Notes & Quotes From Oregon State HC Jonathan Smith

With Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith meeting the media on Monday afternoon to break down the Cal loss while also looking ahead to Colorado, BeaversEdge gives you the complete rundown...

MORE: WATCH: Jonathan Smith Press Conference | Snap Counts vs Cal

Notes

- In terms of offensive lineman Brandon Kipper, Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith said that he wasn't completely healthy in the contest. Kipper had to exit the contest a few times and Taliese Fuaga stepped into his spot at right tackle.

- Smith noted that Kipper has been battling an ankle injury and that they feel really good about where Fuaga is heading, so they wanted to give Kipper a few designed breaks and get Fuaga some experience. He stressed they're not down on Kipper at all, just that he's not at 100%.

- It's early in the week, but Smith sounded optimistic about the potential to have the starting lineup of Joshua Gray, Jake Levengood, Nathan Eldridge, Nous Keobounnam, & Kipper back together against the Buffs.

- Levengood hasn't seen action since suffering an ankle injury against Washington State, and Kipper is working through a minor one of his own. Smith said that the health of the line will likely dictate if it's a five-man rotation or an extended one against the Buffs...

Quotes

Jonathan Smith on the Cal film

"Tough film to watch on Sunday... really, all three phases and factors helped us lose that game. I thought Cal played really well and we got beat. (Chase Garbers) executed really well and defensively they created some turnovers and stops. They also had the play on special teams... We have a lot to work on, emphasize, and get better at."

Smith on BJ Baylor's fumble to open the game

"I know he was frustrated with himself... I think he came back and tried to battle and had some nice carries. It's deflating to start that way, not just for BJ, but for a lot of guys. Would have loved to have had a better answer there and maybe held them to a field goal."

Smith on why the ground game struggled

"I think Cal tackled really well, particularly from the secondary getting down to the line of scrimmage. The creases we had been creating recently weren't quite as wide, give credit again to Cal for coming off the ball. And you know, it's tough to run for 200 plus every game and it just wasn't there."

Smith on the teams' response following the loss

"You could feel the mood, and it's a big group right, so you felt the mood of disappointment. We've got some frustrated guys, which I think is a healthy thing. You're trying to win games and come away with a loss, it shouldn't feel good. I thought the energy and movement at Sunday's practice the day after getting back at midnight was good."

Smith on the coaches putting players into better positions

"There's a lot of playcalling and strategy that's going on both sides. Offensively, you're always trying to find great matchups, and on the flip side, you're trying to avoid them defensively. An example was on a touchdown throw we had a receiver getting covered by Avery Roberts. Which again, was a great call from Cal matching up Avery on the receiver, but that's not a great matchup for us... I think it also matters to our players that we're not just telling them they need to play better, it's that we as coaches need to keep working to put you in the best situations."