Arizona HC Brent Brennan Thursday press conference (New Mexico)

oh good there aren any all right I promise just one question this time um but just you know after so many months of grinding uh what does it mean to finally get to the point where you're one day off in the game it's just exciting um I'm so fired up for these players and for this team and uh our fans it's just to finally get to game day it's obviously been a lot the last seven months you know in in kind of the lives of Arizona football so um and we're just excited to play it's it's a lot of fun great energy of practice this week so we're looking forward to it Jason and Jenna is there any special conversation you or or zo have with jakoria just about the emotions of this weekend that could come up you know what I've uh I've had a couple players that I've coached that were kind of went through the same situation and I think the biggest thing for them is just you know don't let it be about you let it be about this team and cuz that's really what it's about anyway right um so I think jakory is in a good head space and he's excited to play J and Michael what does it mean to continue the tradition of having the honorary captains and having Chris MC Aller back I'm excited to see Chris Mack what an incredible player he was and I kind of got the chance to see him firsthand cuz he was team my brother was on those teams and just what a brilliant player actually I was a graduate assistant it's my first college game is graduate assistant at the University of Hawaii and Chris mallister house the opening kickoff like 104 yards I remember just watching him run down the field he was so impressive but we're excited to have him back obviously a legendary Wildcat a great person great NFL player so anytime we can get our players former players come back please we want them we want them here Michael and then Troy um speaking of captains do you name season long captains is it a we it's a weak thing and can you tell us who those guys are actually I can tell those guys cuz are we going to announce that later believe are we want to wait until we do that probably okay we're going to sorry it we got to do like the cool thing man we got to like a video like let's get this thing going is it season is it season long or yeah season season long and I've done it all kinds of ways um uh I just feel like there's such a clear uh kind of a clear leadership on this team and I think the players feel it and you know the the team team voting was a virtual Landslide so it's good Troy then J for you what do Saturdays look like for you do you have any like rituals or something that you follow like you personally or what are what are your Saturday mornings like when you're getting ready for the game Saturday night that's a good question uh I always like to try and get a run early in the morning um and I normally try I try and keep my routine the same um you know the last whatever so many years at San Jose even in Oregon State we had we had so many night games like like the night games are hard just because you kind of have to wait all day to play um so really just trying to um relax watch football you know kind of have some more conversations with the staff about the game plan that kind of stuff Jay in the back is there a time during the course of game day that you start to get nervous and is that going to be any different how different will it be this year compared to last year at s state I think it'll be I mean I think it has to be different right this is the first game here so it's going to and and you know I have different connections to the University of Arizona then I had to San Jose both places really special to me um so like that part of it's cool but I think there's always a little bit of nervous enthusiasm for and and also for the start of the season so like just to get started there been so much work so much time put into the last seven months we finally get to play football and so that part I'm excited about Michael and J okay two two Personnel related questions the first one what has um stood out to you about Michael s m who is true freshman is going to be your punter and your holder yeah so he's uh kid as just incredible Poise and he's really talented and I think that part of it um you know somebody was asking me recently about Tyler loop I think it was Becca moros I think it was our our soccer coach and I was saying he's an NFL player player she's like how can you tell and I'm like listen when he hits when he kicks the ball it sounds different and Michael has that too and so it's it's pretty exciting um and and so you know the biggest thing for him is like first game freshman all that stuff just try to get him to take a deep breath get control of his biology he's a good player and he's going to be a great player here so we're excited about him and then um Rhino starting at left tackle another one who has not played and again he's a red shirt freshman so it's a little bit different but um what's been your assessment of how he has performed in that role I think he's done a great job accelerating accelerating his process you know of development I think big Josh has done a really fantastic job coaching him um I think the fact that Josh played both left and right tackle you know I think helps in terms of the teaching of that he's also played as a young player you know I think Josh also started also as a retro freshman so he's talking him through what that's going to feel like and yeah it's going to be there's going to be ups and downs for him just like there is for all of us it's football you know and so um and we're going to help him through that and support him but uh I'm excited to see Rono play he's a young powerful athletic kid and we wouldn't be putting him out there if we didn't think he gave us the best chance to win Justin and then Jason uh do you know B talked about how the chemistry and the camaraderie is probably the best that he's seen out of all the teams that he's coached from your perspective what can you say about the guys together this I would agree it's fantastic and I think it's led by those that leadership group you know um those guys that were you know some of those guys were here for like the Long Haul so that you know that kind of that was forged through the fire so to speak of like not having success and struggling and working together and keep pushing and then having the success they had last year and then I also think it has a lot to do with the guys that are our best players also uh or our highest profile players are also like kind of the best team guys on our team if you're thinking about faf or gunar or stooks or you know Jak Manu or Tac you know like that's you know Baker like those guys have great um awareness of the importance of them keeping everyone together and and and continuing to lean into that Brotherhood Jason uh I'm I'm not sure if You' given this much thought but the NCAA spring transfer portal they've talked about and proposed getting rid of it would you be in favor of it or just general thoughts on that I hadn't heard that I don't know you know I mean last year we had to you know work through three portals you know so that you know with the coaching change so um whatever I think whatever they decide to do you know we'll find a way forward you know what choice you have so I don't know um think coming out of spring practice I think that's going to be a hard one to get through cuz some of those players like find out that they're not first team and then they're like well I'm going to go try somewhere else and some of that so I think that might be I think they might have a hard time getting that one through but I don't know Justin then Michael uh do you know how many tickets have been sold for Saturday it's funny you asked me that um someone else asked me that and I don't okay and uh you know we have smart people doing that stuff for us and I'm trying to coach a football team and so that's where all my energy and focus has been I literally have no idea I'm anticipating being a great crowd I'm anticipating our fans the city showing up for these players cuz they're looking when you think about when the coaching transition happened what everyone thought was going to happen and then for those players to choose to stay for the U OFA to choose to stay for each other to choose to stay for the City of Tucson I hope the city and our students and our fans show out for them and what is the most memorable Arizona home game you've attended shoot most of them about been on the other sideline you know what I mean um trying to think when I was here for here for my brother um that's a great question you know I was I wasn't here for the the 12 And1 year ASU game cuz I was coaching you that's the Year Chris Mack took the kick back against I said Hawaii so um trying to think you I was there the year that Arizona beat ASU up in Tempe um I think it was 17 um if that wasn't a home game I don't know if I have a great answer for that okay sorry all good sho I'm hoping I'm hoping we're making those memories going forward you know last question in M why do you prefer to have morning practices versus afternoon there's lots of reasons um I think the the first one is that letting them you get them up early for the rest of their life they're going to have to get up early and go to work right so get them up early you feed them they have a workout their bodies are awake you feed them again and then they go to school and so in that regard like I think they're more awake than they are when they're going class you know versus you know how some of us were when we' kind of roll out of bed and drag to class you know these guys are fully awake and ready for their day um I like the fact that it gives them on the on the back end it gives them a chance to go to study hall do homework whatever you know because when you practice at night like those practices end up going you know whatever two two 2 and 1 half hours so say it's 4 hours from when you start so they're done at 6 7:00 and then they probably eat and some of them probably end up watching the tape or hanging around and then they're getting home at 9 10:00 I think we have a chance to maximize their sleep which is one of the most critical components of recovery for them we talk about a lot with our team and Coach Carol and our you know our strength conditioning staff and and our training staff and um I think it also helps them make good decisions at night you know what I mean whether they're whe you know some kids like want to stay up all night and play video games and they can't do that when they got to be rocking and rolling at 7 in the morning