Nebraska Player Quotes

Nebraska Weekly Press Conference
Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2007
Memorial Stadium
Pre-Nevada

 

Sam Keller
Senior, Quarterback

 

On his excitement to get back into a game

“(I’m) Pretty excited. (I) probably can’t describe exactly how excited. At the same time, I have to maintain a level of calm as well because it’s a big task this week. Opening game, opening week is huge. Nebraska has won 22 consecutive (season openers) so it’s all a game we take very, very serious. Being as excited as I am, I’m going to have to put that on the back burner because it’s very important to be very diligent in our approach this week.”

 

On challenges Nevada presents to Nebraska

“Every week is a very big task. In that it’s our first game, it’s our first game week. Obviously coming out as a team and a unit, the goal is to execute at an extremely high level. Not having any games under our belt, that is obviously the challenge. Nevada poses a lot of interesting things. They bring a lot of boundary pressures like strong safety blitzes. They run about three or four different coverages. They run the odd front with three down linemen the majority of the time. I expect them to have lot of those same things going on this week. A lot of different looks, I think they are going to try and use that to their advantage. That’s obviously something we have to be ready for. We are very excited for the challenge.”

 

On coming full circle from his transfer from Arizona State

“Honestly, when I go out there for the game, I will be thinking about only the game. The whole full circle thing has been put behind me. I kind of realized that I’ve come full circle already. I don’t have any time to think about the past or the whole full circle thing at this moment. That kind of ended last week. So now it’s strictly this season beginning and getting this thing kicked off on the right foot. Just 100 percent devoted to spending all my time looking at this team Nevada. When I step out on the field it will be time to execute. That’s where my focus will be.”

 

On how he differs as a player now after sitting out for a year

“(I’m) more mature. There are a lot of things I’ve seen, a lot of things I’ve learned about myself in learning a whole new offense. I know two different offenses at this point. I feel like I’ve got an excellent grasp on the one we are getting ready to implement this week. I think I’m more patient, and less boisterous. I’m still always going to maintain an element of who I am playing quarterback. I am a very excitable guy, but I’m more well rounded I think. I think that’s a tribute to Coach Callahan and Coach Watson and the coaching staff. Just the nature of how we play ball here ? I think it’s really fine-tuned how I can operate.”

 

On winning the starting job in practice versus a game

“Game situation, like I said before, is a game situation. It’s a totally different animal. It’s a lot faster. A lot of the time it’s a lot more muddled in that our defense, given that there are some pretty smart guys over there ? Corey (McKeon) and (Zack) Bowman ? it’s a challenge going against them every day because they know a lot of what we are doing at times. It puts us in a lot of positions to make plays. Where as when you are going against another team, they might not know it on a daily basis like our guys. It’s a completely different look you are getting, but it poses a completely new set of challenges. Finding out what works against their defense, finding out what works to attach them down the field and things of that nature.”

 

On getting the confidence of his teammates in a game

“I’ve proven that in practice, but now it is game time. That’s just going to come with time. That’s just going to play itself out as I perform on Saturdays. I think this Saturday is going to be the first barometer for where I’m at and how far I’ve come as a competitor and a player. We’ll see when it’s put to the test on Saturday.”

 

On the eyes of Nebraska being on him Saturday

“That comes with territory. That’s a challenge that I am extremely excited for. It’s not something I think about on every snap; however it’s very important. Everything that is coming with this responsibility that I have, this opportunity that I have gotten, I hold very close to my heart. I’m excited about everything, but mainly excited to feel that first snap.”

 

On expecting Nevada’s blitzes

“I expect to see what I’ve seen on film. A lot of the passing teams, the teams that show a lot of passing sets, they’ve had a lot of different looks that they’ve brought at them as far as corner blitzes from the boundary and safety blitzes, the cross blitz from the middle. They’ve got a lot of different things that they do and I expect that they will try to blitz and blitz early. Maybe they think they might be able to get to me. All defensive coordinators are pretty smart in how they develop their game plans. We have to be ready for this blitz and that’s what I’m going to be ready for.

