Always a dandy.
LIST OF AFFILIATES AND LINKS
PREDICTION: Derek Mason? I'll take a BIG OL' YES on that one. Show made right there.
*****
DEREK MASON, Auburn's defensive coordinator is up first.
Not Andy asks what they do on Wednesdays. "It's Work Day Wednesday. Situational football is a big part of the day. These guys went after it today. It was a good work day."
Andy asks about MSU's offense. "What we have done ... as a defensive unit ... this group has had to ... figure out, week in and week out, how to play different offenses. Our guys have been good at not really looking at who they're playing ... just being in the moment and getting from where they are to where they want to be. These guys are fun to coach. It's fun to be around guys who love football. I love it."
Not Andy asks about how teaching this team has evolved this season. (HUH?) "Coach Harsin is really good about consistency .. who we are and how we work. These guys have challenged us. That's what you want. You want a team that snaps back and wants more. A lot of times, players look at information as criticism. These guys don't. Football is an imperfect game played by imperfect people chasing perfection. It's all about being the best version of yourself."
Andy asks about this team playing more zone. MASON GUFFAWS. Andy wants to know how these players have learned Zone Life. "If we always do what we've always done, we'll have the skills we've always had. The idea for these guys who aspired to play outside of this ... this puts more skills in the toolbag. It wasn't an easy transition. Once guys started to understand how advantageous it was to play with different platforms, they saw the light."
Mason finishes with a "LET'S GET IT!"
**COMMERCIAL BREAK**
DERICK HALL is this week's player. He talks very fast. Not sure I can keep up.
On changing the kind of offense they defend: "It's knowing your job and the task in front of you."
On what he looks for on film: "Starts on the offensive line, the tendencies they do. Then we move on the tight ends, the certain tendencies they have. Then we expand out from there into formations."
On how he gets intense on the field: "You can't get too hyped up on Friday night. The night before, I pray up and relax. Once we get on the bus, that's really when it snaps."
On MSU's offense not running very much: "We're just doing our job, knowing your task. We have to get off the ball — rushing the passer is going to be huge for us."
On where his love for football comes from: (He's been playing since he was 4.) Flag football is when I started to understand the game. I really fell in love with the game around Sixth Grade. We did a lot of different stuff. I just kept getting better, kept developing."
On getting TD Moultry back and Eku Leota getting better: "(TD) is my guy. It hurt me (when he was out). The game isn't going to stop, so you've go to bridge that gap. He had a hiccup and we're glad to have him back. (Leota) is a hard worker, great guy. You know he wants it."
**COMMERCIAL BREAK**
BRYAN HARSIN is this Tigers' head coach.
Not Andy asks about playing at home (HUH?). "We'll be up early and I think that helps us this week. We're moving forward this week. Come Saturday, guys will be ready to go. We're playing a good football team in Mississippi State."
Andy asks about things the offense worked on this week: "We've got to score. We've got to score touchdowns. How you do that? In early downs you have success. We (also) had a few shock plays that we should have it. It's a matter of inches. It's about the consistency."
"If we're up, keep playing. If we're down, keep playing."
Not Andy asks about teaching poise: "You have to practice that. You have to practice with a level of intensity ... practice, a lot of times, should be harder than the game. The mental challenge is fighting that boredom. The great ones ... can find the challenge when they go out there and do the same thing. When you get into the game, you've got to trust your training. If you practice propery, you know what it's going to take to win. When you feel like you have to put a cape on, that's when you start pressing and trying to do too much."
**COMMERCIAL BREAK**
Julie/Juli emails in to ask if MSU will take more risks. "They may go for it a little more on 4th down. I wouldn't say that's necessarily their nature. As you get to the end of the season and you're striving for opportunities in the post-season ... both teams want to go out there and play well. Practices ... have been hard for this week."
Andy asks about MSU's defense. "Their defense is much different than some of the teams we played. They're all over the place in the back end; they bring a lot of different pressures. I think they're utilizing their personnel well. They're physical, they play fast. Those inches are going to be there, but we're talking inches. You have to take advantage of that."
Not Andy continues on about MSU's defense. "Sometimes it will appear that someone won't be there, but they'll be there. That's the practice and they work we've done this week."
He continues to offense: "They look to throw downfield, but if it's not there, they'll throw to their backs."
Andy says they pass and that's basically a run. "It ends up being an inside zone ... the guy is one-on-one."
**COMMERCIAL BREAK**
Andy asks if the team responded well this week. "The players ... they have to move on. You never let a team beat you twice. So far in practice, the focus has been there. We've got to be consistent throughout the game. To me, it's all about preparation and trusting that going into the game."
Clark/Clarke wants to know about using two running backs concurrently. "The reason you do that is you have Carnell and Ronnie Brown. (GUFFAWS ALL AROUND.) No, you want to have your best players on the field. You can play with two tailbacks. We've done that this year."
Andy asks about Brandon Council, who is up for an award for being a comeback player. "I think he deserves that. He's persevered. He's been able to overcome injuries. The season's not over; he's still got a lot football ahead of him.
Not Andy asks about keys to the game. Start fast. Win the turnover battle. "We have to keep drives alive, convert third downs, extend drives, hit some explosive plays. Defensively ... we've got to tackle. Special teams, it's an opportunity to try to win the game on special teams. That has to become a reality on Saturdays."
Harsin finishes with a friendly yet firm "WAR EAGLE."
BE GOOD. BE YOU.
Make great decisions out there.
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