Arizona Coaches, Players Preview Kansas State Matchup

On what makes Avery Johnson an effective quarterback:

Spivey: "He is a fast thinker. He is good on his feet and makes fast decisions. I believe that he's also a good leader. He takes control of the offense when he needs to and he instills confidence in the rest of the players. I think that's one thing to keep in mind about him when we're going against him is just knowing that he's smart on the field, he has a really good sense of what's happening on the field and he is overall a good player."

On how the offense has looked through two games

Doege: "In the first game, I was a little frustrated with how we played in the second half because I thought their was a bit of a low... (The defense) gave us the ball on short field, so I felt like we did a good job of executing in the first half and in the second half, I felt like after halftime we kind of relaxed. We came out and scored right out of the gate and then relaxed, and that's not the standard I want to set. That's not the type of offense I want to be. I want to step on people's throats.

Last weekend, I thought we were way more explosive. I thought we had more opportunities to be explosive. In the first game, we were on short fields so the calls were a little bit different. This game, we got a chance to get into a rhythm early. I still wish we could have finished a little bit better. My standards are extremely high. Those kids know that, but I was really proud of how they played. I felt like both games the effort has been tremendous and the attention has been tremendous."

On Rhino Tapa'atoutai getting into last week's game

Doege: "I'm super proud of him. I think going through what he went through and the recovery is a rollercoaster. One day you feel great and the next week or two weeks, you feel like am I ever going to play again? I know from a mentality standpoint, that's a rollercoaster for him. Ever since I have been here, he has attacked the rehab process. and put himself in a position to be ready to play right now. I don't think that is always the case... I think for Rhino, it is just getting into football shape."

On Avery Johnson as a player and defending him

Gonzalez: "I have seen some improvement between this year and last year in how he is throwing the football which makes him even more scary because you got a guy who can run like that, you've got to play coverage and be able to stop the run...

The big plays that we have given up has been stuff that if we're supposed to cancel gaps and we don't cancel it, shame on you. That's our fault, so solve the things that need to be solved. The face of the opponent is not going to change whether it is this week or next week against Iowa State... I'm proud of where our football team is. That's all behind us now. We've beaten two teams we should have beat."

What are your expectations for Friday's game against Kansas State? Let us know and be sure to follow us on our X account by clicking on the link.