Aug. 6, 2008

Photo Gallery: Behind the scenes at Football Media Day 2008

Head Coach Steve Fairchild
We started practice (Tuesday); it seems like it’s been a long time coming. I do believe we’ve had an extremely productive offseason. I thought our kids really trained hard in our winter conditioning. We had a productive spring, although it’s only 15 practices. I still feel there is a lot left to learn about our football team. The kids, to their credit, I think had a real good summer. A lot of them stayed around. I think we got a lot done in terms of conditioning. I think they’re anxious to get started. We’ve got everybody intact here, relatively healthy. It’s gonna be a short August, but I hope it’s a productive one. Judging by the last couple days, I think we’re off to a good start. We’re gonna move out to the stadium Saturday. In my mind, your first practice, you let (the team) bump around a little bit, but you’re not necessarily doing situations. Based on what I’ve seen the past two days, the condition (the team) is in and coming off spring football I think we’re ready to even do some line stuff.

In your mind, have you just wanted to get things started?
There were so many things to do when I got here. For me personally, hiring a staff, finishing out the recruiting class and an evaluation of our football program. There is a lot of work to be done, that’s why I’m here. We’re slowly clawing away at it. Everyone in the building from our players to our coaches to our athletic administration, I think we all have a clear plan of what we want to get done. Now it seems like it’s time to start playing football.

Do you have a timeline for what you’d like to have happen this season and next?
As far as predicting wins and losses, I have no idea. I said before, I see very clearly where we’re at and I know exactly where I want to go. The plan is in place and the coaches are in place to do that. It’s just about how quickly we go down that road. I’m more concerned day-to-day that we continue to improve at every practice. Not only get better, but improve the way we practice. It’s not going to be easy, but we’ll push forward and get it done.

Is there a portion of your game where you feel you have real strength? Also, areas of concern?
On the offensive side of the ball, coming out of spring, we liked our running backs. Our offensive line, we felt like that was our starting point. I was disappointed in our receiver play. We’ve helped ourselves recruiting with some receivers. You can already tell in a couple days of practice that we’ve improved that area and also improved at quarterback. Defensively, we’re going to be young at the corners. So we’re going to need some help there, guys to develop fast.

Have you looked at the running back position with Gartrell Johnson and Kyle Bell?
You always wonder, can you put them on the field at the same time for a few plays? There are enough carries for guys; it’s just how we set that rotation up that’s yet to be seen. They both had good springs and appear to be in good shape.

How important is it to get Kory Sperry back?
Given the inexperience at receiver, it’s important because he’s a playmaker. It’s one more guy on the offensive side of the ball that can make something happen. We didn’t let him go live in the spring, but we practiced him quite a bit and he looked good. I’d anticipate that he’ll have a good year.

Is Sperry 100 percent?
He was close to 100 percent last April. The fact that we didn’t go live with him was more of a precautionary thing. He’s one of the few guys who has proven himself when he is there. When he’s healthy, he’s a pretty good player. We didn’t feel the need to rush any contact. Having said that, it would be foolish on our part to not put him in a live situation prior to the CU game, which we will. Just get him acclimated some.

Is Billy Farris your starting quarterback? Or how would you assess the quarterback situation?
He goes first at practice. He and Grant (Stucker) are battling. If we played a game tomorrow, Billy would probably be our quarterback, but I want to make sure I make the right decision. So, we’ll let them both compete. The past two days, which isn’t much, I thought T.J. Borcky was as mature a football player in the spring. He has really come back from a great summer and impressed me in just two days. Hopefully he can get himself in a position to at some point get into a game because he’s a talented kid.

How much of your NFL experience have you brought into practices and how different is it compared to last year?
We’re trying to be a lot more up-tempo; we’re trying to get a lot more done. We’re still trying to practice extremely fast, even when we just have helmets on; try to simulate games and teach the kids to stay up and stay off each other. You’ve got to learn to do that. And when you do, you get a lot done at practice as opposed to just walking through things. Offensively we’re doing a lot of what I’ve been doing the last seven years. We don’t have quite the volume simply because we don’t practice nearly as much as in the NFL, but our offensive system is very similar.

You were here in the “glory days.” Is some of that reflected in how you hired your staff?
Resources and facilities are very important in today’s athletic department scene. The only thing I considered when I was considering this job was, could I hire a staff that could coach a championship football team? Paul (Kowalczyk) and Dr. (Larry) Penley gave us the resources to do that. I’m very impressed and fired up. I think we have great staff in place to get this place to wherever we want to go. That part is done. We still have a lot of work to do in the resource and facility area, but we’re taking steps that way. Colorado State can be as good as we want it to be. It’s a great university and a great place to live. We’ve done it here in the 90s and I think we can do it again. I’m excited.

