USU head coach Gary Andersen and five players address the media Saturday afternoon at USU’s Media Day.USU head coach Gary AndersenOn how fall camp is going:”Well after three practices, I would say we are making progress. Today was not our best day; I think there was some anxiousness when we got the pads on. There were more errors than I would have liked to seen. I think our kicking game was very poor today as far as the field goal standpoint, so that would be the negatives.The positives would be that the kids are in shape. I think there `want to’ is high which it has been from the very beginning and continues to be at a very, very high level as far as them working hard and their willingness to and their ability to compete every day has been very, very good.Now we are still early in camp so if we still have that same attitude a week from now then we should continue to make progress.”On injuries at this point:”There are no injuries right now that are factors at all. We lost (junior wide receiver) Matt Austin, but that was obviously before camp happened. I believe that was a pretty big blow to the wide receiver group. He seemed to be a very talented young man when we recruited him.”We are definitely a work in progress. A couple of little position changes just on the defensive line. Devin Johnson is going to play defensive end. Right now Quinn Garner is going to move in and play some defensive tackle for us. Jamaine Olson is going to play some corner/safety. Probably more focused on safety now over the next week or so for sure. He was recruited as a corner, but we are going to move him back to safety.” On progress of junior PK/P Peter Caldwell:”He didn’t kick the ball well today at all, so we had three situations where he missed two and the first one was blocked. So as of right now, not very good. We will go back to those same situations on Monday when we can get back to a live situation and get after it. I thought it was a fairly physical drill, we can’t go live right now without pads on. We didn’t protect well, we didn’t kick the ball well.”On the overall strength of the team:”Our physicalness and overall strength were poor in January when we walked in here, and I would say that is was no secret to the team. I am not telling you guys anything that I don’t tell them. They have done a tremendous job in improving it; we are a much stronger team than we were six months ago. How much stronger we are in terms of football field strong I will have a much better idea once we get the pads on.”Sophomore running back Robert TurbinOn how practice has been going:”Practice has been going pretty good so far, the first few days. We are just seeing where guys are right now. We are just trying to get better from the spring and summer, but we are looking pretty good.”On his own improvement:”I am a lot stronger than I was last year. I got stronger in the summer. I stayed here in May instead of going home to work on some things that I felt I needed to work on to be a better football player. I do feel a lot stronger, and it made me a better football player.”On expectations of the team:”When Coach (Andersen) first came here he said, `We have all the potential in the world. You have guys with great speed and guys with great strength. You just haven’t shown it. It just hasn’t shown on the field in the past years.’ He wants to press on us that we have all this potential and we can play. So we just have to play and execute. We have to calm down a little bit and relax and play football.Junior quarterback Diondre BorelOn how practice is going:”We have practiced the last three days, and it has been pretty good. The first couple days everyone is getting back to it and there are a lot of new guys, you have to help them learn the plays. Today’s practice was pretty; it was the first time in shells. Everyone was moving around fast. It has been pretty good so far.”On his expectations for himself his junior season:” I feel like I can throw the ball a little bit better. I am pretty sure I can do that this year Our quarterbacks coach (Coach McGiven) has helped me a lot during the spring when he first came up here. I know I can use my legs, so throwing the ball should be a lot better.”On his expectations with a new coaching staff:” All the coaches that came in thought very highly of us. They knew that we have talent, just a little bit of coaching would make us better. I believe that they expect a lot from us and we expect a lot from each other. Going through the spring and the start of the fall camp, a lot of people have more confidence in themselves. Everybody is just flying around in practices, ready to play. Everyone is excited.”Senior offensive center Brennan McFadden:On first practices:”Right now, practices are going really well, they’ve been really high tempo since the start. We just put shoulder pads on today and it’s been a lot higher tempo than we’re used to. Today was a little tiring but it’s what we need. Practices have been going really well.”On Coach Andersen saying