personally but he seems to be a very consistent person and how he goes about his business um great reputation really bright defensive mind um does a great job in recruiting his teams are are consistent so although I don't know him I certainly admire the job that he's does his his defense plays really hard they're really physical um and so I know that's a a reflection of of him and Al golden the defensive coordinator um so those guys I I respect that that team a lot when you put on the tape you can see um how disciplined they are with their eyes and their assignments on on the the defensive side of the ball um and how like I said how hard they play and how well they tackle and so um a lot of those things are reflection of of not only being a good athlete and good football player but um being a good good coach so um tons of respect for for him and their program John yeah coach staying with the Notre Dame defense I mean coach Golden is a name coach Freeman has the defensive background when you look at their defense and you look at a young man Xavier Watts wears number zero with seven interceptions I think they've got 14 overall I mean that's daunting you know you being a play caller scheme when you see a player that has that many picks does that sort of I obviously gives you pause but in terms of kind of you're think think strategizing about the game yeah things absolutely yeah I mean we've been you know watching it now for you know two days straight um I think when you talk about getting interceptions um it's going to start with pass rush so uh they do a great job of pressure in the quarterback they add on their linebackers a lot they play a ton of man coverage I mean if you put on the the USC game I mean they're in man coverage almost every snap against really talented wide receivers and their coverage is is tight um so I think uh anytime you're getting interceptions it starts with pass rush they they're really good up front um they play Man coverage so the windows the passing windows are very tight uh typically no one's wide open I think they've given up insane amount of uh Le less amount of passing yardage than you can I think 148 yards a game which is unbelievable um so uh yeah really impressive and yeah he's he's a great player their their Corners are really good their safeties are good their linebackers are 27 and eight are really physical um they come off the ball up front they're vertical Rush team so they're going to knock you back um and they don't miss tackles so um there there's really no weakness in the in the defense they do it they do an outstanding job Steve yeah Troy a little bit uh off the field what does Thanksgiving Day have in store for the Taylor family and the Stanford football team yeah so we're going to have Thanksgiving with our with our football team um where everybody's invited and you know people that have families will we'll start off together and that they you know have a an event they're going to go to we'll we'll start early so that they can spend the afternoon with their family and then after that um you know we've the the game plan everything will you'll be pretty much set by then so um I will hang out with my family and watch some watch some football like you guys Happy Thanksgiving same to you thank you Troy yeah coach as of right now uh the meeting in South Ben next year is the final time that Stanford and Notre damer on the schedule but I would imagine that there would be advantages to to continuing this series uh beyond that on both sides would you like to see Stanford Notre Dame continuing Beyond 2024 absolutely yeah it's a it's a great football program do they do things the right way um I think it's been a it's been a really good rivalry and so um I think you know with the relationship that Notre Dame has when I know they're in the ACC but besides football I believe um they play four games against the ACC every year here I believe I could be off on that but so I think we will continue to play them um you know periodically um so you know would I like to play them every year I think it'd be great but um I understand there's a lot that goes into that we'll take two more questions Kevin yeah coach it's obviously the end of the year can you kind of talk about uh your culture and year one and kind of what you're excited about your program and just looking ahead because obviously it's year one so you've had like almost a full calendar year with the program program so talk about your culture and just what you've seen so far in palala yeah appreciate the question yeah um C I feel great about our culture I think um the fight um we've you know we talk about sticking together um through it all and our guys have done that they've worked really hard um guys have worked through little Nicks and bruises that happen when you're playing football and continue to push through those things um they're safe to do so um I mean I think you know when you see a team come back from 29 Point deficit at halftime if you don't have a great culture and a great locker room and and strong leadership with your players and all those things that that doesn't happen so I feel great about our culture we got to get better there's no question um and we will but the the culture part of that the work ethic what's important to us our princip our guiding principles um all of those things I feel great about it Ben yeah I just kind of want to get your thoughts on on uh I know he's been out but just kind of thoughts on cedri Irvin his season he's had and the kind of the progress and development you've seen from him throughout the season yeah so Cedric won't play again um um this week um but love the kid he's uh outstanding um physical talented it's really important to him um super competitive we think he's got a a really bright future um but and we're excited for the years to come with him thank you so much k awesome thanks guys happy thanks all right we are here with uh offensive lineman Levi Rogers we'll take questions the same way we took them for Coach Taylor try yeah Levi grand scheme of things the season you continue to be the Iron Man I still don't believe you've missed a snap so far uh this season uh this year uh and and being you know looking around you on the offensive line and seeing three freshman starting with you uh on Cal's big game you know what did it kind of