Colorado State Football: Jay Norvell Weekly Press Conference - Week 1 (2024)

ready to go uh just uh like every team in America we're really uh looking forward to starting our season this week uh we've had a good camp um done a lot of things differently than we've done uh in our preparation and I'm really anxious to see how that correlates to our play on the field we've got a lot of experienced players back um we have a lot of newcomers that we've injected into this roster that we've worked hard with this this last month in training camp and I'm just really pleased with where we're at right now um but I'm anxious to get going and looking forward to this first opportunity um obviously we're going to to Austin to play the Longhorns um it's exciting opportunity for us as a team and a program you know we we're from the Mountain West Conference we're very proud of our league um and for us to take and represent our league down there and Austin is a great opportunity for all of us um to kind of showcase what we are capable of doing um we've got a lot of players from the state of Texas I think we got at least 19 from the state of Texas uh many of our starters are are born in the state of Texas and over half of our staff is either from Texas or coached at Texas so we're very familiar we recruit down there a lot um and it and like most people that have been uh in the state of Texas or from the state of Texas to play to play in Austin and Memorial Stadium is a big deal so we're excited about it our kids are excited about it and uh we're looking forward uh to the opportunity you had a couple focuses that you had in Camp that had to De with the running game a you improving in your run game be defense improving and stopping the Run how did you feel that that developed over again you know it's um you know I think we're working progress I think like most teams um we're really working hard at improving our running game we're also working hard at at stopping the run and that's going to be a big challenge in this game you know Texas does a really good job running the football one of the top offenses in the nation a year ago um and they they were the top uh you know Big 12 team as far as defense was concerned and did a really good job stopping a run so that's going to be the challenge in this game we know that um you know I I really think uh every game is a challenge to your team because you're you're trying to execute a game plan and there's a there's a Pathway to Victory in every game and in this game that's that's where we have to go we have to do a good job holding their run game down and we got to find ways to be effective running the football so that'll be a big factor in this game when you think you run an air rate offense but you talk about the Run game a lot what does a quality Run game actually mean for an air R well I mean we we want to be able to control the football we want to get some explosive runs running the football I think that's something that we feel like um um is missing is a missing element in our team right now um you know we played with a walk-on running back all last year so we didn't have a lot of pop in our running game and um we've got a lot of good players back there now and and so um we're healthier at that position we're more experienced in our offensive line and uh let's face it we were the number one passing team in our league um but we need to be better in the Run game so that's an area where we we have to show some improvement you mentioned stopping the Run they obious lost their top two backs does that make it challenging to prepare just giv kind of some uncertainty of who might be in the Mi yeah and we know that's an important part of what they do I mean um you know Sark does a great job with the the runs and the rpos and uh the different style of running game we have to do a good job of of managing that we can't let plays get away from us we can't get big plays down the field um we got to manage that and and there's really no secret to it it's just playing good fundamental football uh and and we got to do a great job at gang tackling in this game I think that's really important that's something that we want to do and be as a team and this is our first opportunity Quin is obviously a guy a lot high profile what do you see from him on on tape on what he can do just a real experienced quarterback I mean he's he's played a lot of big games there at Texas obviously played in the college football playoff um just a quality guy seen a lot of tough defenses um in their schedule that they play and uh he's got a lot of weapons you know um when you play the University of Texas you're going to see a lot of speed um you know obviously the quality High School football down there is outstanding and uh and they basically get their pick and so they're going to have speed and um you know we got to be smart about how we handle that you know they have a lot of Home Run hitters we can't give them a lot of that bats and so we got to be smart about that we got to contain that the best we can but he certainly has a lot of weapons at his disposal and and um you know we got to manage that throughout the game they're good football team they're going to make plays but we got to try to manage that the best we can being a veteran group do feel like it's a group that's probably you know less likely to be sort of ODed by the atmosphere and what you're yeah you know we you know we we've been training our kids that since we got here and and and um um you know we're going to play in a great environment it's a it's an opportunity to play a really good football team in a great environment and we should look forward to that but you know it's not so much that we're playing University of Texas as we're playing a team that runs split split Zone and rpos and that's what we're playing against we're playing against the schemes that they run and we have to do our job versus that and and I think we have a more mature team that understands that when you're kind of sitting there dreaming up like the dream scenario for Saturday what does that look like I mean my dream scenario is the same every week is for us to uh execute the game plan and this game plan is may be different than the week after that or the week after that but it's still our plan and it's what we design as coaches and what we feel like we need to do to win the game and um and that changes from week to week depending on the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent and so you know we've we've had a long time to game plan this game we're we're we're anxious for to play it you know and I'm excited our kids are are bouncing around excited to play a game they're tired of hitting each other and um we're excited to get our first opponent when you look at a guy like Quinn so we talked about who took some hits in running back in Camp they lost most of the top targets from last year but they bring in transfers does a quarterback with that much experience help overcome some the newness that they might have on offense because of