Idaho State Football Weekly Press Conference - 9/23/26 ISU at SUU

CODY HAWKINS | Head Coach
On how the bye week was used
"The rest definitely helps. It's funny that it's only week three, but we're only a couple days away from the midpoint of our season. It was good for us to rest — probably didn't have as much self-scout opportunity as you'd like because you haven't played that much football yet, but it's always good to take a breath before you dive into Big Sky play. We know it's gonna be a gauntlet — nine straight weeks of some of the best football in America — and we're excited about it."
On correcting last year's mindset heading into this rematch
"I think that attitude is part of the reason we got our ass kicked last year — everybody's like, 'Oh, we played good against UNLV.' Well, you lost. Nobody failed more than me last year — I should have made a bigger deal about going from Allegiant Stadium to playing in Cedar City. A good, playoff-caliber football team beat the tar out of us, rightfully so — they beat us schematically, and that's the worst offensive performance I've been a part of. We've made changes — we'll travel differently, we'll prepare differently, and hopefully we play differently too."
On the rebuilt offensive line
"They're in good shape because they've got the best offensive line coach in America and the best strength coach in America. Justin Frost spent all spring at guard and ends up playing right tackle and doing an unbelievable job. Messiah Johnson is playing admirably at left tackle. We didn't know the NCAA was gonna flip on the JUCO thing, and you go from having the five best returning linemen in America to five brand-new guys. There's been a learning curve, but man, they've worked really hard and the culture in that room has continued to elevate."
On adjusting the run game without Dason Brooks
"The biggest adjustment has been the O-line and us coaches figuring out what we can do well. We found a little bit of a rhythm in the second half last week. Tytan Mason needs to continue to play a bigger role, Rob Freeman — there are things we want him to do and things we don't, so we gotta package that accordingly. Carson Sudberry is a tough sucker who continues to improve. Everything starts with players, but it doesn't mean we can't still be great at what we're doing."
On defending against explosive special-teams returns
"Just kick it out of the back of the end zone — the best kick is the one they can't return. They have our attention. I don't care about working on punt return or kick return — I wanna make sure we don't give them a return and that we get our punts off, because they're a well-coached team that plays really hard and will disrupt the game."
On what's elevated the defensive line under Ricky Ali'ifua
"Anytime we talk about guys, I wanna make sure I thank Grant Duff — the culture he's created is built for that, because everybody wants to play in that scheme and guys wanna work for him. Getting Ricky here has been such a boon for the program — there's nobody with a higher ceiling as a coach on our staff. His investment in our players is relentless. I think the world of Rick, and I'm glad he's a Bengal."
On controlling Southern Utah's explosive-play tendencies
"I don't wanna give away all the game plan, but the number one thing you gotta do is tackle well. We gotta do a good enough job mixing things up on defense because they're well-coached — if you have a weak spot, they're gonna find it. Chalk and Burns already had 70-yard runs on us last year, so I don't care about the passing numbers — I don't wanna see those two run all over us. That's been a big point of emphasis this week."
On keeping the team's mindset right for a business trip
"It's being consistent in your process — you don't need to play harder on Saturday, you need to prepare your butt off and treat this game with the reverence it deserves. Every single team we play the rest of the year can beat the tar out of us if we don't prepare well, and if we play well, we can beat anybody in America. It's important that our guys respect the opportunity and that everybody's speaking the same thing, whether it's the running back room or a special teams meeting."

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GRANT DUFF | Defensive Coordinator
On how the defense used the bye week to prepare
"You feel good about things — you have time, we've basically been able to double our preparation and give the guys more looks. Could they come out with something we're not ready for? Yeah, that's the burden of being on defense. But we feel solid about our plan. They've got some elite-level athletes we gotta corral, and it's an offensive league — we're holding on by our shorts trying to keep competing."
On controlling Southern Utah's explosive plays
"You've gotta be sound — you gotta put guys in a situation where every gap is accounted for, and then they gotta make plays. My job as a coordinator is to create the one-on-one — it's really hard to create a two-on-one. In a lot of those long runs, their guy just made a better play than our guy. We gotta be sound, and when we do take chances, it's gotta be smart in the right situation."
On how much credit belongs to the players versus the scheme
"Coaches get way too much credit and way too much blame — look at Belichick. He's a moron when he doesn't have Tom Brady, gets fired everywhere he goes, and then he has Brady and he's the GOAT. What changed? You get really, really good players and they make all the schemes look good. That's why you recruit — to go get guys that are better than the dudes you're playing against."
On which position group is grading out best right now
"It depends on the game — everybody's a little up and down, and that's why it's a great team sport. In the Utah State game with all the interceptions, the DBs graded out better. Against VMI, where we handled the run pretty darn well, the D-line played a little better. That's a sign of a good defense — you want it to be balanced. The linebackers and safeties are the O-line of the defense — if they don't do their job, everything falls apart, but rarely do they get recognized for it."
On the biggest difference in this year's defense compared to last year's Southern Utah game
"It starts with the players — their maturation, having played more reps, understanding their roles a little better. If you rated us as a Madden team, we'd be higher than we were last year. The pieces to the puzzle are better than the pieces we were playing with a year ago, and that's what you want to see as a program. My job as a coach is to get better every year, to replace my players with better players — that's what Idaho State deserves."
On the state of his linebacker room
"When they play great, I feel awesome — I don't know if we're playing great yet. Great is something you wait till after the season to really put a stamp on. We continue to work on our tackling — if you can't tackle as a defense, it's like being a point guard that can't dribble. Linebackers have the hardest job — they've gotta take on offensive linemen stronger than them and run with backs and receivers faster than them, and not give ground either way."
On defending Southern Utah running back Floyd Chalk
"You can't defend him one-on-one — he's an elite player, he's gonna be an all-conference Big Sky guy. There's no secret to it — he's gonna get the ball. We're gonna have to run to the ball, pursue really well, and get multiple guys at the point of attack, because one guy making a tackle on him head-up is gonna be difficult. Kudos to them for finding and recruiting him."
On Jacob Perez's development from walk-on to weekly contributor
"Jacob's a phenomenal story — if anybody doesn't know him, I'd recommend getting to know him. He took a chance on himself and said, 'I'm gonna be me.' In a world full of underachievers, in a world of people afraid to fail, he's an anomaly. He had a major foot injury, missed an entire year, and came off it ripping and roaring like nothing happened. He's playing at a really high clip now, and I'm very proud of him. It's fun to be his coach."
On preparing for the team's first true overnight road trip of the season