Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Leach's Week Two Press Conference
September 06, 2021 | Football
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State's Mike Leach held his weekly press conference on Monday after to preview the Bulldogs' matchup with NC State on Saturday.
Â
Below are the quotes from Leach's press conference.


Â
Head Coach Mike Leach – Sept. 6, 2021
Q: Was there anything that stood out to you from film review that you didn't see on Saturday?
ML: Not really. It was a game of phases. We went out there. I thought we came out and played well. Then I think we coasted, then we got hit in the mouth, then we panicked, and then we played real well. That's pretty much the game.
Q: What do you feel like you and the coaches have to do this week to make sure that doesn't happen again?
ML: I think the same thing. We've been very positive up to this point. I think if you go too far with that, people will relax. I think that they think they can relax. I think we really need to hold these guys accountable because we're still a very young team. I think we need to hold them accountable for their job. If we do our job every time, we're happy with the whole game. We may not get the record with the biggest comeback in the history of the school if we would've played better overall.
Q: Was there anything different that Will Rogers did in the fourth quarter that he wasn't doing previously?
ML: Yeah, he relaxed. He quit pressing. He quit trying to force things because he did the same thing our whole team did. The thing that was kind of different about this experience is that our whole team - it's almost like they thought with the same brain. A lot of times it will be like one face is doing one thing. One face is doing the other. That wasn't the case with us. It was like literally the same. It's kind of like the same offensive lineman you see getting hit are the same ones mowing them down and giving him a long time to throw in the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter is when everyone's supposed to be tired, but they're 22 years old. When I was 22, I never got tired. We like to talk about it. When I was that age, I didn't get tired, at least relatively speaking. Some of you young folks in here, you don't know what tired is. The biggest thing is the motivation. The thing with football is you have to do it together, and so then they call it execution. That's the thing. Everyone's got to do it together simultaneously. It was like a switch. One of the best examples of the whole thing was we started out the game with a long kick off return because a bunch of people are getting their blocks. After that on the kick off return, they're stuffing Tulu [Lideatrick Griffin] inside the 20 because each play there'd be like three guys that decide that this one just doesn't matter as much and maybe the other guy will make a play. Then on the last one, when we really needed it, we got a bunch of blocks. It's a pretty good contrast to how it works when everyone does their job versus how it works when people don't.
Q: What got Rara Thomas on the field? What have you seen from him in practice? How do you feel he reacted in that first game?
ML: Well he reacted real well. He got the second ball of the game. At the time I thought it was the first, but it was the second. Then he turned upfield and ran right through the defender and got the defender on his back. Rara has been very good in practice. He's kind of a big target. He's got good range to him. He's quick coming out of his cuts. I mean real quick coming out of his cuts. I think the biggest thing for guys that play or do something good when they're young is that he wasn't afraid to be out there. He just went out there and did what he's been doing for a long time. Sometimes we'll have to help him on what you have on this play because he's young enough there. We kind of keep an eye out for him there and make sure he knows where he's going. He does a good job of communicating that. He does it decisively and doesn't tip toe through it. He expects to make a play when the ball comes in his direction. I think he's going to be really good.
Q: What problems could NC State pose to your group?
ML: Well, we definitely have to get better this week. They're a good team. I think their defense runs to the ball well. I think they play with a lot of enthusiasm. The other thing is they've got quite a bit of experience back. We just have to play well. NC State is going to do whatever they do. We just have to focus on ourselves and be the best team that we can be out there. That's all we really have control over. If we do our job the best we can, that gives us the best chance.
Q: NC State's offense runs a 3-3-5. Does that benefit you guys at all?
ML: I was thinking about that last night. I am somewhat familiar with what [MSU defensive coordinator] Zach [Arnett] does. Of course it goes both ways, so they see it all the time too. I think it kind of evens out that way. Do we have an advantage? Yes, if they need to go against the same thing.
Q: What did you think Will Rogers did well and what can he do better this week?
