Arizona's press conference touched on a number of topics Monday and I've already discussed some of them, but since things bounced around so much I thought it would be a good idea to get you all some more quotes from Monday that didn't quite fit into any other story. Here are some thoughts from Rodriguez and players on some of the various topics covered Monday.
Rodriguez on Sunday and the return to Tucson: "A long game and a long trip back, we got back about 3:30-4 in the morning. We've been trying to catch up since that time. ... We had six or seven hours of meetings with the coaches and meeting with the players then walk through (Sunday) night. We talked about what we need to correct and certainly moving on to Oregon State. So it was a long day."
Rodriguez on Oregon State QB Seth Collins: "He might be the fastest quarterback we face all year. I've been really impressed with him. They do similar stuff that we do and some other stuff as well. It's a completely different plan than we saw last week so everything we worked on last week is going to be different than what worked on this week. That's the challenge for us defensively, and we certainly have to play better. We haven't played well in a couple weeks."
Rodriguez on Jerrard Randall's performance: "I thought he saw the field pretty well. He didn't have a lot of missed assignments mentally. ... His hamstring was probably bothering him more than he led on. We knew it was bothering him a little bit but he didn't have the same kind of burst and explosiveness that we've seen earlier. That limited him somewhat I think, but hopefully he'll be better this week. He'll get a long week of treatment."
Rodriguez on the three-man front in the 3-3-5: "A 3-4 is a three-man front too, right? So just about 90 percent of the teams run some form of a three-man front, either wholly or partially, so I don't think it's a scheme as much as if your guys struggle to get off blocks it's still going to be an issue. Can we do more and are we going to try to do more? Trust me, the defensive staff is trying as hard as it can to put our guys in position to make plays. And we have to keep trying. What we've been doing whether its personnel or the teams we're going against it's not working.
"So we're not going to sit there and give up. We're going to try everything we can. I don't think you just wholesale and say, "an odd front is not the way to go." I like odd-front defenses. I've coached both sides, and we'll see an odd-front defense every week this year including this one."
Nate Phillips on getting back on the winning track: "Coming off two losses we just want to stop losing to be honest. We have to stay focused this week and really come to play on Saturday."
Phillips on getting on the same page with Randall: "I think that's it. We just didn't have the continuity that we have with Anu just because he's been the guy since fall camp. As the game went on Jerrard settled in."
Tellas Jones on not having usual linebackers available: "It is pretty different. I think a lot of guys are doing their best to step up who have been put in those spots."
Rodriguez on Sunday and the return to Tucson: "A long game and a long trip back, we got back about 3:30-4 in the morning. We've been trying to catch up since that time. ... We had six or seven hours of meetings with the coaches and meeting with the players then walk through (Sunday) night. We talked about what we need to correct and certainly moving on to Oregon State. So it was a long day."
Rodriguez on Oregon State QB Seth Collins: "He might be the fastest quarterback we face all year. I've been really impressed with him. They do similar stuff that we do and some other stuff as well. It's a completely different plan than we saw last week so everything we worked on last week is going to be different than what worked on this week. That's the challenge for us defensively, and we certainly have to play better. We haven't played well in a couple weeks."
Rodriguez on Jerrard Randall's performance: "I thought he saw the field pretty well. He didn't have a lot of missed assignments mentally. ... His hamstring was probably bothering him more than he led on. We knew it was bothering him a little bit but he didn't have the same kind of burst and explosiveness that we've seen earlier. That limited him somewhat I think, but hopefully he'll be better this week. He'll get a long week of treatment."
Rodriguez on the three-man front in the 3-3-5: "A 3-4 is a three-man front too, right? So just about 90 percent of the teams run some form of a three-man front, either wholly or partially, so I don't think it's a scheme as much as if your guys struggle to get off blocks it's still going to be an issue. Can we do more and are we going to try to do more? Trust me, the defensive staff is trying as hard as it can to put our guys in position to make plays. And we have to keep trying. What we've been doing whether its personnel or the teams we're going against it's not working.
"So we're not going to sit there and give up. We're going to try everything we can. I don't think you just wholesale and say, "an odd front is not the way to go." I like odd-front defenses. I've coached both sides, and we'll see an odd-front defense every week this year including this one."
Nate Phillips on getting back on the winning track: "Coming off two losses we just want to stop losing to be honest. We have to stay focused this week and really come to play on Saturday."
Phillips on getting on the same page with Randall: "I think that's it. We just didn't have the continuity that we have with Anu just because he's been the guy since fall camp. As the game went on Jerrard settled in."
Tellas Jones on not having usual linebackers available: "It is pretty different. I think a lot of guys are doing their best to step up who have been put in those spots."