 

On which team Nevada reminds him of

“They remind me a lot of Northwestern. When I played Northwestern two years ago, they ran the same defensive front. They brought the same blitz. They brought an all-out blitz with everybody ? the whole house. They remind me a lot of the Northwestern guys I saw in 2005, with the odd look and the different personnel they had coming from different angles.”

 

On differences in game day feelings

“Any game that you’re participating in, it’s a whole different approach, a whole different set of feelings that you have. I’m not a stranger anymore to what it’s like on game days. I know that it’s electric. I’ve always been a guy that feeds off that kind of thing. I really enjoy it. I’m just 100 percent looking forward to it.”

 

On differences between crowds at ArizonaState and Nebraska

“I am ready for the noise. Operating this offense in noise could be new because we haven’t done that, but I don’t expect any problems at all. I have played in noise, and I’m familiar with what it’s like. Communication is a key. As far as fans go, the fans (at Nebraska) are loyal; they’re exciting; they’re loud. The fans here are just tremendous ? probably the best fans in college football. I don’t know how you can compare them to the fans at ArizonaState. There were some loud games there when USC came to town or something of that nature. Going to some of the other Pac-10 schools like USC and Oregon, (they) had a very loud stadium. I’m familiar with the loud surroundings, but I don’t expect anything to match the kind of intensity that our fans have.”

 

On dealing with nerves in his first start on Saturday

“(I) just have to get out there and play, just get in a rhythm. Obviously, there will be nerves. I’ve never played a football game where I haven’t been nervous. I think if I wasn’t nervous, there would be something wrong. It’s just the way I am. When I get in a rhythm when the game starts and I get in a flow, the nerves kind of pass by and it becomes very business-like for me. It’s operating and managing the offense and putting points on the board.”

 

On anticipating his first hit in a game

“I’ve been hit lots of times. I’m honest when I say I’m not looking forward to any hits. However, I’m no stranger to them. I don’t hope to get hit at all because obviously you want to be getting the ball down field and operating at a high level. It’s not something you hope for, but when it happens, I expect that it will be what it is and I just got hit.”

 

On freshman Quentin Castille joining him as a starter this week

“I think that when they’re called upon, they’re going to be ready. They’ve done a great job in camp as far as learning how to carry the ball in our offense. I think if they come into a game, they’re obviously going to have a set of plays or some things that they’re comfortable doing. He stands right next to me in the huddle, so I’ll make sure that whatever is dialed up, I’ll be in his ear. I expect great things.”

 

On bringing Nebraska’s offense to a high level

“I think the sky’s the limit. Then again, that comes with our mindset and our preparation and our level of execution. We have to operate how we can and how we should. Obviously, we can’t shoot ourselves in the foot. I just see huge things. As far as who we have, the maturity of our linemen and the maturity of our wideouts, they know the offense as well or better than I do. This thing could be huge in that there are so many different avenues we can take as far as racking up yards and putting points on the board. People are going to say what they’re going to say across the country, and I understand that. There are always going to be pros and cons, but what it comes down to is what happens between the white lines. We can’t pay attention to pundits and how they feel our offense is going to execute. I’ve seen our offense execute at an extremely high level, and if we can match that on game day, then I don’t see any reason why we can be brilliant out there on the field.”

 

On putting pressure on himself

“Being the quarterback in this offense, you are the manager. You set the tone. You tell the entire offense the play. You know what everybody else is doing. In this offense, the quarterback is the one who has to make the quick, decisive decisions and manage the offense at a high level. A lot of it comes with the quarterback. What makes it better are the wideouts and the offensive linemen in that they consistently operate at a high level. That makes it easier for me. I hope that we can turn that over to Saturday because I think it will be a lot of fun.”

 

On heavily utilizing the backs

“Here, it’s a completely different animal. The way we use the backs is like long handoffs ? getting them out of the backfield and always having an option. Our running backs are always coupled with downfield routes. They’re always going to be in the picture on every play, and we can use them whenever we need them. The value of the check down is very high in this offense. Using them to your advantage, they should be up on the total catches at the end of the year because they’re always figuring in somehow.”