Fresno State Athletics
Pat Hill Quotes From Monday's Press Conference
11/5/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 5, 2002
On last week's practices
"Practice went really well last week. We got a lot of good scrimmage time with our young players and it looks like we'll be as healthy as we can be for this game.
On the injury situation
I don't think we'll have Mark Wood back for this game. Duncan Reid practiced last night, which was a good sign. He wouldn't have been able to play if we had a game last week. That's a blessing that he's back and hopefully Mark Wood can get back. He had a big game against Colorado State and we haven't heard from him since. Those are two positives. Other than that I can't see any injury problems for the football game against Tulsa."
"I saw good progress at practice during the week. I think the players were really focused. I think they understand that they still have a lot out there in front of them. They're on a four-game swing that starts with Tulsa and if we can be fortunate to get by Tulsa then we'll get on to the next ones against Nevada, San Jose State and Louisiana Tech."
On going to a bowl game
"There is a nice carrot hanging out in front of them, a chance to play in a bowl game. In our profession, Division I football, there aren't that many other options. That's one of the problems. It's really a shame that the tournament for college football starts in August and it's an elimination tournament. This week there were four teams that were eliminated. It's very hard to understand what we are playing for. It's a national championship tournament that starts at the beginning of the season. That's what it has turned into."
"Still, the goal for our program is to go to a bowl game at the end of the year. That's a reward that the players get. That would be a game against a team against a team who finishes in fifth or sixth in the Pac-10. Everything is still there for us as far as getting to the postseason."
On Boise State and Hawai`i
It's amazing [Boise State is] not in the Top 25. I think Hawai'i is also a good football team and hopefully Fresno State can finish up strong and be the third bowl representative from our conference. That's our goal. We have to get by Tulsa and that's going to be an important game for us. They're all important now.
On the penalty problems
"You can't work on penalties in practice. I wish we could. I don't have officials out at practice right now but penalties have just really hurt us in some key games this year and the Hawai'i game was no different."
"We're always working on the 25-second clock out there. We do everything we can to handle the administrative penalties but we can not really deal with penalties that have to do with judgment. The kids are really focused and we seem to have our legs underneath us right now."
On the spirits of the team
"For two tough losses the team has very good spirits and is focused on the goal. I think that has a lot to do with the youth of the team. They're excited about getting better and I think our seniors, even though there are not many of them, are set of making it a very successful year."
On how he defines a successful year from this point forward
"To me a successful year would be a bowl game because that's how we are judged on success. I wish it was judged on playoffs but the system is judged on a successful season is going to a postseason game. However watered down you want to say the system is, that is the only goal that you can shoot for. Hopefully we can hit the fourth in a row. I'd love to have an opportunity to get some extra football practice and go over and let our fans have a game against a Pac-10 football team. I think that would be a good carrot for this team to go after. Eight wins is a goal we would like to shoot for. This is our playoff right now, a four-game playoff, and that's the way we are approaching it and it all starts with Tulsa."
On Tulsa
"I think [Tulsa] is a team that has obviously struggled through the year. I think it's a football team that plays very hard for their coach and I think that's very important when you're having a year where your record isn't good and your team plays hard. I think that's a very important thing to say about the way those players believe in their program and believe they can get this thing turned around. I listened to Coach Burns talk a week ago about how they felt with the remaining schedule they could be competitive and win each game. They had a tough game against Rice. [Tulsa] played a very tough non-league schedule and I know they'll come in here and play very hard against us because this is a very big game for them. They're a team that can win, they [just] have to get in that habit. It's like our team right now, we have not gotten in a habit of winning, especially in close games and I think that's something you have to develop.
On team leaders
"This year, we've had to coach really vocally and stay after them. The guy that I look to for leadership all the time is Rodney Michael. You can see it in Rodney's eyes how bad he wants it. I think that a Rodney Michael or Joe Schey on offense really need to step up."
"On the defensive side of the ball, [I look to] Cameron Worrell, Demorieux Reneau and Nick Burley. I look to Sam [Williams] and Nick because they have the most invested and also Rodney and Joe. Those four guys have played a lot of football games at Fresno State and have been involved with three football teams that have gone to postseason play.
"Senior leadership is a group thing that they grow with. I think there is some potential strong leadership that is chomping at the bit for that role. Hopefully those four young men can step up in the next our weeks and deliver the type of performance on the field that gets the rest to follow them. And the importance that they stress in the remaining games besides what the coaches say, I think coming from the players, is a lot stronger then what any coach says. I've always believed that. I think players are the ones that win games.
On Rodney Michael
"He's just a steady player. He's always been there. He's played with injury, he's played with pain, he's played with all sorts of things that could've limited his performance and he's played all five positions on the offensive line. He's been a warrior, he's already graduated, he exemplifies what a student-athlete is really like. He's going to be highly successful in whatever he chooses in life. I think this experience here has been very good for him. He has exemplified what our program is all about."
