It's a short week, with the CMU game on Thursday, and the presser comes at us fast. Suffice it to say that this is the biggest game of the season to date. CMU looks to be strong and is normally tough to beat at home. We are playing well on the road (maybe better than at home--see this in today's Blade), but we really need to bring it Thursday if we are going to stay on the island. I just don't see Kent losing three times (or twice, but that's what we have to hope for).
Here are the coach's comments. My smart aleck remarks are in orange.
(On having a different schedule this week)
"What will be difficult is today (Monday), because it is usually the players' off day, so we tell them to load up their classes on Mondays. But, today we are going to have a practice like a typical Tuesday or Wednesday, and we are going to have some guys missing. So, we will have to fill in for them."
(Have you had a short week like this before?)
"Well, when I was coaching at Wyoming in the late 80s these games came in vogue with ESPN. We played a couple Thursday night games and played a lot of night games. That was back when people didn't know the long-term effects. When we did that it was in the earlier part of the season so we would have a healthier team."
(What is the long-term effect?)
"Well I think at this point we are a banged-up team and, because of the nature of our schedule, playing two top-20 teams in the Big Ten as well as the conference schedule and our youth, it's tough to play a mid-week game now on a four days rest. Now the timing is not good. But I think Central will be the same way. We are in the same boat, I think."
Yes, Thursday is just as far from Saturday in Michigan as it is in Ohio. I think it is a little easier to deal with at home.
(On how injuries play a factor)
"That's another thing; we could use those extra days in the week to get some guys healthy, but we're not going to be able to do that."
"With our possession time I don't think it is any different. I think the new clock rule is affecting that. We are averaging about 72 snaps a game where last year we were in the 80s. I don't know how it is across the country and I didn't time the last game but I know at OU the game was 2 hours and 27 minutes, and that's kind of short. When you don't have a lot of the TV stuff they go pretty quick. I mean, there are probably two or three fewer possessions a game, and fewer plays mean less wear and tear on guys."
(Do you feel that your team plays better on the road)
"Well, that's the only place we ever play. We have four of the next five on the road, so we better play well on the road or we are going to be out of it."
Well, there HAVE been a couple home games. I mean, we played at home and nearly lost to Buffalo and EMU, (1 win between them) and find time to sandwich in our worst loss at the Doyt ever. So, EVER is probably a strong word.
(Does all of the travel wear you out?)
"I think that wears on you a little bit. Not only the strength of our schedule but the length of it, too. Without a bye week, the travel, I think, wears on the team. Get on the bus, get on the plane, get back on the bus; those are all things you just have to manage. Those are all things you don't have to worry about on the road. And, there are some teams that do that 6 (road games) and 6 (home games), and we are doing it 8 and 4."
(On the play of Central Michigan this year)
"They have done a nice job. The league has become more competitive now, and I think that it just a credit to the coaches in the league. I was listening to (Kent State coach) Doug Martin this morning on the radio and he talked about the administration stepping it up at Kent. You know, pumping money into the facilities and the training table for the athletes, which has helped them with injuries. You know you see programs like Akron who has made a commitment from the administration. Those are two programs that haven't seen much success, but why are they becoming more successful? Well, their administrations are stepping up and giving them the resources to be successful because it's not coaching. You know Dean Pees had been the coach at Kent for a while and he is a coordinator at the National Football League, so he must be a pretty good coach. I think it's about the administration making an effort to be competitive and have a chance to win championships. It's all about dollars."
(On Central Michigan QB Dan LeFevour)
"He is a good player. I think they are in the top-three in the league with passing. He has thrown for a couple hundred yards in each game. They are doing a nice job. They are running a lot of things that we have run throughout the years. You can see that on film and defensively as well; it's really like watching Bowling Green on both sides of the ball. Even their special teams; their punt was similar to what we were using early in the season. Their kid is a great rugby-style kicker. He is like (Nate) Fry. I mean, he is a weapon for them. It is what we were trying to do early on, but it wasn't as effective for us like when we had Nate."
(On the CMU defensive front)
"Daniel Bazuin is a very good player, and they have two linebackers who are in the top five in the league. I think their front is strong. You look at them and they are big old oak tree looking guys."
(On Devon Parks)
"I think he rises to the competition. That's what I always liked about Parks. I mean, he started as a true freshman, his second game of his career was against Purdue. He is a highly-motivated guy. He plays with tons of intensity and he brings it every snap. He has been a great leader for our defense."
(How has he improved?)
"Well, he has improved with the little things in the game. He is very disciplined, and is great at studying the opponent. I mean he puts in the time on (looking at opposing) offenses and how they are going to block him. He has really worked on his pass-rush technique, and he is going to do the little things to make himself a great player."
(On Roger Williams)
"Roger is a walk-on, and he is a pleasant surprise for us. I have used in him kickoff returns -- obviously, I used him Saturday -- and we are going to use him as a backup tailback."
Well, I hope he has time, you know, when he isn't busy founding Rhode Island.
(Has Erique Dozier been a surprise at linebacker?
"I don't know if he has been a surprise. I always thought Dozier was a good defensive player; we just had to find a spot for him. He is comfortable at the linebacker spot; he has really settled in there an is doing a good job there for us. He blew up (Eastern Michigan's) trick play. We put together all the trick plays that Eastern had run and played them over and over. We tried picking up on all the small things and looked for little sudden keys."
Dozier had a big game. Like him a lot. He is part of the cautious optimism we have for the future of our defense.
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