Army West Point Athletics
Jeff Monken Press Conference Quotes: Mercer
October 20, 2020 | Football
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Army West Point football head coach Jeff Monken met virtually with members of the local media on Tuesday afternoon for his weekly press conference inside Nowak Auditorium.
The Black Knights will look to win their fourth straight game this Saturday at Michie Stadium when they play Mercer for the first time since 1933. Kickoff is set for noon ET. The game will be aired on CBS Sports Network.
(Ref.: Opening Statement)
"I am really proud of our team and the effort they put in Saturday. It was a great team effort. I thought we played well enough in each phase to help us win the game. There were certain things that we have to correct and get better at. Overall, how well we played on defense -- to shut down what I thought was a really good offense and outstanding quarterback. They had great skill players. We didn't give up big plays and came up with the stops when we needed to. With the exception of the return they got on us, I thought our kick coverage was really good and we protected our kickers. We had a blocked PAT, that was the third time from Ryan Duran III, it was a really great play on his part. And the story of our two quarterbacks. Those two young guys who really had no experience in college football and the rest of the guys took care of them by doing their job. Doing a good job blocking and creating seams for them to run and the running backs. Coach (Brent) Davis had a great plan and it was very simple and the right game plan for the group of guys we had playing. I couldn't be more proud of that effort and we beat a really good football team."
(Ref.: On whether Cade Ballard and Tyhier Tyler's performance ranks among the best Army has had)
"I don't know if I thought about it in that regard, but it was certainly a great performance. What was so impressive was that neither one was rattled at all. From the first snap, neither one of them were rattled. They've both been in big games. They've both won a lot of games as quarterbacks in high school and I think Coach Davis gave them plays that they could handle and that everyone was really confident in and it was that kind of game plan. We just lined up and had to block people and move people and not a lot of ball exchanges. There weren't a lot of pitch plays and those kinds of things. There were some, and those guys handled it and did a really good job with it. But I thought they performed about as well as we could've expected in their first action. That's for sure."
(Ref.: On what the team needs to work on heading into game against Mercer)
"They do some really unique things on offense, so defensively we just need to prepare for them. Coach (Drew) Cronic has a great reputation in the profession. His dad is a long time High School coach at East Coweta in Georgia. He is a legendary coach. Drew has been around football his whole life. He has a very good staff and there are a lot of good players on that football team. There are a lot of guys that we have cross paths with in recruiting. We obviously recruit the state of Georgia very hard, so we are familiar with a lot of their players. We know that they have a really talented group and we're just going to have to play very well. They have familiarity with the offense on their defensive staff. Bob Bodine, who was on staff here for a couple of years, is their co-offensive coordinator, so I'm sure he's going to be able to provide some help there. We just have to have ourselves ready and hopefully we'll be able to execute."
(Ref.: On if Saturday's win was the best overall performance of the year)
"I thought it was a great performance. It was a very physical game. I don't know if it was the most complete game overall. I thought that the opening game against Middle Tennessee State was really probably the most complete game. We shut them out, we scored every time we had it, we didn't have to punt. I just think that was probably the best overall performance, but at this point everyone has improved. I hope we've improved and certainly we faced a team Saturday in UTSA who had played five games already themselves. So, they were seasoned and prepared and I thought a very physical and good football team. I thought we played them very well for the team that they are. They are tough and big. They are an enormous football team. When those guys came out for warmups, maybe I just had amnesia and didn't remember from a year ago, but they were a big football team. They had long guys and are very impressive looking, so I was really pleased with the way our guys played against them. I think Coach Traylor is doing a very good job with that program."
(Ref.: on what having two young QBs lead the team to victory says about the program)
"I don't know if it says anything about the program. I think it was just a tremendous effort on their part and I thought a great job by the staff, Coach Davis and the offensive staff, Coach (Cody) Worley the quarterbacks coach, to have them prepared and just the supporting cast – I think those guys were really determined to take care of those two young quarterbacks and take it off of them. Like I said, everything wasn't hanging in the balance on how they played – they certainly made a difference but a lot of it was on the other 10 guys that were out there as well, and it always is. It's never one guy, but that's an awfully important position. I think the system that we have offensively, just the carry-over from year to year, that our guys learn the same things and develop the same skills each year. None of that changes. The terminology and the philosophy helps a guy grow up in the program and when it gets to be their time, they're prepared. I think the quarterback position is certainly an important piece to the offense, but there's a lot of guys out there that played an important part in Saturday's win and played an important part in our other victories. Sometimes when there's a new starter at some of those other positions it goes unnoticed a lot more than when there's a new quarterback."