mean to you to be in the big game to have to have a big role in it and to have a few youngsters along the way with you on Saturday yeah um I mean obviously not the outcome or result we wanted um but just playing in a game like that definitely means a lot for me um I guess being here for four years you kind of see the impact that this game has um and how important it is especially to the older people I think I think sometimes like when I was a freshman I didn't really realize like oh it's just like the big game you know has this big name and stuff and like whatever but um I think now being a senior you kind of realize like how much tradition that game holds um and I hope I hope the Freshman really realized um how much that game means to us seniors and stuff um but I do believe strongly believe that all the Freshman you know poured their heart and soul into that game and um definitely throughout the week I think they realized how much that game meant to us so John Levi the the game last year in South Ben was was pretty competitive pretty tight came down to the last possession really for Notre Dame um Joshua Joshua had three field goals I think but just describe what was the game like last year being on the sidelines being on the field just the whole the whole the whole bit of it yeah um so I was actually concuss that week so I didn't travel but watching that game from home and seeing my teammates ball out that game was really cool um especially with the season that we were having um that was a huge like pickme up game um and yeah I mean them like coming back home and celebrating with them when they got back was awesome and um just was really proud of it but I mean this game this game means a lot for us too so whenever there's a tangible piece of trophy on the line I mean you really want to hold that at the end of the game so Ben just kind of General thoughts on Notre Dame what You' seen from them so far on the tape uh particularly their defense since that's the unit you'll be going up against yeah I mean they're just a well old machine um honestly they they all play really well together and um on defense I mean they have really good scheme and um just well-rounded players and I think um I mean in the game of football it's a team sport and if you work well with the man next to you you're you're going to do well so um we have definitely our hands full this week but I'm excited for Saturday for sure John Levi a broader question for you um uh I I Barrett Miller was named player of the week offensive lineman of the week for his performance against Stanford um I know that a lot of your um fellow offensive linemates you know transferred out um this past season what what what's that like what do you you know as you think May likely you keeping contact with one or more of them but just sort of your attitude about a player that decides to move on and you know looking for opportunities you know is there a little bit of hard feeling I mean just kind of what is it for Levi Rogers as far as players in your position group when they when they move on to other places admittedly late in their careers yeah um I think I I think last year was a little bit of a different story um and I know Stanford is definitely known for keeping their guys around and not entering the portal but I know nowadays I mean things are things are different um with whatever nil whatever you want to call it so um but for me I think um I mean I love those guys they were my teammates for four years and stuff you know and um I I still have respect for them I learned a lot from them um obviously it's sad when one of your brothers leaves and um decides to go on um but I think at that point um you kind of have to realize that it's a decision that they're making um for themselves and not really you know for the for the team so try Levi I'm glad you brought about the fact that this is a trophy game the The Legends trophy it's sitting right there in the middle of the Stanford football office last time I checked you know what kind of changes how does that change the dynamic of the week when there's a trophy at stake on a Saturday yeah um I I'm a huge kind of visual visualization kind of guy so whenever before games I always try to visualize Iz myself like doing the right thing and holding whatever at the end of the game so um for me I always picture myself holding the trophy because that's that's what I want to manifest and stuff you know so but um I think having a tangible piece of evidence is is a little different than just having you know a record change and whatnot um so I think that adds a little that adds um a little bit more energy to the game for sure Ben yeah I just want to get your thoughts on one of your teammates uh Simi pal just kind of what you seen from him as a true freshman coming in and uh you know on Saturday trying to play through an injury there a little bit and just just what you kind of seen from him and his growth as a true freshman yeah um from prior experience I will say it is one of the hardest things to play as a true freshman especially the game of football and as an offensive lineman there's so much development that you have to take in order to be a great offens uh offensive lineman and the guys that we were playing I mean a lot of those guys are six maybe seven years older than he is um so the amount of respect I have for that kid is just unbelievable he's come in here and worked his tail off and um done everything right and it's unfortunate that he's had a couple injuries that taken him out of couple games um but yeah I mean I have so much respect for that kid try um I'm always fascinated by the team Dynamic of the offensive line and probably no other position unit in in in football better better embodies the the whole team Dynamic of it all uh what kind of mentality do you have to have to play offensive line yeah uh it's a good question I mean you you just you you got to be the toughest guy out there you know you're taking hits every single play and so you take one bad hit you got to get up and do it again you know um so that's a huge thing and then I mean the game of football is four quarters it's not like you got just five minutes of hitting you know it's like three hours of straight hitting and so in order to be a great offensive line I think you got to have little bit perseverance you got to