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ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 14, 2015

Todd Graham

Tempe, Arizona

COACH GRAHAM: Both end zones were incredible. The new end zone seating since being the end zone is something really, really special, so that was something that was the highlight of the evening, and something that's pretty cool. That's something that stuck out. Obviously that's going to really make this place a very difficult place to play.

Q. Just wanted to get your thoughts. Did you think Saturday's game was another maybe a wake-up call to the team that you can never understatement an opponent regardless of conference?
COACH GRAHAM: Not really. We've pretty much moved on to the next week. It goes down in the column as a win, and no one will ever talk about it after this week. Obviously a very difficult, like I said before, very difficult scheme to play. Going back and looking at the film, it was just we missed some opportunities. We had a penalty on the fumbled punt. I tell you, that was one of the positives too. I always point out when things don't go well, but to point out when things that really go well was Matt Haack's punting was absolutely -- he's a weapon when he punts the ball that high.

I think they fumbled two of them, but that was a big one. It was just missed opportunities. We scored here and there quick. It would have been different.

But bottom line is that all over the country those things happen, and you want to persevere and come out on top and make you a better football team for that. So that's just one you check off the list and you go to the next one. We don't have to have wake-up calls every week. We don't have to have any of that stuff. It's going to work and the other team --

I don't think our guys were taking them lightly. We had good, solid practices. We came off playing a really difficult road game. Things are never easy. I think obviously there are some things we've got to work on and get better at, but we did improve a lot. I thought we improved dramatically in special teams, and our return games were pretty explosive with a lot of different returners. I thought we punted the ball incredibly.

Obviously Zane is kicking the ball off; that is a major factor when we get into conference play to have the ball kicked off like that. Just thought we made lots of strides there and getting better. We struggled with some assignments against the triple option and the team that runs it pretty good.

So we basically, like when I got done we gave up a little over like 330 yards of total offense, and we gave up 345 or 375 against Navy. The difference was we scored. So that type of offense, anybody that really knows football is dramatically different. It's 3rd and 8, and it's a completely different game than what we play.

As a matter of fact, I've got a major opinion on that that I think when we talk about safety of our players, they should make it illegal to cut within the line of scrimmage. We talked about taking care of kids and you've got guys taking on some things and somebody's cutting their knees. That's just -- that shouldn't -- I mean, really. If you want to get into safety, and I know there is a big focus on that, that's something that they should make illegal. Obviously we've got a lot of people hurt because of that.

So that scheme was very difficult. You know what? Hey, our guys showed great heart and determination to finish and win. So that's about it. Our guys had a great practice today. We're moving on, and that's for you guys to fill out paper and talk about all that crap that don't matter. But you go win.

Are we playing our best football? No, we're not. We've got to get better. There are some things that we can do. We've got to get faster with our tempo. But we have a solid group of guys that I still -- there is not any wavering on our part on what we're doing. Don't apologize for anything. We'll look and play every game and then evaluate at the end of the season. So it's a win.

I'll tell you this, could have been a lot worse. A lot worse is losing. So it was a positive to face adversity like that and a win is good. You guys know that. I hate those games because it's just a very difficult deal. Like playing A&M was really a positive because of the atmosphere and all that. Now you go in and you're playing a totally different thing. It's kind of hard to swing back and forth.

So we probably didn't do as good of a job as a staff preparing them and we had less time to do it. But I feel good about it because of the way our guys responded and overcame a lot of adversity and won a football game.

But lots of positives. Punting game, Matt Haack, special teams. I don't know. We ran the inside zone really well. Hopefully we can get guys healed up and back on the field. That is the biggest negative coming out of the game I'll tell you. I'm not worried about anything else. I'm not worried what their mindset is or anything, but I'm worried about guys getting healthy because we have a lot of people that are not.

Q. Speaking of that, can you update us on Kalen Ballage? He was out of practice and also Armand Perry?
COACH GRAHAM: I don't know exactly where we're at. As far as I'll know more today. I'll be able to tell you a little bit more tomorrow about where each person is. Lot of ankles, lot of rolled up ankles and stuff like that because of the -- not really the cut blocking, but the post chop-blocking. There was a lot of that in that game. It got called once, but there was quite a bit of that in there.

Kalen was at practice today and feeling better. Obviously I don't know anything more than that. We're hoping to get him back sooner than later, and we'll have a little more idea of where we are with all the other guys specifically tomorrow.

We didn't really practice. We practiced, but we weren't in pads today, so we're trying to give them an extra day to heal up a little bit.

Q. Can you talk about the spark you got from Tim White and Kody Kohl with their plays in the fourth quarter?
COACH GRAHAM: Yeah, I'll tell you one thing, our quarterback, oh, he made some incredible throws and that's one thing that's really encouraging about it. Then Tim obviously is a guy that's a dynamic player. Thought he did great things. I think he's going to do some great things in the return game. So he was very dynamic for us.

