Transcript: Dave Aranda previews home game against Kansas State

Baylor head coach Dave Aranda spoke with the media on Monday to reflect on Baylor's week off and their prep for a game against Kansas State on Saturday. 

On what team accomplished during bye week…

We focused on the specific screens on offense, and on defense we focused on gap schemes and getting better at stopping the run and angles to tackle, the appropriate angles using your help and using your sidelines when necessary. All of that is focusing on details and trying to win the individual whether it’s a meeting or a walk-through or a run-through or a team period. I thought we did a great job with that. At the end of the team periods, there was a fair amount of energy and execution, which I think any time you have those two you’re on the right track.

On the mood of the team…

It’s good. I thought yesterday for example everyone wanted to be back. I was just talking with RJ Sneed, Terrel, Garret McGuire and a couple of other guys, and they talked about how over the weekend they missed not being around each other and being back and how much it means to be back. I felt that. For a Sunday, you felt there’s an energy and a vibe there of let’s get on to competing. I feel there’s some good momentum.

On Raleigh Texada’s skills at corner…

He is very smart and he takes coaching. You can tell him something one time and he gets it. He’s able to apply it within a series or on a sideline, and can take it to the field the very next series. I think he’s improved in his press coverage. I think he’s real comfortable and has great vision and break for playing off. He’s someone who can do all of it, that can play 2, play quarters, play bail thirds, play man, play on, play off. So I think his flexibility and his ability to learn and apply it in real rapid fashion I think makes him special.

On goals for the team late in games…

Playing four quarters in the first piece. So starting fast was something we were fighting early on, and I feel that we’ve improved in that area. There are still games to go where we can improve there. We talk about the middle eight area right before the (first) half and the start of the (second) half, trying to win points there. We’ve gotten better in that area. There were some games where we didn’t do as well as we hoped.

What you’re bringing up is the end of the game and closing it out. We talk about those things and we review those situations, kind of what the thinking was and what the objective is or was at that time, what we could have done better and what we did do well. Just as important is the practice part of it. So getting into practices where we’re working through an individual, working through a special teams period where a horn blows and all of a sudden now it’s sudden change and we got four minutes. So the offense needs to get two first downs and the defense needs to stop them, and that’s the game. Or it’s red zone and the horn blows, and the offense has got to score and the defense needs to keep them out of the end zone. Situations like that where guys have to compete and we have to think on our feet and attack those situations and really own them, I think that piece is important to us to get us to where we’re finishing.

On emphasis headed into K-State game…

I think it’s that, I think it’s us. I think it’s the ability to win today. I thought we won yesterday. So winning today, whether that’s everyone being here early for their learning specialist, everyone’s being early for tutoring, everyone’s making their classes. We got film to show and guys are coming up on their own and taking time out of their schedule to watch film, and they’re bringing somebody with them and they’re taking notes. They’re saying anytime this tight end is on a three-point stance, it’s this. When he’s off the ball at this level, it’s that. Hey the three technique is tight, it’s this. When the three technique is wide, it’s that. I think those things today we win today. Getting into tomorrow, a lot of the same stuff like making sure we’re hydrating, making sure we’re making all of our meals, making sure we’re on time to class, making sure that when we get to practice making sure we’re in the right mindset to attack that and all the details and hitting it out of the park. When we do those and we stack those wins, the wins on Saturday will come. I feel our ability to focus in on ourselves in the critical piece.

On benefit of veterans on team playing in close games…

I think it helps. But I think that at times the approach is different. Maybe that end result is the same, but the approach is different. There are always things that need to be worked out there in terms of this is where we’re headed, but this is kind of how we’re doing it. I think the more you have guys who know where you’re headed and know what the expectation is, and know that there’s a standard of a day to day excellence, that’s got to occur for these things to transpire I think helps you.

On how success down stretch could help team…

Success would kind of validate what we’re going through on the day to day, which is a huge piece right now. Our way of approaching a Sunday or our way of approaching a Monday, and the work we put in on a Tuesday, how we handle a Wednesday, all of those things would be validated. We’re working hard to get that done.

On what he saw from Qualan Jones and Abram Smith last week…

I thought there was a lot of good from Qualan. There’s room to improve for sure with it being his first real go at it. Qualan when he puts his foot in the ground and goes north and south is a load. He plays behind his pads, and with the speed he has and size and the explosion he has, it becomes really special. I think the more that he is a north and south runner, even on some perimeter plays, with good blocking on the sideline and getting a foot in the ground and going north and south with the ball, I think he’s a true weapon for us.

I thought in terms of assignment-wise he was really good. I think his ability to take the week and apply it on a Saturday was strong. On the sideline, there were a fair amount of adjustments being made, and he was able to apply that in real time. So there were a lot of positives to come out of that. I think for him to play to his strengths and to play like a back that’s 240 and has real legit speed, I think more consistently gets him that much better.

I think with Abram there were times when he was shooting gaps, and there were times when he was stacking a three-technique and falling back, so he’s showing some variability and some flexibility in his game where it wasn’t just a one-time thing all the time. There was some calmness with him when there was tempo when he was communicating and helping guys get lined up. So there were some positive things from him there. The difference in this week and the last is the amount of run we’re going to see, and the varying personnel groups and the tight ends and the gap schemes, and really the specific way we’re going to have to fit plays to cancel out their running game. So I feel like it’s a challenge but he’ll be up for it. He’s up there right now studying tape and everything. It means a lot to him. I appreciate that he’s putting forth the effort.

