Do you have any feel for how good this team is? I mean, how much room there is to improve? How good are you? Do you know that yet?
Oh, we can improve in a lot of ways, I think that showed itself really last couple games. We've got plenty to clean up, that's for sure. But what you're pleased is that you still find a way, and that's what good teams can do. And I say clean up, that's not them, that's coaching, that's everything that we're doing, and that's what's exciting because you haven't kind of hit what you can be. We know this (TCU) is the biggest challenge so far in many different ways. So, it'll be another good measuring stick that's for sure.
Is there any update on Daniel Hishaw?
He’ll be out for an extended period of time. I don't have specifics yet, but that’s probably the best I can give you at this time. He seems to be in decent spirits considering everything. I'll let you know more as we move along.
You had mentioned that you were hoping to see him Saturday night, did you?
Yeah, I was able to see him at the hospital, and he was doing a lot better than I could've expected. I had stopped there, our training staff, medical staff, did an outstanding job. His father was there and his uncle. You get a lot of people there and there's things- in fact he was getting ready to be discharged, and so I mean, considering all that. Some of our team doctors were coming in so we kind of made sure everything was there, everything was arranged for him and his family for the evening, and then let those people do their job.
What does the position look like without him and what is Ky Thomas availability?
Ky's been practicing more. I thought Ky had a good day today, but he's kind of in a day to day type mentality and so you know it's Devin and Sevion. You know, Torry has played in games so that's what we have available. We talked about the depth of that position, and we can't let one right now but you're halfway- getting to the halfway point and, you know, the body isn't the same. So, we've got to make sure, and we've been utilizing a lot of people offensively and we've got to find a way to keep doing that.
What do you see from Max Duggan at TCU?
He's playing really, really well. But I was impressed with him last year. You know he's completed about what? About 75% of his passes, in a lot of different ways. They utilize him in the run game which makes it even more difficult. (He’s) a bigger body, a physical runner, but deceptively fast and he showed that in his long run. They thought they had an angle on him, and he outran the angle and that was impressive. I would say much like we think of Jalon but, you know, but that's a different body type. But he can run you know, he's not afraid to put his shoulder down and run over you. He's going to outrun you. He's making the quick throws very well. He can throw the deep ball. He's got a great set of receivers, you know, it's going be a challenge. I think he's gotten off to a great start and since he's taken over the position. Coach Dykes has done a great job in that system utilizing his talents.
Obviously Daniel Hishaw was off to a great start this season, what do you feel like the running back room and offense as a whole will miss while he's gone?
Well, you get to see the different things he gave us. He has good speed, and he showed himself as a receiver. But I think his running style and physicality is what separated himself. I thought he had a couple of those runs Saturday. And again, there's different styles there that all compliment each other, and now you got one piece of that group that's going to be missing unfortunately.
What conversations did you have with Gavin Potter when he left the team?
It wasn't a whole lot. He's decided that was what he was going to do. He wanted the red shirt and to move on. So, you know that’s unfortunate. Because of the way things are set up today, those are happening across the country, and that's disappointing, but not overly surprising either.
There is good depth and linebacker. How do you feel they have responded?
Very well. I thought Eriq Gilyard and Lorenzo McCaskill played probably their most collectively, and I thought both of them played well. I think we still have, between our sub packages, I think we've got a lot of flexibility with Taiwan, and Rich can go outside and play, and have done it before. If Craig needs help and Lorenzo and Eriq, I think are two of our most physical linebackers in the inside. Again, there's depth and competition, and we've talked about that in the past. I think the ones that are here are embracing it.
With GameDay coming with all the excitement does that change your schedule?
I think it means a lot for this program as far as you know, where we're at in kind of being viewed now a little bit. I think it means a lot to this athletic department and the university and hopefully campus. You kind of hear about it for a couple weeks or whatever. I don't know how they decide and that should be neat. I hope it adds to the atmosphere and everything that people know about this place and things that our fan base and people will continue to build upon. Should be hopefully a shot arm in the recruiting game, not just for this year but for future years, for something that happened that hasn't happened before as well as being ranked.
And what's it mean schedule-wise? I haven't really found out everything yet. Right now, we have no plans on changing everything and I think the one thing for us that, again, never any other time as a head coach I was a part of it was we played at Western Michigan. We were at Buffalo and it being the visiting team it was different. That's when Western went to the Cotton Bowl. You still have your normal media obligations with the national people when they're there. I think it's more in an afternoon or night game that may change the schedule, if you have to be around at all.
On distractions and being linked to other jobs?
I'm focused on this. We're extremely happy here. We have no plans of going anywhere and anything like that is just you know, rumors. And again, when some of these things will happen, we're in film rooms and other stuff, I don't even know what's going on. I didn't even know some of the stuff that was going on Sunday until later in the evening. All of a sudden, I got all these text messages.
