Sept. 18, 2007

ON HOW THIS SEASON WILL BE DIFFERENT THAN LAST SEASON:
"What I say isn't going to make any difference. It's going to be what we prove on the field. This is a different team, a different season and we are playing different people. Our attitude and leadership is different and in my opinion our level of talent is better."

"Now we are young, there is no question about that, but I think we are better. But that is all talk. You have to prove it on the field."

ON IF THE TEAM TOOK A STEP BACK IN THE HAWAII GAME:
"I thought we made progress in the Utah State game and there were positives in our play against Wisconsin, even though we did not get the win. I do think we stepped back and the thing that upset me about that game so much was that we did some stupid things."

"In a game like that against a team like that, you can't do that. We are a college football team and you have to do things right."

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE UPCOMING GAME AGAINST UTAH
"To me every game you have to win. Obviously this is an important game because it is the first conference game and because of who Utah is and what their history has been in this conference. In order to make noise in this conference and be competitive in this conference you have to beat Utah. For all of those reasons, this is a very big game for us."

ON IF THIS IS A MUST WIN GAME:
"Each game it the season is critical and important. I hate to ever look at a game and say the whole season depends on that game. I have seen a lot of different situations over my years in coaching when people thought a certain game was a pivotal game and it turns out in the end that it wasn't."

"It is pivotal to me because it is the next team we play and it is the University of Utah and we have to reverse the streak of wins that Utah has had over UNLV. That is a huge thing from a pride stand point. Our team can do something that no UNLV team has done since 1979. That is a big thing."