ML: I thought he started out really good, and I thought our team started out really good. I thought that as our team started pressing and panicking, so did Will. That's when he started to force balls or hold on to balls. He just has to get rid of them - get out of there and get rid of them. We have to protect better, there's no question. The extent to which he can get rid of them, he needs to. I always think the quarterbacks - everybody wants to dump on the O-line for sacks, which they're definitely a part of - but the quarterback can prevent taking them too. I thought he pressed along with the others. The biggest thing was he tried to do too much once things were breaking down. Which we know, we can't panic that way. But of course he did a great job there. He had some long string without an incompletion type of deal. That was key to the comeback. As a coach, you say you should've done that all day. That's easier said than done too. We just try to be good for a longer period of time and not wait until the end.
Q: What was it like working with Ruffin McNeill and Brian Mitchell who are now working for NC State and what it will be like coaching against them?
ML: I haven't looked at it. I knew Ruff was there. I didn't know Brian was there too. I know two-thirds of that staff. It'll be good to see them for 30 seconds. That's about what you get. That's one of the most popular questions, and I'm sure most of you guys have asked it. This isn't some wistful, walk down memory lane. Maybe it would be if you didn't have the pressure of a football game - it'd be great. I'd take them all over Starkville. "Hey Bryan and Ruff, wait till you see this. Have you ever had one of these?" The trouble is that it's kind of 30 seconds in passing. "Hey, how are you doing? Good to see you. How's the family? Oh, really? Your son's there now?" It's kind of that stuff and then you're pretty preoccupied with the problems the other team is presenting out there on the field and you're trying to solve them.
Q: Will Malik Heath play this week?
ML: Malik will definitely be back this week. He had to attend to some personal issues. We are really excited to have him back, and he is excited to be here.
Q: How would you assess Jo'quavious Marks' performance this week?
ML: I thought he did a pretty good job. He had a pretty good camp. I do think he ran downhill harder and faster. When we were playing well, I thought he came downhill really well. Our O-line did a pretty good job of moving the pile during [some of the] more memorable phases of the game for Woody.
Q: Will De'Monte Russell be back this week?
ML: Yes, he is here, and he will be back.
Q: How did you feel about Scott Lashley's performance on Saturday?
ML: I thought he played well. Also, he played consistently. There was one play where he blocked three guys which was quite impressive. We will need a lot less players if we have a few more Scott Lashleys that can block three. We would only need three players on the offensive line, then we would have a lot more people to throw it to. He did a really good job as far as consistency. It was kind of his debut. He has gotten progressively better. It means a lot to him to play well. The biggest thing he needs to do is relax and not make too much happen.
Q: Is Austin Williams still ahead of Jaden Walley on the depth chart?
ML: I think it is pretty close. I think Austin measures out quite well. Jaden is explosive, but Austin is more consistent. I think they were pretty even at the end of camp. It is pretty tough to say who [is above the other]. We have other guys closing in on both of them. We will see if they can catch them. Rufus [Harvey] is very explosive. Jamire Calvin, who also had a good game, is explosive. They can flip to either side. [Christian] Ford is also playing really well. Walley is quite even. Walley needs to get on a roll and keep it that way.
Q: What does Jamire Calvin bring off the field?
ML: He has a lot of positive enthusiasm. As far as body language, [he is] very much [about focusing] on the next play. He really does a good job of reinforcing that. I think he does a good job of being even-keeled as far as how he plays. Some of it is experience. He is more experienced than any of those guys out there, most of them anyway. Maybe all of them. It starts to build the kind of stability that we need.
Q: Were you aware you have led the largest comebacks while coaching Texas Tech, Washington State, and Mississippi State?
