On Tuesday’s practice:
I was pleased to see the intensity of the work. We understand the quality of the opponent, and our guyas are aware that it will take a big-time effort to get it done.

On blaring “Hokey-Pokey” over the loudspeakers:
“We’ve got some guys who haven’t been listening to me when I say I’m going to make them go to class. We have a little bit of a regimen they’re going to have to go through now they’ve missed class. That’s the music they’re going to be doing it to. We call them the roly-polies, and hokey-pokey’s as close as I can get.”

On field position:
“It’s important when you feel like you need to protect your defense. When you feel like you’re playing defense with your offense. You’re trying to keep the ball away from them, you’re trying to make the opponent impatient. That’s not necessarily the case against a Stanford team that’s going to pound and pound and pound. I’m not sure it’s as meaningful statistic in games like this.”

On starting the same offensive line for four straight weeks:
“The offensive line might be the most important group that has that continuity. They just all have to be on the same page. The communication that’s going on in the trenches is huge, and when you get good at it, you start using dummy calls, and then the defense really doesn’t know what the heck’s going on.”

On competition on the offensive line:
“You still want to keep competition going – that’s always going to be the hallmark of a program – but you have to be able to count on guys. When another guy comes in, it’s like a badge of honor to be part of it.”

On Kevin Craft getting reps with the ones in practice:
“Kevin played a consistent game the other night. I hope that he’ll improve just like I hope the rest of the team will improve. If he can have a consistent good performance, he’ll give us a chance to be successful. Richard Brehaut will continue to get reps and continue to compete.”

On last season’s last-minute win over Stanford, and how it bodes for Craft:
“I think all positive memoires are goods. They certainly beat the alternative. I think that can only be helpful. It’s a different team, a better team that we’re playing. Hopefully we are, too.”

On how the Kansas State win reaffirmed faith in Craft:
“I think it’s not so much their faith in him, I think they were just happy for him. He’s a very popular player amongst his teammates. They respect him for the way he’s handled the adversity, for the way he kept getting up despite some tough licks he took a year ago, both literally and figuratively. I think they admire the fact that he wasn’t pouting when it wasn’t going to be his turn. Competitors sense that in other competitors, and they respect it.”

On how last season’s turnovers affect this year:
“I haven’t thought about that, and hopefully Kevin isn’t thinking about it. This is a different team and Kevin is a diff player. I don’t want to give him any negative thoughts to harbor on. We all know we can’t turn the ball over and be a successful team. He’s got big boy shoulder pads. He can handle it.”

On the cornerback battle:
“Right now Sheldon Price is on top of that spot. We’ll wait until absolutely necessary to making that decision. It’s a comfort factor as we put in the defensive game plan, matchups, all that stuff goes into it. Right now (he’s starting) because of how he played against Kansas State and his size.”

On Stanford running back Toby Gerhart:
“They’re running back is maybe as good as there is in the country. He’s a different kind of running back. He’s not going to try to make you miss as many times as some as some of the elusive guys do. He’s as powerful and tough to bring down as any back I’ve seen in college football for some time. And they know what they had in him, and they feed him. He gets hits chances. There are a number of players who are very hard to defense, but they don’t get the ball thirty times a game.”

On trying to defend a big running back:
“Our defense is off to a good start, but this will be an interesting test. We’ll put Jayson Allmond at tailback some. He’s a big youngster, and we’ll see if we can’t create an environment that’s similar.”

On Stanford wideout/returner Chris Owusu:
“You’ve got to have great coverage. Good hang-time or you have to decide you have to do some other things with the kick. You kind of pick your approach and you go play. But it’s a great challenge for a coverage unit.”

On Stanford linebacker Bo McNally:
“He reminds me of a throwback, he’d play without a facemask I bet. They’ve got a crew of guys who are very assignment conscious who look like they play their heart out. These guys are very, very sound, good players. They’re not going to beat themselves.”