Montana State's Brent Vigen on scrimmage, Chuckie Keeton and more

uh four weeks uh complete now uh you know our second uh big scrimmage you know walking off the field uh continue to feel good about our progress uh you know certainly feel good about the work that we got in today you know what is what happens with the scrimmage is it unveils uh um situational aspect of football that even though you know we try to replicate and practice someday some days it's not the same sequencing so you know to see how the the guys respond uh respond to that uh certainly respond to the the good and the bad that occurs um you know through their play you know that's all part of a scrimmage so you know I think you you walk away and you continue to see some guys um Step Up I know we got some guys out there today that hadn't been uh been out there previously last week and and um you know again like the progress we're making we got another week week in front of us a couple practices Tuesday Thursday then then our spring game which will continue to be a evaluation tool for us so um yeah I walk out the field feeling good you know and I know this week uh did present a challenge with with Chucky Keaton getting the opportunity to go out to uh Seattle to join the Seahawks um so I've been The Substitute Teacher this this week that's what I feel like a little bit you get thrown in the room um just trying to continue to make it work but it's been good to work with with work with those quarterbacks this week um you know certainly appreciate Chucky um what he's brought what he brought to our program um you know the timing is the is the timing the NFL doesn't quite work on the same cycle as as college and these opportunities uh don't always uh you know don't think they're always going to pop up um the quarterback's coach in Seattle um you know Chucky had worked with a little bit and so again appreciate what he did um and certainly wish him well at the same time so with that I'll open it up for questions the offense came out firing today on that first drive what did you see on that drive from those guys how good does it feel to set yeah you know as the head coach uh uh again you want the es and flows to back and forth um I I know uh you know for our offense to to to to to show what they can do and be mixed as far as a run pass and that's what that's what happened um I know that first drive and it was finished with a you know really good uh really good play and adjustment in the air uh from Tommy to Taco um you know uh and it was a it was a play where Tommy had to process some things uh you know T Taco wasn't the primary relative to that play call but then you know he got the ball where it need to go relative to the defense called so you know that was a it was a really good way and I thought Tommy you know continues to be um very efficient uh he he's showing big play capability in the past game um I know we didn't connect another one that he really threw a beautiful ball down the field uh so allowing him to make progress where it's not about his ability to run the football um is really what spring has been for him and um you know really like the progress that he's making and what dimension does Taco well Taco is just I think a really good football player at it at the road of it and not having him through a bulk of last season offensively I think that that hurt us uh we the obvious thing is the punt return game and what he had brought there and will continue to bring there but offensively you know he's a he's got feel he's a he's a really explosive athlete um but he's got really good feel at the same time um so whether it's downfield catching the ball whether it's it's feeling out spaces um between linebackers and feeling in zones those type of things and the ability to hand hand the ball from time to time you know that was a that was a dimension that we missed um you know really in its entirety last year I think we tried to place guys in those positions but they they weren't uh who he can become and and you know he was um certainly on the climb last spring when he got hurt so it's been really encouraging to see you know him really continue that this spring how was kind of the the sub quarterback's coach how was that kind of affected your dayto day change or well I I yeah I think looking at it from a two-e perspective which this is um not a massive uh massive deal but I I think you are reminded from day to day why this would be complicated the way I want to do things um meaning there's there's plenty of uh hats I want to wear as the head coach uh there's meetings that take me out of this building there's opportunity to spend time with the defensive staff that that I've you know in some ways given up these couple weeks um even some meetings uh yesterday the quarterbacks are in that room waiting for me to get back so I think in the short term here uh I'm fine and good and and uh I appreciate you know um having the opportunity to to move those guys forward in these two weeks I guess um in orderly kind of assess okay as an offensive staff to be in that room okay what you know we I really like Chucky and and what he brought but now what's going to be the best uh you know the best replacement I I I guess moving forward to kind of to take a step back sit in that room and assess that's been good so short-term find um long term it isn't where I think uh I suit this program best but uh we're having to do what we have to do right now mostly yeah yeah yeah you know I was uh how long did I coach as an assistant 23 years I think uh 19 20 of those years were quarterbacks so yeah weeks ago you spoke about a lot of guys impressive how's