📅 Published on: 2024-12-17 20:50:04
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Tim Polasek spoke with media about the upcoming matchup against No. 3 South Dakota State for their semifinal matchup.
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🕵️♂️ Transcript:
all right good afternoon it’s an exciting time uh you know quick look back at Mercer I think offensively it was key um you know to be 53% win rate on third down um pretty good job there you know we created five or more explosive plays on offense and then we were three for three scoring in the gold Zone that I think the thing that caused a little bit of an up and down performance you know was just first and second down production was at 45% we need to find more five yard plays on first and second down you know and obviously for us that starts with the Run game Andor the Run game cultivating easy opportunities on the perimeter defensively I was I was really impressed you know I was impressed uh Saturday in here when I spoke to you guys last but looking back on the tape you know anytime you hold somebody underneath 200 yards um you know you you have disruption on the quarterback constantly I mean there were some team sacks there right the dn’s got credited with some sacks but man our our inside guys were were causing fits on their their guards and centers um we got some hands on some balls I thought we deflected three um a couple pbus that maybe could have been intercepted that you know this week quite frankly we’ll need to make those plays there’ll be difference making plays uh 66% win rate on third down okay um I’m sorry on first and second down I mean that’s going to force a lot of third down opportunity for the defense to adjust coverages to make it hard on the quarterback that led to 92% win rate on third down which is awesome and we hit our goal of uh you know holding the offense to three or less explosive plays um I’m super excited right now I mean I may even come across just even a little bit calm I’m I’m of clear mind uh to be 104 it is an accomplishment it’s an outstanding accomplishment uh we’ve had some challenges this year but we’ve continued to grow and to get better and improve you know I I can’t tell you um you know a lot of times it doesn’t shake out on paper the way maybe people predict or that it should and it has and uh we’re we’re uh unbelievably excited uh to be preparing at home to play in front of a sellout crowd that I’m I’m quite frankly uh I’m curious to see if this is going to be Georgia Southern Lake I’m actually predicting that it will be I think this is going to be an absolute war and you know we’re off to a great start game planning again we’re real clear and concise and what we chose to study and what we’re going to look at to devise a plan to put the players in the best position to go out there and have success uh I think you know I had a moment yesterday I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the last three days of preparation uh part of that my hat goes off to South Dakota State the way that we’re playing uh this will be football at its best and I’m not talking about you know let’s let’s not create a separation in lines of divisions or where we stand FBS P4 this will be football at its finest this is a well- coached outfit World well coached outfit with kids that play extremely hard and care about their teammates on both sides both programs have an unbelievable tradition of winning and quite frankly it’s just it’s going to be game on I just I think this thing’s going to be a war I I I just do that’s what I’m predicting is this thing comes down to uh five or six plays and you either make them or you don’t and we don’t know what five or six plays those will be right now and so the team that executes the best in those moments uh we’ll have success on Saturday um it’s impressive the South Dakota State um their product that’s on film in all three phases right I think of execution and playmaking being at a a pretty high rate you know their coaches continue to evolve as the season goes with adding wrinkles um adding Nuance to their Concepts without ever bailing away from their system that’s very respectable um I can tell you this right now our mindset is that they’re playing us with questions please uh after film review kind of what you think about the o line pairings and merer and just uh for for your guys it’s okay it’s fine yep across the board Five Guys got to be connected Ponch played well all right MP got caught on a couple really tough scenarios and I think those three kids that started against us are all somewhere I don’t know in the triple figures here this week so Mercer was really good up front a lot of credit to Mercer and the way they play defense okay we’re going to go with a six-year uh senior guy right now we have options with young guys behind them and we are not going to overreact in this game it’ll be a 60-minute game and we’re going to let kids played out uh probably don’t have to say or do much to the guys to get them ready for this one I hope not we’re we’re we’re saying it right now and the look in their eyes on Monday night was really good and we flew around that practice with no music no nothing just coaching whistles and communication by players what do you see different offensively from them they they believe that they’re playing better offensively than they did when they were up here and yeah it’s interesting right night I just got done watching incarnate words so that’s like the only game on my mind um but you go to Montana right right um quarterback you know Mark hit some big plays in that game you know especially there in the