Michigan State Head Coach Jonathan Smith: "Big time challenge, tough atmosphere."
Former Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith (and alum) is now at Michigan State in the same position. He heads to a familiar Autzen stadium on Friday night to take on the Ducks.
There is a lot of talk about his knowledge of Oregon heading into this one. Smith was quick to note that’s a two-way street with Oregon knowing his offensive scheme as well.
Here is some of the top statements from Smith on Oregon and this B1G contest.
Opening Statement:
“Another challenging opponent. On the road, excited about that. When you look at Oregon, explosive offensively. Quarterback is a really good player. Accurate. Might be leading the country in completion percentage. They got some athletes that he’s throwing to. Flip it around, solid defense. You look at those guys they just continue to improve. From game one to game four, those guys have continued to improve and play really well. Held UCLA pretty much throughout the entire game. So big time challenge, tough atmosphere. Exciting fanbase that feels like they impact the game.”
On Returning to Oregon:
“I think a little bit. I played Oregon when I was at other universities as a coach too. I’ve been through this before. We know through experience how tough it is, that atmosphere. We’re just going to prep our guys. Once the thing kicks off you get locked in on the game.”
On ‘knowing’ Oregon:
“I think it’s a two-way street. Their scheme the last couple of years has been consistent. We’ve studied it. But the same thing with us offensively. I’m not sure it helps one side more than the other.”
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On Pac-12’s Demise:
“It was a historical conference. The conference of champions. That’s painful when that kind of goes away. There is some pride and grit to the two great places that are still there. They play at a high level. A lot of us do remember how great that conference was and know how good those two universities are.”
On Dan Lanning:
“I think Dan’s a really good coach. I’ve got a bunch of respect for him. I enjoy, we’re not talking every day, but enjoy conversations when we gather at meetings and what not. He’s done a great job there and he’ll present another challenge with his team. Those guys play hard.”
On Dillon Gabriel:
“Accuracy, not just completing the pass but location where he’s putting the ball where they can catch and run. He can run. You can see the experience and talent. He looks very comfortable and confident in that system.”
