On Tuesday, Stanford head coach Troy Taylor, senior offensive lineman Levi Rogers, and fifth year inside linebacker Spencer Jorgensen shared their thoughts on Notre Dame ahead of Saturday’s final game of the season. Below are some notes.
VIDEO: Stanford Weekly Press Conference | Notre Dame
The first thing that Taylor was asked about was linebacker Tristan Sinclair winning his targeting appeal after Big Game. This means Sinclair will be able to play the entire game against Notre Dame. Taylor said he’s bummed that Sinclair was tossed from the game, but is glad he’s back for the game against the Irish. He made it clear that the call was incorrect, but all they can do is move on from it. Taylor does think it would be nice if there was a more sliding scale on targeting as opposed to automatic ejection for all levels of targeting. He also would like to have more clarity on what targeting actually is.
Taylor also shared his insights on how the review process works, which I thought was interesting. He said the officials are supposed to look at everything. He seemed to think the fumble call that was overturned was incorrect, though he didn’t explicitly say that.
Taylor had great things to say about the senior class ahead of Senior Day. The only one who is a true senior that has exhausted his eligibility is Spencer Jorgensen. So, a lot of things remain in play in terms of who might come back. That said, Taylor said he admires everyone who is a senior and the commitment they have shown to the program and university. He said they’ll miss the guys who move on, but they’ll always be a part of the Stanford family.
Taylor also explained his philosophy behind two-point conversions and how they approach that. I thought that was enlightening. He said he likes getting the points on the board unless you get in the late third/early fourth quarter. Also a lot comes down to how quickly you are scoring.
On Notre Dame, Taylor had good things to say about them. He has tremendous respect for their entire program. He said it might be the best defense they’ve faced all season and then a talented offense. Just an all-around challenging team to close out the season with.
Given they haven’t won a game at home all season, Taylor said they would like to win one at home to close out the season. That would be nice. Especially since being a tough home team is something they want to become.
On an injury note, Taylor seemed to think they’ll see freshman offensive lineman Simione Pale. He said he had a bit of a tough time against Cal, but they are hopeful he’ll be a go.
On their defense, Taylor feels like they’ve done a better job of forcing turnovers and that it will continue to get better as their program grows.
Moving onto Rogers, he said it meant a lot to him to have a big role in the Big Game. While they didn’t get the outcome they wanted, it was still fun and an honor to play in that game. He understands how much tradition is in the game and how much it matters to the entire program.
Rogers feels like Notre Dame’s defense is a well-oiled machine. He said they play well as a team. He said they have their hands full, but he’s excited.
On there being a trophy on the line this weekend, Rogers feels like it helps to visualize something tangible. He said that helps him out mentally. He just feels like having a tangible piece of evidence for the win adds more energy to the game.
Rogers had good things to say about Simione Pale and what he’s brought to the offensive line room. He praised his ability to play as a true freshman and absorb all that you have to as a true freshman. Just from a mental standpoint. He said he has a ton of respect for how hard he has worked and the way he has approached things.
Ending with Spencer Jorgensen, he had a really thoughtful interview reflecting on his time at Stanford and how much the university has meant to him. He would love to close out his career with a win against Notre Dame and knows that he’ll always be supportive of the program. While he still has one game left to play, he’s aware that he will shortly transition to the role of a supportive alum.
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