first half he spot on right great throws um I you know just some Nuance in their run game you know they’re not afraid to adjust a tailb especially a veteran you know his Tempo on certain runs um you know they’ve seemed to slow him down on some of the inside crunch or the inside Duo stuff um they really methodically I I I was I was uh impressed with just that they stayed with the idea of four and five yard runs you know that’s why that game that score early on wasn’t getting extended as fast as some people might think it is you know you still got to go play 60 minutes and they were playing pretty good um I think I think they’re just they’re they’re intermixing a little bit more with play action would be my would be how I feel right now and then um you know they’re fully healthy at running back which I think gives them another another option on especially short yardage and um first and second down runs you know with the the other kid that’s back um uh Vorhees yeah um they spreading the ball out you know I think 80 is getting better number 80 is becoming a formidable um Target you know W’s still there um tight ends they seem to be healthier they’re playing more guys again at that spot so I don’t know if that creates More Concept and scheme for them in what those guys can all do Tim what’s it say about sharing AB border at the other three finalists is there something there is there something about geography well you know it’s no Seth Wallace from Iowa you know their assistant head coach linebackers coach I got to talk to him this morning about a young man and he said you know it’s pretty cool all four teams are from from the Upper Midwest and I was like wow I didn’t even give me that any thought but maybe there’s something to be said about that you know with the values the core values those kids have and their work habits and um you know we’ve got kids that aren’t just from the Midwest on our team and we value those guys too but we play tough physical football is what I’m going to tell you and I think Montana State’s doing the same thing and they’re led by a guy that believes in that stuff coach that game against you know s you back in October there was questions about the defense what have you seen in terms of their growth since that since then and then progress good question because I saw it coming right I’m not looking at notes up here or anything I just I I thought somebody would ask that it’s such a matchup game I mean if you guys look at the last two weeks you got abene Christian who you think’s going to come in and just sling it all over the yard and cause you know challenges as far as just keep the ball in front of you keep the ball in front of you I don’t think they threw it over our heads you know just on a straight vertical ball once and then you turn around you play a merer team that wants to kind of grind it out play an ugly sticky game you know so I I think we’ve handled those those elements of a season really well I really do and we haven’t had a chance now to look back on it like the whole thing but defensively you know outside of some angles a few weeks ago that were poor um I think the guys up front are still continuing to get better Toby and Ne comes to mind Kelton Kelton on the scene now a little bit um we’re doing a good job with matchups uh you know obviously Cody um Keenan they keep getting better they show up in every game and so I like the way we’re playing up front I I know I know this like I think that should probably be be talked about more like we’re disruptive up front and you know in the first game I thought we played extremely hard that’ll be important so that they can’t stick blocks and stay on blocks and then if we can cause that ball to bounce a little bit I I think we have a chance for production I really do and we need to we’re just we’re battling that corner I mean that’s probably the thing that’s held us back to be to evaluate us as one unit you know we have had a lot of guys in and out all year and I know like our depth needs to continue to improve but actually as I sit here as a number two seed playing at home in the section you know final here I I think we’ve done a good job of weathering some storms and and guys continuing to battle Jee you had a question get back to that point on tough physical football do you have better access to these players these teams you know Montana State South Dakota South Dakota state is there is there recruiting area I think we believe in development and that’s where it starts not a lot of these guys are all I mean South Dakota State probably Echo the same thing right they believe in the weight room they believe in nutrition I know coach neelson does nutrition being lean being big and strong you know I I made a comment to the the guys earlier I asked them watching South Dakota South Dakota State I just gez the South Dakota running backs are just strong you know in watching that game I development kids that are willing to work and work at it and be coached I think that’s there’s a combination of that and then they they grown pretty big up here you know you get into Wisconsin and Minnesota and Iowa uh Nebraska I mean there’s some big tall kids that are are just on the verge of becoming 300 Pounders and if they stay the course they can be developed it still takes coaching this game will always be about coaching in relationships to me thankfully you don’t have to rely on the poral in to get 20 guys every year well it’s yeah there’s another interesting one that’s come up right the last two three weeks talking with abene Christian’s head coach and how they handled recruiting I talked to Jay sville today at