what you you know it's really hard to say uh with with the new game first first game of the year um you know it's kind of like a box of chocolates you're not sure what you're going to get you know but but I mean they have good players I mean we we know who we're playing uh we're playing the University of Texas uh we respect what they've done um but you know like everybody you know they got to go out and play we have to go out and play and it's it's really a measurement of how far we've come in Camp and in the off seon um and our execution and you it'll come down to like most games is is who executes the best will will have the upper hand and so they they're a challenging outfit now I mean they they score about 36 points a game a year ago they hold their opponents about 18 points a game and so we gota we got to throw a wrench into that somewhere we got to find ways to score more and we got to find ways to hold them down to what they've been used to so that's the challenge of the game that's why you play the game and and uh you know we've been preparing for that you mentioned Texas TI and recruiting you don't get to play a lot in Texas is it nice to go down there at least occasionally whether it's a Texas or UTSA just to play there every so often because that isn't a there's no doubt I mean we recruit the state of Texas and Texas kids love coming to Colorado and and love the mountains up here and had a lot of success I mean we all have a lot of history as coaches I coached there I coached at OU I was in the Big 12 for most of my career and played against University of Texas a lot so um recruited down there for years uh you know our our kids are excited you know when you have kids that are from the state of Texas you know they've been looking forward to going down there and play their whole lives so you know that's just what it is that's college football and and it's a great thing about it you know our coaches are excited we got a lot of coaches that have coached in the state of Texas you know Matt mummy's from San Anton he's never coached at Texas and so um you know Bill b you know we got a lot of coaches that aren't from Texas but have coached in Texas and so it's it's an it's a big deal to to get a chance to go play there and I recognize that and that's just part of what we get to do in college football and so we're looking forward to the opportunity and excited to get out there and play there's some changes to college football the two minute warning you know in effect now did you see anything from game Saturday that kind of jumped out to you about how that affects game Flow I just don't don't know why they keep calling it The two-minute timeout yeah I kind of like the two-minute warning myself but I guess we got to be different from the NFL but uh it is different um you know the new rules changes with the you know the the the PO coaching pads and the sideline communication uh you know the the the timeout at two minutes you know they're all things we've been practicing we've had uh officials in um in our scrimmages and on our Saturday practices and we've practiced we probably practiced endig game scenarios more than we've ever had um just getting used used to two minute four minute those new timeouts um and so it'll it'll be something that we all have to deal with in in in this new season um I think they're good things you know our coaches love the tablets I mean you can get a lot of information um we we've gotten used to them very quickly the coacht player deal is is is a nice ad and uh there's a lot of coaching points you can make with quarterbacks there um I think it's really great uh situationally you know you can help help your kids out a lot and have them think about key key coaching points in different situations and we didn't have that a year ago I think it's really helpful if you have a Young quarterback um that hasn't played a lot and maybe needs to be reminded in certain situations you know what to expect so uh we're excited about that and um be interesting to see how that'll play out throughout the year you spent a lot of time in the NFL so did you already have an idea of what that two-minute time out was going to look like and now you would use it yeah I mean I just think there's an there's an there's an added uh clock stoppage that you have to be aware of and not only for TW minute situations but for four minute when you're running the clock out you know you're going to get a a natural stoppage in play that you wouldn't have gotten before and so that's something that you know just adds a different element that we haven't been used to and um you know I really think uh you know there's going to be some adjustment from everybody and you know watching a lot of the games on Saturday wow some amazing games um this weekend and um you know we're we're excited to be part of it how much if any did you know about or have trell I mean I got a chance to meet Terell a couple times I think it's great I didn't have anything to do with it be honest with you um but you know I think it's great you know he he has interest in Colorado State and you know I think it's great your kids kind know who he is yeah Dad do yeah most of the most of uh most of the guys know who he is and and and uh you know what a great player and a good person and really getting uh excited to get to know him more how do you feel about the health overall the team going into you know I really feel pretty fortunate I mean I think we're like most people um we have a couple of kids uh you know we worked really hard to bring in some transfers that we felt like could make a difference and one of those kids was Jackson Warren and at tight end you know 68 240 kid very uh similar to kids we've had and he's had an excellent Camp he is going to have uh season ending shoulder surgery and we're not going to have him available and so we're disappointed about that uh newer Gotto you know pretty impactful defensive end for us is not going to be available this week hopefully we'll get him back throughout the season um he's got some turf toe he's working with um so you know we we we're not a finished product you know we're dealing with bumps and bruises and injuries just like everybody else that's been hitting the last month um but overall we're in good good health our kids are fresh um I'm just really proud of this group I mean they've theyve prepared uh at a very mature level and um they're very very uh excited to play their very best and um I think that's unique there this is a unique group of how they prepared and I'm really proud of how they've done that and I'm anxious to see him go play how much better maybe different than two years AG oh I think we're better I think we're better prepared I think I mean our first year is really hard to compare to anything I've never experienced anything like that in 40 years of college football but um I just think we have a committed roster that wants to be at CSU that is excited about their role here um and so um you know that's it's very different very different group thanks guys