Stanford OLB Ernest Cooper IV and QB Elijah Brown look ahead to Miami 

On Tuesday, Stanford redshirt junior outside linebacker Ernest Cooper IV and redshirt freshman quarterback Elijah Brown spoke to the media in advance of Saturday’s game at Miami. Below are some thoughts and takeaways. 

VIDEO: Stanford Football Weekly Press Conference | Miami Week-Ernest Cooper IV and Elijah Brown

Starting with Cooper, he said something they’ve been preaching on defense is grit and perseverance. It got too close at the end, but still was able to get the stop in the end. He said the key to their mentality is play the next play and not worry about what happened on the previous play. That’s been the mentality of the whole team. He feels like the locker room and brotherhood that they’ve built has helped them foster something special and that has really been the key to their ability to be 3-0 at home to start the season. 

No team has allowed fewer red zone touchdowns in the ACC than Stanford even though they’ve allowed the most red zone opportunities. They lead in the ACC in red zone percentage. Cooper said the key to that success is pushing each other to greatness. He said co-defensive coordinator/inside linebackers coach Andy Thompson has done a great job of getting everyone to buy in and implement a system that can lead to success. 

As for co-defensive coordinator/outside linebackers coach Bobby April III, Cooper said they’ve been looking to make use of their depth. All about relying on each other and expecting the most out of each other. And then taking advantage of whatever opportunities come your way. He loves the effort and mentality that they have. He hopes they can continue to improve at putting pressure on the quarterback. 

One teammate that has stood out is Teva Tafiti. Day in and day out, he’s very consistent and is always making plays. A guy who works hard and sets a great tone for the entire room. Another guy is inside linebacker Matt Rose. Cooper said his mindset and the way he attacks his work is impressive. Just the way he attacks his craft has stood out. 

Looking ahead to facing Miami, Cooper said they’re looking forward to playing at Hard Rock Stadium and doing all they can to contain the quarterback. They’re going in with the same focus and preparation as always. They’re well aware of the brand that Miami is, but it’s still the same approach of having a 1-0 week. 

Switching gears to Brown, he declined to confirm whether or not he’s going to be starting this weekend. Though of course, the fact that he spoke to the media is a tell that odds are good he’ll be starting. We’ll just have to see where things end up on that front. 

Regarding having to come in midway through the last game against Florida State, Brown said the key is keeping a level head and staying the course. He loves the help he got from his teammates. Ben Gulbranson did a great job of giving him insight and the coaching staff really helped him out as well. Brown said it’s great to have an offense that is clicking and doing what they need to do. That makes his job a lot easier. 

Touching more on Gulbranson, Brown said he’s a great guy who is always staying level headed. He feels like Gulbranson’s experience has helped him a lot. A guy whose brain has been great to pick in terms of learning and growing as a quarterback. 

Brown said he’s just been staying the course and trusting the process. That’s been his approach going back to last season. Really that simple. Stay the course. 

On having former Mater Dei teammates in wide receivers Jordan Onovughe, CJ Williams, and Marcus Brown, Brown said it’s been great. All of them are high IQ players and that makes his life a lot easier. And then they have that connection going back to high school. So having that past connection helps a lot. 

Looking ahead to Miami, Brown said he’s confident in their team. All about playing clean. He feels like that’s the biggest thing. He said eliminating penalties against Florida State helped a lot. All about playing clean and not giving the opposition anything easy. 

Finally, Brown had great things to say about fellow redshirt freshman Cole Tabb, who was named ACC Running Back and ACC Rookie of the Week. Brown said he’s done a great job of getting the tough yards. That’s the great thing about their running back room. All those guys can get the yards they need. 

Overall, it sounds like Cooper and Brown are both confident in the team this weekend. It sounds cliché, but it’s all about trusting the process and playing cleaner than the opposition. If they keep doing that, they should get as good of a result as possible.

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