Rhett Lashlee Press Conference (09.03.24)

all right excited uh to be playing again pretty quick on Friday night against BYU um obviously a great opponent Kanani sataki is a good friend and a great coach and you can already tell they're uh they're much improved from a year ago really explosive on offense uh can run it and throw it quarterback's playing great and and defensively they're big up front they got a really good pass rusher off the edge and I think their linebackers are much improved from a year ago so excited be in Ford Stadium Friday night ESPN and and get a chance to try to get our third win out FM team yeah I thought we I thought we played pretty well you know we did what we were supposed to do I think offensively we had 42 knockdowns ran for 300 almost 70 yards so that was good to control the game that way I think defensively three turnovers are big uh got off the field a lot on third down um stopped the run so we did the things we needed to do uh cut the penalties in half still could be better there um so we responded well and we started fast I think what 28 points in the first quarter so that was good um obviously the challeng is just only increase uh starting this Weekes the short week make any difference uh I mean it's one less day you know but BYU does the same thing so um you know early in the year um you know hopefully you're physically in in a little bit better shape so um it's quick turnaround we'll we'll do what we can to be smart in the next you know 7 two hours to be as fresh as we can um but I I think at the end of the day both teams got to play in the same amount of game prep time and physicality you know resting time so I think we'll be all right when you approach rest of the season yeah how do you comp also Focus yeah I mean 10 straight power games is it's what we have for it's what we wanted um you know I think there's been a lot of Buzz around our program which is great and there's a lot of um overzealous people out there prognosticating what we're supposed to do I mean there's no pressure on us we're not supposed to win these games right I mean if you look at history you know the four teams that uh went into the Big 12 last year none of them had a winning record in their first year um you know now we haven't had that many bitp I don't I don't think and y'all can fact check me I don't think we won a home game against the power four opponent since 2010 so now we've probably only had 10 games at home against we haven't played one even every year at home um like so we just need to relax and go play I think we got a good team we're not there yet I mean just into week three we're still in that early season process where you're trying to figure out your identity and who you're going to be on all both sides of the ball um you know we have faced adversity already early on in the season and we responded well but like you know some of these things out there are kind of baffling like I mean to me we're the underdog every week doesn't matter what the line says it doesn't matter like we're not supposed to come in and beat everybody now on the flip side I mean our guys are confident and I think they know that that we can compete at this level uh I think they feel good that we belong so we have to go out and show that but there's no pressure on us only the pressure we put on our have you had a chance to watch some of the other ACC games that have happened so far and Le anything watching What's happen to Florida State yeah I mean if you watch college football the first week and a half I say week and a half because we were part of the week zero group uh there's a lot of parody it's hard to win I mean you look across the SEC the Big 10 the ACC the Big 12 a lot of non-conference games that were really tight um you look at our conference I mean you see I think Georgia Tech and Boston College are really good football teams um I already know what kind of talent Florida state has so I have a feeling they'll rebound but like just it's hard to win you know Nevada goes and beat Troy I mean it's and so you got in most cases 17 18 to 23 24 year old kids going to school now with nil and all these things it's just a lot and uh I think that's why you have the inconsistency maybe week to week um and so yeah I mean honestly doesn't really surprise me um and I think that sometimes a lot can get made of it week to week like well that happened last week so you assume it's going to happen this week and then you get the total opposite and so it's just too early in the season to really know uh every week you got to be ready to play and you got to play well to have a chance to win or you're probably not going to no matter who you're playing is there You' learned team yeah it's a it's a good question I mean I think we're still um even though we got a veteran group we did bring in new pieces and you know usually somewhere in that second third fourth game you settle into the identity of your team so we're still kind of figuring that out you know I think I have learned so far that that we'll respond you know I think we responded well in game at Nevada when when things weren't great at all um we found a way to dig deep and respond to the situation I think we responded last week by coming out and and and starting fast and playing well and addressing some of the things that were an issue the week before um so you know that part is encouraging because you're not going to play great all the time you you know your offense is going to go through tough streaks your defense is going to struggle at times teams and um it's the teams that can can just kind of go to the next play go to the next drive go to the next game so to speak and and respond that are going to do well so I've learned that and then there's probably a lot of other things we'll still keep learning um I think muchi should be available this week he was just having backs spasms last week so we held him I think rooster should be available uh this week um LJ we're kind of taking him day to day I think he'll be good to go um I'm trying to think I think I think we're in pretty good shape with just everybody that played last week and and the few that maybe we held should be available um I don't think any changes what you yeah how's he feeling I think he's feeling good he was a little sore the next day but um it was good to get him in there and get in some action um you know in some areas knocked the rust off a little he had a couple busts early and then I think he settled in and played well uh he moved well like he didn't move like a guy who had had a a knee injury at the beginning of fall Camp so that part was encouraging where's the quarter situation yeah yeah Preston's our starter he earned that job he is the starter um and he's going to start and he's going to play a lot um I still think you'll see Kevin um you know the the last game was the way it went was allow we kind of played back and forth a little more than we probably normally would but it was good to get both those guys a lot a lot of drives and and even keldrick in there but uh yeah nothing's changed Preston's our starter and uh I think they're both playing at a really good level they're both valuing the football they're both putting the ball in the end zone when they're out there a lot so um we'll continue to go as is and um you I think BYU should be ready for both of them similar to you guys BYU has also split time with their quarterbacks and even though they may have taken are you guys I think you always got to expect to you know now they really went with one guy in the first game for the most part so I think they're confident in in their quarterback he I think he had four starts a year ago played really well in the first game I mean like 20 or 30 for a lot of yards a lot of explosive passes I mean they they present a lot of problems because they're big up front they got