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WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 8, 2016

Mike Leach

Washington State - 42, Stanford - 16

Q. Defensively, what were you able to do to control the line against them?
COACH LEACH: Defensively? You know, first thing we played, the simple answer is we had good pad level and we played hard all day. And that's the biggest thing with Stanford with them overloading and overlapping with a back the quality of McCaffrey, everybody's got to be precise.

I'm sure we weren't perfect, but we were precise a lot. So I felt like we played really hard on the D-line. I don't know if I can think of a position that we played harder on this game than the D-line. Because they were disruptive all day and were going to give us a run in the pass ball.

Q. Your thoughts on the defense getting those initial three-and-outs and allowing the offense to sort of find its rhythm?
COACH LEACH: I thought that was huge. I thought it was really big. Stanford's such a strong, physical team and they can make things happen very quickly just because they move you around.

As we got in sync on offense, I thought we were better up front offensively. I thought we did a pretty good job keeping them off balance. Once they're -- they're smart, clever guys, but once they're off balance, we had to continue to keep them off balance because they sorted out a little quicker than some.

Q. It seemed like the team showed some mental toughness in terms of scoring after those false starts, scoring after the (indiscernible scoring on the offensive line after doing some shuffling. Is that what you saw from this crew?
COACH LEACH: Well, we did have some timely scores, and that's good. There are times when you get somebody in a tough situation, capitalizing on that is important, and I did think we did a good job of that offensively early in the games on defense to keep that thing to a draw until we got in sync. And then, well, second half I thought the most important series of the game -- I have a cough -- the important series of the game for us was that opening drive offensively in the third quarter and then the opening defensive series.

Q. (Indiscernible) false starts at all?
COACH LEACH: I don't think so. I don't think so. It's not the loudest stadium. I do think they have the loudest PA system here, which I think's interesting because last year when we played they had a series of complaints about our PA system. Theirs is definitely louder than ours. Maybe we'll talk to their PA guy and get ours even louder. But it was loud and it sounded good.

I thought they played good music too. I mean, some of the music I could do without, but I thought Stanford has great taste in music. Who had have thunk it?

Q. That first drive of the third quarter, River had some really good catches. He hasn't really had a game like this before. What's getting him there right now?
COACH LEACH: His head's clear. He just focuses on his job, not a lot of extra stuff. He's a guy that can play really well when he just focuses on his job and not a bunch of extras, not this, not that, because sometimes he's real quick to think of a bunch of what ifs, and if he allows those to cloud in there, all of a sudden it slows everything out.

Q. How did (indiscernible) play this game?
COACH LEACH: I thought for the most part, I thought it was really good. I thought it was really good -- well, obviously the first interception was bad, but he got hit. He's picking himself up off the ground, so I don't know what else he could do on that. He floated that ball on 3rd and 20, which we could have drained that. I mean, if we hit that guy, we convert that thing. So then they pick that.

I didn't like those two plays. I thought he did a really good job holding the offense and everybody together as we got the same from Marks down the field. And controlled the first half. Thought he did a good job finishing the game using the clock and just running the unit. Keeping track of him, you know.

Q. Last year you guys had (indiscernible) is there something about a program learning how to beat up a team and put it away early?
COACH LEACH: Well, against these guys that's easier said than done, but you try to do the best you can. But I think the focus when you're down, everybody kind of focuses in a little when they're down. But having the discipline to focus when you're up, I think we gave away the last two games with regard to that.

Q. (Indiscernible) the first couple games of the year?
COACH LEACH: I do, yeah, Yep.

Q. Not that there's any tape or anything on it, but any (Indiscernible) when he came in?
COACH LEACH: I thought he played well. I thought he played really well. Yeah, I thought he played really well.

Q. How were you guys able to get things on track after the way you played the last couple of weeks?
COACH LEACH: How hard was it?

Q. How have you done it?
COACH LEACH: Just hard work and everybody working hard and pulling together. Everybody working hard and pulling together. Also, I think there's a point where everybody's got to be brutally honest with each other, coaches and players, what everybody's doing. Because coaches and players as well, I don't think we were as focused as we could have been. I don't think we coached details as well as coaches as we could have. I don't think we absorbed details as well as players as we could have. Just focusing.

The quick answer is everybody focused on doing their job. Just do your job, and do it over and over. This is just practice. Hell with that. We don't care if it's just practice. You do it now. Then if we don't do a good job doing our job, then coaches step in.

But now we're to the point where players are stepping in, so it elevates the whole thing because everybody's committed not just to doing their job, but everybody doing their job together, and I think that's been helpful, and we certainly have to keep track of that next week as we play UCLA.

Q. How valuable is it to have those three backs putting down (indiscernible) early for your offense?
COACH LEACH: I think it was important. I think it was definitely important. It kept them honest. That's something historically we haven't been able to do against a front like this or a team, is keep them honest. And they try to get you one dimensional. You know, but, you know, we tried to get a little out of people touching the ball because that's part of what's important to us.

Q. Between the backs and the defensive line play that you were talking about earlier, do you feel this is kind of evolving into one of your schemes here at Washington State?
COACH LEACH: I don't view balance as number of runs. I view balance as contributions by all the skill positions. So to achieve balance is to make sure all of the skilled positions are contributing to the offensive effort, whether it's through the air or on the ground. I'd have to add it up. I need to add it up.

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