Fresno State Athletics
Pat Hill Quotes From Monday's Press Conference
12/3/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 3, 2002
On this week's game
"I know that in Ruston, this is a big week for them. They say this is the biggest week in sporting history for the Louisiana Tech campus. The women's basketball team is playing Tennessee on Wednesday night and then our game on national TV on Thursday. They're pointing to this as a huge sporting event for Louisiana Tech. It's another one of those point-to games."
"I think we're going to run into a very, very emotionally fired up team that has good talent. I see this as a very tough test for us. I feel our team is well prepared. I just hope mentally that we're well prepared."
"You look at Colorado State, they walk into their game at home with UNLV with the conference championship already in hand, and they don't put the nail in the coffin on UNLV. Oklahoma, they're already in the Big 12 Championship, they don't put the nail in against Oklahoma State. We want to be more like Georgia. Georgia has everything on the line and they win 51-7 over Georgia Tech. They were ready to go. That team was motivated and inspired to get better. That's what we need to do."
"We need to look at this game as very important to finish the season strong. I'd like to be able to say that we won eight of our last 10 after starting 1-3. A lot of new players stepped up to the plate and played well for us. I think this is just another game where we are going to be walking into a lion's den, walking into a team's mindset is to play a good game. We haven't gotten too many games this year where there wasn't a mental edge was always very strong for the opponent. This is just another case of that."
On playing a game that has no bearing on the bowl picture
"We're walking into a game where the pressure to win is not on this team. Sometimes that's good, sometimes that's bad. What I'm talking about with the team is putting our best game together -- offensively, defensively and special teams. I don't think we've done that this year. We've had games we've played very well on defense, very well on offense and on special teams but we've not put a game together where we've had a whole team effort. The thing that makes us different from other sports is there are three separate phases to football yet it's the same team."
"This is going to be a tough environment to play in. It's going to be an 8:00 game and it's going to be a cold night. They're 8-0 at home and they have talent. They have a heck of a quarterback, they're very good on offense, and they can really run on defense. Their punt blocking team scares the heck out of you. They're going to be playing with their hair on fire so we are going to be getting a very tough test from Louisiana Tech. They've got nothing to lose and their going to play loose. They're going to be riled up for the national TV audience and what we have to do is respond. It will be a good challenge for us. There are no breathers on this schedule. I've said all along that this is the toughest schedule we have played since I've been here."
On the upcoming Silicon Valley Football Classic
"Bowls to me are great rewards for players. I think it helps to practice your young players, get them into the system better. As far as preparing for a game, we're going to prepare as hard as we can but it's nothing like we do during the regular season, not a four-day blitzkrieg on one team, total concentration like in the regular season. There's a lot of distractions and changes, we just have to be good with it. A little like what we're going through with the game in Louisiana."
On Bryce McGill's move to linebacker
"I think he's getting better every week. It's taken him a while but that's the kind of guy Bryce is. Bryce had to do that for the team because of the injuries. James Sanders was playing well and at that time we had all of our starting linebackers out, so instead of having a really good safety on the bench we asked Bryce McGill to move to linebacker to get our best players on the field. He's done that, he's never complained and the last couple of weeks he's done very well and he's probably stay there."
On Louisiana Tech
"Last year they were making a lot of the plays. This year, they are turning the ball over a lot. If you look at their stats, that's where they're different, the turnover area. I said after the game last year, I thought that was as good of football team that has come in here since I've been here. It was as fast of a game that has been played on that field. They went on to win the WAC Championship."
"I knew after that game that they were a very good football team. In fact I went into their locker room after their game and complimented their team. They're a lot like us. They play a preseason schedule that's very, very tough. I think they're a lot better then their record indicates. Our coaches think McCown is as good as we will play against this year. He can run and throw. They can score from anywhere on the field. Defensively they have very good team speed. At times it will look like something's there and they will close on you really fast. Then you throw emotion into it and this is their bowl game. This is not a game you look forward to as a coach. These are very, very tough games. I'm looking forward to it, just to see how we respond. We've responded so well all year in tough situations except maybe the Boise State game."
On the long season
"We've got a lot of young players who gained a lot of experience this year. The parts are all there to finish a great year and have a fine football team next season. This has been a testing year. I give a lot of credit to my coaches and players. The coaches have done an outstanding job of keeping the players on course and the players for staying as focused as they have. It's been a long one."
"We've got some good athletes who aren't getting a lot of playing time who we'd like to put in positions so they can get on the field. Spring ball will be interesting and these next couple weeks we'll look at some of those during practice."
On playing a tough schedule
"We are going to continue to play the tough September schedule. It's what gives us a chance to be recognized nationally. There are not many people that believe that way but that's the way I'm going to do it. If you want to be good you have to play the best. Next year, I don't think they get any bigger then those games. We have quietly built a very respectable program. For us to get to the 11 and 12-win seasons, it's going to take special teams like last year.?"