ML: Wow. All three? Texas Tech was against Minnesota right? Washington State's was against Boise State? I never thought of that. I did not realize that. The starting point is to not get behind. We need to quit chasing those records and play well instead. You have to stick in there during a game. Now you have me wondering how many comebacks there have been that my teams have been involved with. One thing I really hate is when some guy acts like it doesn't matter very much. Somebody gets behind, and they want to act like it didn't matter very much. If it didn't matter very much, is that why you went through the whole offseason and camp? Because it didn't matter very much? Because things are not going your way? I hate that. It drives me crazy. Guys are on the sideline just sitting there and pouting. I can't stand that either. That is the ultimate act of selfishness. "Oh the last play didn't go my way, so I feel so bad." Nobody thinks you are a tough person when you do that. Nobody thinks that. What they do is point at you and laugh. Then they are like "Hey, do you see that guy from this team over there on the sideline." Then they will use words like 'wimp' and other ones too. I think there are better words to describe what I am witnessing at times. Anyway, nobody sees any courage in a selfish guy who doesn't finish plays. The biggest thing is, you only get so many football plays. You have to be all in on all of them. They are all an opportunity to improve, worst-case scenario.
Q: Who stepped up in the fourth quarter to lead the team back?
ML: I thought there were a number of players. Dylan Lawrence did. Jamire Calvin did. Dollar Bill [Kwatrivous Johnson] did. I had a list of guys that we thought did a good job there on the sideline. Collectively, our entire unit rose up there in the fourth quarter - offense, defense and special teams. When we got to the fourth quarter, I thought we were a different team. It is almost like we decided. If it is just as easy as deciding, we have to make that decision a little sooner.
Q: Do you feel like this game was a confidence builder?
ML: I think the game showed what you're capable of. We didn't ever quit and kept pushing through till the end. Hopefully we learned that lesson. It was pretty gritty of our team to push through. We had a lot of adversity, most of which we created ourselves with penalties and turnovers. There's a lot of teams that wouldn't have found a way to win that game and we did.
Â
Â
Below are the quotes from Leach's press conference.


Â
Head Coach Mike Leach – Sept. 6, 2021
Q: Was there anything that stood out to you from film review that you didn't see on Saturday?
ML: Not really. It was a game of phases. We went out there. I thought we came out and played well. Then I think we coasted, then we got hit in the mouth, then we panicked, and then we played real well. That's pretty much the game.
Q: What do you feel like you and the coaches have to do this week to make sure that doesn't happen again?
ML: I think the same thing. We've been very positive up to this point. I think if you go too far with that, people will relax. I think that they think they can relax. I think we really need to hold these guys accountable because we're still a very young team. I think we need to hold them accountable for their job. If we do our job every time, we're happy with the whole game. We may not get the record with the biggest comeback in the history of the school if we would've played better overall.
Q: Was there anything different that Will Rogers did in the fourth quarter that he wasn't doing previously?
ML: Yeah, he relaxed. He quit pressing. He quit trying to force things because he did the same thing our whole team did. The thing that was kind of different about this experience is that our whole team - it's almost like they thought with the same brain. A lot of times it will be like one face is doing one thing. One face is doing the other. That wasn't the case with us. It was like literally the same. It's kind of like the same offensive lineman you see getting hit are the same ones mowing them down and giving him a long time to throw in the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter is when everyone's supposed to be tired, but they're 22 years old. When I was 22, I never got tired. We like to talk about it. When I was that age, I didn't get tired, at least relatively speaking. Some of you young folks in here, you don't know what tired is. The biggest thing is the motivation. The thing with football is you have to do it together, and so then they call it execution. That's the thing. Everyone's got to do it together simultaneously. It was like a switch. One of the best examples of the whole thing was we started out the game with a long kick off return because a bunch of people are getting their blocks. After that on the kick off return, they're stuffing Tulu [Lideatrick Griffin] inside the 20 because each play there'd be like three guys that decide that this one just doesn't matter as much and maybe the other guy will make a play. Then on the last one, when we really needed it, we got a bunch of blocks. It's a pretty good contrast to how it works when everyone does their job versus how it works when people don't.
