Mike Leach Meets With Media Before Armed Forces Bowl

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State's Mike Leach held his weekly press conference on Sunday night to preview the Bulldogs' trip to the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl to take on No. 24 Tulsa this week.

Below are the quotes from Leach's press conference.  

Head Coach Mike Leach - Dec. 27, 2020

Q: What is the practice schedule for this week?
ML: Kind of like a regular week. We had a quick practice yesterday. We had a heavy practice today. We'll practice again tomorrow, the next day, and then we'll fly to Fort Worth.

Q: When does your team test this week and are there any concerns that you'll have enough to play the game?
ML: We've already tested once this week. We test again tomorrow, and then I think there's a third test. You know, it's non-stop tests.

Q: Did you guys let guys go home for Christmas and how did that work out?
ML: Yes, we did. We've had a long season, and we've kind of gone through the grinder with limited numbers. We thought it was important for them to rest up. I hope everybody had a good Christmas, but we're really excited to be back.

Q: What are some of your early impressions of Tulsa?
ML: Good sound team, well-coached. They play together well. That's the thing that jumps off the screen. They're a little bit older group, so those guys are used to playing with one another. I would say the overall execution is probably the biggest thing. They have some individuals that are good. They're big in the secondary, but the biggest thing, I would say, is how they execute. I think they're a good opponent. I think they're gritty. I know several of the coaches over there, and those guys are gritty, fully-committed football guys. I think their team kind of represents that. They just have an awful lot of guys in the right place at the right time. That's a credit to their whole team. They've worked long and hard and as a result put together a good season.

Q: Do you know of any players who might elect to not play in the bowl game?
ML: Looks like everybody's playing that played the rest of the year. No additional guys that I'm aware of, or at least not today. Everybody's out there bouncing around.

Q: How much do the Freshman All-SEC honors affirm what you've said about the young talent on this team?
ML: We're excited about it. We're excited that the young guys got the recognition they did, and there were some others that I think would be very close. Of course, Charles Cross, Emmanuel Forbes and Jaden Walley for the SEC All-Freshman team. You know, I'm sure Will Rogers was probably pretty close. He didn't have as many games as the guy that won it, the guy at Missouri that was a good quarterback too. I wish I could remember his name. No disrespect, I just don't remember. I'm thinking about Tulsa now. At any rate, we have pretty good freshmen that, although they weren't freshman all-SEC, they were good players for us.

Q: How have your players responded in the weeks since the win against Missouri?
ML: I think we've had pretty good energy. I think we've progressively improved. We're still definitely a work in progress. We're getting better as we speak, but I was proud of our guys for sticking in there and being committed to improving. Based on today, that's continued. Throughout the country, I think you saw a number of teams sort of give up the ghost and quit playing with some of the passion they did early in the season. I didn't feel like that was the case for us.

Q: With the potential for snow in the forecast, do you have any tips for your guys to combat that?
ML: You just relax. These guys are all wearing gloves anyway, you know. I haven't found it to be a big deal. You just go out and do it. I mean the NFL does it all the time. Anytime our guys want to complain about cold weather, I just remind them want the weather is in Buffalo, in Green Bay, Chicago, Minnesota, New England, the Giants, the Jets. The list goes on: Denver, Kansas City, Seattle, we can go on and on. But no, you just keep them warm with the warmers and then just relax and catch it.

Q: How many practices will you get in before the bowl game?
ML: We're going to get about four. It's not like the 20-something practices. We're going to get about four. It's not the traditional bowl schedule where you can really work your young guys a lot. It's really more like a game week for a road game.

Q: Do you already know which seniors are coming back next season?
ML: I think it's mixed. Also, I think in some cases, we're not going to know until after the bowl game or maybe even January. Some of the guys are kind of thinking it through, it seems like. But some are coming back.

Q: What's it been like to see what Will Rogers has done this year as a true freshman?
ML: I think he's done a really good job. He's as far along as any true freshman that I've had. Part of it is, I think, coaches' kids there's valuable information that passes across the dinner table along with the potatoes or roast beef or whatever they're eating. Guys that grow up with it seem to have a little bit of depth to their knowledge and an understanding of studying film. I think that's served him extremely well and then also just knowing how to carry himself with the team in the huddle. I think he's continued to grow in that regard.

Q: Who are the seniors that you know are coming back?
ML: I don't feel good about revealing that, especially since some of them may change their mind. It's the guys that probably don't have a lot of options if they were to leave. Some may want to embark on their career as far as their major and that type of thing. Some are analyzing what their stock is as far as the NFL goes. Personally, I think in all cases their stock goes up if they stay another year. I've always found the NFL kind of looks at it the same way. They're in no hurry to get guys. Their basic position is kind of an obvious one. If you're good enough to play in that league, then they'll eventually get you anyway. If you're kind of on the bubble, the better you develop your skills, they better player you are coming out of college, the better your chances of making a team in the NFL. By quality guys making the team, that makes the quality of the NFL. I've never found the NFL to be in any hurry to swoop these guys up. Occasionally there may be some great player where somebody has the first pick in the Draft or something and might want a guy to come out for that reason. But, overall, I've never really found them to really chase it very aggressively. They're not going to ignore talent and quality guys coming out, but time after time after time a scout or an NFL guy will say he should've stayed another year. Because they're still there, one way or another.

Q: How do the roster numbers look? Are you as close to full-strength as you have been?
ML: Yes, we are. More than we've been. At least as of today, probably more than we've been in a month and a half.

Q: What did last week look like?
ML: They went home for Christmas. They've been home for the previous six days prior to yesterday.

Q: How did the team get the announcement for the bowl?
ML: They'd heard about it on the internet and social media before and then we had the meeting. Everybody was excited about the opportunity to play, or at least it appeared that way to me. I don't know. Maybe somebody in there's not, but he'll get his stack of gear and hopefully that'll make him happy. Nevertheless, the vast majority were very enthusiastic, very excited to stay together and play another game.

Q: With it being a New Year's game and an early game, will you get to enjoy the evening or come straight home?
ML: It varies quite a bit. The majority are flying home right after the game since it's early and all that. They're flying back after the game. They're free until we start school again. I'm staying in Fort Worth after the game. It varies and depends on where people's families are. I guess this is kind of where they're doing their holiday on an individual basis.

Mississippi State University Athletics

Mike Leach Meets With Media Before Armed Forces Bowl

Players Mentioned

Charles Cross

Emmanuel Forbes

Will Rogers

Jaden Walley

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