that offensive and defensive lines need to get better:”Of course, if Coach Andersen tells us we need to get better, he’s making it known that we need to get better and we’re taking it on ourselves everyday. We go against the defensive line every day and they’ve gotten a lot better these first few days than they were in the spring. Hopefully it doesn’t matter whether we get better by an inch or by a mile, we just want to get better each day.”On being more comfortable at the center position:”Spring was good for me to get more used to playing center after playing the last half of the season there. It’s good to know from the coaches what position I’m going to play and it’s been a great experience. It’s what I want to do and where I want to play.”On offensive line:”We want to get better as a unit everyday. (Offensive line) Coach Gerke has instilled in us a hard work mentality. He’s getting us to have an attitude of when we walk over the white line onto the field, it’s all about business, all intensity and working hard. We want our film to be our resumé so when they watch film, they’ll see that we’re physical, that we work hard, we’re intense and we leave it all on the field. I feel that we’re continuing to do that throughout the season.”Senior safety James Brindley:On defense in camp so far:”We’re in a new defensive scheme and we’re picking it up fast. We’ve done a great job of picking things up, on the field guys are flying to the ball and hustling to the ball. Everything is so far, so good.”What to expect from secondary as a group:”We have a lot of experience back there with (Kejon) Murphy and (Chris) Randle, and myself, we’ve all played three years so that’s huge for us. Experience is vital for our whole defense. You can’t teach experience. We have a lot of speed back there as well, so hopefully you’ll see a lot of tipped balls and not getting beat and things like that. We hope it’s a good year for the defensive backs.”On new defensive putting more pressure on opposition’s offense:”It’s a little more difficult and more complex. I’d have a little harder time picking it up if I were a freshman, but since I’ve been playing for three years, along with Kejon and Chris, we’re able to pick it up a little better. It’s difficult, but it’s a lot more fun in ways as well. You’re always locked up on a man and not sitting in a zone, so you have to use your speed as well as more technique, but the coaches have been great at teaching us everything.”On Curtis Marsh adjusting to cornerback after switching from running back:”He already has the speed, which is huge and has helped him out a lot. He’s has a great feel for that position since he played it a little bit in high school. He’s really picking things up everyday. He’s one of the guys who is making huge strides everyday. He’ll be a big help for us in talent and depth at corner.”Senior cornerback Kejon Murphy:On defense so far:”Defense is going great so far. We just have to clean up a few things, get the younger guys getting going on everything so we can have some depth and talent. Overall, things are going good so far.”On fitting in to Coach Andersen and defensive coordinator Coach Busch’s defense and being able to shut down half of the field:”I’m thankful for the opportunity and I’ve never had the chance before, so I’m just running with it. I feel like I can pretty much shut down anyone. With the scheme that they’ve brought here to Utah State, I feel like it is a great opportunity for me and the other guys. My corners coach, Coach Raymond, is a great coach, a great technician. He’s teaching me a lot of little things I didn’t know before he came, so he’s helped me out a lot. The sky’s the limit for me.”On cornerbacks as a group being prepared for man-to-man defense:”Right now we’re not, but as we keep going on through practice and guys learn and improve on their roles, I think we can do it. The more practice we get it at, we should be able to lock receivers down. We have unbelievable talent and speed out there, we just have to put it all together and know our roles.”On having experience of seven starters and 24 letterwinners back on defense making things easier for learning new defensive scheme:”I think that with the players that we have and the new players that we recruited, I think that this scheme is better and we’re only going to improve. We’ve always had a fast defense, we are just able to be in an attack more at all times. We can bring the blitzes and have the corners cover. I think our defense is going to shock some people.”On expectations of team and how everyone around town is talking about Utah State football:”We have high expectations, I think this town deserves a great year of football. It hasn’t been that way in a long time so this year I think they have high expectations with Coach Andersen, the talent we have returning and with the new recruits that he brought in. We’re just ready to get this thing rolling, start something new and get this program steered in the right direction.”-USU-