The two things I wanted in a coaching staff were as much experience as I could get and Colorado State ties; and I was able to do that. I went out and got coordinators with a background that would match with anyone in our conference. That part is done, but there is a lot of work left to be done.

Do the Colorado State ties in your coaching staff make it easier to get amped up for the CU-CSU game?
Yeah, they have the passion of this university and this football program. It’s a positive that they’re here. They’ve played and have had some success in those games, which is cool.

	Gartrell Johnson

How do you view being picked to finish eighth in the Mountain West?
They’ve been good and we haven’t been good, so that’s probably accurate. Five years ago, it might have hurt my feelings.

How imperative is it to have both Johnson and Bell in the backfield? It’s real good. I’d hate to have to develop a quarterback with an inexperienced line or no run game, those types of things. So, they’re positive. When we look out there, we think we’ve surrounded our quarterback with a pretty good football team.

How does Klink Kubiak make the defense so much better when he’s in the lineup?
He’s just a good tackler. He gives you a safety that can play the run as well as sitting back on the hash and having some range. He’s a good football player. When he’s healthy, our defense is better when he’s in there.

How does it feel to be back?
It’s great. It’s a great place. It’s special because I went to school here, met my wife here and graduated from here. We raised our daughters for quite a while here. Beyond just coaching football, this is a nice place to have my family.

How much has having new receivers around helped the returning receivers?
It has. That’s human nature; competition will bring out the best in everybody. We’re not just adding a talented guy, it’s what’s going to make the strength of our team down the road.

Having been in the NFL yourself, does having NFL scouts at games put more pressure on Sperry?
Kory has goals I’m sure. I bet they’re team goals as well as personal goals. He’s certainly a talented enough guy, in my mind, that he can play at the next level. A lot of that will depend on how well he plays this year. He has the ability, he’s really worked hard and gotten himself in shape; he could have a good year. When he has a chance to make a play on a ball he does it. He’s physical in the run game. He’ll get the chance to play at the next level and I’d like to help him get there; I think he’s talented enough to do it.

Running backs coach Anthoney Hill
Are the running backs OK with rotating during games?
If you look around, even in the NFL, it’s always a one-two punch. Not many backs are carrying 25 times a game. We’ll see what happens. It’s a good situation for us that’ll just make it better for ourselves.

Do you sense competitiveness between Kyle Bell and Gartrell Johnson, trying to beat the other one out?
Those guys wouldn’t be here if they weren’t competitors. They’re thinking, ‘Every chance I get, I need to shine even more because maybe the reps are more limited than normal.’ I think it’s healthy. I think it’s good for them. I don’t think there is any animosity. They both want to do it, and they both push each other.

What are the main differences between Bell and Johnson?
There is not much difference at all. Their hands are equally as good and they run the ball inside and out fairly well, when they get it going. I wouldn’t want to be a corner or safety trying to tackle one of those dudes.

Have you been tempted to glance over at the quarterbacks?
I’ve been so busy with my guys, I couldn’t even tell you how good or bad they did. You just have so many things to accomplish and make sure things get done that I couldn’t tell you about any other position. I just try to get guys reps and hand over my assignments.

As the season progresses, do you expect Bell or Johnson to emerge as the No. 1 running back? I expect to play it out. However it plays out, it will. If there’s a clear-cut No. 1, that’s the way it’ll be. Whatever situation comes up, we’re pretty flexible in that regard. We’re just trying to win ballgames. I told both of those guys that’s what we’re gonna do. Who knows where we’ll be on Aug. 20, let alone Aug. 31.

Quarterbacks coach Daren Wilkinson
What are the characteristics needed to be the starting quarterback? He’s got to control the offense. He’s got to manage the game. To be able to do that, he has to be able to grasp the offense and know what we’re trying to get across to him as coaches. The most important thing is, is he managing our offense and is he managing the game?

What does Billy Farris bring to the table?
Just because he’s a senior, maybe the best thing that Billy brings is maturity; his understanding of working hard and taking things that we’re teaching in meetings and going home and studying. It’s obvious everyday that he’s taken the time to understand what coaches are trying to get across to him. So, his maturity is what I love.

