Colorado State Football: Jay Norvell Weekly Press Conference - Week 2 (2024)

ready to go uh just uh got a chance to recap the weekend and review the film obviously disappointed we didn't see more success in our fa in all three phases um you know we knew we had to play a mistake free game against te Texas we thought the game plan was what we needed to do we just didn't execute it had a couple of first game mistakes and in the second quarter that were tough to recover and uh really got to clean up some of the mental errors that we had in the game um and it was really difficult to recreate their speed in practice uh just they they've got great recovery SK Speed very good football team um disappointed with the outcome but not discouraged you know nothing's changed how I feel about our football team and what we can accomplish this season um you know we're beginning a very important three-game home stand uh we got seven home games this year and we've got something special going on this week and I want to talk about it for a second we're going to we're going to honor uh John Mosley and for those of you that don't know John Mosley uh he's a very big part of our CSU history and we're getting a chance to pay tribute to him this weekend uh probably the highest honor you could give an athlete um we're going to retire his jersey number 14 over every sport um which is very uncommon to happen at any University um John Mosley was the first black football player to letter here uh at CSU he earned on All Conference honors in both football and wrestling uh he was elected class president both his senior and Junior years uh joined the army air cores after graduating from Colorado A&M at the time enrolled in Tuskegee flight training program and became one of the first black pilots in US history um his son Eric is going to be here this weekend uh and his family we're very excited to have them back and honored uh he's going to address the team on Friday and and we'll we'll honor John uh on Saturday very appreciative to our Administration for making this happen um we're playing Northern Colorado UNC this weekend it's our a day which is a big tradition here um first of seven home games and uh really important stand like I mentioned Ed Lamb's in his second year there um really you know really working hard to get that team to play hard and they are playing very hard I think they've made a lot of improvement for a year ago they lost their first game to Incarnate Word uh but they're a team like us trying to get on track and show great Improvement between game one and game two um they're multiple offense led by Peter castelli uh quarterback on offense really strong running backs one of them is Van Shield who played for us a year ago and Van's a good hard player did a good job for us we know what he's about defense they're are multiple defense um strength of their defense is their linebackers and they're a team uh trying to find themselves and you know when you play a team like that you really got to be strong and and your core beliefs and what you're doing and so we're hit the practice field today getting back at it getting our team ready to roll for this weekend you talked about you obviously were discouraged with what happened last week but you still have confidence in this offense that it can be the explosive offense when you looked at what happened that kept that from happening in Texas was it more of a you think is they thing or an even split no I mean we felt like we had to play a certain way um to manage the game and to eat up clock and to keep their home run hitters off the field it's it's an very uncomfortable way for us to play uh but I felt like we needed to do that to give ourselves an opportunity um you know we we didn't execute some things we had to play a turnover free game and we didn't we turned the ball over on the punt which was which was tough to overcome and like I said uh you know they have a very good team I mean they'll probably have 10 draft picks this year um this year and next year they'll probably have 10 and the next year they'll probably have 10 so there probably 40 kids on their roster that can play in the National Football League so I mean we got to be realistic at what we're playing against and so um you know we we we didn't execute what we did to beat this team um I think we're capable of doing that I do think that this game is going to teach us lessons that are going to help us down the road and and we need to take lessons from this and and and put it into play for the future knowing your pension for history what you were learning about John go what kind of struck you about his life and what he was no it's just um you know I don't think any of us really can understand the times that he came up in and and uh you know with segregation and and um uh you know it's tough you know being the first I mean I've had some people in my family that were the first my dad was the first black athletic director in Michigan State um you know I've been the first African-American coach at a couple different schools and so to be first at that time is much different than now um but for him to do all the things that he accomplished he was a unique incredibly talented individual you know um and and a leader in his own right and you know to be a pilot at that time be one of the first pilots in in in World War II um and to represent this country the way that he did in this University is pretty amazing what's a little bit different about this time around obviously you guys went to Michigan two years ago and had a pretty big defeat there but what's what's different do you feel like I don't know everybody wants to compare I I mean to me it's a loss loss is a loss um you know we we um um we're a different team we're more experienced we didn't play well Saturday um you know and they were a different team than Michigan too you know Michigan was a more you know more physical ground oriented team this was a team with a lot of skill gu guys that could run all over the place so regardless it's still counts the same at the end of the day so you know I think we have a lot of season in front of us we have most all of our goals in front of us and what really matters is what we do from here on out and how we how we handle this and move forward you mentioned kind of game plan a little different than you know maybe your your normal one how do you kind of balance that of wanting to you know be true to yourselves also you know what a game Miss well you know you look at every game differently and and um you do the things that you feel like you need to do I mean we tried to keep their offense off the field they had they have a lot of Home Run hitters you give them enough opportunities you're you're going to come out on the short end so we tried to do what we needed to do to do that we played at a little