Idaho coach Paul Petrino talked about a lot on Tuesday, Jace Malek, the seniors, his thoughts on the upcoming home finale against Texas State on Saturday (2 p.m., ESPN3) and the team's 56-34 at Auburn last Saturday. 

Quick notes - Senior running back Elijhaa Penny will play on Saturday after suffering a knee sprain at Auburn. Both RS Fr. Jake Luton and RS So. quarterback Matt Linehan will play against Texas State

Now, read on for all of his comments. 

On the effort against Auburn

"You feel really proud of the way they went out and competed against an SEC team. We played very well for a lot of the game. You just can’t make some of the mistakes we had. There was a whole lot of the game we executed very well and played great effort ... If you look back a couple years ago when we went to Florida State or even Washington State, I think we’ve come a long ways."

On Matt Linehan hitting Callen Hightower for a 71-yard gain on Idaho's first offensively play to set up a two-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to tie it at 7-7

"It’s a play we’ve ran for a lot of years. To be honest with you I ran the exact same play my last year at Arkansas against them, in the same stadium, except we were going the other way. It’s a play we’ve had in our offense for years, we call it Dagger. Bunch right FPO Right Z Dagger is actually the call. Deep crossing routes, you got a high post and then two guys crossing underneath. It was a good way to set the tone."

On the importance of winning the final game

"I think the first thing we’ve got to do is for the seniors. We’ve got to do everything we can to go out there this week, we’ve talked about it a bunch. We don’t have school this week so we’ve got a lot of preparation, I think that’s the key, so we got to go out there and do everything we can, every single coach, every single player so the seniors can walk out of here with a win their last game. Then it’s very exciting looking forward to next year especially with all the young talent we have coming back."

On if there's anything that makes this senior class stand out

"But, there are some guys in this class who have just done a great job. Dallas Sandberg, how much he stepped up and led this year. Elijhaa Penny has given everything he’s got. Me and Quinton, those are one of the special things when you come in, some times when you’re first teaching things and guys aren’t really totally sure and you kind of go from here to here, he’s as close as I am to anybody right now. You just wish them all the best. The great thing is come December every one of them except of one is going to graduate."

On the mentality of getting their fourth win

"We’re just treating it like the biggest game of the year for us to be honest with you, we want to go out and play our very best game and send the seniors out with a win their last game and have all kinds of momentum going into the offseason for everybody else."

On the excitement of all the offensive guys coming back next season

"That’s real exciting, that’s something you can really build on and then there’s a couple guys who’ve redshirted who are really good who haven’t played all year. So you got a lot of guys who are really good players, so that’s real exciting for the future."

On playing both Jake Luton and Matt Linehan at quarterback at Auburn

"I just told them both they’re going to play. To be honest I told Jake he was going to play in the second quarter. Then he had that fumble so I pulled him aside so I told him ‘Hey, I don’t want things to get out of hand so I’m going to put Matt back in but you’re going to play.’ A lot of it was by feel, some of it was by what plays I was going to play. Some things one guy does better than the other. It’s just a way to play them both and I thought they both did a really good job."

On the defensive seniors

"I think (linebacker) Marc (Millan) has made all kinds of tackles here for the last three years. You have to take your hat off, he’s done a good job for us. Ryan Edwards does all the dirty work, he doesn’t really get the praise sometimes but he’s the guy who’s holding them down, keeping them off the linebackers and really played well. I just think they’ve all contributed a lot. Broc’s been a great leader for us, leading us in tackles right now. Broc’s been a 4.0 student since he’s been here so you know he’s going to be really successful. We have to go out and get a win for them their last game."

On if the week of preparation changes when school is not in session

"A little bit, because you can meet a little bit more because school’s not in. We had a walkthrough yesterday when usually we can’t do anything on Mondays, and we got to have a meeting in. You get to spend a little more time with them. And I told a couple of them if they hope to play at the next level then you have to treat this week like you’re a professional. Get in here and watch tape all day, prepare all day and do a great job of getting yourself ready."

On team plans for Thanksgiving day

"We’ll practice early in the morning and then have our Thanksgiving dinner at lunch time. And then we’ve had study hall every day so guys can catch up on that too."

