MikeBigg
Well-Known Member
The site for Nicholls State is www.nich.edu!
Quoting Nicholls State head football coach Daryl Daye
November 6, 2001
Weekly Press Conference
On facing another tough nationally ranked team in Grambling State?
?Its just another day at work for the Colonels. They are all top-ranked teams that we have faced lately. Looking at it though, Sam Houston was ranked 17th, and of course Northwestern I think was ranked in the top 25 at the time, they weren?t as high as they are now at 13th, they may be even better than that, and Stephen F. was 22nd. We had a chance to beat both of those teams, so maybe the higher ranked they are the better we will play. It?s a tremendous challenge. They are very athletic to say the least this football team. They are very, very explosive on both sides of the ball. You know though, they put their britches on one leg at a time just like we do. We will go out there and find out what they are all about.?
About the atmosphere for the upcoming game with a nationally ranked team and a televised game.
?It should be exciting, an early morning, but I think everyone will wake up for it really fast. We are expecting a big crowd. I think it?s going to be a nice turnout. I hope the weather is good. I?ve had several comments from the coaches throughout the league that have come here this year to say how much better the atmosphere is here in Guidry Stadium. We?ve got the new tunnel, and clocks, and new scoreboard, and smoke, and maybe if we get a little fire somewhere we will be all right. I?m expecting a very electric atmosphere and a good time for all.?
On the exposure for the program with a televised game and a nationally ranked opponent.
?I think it will be great because we will get a chance for people to see Guidry Stadium and what it looks like now and all of the improvements to it. Its something we can use in recruiting. We get to play on TV and that goes a long way for the young kids out there that are looking at us with the potential to come. It gives us a chance to showcase our program. I?m not worried. I know our kids will go out there and play hard. I am expecting a good football game, so the more exposure you get like that is all positive.?
On the injuries effecting the team.
?It?s a long list. Where do you want to start? Todd Rivera has a chance to come back. That is probably the key. Colt Colletti and Todd Rivera have a chance to be back and be playing. So other than the seven others that we?re missing those are key guys. I think we went into the game over there (at Stephen F. Austin) with nine of our starters on both sides, I think it was five on defense and four on offense, something like that. A lot of our young freshman got to step up and play that haven?t gotten to play in those roles, and to their credit they played very well and had a chance to win, they should have won the ball game.?
On Torrian Thomas returning last weekend after a dislocated elbow suffered against Troy State
?He had a nice game. It was still hurting him a lot, but he did a nice job and made some key plays. Lester Magee has also really come on in the last four or five games and become a very productive player. After the game, the Stephen F. coaches came across the field acknowledging that to him and I saw them over there complimenting him. He?s an excellent football player that should get some recognition and with Todd (Rivera) coming back we are finally getting back close to full strength or what we were, although I guess we never have been (at full strength)?
More on Torrian Thomas
?He is an excellent player. He is an excellent athlete. He has got speed to run people down. He can slip through there and make big plays. He is another guy in the huddle that has some veteran play to him. Our kids were kind of looking at each other in the huddle wondering who they had to look at. You have a young David Willis back there, (Gareth) DiBetta back there. You look at our huddle and there are four, five, six freshman in there at one time on the field and to getting production out of them, that encourages you as a coach. You look at Sam Houston and you look at Northwestern State and they have 20 plus seniors. Then you look at Stephen F. with 18 or 19 seniors and another 18 or 19 juniors and then you look at us with only eight seniors, you kind of say ?Its coming.? But it?s hard to be patient.?
On what has impressed him of Grambling?s team
?They are all athletes. Athletes. All over, athletes. They run, they throw, they catch, they hustle, they hit you. They are very explosive. They score at any time and they make big plays and they are a well coached program. They are a solid bunch of dang football players. They play with a lot of emotion and they play with a lot of confidence. I don?t know how they will play coming off of last weeks loss coming into the game, but they are some good looking guys that can really run. The quarterback, well they have a couple of quarterbacks, but the Raines kid threw the ball 65 yards in the air like it wasn?t anything. They are going to throw a lot of deep balls.
On playing against a nationally known team like Grambling
?It?s a big opportunity for us. We got everything to win, everything in the game. If we go over there and knock them off it would be a major upset. They may not know. They may not respect us. They might look at our record and overlook us. But I know one thing, you better get ready to buckle it up, we are going to come out there and fight you.?
On coaching against a former Superbowl MVP in Grambling State?s head coach
?Hopefully he doesn?t play. His kids are going to be doing the playing. He has his kids playing very well, so obviously he is a good coach too. They are sound defensively, they are sound offensively. When you watch them on the film, they don?t make a lot of mistakes so that all indicates one thing, he is a dang fine football coach. We will find out all about him at 11 on Saturday morning.?
On whether playing Grambling will be a yearly thing
?No, it?s a one-year deal unfortunately. We would have loved to have gone and played them each year. We would love to get Southern on there too and get in some type of rotation with them also, but it has been very difficult to work out where either one of them will play us.?
