Read full transcripts of Courtney Messingham and Scottie Hazelton from Thursday's Kansas State media availability.
Thank you, as always, to K-State Athletics Communications for providing these each week.
COURTNEY MESSINGHAM, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
On what the offensive accomplished during the bye week...
“I think the biggest thing was just trying to continue to grow, continue to improve, continue to get guys all on the same page. I have been very happy with how we have played to this point, but the speed of the game has to keep getting faster for us because I think the players who we will play against the next nine weeks will continually get faster as well.”
On how much of the offense has been implemented…
“I’ve told people in general we have most of the offense in, it’s just what each team brings to the table defensively where we would pull from things that we’ve already put in and used. Maybe not used yet in a game setting, but definitely used in practice and used against our own team.”
On facing a three-man front…
“Well, it creates issues as far as which side are they coming from from a blitz standpoint and their ability to bring safeties, bring linebackers, press people up into the line and fall out. If you’re sliding one way and then they bring it all from the other side, you’ve got, obviously, a major issue. That’s one of the things that every time you play an odd-front team is making sure you slide the line the correct way.”
On evaluating the wide receivers through three weeks…
“(I’m) really happy through the first three weeks. The biggest thing is, all of them have just made their play we they’ve gotten an opportunity. Obviously you’d say there’s guys that have played better than others as far as statistically, but not one guy is really worried about his own stats. They’re worried about, ‘When I get my opportunity, I’m going to take full advantage of it,’ and I feel like guys have at this point.”
On how key it is to convert on third downs at Oklahoma State…
“Well, I think the rest of this year it’s going to be important for us. Everybody in this league is an explosive, high-powered style of offense. We want to be, also, but we also want to understand the more we keep our defense off the field, the better opportunity it gives us to win as a team.”
On Oklahoma State’s cornerbacks…
“(They are) really, really talented corners. They can run well. Their whole back end in general, from linebackers to the DBs, all really, really run well and they have length. That will be a challenge for us is making sure when opportunities come, we can win one-on-one and then making plays when they are in front of us.”
On looking back at the field and working harder to get Jordon Brown more touches…
“Yes and No. Yes, from the standpoint of, the more opportunities we can get to let him make plays in space and go one-on-one with people, the better opportunities we’ll have to be successful. Specifically, trying to put a play in for him that takes a play from someone else, it’s more of, what is the defense giving us? How can we use all the talents that everybody brings to have a great opportunity against the defense we are playing? Each week will dictate a little bit more how much Jordan, compared to James (Gilbert), compared to Harry (Trotter) and what they bring to the table.”
On freshman wide receiver Joshua Youngblood and freshmen running backs getting more reps in Big 12 play…
“It will depend a little bit on each one. I’ll use (Joshua) Youngblood as an example - I would see Youngblood continuing to play, and the more and more, he gets comfortable - not that he’s not already comfortable - but just with Big 12 play now and the speed of the game, I think we’re going to play him. I hope he’ll keep getting more and more reps.”
On having Skylar Thompson, who won at Oklahoma State two years ago, lead the offense…
“It’s always a huge deal to have a trigger guy that feels comfortable in the environment. You’re never totally comfortable until that game gets going and you know what that first 3rd and 3 is and how you perform, but he’s been there. Yes, when it kicks off, he’ll be nervous just like everybody else, but once he gets going, I think he’ll settle into it, and I think he’ll handle that environment.”
On what has surprised him about the running back thus far…
“I don’t know if surprised would be the right term. I just have been very happy with how the offensive line has gelled. How the offensive line has taken to Coach (Conor) Riley, taking his coaching and allowing us to block the people up front. Now, the tailbacks I think have done a good job of not getting tackled one-on-one, and that’s always a huge key. We can’t block them all. They have to make somebody miss, but up front, I feel like we’ve played very, very well as a group.”
On if there is an offensive player who has stood out regardless of stats…
“Probably Blaise Gammon. He just understands everything. He has zero busts. He’ll play the entire game, and when you get done grading him afterwards, you say, not flashy but not one thing I would write and say, ‘Hey, fix that,’ as far as knowing the offense. Now there’s some technique things and fundamental things that he can still get better at, but the understanding of our offense, I’ve been extremely impressed with.”
On if this is the kind of game they would like to have long drives…
“(I) would love to. I don’t know if it needs to be out of the gate, it just needs to be in general. If we can get a drive going and stay on the field and go put it in and score touchdowns. The more times we can have a 10- to 12-play drive that scores rather than a three-play drive that scores, it’s going to help us as a whole team.”
