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Jake Kuresa – “We’ve got to remember that the task at hand is New Mexico” |
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JaredCowley | Tuesday, November 14, 2006, 6:14 am
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Transcribed by Jim Vallen
COUGARBLUE
KNZ’s The Manly Morning Show (6 A.M to 10 A. M. weekday mornings on 1280 The Zone, 1280 AM Salt Lake; 960 AM Utah County) aired an interview this week with BYU senior offensive lineman, Jake Kuresa.
This interview was taped from this past weekend from Salt Lake City’s CBS affiliate KUTV (channel 2) “Talkin’ Sports” program with Dave Fox.
Jake Kuresa is a 6-4 330 lb senior offensive lineman for the BYU Cougars. He is listed this season as an 2006 Outland Trophy candidate. Prior to the beginning of the season he was listed as a preseason All-Mountain West selection by Athlon, Blue Ribbon and Phil Steele's College Football Preview. He’s originally from Mountain Crest High School in Hyrum, Utah.
After redshirting as a true freshman, Jake has lettered in all the three subsequent years he has been on the team and last season was named to the second-team All-MWC honors.
Here is his interview with Dave Fox:
DF: “With the 55-7 smack down of the Wyoming Cowboys, the Cougars can just about go out and book Las Vegas for the holidays. In fact, the Vegas Bowl officials could be in Provo Saturday to pass out the per diem. Joining us with more on this is one of the men responsible for protecting one of the Cougars most valuable assets, quarterback John Beck. Jake Kuresa, who has been with him pretty much his entire career. Jake, let me ask you first about that Wyoming game. There were a lot of folks that thought that this could have been a shoot-out, at least in the first half. This baby was in the book at about the end of the first quarter. Were you guys surprised as a team that you had that much success that early in the game?”
JK: “I wasn’t necessarily surprised because you prepare for a game hoping that exactly that kind of stuff happens. I think things went in our favor a little more than they usually do and so it was one thing after another. That made it get out of hand pretty quick. But you know its fun to come home and play in front of our fans and have a good showing like that.”
DF: “You know a versatile passing game has to have a versatile quarterback. Let’s talk about John Beck. Beck was 20 of 26 for 313 yards and two touchdowns. What about the development of this kid since you first blocked for him many, many years ago?”
JK: “I’ve seen John develop into what he is and I’ve seen that passing record [referring to John Beck’s replacing Jim McMahon as second on the all-time passing yardage at BYU]. I’ve been there for every one of those yards. So we started off together as freshmen and we’ve matured. I think we kind of did it the hard way, but where we’ve ended up is with a great opportunity to win an outright conference championship.”
DF: “Not only do you guys do a nice job protecting John, but then when you need to open up some holes for that running game it seems to be clicking as well, probably as well as it ever has as long as you’ve been there. To what do you think you owe that?”
JK: “I think it’s just that our offensive line is persistent and we’re well coached and I think with the way we’ve been playing in conference we have a lot of confidence. With a guy like John back there throwing the ball, you know if you make your block that the play is going to be made. With Curtis [Brown], Fui [Vakapuna], Manase [Tonga] and the rest of the gang back there you know that if you make a good block, the way you are coached to, that there is going to be a big gain and we’re going to move the ball. It’s easy to make the blocks when you know that if you do it’s going to work out in your favor.”
DF: “You’ve got New Mexico coming in, the last game at home for the seniors of course. Last year you had that wild come-from-behind finish late in the game. Two years ago they had a wild finish up here. What kind of game do you expect? I know you’re not going to say it’s going to be another game just like Wyoming Saturday, but what kind of a game do you expect this weekend?”
JK: “I expect a hard fought game. I expect that they will have studied us on film and finding out why we’re able to get up on opponents early and make a plan on how best to combat that the best way they can. I know they’re well coached. That’s where Coach Mendenhall came from so I suppose they have a similar coaching style and a similar way of doing things there. If they do have that and they’re working that hard, then we can’t afford to overlook them or they’re going to sneak up on us.”
DF: “You just mentioned that you can’t afford to overlook them, but I’ve got to ask you, next week’s game is Utah. John Beck does not have a victory over Utah. You yourself know exactly what he’s going through. That’s just got to be one of the things that you are excited to get to?”
JK: “I’d have to admit that we’re excited for that game and there are a few of us that are seniors now that have played for four years and haven’t had an opportunity to come out with a victory. But in order for that game to live up to the hype that it is and for it to be what we want it to be, we need to win this game first. We need to focus on this game. The same as we have in the past this season and in as much as we might want to look past the New Mexico game, we’ve got to remember that the task at hand is New Mexico and we’ve got to take care of that first to get to where we want to be at the end of the season.”
DF: “Very well put Jake and I think your coach would be pleased. Good answer.”
JK: “Hopefully he’s asleep. I need to be.”
DF: “Fair enough and so we’ll let you go Jake Kuresa. BYU offensive lineman, thanks for being with us.”
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