Wyoming I’m I’m very thankful that I got to look at aund and plus guys yesterday that are grateful to be here now we got to get get through the 29th or whenever the window closes but um I think it says a lot about the parents I think it says a lot about background and you know Supporting Cast and and being loyal and staying true to what you committed to um because both or all four teams I think have have pretty good siiz senior groups that settle down for you at all the portal aspect of it I know when it first opened it was a real you know Weighing on the back it just it just doesn’t slow down guys we are just on the gas okay it it December January April it’s all different than it used to be June okay so I can’t wait to get to July hopefully after we can get to Frisco I can’t wait to get to July in a couple Fridays in February where we’ll take some time but that’s all we get otherwise we are full throttle and thank God for all of our wives that are so supportive it it doesn’t slow down you’re managing a lot I got interrupted today 22 times because we’re we’re looking at a couple things how’s your healthwise right now for your team well it’s the same I again I always struggle with that when you ask it broad because I’m not really thinking about who in particular are you thinking words practice last night and I kind of you know I just high five you know I’m thinking and this guy will lay down the line for us one more time and I hope it can be two but my guess is that he’s going to go how big a game he had here an impact that he can have in this game well I think you know especially if it’s a in the Box in the Box game and he gets a chance to square people up he’s effective you know once it becomes that perimeter kind of thing you know maybe kubitz right now with W’s health is a much better option but I think I think having everybody available that wants to play a physical football that’s willing to lay their body on the line a little bit depending on the stage of the career I mean fifth and sixth year guys playing in these kind of Wars it’s going to be a physical battle Marty’s toe Marty’s toe he’s going to have to manage it and I you know actually looking back on it he carried it 11 times I didn’t see much there of of a of a I my guess is that he would Cowboy Up he smiles and say coach it is what it is I’m going you know and so I don’t know if it’s even an issue but Shep you know will probably be more of a midweek or maybe even a game plan kind of decision you’ve been part of semi-final games here in the past this may sound crazy but is this the hardest game to win it’s the game to get you there is you’ve been part of him is this the hardest one to win okay Don Morton I’m not saying this Don Morton told the team when we had him come in I think it was 12 all right it was obvious I don’t want to slight Sam Houston State it was obvious that we were going to play the GE Georgia Southern game and it was a national title to him he said guys one thing I’ve learned through all the playoff runs in the division 2 era is that you never know when you’re going to play the national title so that’s just it I I me personally with the respect level I have for South Dakota State um I just think this is a heavyweight fight whether or not it’s the national title or not would be too disrespectful to the number one team in the land which is Montana State and then a team that beat us down there at home I I just don’t know if that’s fair to say but I just I got a sense I’ve got a real sense that this is going to be one of those could be one of those for the story books maybe for uh uh Jeff’s second book Jimmy was pretty open after the game about seeing you guys again do you have that as well that one one way or the other we’re going to see them again I actually didn’t and I I was actually caught off guard I have such great respect for uh Mark you know that I just said you know Mark you’re a phenomenal player can’t wait to see you play at the next level you know keep doing what you’re doing from my understanding he’s the glue that’s kept that whole thing together along with the staff but he’s the glue and Mark out there I mean coach we’ll see you again you know so I can imagine how you feel after a loss wanting that so badly and and Jimmy being able to predict it um no I I just wasn’t in that mindset I was on to the next game or you know thinking about how to celebrate that win because it’s tough to get I mean these guys you guys were there it took a it took a two-minute drive it took an interception I mean I I I think this is what we’re looking at this week you know who can weather the storm who plays the cleanest early right a turnover or two could really sway this game you know a big hit on a particular quarterback could sway this game I mean Tom Moore talked about um and he’s you know he’s been on some shows recently he’s still coaching for the Buccaneers and he taught me you know Tim every game comes down to you know six plays and I referred to those as the mystery six cuz you just don’t know if it’s a dropped hitch that could go for 25 or is it a dropped pick in the first quarter that could separate and I brought it up Monday night I want each and every one of you guys to think about was there a play you could have made if it was a one- score game that would have been the difference and a couple guys right and I was talking to a few a couple guys that kind of nodded and got my point exactly it just wow I mean I’m super excited for our fans I know they’ve been waiting for this moment it’s going to be a packed house and I’m anticipating two teams that are going to be thoroughly prepared and