On having confidence in giving the ball to James Gilbert on 3rd and 5 in the red zone at Mississippi State…
“Because he made that play, it was a great deal. We felt very comfortable with the call, it broke down a little bit and he had to make a great play to get us the first down. He’s been through a lot of battles now. He’s a senior and was a very, very, very good player coming here. (He’s) done nothing to make us think he’s not that. I was very impressed with that play, specifically.”
How far ahead he considers play calls…
“You’re trying to look at what they’ve done against you to that point from a third-down standpoint, but that one changes a little bit also now that you’re in the redzone. They play a little bit different in the redzone compared to at the 50-yard line. We have confidence we can run the ball, even if it’s 3rd and 6, 3rd and 7, 3rd and 8, that we can run the ball. Now, it doesn’t always work out, obviously, but we’re going to make them defend our entire offense if we can.”
SCOTTIE HAZELTON, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
On the challenge of defending Oklahoma State’s skill position players...
“They’re really good. They’re really fast. I think the speed’s a different thing. I know we’ve played some good players in the past, but these guys are definitely fast. The difference is just the combination of things - they’re fast, and on top of it, they go fast and they’re fast. So, that’s the hard combination right there.”
On if the pace is harder to prepare for…
“It’s just different. I think the teams that go fast paced all the time in practice sometimes have a hard time going against slow guys and vice versa. You know, if you practice against it all the time, it’s just that because it’s different. They get the scout team running at the same pace and try to get guys lined up and do things fast and give you good looks and all those things. That’s hard to simulate. So, to see speed at speed, sure it’s tough, but at least we’ve had time to get used to what they do, and then with the extra week we have a chance to get used to the tempo.”
On the battle of third down against Oklahoma State...
“I think that’s tough, I think It’s always tough. I think that it’s one of those things that every week is a different week. I don’t know that the stats tell the story on that. They go fast, and they get themselves because they can run the ball so well on the third and shorts, which make them effective. And then in their longer-yardage stuff, their quarterback has an ability to scramble that’s different than a lot of the guys we’ve seen. So, I think that that helps their ability to, ‘Hey, even if you have them covered, they have a chance to convert anyway with just his legs.’ So, I think that’s why they’re so good. They have that double whammy right there. Then on top of it, they have a really good guy playing receiver out there too. So, that’s a hard one. For us, it’s a different challenge every week. You try to take into account, ‘Hey, this is what they’re good at.’ We’re going to try to have a plan to stop what they’re good at, and if they can beat us left handed, we say, ‘OK good.’ If they can’t, then maybe we’ll stay pretty good on third down. If we don’t, then we won’t.”
On what he liked and didn’t like about the defensive performance against Mississippi State...
“I think that the guys hung in there and they played pretty hard. I think that they did a really good job of just battling back. They never got their heads down at any point that I remember at all. It didn’t matter what happened in the game it was just like, ‘Hey, let’s go out there and get a chance to play and stop them again.’
“Disappointing things, there was a series in there after AJ (Parker) got a pick and fumbled it. I think on that series we got a little gassed. We were subbing in guys, but that was the first time all season that you’d seen our guys get tired and lose that focus and lose that effort ability to run to the football. I think one was when we got some leaky yards on that drive, which ended up in a touchdown. So that was disappointing.”
On Kyle Ball’s play against Mississippi State...
“I thought Kyle (Ball) played really well, especially with the fact that Wyatt (Hubert) was down and he had to take a lot more snaps. Really, we played three guys at defensive end that whole game and that’s a tough thing to do with their style of ball too; it’s different. It’s different going fast and going semi-fast and getting pounded by really big dudes. I think that the strain on your body is different. It makes you a different kind of tired. When you’re playing against a 340-pound guy and you have to use your hands and set the edge, that’s a different kind of tired than just running. So, I think that those guys really strained and did a great job. All the defensive ends did. Kyle (Ball) made a nice play and got a sack. He did some good things there, so we were excited with how he played. It just shows that’s the benefit of having a little bit of depth at defensive end.”
On finding the right amount of pressure to get on Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders...
“I think you have to allow guys to rush. It’s a balance. Those are all things - those are all good questions as you go - but you say as you get in the game, you have to be able to adjust that. You have to say, ‘OK, here’s our plan if he is scrambling. OK, but here’s our plan if we can’t play man on (Tylan) Wallace out there. OK, what’s your plan if you can’t play man on Wallace and he’s (Sanders) scrambling. OK, what’s your plan if you can’t stop the run.’ It’s all those different facets, so as the game goes, you have to see where you’re at. It’s a hard thing to say pregame. You have a plan to say, ‘OK, hey, here’s what we’re going to do if we can’t keep him in the pocket. OK, but then that’s going to stress you someplace else. Here’s the plan if we can play man, give a guy help, and we’re matching up on everyone else good. OK, good, then we’ve got a plan to keep him in the pocket.’ How many things are hitting you at the same time, and sometimes you’ve got to give. There might be a time where you’ve got to say, ‘Listen, we’ve got to take away Wallace, we’ve got to do something, and if he scrambles, then we have to hope we can come out of coverage and catch him.’ It’s a gambling game, whatever you do. It’s hard to say, ‘Hey, we’re going to contain this dude and put a spy on him, and then still be good at everything else.’ And we’re going to rotate them around. There’s going to be stress rotating during the game. If they choose right every time, we might look silly. If we choose right every time, we’ll look great. I’m sure somewhere in between it will be the truth.”