What are your thoughts on Grant Stucker?
Grant is a very athletic kid. He can do some things with his athleticism that maybe Billy can’t.

T.J. Borcky?
T.J. has a lot of ability. He’s got a live arm.

Klay Kubiak?
Klay is a head coach’s son who knows football. Never count Klay Kubiak out just because he always knows what we’re trying to get across and what we’re trying to get accomplished. He’s smart.

Besides picking a quarterback, is it not just important to start developing the younger quarterbacks?
That’s something that’s on the backburner right now. All that’s on our mind right now is getting the best people out on the field for CU (Aug. 31). As the season goes on, I imagine that’ll be something that in the back of my mind I’ll start to think about and look at.

What did you learn from your own quarterback battle (during his time as a CSU quarterback)?
The biggest thing that was tough for both of us was that the longer that thing carries on, the more pressure it puts on a quarterback and the team. Ideally, you don’t want that battle. If there’s anything I learned, it’s get that thing established and get it going.

Offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Greg Peterson
How much does changing a quarterback affect the receivers?
Timing is critical with a quarterback and a receiver. Starting at square one, knowing what route, etc. There is a comfort level between them. Once we get guys identified, who the starters are going to be, who the backups are going to be, we’ll get started.

How do you feel about the quarterbacks at this point?
T.J. (Borcky) has made strides by leaps and bounds. As (Farris and Stucker) battle for the starting position, someone will step up between them. Both of them offer a lot of things. Grant is very gifted; he has a strong arm, he’s fast. Billy, mechanically is pretty good; he makes good decisions.

Will your offense be more run or pass oriented?
During spring, the depth of our offense was at the running back position. The big question marks were quarterback and receivers. Once we get the quarterback situation figured out and a group of receivers, then we’ve got a chance; I really believe that. If you want to be a more physical, tough-minded offense, you’ve got to be able to run the football. And our running game has to be at the forefront of our offense until we can get the other pieces of the puzzle figured out.

RB Kyle Bell
How does it feel to have an inexperienced quarterback?
I wouldn’t call Billy (Farris) inexperienced. He’s been around as long as I have. He came in back in ’04. The fact that he hasn’t started any games is where the inexperience comes in, I guess. But I have all the confidence in the world in Billy. I know Billy really well. I know the intelligence he has for the game, the way he works and the way he studies things. I think he’s going to be more than capable of leading this team.

There has to be some comfort for Farris to have a quality run game.
Me and Gartrell and all the guys at running back have a lot of games under our belt. With the offensive line that we have coming back, running the ball should be our strength. The receivers are coming along great and the quarterbacks are getting a feel everyday for the way things are working.

Can you comment on Kory’s problems with his injury?
It’s not so much a problem, it’s mental. Kory probably won’t come out in the first game and get 42 touches. But at the same time, he’s gone through all the rehab. He’s taken all the steps necessary. I was always there to help him along the way. With what I went through, he’s able to use that as an example of what to do and how to better prepare himself for the first game. I know that he’s ready. He’s shown us all summer and already in the first two days of practice, he’s showing us the old Kory.

TE Kory Sperry
Do you have extra motivation going into the CU game after three touchdowns last season?
I got hurt last year, and the mental problem is not a part of it. I just want to get out there and get that first win because it sets the tone for the rest of the season. But it’s extra motivation for me because it’s CU. They don’t like us and we don’t like them; plain and simple. That makes the game a lot more fun.

How healthy do you feel?
One hundred percent. I’m actually stronger than I was before I got hurt. The trainers and strength coordinators and everybody has been doing a good job getting me in there and staying in rehab pretty much every day. It’s healthy and I’m still strengthening; you can’t over-strengthen anything.

Is your injury something you’ll think about during the first game?
I only think about when (the media) asks about it. If you go out there and think about it, you’re not going to end up playing to your potential if you worry.

Has Bell been of help with regard to your injury?
I talked to him a lot. The trainers and the surgeon were there to help me. If I had any questions, Kyle would be right there helping me out. I’ve had a couple family members go through it, so I’ve had help everywhere.

How confident is this offense in Farris?
Very confident. During summer, we weren’t really sure he was going to take the reins. But once we started two-a-days, Billy stepped up big. He’s making routes, he’s calling plays, he audibling, he’s doing everything. It’s only been two days and you can tell a definite change in that kid. He’s coming out, he’s playing and he’s going to be good. Billy’s doing a remarkable job right now and he’s gained the respect and confidence of everyone on the team.