Transcript: Everything Mississippi State Head Coach Zach Arnett Said Ahead Of Week 6 Game Against Western Michigan

Mississippi State head coach Zach Arnett took the podium Monday to discuss the team's most recent loss to Alabama and the upcoming matchup against Western Michigan.

Mississippi State (2-3) head coach Zach Arnett met with the the media ahead of the team's Week 6 contest against the Western Michigan Broncos.

The transcript is as follows:

Opening statement: "I have to thank our fan base. They brought great energy and electricity to the environment Saturday night. I cannot thank them enough for their passion and support. We have one of the most passionate fan bases in all of college athletics. We had a tremendous environment Saturday night. Our players fed off it, and I ask that the fan base continue to show up with that level of support."

Touching on the game itself, not the result we wanted. Our guys competed tremendously hard and with great effort for 60 minutes. We had some significant contributors who were unavailable. That forced us to be creative in the game planning. Hopefully we can get a couple of those guys back this week. We need to get freshened up as a roster. We’re facing a good opponent. Coach Taylor, in his first season at Western Michigan, you can see every week their progress and development. Very explosive on offense last week in particular. They’ve had to face the defense one time already, playing Syracuse. We’ll have quite the challenge. Coming off September, we know where we’re at and we know where we want to be. The month of October is an incredibly important month for us. It starts by going 1-0 this week. We need to go to work, respond properly, go 1-0, and take advantage of the bye week, before the second half of the season."

Question: "How do you navigate getting guys back with the schedule the way it sets up?"

Zach Arnett: "You only have 12 opportunities to play. You work year-round for those. If a player can safely play, defend himself properly, not at risk of worse injury, I think you got to let that guy play. To hold a guy out, I think that’s unfair to the player."

Q: "Do you feel like you’ve been able to get the best 11 players on the field with all the injuries?"

ZA: "Right now, we’re a little more banged up defensively. Unfortunately, Trevion Williams is done for the season. He will have season-ending surgery. A lot of times, from a defensive perspective, the best 11 is relevant to the 11 the offense have on the field. We don’t excuses for injuries around here, it’s next man up and you have to find a way. It was better to play linebackers at the line of scrimmage than put a true freshman D line out there."

Q: How well did some of the young guys do that got in there?

ZA: Donterry did particularly well. He will see increased game reps from here on out, assuming he continues to perform like that, be reliable and do his job. Ty also did a good job. He played some snaps down there as an interior defensive lineman. His body weight, you would say he shouldn’t be down in there. I guess that’s what makes Louisville football so tough. He’ll see increased reps as well.

Q: How do you feel like they dealt with that?

ZA: On every play there was at least two defensive linemen in there. Sometimes Crumedy didn’t have his hand in the ground. Did we get the results exactly that we wanted? No, not exactly. Do I think they did the very best they could executing the plan with new assignments and alignments? Yeah, they did a nice job buying into it. If you are undersized, I do not think it’s in your best interest to play static. You want to move and stunt and do some things to get on edges, and slow down the opponent. We didn’t stop the run as good as we hoped, but I don’t think it was a horrible effort either.

Q: Any injury updates on De'Monte and Dinkins?

ZA: De'Monte is progressing as we hoped and is probable this week. We’ll continue on-field evaluations, but he will practice. Dink is a little bit longer. He won’t play this week.

Q: Is there something Will (Rogers) can do to be more consistent?

ZA: He had a lot of big plays at South Carolina. The coverage is not exactly the same. To expect the same routes to hit the same would be unfair. You’re facing different coverage and those routes aren’t available when you have a post player in the middle of the field. We have to get the ball to our most explosive players. When we’re running effectively, it sets up some play action. And you have to take care of the football. We had two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, the other in end-of-half scenario, where we had been pretty good. I thought we could operate the two-minute drill and get some points right before the half. Down 14, if we go down and kick a field goal and get the ball right back after half, and we did end up scoring, all of a sudden it’s potentially a four-point game. One thing you can’t do is turn the ball over and we did just that. I’m mad at myself, because we could have taken that to halftime. I was the one who said we’ve been good in this situation before. That’s my responsibility as a head coach. Will will continue to show up and work with the same mindset as before. That’s the only way you get the results you want. Hopefully, he has a good game this week.