On a player on defensive having a bigger impact than is noticed...
“I think A.J Parker is having a really good year so far. As for corners - I know he’s got a couple picks - but really it’s quiet over there, and that’s what you really like to see is a guy you don’t notice. I think that Denzel (Goolsby) has played really well. He’s been a quiet leader in the back end. When he does speak, the guys listen to him. He stands up, he always gives tremendous effort. Those (are the) guys in the back end. I think everybody notices the guys up front. They’re doing pretty good. I think that, in my mind, guys like Da’Quan (Patton) or you mention Kyle Ball, those are the guys that are running and really setting the bar on a lot of things just with their effort. Really, that’s helping the whole rest of the defense continue to grow. You can point those guys out and say, ‘Look at that guy run to the ball right there.’ Then as the other guys start to do it, you give less and less explosive plays and it covers up more and more mistakes. Things that we see as coaches, we’re like, ‘Man we fit that one horrible,’ but someone runs and makes a play, and you guys see a five-yard gain. You’re like, ‘Whatever,’ and we say, ‘Holy crap, that could’ve been a huge one, but we got away with one. That’s OK.’ I hope those guys keep doing that, but I think that there’s a couple guys there I’ve been really impressed by so far.”
On if facing Mississippi State running back Kylin Hill prepared the defense for Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard...
“I think they’re different. It’s different. If we were playing another power back, another guy who would cut and jump cut and do all those kinds of things, I think that that’s going to help us for the future playing another guy that’s that style. Chuba’s a little bit different. He’s a guy that’s, I mean he’s speed, he’s pure speed. He has really good vision, he understands when to, ‘Hey, I’m going to stretch and cut and get vertical. I understand what seams I’m going to hit. I understand that if I dance a little bit here, it’s going to make that guy cut back’. Hill’s not like that. He is more, ‘Well, I’m going to hit a gap and I’m going to pound it or I’m going to try and get to the edge and run over people and jump over people and do all those things.’ It’s a little different, so it’s hard to compare. When we make it through this game and we say and we’re moving forward and say, ‘OK, now we’ve played a speed guy and now we’ve played a power guy. Now we understand the different styles that you have to tackle these guys with. You have to understand the different leverage you need on them. You have to understand the different gap control on each one.’ So as we work through this one, we’re going to learn a lot about ourselves to see how fast we can play with these guys. I’m sure we’re going to see great backs every week, which we do, and we’re going to say, ‘OK, hey, this is the style we want to play,’, and we’re going to go back and forth between the two.”
On how excited he is to bring this defense to Big 12 opponents…
“I think that this is really what we've been working towards. We’ve had some games that are really setting us up for this and to say, ‘OK, hey, you get a chance,’ Really, we had a chance to start off and, ‘Hey, here’s a little bit of a game,’ and you can build into because I do think it takes learning. I don’t think we’re there yet as a defense at all. I think it’s one of those things you say, ‘Hey, we’re growing into it and our guys are starting to build.’ You can see some of the guys in the back end, guys like J-Mac (Jahron McPherson) is a guy, and Denzel’s (Goolsby) a guy, and Wanye’s (Jones) a guy that are really starting to just take that next step in the learning process. They’re getting to Football 201 where they’re starting to notice things about splits. And when we get the rest of the defense there, I think that we’ll grow tremendously. It was great to have these games early that maybe weren’t such a challenge for us, but as we continue to move forward to say, ‘OK, hey, build on it every week.’ As long as they keep learning and we keep getting better, you’d hope by week eight or so you start really getting into it. Then even moving forward from there, it gets really sharp.”
On what he is most impressed by with Da’Quan Patton…
“He’s a guy that doesn’t miss a lot of tackles. He’s missed a couple, but he doesn’t miss a lot of tackles. He’s done a really good job wrapping up and squeezing and stuff like that. He’s done a really good job of just running. His ability to stay in the box and use technique when he needs to. Then when it gets on the perimeter, he has good speed. He has good ability to track the ball. As long as he does those things and trust himself, he’s been really good at being just a natural linebacker in there. Sometimes he takes some reps to get through if we put in something new, but once he’s got it, man, he’s been playing pretty good.”
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