Q: What got Rara Thomas on the field? What have you seen from him in practice? How do you feel he reacted in that first game?
ML: Well he reacted real well. He got the second ball of the game. At the time I thought it was the first, but it was the second. Then he turned upfield and ran right through the defender and got the defender on his back. Rara has been very good in practice. He's kind of a big target. He's got good range to him. He's quick coming out of his cuts. I mean real quick coming out of his cuts. I think the biggest thing for guys that play or do something good when they're young is that he wasn't afraid to be out there. He just went out there and did what he's been doing for a long time. Sometimes we'll have to help him on what you have on this play because he's young enough there. We kind of keep an eye out for him there and make sure he knows where he's going. He does a good job of communicating that. He does it decisively and doesn't tip toe through it. He expects to make a play when the ball comes in his direction. I think he's going to be really good.
Q: What problems could NC State pose to your group?
ML: Well, we definitely have to get better this week. They're a good team. I think their defense runs to the ball well. I think they play with a lot of enthusiasm. The other thing is they've got quite a bit of experience back. We just have to play well. NC State is going to do whatever they do. We just have to focus on ourselves and be the best team that we can be out there. That's all we really have control over. If we do our job the best we can, that gives us the best chance.
Q: NC State's offense runs a 3-3-5. Does that benefit you guys at all?
ML: I was thinking about that last night. I am somewhat familiar with what [MSU defensive coordinator] Zach [Arnett] does. Of course it goes both ways, so they see it all the time too. I think it kind of evens out that way. Do we have an advantage? Yes, if they need to go against the same thing.
Q: What did you think Will Rogers did well and what can he do better this week?
ML: I thought he started out really good, and I thought our team started out really good. I thought that as our team started pressing and panicking, so did Will. That's when he started to force balls or hold on to balls. He just has to get rid of them - get out of there and get rid of them. We have to protect better, there's no question. The extent to which he can get rid of them, he needs to. I always think the quarterbacks - everybody wants to dump on the O-line for sacks, which they're definitely a part of - but the quarterback can prevent taking them too. I thought he pressed along with the others. The biggest thing was he tried to do too much once things were breaking down. Which we know, we can't panic that way. But of course he did a great job there. He had some long string without an incompletion type of deal. That was key to the comeback. As a coach, you say you should've done that all day. That's easier said than done too. We just try to be good for a longer period of time and not wait until the end.
Q: What was it like working with Ruffin McNeill and Brian Mitchell who are now working for NC State and what it will be like coaching against them?
ML: I haven't looked at it. I knew Ruff was there. I didn't know Brian was there too. I know two-thirds of that staff. It'll be good to see them for 30 seconds. That's about what you get. That's one of the most popular questions, and I'm sure most of you guys have asked it. This isn't some wistful, walk down memory lane. Maybe it would be if you didn't have the pressure of a football game - it'd be great. I'd take them all over Starkville. "Hey Bryan and Ruff, wait till you see this. Have you ever had one of these?" The trouble is that it's kind of 30 seconds in passing. "Hey, how are you doing? Good to see you. How's the family? Oh, really? Your son's there now?" It's kind of that stuff and then you're pretty preoccupied with the problems the other team is presenting out there on the field and you're trying to solve them.
Q: Will Malik Heath play this week?
ML: Malik will definitely be back this week. He had to attend to some personal issues. We are really excited to have him back, and he is excited to be here.
Q: How would you assess Jo'quavious Marks' performance this week?
ML: I thought he did a pretty good job. He had a pretty good camp. I do think he ran downhill harder and faster. When we were playing well, I thought he came downhill really well. Our O-line did a pretty good job of moving the pile during [some of the] more memorable phases of the game for Woody.
Q: Will De'Monte Russell be back this week?
ML: Yes, he is here, and he will be back.
Q: How did you feel about Scott Lashley's performance on Saturday?
