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Manase Tonga – “We’re confident that we can come out with a win.” |
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JaredCowley | Thursday, November 9, 2006, 12:43 pm
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Transcribed by Jim Vallen
COUGARBLUE
Bill Riley, sports talk host for AM 700 The Zone Sports Radio in Salt Lake City, Utah interviewed BYU running back Manase Tonga this week.
Manase Tonga is a 6-0, 234 lb, redshirt sophomore running back from Aragon High School in San Mateo, CA. He was a three-year letter winner at Aragon High School and was selected the team captain his senior year. His team named him the Most Valuable Player and Aragon High School had his jersey retired. Tonga holds the Aragon record for most yards in a game with 365; most yards in a season with 1,886; touchdowns with 25 and receiving touchdowns in a game with 3. He was a First-Team All-County and All-League selection. He also lettered in basketball and track and was on the honor roll.
Tonga originally signed with the University of Utah following graduation from high school and redshirted his freshman year there. When he returned from his two-year church mission to the Honduras San Pedro Mission, Coach Ron McBride, who had originally recruited Tonga to the University of Utah, was gone and the new coach, Urban Meyer, did not honor his scholarship and he was recruited to BYU. I’m sure that was one of few mistakes that Urban Meyer did in his short two years as Utah’s coach.
As a redshirt freshman at BYU, Manase Tonga earned letterman honors as he saw action in ten games of the 2005 season. For that season he registered carries for 28 yards; averaged 4.7 yards per carry; averaged 2.8 rushing yards per game and was credited with five receptions for 50 yards on the season.
This season, Manase Tonga is third in rushing for BYU having played in all nine games this season having rushed now 29 times for 140 yards and three touchdowns (one more than rushing leader Curtis Brown). His longest run this season has been for 19 yards and he is averaging 4.8 yards per carry and 15.6 yards per game. He actually has more yardage as a Cougar receiver having 18 receptions for 170 yards, a 9.4 yard per reception average. That gives him 325 all-purpose yards for the season, which makes his per game contribution of 36.1 yards per game.
Manase Tonga has played in every game this season despite breaking his thumb in the San Diego State game. He underwent surgery and doctors placed a screw in his thumb and he has been playing with a hard cast protecting part of that hand ever since.
BR: “BYU has got it going offensively. Our next guest is one of the guys that has that offense rolling. It’s the three-headed monster of running backs—Curtis Brown, Fui Vakapuna and our next guest, Manase Tonga joins us here on Sports Radio 700 The Zone. Manase, how are things for you right now and how specifically are things going on this short football week?”
MT: “Things are going great, never better. This week is going great in our preparation. We’re right on track and we’ll be ready for Thursday’s game.”
BR: “I would say things are going well. It’s amazing how even the little things probably seem like they are going well when you’re winning. Right?”
MT: “Of course. Every time you are winning no one seems to have problems.”
BR: “I’d say so. For you and for the offense, what is the biggest difference from a year ago to today?”
MT: “I think the biggest difference is the confidence the team has now. Last year we had put in a new offense and we weren’t so familiar with it. But this year we have guys returning, we’re familiar with the scheme and we’re just a whole lot more confident in the offense.”
BR: “Most guys, especially running backs, like to have a lot of carries. Curtis is a senior and he’s been there forever, but he’s not even getting as much carries as he could. Fui would start for just about anybody in the conference. He’s probably not getting as many as he would like. How about you? How are you dealing with the limited number of carries that you are getting in games?”
MT: “I’m fine. I’m happy with my role. Whatever coach wants me to do I'll do whether that is blocking or catching. As long as the team is winning and we’re having success, I think all three of us are happy with the progress of the team.”
BR: “Do you kind of see this year as paying your dues knowing that Curtis will be gone and next year, if you continue to improve, maybe that number of carries comes up next year?”
MT: “Yes, of course. I know that as soon as Curtis leaves a lot of the load will be on Fui and I and so we’re just trying to prepare ourselves for next year. But for right now we’re just trying to win games and we’re trying to send off Curtis on a good note with breaking that rushing record.”
[Curtis Brown is on track to become BYU’s all-time leading rusher. He currently is in second place and based on his average per game, he is expected to pass Jamal Willis who gained 2,970 yards from 1991-94. Going into tonight’s game, Curtis trails Jamal by 131 yards.]
BR: “Everybody just keep putting praise on this offense. I know it’s nice to hear, but when you guys get inside those meeting rooms, you know, Robert Anae and Lance Reynolds and some of these other guys. They’re probably not throwing the amount of praise on you guys as the people on the outside like me and my friends in the media are doing. Where do you think the offense can still get better Manase? Where do you guys have to get better if you want to win this conference?”
MT: “We’re just going to have to get better with the mental things like execution, knowing our assignments and just fulfilling them. Like I said, our offense is very confident. We know what we are doing and now it’s just a matter of just going out and doing it and I think that is probably where we need to get better at.”
BR: “John Beck seems like he’s been there forever now. He’s been starting for 3 ½ years. You were in the huddle with him a little bit last year. When you look at John Beck in the huddle today vs. a year ago, is he the same guy or does he seem different to you?”
MT: “Obviously he’s different. This is his senior year. He wants to end his year on a high note and so his focus is a lot more on being ready and he’s so confident. When you’re in the huddle with John Beck it’s like nothing else matters other than that next play. Its very comforting to know you have a quarterback that can lead the offense that way and be so under control in the many pressure situations.”
BR: “Wyoming is in town this week. They’ve had a better season that a lot of people thought they would. They were picked by the media to finish near the end of the conference [actually dead last] this season. Coach Joe Glenn is coming off a tough win last week against San Diego. They’ve already beaten this year Utah. If you look at their defense and see them up close, there are not a lot of stars there. They seem to do it by committee don’t you agree?”
MT: “Yes, like you said, when you look at their defense you don’t see many stars that stand out. They just hustle a whole lot. They’re very much team oriented and they just make the plays they need. A lot of credit goes to the coaching staff and especially their head coach, Coach Glenn, because he’s motivated them to not finish in last place. I think this team has surprised a lot of people.”
BR: “With that being said, you might even say that their defense and your defense had that same philosophy. You guys don’t have a lot of stars on your defense either. It’s also a kind of a team effort too. Right?”
MT: “Oh yes. It’s always a team effort. I guess the stars come out when everybody is doing their job. With our defense especially you don’t hear too many big names. You do hear of Cameron Jensen a lot, but overall defensively, everyone is doing their part.”
BR: “You mention Coach Glenn. I saw in your bio that you were recruited to Montana. Did Coach Glenn recruit you to Montana or was he already gone from their by then?”
MT: “Yes, it was Coach Glenn that recruited me to Montana when he was the head coach there.”
BR: “I was going to say, because I saw in the bio about your being recruited by Montana and Cal, Utah and some other schools had recruited you, but I wasn’t sure when you left high school in relation to when he left Montana. Did you ever give his offer serious consideration?”
MT: “Not really. He made the offer when I was a junior, before my senior season. I thought about it a bit, but my high school coaches told me to sit on it and see how my senior year would pan out and hope that I would get better offers from other schools.”
BR: “Yes, Montana is a long way from San Mateo isn’t it?”
MT: “Yes it is.”
BR: “For you guys to get a “W” on Thursday with a good Wyoming team coming to town, what’s the biggest key for you guys Manase?”
MT: “The biggest key for us is to stay poised. We’re confident right now, but we don’t want to be cocky. We know we have a short week so we want to take advantage of every bit of our practice time. If we’re just relaxed and know that we’re good enough to do what we are supposed to do, we’re confident that we can come out with a win.”
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