fresh to go on Saturday at 11:00 too right how cool is that I I’m I’m fired up about an 11:00 kick more in the trenches you know how excited are you cuz I know you love offensive line play yeah it’s interesting you went to the trenches I’m thinking more back tight end linebacker collisions I I have a lot of respect for how those three linebackers play the game on their side I think we’re getting better in how we play and then on top of it maybe this thing boils down as simply as you know who supports the run the best which second supports the the perimeter game and supports and gets to the party on the inside runs when they’re asked to fit they ask their safeties to be in fits it’s clear’s Day on on film we do the same you know so who safeties and who linebackers can hit fits and tackle the football will have a determining Factor on this not as much as in the trenches that’s actually what I’m thinking about run fits and tackling run fits and tackling who squares people up on isolation blocks who who gets the job done you know on Perimeter box type blocks you’re clearly excited about this game a little enthusiasm in here today so how do you do you give that to the team as well you’re trying to kind of Ratchet it back so they’re not over Le I mean how do you no I know the good news is I’m the same guy every day so I think if I went the other way they would say like what’s wrong with Coach I just don’t anticipate me having to spend two three hours of of just hammering away of trying to come up with a few words that are inspiring I I think it’s you know we’re probably going to touch on play clean football make them beat us right it’s going to come down to some Playmakers making plays and then the team that Embraces physicality and effort will win I mean I I don’t see myself being any more calm I always find a way to get the tone the the volume goes up and they’ve seem to respond pretty good to that when you were here the first time southw state was was good um but they seem to have taken it to another level the last couple three years what what’s do you see anything different how many seniors did they have last last year well okay so they had a huge number of seniors last year they got a huge number of seniors again this year it it’s just a really good job of maintaining and sustaining and developing um the program I would just I compare it a lot to how we got to where we we are now today and um where it’s at when you get to this level I hope everybody takes a moment to enjoy it it this is not as much about results as is about the journey in the process and respecting the process of what really good football and really good teams look like this is college sports at a at a really high level’s been really in my opinion really good how much of a surprise is that to you knowing his football background but to his thir him when he got here in January and been your starting center all year no Fry’s just been solid and he’s continued to get better but I think he separated himself fairly early I know I didn’t mention that as early as you guys probably would like um but I thought I thought honestly that somewhere in their early and fall Camp I mean it was kind of going to be his deal and that all started in the wait room and that all started with re you know responses of questions I had for Coach Kramer and how he was working and his strength levels and then the respect that he was gaining like like I mentioned from Gray and from Mason and that he was part of that group pretty early on uh a little bit like Griff too I mean we I think we’re forgetting that Griff is a walk-on kid that he’s a red shirt freshman he has a ways to go of as far as Improvement you know we’re just we’re a little bit young at some spots in there and then old around them but Fry’s been really impressive and I’ve I really liked how he’s taken to to Dan and the coaching and how he goes up in their off up in his office and they can talk one-on-one because the center meeting’s a little bit different than um an old line meeting he’s done a really good job well you know and his his father has done a good job preparing him and he can handle a lot of football going off with that you know you mentioned that you had gray and Mason already figured out there but then when you start to see Frey kind of try to kind of start to separate himself a little bit with that kind of a breath of fresh air at that point in the fall Camp yeah most certainly is but we need three guys that can snap and that’s you know that’s always a concern you just got to keep developing that position and backup depth as well this is a lot of players last game you know at the Fargo D how special is it to be able to share that moment with players like ham and gray and and being a part of that it’s it’s it’s special I don’t think that I don’t think that that’s going to be on their mind it’s just it’s kind of like unfinished business and it was all those moments that we talked last two weeks you know or last three like why are you guys tight and those kind of things I think they’re over that it’s just a really good look in their eyes right now they know the opponent they know us guys I I think the team that handles the momentum like right let’s talk about it a really good clean fast start for NDSU probably means a couple more points because the Dome will get right behind us and but we got to earn the Dome I mean we got to make it go from okay this is a great College environment to holy smokes this is this is one of the best college environments this is hard on the opposing offense we got to earn that
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