AZTEC FOOTBALL PRESS CONFERENCE: THE LAST FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

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Story and photos by Liz Alper

Full quotes courtesy Jen Heisel

October 25, 2016 (San Diego) - With their last Friday night game of the season against Utah State this week, San Diego State head coach Rocky Long, senior linebacker Austin Wyatt-Thayer and junior running back and kick returner Rashaad Penny spoke to media at this week's press conference.

“As has been the case for the last three or four weeks, we have another important conference game this week," Long opened. "...the crowd is loud and supportive of their team and that makes sense since the last five years or so, they’re 26-4 at home. Obviously, they play really well at home. We’ll have to play well in order to win.”

Although SDSU quarterback Christian Chapman is pretty physical and likes to run the ball a lot, Utah State starter Kent Myers is even more athletic. "...he’s a very talented guy," Long said. "He throws the ball very, very well and I think he’s the third leading rusher on their team.  He’s the key because he runs the ball so well."

Wyatt-Thayer added on: “He’s a dual threat quarterback. That’s always a challenge."

There has been concern over the play of the Aztec defense, but Long says that his defense has played well over the last three weeks.

On Friday night against San Jose State, there was a bit of controversy.  A targeting penalty against Penny was overturned and another targeting penalty was called against Donnel Pumphrey.  The SJSU player who targeted Pumphrey was ejected.  As he was coming off the field, the SJSU players and staff on the sideline were congratulating him, or at least appeared to be doing so.  Long didn't think so. “I don’t think they were congratulating him for the hit. I think they were consoling him because he got kicked out of the game. He was one of their best players and he made a really good football play by old time standards. Those people on that sideline know he’s a good guy and a good player, he just got kicked out of the game and he doesn’t get to play next week. They were more consoling him than congratulating him especially because DJ was fine and in the next play, he ran for a touchdown. Why would you be congratulating him? He made DJ mad.”

Penny echoed that sentiment and said that his overturned targeting penalty was just a good play and that the penalty against Pumphrey was definitely targeting.

And of course, Long talked about new SDSU athletic director John David Wicker. “I had a good relationship with him. When he was here, he was in charge of football and we interacted almost daily. He and I were together a lot of the time. He’s a guy that has a lot of integrity and works really hard. He cares about this place. He cares about our success and the student-athlete experience. I thought the best thing about him being hired is the whole department knows him and he knows the whole department. He was here with Jim Sterk at the time that a lot of changes were made and has had a positive effect on this department, so you have good continuity there. He already said something about what’s most important for the football program and that’s getting a new stadium. It’s good that he’s got the right frame of mind.”

Wyatt-Thayer was asked if there's anything for the defense to work on against Utah State. "I feel like we can just work on the little things, more technique: not missing tackles or making any assignment errors, just little things like that throughout the game.”

Penny said there wasn't much for them to work on either. “Our defense is just holding these guys. It feels good when you see your defense is out there doing their job; it’s makes the job of the offense easier."

He also talked about Utah State's defense. “They’re big, athletic and they can move. Just like any other front, we just have to prepare the same way we did the last few weeks. We just have to run straight downhill and playing to the best of our abilities. We just have to prepare. They’re pretty big and they always can move. It’s nothing we haven’t seen so we’re ready.”

Penny feels that the offense is "where it needs to be."  He said there's nothing they really need to work on, but the team as a whole needs to get better at penalties.  "I feel like we just make simple mistakes with our penalties alone. I think that’s something we can get better. It’s just the little mistakes that are bothering us right now.” 

 


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