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The University of Utah Athletics
Quotes from Kyle Whittingham's Weekly Press Conference
9/8/2009 12:00 AM | Football
Sept. 8, 2009
Opening statement:
Looking back at last week, I thought it was a positive opener. We did a lot of good things. The offense was efficient in general. We did make some errors and turned the ball over three times. We have to correct that - you are not going to win a lot of games that way. The goal line stand was disappointing. We have to be more physical in that situation. Good effort on defense - we made some mistakes and didn't tackle as well as we should have. Mental mistakes led to some big plays. We have to continue to work to correct these problems and get better. The best aspect of the game was our special teams. The kicking game was good and the coverage was good. I am really pleased relative to the experience we have in special teams. All of our guys are new and for them to come out and put in a solid performance on opening night is encouraging.
San Jose State is coming off a tough loss. To go into the Coliseum and play USC is a tall order for anyone. They were ahead 3-0 after one quarter, but it went downhill after that. We don't put a lot of stock in that, we prepare and approach the game the same way and do our thing. Kyle Reed is a good athlete and they have a good tailback. Their front guys on defense are all very good. We have to show up and play consistent football, make plays, and correct things we are deficient at.
On Koa Misi:
He had a limited practice yesterday and what he did do, he was fine. He showed no ill effects or any setbacks and we are counting on him playing.
On playing on the road:
We have the same routine each and every week. That's a relative statement - short weeks or long weeks can vary some of the preparation. We have all the same routines and do all the same meetings. We take care of practice on Friday before we get on the plane, then we get there, have dinner and a movie and relax. I can't attribute our success on the road to any one thing, it's just the way the guys prepare in general.
On Terrance Cain:
Terrance was solid. He did have an interception on a deflected ball, which was an unfortunate situation. What we need to do is continue to get him playing the way we did on Thursday as far as pocket poise, decision-making and getting him a little more involved in the run game. You saw a taste of that against Utah State. That will be more a part of the game plan as the season goes on. We have to be careful and smart about how to handle it. He is an exceptionally fast kid and we want to make sure we build on that. There are a lot of good qualities in his game. We will present a little more of the offense to him each week and keep building on that.
On the Mountain West Conference:
To have two Big 12 wins is very positive. I think it's added testimony for the strength of the MWC, for where we need to be and where we're trying to get. It was a good start for the conference in week one. You build your case on the field week-to-week and season-to-season. We have to keep going out and playing well, particularly in higher profile games.
On San Jose State head coach Dick Tomey:
His teams are very well coached. He is one of the best in the business. Look at his track record in Hawaii. I had the benefit of learning a great deal of his philosophies through Coach (Ron) McBride. He hung on to a lot of what Tomey did and brought a lot of that to Utah, particularly in the recruiting area. I have the utmost respect for him. The players believe in him. He is the epitome of a players' coach - they love him and consequently perform for him.
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