Head Coach Jedd Fisch Weekly Press Conference: Week One (Weber State)

certainly an exciting time uh for all of us that have been here since January uh 16th or 15th feels like it's been really short some days and really long other days so it's uh certainly now time to go play Talking season's over um and it's an opportunity for our team to really go out there and uh showcase how hard they play and that's kind of what uh we're going to talk about all week long is can we have the team with the greatest amount of effort for the longest amount of time and can our program sustain that and build that uh as the weeks go on so that's going to be our number one Focus for sure um and then number two is are we capable of um playing together and um playing at the highest level we haven't really done that uh as we're so brand new that uh it'll be our first time that we're all out there together so really excited about kind of seeing how we do how we communicate and um if we can play with great effort and we can communicate at a high level I think it'll be a a fun a fun season but uh there's a lot of uh lot of things that we need to see it starts Saturday night at 8:00 uh excited about first game at home being um for me and my family for our coaches uh to be a a part of the greatest setting in college football uh really excited about the chance to you know drive up here be a part of the dog walk uh start some of our own New Traditions as well as embrace the past of the Traditions that have been here and then um hit the field for the very first time uh as a husky so excited about everything that's coming our way and uh certainly take any questions you guys have what allowed Will Rogers to ultimately win starting quarterback show I think Will from the very beginning showed a command um a maturity uh he has a ton of experience we felt that um with the team of inexperience there's uh it's a nice thing to have a lot of experience at that position and uh will has certainly shown that he has great leadership abilities he has certainly embraced um learning this off offense and then um has continued to improve week in and week out day in and day out um and he's had somebody that's really really good uh nipping at his heels every single uh every single day so um they make a great pair uh they've certainly become very good friends they've gotten to really uh build a great relationship but in the end uh we felt like at this moment in time uh for this game uh certainly will was Will was the right guy to lead the team J we spent a lot of time asking you about the offensive line over the offseason and you have your Five Guys for now can you kind of just talk about who those guys are and and why those five guys are the r ones yeah you know uh we we we kind of had a a pretty good mix and match I mean in the spring we only had eight scholarship line uh offensive linemen and two of them were hurt and we didn't really have a lot of flexibility to be able to evalue the team and the offensive line and then as uh you know spring went to summer summer went to fall we started getting a good feel and really had about a 10-man rotation of offensive lineman and uh when we when we settled down and saw who were the going to be the best five for opening day to help us uh move the football we felt really good about uh Swan's progress um at left tackle thought that he really has shown the ability to not just run block but pass protect he's got great length he's got a body that you want uh as a left tackle um felt really good about right tackle obviously Drew as a party has kind of had that spot um throughout you know that wasn't um I would say that he was secured the spot the earliest starting in the spring and then the guard battle was a pretty good battle all the way through with guard memar coming back from a knee injury and then bringing Enoch in uh from Ohio State uh both of those guys have certainly helped us but there's been a lot of uh good guard play here I would say uh in training camp so there's uh certainly some good competition there and then with Hatchet uh coming back and being cleared to play but um how many reps how many uh you know can he play a full game he hasn't done that yet uh we really like the way DLo has been playing and uh DLo is I think it's 48 starts at Portland State so there's experience there and with him and will you know those two guys if you add up the amount of starts that those two guys have I don't think anyone combined um is close to that number I think when you look at the 30s something starts that will had and the or even more and the 48 starts that DLo had you're talking about almost 80 starts I'm not sure our team has 80 starts when you add them all up so it's pretty good J on that same subject right here you had said um on your first day here about it starting in the trench I think you said to win games the Big 10 it starts in the trenches if you can't run the ball or stop the run you don't have a chance and I'm just wondering your confidence level in the trenches on both sides how would you describe where you feel like you're at offensively and defensively with the big boys up front yeah well I I certainly uh I don't regret saying that and I believe that 100% um we are uh certainly gotten better up front both sides of the ball I feel that um this training camp Co coach Caroll coach KUSI um both have done a tremendous job of of getting our two lines offensive line defensive line ready to go uh along with their assistance um with coach lych and Coach Jackson and Coach Switzer so uh we