The Black Knights will look to win their fourth straight game this Saturday at Michie Stadium when they play Mercer for the first time since 1933. Kickoff is set for noon ET. The game will be aired on CBS Sports Network.
(Ref.: Opening Statement)
"I am really proud of our team and the effort they put in Saturday. It was a great team effort. I thought we played well enough in each phase to help us win the game. There were certain things that we have to correct and get better at. Overall, how well we played on defense -- to shut down what I thought was a really good offense and outstanding quarterback. They had great skill players. We didn't give up big plays and came up with the stops when we needed to. With the exception of the return they got on us, I thought our kick coverage was really good and we protected our kickers. We had a blocked PAT, that was the third time from Ryan Duran III, it was a really great play on his part. And the story of our two quarterbacks. Those two young guys who really had no experience in college football and the rest of the guys took care of them by doing their job. Doing a good job blocking and creating seams for them to run and the running backs. Coach (Brent) Davis had a great plan and it was very simple and the right game plan for the group of guys we had playing. I couldn't be more proud of that effort and we beat a really good football team."
(Ref.: On whether Cade Ballard and Tyhier Tyler's performance ranks among the best Army has had)
"I don't know if I thought about it in that regard, but it was certainly a great performance. What was so impressive was that neither one was rattled at all. From the first snap, neither one of them were rattled. They've both been in big games. They've both won a lot of games as quarterbacks in high school and I think Coach Davis gave them plays that they could handle and that everyone was really confident in and it was that kind of game plan. We just lined up and had to block people and move people and not a lot of ball exchanges. There weren't a lot of pitch plays and those kinds of things. There were some, and those guys handled it and did a really good job with it. But I thought they performed about as well as we could've expected in their first action. That's for sure."
(Ref.: On what the team needs to work on heading into game against Mercer)
"They do some really unique things on offense, so defensively we just need to prepare for them. Coach (Drew) Cronic has a great reputation in the profession. His dad is a long time High School coach at East Coweta in Georgia. He is a legendary coach. Drew has been around football his whole life. He has a very good staff and there are a lot of good players on that football team. There are a lot of guys that we have cross paths with in recruiting. We obviously recruit the state of Georgia very hard, so we are familiar with a lot of their players. We know that they have a really talented group and we're just going to have to play very well. They have familiarity with the offense on their defensive staff. Bob Bodine, who was on staff here for a couple of years, is their co-offensive coordinator, so I'm sure he's going to be able to provide some help there. We just have to have ourselves ready and hopefully we'll be able to execute."
(Ref.: On if Saturday's win was the best overall performance of the year)
"I thought it was a great performance. It was a very physical game. I don't know if it was the most complete game overall. I thought that the opening game against Middle Tennessee State was really probably the most complete game. We shut them out, we scored every time we had it, we didn't have to punt. I just think that was probably the best overall performance, but at this point everyone has improved. I hope we've improved and certainly we faced a team Saturday in UTSA who had played five games already themselves. So, they were seasoned and prepared and I thought a very physical and good football team. I thought we played them very well for the team that they are. They are tough and big. They are an enormous football team. When those guys came out for warmups, maybe I just had amnesia and didn't remember from a year ago, but they were a big football team. They had long guys and are very impressive looking, so I was really pleased with the way our guys played against them. I think Coach Traylor is doing a very good job with that program."
(Ref.: on what having two young QBs lead the team to victory says about the program)
"I don't know if it says anything about the program. I think it was just a tremendous effort on their part and I thought a great job by the staff, Coach Davis and the offensive staff, Coach (Cody) Worley the quarterbacks coach, to have them prepared and just the supporting cast – I think those guys were really determined to take care of those two young quarterbacks and take it off of them. Like I said, everything wasn't hanging in the balance on how they played – they certainly made a difference but a lot of it was on the other 10 guys that were out there as well, and it always is. It's never one guy, but that's an awfully important position. I think the system that we have offensively, just the carry-over from year to year, that our guys learn the same things and develop the same skills each year. None of that changes. The terminology and the philosophy helps a guy grow up in the program and when it gets to be their time, they're prepared. I think the quarterback position is certainly an important piece to the offense, but there's a lot of guys out there that played an important part in Saturday's win and played an important part in our other victories. Sometimes when there's a new starter at some of those other positions it goes unnoticed a lot more than when there's a new quarterback."
Players Mentioned
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Army Cycle!
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Army vs. Lehigh Women's Lacrosse Game Highlights (Senior Day)
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Army vs. Boston University Softball Game 1 Highlights
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