Q: Any update on Justin Robinson?

ZA: Similar to De'Monte. It just matters how he looks through the week. It is not a long-term thing.

Q: Do you feel like you’re better offensively when you can run the ball?

ZA: It was more the situation of the game that dictated we throw a little more. When you can run it effectively, it opens things in the pass game, keeps you on schedule, and protects against negative plays. We did some good things with outside zone plays on third down that split them for 10 or more yards, got the first down and kept the drive going. Will had a quarterback draw on third down, which is a good way to attack some of those coverages that you face in those situations."

Q: What are your thoughts on getting Mike Wright more involved than just on gadget plays?

ZA: I would challenge just calling it “gadget” plays. Those RPOs are not really gadgets. Mike has done a very good job in situational football of executing the call, sometimes he keeps it, sometimes he dumps it off on the RPO. He’s done a very good job with his opportunities and we will get him additional opportunities.

Q: Who has impressed you on the offensive line so far?

ZA: From a consistency standpoint, Cole Smith has been most consistent performer. He has done a really good job. We’re excited about Percy and what he has shown. You can see the kind of player he will become. He’ll get some additional opportunities and reps. The offensive line has done a good job of embracing the variety of schemes, the looks you have to get into based on the defense. When we stay out of third and real long, it keeps the defense from getting into some of their exotic looks. We’re not built to drop back and throw the ball a whole bunch. No offense really is.

Q: How difficult is it to make those redshirt decisions?

ZA: It’s good what the NCAA did allowing four games of participation and retain your redshirt. Every team is going to need to steal some snaps during a season with guys before you ideally hope you had to play them. For some true freshmen defensive linemen to get their first game action in SEC West play, I don’t know if that’s a fair expectation. That’s part of the game plan process every single week. Your opponent, their personnel, their schemes. It is the best thing for your development is to play. That’s college football.

Q: What do you want to see this week?

ZA: We need to show up with the right mentality. Show up excited to work and prepare. That is what you control. I hope we show up an angry football team. I hope we have a lot of angry football players, a lot of angry coaches. I hope we play like an angry football team. I think that leads to improved play on the field. I hope we play with that edge.

Q: Are you angry? What are you seeing from Jeffery Pittman?

ZA: "Yes I am. Pitt’s a junior college transfer. He’s a couple of years older, he’s physically stronger, more developed. The jump for him to JC to SEC, is not the same in size, speed and physicality as a high school player. He’s not overwhelmed. He breaks tackles, he picks up blitzes off the edge and hold up against the rush. Getting more reps, it becomes more natural. Then you start to flourish. He’s done a good job and we need him to continue to be that guy. You need a stable of running backs."

Q: "What is the development of an angry coach from coordinator to head coach?"

ZA: "I think angry is the correct word. We’re all competitors. No one is more frustrated or critical of ourselves than players and coaches. They put in the most time, effort and work, and investment in the program. I appreciate the passion of our fan base. No one is more frustrated than us. How you respond to that is what you control. We have to have a critical eye on ourselves. The only way to improve is get back on the practice field, get in the film room, get in the meeting room. The effort and intensity with which we go about our work. Maximum effort, you’re going to improve. Typically, you see results on Saturday. Do I think angry football teams play the game better, I do. I want an angry football team no matter the record."

Q: "What do you think of Western Michigan?"

ZA: "Defensively, they look similar to us. Different looks and multiple pressures. Offensively, 11 and 12 personnel, spread, do a good job stretching you sideline to sideline. Their offensive staff understands how defenses are coached. They find ways of using angles to diffuse the defense. They understand defensive schemes. Very good coaching staff…very good players."

Q: "How important is it to get momentum?"

ZA: "This game is important because it’s the one we get to play. We can look into the future too much. It becomes a distraction. The only thing that matters is how we show up today, tomorrow, and focus on this week and this week alone. Bye week gives us a chance to freshen guys up a little bit. Get stronger going into the second half of the season. Coaches out recruiting. And then game plan preparation for Arkansas. But all that is in the future. The goal is to go 1-0 this week."