be a little crazy you just got to keep hitting people you know so but I think it's also a very like smart position you got to be smart to play it um it's a very it's a game of angles and there's a lot of technique that goes behind it and the scheme what the defense is doing so I think there's both you got to be mentally smart and mentally tough and physically obviously so John and L you I'll Nar I'll narrow it down to the center position because I believe you played other positions on the line but just that the extra challenge it goes into playing the center position and particularly this year when there's been some movement on the offensive line some guys have been out some guys have moved positions tell us about what that's been like um yeah I mean I think playing center it's been it's been good for me to kind of learn the game of football more I've definitely been able to kind of see how you know safety rotates and how that changes like what the D Line's going to do you know last year I was playing guard and it's just kind of like oh this guy's lined up in a three technique you know it's different like now it's like I'm seeing more of the full picture um and I guess to answer your question about like guys playing next to me and stuff it's just um I think everyone in our room is like highly intelligent and everyone knows what they're doing so it's not it doesn't really make a difference um I guess mentally uh who I'm playing next to um cuz everyone kind of fills their spot well so then yeah just uh now they've kind of had a full season with with with your offensive line coaches be onal myow and Al net just what have you most enjoyed about working with them yeah um I love how they're young and how they have played the game of football not too long ago because they kind of know how much it's changed and whatnot um and they're just very personable guys I mean I can go in their offices whenever and just have a conversation with them whether it's about football or not um and I also feel like we're me and both of our coaches are just very much on the same page about a lot of things especially about who we're playing and whatnot and um going to the sideline and talking to them during games is great as well and just being very communicative towards them is good so and we'll wrap up with John and and my question will be about Senior Day Levi you've seen other senior days excuse me you had a last day playing high school football all the guys I'm sure guys do it differently process it differently communicate differently maybe for some it's after the game that it hits him kind of what what's been your experience with senior day how are you thinking about it um for me it's just another game I feel like um I obviously want to continue playing football um so um I know it's going to be I think it hasn't quite hit me yet but I think by the end of the game they'll kind of be like okay wow you know it's a wrap to the season but um yeah for me I'm just I'm just getting prepared to play another game and go out there and be competitive so thank you so much appreciate you guys all right we will wrap up with senior Spencer Jorgenson we will take questions the same way we've taken them all press conference Ben hey Spencer um just kind of talk about what's it like being a Sor going a singor day just kind kind of reflected on your time here at Stanford I got one more game up to play just kind of if you could talk a little bit about your journey here at Stanford what what it's kind of been like and all that uh yeah I mean definitely a a dense question there's a lot there I've been here for five years um had the privilege to talk with many of you over those five years um I would say just first and foremost one of the greatest decisions I ever made you know aside from probably this one and uh you know my religious Mission coming to Stanford has changed my life in every way imaginable um of course I got to play here under two phenomenal coaching staffs uh speaking this year specifically hasn't been the result that we wanted obviously um us and the community behind Stanford uh we know that we we have a lot of people that expect a lot out of us and so to be coming into the this last game with you know only three wins while disappointing at the same time we know what we're about our coaching staff is I believe one of if not the best in the country and Stanford is coming so you ask what it's like to be you know going into my very last game of course I've exhausted my eligibility I might I'm the only one I think on the team that doesn't get to play any more college football for sure due to eligibility um and that stings mostly because I know what Stanford is going to be in coming years and it's something that I'm proud to have been able to be a part of here this year and and uh this new program and what it's going to be but definitely a sad thing to be going into you know my last college football game and know that uh I'll be there supporting my boys next year you know and uh I've already told him that I'll be there at the bow game and whatever comes after so definitely uh definitely a lot of good things to see um and a lot of good things to come for Sniper football try yeah Spencer well said uh take me back to Saturday and uh the big headline you know at least one of them anyway emanating from that game the Tristan and Clair situation the targeting that was called the appeal and he will be available to play in the first half uh this upcoming Saturday just just take me through in the immediate aftermath of the targeting call what the defense went through how it tried to regroup from that moment and your reaction to the fact that he's gonna be back and playing bail for the first half on this Saturday yeah absolutely so obviously a really disappointing call um and you know them overturning it we we wish that they would have overturned it uh immediately you know I mean Tristan played for one half and was Defensive Player of the game in my opinion you know still leading tackler he he laid all the best hits um so definitely initially all of our reaction was uh a disappointment to see our you know our defensive leader um guy that just has absolutely played his heart out you know for 11 games to see him removed from the game like that uh that hurt all of us I think but I think it also gave us an energy you know