that well I think you know you um week to week you know I think that's a better way to maybe maybe look at it so within this this this week um yeah I think young guys continue to to impress I I know you know like in the old line uh that's a place we need to continue to figure out how this depth depth works out I know Burke mastell and Cedric Jefferson are guys that continue to you know to show what they can do I know the guy that I thought really had a good week and is had a good camp is Jacob Trimble at receiver I know Jacob played last year but he was kind of here and there and everywhere um and did some things but really really establishing himself uh you know you can see that happening um this week I know on the defensive side um I've said his name before I think Bryce kby continues to um make moves on that side of the ball far from perfect but continues to make make moves and you know another guy that uh you know factoring into that that safety nickel position that's continued to make strides is is taten gray whether I've mentioned him or not um I'm not sure but young guy that you know hasn't uh hasn't done much so I you know I I think that's just a couple guys but that group of of second year now guys guys finishing up their first year that will be red shirt freshman I think there's really some guys that are going to make impacts there and I think there's some 30 year guys too that are are making their way um kind of across the team as well oh I should have that answer prepared um you know the safety safety group and that's the safety group now that's you know Ryland or's had some um hamstring issues so he hasn't done a whole lot uh but but behind him Brock steel um Tyson pottinger are guys that you know we need to sort out if if ryland's you know not uh not able to go what's that going to look like and I think both those guys are doing some good things I think the free safety tandem of poor and well continues to to do well and you know at that nickel position that's where Miles Jackson is uh residing right now I know we'll get T you know Kaden doler back um and that's where you know K or tayen gray fits in as well so I think that that position played well we lost LVL out of that group um from this past year we return a bunch of guys with experience so I think seeing the the depth continue to improve there uh you know is I think that's that's a group that I would point to and it's a group being coached by a new new coach too coach owens's um credit to him coming in and you know really being able to to make his Mark I think in a pretty short short time it's always about get better every day and it's early spring Ball but how do you know either measure success theame next weekend yeah you know what we talked about um out of Thursday's practice is I this is this is not reality we don't play till August 24th but you know think of it this this way guys if if we were to play today or play next Saturday whatever you know would your coach feel comfortable with you going in the in the game and I really want our coaches to articulate that to our players out of this weekend um and that's you know in some ways that's our our coaches you know will be being willing to put the stamp on them right now and there'll be plenty of guys that that stamp's probably you know it's not quite there yet and that's okay so you know what kind of progress do we make in a week um what does next week uh week's game look like uh the spring game even more so creates this situation of of time and score which is which is added to an added element um so you know taking every opportunity we can to evaluate get as get as many guys um position to say yeah as we leave April here hey we feel good about them the guys that we do they better continue to solidify that and the guys that don't do everything they can we need we need a a team full of guys hungry to get on that field and you know as coaches we need to be able to feed that hunger with not only where they're at right now but what do they need to do moving forward guys at the rodeo last night how was it yeah it's a it's a great opportunity for us to to turn the favor I guess um I know uh our guys is running out there with Seven Flags in as spectacular as the the horses going out there but in the rodeo team but um it's an opportunity to return the favor and you know I think there's such a connection amongst our fan base between um between the rodeo the rodeo program uh the football program that uh rush to be able to do that um amazing a packed Arena again and you know all kinds of actions it was cool last night the seven guys that went out there are our seven Montana seniors um you know it's the first time we've had seven guys that all came in cowboy boots so that's a that's a good step um so I know they they enjoy it it's it's an EAS ask to say hey do you guys want to be part of this and I know that's something that they really enjoy and I know you know those Saturdays and the fall we certainly appreciate what the the rodeo team does for us back that oh it's uh it is it is right up there you know in combination with our creative team with with the video which which we don't you get a chance to see but you can kind of feel happening um from the locker room no it's uh it's right up there and there's so much coordination to get you know those those seven horses with the Riders to do that and and uh um pull that off and no one get hurt at the same time I know no I'm sure it happens once a year where someone unknowingly almost gets clipped but no it's it's as impressive and as exciting and I I know it really impacts the energy that uh our guys feel in the stadium on game day