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WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 27, 2018

Mike Leach

Stanford, California

Washington State - 41, Stanford - 38

HEAD COACH MIKE LEACH: We had them right where we wanted them the whole game. But go ahead.

Q. Not a big surprise they threw the ball so often against a team of your calibre --
HEAD COACH MIKE LEACH: Yeah, I agree with that. I thought so, too. I thought the first half, I thought we were disjointed on all sides of the ball. Part of it's them. I think they have been coaching. They have deserve some credit.

I thought they came out really fresh. You know, they have been off a lot for the last week and a half, and so you know, I think that's helpful. Well, I mean, heck, I've had the benefit of that myself before.

And then so but they were fresh and they beat us to the punch I thought a bunch of times. Those guys are gigantic and not only will they catch it, but they will drag you. I mean, they are an impressive unit.

Then, you know, got a couple good running backs. But I was proud of our guys for sicking in it. I think everybody for the Cougs would like to have the first half over because we think we're better than what we did the first half.

The second half, then it kind of became, you know, a little like doing surgery with chain saws out there for both sides I think. Then, you know, you've just got to stick in it. You never know what's going to happen in a football game. Especially tough, physical guys like them.

We felt like we could execute well, and you know, our guys sideline-wise, we do a good job of sticking together and playing together. So I thought that was really strong for us.

Q. How important was the third quarter today, you hadn't been so good in the third quarter this season --
HEAD COACH MIKE LEACH: Yeah, we really didn't have much choice this third quarter.

Yeah, I don't know, we've got to get better at the third quarter I think. Turns out we've got to get better in the first half between now and next week.

Q. Do you think Minshew's performance will qualify him for being a candidate for Heisman?
HEAD COACH MIKE LEACH: It should. I mean, when you consider -- it kind of depends what they give the award for, and they seem very confused right now.

Q. Yeah. We think so, too.
HEAD COACH MIKE LEACH: Well, what it used to be was who has got the biggest impact on their specific team. So I mean, I would love to hear the guy that, you know, outshines Gardner with regard to that, okay.

And then the other thing is, sadly, is they started doing this, they didn't change the date of when they give that thing out. And so then they try to speculate who is going to be the MVP of the National Championship team, and in doing that, then it's all over the map. I don't know.

You know, that thing is convoluted. And I hope he wins it because awards are team awards. Our entire team, players, everybody, would be extremely -- are extremely proud of any distinctions our guys are able to get, but we all view them as something that the team accomplishes, and we expect them to view it that way.

Q. If that's the definition of the award, having the biggest impact on a team than any guy out there, can you describe why?
HEAD COACH MIKE LEACH: Well, because he got here in May. He got here in May. So did not have a great deal of time to put this thing together and then we've got an extremely young receiving core, which I think he's done a really good job elevating, and of course they have done a good job elevating themselves.

We have some new faces on the offensive line, and one thing that I think is hard for you guys to see, perhaps, is the way he elevates them because he's a get-your-hands-dirty kind of guy, but for the fact he's a quarterback and built like he is; doesn't play O-Line, so he has to play quarterback.

But you know, he identifies with those guys and just the energy that he elevates them with, because he's truly one of the guys that I thought he did a great job integrating himself with our team and then I think he's done a really good job as far as sorting out our plays and our package quickly.

You know, I mean, if somebody has been asked to do much more than that, you know, give it to him, but I don't know who it is. Of course, I don't follow, football, really. I follow the teams we play.

Q. You cautioned people back in August that maybe this team was better than a lot of people thought. What made you confident back them and what did you say to them?
HEAD COACH MIKE LEACH: The quick, simple answer is, I always think that. You know, I mentioned this before. On Sunday, I'm not sure we can beat Pullman Junior High. On Thursday, I think we can beat an All-Star Team and the Eagles and the Patriots, you know. So I mean, this is not a business for rational people. And that's not why anybody comes to the game, to see what's supposed to happen; they want to be surprised.

And so, you know, and I think it's an opportunity for players to elevate and do something no one thought they could do and maybe they didn't know they could do themselves. But that starts with, you know, expectations and generating it with the whole group.

Q. Do you think that you've done for the Pac 12 what Chip Kelly had done at Oregon, where he ran everything so quickly, and didn't give the defenses time to get set? You have an offense that just basically passes on every play with a quarterback that's extremely accurate. Somebody always gets open and he hits them for five, ten, 15, 20 yards every time. Do you think your approach, which is kind of unique to the Pac 12, going to change the Pac 12 the way Kelly did?
HEAD COACH MIKE LEACH: I don't know. The thing is, I've had it spread out for a long time since Iowa Wesleyan in college to be perfectly honest. You know, and Chip spreads it out to create space for the run game. We spread it out to create space for both, but pass game -- he does both, too, but run first; pass, and then both of us are trying to create space.

