Mike Leach's Tuesday teleconference...
- Wazzu War Room
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Here's a transcript from Mike Leach's Pac-12 teleconference on Tuesday where he talks about Luke Falk, of course, as well as how the team has progressed this season and quick notes on Daquawn Brown and their next opponent, Arizona State.
Mike Leach Pac-12 teleconference transcript...
(What is Luke Falk like off the field?) "Very calm, a calm guy. I would say a very regular guy, just extremely regular, can talk to anybody, very focused and disciplined as far as watching extra film and focusing on what he needs to improve on in football, but a very calm, laid back guy.
(Was it clear to you that Falk would make an immediate impact when he got the opportunity?) "I thought he would. I thought he definitely would and we saw that in camp. I also think that mentally he was probably a little further along than we expected, even."
(How would you compare him to the other high-profile guys that have been in your system?) "I'd say as far as being calm and just mentally going in there and taking the reigns of things, he might be ahead of all of them. He's way up there for that."
(Does Falk remind you of any quarterbacks you've had in the past?) "They all have their own unique things. I can't say that there's one in particular. He's taller than some but he's got the mental game earlier than most and they've all been hard workers."
(What quality do you respect most about Falk?) "He works really hard."
(What's the morale of the team right now after losing Halliday and not making a bowl game? Are these kids holding it together?) "I think so, everybody is just working hard and trying to improve."
(Can you comment on Luke Falk as a leader?) "I think he's done a really good job. I think that's the aspect of his game that he's done better than expected to this point and I think his calmness resonates, not just with the offense, but the whole team."
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(Has Falk's hot start cemented him as the quarterback of the future at Washington State?) "Nobody is ever cemented. I mean, I think there's a strong possibility, but nobody's ever cemented because we've got some very good players behind him."
(What would you like to see from him against Arizona State?) "He just needs to keep getting better, just have a good week of practice, just lead the team for a good week of practice and continue from there."
(After the two games against Arizona and USC, you played well against Oregon State. After Saturday's win, it would seem to indicate that you're not that far away. How do you sort that all out?) "Well, we played better defensively against Oregon State, I think, was the most significant thing and we also didn't hurt ourselves on special teams."
(Do you feel that you're close, that you're not rebuilding anymore?) "We're improving. We're out there kind of with one layer. We've played some of the best teams in America within one score; we just have to finish the deal. The other thing is we have to understand how close we are and stride for that. A lot of it is competing each individual play."
(On Daquawn Brown, I know you like some things about him but there are also some things you don't like. Can you put that in perspective?) "He needs to be a more disciplined player. He's explosive, he's competitive, but he's not as disciplined as he needs to be."
(What have you seen from film on Arizona State?) "They're a very good team in all phases and they've kind of continued from last year. They had a good season last year and I think they've drawn from that, they've got plenty of players back and I think that's fueled some of their success this year."
This post was edited on 11/11 11:34 AM by Britton Ransford
Mike Leach Pac-12 teleconference transcript...
(What is Luke Falk like off the field?) "Very calm, a calm guy. I would say a very regular guy, just extremely regular, can talk to anybody, very focused and disciplined as far as watching extra film and focusing on what he needs to improve on in football, but a very calm, laid back guy.
(Was it clear to you that Falk would make an immediate impact when he got the opportunity?) "I thought he would. I thought he definitely would and we saw that in camp. I also think that mentally he was probably a little further along than we expected, even."
(How would you compare him to the other high-profile guys that have been in your system?) "I'd say as far as being calm and just mentally going in there and taking the reigns of things, he might be ahead of all of them. He's way up there for that."
(Does Falk remind you of any quarterbacks you've had in the past?) "They all have their own unique things. I can't say that there's one in particular. He's taller than some but he's got the mental game earlier than most and they've all been hard workers."
(What quality do you respect most about Falk?) "He works really hard."
(What's the morale of the team right now after losing Halliday and not making a bowl game? Are these kids holding it together?) "I think so, everybody is just working hard and trying to improve."
(Can you comment on Luke Falk as a leader?) "I think he's done a really good job. I think that's the aspect of his game that he's done better than expected to this point and I think his calmness resonates, not just with the offense, but the whole team."
[/B]
(Has Falk's hot start cemented him as the quarterback of the future at Washington State?) "Nobody is ever cemented. I mean, I think there's a strong possibility, but nobody's ever cemented because we've got some very good players behind him."
(What would you like to see from him against Arizona State?) "He just needs to keep getting better, just have a good week of practice, just lead the team for a good week of practice and continue from there."
(After the two games against Arizona and USC, you played well against Oregon State. After Saturday's win, it would seem to indicate that you're not that far away. How do you sort that all out?) "Well, we played better defensively against Oregon State, I think, was the most significant thing and we also didn't hurt ourselves on special teams."
(Do you feel that you're close, that you're not rebuilding anymore?) "We're improving. We're out there kind of with one layer. We've played some of the best teams in America within one score; we just have to finish the deal. The other thing is we have to understand how close we are and stride for that. A lot of it is competing each individual play."
(On Daquawn Brown, I know you like some things about him but there are also some things you don't like. Can you put that in perspective?) "He needs to be a more disciplined player. He's explosive, he's competitive, but he's not as disciplined as he needs to be."
(What have you seen from film on Arizona State?) "They're a very good team in all phases and they've kind of continued from last year. They had a good season last year and I think they've drawn from that, they've got plenty of players back and I think that's fueled some of their success this year."
This post was edited on 11/11 11:34 AM by Britton Ransford