Football Media Day: Offense
8/5/2019 7:24:00 PM | Football
Michigan State held its annual media day Monday afternoon in the Izzo Family Media Center inside Spartan Stadium.
Below are selected quotes from the offensive players and coaches that spoke at media day.
Senior OT Cole Chewins
On getting the run game going…
We just have to step up and try to do a better job blocking and opening up those holes; holding the pocket longer, and just overall improve and grow.
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On dealing with injuries…
It is definitely tough, especially when you have somebody go down, but at the same time it provides an opportunity for someone else to step up and be a part of the team, and I think everybody understands that it's a team game. When someone goes down, people have to step up.
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On having a veteran O-Line group…
It helps a lot. Especially when you get some experience, like you said, some age with the group. It helps when people kind of understand everything that's going on and maybe have a little bit of confidence playing out there. I mean, they are able to switch around out there a little bit more and versatility helps, especially when guys go down.
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Junior RB Connor Heyward
On what the offense has been doing this offseason…
No days off, Coach D holds us to that standard. We have had some valuable leaders step up and we have an amazing defense that we need to be comparable to. It was hard on the defense last year and it was embarrassing for us as an offense but we have put that in the past and use it as fuel.
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On wide receivers and quarterbacks…
Kind of the same guys - Speedy (Jalen Nalor), Cody (White), Darrell (Stewart) and Laress (Nelson), who is a guy that can help us next year for sure this year. We are only in day five of camp and everybody has made some great plays. We are all learning and growing.
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Senior QB Brian Lewerke
On his confidence heading into the season…
Totally fine, I don't think there's problem with the confidence. There's no problem with the arm or anything. I'm actually very, very excited for the season and looking forward to it.
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On working with Coach Salem…
It's awesome, him being my quarterback coach for four years I've learned a lot about him and hung out with him a ton. I truly enjoy him as a coach.
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On what he worked on in the offseason…
I think every year there's something you can improve on and I think mine I focus too much on staying in the pocket and not creating with my legs. I think that hurt part of my game that was useful.
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On the offense wanting to prove more this season…
More than you guys know. I don't think anyone is proud of the performance we had, and we definitely want to show we're much better than we showed last year.
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On being prepared to run the ball more…
Like I said that's a part of my game that I need to use more. I think I'm decently fast, I'd say I'm faster than most quarterbacks hopefully. So I can hopefully use that more to my advantage.
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On his chemistry with his receivers…
I think we have a great receiving corps even beyond the starting three that we have. There are guys who can come up and fill spots for them and we've done a ton of work in the offseason. Obviously, I was trying to get my arm back into shape and so I would kind of drag them out a little bit and make them throw in the summertime and get our timing down.
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On using his legs more…
That was a focus before the season even started. Just to try and sit in the pocket and go through my reads a little better. I think this year I can do both at the same time. When the pocket breaks down I can go create, but while I'm in the pocket I'm going to try and go through my reads and make the right throw.
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On his confidence in the defense…
There's zero stress at all. We love how the defense can stop people. We love that they can give us great field position and we know that they're not going to allow teams to score a lot of points every week. We definitely feel confident in them.
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Sophomore QB Rocky Lombardi
On how he gets ready every game even if he's not starting...
Just the mindset that I've always had. I prepare like I'm the starter every week. You need to put in the work like you'll play that week. Sometimes things happen and people have to step up and make plays, so I'm always ready to do that.
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On if he treats practices like a competition...
I'm just doing my best every day and putting my best foot forward to create opportunities for myself. Every day is a grind, and I treat every day as if it's my last. Obviously, I'm competing every day so any day that I can get better and improve my confidence is a good day.
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On if he's excited for the season...
I'm really excited, football season is the best season so I'm ready to go. I love the game, I love learning and I love getting better. So I'm ready to go.
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Junior OT Jordan ReidÂ
On this year's mindset...
We are hungry, and as an offense we have something to prove. We didn't have the ideal season last year. It's a new year, new beginnings; We are putting a lot of work in and fall camp has been going pretty good so far. We are just trying to have a positive mindset and stay uplifted.
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On his position...
I mainly played right tackle but every now and then my coach would pull me to the left.
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On how he felt about last season…
Unfortunately, we just did not have a good year. It was like that for a lot of teams, some are good and some are bad but we are just going to bounce back this year. I try to attack each day with a good mindset because at the end of the day we can't focus on the past, we just have to keep moving forward.
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On the depth of the offense…
We have a lot of good guys this year who can play various positions. Depending on health and many versatile guys who can play it all. We have one of the best defenses in the country and going up against them each day is going to prepare us for the teams to come.
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Senior WR Darrell Stewart Jr.