I thought about this one day when I was walking to work. You know, everybody -- what are you trying to accomplish on offense; what are you trying to accomplish on defense and then there's long, long elaborate answers depending on the nature of the team.

On offense, you're trying to create space. On defense, you're trying to restrict space. And then there's a lot of schemes and ideas to do that.

Now, as far as influencing Pac 12, anything like that, I don't know. I mean, and then you know, I know they sped it up and then Mike Bellotti had that offense cooking, too, and then Chip elevated, you know, some more.

I'm not entirely sure where Mike left off when Chip got there for sure. When we got to obviously Washington State, they won one game the year before, so we tried to shoot anything -- we'd do anything on offense. I mean, I don't know that you could call what we did offense early on. But we had to get some pieces in play.

Q. Blake stepping in -- two weeks before fall camp, being able to handle a situation like that?
HEAD COACH MIKE LEACH: I thought it was outstanding. I'm really proud of him. I thought that was outstanding. I mean, what a moment for him. You know, he needs to get used to doing that on a regular basis.

Q. Is there anything you saw from January through July or August that laid the foundation for this? Anything out of the public eye visible to you? Is it leadership?
HEAD COACH MIKE LEACH: I don't know. I don't understand the question totally. I mean, that's -- we beat them the last two times before, too.

Q. I mean for your whole season, not just this game. The leadership, chemistry, development.
HEAD COACH MIKE LEACH: I thought in the off-season, you know, we went through a lot of adversity obviously with Tyler's passing, which everybody misses him. I think that was tough on everybody.

But you know, the best way to, you know, honor and glory five one of your friends or relatives or something like that is to reach your full potential, and then -- but I think, you know, I think the biggest thing is, we really had a good off-season, a great off-season. I thought Tyson's done an outstanding job. I think, also, that -- and we've asked ourselves that same question that you're asking.

You know, I'm not sure that part of it didn't have to do with the fact we had so many open jobs, and so many people competing for their jobs. I mean, you had to fight to get reps because a certain number of people aren't here any more and then yet you had to fight to get reps.

I think, you know, the competition -- and we tried to elevate it through the off-season, too, the competition and stuff like that. And also, our guys were about that age where, okay, it's my turn to distinguish myself; yeah, except for now, we're not so sure about you. This other guy, we like him, too, you know. Then I think the level of competition was really good, and then I think Gardner's energy escalated that.

Then the other thing is, I think Coach Claeys does an outstanding job, and Coach Brock as far as holding our team together. You know, there's none of these sides of the ball type of divisions and those things I hate. It's just pathetic. I think -- and I think that there isn't any in that division, and I think that's kind of elevated everybody. It's very supportive all for one environment.

Again, I think again, the competition, perhaps one of the most -- maybe the most coachable team I've ever had.

Q. Do you mean the receiving core is pretty well rounded?
HEAD COACH MIKE LEACH: I thought it was a good play. I don't know. Dez was really hot for a while. James; Martin had a big play in the end zone. I thought a lot of them played good. That's the thing, we want to have distribution, and you don't ever get it perfectly, but by position we want to have distribution.

Well, you got our top -- so you got our -- according to this thing, which I have no idea if this is accurate, but our top receiver in catches was Z. Second was running back. Third was X. Fourth was Y. So that covers four of the five right there, and I would like to think the fifth one is eight -- I don't know if it turned out that way -- you have better stuff than me, which is often the case.

Q. The past couple weeks around the country, the Pac 12 didn't have a playoff contender. But 7-1 heading into November, do you feel like you're that team?
HEAD COACH MIKE LEACH: All I'm worried about is playing the best we can against Cal. We've got -- if we win one game a week often enough -- you know, that's all we can control. That's all we can worry about.

Then because if we worry about other stuff, then it's just clutter. I mean, everybody thought we were going to get our head kicked in nearly every game, so that didn't do us any benefit to pay any attention to that, so it doesn't do us any benefit to pay attention to the other.

You know, it's like John Wooden said, and I can't remember the exact quote, but basically: Don't let criticism or praise affect you negatively. And so we have to just focus on stuff like that.

And then I think that -- well, we need to have a bigger playoff format. I think most people think that. I think if you were to vote on it, there would be a lot more playoff teams. I would vote for 64. But I do think there with probably be 16. You know, and of course, how could you possibly do it -- like everybody else.

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