Jeff Monken Press Conference Quotes: Air Force

WEST POINT, N.Y. – Army West Point football head coach Jeff Monken met with members of the local media on Tuesday afternoon for his weekly press conference inside Nowak Auditorium.

The Black Knights head to Colorado Springs for a 1:30 p.m. Mountain Time game with rival Air Force on Saturday. This will be the Cadets' first meeting this season with a service-academy foe. The contest will be carried live on CBS Sports Network with Ben Holden, Jay Feely and Lauren Gardener on the call.

(Ref.: Opening Statement)
"Thanks everybody. We didn't get a chance to be here last week and talk about the game against Temple, so just hitting on that really quick. Just the excitement of winning that game, and how proud we were of our team to find a way to win. We really had our backs to the wall. And just an incredible effort by the offense to take that last drive down there, and then in overtime, by the entire team to find a way to finish the game. It was a really exciting finish, and we are really proud of our team. When you win like that, oftentimes the emotion takes a lot out of you. It was frankly kind of nice after two games in a row of having close finishes to get a little breather and get healthier than we've been after eight-straight games to head into this contest.

"We are excited about this game. Obviously, the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy is on the line each time one of these academy games is played. It's a highly coveted trophy by everybody that's involved, and certainly for us. It's something that we'd like to earn, and hopefully, we will play well enough this Saturday to give ourselves a chance to be in position to do that. We've been practicing for the last couple of weeks, and got our guys some rest this past weekend. Just looking forward to the opportunity and hopefully our guys will be ready. It's a game that we've struggled in the last three years that I've been here, so we really need to play much better than we have."

(Ref.: On how the team handled the bye week and how it helps them prepare for a team like Air Force)
"I thought the guys did a good job. I think having the game against Air Force be the one that we are preparing for in the bye week helps because there is a lot of emotion and intensity in these games so it's a lot easier to get them back on track. I think sometimes teams can fall into the trap or just kind of put the brakes on a little bit in a week where they don't have a game. I don't feel like our guys did that. I thought they really handled it well and I hope they did. There's plenty that's different with what Air Force does compared to the seven opponents that we've faced prior so the extra days were nice for us to get a game plan and preparation in."

(Ref.: On the athleticism of slot back Kell Walker and his ability to provide an offensive boost)
"I think he does a really good job. He did some really good things a year ago. I think that entire group of slot backs has been really solid for us with Jordan Asberry, John Trainor and Kell. Even guys like Tyler Campbell a year ago had some big plays on the pitch. He's no longer in the program, but he certainly hit some big plays. It's good to have some guys like that who you feel like if you can get them the ball on the perimeter, they can take it a long way.

"I think overall, our ability to run the football with all of the pieces has improved. The fullbacks are having a good year with (Darnell) Woolfolk, (Andy) Davidson, (Calen) Holt and (Connor) Slomka. Those guys are having a really good year. That helps everything go. I think it's a combination of both Kell being a good athlete, which I think he is, but also having some other guys who have been able to do their jobs too."

(Ref.: On using last year's loss to Air Force as a motivation for this year's game)
"Every year this is a big game. I don't know that anything that has happened in the past can give you any more motivation than you would have anyway. Like I said, that trophy is highly coveted by the academies, certainly by us. We'd like to get it back here so what's happened in the past doesn't matter. It's the responsibility of this team to do our best to try to get it done this year. I'm sure our guys will be motivated plenty to try and win the game"

(Ref.: On whether bringing the CIC Trophy back to West Point was one of his top goals when he took over as head coach)
"Absolutely. I think as the coach you feel a sense of responsibility to do that. I know what a big deal it is to this institution, just as it is to the others. It is a great sense of responsibility I have. Hopefully we'll be able to do it. I can't do it myself. The players are the ones that have to do it. So hopefully we'll have them positioned and give them the best chance that we can so that they can earn it."

(Ref.: On the challenges that Air Force's offense presents)
"It's a challenge. This offensive, to defend it, is tough. There are so many moving parts. There are so many different formations and things that the offense can do to get people's eyes in the wrong place. It's tough and it's going to take every practice we got to get our guys in position. That's from the back end all the way to the nose guard. The guys right in front of the ball. We've got a scheme that we believe in, a philosophy on defense, and we can't just wholesale change what we do. It's what our guys understand and we practice those things against our own offense. We try to get reps banked so that when we get to these games, it's not something brand new.

"The guys on the back end have to help us in the run game, but they also have to have enough eye discipline and play their assignments so that we don't get beat on a play action pass and get beat over the top. They (Air Force) have been able to do that to other people and hurt them. Look at the game last week against Colorado State. They hit a big play action pass late in the game and it sealed the victory for them. We can't allow that and whoever is back there is going to have to make sure they are doing a really good job with assignments."

(Ref.: On the special teams contribution to the team's overall success this year)
"What's really improved so far is the specialists. The guys that are kicking, punting, and snapping the ball have done a really good job. A year ago, looking at our punt average, it wasn't great. Our punt return defense was good, but we weren't punting it very far down the field. This year, Nick (Schrage) has done a really good job with punting the ball, and helping us gain extra yards there. We've had a couple of returns that have popped out on us, which I'm disappointed about, and I wish we could've done a better job with that.

"My job as a coach is to get these guys positioned better. So hopefully that will continue to improve. I think Blake Wilson has done a really great job and has stepped in there for some really big kicks. The one in overtime against Temple was a huge one, and I'm really proud of him. We have a freshman snapper who has done a really nice job, and Scott Flanick is a veteran guy back as a snapper as well, so we have a lot of different guys. They're making a difference for our football team quietly, which people might not notice when you're kicking the football well, it is kind of an expectation. But I think they've made a difference for us."

Army West Point Athletics

Jeff Monken Press Conference Quotes: Air Force

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John Trainor

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