Monday with Smith: "It all comes down to execution."
Oregon State (2-9, 1-7) head coach Jonathan Smith held his weekly press conference to recap the Beavers' loss to UW, recap his most memorable Civil War's and preview this years' matchup against the Ducks (7-4, 4-4).
BeaversEdge.com senior writer Brenden Slaughter was live in Corvallis at Valley Football Center and has all the scoop headed into the Beavers' final game of the season.
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Quick Hitters
- Jonathan Smith recounted his favorite Civil War memories to open the presser... He noted that he had both good and bad experiences with the Civil War. He remembers 1998 and 2000 the best, which isn't too much of a surprise given just how special those two games are to OSU fans, players, and alumni. He said taking a knee in 2000 to beat the Ducks was perhaps his most special moment in the rivalry series as the Beavers went on to the Fiesta Bowl and capped that magical 2000 season with an 11-1 record.
- In terms of injury news, the Beavers will be short-handed on defense against the Ducks as linebackers Hamilcar Rashed and Matthew Tago, and cornerback Dwayne Williams are all doubtful per Smith. Some good news for OSU is that safety David Morris, who made his season debut against UW, could be in line for some snaps at safety after only playing special teams against the Huskies. Defensive end Jeromy Reichner, who's been dealing with some soreness in his foot, is expected to play per Smith.
- One thing the Beavers are going to look to clean up this week is the third down efficiency on offense. Against the Huskies, the Beavers managed just two third down conversions against 14 attempts. Smith went back to UW's defense, noting that they're really good and they did a lot to keep the Beavers off-balance.
-Smith had a lot of praise for Ducks' quarterback Justin Herbert. He noted that he knows Herbert quite well and lauded his talent and playmaking ability.
- With Thanksgiving on tap before Friday's contest, naturally coach Smith was asked about the Beavers' plan for Thanksgiving and what his favorite part of the holiday was. He said that the team will have a Thanksgiving lunch for all the players, coaches, and their families Thursday after having their typical walkthrough in the morning. He also added that they'll be recognizing the seniors as well.... For those of you who might be wondering... Smith's favorite Thanksgiving foods are stuffing, turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy on top of it all. Pumpkin pie is also a favorite in the Smith household as he noted that he's not too picky when it comes to Thanksgiving.
Quotable
Jonathan Smith on the importance of rivalry games
"I want our approach to be that it's another opportunity to play another game. If you're going to play your best, you want your approach to be consistent. Our focus has to be on techniques and the details of the plan. Emotions do run high in rivalry games, but once you get into the game, it all comes down to execution. The best way to execute is to focus on the task at hand."
Smith on his senior class
"Those seniors... I really appreciate those guys because they've been through a lot. Their willingness to try a new approach. Their willingness to work through tough times when they aren't getting the results we wanted. Their willingness to accept new coaching and continue to work. Those guys have been through a lot, but they're continuing to work hard and they had a great practice today. We want to send them out on a good note."
Smith on having Luton under center against UW, and if they'll continue to do it
"We do want to grow in that regard a little bit because I like going under center. It helps us downhill in the run game, and then that will sets up the play-action pass. Almost every week, we've gotten under center once or twice. We can grow with it because it's one more thing for the defense to prepare for."
Smith on the Beavers' pass protection
"There were some signs of improvement. Our two sacks were avoidable and that's something to build off of because that's a really good defensive front."
Smith on Jake Luton potentially looking at a 6th year of eligibility
"You know I think there's something... I don't know the ins and outs of the rule, but I think something with these guys who take a long-term injury or season ending injury in the first half of the season should have that opportunity. But nothing is set in stone at this point."
Smith on what winning the Civil War could mean for offseason momentum
"It's the last game of the season, senior day is huge, and it's a rivalry game. Anytime you win, it adds momentum to what you're doing. It could be very beneficial to win a game like this, but at the same time, it's one of 12 and our approach is going to stay the same. We're going to go out and play with some great effort."
Smith on what he'd like to see from his team this week
"I'd truly like to see us execute at a high level. We're going to play hard and fight. They're going to make some plays and we're going to make some plays. For a long period of time, we have to have high execution, because that's how you win a game. That's what we've been lacking and I expect to see us execute on Saturday."