a good downhill running back so they can run the football right at you and just sustain and control the game but they like to take their shots their play action stuff off of it they've got two really good receivers they got really good tight ends so um they're they're a problem offensively and I think you saw that as the game went on they really opened up in the second half again it was their first game so sometimes offenses it takes them a little bit to get their footing and then they were really efficient so but yeah I mean the Bohan kid we we're familiar with him he's from Arkansas he spent time at at Baylor and and somewhere else I can't remember so I mean he's um he's a talented dude who can throw it and run it so I wouldn't be shocked to see anything you seen Kevin game yeah yeah yeah you learn guys both as the play caller and just as the coach and like I said I think I got asked the other night I think the one thing he's done you know the ball security was a little out there the other night but he didn't fumble it you know he his he's valued the football uh really well in the two games he's played and he's we've moved the football when he's in there so I think I think what we've learned is you know different as last year when he was making his first career start a lot more unknowns I think we have a pretty good idea what we're going to get with Kevin like he's he acts like a veteran guy who's played and and should and I think he's got a lot of confidence yeah yeah I think you know it's it's been big internally because because D tackle is going to be an area I mean you look at games in our league people are running the ball a lot more in the ACC you got to be able to stop the run and if you can stop the run and limit explosive plays that's the formula on defense it doesn't matter your scheme and if you can't stop the run they control the ball you don't ever have the ball and then it you know you got to sell out at times and they're going to get explosiv so having a guy like tank in the middle um to kind of anchor the the unit there I think a guy like Jared Harrison hunt has played really good I think Mike lockheart Cory Roberson uh Jonathan Jefferson I think all those guys have done a really nice job sometimes they don't get all the you know tank scored so that's why we're talking about tank but other than that you know maybe the sack numbers aren't there maybe the tackles aren't there but the the push they make you know the other night on The Strip sack it was CU Jared Harrison hunt put the guy in the quarterback's lap allowed Jafari to get the sack and tank was there like um but but there's no question having a guy that is nicknamed tank on the inside's a positive it was good to see him I mean that's that's kind of what we thought we were getting you know I mean he played slot receiver part-time uh his senior year at Tyler so I mean he can catch the ball which he didn't really show the other night but you you see his burst you see his explosion it was good to get him some game action because you just never know uh at running back as a season goes on who you're going to need and when you're going to need him um so I wouldn't close the book on him this year at all at the same time I think you saw a flash of his talent and then once he's had a year in a college weight program I think you'll see his his physique and all that kind of change and catch up to where he could carry a load as a as a running back and so it was good to see yeah no that's what we'd love to have I mean you got if you look at our guys they compliment each other well I mean you got brashard who's a running back that could also has receiver abilities out of the backfield same thing with McFall but then I mean Jaylen knon catches the ball well um LJ catches the ball well he's more of your down hill guy but like Yeah the more versatile those guys are the the bigger problem they are for a defense no different than someone like RJ Maryland is a matchup problem at tight end so yeah we definitely like those guys and it's good that you know several of them can do the same kind of type of things we see from by's defense they make you earn everything um new defensive coordinator from when we played them two years ago um you know if you look they played well early last year they had a rough patch schedule was tough they had Oklahoma and Oklahoma State beat the last two games last year and lost them late but like they were up big especially in the Oklahoma State game um and what I saw the other night is they they don't give up explosive plays they're big up front so their size is a problem because it's hard to move in the Run game I think they've got good juice off the edge to rust the pure though so we'll be tested at tackle when we do throw the football and I think their linebackers are much improved um they just look faster they look a little more sudden than than who they were playing with last year and then like I said their structure on the back end it's similar to us in that the way they play their their single high stuff and have the ability to play too high as well um um I don't want to call it Bend but don't break they just they don't give you a lot of explosive stuff they keep it in front they make you earn it they don't beat themselves they don't turn people loose um which as an offense causes you to execute extremely at a high level and be balanced otherwise you're going to struggle I wanted to ask you about Isaac Pearson he's got kind of a interesting road to football and grew up working in the coal mines football wasn't even on the table for him for a while what's it like to have a guy who just maybe didn't go through the conventional of what most the guys on your team how does that yeah it's cool and uh you know obviously um Australian guys are different they there's uh they they've had a lot of success we've had a lot of success with them at punters um so I think his position helps that back story allow him to play but he's got a great attitude he's uh he doesn't take himself too seriously um he's always in a good mood he's just he's grateful to be here he's he's a great team member and uh you know I think that's what allows him to do do a good job back there and he had a great fall Camp so um you know I expect him to hopefully not get too much action but have a really good good fall Rel you know we didn't know each other much other than KN one of each other um until well my first year here I went to uh they a coach's classic in Pebble Beach around Memorial Day and he was there it was my first time going obviously and uh we got to hang out and spent some time there's super nice guy and then we ended up playing him in the bowl game the first year and we spent a ton of time at the bowl just at activities and whatnot and uh there's not a better just human being coach Ambassador for our game in college football than than colani he's not there's no ego I mean he wants to win and compete for his team but he does it with class character his teams always represent them that way so I have the utmost respect for him and then because of that bowl game experience um where I guess you know we went for and didn't get it so he got to get this necklace for his wife that I didn't get to get for mine so um because of that experience we've just stayed in touch you know and um and then of course we go back to Pebble each year and get to spend some time there and so like I said just consider him a one of the really good guys in our business he does it the right way uh there's no no question his team takes on his personality they're tough they're physical they don't beat themselves um they can run the football they can play good defense um but they do it the right way and um so like I said I hate that we have to coach against him again twice in three years but when we're not coaching against each other I like him a lot