feel good about it I think our defensive line with dery and with Cass you know you've got Sebastian Valdez you've got dery you got Javon Parker coming back from injurying uh Bandz returning for his sixth year uh you you've got Isaiah Ward who came over um there's some really good uh there's a really good defensive line group and I think we're we're really solid really into the two deep if not even one or two others rotating through um then you have on the offensive line I feel far better than I did going into training camp now that I've seen these guys compete and uh I was confident from the film that we were able to evaluate and see but to be able to watch them work together every day uh it's still a work in progress and um we still have to figure out exactly what it's going to look like I mean this uh this group saw two really two first round picks I know one went in the second one went in the first but some people would have argued they both should have been first round picks last year at tackle um so we we certainly know that there's a standard of of playing really good up front and we have to continue to to to Really build off of that whether it be this week this season or the seasons ahead you mentioned Jayvon Parker you guys didn't have him for a lot of Camp here what what did he do to to be listed at the top of the dep chart well when he was healthy he was H he was a starter for us uh then he wound up at some point in Spring ball having to get uh his knee fixed up um and it wasn't a season Ender it was is about a 3-month recovery so when you look at the time frame of when it happened or where it happened and then what we needed to get done he's now back healthy and uh he's back healthy and we believe that based upon the way he worked all summer uh in the weit room and during on his rehab the amount of film study the preparation that he put himself in position to be able to have substantial reps on Saturday um whether between the next four days or so he's we're fully comfortable with starting him or not we'll we'll have to see that but certainly prior to his injury he would have been uh certainly named a starter at this point could you uh talk about the the Big Sky connection here you've got maybe three transfers that are going to start for you from that league and it used to be maybe a gimme game but three years ago we saw Montana come in here and win and I think you went through the same thing in Arizona that year with Northern Arizona could you talk about keeping your guys focused on the Big Sky yeah and I think how we just saw it this Saturday with Montana State beating New Mexico um so you know I think these games we're going to have a North Dakota State game against Colorado um the night before I I think that the days of the Gimme days I don't know I think those are over uh the leagues are different the competition's different coaching's continuing to improve um this is not like what we had back in whatever 2000 when I was at at Florida and you have a game that you'd win 60 something to nothing um I just don't see it I don't see that being the case at all I think you've got a really good football team coming in here off of a three-game win streak rent 22nd in their in the FCS uh they've played in the playoffs uh eight times here in a row or eight times in the last 10 years uh it's a good football team well coach new coach going into a second season um so there are no more gimmies in this sport uh especially with all the Transitions and all the turnovers and all the changes they have 10 transfers that are on their team eight of which came from the FBS you would never have had that um back in the day you wouldn't have had eight guys that played in FBS football now playing in FCS football and uh within what a couple months of of playing and then they lost some guys starter at BYU starter at New Mexico that were just on this team so um we got our work cut out for us I'm going to say that every single week I believe that uh each week we got to figure out how to bring our best and it's going to start with our effort how hard we run to the ball how well we finish how much we want to compete in every single aspect of the game will determine the success of our team how J you said a month ago that you weren't sure how this group was going to look as a collective before going into Camp what did it look like to you during during camp and maybe what stood out about how everything came together yeah um well what stood out to me is that um each day we improved we made a standard uh as a program that we were never going to have a bad practice we might have a bad moment at practice we might have a bad period in practice but we were going to do everything we could not to have a bad practice and these guys uh they never had a bad practice uh sometimes it wasn't as good as we wanted it to be or there were certain moments that weren't as good but what I loved about this group over the last four weeks is they they found a way to find an identity they found a way that they were going to you know be physical they were going to play with great effort uh and they were going to finish on every play disciplined that's going to be what the standard's going to be here that's what's going to be what this team looks like and as they started talking about it more and more it gave me more belief and more confidence that we're going to be able to start seeing uh quicker what we want to look like how quick I don't know but certainly quicker than maybe I thought five weeks ago are there any updates on