ML: I thought he played well. Also, he played consistently. There was one play where he blocked three guys which was quite impressive. We will need a lot less players if we have a few more Scott Lashleys that can block three. We would only need three players on the offensive line, then we would have a lot more people to throw it to. He did a really good job as far as consistency. It was kind of his debut. He has gotten progressively better. It means a lot to him to play well. The biggest thing he needs to do is relax and not make too much happen.
Q: Is Austin Williams still ahead of Jaden Walley on the depth chart?
ML: I think it is pretty close. I think Austin measures out quite well. Jaden is explosive, but Austin is more consistent. I think they were pretty even at the end of camp. It is pretty tough to say who [is above the other]. We have other guys closing in on both of them. We will see if they can catch them. Rufus [Harvey] is very explosive. Jamire Calvin, who also had a good game, is explosive. They can flip to either side. [Christian] Ford is also playing really well. Walley is quite even. Walley needs to get on a roll and keep it that way.
Q: What does Jamire Calvin bring off the field?
ML: He has a lot of positive enthusiasm. As far as body language, [he is] very much [about focusing] on the next play. He really does a good job of reinforcing that. I think he does a good job of being even-keeled as far as how he plays. Some of it is experience. He is more experienced than any of those guys out there, most of them anyway. Maybe all of them. It starts to build the kind of stability that we need.
Q: Were you aware you have led the largest comebacks while coaching Texas Tech, Washington State, and Mississippi State?
ML: Wow. All three? Texas Tech was against Minnesota right? Washington State's was against Boise State? I never thought of that. I did not realize that. The starting point is to not get behind. We need to quit chasing those records and play well instead. You have to stick in there during a game. Now you have me wondering how many comebacks there have been that my teams have been involved with. One thing I really hate is when some guy acts like it doesn't matter very much. Somebody gets behind, and they want to act like it didn't matter very much. If it didn't matter very much, is that why you went through the whole offseason and camp? Because it didn't matter very much? Because things are not going your way? I hate that. It drives me crazy. Guys are on the sideline just sitting there and pouting. I can't stand that either. That is the ultimate act of selfishness. "Oh the last play didn't go my way, so I feel so bad." Nobody thinks you are a tough person when you do that. Nobody thinks that. What they do is point at you and laugh. Then they are like "Hey, do you see that guy from this team over there on the sideline." Then they will use words like 'wimp' and other ones too. I think there are better words to describe what I am witnessing at times. Anyway, nobody sees any courage in a selfish guy who doesn't finish plays. The biggest thing is, you only get so many football plays. You have to be all in on all of them. They are all an opportunity to improve, worst-case scenario.
Q: Who stepped up in the fourth quarter to lead the team back?
ML: I thought there were a number of players. Dylan Lawrence did. Jamire Calvin did. Dollar Bill [Kwatrivous Johnson] did. I had a list of guys that we thought did a good job there on the sideline. Collectively, our entire unit rose up there in the fourth quarter - offense, defense and special teams. When we got to the fourth quarter, I thought we were a different team. It is almost like we decided. If it is just as easy as deciding, we have to make that decision a little sooner.
Q: Do you feel like this game was a confidence builder?
ML: I think the game showed what you're capable of. We didn't ever quit and kept pushing through till the end. Hopefully we learned that lesson. It was pretty gritty of our team to push through. We had a lot of adversity, most of which we created ourselves with penalties and turnovers. There's a lot of teams that wouldn't have found a way to win that game and we did.
Â
Players Mentioned
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
OL
/ Football
OL
/ Football
S
/ Football
RB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
DE
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ FootballFOOTBALL | Trevion Williams Game Week vs. Northern Illinois Media Session
Monday, September 15
FOOTBALL | Blake Shapen Game Week vs. Northern Illinois Media Session
Monday, September 15
FOOTBALL | Branden Jennings Game Week vs. Northern Illinois Media Session
Monday, September 15
FOOTBALL | Jacoby Jackson Game Week vs. Northern Illinois Media Session
Monday, September 15