We need him -- that's the biggest thing too. We need some explosive plays, and that's something that's been slow going that we should be able to generate with getting guys in open spaces. It's hard to go 13 plays and execute and score all the time. So that's something we've got to look at.

The other side of it that's been tough for us is trying to keep everybody healthy. We've had two new tackles the first game, then we have a new tackle the second game. Then we have another guy hurt. So we've got to keep guys healthy so we can practice and improve and get better. But Kody Kohl did a great job. I think he's probably playing a little bit too many snaps. He was pretty gassed. But, man, he's doing a great job. And I told you that at the beginning of the year I thought he was in position to really have a solid year.

That was one of the best throws and one of the best catches on the second to last touchdown I believe it was. So both those guys did a great job.

Q. You guys were excellent last year at ball security. It's been kind of an issue the first two games. Any particular reason why?
COACH GRAHAM: I don't know. I know one thing, I'm not happy about it. You're exactly right. That's a good observation because we've put the ball in jeopardy more in two games than maybe we did the entire season last year, not just the time we've turned it over. We've fumbled the ball five times in the first game and lost it twice. Just putting the ball to the ground and we had -- it's 21-7 with two minutes and something left in the half. We've got the football.

We just made a first down. You go down and make it 28-7, now it's a regular deal. Turn it over on your own end, that is the second week in a row that we've done that. So we've got to take care of the football and not put the ball in jeopardy. We're bobbling punts. We bobbled two punts that could have been catastrophic for us.

So it's something we start practice with every single day, and it's the most important thing. Some of the things that we've done that's helped us win football games is probably the most important stat has been that we've been one of the top three or four in the country in turnover ratio over a three-year period and that is critical. That's getting takeaways and that's taking care of the football.

We've had a great tradition here of, especially the fumbles, especially getting hit and fumbling the football. I think our running backs too have been one of the best in taking care of the football. But we had a fumble at running back in week one, and we had the fumble the other night so it's something we've got to emphasize and continue to emphasize.

Nothing is more important than ball security and taking care of the football. So that's something that we start practice with every day, and we end practice with it every day, and something we've got to improve upon. Because those are the things that when we come in and sit down and talk, the first thing I talk to the offensive staff about is two things, tempo. We're not going fast. We need to be going fast. We got to get our tempo going. And, two, is ball security. Obviously, the issues that I felt like we've done some good things.

I think we've established the inside zone a little bit better the other night. I thought that was good, but the ball security is a major issue. Then we need to hit some explosives. Yards after catch, hitting guys on the run, and they were kind of bailing off the other night, just take the short pass and stuff like that.

So some of that stuff are things that -- obviously, we wanted to really work on running the football, and I think we made some good strides there and got better. But those are the things I talked about, tempo, ball security, and explosives. That's what we need to work on. It's too hard to drive the field all the time. You have to get some cheap ones in and manufacture some of those.

Q. Following up on that with regard to the tempo issue, how much of that is not getting into first down kind of rhythm? And are you guys settling in still with your personnel especially given some of the injuries or the unavailability of players who kind of play multiple types of roles?
COACH GRAHAM: Yeah, I'll tell you what's been very disruptive for us, obviously, we lose Kalen the day before the first game, now we've got Gump has an issue. You start having some -- those are guys that are key players in what we're trying to accomplish.

And Nick Kelly didn't practice last week all week. Evan didn't practice all week last week, and you've got to practice. So one of the things that's kind of been a disruptive for us is just nagging injuries, not things that are season-ending, but just nagging injuries. So we've got to get healthy so we can practice and get better there.

So the tempo, what I'm talking about tempo it's just us understanding that we want to go fast. Obviously the first first down is the key. But when you see those big chunk gains and you get a big gain, we should be going warp speed, and that's something we've got to -- we're working very hard on that this week.

Q. The fact that you're facing another triple-option team this week and the fact that you just faced one last week, I'm not saying an advantage but maybe a little preparation that it was?
COACH GRAHAM: We did a really poor job. It was very simple and you can see at halftime we came out and got some things corrected. We were just basically running up the field and doing a little freelancing and you can't do that, especially against a triple-option team. The dive is the first thing you've got to stop and all of that.

This is a different triple-option team. It's not an under center; it's not a Navy flex-bone deal. This is a gun, triple-option-type attack. The quarterback and running backs are faster, so it is a challenge.

Yeah, it's got to help. We've gotten quite a few reps at the option, but I don't know how much it helps you going into the season. That's one of the things I don't like because there are so many things you have to specifically do. But that's the way it is. You have to play somebody. But they're very explosive. They gave us fits last year. They're a very well-coached football team, very capable, big play capabilities.

But we've got to be assignment oriented and take care of your responsibility, and that's a big part of it for us.

Q. This has nothing to do with this week, but do you ever think we'll see a defensive player win the Heisman Trophy?
COACH GRAHAM: Do I think? No, I don't. It's so difficult. It would have been a lot easier 25, 30 years ago because back when I was growing up people valued defense. Not that they devalue it now, but it doesn't sell tickets. Doesn't make people get excited. But everybody that, if you want a championship, you're going to have to have it. So I think it's really hard.