like we gotta go out and play for trist he doesn't get to be here for this second half um and then just coming into this week we found out real quick that it was overturned you know and just we're all stoked you know immediately in the group chats everybody's just turning up because we know you know our guy is back they freed our boy so uh um yeah I think just knowing that the guy that you know we need is leadership and we're going to be able to win this game on Saturday and a large part of that is going to be because we have Tristan Sinclair back on the defensive side of the ball so just allaround positive you know we're stoked to have him back out of there and uh like I said little disappointment that he had to miss a half of the big game in his fifth year but um at the end of the day you know the right call was made at least in the followup so we're happy to see that John Spencer we admire your journey from Special Teams player to getting on the field as a inside linebacker and you mentioned the coaches this current staff can you share maybe a technique you've learned or some saying that your your your coach either coach April or the inside linebacker coach um has given you that's helped you this year to become a better player uh yeah uh specifically you know you you mentioned saying our inside linebacker coach Mark denafo um he speaks in those he speaks in saying and he helps us remember the coaching points and things like that that's his style and uh I'm thoroughly convinced that he's the best inside linebacker coach in the country um and I think that uh sorry there's a lot of things going through my mind right now but uh you're doing good he he has put into our mind smart tough finishers that is that is how we play um and he emphasizes it every single day it is the the philosophy and the identity of his room and I guess the the saying that stands out most to me is what you say is your philosophy what you put on tape is your identity and so you know this program is about accountability it's about performance on the field and everything that we do we do so that we can win football games and it doesn't matter what we say it only matters what we do because at the end of the day our tape is our resume and so um that's all I can really say about that I guess there there's a lot more but Ben yeah I just want to get your thoughts on two of the defensive coordinators you both played under Lance Anderson and also Bobby April just what has it been like playing under both of them and how are they similar how are they different yeah uh I have immense respect for both of them um both two of the most brilliant football Minds that I've had the privilege to work under um I admire the energy that they both bring to their coaching jobs to their defenses um and I think that going back to what we talked about before you know what what people say is their philosophy what they put on tape is their identity and and the tape for both of those men is is impressive and I mean you know obviously we haven't performed over the last 5 years in the way that we would like I think too too often it's tempting for people to to look at what's put on tape and put that all on the defensive coordinator but if you pulled up tape from some of the more disappointing games you know I could go through each play with you and show you where where it's the players not being where we ought to be um that's resulting in those big plays and so I I very much hesitate to say you know like these big plays are on the defensive coordinator because they teach us the scheme they know what they're about they're the most brilliant football mins that there is and uh sometimes we just let them down you know what I mean so uh I won't go too much into into comparison between the two because I just have so much immense love for both of them immense respect and uh it's been a privilege to play under both of them Troy yeah Spencer when a new coaching staff is is is coming on board and trying to imprint its stamp on the program so much of whether it's successful or not depends on the buyin of of the senior class the buyin of the leaders the Buy in of the of the the veteran players what made you buy in was there a moment where it clicked with you and it said okay all right this this coaching stamp is gonna is gonna be all right what was what was your buyin moment uh postseason last year I was I was on a little uh vacation with my family we went up to a family cabin I had very bad cell service but I got a call from a number I didn't recogniz and I answered it and it was our defensive coordinator Bobby April and I had had a chance to speak with him for a few minutes and I was immensely impressed with his energy super excited to play for him and then just a few minutes later I got a call from coach denafo and again just so excited to play for these men who love football you know more than anybody I've ever met and really care about relationship to the their players and I could feel that you know immediately in late December and I knew what was coming and I think at that moment it was like I want to play for this group you know I want to be a part of what's coming and I've said it before I'll say it again like Stanford football is it's on the come up John Spencer I'm I'm not sure impress is the right word but you've been on excuse me on teams have had a lot of injuries 2019 the end of the year I remember with 30 guys down or something in 2021 kind of the same thing and yet I look at you and you know 11 games or maybe 10 games in 2019 and 11 in 2021 and 12 last year and I think you played in them all this year what what's I mean is that just good fortune is there something about how you take care of yourself I mean just on it on having been on squads that a lot of guys have been nicked up you have managed to skate through what to what do you attribute that I uh I definitely in certain Seasons it's been lack of exposure you know uh if you don't run out on the battlefield there as often as some of your special teams aren't special teams aren't easy though certainly certainly uh I think there's definitely an element of luck to it you know I mean uh I've had teammates that have just gone down because it you know somebody's leg went the wrong way and took out their knee and and that's a really heartbreaking thing um I've been through some of