Kevin green Jr we saw him get injured at the end of the game now he's not on the two de yeah Kevin will be out for a while um I would imagine we won't see uh Kevin till the bye what is your approach to working with the defense in Steve Bel obviously this his first year college defensive coordinator how how do you handle that process and going through the two deeps because coach Ander said obviously it starts with you and I know you're more with the offense kind of what is your approach to the defensive side on that respect yeah um you know the the accountability accountability falls on me um so I've got to do the very best I can uh to make sure that in all three phases of our program um we're all saying the same message I believe in our coordinators 100% uh defensively Steve's done a fantastic job since he's arrived he's really embraced college football he's embraced the learning uh curve that these kids are on uh he's really done a great job of putting his scheme in I have the utmost um respect for Coach powpow uh we've been together now for four years he's run our special teams for the last three uh he his so valuable his input that he gives when it comes to the personnel and the to deep and what we need to get done coach carols and I have been together for seven years um certainly Brennan uh has a great mind for the game and we talk about what we want to do on offense often uh but in the end you know I'm gonna I'm going to let Steve put in what he wants to put in trust Steve and what we're doing I'm going to meet with the defense every Friday all season long uh with the players I'm going to meet with Steve every Monday and every Thursday meet with the defensive staff every Sunday and we're going to make sure that we're all saying the same thing playing the type of football that we want to play uh with that being said if you're going to be the play caller uh you are going to spend a little bit extra time on the offensive side and and I've got to be able to manage that with the new that's called iPads that we've got on the sideline and you know getting wrapped up in sitting on the bench making Corrections while you're also uh the head coach of the team so there's going to be some uh learning there as well and I'm looking forward to to balancing that because at the mock game I felt like I was uh running a meeting every time we were in between series rather than uh overseeing the whole game so I've got to make sure that we get that done done how would you describe Steve's initial reaction to you offering him this job or reaching out and saying hey we want you to come interview and and coaching College well he was uh I would say gratitude first off uh he was you know I think he felt that it was a great compliment that uh we reached out and uh offered him his first the defensive coordinator job in a power five team and he was very grateful for that opportunity um he was excited about the chance to fly out here he asked if if his wife could come with him uh as they have been in New England now for 13 I think straight years so it was a big move uh they've only been with one team so he wanted to make it a family decision if they chose to do that uh he was very prepared when he flew out here for the interview uh had an exact plan of what he wanted to go through uh on the computer and in terms of installation and in terms of schematics uh how he teaches it he's very uh you know he's not very threatening in the way he speaks so everyone on the staff felt really good about the inclusiveness that he was going to bring to the coaching staff but they also were so impressed with his intelligence and um how well he knew the game and um it was immediately we we we have a great relationship we have a great friendship we've socialized together on and off the field we've been on vacation the same place so there it's not like this was a new relationship but the idea of being able to have him here um he's been fantastic it I I respect him I trust him I believe in him and uh there's no doubt I feel like we have the best defensive coordinator if not uh uh around it looks like a lot of your secondary positions are still in competition could could you talk about that and and especially Darren Barkin who who came here last year got hurt and then just kind of you know he's been in rehab it seemed like ever since yeah he's been uh he's had a lot of treatment he's been in the training room a good amount over the last five or six days he's shown up as somebody that's competing uh I think his first practice back he had an interception his second practice back he had a forced fumble his third practice back he recovered a fumble he just kind of found the ball uh which was exciting and when you've never seen him because he didn't participate really in very much football since I've been here he showed up and that was cool um obviously prw Thad Dixon EJ have played a lot of football so so there's a lot of video evidence out there um and we feel really good about those three guys and then Jordan Shaw is a freshman red shirt freshman but young nonetheless and then McCutchen uh was out for a lot of training camp so those two guys are in a good competition uh for that star position and then at safety uh Mikel and cam Fab were were kind of sitting there as the starters um during let's call it uh Spring ball and then C brard came in and did a fantastic job in in competition so that's now added a new dimension there uh so now we have the flexibility of three corners three safeties two stars uh that gives us a lot of personnel