WKU Football: Notes and Reaction to Mike Sanford’s Weekly Presser

On Monday, Mike Sanford face the WKU media for the first time in the 2018 season, with the Wisconsin Badgers staring them in the face at the end of the week.

Below are the highlights, as well as some take aways, from his first presser of the season.

Mike Sanford

On Wisconsin

• Says the team is excited to open the year against a team slated to be in the College Football Playoff. Says the Wisconsin OL is incredibly talented and deep, said the Badger RB is very Saquon Barkley-esque and says despite returning four full time starters on defense, they’ll still be challenging.
• He said the Hilltoppers started the 2017 season with some injuries and that he likes where they are entering 2018. “They’re going into this game healthy, they’re going into this game fresh and I believe they’re going into this game with a good amount of confidence in the work that they’ve put in.”
• Sanford reiterated a talking point that he’s kind of hit around the bush with; he said that he feels confident in the players he has in the locker room, and they in turn have bought into what he and the coaching staff want to do. I’m not sure the same could be said last year.
• “We’re going up there with the mentality to play great football, worry about each and every individual play. Play with great effort, play with great enthusiasm and take care of the football. And play together for four quarters.”

On WKU celebrating their 100th season

• Sanford talked about meeting and chatting with John Oldham and about hearing stories about Jimmy Feix and E.A. Diddle. Says it’s “humbling” to “Represent those who came before us and to make them proud.”

On depth chart decisions

• “I think the running back situation is pretty unique,” he said with a half chuckle. “That’s exactly what it’s going to be.”
• Says he thinks Ferby and Trigg are much better this season than they were last season. That’s promising.
• Also highlighted the three “young backs,” and said “that’s what recruiting’s about.” It’s clear Sanford went after Josh Samuel, Garland LaFrance and Gino Appleberry to help bolster the running game, especially in the wake of last season.
• Said those three newcommers have made Ferby and Trigg better running backs.
• Said he and the coaching staff have taken a “long, hard look,” at the schemes. He said it may not look incredibly different to a laymen’s fan, but said he’s hoping to throw Wisconsin for a loop since they’re basing their film off of 2017’s schemes.
• Brad Stephens asked if all five RB’s will play against the Badgers, and Sanford emphatically said “yes.”
• As the case was in 2012, the goal here isn’t “running back by committee,” as Sanford said he’d love to have a workhorse come the end of the year. He said the lack of a starter on the depth chart isn’t because of the lack of talent or ability, but because “all five of them have done really good things.” (Now, is it troubling one hasn’t absolutely stood out above the rest? Sure, but I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy.)’

On Wisconsin’s youth

• Notes the average score last year for the Badgers was 38–16. (Honestly, if the Tops finish the game somewhere around 35–14, it’s a WKU victory.)

On “Playing to win the game”

• The question asked as about how confident Sanford is in his voice about how competitive his team was, which Sanford ran with and said “It’s a team that loves to play, that’s becoming more cohesive every day, that has some young, dynamic players.”
• Sanford said he knows a lot of mistakes are made week one, and that it doesn’t help that the Tops’ youth is heading into a very loud environment, but “At the end of the day, I know we have something special brewing on that roster, and it’s because of the players, it’s becomes of the cohesiveness we have between the coaches and players.”

On Eckels making his first start in Madison

• I love the question that was posed: Could there be a better learning experience for a quarterback making his first start?
• Sanford’s response: “I think it’s important that we, as a coaching staff, put Drew in a position to be successful early…But, we’ve also got to let him play. He’s earned the right. He’s got two turnovers in 26 days of fall camp. I have a lot of respect for Drew in how he’s approached his position. The players respond to the type of joy he has playing the game.”
• Chad Bishop asked if Sanford has a set number of times he wants to see his QB run. Sanford called it a “pitch count,” and won’t release it.
• ALRIGHT YALL. SANFORD KNOWS THAT ECKELS IS, FIRST AND FOREMOST, A POCKET PASSER. So…lets hope Sanford learned from last year and let’s Drew do what he does best.

On Ben Holt buying into the Sanford era

• Said he was a bigger fan of Holt than a lot of coaches on the staff earlier, but they’ve come around.
• Said Holt Sr. has been at practices a couple of times. He and Sanford have a long, storied past.

On Dre Farris’ Captaincy

• “The players on the team respond to him, respect him for who he is.”
• Sanford said he asked Ben and Dre to have “great conversation,” all year. Reiterated the WE/Me saying for 2018.

On starting offensive lineman

• Sanford called Miles Pate the most improved offensive lineman.
• Called Jordan Meredith a “throwback.”
• “As a partnership, I love their mentality of coming off the football in the run game. We can’t be a space blocking unit or a position blocking unit, we need to move people.
• Said all five guys on the OL are “guys who want to move men against their will.”
• Acknowledges there is work to be done, with no OL starter in 2018 making a start in their 2017 spot, but Sanford loves the potential.
• “Cohesive unit,” drop. That’s, what, the 10th time he’s said something like that?