On what Petrino will take away from this season

"Just a bunch of guys that really stuck together and had each other’s back and showed up and worked hard every day and got better and really improved all season long. Just really proud of them because there’s a lot of stuff that has happened, everybody stuck together, everybody has fought for each other and really improved throughout the year. To go down to the SEC and play Auburn as hard as we did, that’s really great to show all the hard work that’s paid off, now we have to finish it off with a win at home."

On what he took away from the adversity of the season

"I think a lot closer to a lot of the players, it made me have a lot more one on one meetings, it made me pull guys into the room a lot more, maybe go around and talk to them a lot more. It’s made me better, no question."

On if this is the most mentally tough team he's ever had

"Yeah, I think, the Troy game, that was as mentally tough a victory as I’ve ever had. They’ve been through a lot, done a job of things. I hate to compare teams to other teams because there’s a lot of guys you’ve done things with, there’s no question these guys have definitely been mentally tough."

On the challenges Texas State presents

"I’m a huge fan of coach (Dennis) Franchione, I have been forever. I’ve coached against him it seems like my whole career, I think he’s as good as there is in the business. They do a great job of scheming and running the ball. We have to do a really good job of stopping their running game and quarterback. And they do a really good job of all the different things they do on offense and running the ball so we’ve got to make sure we stop the run."

More on the adversity of the season

"Yeah, I think a lot of it’s been tough. It makes you get better, I think it’s made us become closer as players as coaches. I think our players came closer together. It makes you grow. Every day in life you’re going to learn from something and hopefully improve. It’s made me myself improve and I think that’s going to help us get better in the future."

On how much it hurts to potentially be two one-score losses away from playing in a bowl game

"That makes you hurt, that makes you lose sleep at night, that makes you think about it as you’re driving home as you’re driving back to work. You can’t go back and replay it but it’s definitely something you want to learn from and make sure it doesn’t happen in the future. At least you can say you were that close to doing it but you have to make sure it happens in the future."

On what a win against Texas State would mean

"I think it can help a lot. I think no matter what you have to go into the offseason and have all kinds of improvement and get better, but it can really help you with your momentum so it’s something we want to go out and make sure it happens."

On if being able to jump to big leads against teams like South Alabama and New Mexico State means progress

"No question, especially the South Alabama game. That’s a team two years ago I’m not sure we would’ve scored 24 points on them period, let alone be ahead with that score. So we’ve definitely come a long ways now we just need to continue to improve. I think it showed up last weekend. Let’s finish at home with a really strong performance and then hit the road on Sunday, get some recruits and keep heading in the right direction."

On who he confides in to help deal with off-the-field challenges

"I think you try to talk to everybody. My father and my brother are usually the first two I talk to a lot, John L. Smith is the other I guy talk to who really tries to help. And I have a couple really good friends in the media. You just try to talk to whoever you can, former guys I’ve worked with. You just get help from whoever you can and try to move forward and get better."

On how much of a leader senior offensive lineman Dallas Sandberg is

"He leads by everything. He’s almost like the grandfather or father of the group, he kinds of takes them all in, he talks to them, he helps them in everything. He helps them how to organize their schoolwork, how to do better on the field. Dallas has been awesome, we’ll really miss him. We’ll have to have somebody take over that role that’s for sure because he’s done a great job."

On when Sandberg became a leader

"He was really quiet, he hardly ever talked. It started happening last year probably in the middle of the year and then in the offseason he really took that role on and then he’s even taken it one-hundred times more through this year. It’s neat when you see those guys grow up and change their personality and become better leaders. Dallas will be leading a company some day, he’ll be leading something, he’ll be leading in life, that’s for sure."

On what Jace Malek has meant for the Idaho football program this season

"A lot. I hope he’s going to be here for the game. It’s unfortunate he couldn’t come on the last two trips. Jace just makes you a better person every single time you’re around him. Every day I talk to him, whether it’s on the phone, a couple of those away trips he sat right with me on the plane. I don’t even know if I can justify it in words, saying it good enough of how much better of a person he’s made me. I know him and (offensive line) coach (Kris) Cinkovich are really close, I know him and a bunch of our players are close. He’s just such a special young man who is so upbeat about life, stays positive all the time and he’s always going to compete and fight to continue his life and be better every day. He got to go on that hunting trip, as soon as he got the big moose, he sent me a big picture of it. He was just so excited about that. Jace is just awesome, I don’t really know if I can say it in words how great he’s been and how much of an impact he’s had on my team and on myself."  

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