Maybe if a guy was a two-way guy, maybe he could have a chance to win a Heisman. The Heisman is always going to be the one scoring points and putting numbers up on the board. That's what I think. Do I think that's right? No. I'd love to see them reward the best defensive football player in the country. There's been years where that's been close to happening, but I think it's pretty difficult to happen.

Even at that, one of the things that, if you look back over and read the clippings of different places I've been, I was very careful early on as a head coach to label myself as a defensive minded coach. When I was at Tulsa and stuff I was like an offensive guru because I called the plays there and some and did that, because it's tough to get a job. People want to hire the guys that are scoring all the points.

So I think that's kind of part of the game, and that's okay. That's part of the game. It's okay. I mean, there are some pretty exciting dynamic -- this is entertainment. It's part of our culture. So those guys making dynamic plays are the ones going to win that award. So it's really, I think it's really difficult for just straight, one-way defensive guy to win it, but not that it can't be done.

Q. You mentioned last week you wanted to get D.J. more involved and it seemed you were able to do that. Can you talk about his role and what he was able to do?
COACH GRAHAM: Yeah, I think he had close to 20 touches, something like that, which is about right. You could tell, we put him in the backfield some, and he really took what usually is Kalen's role, Ballage, and he did a nice job. He still, knock a little rust off on the inside zone tracks and stuff like that.

But D.J.'s a consummate competitor. We've got to get him -- he's the guy. We've got to get him the ball in space, and I think it will be one of the things that will really help us offensively is when we do get Kalen back, it will help us tremendously because I think that that dual backfield allows us to do a lot of the things with D.J. we want to do that can create plays in space where he can score.

When I think of the things that I want to do with D.J. is I try not to think too much about that Conference Championship Game in 2013, but like the first half the bubble passes and he's taken the bubble pass and taken it to the house, that's the kind of things he can do for us. Tim White can do those things for us. Devin Lucien can, but we made so many mistakes with our new receivers in routes, depth of routes and the first week we're running into each other. And that's been a little bit chaotic, trying to get all that cleared up because we didn't do a lot of that in practice.

So I think the key for us with D.J. is getting him the ball and trying to get him the ball in space as well. But he's a guy you need to hand it to, give it to him on a speed sweep. But he can run the ball inside as good as anybody. He's really tough and physical. He's got great ball security. But obviously I'd like to see him catch some hot passes, some screens, some bubbles and let him get out there and get running.

That is one of the things that we need to get going is just more opportunities getting the ball, catching the ball quick and letting our guys run with it. So that's something we're trying to work on.

Q. How big is Friday's game being that it's the final tune-up before conference?
COACH GRAHAM: Every game's a big game. Our focus is to get better every day, every rep. You see the sign over there on the wall. We're trying to be 1-0. We hadn't said anything about being 2-1, just 1-0. That's what we're trying to do. Obviously this game is important to us to gain momentum going into conference play. It starts off in a big way. Our big thing is hopefully getting guys healthy so we can practice a little bit the next two days and then coming out and playing to our potential.

We've done some good things to this point, but we haven't played to our potential. We need to get things hitting on all strides instead of playing good here and good there. But we've had a lot of positive things and positive signs. But this game's important just like any other game, but it's very, very important that we have momentum going into the conference play next week.

Q. Where do you think Mike's confidence level is at right now? Two tough games to start off the season. Where do you think he's at confidence-wise?
COACH GRAHAM: Mike?

Q. Bercovici?
COACH GRAHAM: I think his confidence is very good. I'll tell you this: That ain't the problem. We've got a real quarterback. The quarterback is really good. I mean, can really locate the ball, really make good decisions. Obviously he's very coachable. He's like having a coach on the field. I've been very impressed with where he's at.

Being a quarterback is like anything when you're in a leadership role. I like that he doesn't get too high, he doesn't get too low, but I like his intensity. He's got some passion. He's a passionate guy. I kind of watch how he does it, things that he does. He's not a guy that's easily wavered. He's waited his turn. He's busted his tail. He's got a lot invested here. He's just not going to be -- I think he's solid. He's solid. And he's kind of our rudder. He's a guy that's pretty steady. He's a guy that the players listen to. He's probably the most vocal leader we've had since we've been here that will actually get after somebody and say, hey, you need to get going.

So I think his confidence level is fine. I mean, like I say, this game, what we're doing is all about winning. The level of time that these guys put into this stuff, obviously we wanted to go out and score 70 points and win 70-0, well that didn't happen. Well, we faced great adversity and we came out on top and won.

Mike's confidence is great. I think the key for us is we've had some misfortune a little bit as far as people getting sick and some injuries and stuff like that. We've got to get that behind us and get some consistency in what we're doing, and I think that will help us a great deal.

This week is big. We need to go out and play our best football game because this is where it's building up to. After this week, it starts counting and it counts big time.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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