Head Coach Mike Macdonald Recaps Week 10, Provides Injury Updates

Mike Macdonald (0:00)

All right, Monday's, Monday turnarounds are always, feel like they happen pretty quick, but good to see everybody. The players are in right now, we're just kind of finishing up. Food trucks are out there, so positive Monday, but also time to move on starting two minutes ago.

But yeah, great guys played great. You know, we had the lull there in the third quarter, which we need to learn from. Ball's been in jeopardy too often offensively, and so that's something we need to focus on moving forward. And I'll tell you what, the guys responded, though, in really tough situations. We knew this game, you know, it seems like based on the score, you think that it's a, you know, that it was just kind of like a, you know, whatever in the second half, but it was not the case. Arizona did a great job coming back, fighting, and making it a couple score game. So we had to close it out there in the fourth, and the guys responded, and they did a great job.

SPEAKER_2 (0:57)

With closing the game out, running the football, how did you see Olu step up during the second half?

Mike Macdonald (1:03)

Man, really excited for Olu, you know, talking about staying ready, and then when this opportunity presented itself, played some really good football for us, and he was really catalyst behind a lot of those runs.

SPEAKER_3 (1:15)

You didn't have it on Jalen Sundell at all?

Mike Macdonald (1:18)

Yeah, so it's going to be multiple weeks, and I'd say IR is under consideration with it, so not season ending as of today, but... So, I'm sorry, just, he's tough as crap. I mean, we'll see, we'll see how it goes, but hopefully we'll get him back.

SPEAKER_3 (1:41)

You didn't have as many situations last year when you guys were up, multiple scores. Anything you kind of started to pick up on what needs to change this year when you guys are in those situations?

Mike Macdonald (1:50)

Well, it's the second time against Arizona that we've, you know, they've gone down, you know, gone down the field and scored on us. We're looking at those things, you know, what we're calling, how we're playing it, how we're rotating our guys.

Offensively, it's really, I mean, your style of play cannot change. And that's not happening, but we just, we have to have that understanding and how, what we call and how we call the game will obviously change, you know, when you're, when the game starts to wane and you're going more up against the clock. But yesterday, definitely in the third quarter, we weren't just trying to run the clock out, we were trying to move the ball.

SPEAKER_2 (2:26)

Jalen was going to be out for a couple of weeks. And what's the game plan with, as far as center goes behind Olu, would Federico be a candidate there?

Mike Macdonald (2:35)

Yeah, we'll work through it. I mean, you know, Christian still has eligibility. If we move him up, you know, Bryce got some work yesterday, so we'll be getting other guys ready, but Olu will be our center right now.

SPEAKER_4 (2:47)

Does Sundell need surgery?

Mike Macdonald (2:49)

No.

SPEAKER_4 (2:50)

It's ligament or sprain or...?

Mike Macdonald (2:54)

Yeah, it's his knee.

SPEAKER_5 (2:56)

Mike, the production you're getting on Drake Thomas had two more tackles for loss, and he's going to lose some a little bit. Past breakups, tackle for all of the players. What's allowed him to produce at this level, I guess?

Mike Macdonald (3:08)

Well, I think it's elite preparation. Allows him to be decisive in those moments, and when you see it, go let it rip, man. I mean, there's a lot of things that go into a couple of those plays that are some pre-snap processing that he's doing at a really high level, and not a lot of people can do that, and it lets him play that fast, so it's really cool.

SPEAKER_4 (3:32)

What are you going to miss with Sundell out?

Mike Macdonald (3:35)

Well, I thought he was playing really well for us. A lot of the things that he does well, Olu does too, but Jalen, he's a great athlete, gets to the second level. You know, he's tough, resilient. I mean, all those things, but Olu is too. You know, Olu is also a really good player, and he's played great football for us, and that's what we're going to need from him.

SPEAKER_3 (3:58)

What have you seen from Christian in the couple of weeks he's been out here?

Mike Macdonald (4:01)

He's practicing well. He's not getting reps to the ones, but he's going up against our D-line, and this week we'll probably paint a better picture of what we need to do moving forward.