groupings one thing that coach belich will say Steve will say for sure is uh it's our job to get the best 11 out there for every single play so we're not going to get wrapped up in what position they play we're not going to get wrapped up is are you allowed to play with three Corners sure you're allowed to play with everybody as long as there only 11 out there you're allowed to play with three safeties you're allowed to play with two defensive linemen you're allowed to play with five defensive lineman so I think what we're going to do what you're going to see is um that mentality by Steve that he learned from his dad was it's our job each down to get the best 11 out there to stop what they're doing on offense and not worry about what position they play and that's why all that competition um has been great for the team I think I asked this a couple weeks ago and I wanted to just follow after a few more weeks of practice and probably a better question for week four or week five but what are you good at like what are you hoping this team is good at starting Saturday I want to be good at playing really hard I want to be great at that actually um and that's something we're good at not great at yet but our my hope our hope as a coaching staff is by Saturday we're great at it uh and if we're not great at it Saturday by the following Saturday we're great at it we want to be great at playing with Incredible effort uh the next thing I'd say we want to be great at is we want to be great at fundamentals if it's about setting the edge on defense then we want to be great at setting the edge if it's about tackling on defense we want to be great at tackling um if it's about blocking on offense we'll be great at blocking you know I I I put up a quote the other day from Vince Lombardi and it was like football is about two things blocking and tackling so we got to be good at those two things if we're not good at those two things the rest of it doesn't matter so that's kind of what I want to be good at effort running to the ball setting the edge tackling blocking fundamentals after that we'll see if we can be good at throwing post routes or Corner routes or playing cover two or playing cover six or whatever it might be but in the end we want to be good at the first part coach you named uh Will Rogers if Q be one but you said earlier there's a a really talented guy nipping at his heels um is there going to be C situations special packages where we see Theon step in under Center the answer to that question is maybe uh we've got uh we've got a very talented quarterback room and uh it's our responsibility to move the football uh any way any way possible how we do that when we do that how we choose to do that uh we're very excited about will uh right now as our starting quarterback uh going into this game and everything that will brings and then uh we'll see uh what demand um can do will do but uh I did this with Noah and Jaden and Noah red shirted his freshman year he played four games he didn't go in uh more than four games and then he came back in his second year won Pack 12 freshman of the year so uh we don't know we don't know what it's going to look like we don't know how it's going to be I don't want to predict the future I just know that right now um I love our quarterback room and I'm really excited about um where it's headed Jen you've got six guys listed on the depth chart with the edge rusher can you just talk a little bit about that competition why you feel comfortable putting so many guys on on the chart yeah because the edge rusher is um you know they're The Edge player they're the ends right so is it a run snap is it a pass snap is there certain third down packages that you'd want to get a guy in for I think we've all seen like the designated pass rusher is one of those terms that people use when they're talking about the draft like okay is this guy really a third down pass rusher or is he an edge Setter um so for us we have to get an idea of what type of offense we're playing every week um some guys fit uh what we're doing on defense better for a certain week we don't want to get locked into you know you guys asking me on Saturday hey you guys had on the you didn't have so and so on your depth chart and yet he played 36 snaps well I didn't you know know they were going to be a Zone re team or I didn't want to tell you guys that you know whatever it might be uh so you know we left it open for interpretation and our flexibility to be able to mix and match players back and forth ultimately when when you talk about your quarterback battle how difficult did Deon make that decision for you guys to go with will or the idea that you could play both of them um Deon had a Deon got better every day Deon got better every single day uh coach dhy did a great job uh developing demand and uh continuing to obviously develop will as well I think our quarterbacks continue to show um how they can thrive in our system and I believe it's a great system to play quarterback in I think that's been proven over the years it's a great system to play wide receiver in um so I feel like it's a situation where deand will continue to get better deand turned 18 in March will has been doing this for a long time um together they they've made um each other better they're going to continue to make each other better the man continued to improve will continue to improve and uh what's exciting to me is when you have a true freshman at quarterback every receiver in the country should want to come here okay thanks appreciate it e