Third-year head coach Gary Goff on bringing his McNeese squad to Kyle

Gary Goff is currently in his third season as the head football coach at McNeese State University, and early in 2024, his Cowboys are already 1-1 on the season. He joined TexAgs LIVE to discuss this weekend's matchup with Texas A&M, where his program is at and more.

Key notes from Gary Goff interview

• It’s very interesting that this is our third game of the year already. We were lucky enough to play Week 0, which I think was a great opportunity for us. Early in the year, I think there is a big difference between Week 1 and Week 3. We know we’re playing a great opponent this week, and they’re going to come out and be a lot smoother in some areas than they were in Week 1. Most teams are.
   
• Coming to Kyle Field is a great opportunity for us. Every player across the country dreams of playing in front of big stadiums or playing professionally, and this is as big as it gets. It will be a great opportunity to play extremely hard and see what happens.
   
• We were very choosy about who we added in the portal, and that’s just the world we live in nowadays. The transfer portal is something that everybody takes a big part in. It has been a challenge, but I think we have gotten the right guys — the guys who have bought into our culture and are going to be part of a change and have a big impact on our campus. It has been great so far. We have a lot of improvement to make, but the team has gelled together. They’re in a great place, mentally and physically, and we’re excited about this season.
   
• Clifton McDowell can hurt you with his legs and his arm. He’s a big quarterback that can extend plays and make every throw. Kamden Sixkiller was a true freshman last year. We redshirted him, and he has gotten bigger and stronger and is more comfortable back there. He’s a player that has a big arm. He played great high school football. We expect big things from both of these quarterbacks, and I’m happy to have them both on my roster.
   
• Last week, we stuck to the game plan. One side of the ball was playing great, while the other was struggling early. Special teams kind of sparked that comeback for us. The offense got on the board, and it snowballed from there. I was proud of them for that comeback. In Week 0, we closed the game well, but this week, we actually finished the job. I’m happy where they’re at right now, and that was a great lesson for them to learn and build off of.
   
• We’re pretty deep at running back, and in today’s game, you have to be. Last year, we got down to our fifth running back and played some walk-ons. We’re deeper in that room. D’Angelo Durham is a veteran in that room and has played a lot of ball. We have Joshon Barbie, who is a redshirt sophomore and is explosive. You mentioned Tre’Vonte “T.C.” Citizen, a transfer from Miami who is from Lake Charles. He has a lot of potential, and I expect great things out of him. Colbey Hamm is our No. 2 running back right now, and he’s another big, physical running back with great hands back there.
   
• I respect Mike Elko a lot. He has done a phenomenal job everywhere he has ever been. He’s going to do a phenomenal job at Texas A&M. His guys played hard last week, but the opponent just made a few more plays than them. It was a really tight ballgame that could have gone either way. Elko has a great coaching staff that he has put together. His challenge is the same as all of ours: Get that roster to believe in you and build those relationships with that team. The more and more they buy into that coaching staff and each other, things tend to get a lot easier.
   
• We talk about focusing on one day at a time, one practice and one game that week. It is easy to look down the road, and you have fans talking about conference play or wanting to get into the playoffs. We talk on a regular basis about just focusing on the now. We talk a lot about “WIN.” That’s “What’s Important Now.” Our guys have done a good job of that so far. They’re excited about this game against A&M. We’re excited because it’s the only game we get to play this week, and once that’s over, we’ll move on to the next one. It’s human nature for us to look down the road, but we fight against that daily.
   
• When you watch opponents and break them down, you look to see what somebody else did against them. What worked, what they struggled with, strengths and weaknesses. A&M’s defense is very similar to ours in a lot of different ways, but there are some guys you better game plan for. On the offensive side, it’s the same thing. They’re electric in the running back room and at wide receiver, and if we can have some luck confusing the quarterback here and there, it bodes well for us. That’s what every coach is trying to do. You game plan to confuse the opponent’s quarterback.