slower Pace we just didn't execute and finish drives you talked a lot about wanting to run the ball with more consistency I think Marshall averaged four and a half yards a carry went over 100 yards for third time in four games just what kind of growth have you seen out of him I mean I think we've got a lot that we can pull from that game and that's one of them you know um Justin being able to run the football our offensive line did a lot of good things against a really good defense um you know they didn't let anybody do that to them last year in the running game and so we have to build on that I think as we go we're trying to build a more physical team we're trying to build a more rugged team that can hold up uh over a conference season and be able to run the ball when we have to run the ball um and I think we made strides with that Saturday um you know the final score doesn't look pretty but we did some good things running the football I thought I thought Jacob Gardner and Drew moss and Savon Henderson played a really well Aaron Carris and and and Alex you know they were a little bit of a step behind at times and I thought we saw some some younger players that hadn't played a game like this just a little bit slow on the trigger and so they'll learn from that they'll be better but I do think we can we can take some of that um you know growth in the Run game uh with us to rest of the season I was chatting with K olon he's been here six years we counted up he's at 345 teammates what have you learned about Dane in your time here because I know he's an accountability leader somebody that your guys respect yeah I mean I think Dane is a guy that uh you know as a guy that has to earn your way as a walk- on um you have to earn respect from everybody your coaches and teammates every week and and Dane's done that he made some incredible plays on special teams this past week and he's one of our Magnificent Seven you know our seven core special teams players and um so I'm just really proud of Dane um he's a you know in this day age of nil and all this stuff there's still place for guys that walk on and earn their way and show that they can play at this level and and Dane's done that you mentioned um some of the younger guys in the environment that was Texas feeling a step behind how much does coming home and having that first home game do you feel like build confidence not just for that for the whole team it's big I mean there's certain situations you just can't replicate you know as much as you try um you know until you play against a team like that that has the type of athletes it does you really can't can't replicate it with a scout team in practice so you know that that that was that was uh evident Saturday um but you know we get to come back I think you know that's a team that's very different than everybody on our schedule and so we've got a chance to come home uh get some home cooking play in front of our fans um you know and we're going to play a very game uh UNCC team that's hungry to win so we got to prepare and really get on our our level of preparation every week and go ahead and and try to play our very best every Saturday and and um and that's going to be that way regardless of who the opponent is and that's what what I really want to see our kids do Jay when you look at this program hasn't had three straight home games and I think it's been nine years is that something that can allow a team to gain a rhythm and really gain some momentum as the season goes no it's important to play at home and and uh you it's important for your kids to get confid idence from playing at home and um you know I think it's fantastic we're very fortunate uh to have three straight home games and have seven home games and and uh you know we want to get we want to get into a rhythm of playing great here and uh kids have a lot of confidence I think we gained a lot of confidence last year planning canvas and so um this is our first opportunity you know we got a hope new crop of freshmen that are going to be here our band's going to be right behind their home bench uh it'll be a lot different atmosphere and we're we're excited to see it knew it would be a challenge just without Mo from a pass rush standpoint but how do you feel like those guys Fair yeah I was I was really pleased with a couple guys you know Gabe ktky played really well for his first game for us and I'm encouraged by that uh Kenyan aares is a freshman he was not out of place out there he's running around and and made some really big hits um you know and I was pleased with mend um you know we have to we have to be a very disciplined pass rush and we have to play with great relentlessness and uh you know I thought we did some good things you know on the on the I thought we had a a perfect uh Team pass rush on the turnover when when we got the tip and um you know our our ends were level rushing they they were going speed to power and we closed up the gaps inside and that's exactly what we have to do and I think you know in we are like most every team in America we are a work in progress and you know we had a lot of guys that were on the field for their first time in a CSU uniform and and um and they will get better every week and we need to take another step this week and we have to do it every week this season how' you feel you came out healthwise pretty good you know I Justin you know had a bunch of carries and against a good physical SEC team and um you know we had some guys that were beat up a little bit but nothing unusual for a first game so we're we're pretty fortunate right now that um that we're in pretty good shape I know you talking the past you don't believe in like you believe every year has been a Prov year for you but do you feel like this year maybe and obviously starting this week with with the opportunity you have with three straight home games this is like the culmination of what you've been building toward not just here but throughout your coach yeah this is an important home stand for us it is we need to play well and um and it really it'll really dictate the rest of our season going into conference but you know I think we need to we need to get into a groove of playing at a high level and and playing with confidence and you know it seems like more more now than in the past you have so many transfer players that you really don't you kind of are work in progress in the pre-season working your Chemistry out and you know by the time we get to conference we really H ought to have a fi for playing together and playing at a high level so we just want to gain confidence every week start start adding more Playmakers into our offense you know start playing with more continuity on defense and um and just really get in a Groove as a team and you know playing three straight home games helps you do that thanks guys