those injuries most of the time near the end of the season so it didn't cause me to miss too many games but 2020 for instance I just think uh it was said the other day in our in one of our rooms you know very few people retire from football you're either cut or you get hurt and uh availability is the best ability so you just play as long as you can play and I have teammates you know everybody's playing through something you get to this level and and everybody's playing through something so some are fortunate enough to to have those Nicks and dings that you're able to play through and and others are not Troy uh as far as the game this weekend your initial thoughts on Notre Dame offensively and and some things they might try to throw at you this week uh yeah good team there's no doubt about it uh but we've seen that movie before you know we've we've played good teams and we've played tough against good teams so uh kind of going back to what I talked about before playing good defense is uh it's about doing a lot of little things well and I'm confident you know when when we've played and everybody just does their job we're able to shut down some pretty powerful offenses you see what's happened against Arizona Washington you know teams that we played real close now we're not big on moral victories in this program you know what I mean at the end of the day we still didn't get it done but um we know our margin for victory is is one that's going to require us to play at our best level but we're confident we can do that and uh we have the players and the staff to get it done so you know we go into every game believing that uh it's going to go our way and always believing that something good will happen one more thing if I can sneak it in here what would a win this week mean to you personally uh to me personally you know winning at home for your last game uh with my teammates you know that would everything but uh you know every game I kind of approach win or lose like you win the game Monday through Friday you know not on Saturday and so I'm just trying to approach this week the same way that I've approached every week you know invest as much time energy into preparation and when we go out there on Saturday we're just gonna we're just going to do our job you know do our job and let the plays come to us and end of the day chips will fall where they may but I'm confident we can get it done so if we're able to get that win when we're able to get that win that will that will mean a lot you'll see me out there smiling taking pictures with my family for sure we'll take two more questions Ben yeah just kind of General football question what do you most what have you most enjoyed about playing the linebacker position uh the linebacker position is really physical um and you just have the opportunity to bang heads all day every day and uh I've loved that moving down into the box I moov down in the Box sophomore year and um it's it's the most intense combination of intellectual and and physical work that I've ever encountered in my life and uh I enjoy that challenge you know I enjoy playing for a coach who who believes that the inside linebackers can can change the game and who pushes us to be the very best that we can be stresses fundamentals you know technique and effort and uh the challenge of playing inside linebacker is one that I look forward to every single day when I wake up it is hard that's what I like about it we'll wrap up with John Spencer I've really appreciated the thoughtfulness of your answers this has been superb and I've been doing this 30s something years and and a lot of stard athletes are are thoughtful but this has been plus plus you don't need to react to that um uh my question has to um when I think of you I think of the block pun against UCLA and Bryce uh Bryson recovering it in the end zone and that was one of more inspiring plays that year and you two were inspiring to me this is maybe a bit of an UNF unfair question because it may require you to limit but who among your teammates across the five years have has inspired you you mentioned Tristan he inspired a lot of us with the 10 tackles and half a football game and just the the passion with which he played but you know are there two or three guys that you you know it doesn't have to be performance on the field but the way they practice or the way they talk to you or how they've handled adversity can you maybe call out a couple guys yeah absolutely I can I think uh every walk- on that I've had the opportunity to play with for sure um you know coming from that place myself uh you can't help but respect and love those guys that come out to play because they love to play and and for nothing else and of course I have a lot of scholarship players that I've played with that come out with the same attitude of they play football because they love to play but there's something special about paying your way through school and and playing ball on the side you know taking a 60 hour a week job on the side because you love it you know um so definitely you know brys and termain um one of those guys that I just always loved working next to and and he really inspired me coming in as as a freshman he had been put on scholarship the year before and um so certainly him uh like I talked about before Tristan and I have been uh very close friends for 5 years now and and he inspires me with the the passion that he approaches the gratitude that he approaches every day he loves playing football and he's grateful for the opportunity that that is um guys like Jason call you know who I got to play next to and room with I'm just really grateful for friendships like that throughout my football career you know at the end of the day um a lot of Lifetime relationships have come out of this game and and I'm really grateful for that and I might have to cut it off right there before I start getting too emotional but uh definitely countless names that I could that I could put out um right now I hate to leave anyone unmentioned but uh that's why your five years have been great it has it's been a special experience very very grateful could not me more grateful for both staffs um and this staff particularly for for bringing me back for one more ride very grateful for that well perfectly done we are going to end today's press conference thank you all so