Head coach Rocky Long
On Oregon State
- Long said that he believes OSU is a tougher opponent than North Carolina, calling the Beavers an experienced team that doesn't make mistakes
- Thinks the game will come down to one simple thing: execution
- Long said that the Beavers' running game looked bad last year because they fell behind early against SDSU and had to throw the ball all the time to catch up. He believes the OSU running game is much better than last year indicated.
On OSU QB Sean Mannion and how to defend him
- "(Mannion) is, in my opinion, an NFL-caliber guy. He might go in the high rounds of the NFL Draft this year."
- "The most impressive thing about him is that he never gets rattled. Things go bad, it doesn't bother him, he just keeps hanging in there and throwing the ball--and most of the time it's right on the money."
- Long said that he believes SDSU's defense must show Mannion different looks to keep him off-balance all game. He said that's the only chance you have against a QB like Mannion.
On SDSU's history against big-time programs
- "The history of that means absolutely nothing to this football team. Most of that is ancient history, and most of the kids in this program don't know about it and they don't care about it."
On beating a big-time program on the road
- "One of these times it's going to happen, and it's going to happen while I'm here."
- "We've already done that, but you guys don't give credit for that. I remember this team going to Boise when they were ranked 19th and that was on the road and we won that game. Does that not break the trend?"
- "I'm not worried about national reputation. I'm worried about beating Oregon State."
On the health of linebackers Derek Largent and Josh Gavert
- Long said that Largent and Gavert are pretty much as close to 100 percent as they're going to get. Went on to say that no player is truly 100 percent until three or four weeks after the season ends.
On revenge and rivalries in today's age of college football
- "They talk to each other over the phones, they're got buddies on that team ... Recruiting is a lot different than it used to be. Players didn't know each other. If you're from one school you don't hardly know the players on the other team. Now they're best buddies. They've played in 7-on-7 camps with each other, they've been on traveling teams together."
- Long said that, in the old days, rivalries lasted all year. Now they last just one week.
On how BYE week can help the Aztecs
- Long said that, in his experience, games after big road trips are always problematic. Having a BYE week eliminates that problem, he said.
On SDSU pre-conference schedule
- Long said that his team will benefit greatly from facing two great quarterbacks with different styles in back-to-back games (UNC's Marquise Williams and OSU's Sean Mannion). He said it will prepare his team for conference play and that the pre-conference schedule is the best thing that could have happened to the team.
OL Terry Poole, LB Cody Galea and QB Quinn Kaehler
On Oregon State and QB Sean Mannion
- Kaehler said that the Beavers are better than they were last year. He said that they're not too complicated but do everything well.
- Galea: "Can't give (Mannion) time. Give him an extra second back there and he'll tear you apart." Galea also said that the game won't come down to Mannion. He said it will come down to OSU's whole squad versus SDSU's whole squad.
- The players stressed that this game is no different from any other game, despite it being against a power-5 conference team.
On last year's game against Oregon State
- Galea: "Last year was last year, you can't do anything about that. The only thing we can do is win this year, so it's not really a revenge thing. We want to win every game we play, that's what it comes down to."
On playing on the road
- Galea said that the team likes playing on the road, especially hearing the home crowd get quiet.