On program’s Thanksgiving plans…

We’ve got a few coaches that have houses here in town, where we’re breaking off the team into groups that are feasible to have the players at our houses. By position groups, most often, but not always. Thursday, we’ll practice early, then we’ll break and have Thanksgiving dinner at coaches’ houses. So, we’re looking forward to that. There are times where you wish that all of that could be more involved just throughout the year, throughout summer and throughout spring, throughout all of it. But, we’ll certainly take the opportunity to have our players meet with our families and spend the holidays together.

On steps being taken to keep morale high…

The No. 1 thing we do is the weight workouts we have and the practices we have, we bring energy to those things. Whether it’s myself, or our assistant coaches or our players, if we’re in it, we’re bringing energy with it. So, I think there is some juice in our practices. There are times where maybe it gets a little bit too much juice. Our ability to continue to bring that, and get it to where it’s as full speed as it can be. And if it’s 1 (offense) vs. 2 (defense), and the 2 D is giving a look of K-State for our 1 O, then we want as much talent as we can on that opposite side going as hard and as fast as they can to get those 1’s the best look that we can give them. And the faster and the more energy there is and the more physical it is, the better. it’s the closest we can get to game day. So, I think the more that we can play at that type of level throughout the week and in the weight room, the more that we’ll get those things to stick. So, I feel like that’s No. 1. Two would be we’re having the team come up in the evening with some film that’s available to them. So, they’re coming up watching film as position groups and talking through what they’re seeing and taking notes. And I feel like, the leaders’ ability to coach the younger players and bring them along – “I’m seeing this, what do you see?” – I feel like that’s going to pay off for us as well.

On what he has seen from K-State…

I think they’re really well-coached. I feel like they are very specific in what they want, both defensively and offensively. Defensively, they play quarters and cover-3, and they really hide that safety coming down. And then in quarters, they do a great job of their fits. If you see a play versus certain defenses, it fits the same way every. There’s no kind of making stuff up on the run. It’s very tightly wound in terms of how they play things. So, there’s a strength that comes out of that. And I think offensively, I was telling the defensive staff earlier, in terms of how they game plan the run and how they attack people, it’s angles, it’s numbers. Real subtle way they go about it, too, they’re very impressive. Now, they’re hurting with personnel, guys that were playing early are not playing now on both sides. So, I certainly emphasize there and know the struggle that’s going on there. But, I have a lot of respect for the staff and the team, and I know they’re going to put their best effort here come Saturday.

On availability changes with Tyquan Thornton, Ben Sims and John Lovett…

I think they’re in a good spot. I feel that both are really eager and willing. And I think for us, on our side of it, is to put them in the best position to be successful. So, to find routes and matchups where Tyquan can really be an asset for us and really showcase what he can do. And for Sims, it’s the same way, to put him in positions where he can maximize the reps this week and then take that to the field on Saturday. So, I feel like the more we think players over plays, and really focus on the guys that we’ve got, let’s get them involved and let’s maximize the talent we have, the better we’ll be.

Same with John. Yesterday, we were out there, and he was smiling the whole time. I know he’s missed it. So, the ability to be back and be with his brothers and be a part of it, he’s excited and ready to attack it.

On potentially using multiple quarterbacks down the stretch…

Particularly these last couple weeks, but even prior to that, we’re in such dogfights with these games and we’re trying to either close it out or trying to inch back, in those type of situations, we have a lot of confidence in Charlie. I know he’s a leader for us. Our team respects him. I love him, and we’re going to give him that opportunity to finish out and close out these games that we’re either trying to close out or come back from. So, I think the more it’s in those types of situations, these nip-and-tuck games, the more that Charlie would start and finish it.

On Christian Morgan’s bounce back game at Texas Tech…

I was really happy for Christian. I love Christian’s heart. I think Christian is someone that it really means so much to him, and he wears his emotions on his sleeve. If you’re asking for 100%, he’s going to give you 110. That’s the Christian I know, and I imagine he’ll always be that way. So, when things are not successful for him, it’s a deep hurt. So, for his ability to bounce back and just execute the details and the small things the right way . . . what he was able to do is let the plays come to him this past week, whereas before I think we got in trouble of him searching and trying to find plays as opposed to seeing his keys, taking his footwork and letting the plays come to him. So, I think he’s in a good spot in terms of the rhythm and the rhyme for how he’s going to play for the remainder.

On Jalen Pitre having great instincts…

I think with Jalen, he’s got such a knack. We’ve got a couple guys – Terrel was this way, I think Christian in a way is this way, Jalen for sure is. They’re just football players, they just have a knack for ‘Hey, this action is this, but the ball is going here,’ or ‘Hey, this look means this play.’ So, I think a lot of those things are playing out. And I think the more that he’s in throwing lanes and he’s to the field and there’s receivers out there, and he can blitz, he can zone out, he can play – and you have that mix and people don’t know – the more that Jalen can play his games. And there’s a fair amount that goes into it. So, it’s good that he’s on our side of it.