Quoting Nicholls State head football coach Daryl Daye
November 6, 2001
Weekly Press Conference
On facing another tough nationally ranked team in Grambling State?
?Its just another day at work for the Colonels. They are all top-ranked teams that we have faced lately. Looking at it though, Sam Houston was ranked 17th, and of course Northwestern I think was ranked in the top 25 at the time, they weren?t as high as they are now at 13th, they may be even better than that, and Stephen F. was 22nd. We had a chance to beat both of those teams, so maybe the higher ranked they are the better we will play. It?s a tremendous challenge. They are very athletic to say the least this football team. They are very, very explosive on both sides of the ball. You know though, they put their britches on one leg at a time just like we do. We will go out there and find out what they are all about.?
About the atmosphere for the upcoming game with a nationally ranked team and a televised game.
?It should be exciting, an early morning, but I think everyone will wake up for it really fast. We are expecting a big crowd. I think it?s going to be a nice turnout. I hope the weather is good. I?ve had several comments from the coaches throughout the league that have come here this year to say how much better the atmosphere is here in Guidry Stadium. We?ve got the new tunnel, and clocks, and new scoreboard, and smoke, and maybe if we get a little fire somewhere we will be all right. I?m expecting a very electric atmosphere and a good time for all.?
On the exposure for the program with a televised game and a nationally ranked opponent.
?I think it will be great because we will get a chance for people to see Guidry Stadium and what it looks like now and all of the improvements to it. Its something we can use in recruiting. We get to play on TV and that goes a long way for the young kids out there that are looking at us with the potential to come. It gives us a chance to showcase our program. I?m not worried. I know our kids will go out there and play hard. I am expecting a good football game, so the more exposure you get like that is all positive.?
On the injuries effecting the team.
?It?s a long list. Where do you want to start? Todd Rivera has a chance to come back. That is probably the key. Colt Colletti and Todd Rivera have a chance to be back and be playing. So other than the seven others that we?re missing those are key guys. I think we went into the game over there (at Stephen F. Austin) with nine of our starters on both sides, I think it was five on defense and four on offense, something like that. A lot of our young freshman got to step up and play that haven?t gotten to play in those roles, and to their credit they played very well and had a chance to win, they should have won the ball game.?
On Torrian Thomas returning last weekend after a dislocated elbow suffered against Troy State
?He had a nice game. It was still hurting him a lot, but he did a nice job and made some key plays. Lester Magee has also really come on in the last four or five games and become a very productive player. After the game, the Stephen F. coaches came across the field acknowledging that to him and I saw them over there complimenting him. He?s an excellent football player that should get some recognition and with Todd (Rivera) coming back we are finally getting back close to full strength or what we were, although I guess we never have been (at full strength)?
More on Torrian Thomas
?He is an excellent player. He is an excellent athlete. He has got speed to run people down. He can slip through there and make big plays. He is another guy in the huddle that has some veteran play to him. Our kids were kind of looking at each other in the huddle wondering who they had to look at. You have a young David Willis back there, (Gareth) DiBetta back there. You look at our huddle and there are four, five, six freshman in there at one time on the field and to getting production out of them, that encourages you as a coach. You look at Sam Houston and you look at Northwestern State and they have 20 plus seniors. Then you look at Stephen F. with 18 or 19 seniors and another 18 or 19 juniors and then you look at us with only eight seniors, you kind of say ?Its coming.? But it?s hard to be patient.?
On what has impressed him of Grambling?s team
?They are all athletes. Athletes. All over, athletes. They run, they throw, they catch, they hustle, they hit you. They are very explosive. They score at any time and they make big plays and they are a well coached program. They are a solid bunch of dang football players. They play with a lot of emotion and they play with a lot of confidence. I don?t know how they will play coming off of last weeks loss coming into the game, but they are some good looking guys that can really run. The quarterback, well they have a couple of quarterbacks, but the Raines kid threw the ball 65 yards in the air like it wasn?t anything. They are going to throw a lot of deep balls.
On playing against a nationally known team like Grambling
?It?s a big opportunity for us. We got everything to win, everything in the game. If we go over there and knock them off it would be a major upset. They may not know. They may not respect us. They might look at our record and overlook us. But I know one thing, you better get ready to buckle it up, we are going to come out there and fight you.?
On coaching against a former Superbowl MVP in Grambling State?s head coach
?Hopefully he doesn?t play. His kids are going to be doing the playing. He has his kids playing very well, so obviously he is a good coach too. They are sound defensively, they are sound offensively. When you watch them on the film, they don?t make a lot of mistakes so that all indicates one thing, he is a dang fine football coach. We will find out all about him at 11 on Saturday morning.?
On whether playing Grambling will be a yearly thing
?No, it?s a one-year deal unfortunately. We would have loved to have gone and played them each year. We would love to get Southern on there too and get in some type of rotation with them also, but it has been very difficult to work out where either one of them will play us.?
