Sept. 11, 2007
Video
Coach Long Press Conference
Head Coach Rocky Long
On the athletic difference between NMSU and Arizona:
“I don’t know what to expect. I have a real good feel for what type of athletes New Mexico State has because we are so close and we keep track of each other. Arizona obviously has really good athletes because they are Pac-10 athletes, but I don’t know how we match up physically with them. You can’t really tell on tape. You won’t know untill you actually get to the game and see the two teams running around with each other.”
On Arizona’s performance in its first two games:
“They looked good on defense against BYU and looked like they were playing their first game in a new offense against BYU. Then last week they played Northern Arizona and obviously they’re more talented than Northern Arizona. They hardly gave up a first down and they ran up and down the field like no body was out there. Against Northern Arizona they looked like national champs and against BYU they looked like a team that was playing their first game in a new offense.”
On the players’ attitude after a win versus a loss:
“Whenever you win a game obviously they come to practice with a better attitude, they’ve got more of a smile on their face. Since we give them so much time off before our first practice and the game, they had almost two whole days to enjoy the victory. Then we put them back in their place last night. This morning’s practice, it was better than last Tuesday’s practice, but you can ask our players. I don’t think there was any difference. We practiced just as hard, the coaches yelled just as much and we demanded just as much from them this week as we did a week ago.”
On Lobo safety Clint McPeek’s play in the first two games:
“He’s had two really big hits in two games. Both of them I think made a difference in the game. I think it made a difference in the UTEP game because it made the quarterback and receivers a little more careful where they threw the ball and how they threw it. Obviously (the play he made in) the game on Saturday (against New Mexico State), that’s the momentum changer of the game. I mean who knows if he doesn’t make that hit, they complete that pass and they go down and score and it’s going to be 60 to 60 and we’re in overtime.”
Senior Linebacker Brett Madsen
“I think [the win over New Mexico State] was huge, especially for our offense. Our offense had a great game. (Sophomore quarterback) Donovan (Porterie), I felt that he gained a lot of experience from that game, but defensively we didn’t play very well. We have to come out this week and play a lot better. There is no excuse. We can’t give up that many yards, that many points. We have to come and play a lot better against Arizona, than we did last week.”
Senior Wide Receiver Travis Brown
“[Arizona is] definitely a good team and we are too. They are learning a few new things and we are learning new schemes as well. Going in against the number one corner in the nation (senior Antoine Cason), (senior wide receiver) Marcus (Smith) and I are excited about it and I have no doubt that he probably is too. It’s a point in our career where we can really prove ourselves, so we are looking forward to it.”