Quotes about the La Tech game

About playing back-to-back road games vs. La Tech and UNLV, JJ said:
"It kind of gives you an opportunity to come together as a group, which really does matter late in the year. Just gotta stay focused and make sure everybody understands why we're going up there: We're going to play a football game." (HSB)

"I think it's a great opportunity for us. There will be a bunch of things we'll have to go through during the year. Knowing everybody better works in our favor." (HA)

HA Note: “An academic counselor will accompany the team, setting up study sessions each day.”

About how it is more difficult to conduct practices on the road, JJ said:
"We won't have our scout players.” (HA)

"Because you don't have the two scout teams on the road, you may only have an hour of practice because you have to break up the teams. It's more like a pro practice. It's a little bit hard. But you get a better look because the starters are running the scout team. (Starting slotbacks) Davone (Bess) and Ryan (Grice-Mullins) will be running the routes instead of scout receivers. The defense will get better looks." (HA)

Note: Only 64 of the 115 players on the roster made the trip.


Looking forward to serving as scout QB, Colt said:
"That's always fun. The road trips always are a good time." (HA)


About how he expects between 40 and 50 “NFL people” to attend their practices in Houston, most focusing on Colt, JJ said that should not distract the team:
"That's the reason my practices are open, [crowds] are the norm around here. We've had HBO, ESPN, everybody at our practice. Marvin Hagler, Rudy, they've been at practice. If you had closed practices all of the time and then (the scouts) attended on the road, it could be a distraction. It won't be a distraction to this team. They deal with it everyday." (HA)

About how he encourages his players to speak to reporters, JJ said:
"I want them to be accountable. I believe that helps a person." (HA)


About how JJ told him to speak candidly when asked about his past problems with UH that led to his scholarship being taken away, Keenan Jones said:
"It makes you a lot more responsible. He's helping you express yourself verbally." (HA)


About how JJ’s policy of having them talk to the media makes them grow up and prepares them for the NFL, Colt said:
"Coach Jones treats us like we're adults, like we're an NFL team, in a sense. That's where he came from. That's what he's used to. That's how he treats us. There are pros and cons from every way. From this standpoint, (Jones' policy) makes us grow up and understand the business side of football. He's helping to prepare us for the next level." (HA)

About how their long road trip will be fun…if they win both games, Colt said:
"I think it has the possibility of being fun. You never can predict the elements, when there's going to be a bus delay, a flight delay. That stuff's tough, and if that stuff does happen we gotta be able to overcome it. But we gotta spend that many days on the road with each other, at hotels and hanging out. I would assume it would definitely help team chemistry. I think it'll be a fun trip, but we really need to make sure we win the games so that it is a fun trip." (HSB)

About how this long road trip will help team bond, Colt said:
"We're going to bond even more than in training camp because we're traveling, and we're all one unit when we travel. Instead of the team being 100-plus guys (as it was in training camp), it's only 60-something guys. You have to assume there will be a lot of bonding and chemistry built on this trip." (HA)

About their 11-day road trip, Hercules Satele said:
"It's like part two of training camp. For two weeks, it's going to be nobody but us. It's going to make us come together." (HA)

About playing in Ruston, JJ said:
"It's (usually) humid and hot. The crowd gets into it if you give 'em a reason to. So hopefully we'll play well right out of the box and neutralize that part of it. But they got a lot of good athletes and they'll make plays and it's gonna be a battle." (HSB)

Note: The weather report calls for mostly cloudy skies with a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms and a high in the upper 80s.

About how he had to sit out of practice yesterday due to an infection for an ingrown hair in a cut on his right leg, John Estes said:
"I didn't take care of it the way I should've. I drained it after the game and cleaned it out and I'm taking antibiotics." (HSB)

"I didn't take care of it like I should have. It got infected, and then (Tuesday) they cut it open and drained it. It kind of spread. It's sore and tight." (HA)

About his pulled left hamstring that will force him to miss the entire road trip, Blaze said:
"It's hard that I'm not going to be playing, sickening, to be honest. I really want to play. But I can't. I don't know what to do with myself." (HA)

Praising the work that Larry Sauafea did in taking the first-team reps yesterday, Dennis McKnight said:
"Larry, for his first start, did a solid job inside, no missed assignments. He had a couple of blocks that weren't the best in the world, but he didn't dwell on it, came back on the next play and did good." (HSB)

About how Cameron Allen-Jones worked at right guard yesterday (as the backup RG behind Lafu with Sauafea at center yesterday), after practicing at both TE and T before, McKnight said:
"We know he can play tackle and now we'll give him some work at guard. He's athletic, he's really quick, a good trapper, so we'll give him some work in there." (HSB)

About the importance of turnovers, Louisiana Tech coach Derek Dooley said:
"If you win the turnover margin you can overcome a lot of mistakes.” (AP)

Note: La Tech forced 6 turnovers in their first game, including 3 INTs from WAC defensive player of the week Tony Moss.

About how winning their opener was good for their confidence, CB Tony Moss said:
"We gained some confidence last weekend, winning our home opener. It was good for the fans and definitely for the team." (HSB)