QUOTES FROM DAN ROUSHAR'S ROUND TABLE AT MSU MEDIA DAY

 

Dan Roushar was awfully popular at Michigan State Football media day today.

MSU offensive coordinator, Dan Roushar spoke today at the MSU media day.  Here are the highlights of his round table interview:

ON THE TALENT ON THE OFFENSE:

"It's amazing as you look across the board the depth and talent."

"Ken Mannie and his staff have done an incredible job."

"When it's obvious to a lot of people the type of play that has to be called, you have to execute and finish it."

"Sometimes we design a play and it works well on Saturday.  But we see it on film and it didn't really go as we planned, but our guys had the ability to be difference makers."

"The group executing at a high level makes our offensive staff look that much smarter."

ON HAVING SO MUCH DEPTH:

"The one thing that's great is we have the ability to develop competition within those positions."

ON FOU FONOTI:

"I absolutely expect him to compete."

"He has a great opportunity.  He has ability to move quickly and in balance.  So we're excited about where he can go."

ON POTENTIAL CHANGES TO THE OFFENSE:

"I don't think we're going to see a major difference."

"By and large we should be very similar to how we've been in the past."

"A lot of our thoughts were formulated as a group.  So I don't think there will be that much of a difference."

ON AREAS OF CONCERN:

"As a coach your concerns are that from top to bottom you can execute."

"You certainly get concerned about guys getting knicked and missing playing time."

ON KIRK COUSINS:

"His leadership on the filed is invaluable."

"You have, in a sense, another coach at the position."

"It can be him grabbing guys and organizing activities during the summer, or helping another guy with something in his life."

ON HAVING SO MUCH TALENT AT THE SKILL POSITIONS:

"Those guys bring an awful lot to the table."

"It takes pressure off of the offensive line.  It keeps you from being a 1 dimensional team."

ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE:

"On the offensive line we have 2 guys who've played an awful lot of football for us."

"Joel Foreman has started 4 years for us."

"With great competition the best guys will emerge."

"We have a lot of flexibility there."

"At the end of the day you really want to get your best 5 on the field."

"Each of the last 3 years we've had to replace 3 starters.  And we hope we get the job done again."

"I think that there's certainly talent.  Clearly we're inexperienced at 3 positions."

"We think that we have guys that will perform very well for us at those positions."

"To develop consistency it will take a core group of guys in there for a period of time."

"We have a lot of guys in that room who can identify with the success he (Joel Foreman) has had."

"Well, you'd really like to have really talented and experienced linemen."

"There are redshirt freshmen competing for starting jobs.  The last time we had that happen was Joel Foreman."

ON COACH DANTONIO:

"At the end of the day, he's working with those guys, and he has a great vision of where he wants things to be."

ON OFFENSIVE BALANCE:

"We have to be able to do both (run and pass)."

"When we've run the ball effectively we are a good football team."

ON WHETHER HE'LL COACH FROM THE COACHES' BOX OR THE SIDELINES:

"I'm leaning toward being upstairs."

"Not being able to look in your quarterback's eyes is something you lose being in the box."

"But being upstairs you can get a broader perspective."

"If we're going through our chain of command, I'd certainly be in contact with all of my guys (assistant coaches)."

ON THE TIGHT ENDS:

"He's (Dion Sims) big for a tight end.  He's strong and has become a good run blocker.  He's got soft hands so he can catch the ball."

"The all bring something different to the table if you really look at them."

"We've talked a lot about being the complete package and I think he can do that."

"(Dion Sims) He has good focus, the ability to concentrate.  A lot of the same things you see in good WR play."

ON RUNNING BACKS:

"As we looked at his (Le' Veon Bell) growth through the spring and what he did this summer I'd say he's a different guy."

"They'll all be pushing at Edwin's heels."

"It's a great problem to have."

"We have to sit down and think 'this is what Edwin does well, this is what Larry does well, and this is what Le' Veon does well."

"And you can't discount Nick Hill."

"Edwin has the ability, on any given play, to hit a home run.  But he does it within the system.  He has the ability to run inside and outside very effectively."

"(Larry Caper) We've seen him run the ball inside very well.  In blitz protection he can go from one side of the field to the other and get the right guy."

"(Le' Veon Bell) He has the ability to break a tackle or tackles and get the extra yard."

"Those guys are very supportive but extremely competitive people."

"They're working to take each other's jobs."

ON ANDREW MAXWELL:

"We're looking at Andrew Maxwell and seeing what we have."

"He'll push Kirk for everything that he has.  He's a great competitor."

ON EXPECTATIONS:

"We have high expectations for maintaining the chemistry of our football team."

ON WHO IS LOUDER, HE OR PAT NARDUZZI:

"No doubt he is.  We've all witnessed it right?"

ON LEAD-UP TO THE SEASON:

"The ability to focus over the next 28 practices will be important."

"Next Saturday will be our first scrimmage.  That will allow us to move into the 2nd week with an idea of what these guys are capable of."