On the offense having something to prove…
I mean due to last year, we didn't do too good. I feel like every year we want to try to prove something. Our defense is one of the best defenses in the country so we want to try to match that energy this year and just go out there and be the best version that we can be.Â
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On being injured…
It kind of messed with me a little bit mentally but being in the training staff room with those great guys and the great guys on the team and the coaching staff always trying to feed me information and try to get me back on the field. That's the wonderful thing. I feel like I did miss a beat and miss a step so I'm excited to get back out there.Â
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On practicing against this tough defense…
It's actually a fun thing because one of my roommates, Raequan Williams, he's one of the best tackles in the nation so it's an amazing thing knowing that I have a chance to go out there to dominate or explore my talents with the best defense in the world. That's a great feeling - practicing against those guys. You are working on your game as well.Â
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On being roommates with Raequan…
He's a very funny guy. At first when we were first roommates he was very quiet. I mean we both have very outgoing personalities, so it was an amazing thing. It's been an amazing four years being here with him. It's just a great thing to be around him.Â
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On taking a big step as a senior…
I definitely think about that big step. Felton (Davis III) left some knowledge here with me for his senior year. Him leaving definitely gave me a ton of knowledge and how to look at the year and how to tackle the year. Coach D always tells us that senior year has to be your best year you've ever had here. That's one of the things I'm really looking forward to doing - all the fine details and fine tuning some things.Â
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On personal changes…
I have been fine tuning some things and staying healthy. I've been doing the little things right. Fine tuning my speed. You're never too good to work on the things like speed and catching, especially in my position. That's one of the main things that I've been working on.
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Junior WR Cody WhiteÂ
On being a leader and what he tells the younger guys…
I'm just making sure that I'm helping them out every day. I know a lot of the freshman, especially in the receiver room, just know if they got a question that they can come and ask me. I'm just trying to get them ready to play.Â
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On feelings going into this season after tough losses last season…
You never want to lose a football game, especially by the way we were losing them last year. Just coming into the season trying to get better in every aspect. I feel like every player would say the same. Just getting ready to beat those teams that we lost to last year.Â
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On improvements in this offseason…
I feel like I've gotten faster. I feel like I've gotten better at running my routes as well. I'm just trying to improve all aspects of my game and be better for the Michigan State offense.
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On what offense has taken away from last year…
Just putting points on the board. We have to find a way to put the ball in the end zone. I feel like our main goal is scoring. Once we start executing a little better and putting more points on the board I think we'll be just fine.Â
On personal goals…
My personal goal is to provide to the team. If we're in Indy then I think I've done a good job for myself.Â
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Coaches:
Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Coach Brad Salem
On the wide receivers this year...
It's a good and talented group. Part of when you go into the season is the unknown of the guys who haven't played. We have about five or six guys who have played for us on Saturdays so we know what we have and we know that there will be marked improvement each year. Part of it is comfort; you see the transition in spring of some of the things we're doing. The goal is for them to play fast and not think.
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On how they'll be using motion and pre-snap shifts...
I think you'll still need to do that stuff. Anything that you can do to make the defense react to something different. Not to be stagnant on the line and just run your plays. Any movement shift you're going to do to put yourself in an advantageous situation.
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On how excited he is to be the offensive coordinator...
I was just excited to do it again. It's fun to be in that role when you've done it before. Being the son of a coach as a kid and seeing my brother go through it too....I'm just really excited for the opportunity.
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Wide Receivers Coach Don Treadwell
On getting back into coaching the wide receivers…
Well, first, the opportunity that I had last season was just phenomenal. I mean in our profession at the college level, very few times, especially if you are a veteran coach, do you get to swap and go from one side of the ball to the other. For me to have had that opportunity, there is not enough hours in the day to tell you how unbelievable that opportunity was because I learned so much. When you think about it, we have, if not the best, we are the top three in every category on defense. Also, to peak behind a curtain, if you will, and to see what Coach Tressel and the other defensive coaches put together on defense, has only made me a better offensive coach.
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On now coaching on the other side of the ball…
You said it very well, and it should be an advantage because you get a feel for maybe a little bit more of the finer points, and we look at things schematically a little bit on offense. We can anticipate through a lot of film study that we think they are doing this, and we think that if we do this that is what they are going to do. Now when you have been over there and hear this is exactly what they are planning on doing, it was an eye-opening experience to see what the defense puts together on a day-to-day basis.
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Offensive Line Coach Jim Bollman
On AJ Arcuri...
He'll definitely be a guy that will be a factor in there. He's worked both sides, but will probably stay left. He came in as a defensive player in high school, he's done a good job with his hands since he was on a defensive line. Through the years he's had some small problems with injuries, but he's done a really good job of coming back from that. He's gotten bigger too.
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Quarterbacks Coach Dave Warner
On what the QBs have been working on...
I think footwork is something we have been working on very hard because I think that's where the throwing motion begins with - your feet and I think we've made some progress there. Decision making as far as pre-reading and recognizing defenses and the weaknesses in the defense. I think we have missed some opportunities in the past just by not being aware of what is going on on the other side of the football. Those as far as specific things and then you look at what our stats were last year as far as completion percentage, our touchdown to interception ratio, our QBR, just to give them some numbers in front of them for them to shoot for.
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On the standings in the QB competition...
Every position there is competition right now. Brian has a ton of experience under his belt and the injury was what forced him out last year. He's shown what he is capable of and obviously last year, mostly because of the injury, was not a good indication of what he can do. I think all of our quarterbacks need to continue to improve and continue to fight for playing time and I think they've all had a good first four practices; basically what it comes down to is the best guy is going to play. We will see who that is at the end of camp, but right now they are taking pretty much equal reps and our freshman Payton Thorne is getting a lot of reps which is unusual.
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On the ideal mixture of Brian Lewerke's running and passing game...
I don't know if you can put numbers on it, it just comes down to when he goes, obviously called runs are called runs. His biggest threat in my mind is when he drops back to pass and can find a crease and takes off and runs. I just like to see from him that when he goes back to pass that he goes through his read progression and if things don't materialize through his read progression part of that deal is the last thing is take off and run; he did that two years ago and obviously was effective at it.
