Video courtesy of WSU Athletics.

Question: What would you consider a good team grade-point average?
Mike Leach: If you make it, if you get somewhere between 2.9 and 3.0 you'll lead the country. When we did, that's where we were at, somewhere between 2.9 and 3.0. In the past, when I've led the nation, that's where it's at.

Q: As the team is rewarded for its buy-in on the field, have you noticed players buying in more in areas like academics?
ML: Well, we'll know more at the end of the semester. We'll have a better idea at the end of the semester. I think we've done better academically, it seems. The other thing that's kind of a moving target is we're a really young group so sometimes GPAs are tougher to come by the first two years than the last two. I'm curious, though. We've generally elevated our GPA from one semester to the next. I was disappointed in last semester's, though. We'll see.

Q: How did it come about that the Football Operations Building started getting used for academic support?
ML: Well, I think, first of all there's a ton of room. I think, I don't know exactly where it originally started, but they go right from dinner to study hall. And so then, right down the hall we had big, empty meeting rooms that can accommodate plenty of people, and so they started meeting in those meeting rooms. And then also, we had a bunch of office space on that top floor and so we've got sports information, we've got the cafeteria and we've got academics up there. And some of that just has to do with space and it's convenient for everybody. This building fills out pretty well, until you get to the top floor. Then you have to get kind of creative to figure out how to use that much space. Nobody wanted a lopsided building so we wanted a full floor up there. Well, so we added another kind of board meeting room, which we do scout teams there, made the offices real big but after awhile they were getting too big. We put the coaches' locker room in there and still had additional space. A bunch of office space, which as I said is utilized by the training table people. A portion of sports information and academics. And the academic thing has worked out real well because our guys come and go, and they'll see them in the hall and study on that floor and all the rest.

Q: Does the short week present any challenges?
ML: Well, we've got a practice today and also have to get the game plan in earlier. So a lot faster pace to get the game plan in.

Q: Have you watched film on UW and what stands out?
ML: Yeah, quite a bit. They're big, strong, physical, you know just really aggressive. Their defensive line I think is really strong and then, yeah just good, solid players, really.

Q: What does the Apple Cup mean to you?
ML: Well, I think all the games are meaningful so we need to worry about just playing the best we can, improving another week and being the best team we can be out there.

Q: How do you keep the players from getting too amped up?
ML: Focus on improvement. Because that's really all you can control and that's really all we've been doing up to this point, just make sure together as a team we get a week better.

Q: If Peyton Bender starts at quarterback does that limit the offense at all?
ML: Not a lot. Not really. He may have a play or two that he likes or he's good at.

Q: What impact has Jeremiah Allison had and is he one of the best leaders you've ever coached?
ML: He's a good one. On and off the field, kind of a lot of character off the field in addition to his efforts on the field. So yeah, just a good, solid person. One from our early classes that I think has had an impact on others around here for a while.

Q: What did you see in Alex Grinch and have you taken chances on coordinators before?
ML: I've done a little of both. The biggest thing is he was part of a really good defense and kind of had a proven track record. And then he was at a point in his career that I knew he had not only earned the right to be a coordinator, but was hungry and capable to do it and I think he's done a really good job of it.

Q: Have you seen more of a next man up mentality this year?
ML: Yeah, I think everybody's worked extremely hard together. I think some of it is even though we're extremely young, we're a little deeper. But you know, I think as time's gone on this season, I don't think this has been the case the whole season, but as time's gone on we've developed into kind of a focused team, where you focus on the task at hand, and what counts and what you can control.

Q: Was Elson Floyd a mentor to players other than Jeremiah Allison?
ML: Several, I'm sure. But Jeremiah, early on when he got here was going through some personal issues and I think that Floyd really took him under his wing. I think some of that also had to do with the fact that Jeremiah was a high academic guy that has talked about potentially careers in public service, law and those type of things. I think he kind of gravitated toward (the Floyds) as advisors and examples. He's always been one of those guys  -- and I don't have a list of them – who've been involved in a whole bunch of different things, all the committees. He's involved in all the stuff I avoided when I was his age, which are good things, and he's the guy to do it. Part of the reason it would be good for me to avoid it is so it's in people's hands like Jeremiah.

Q: Is it unusual for a school president to take such interest in a football player?
ML: Not really with Dr. Floyd. He was a special guy that was kind of hands-on. Because it was a team effort between Dr. Floyd, Bill Moos, me and all the coaches to try and build this program, and the other thing is he would meet with our recruits. He would talk to our recruits when they came on campus, and I think that's when they initially became familiar with each other. Obviously not everybody but he definitely got to know some individuals. And I think Jeremiah served on some campus type of committees and things where they got to know each other further.

Q: When did you decide on a starting QB?
ML: It was in camp. Shoot, there's a room full of people here if they go through their notes could probably tell you because I got asked every day. I don't know, probably about the time, just before we left Lewiston.

Q: What swung the decision in Luke Falk's favor?
ML: Just his ability to manage the offense and to run the team. A portion of it I think has to do with his experience and just kind of a more complete overall performance in practices.

Q: Would you like to have answered your question after the Colorado game in which you said Falk was healthy and resting differently?
ML: Not really, because I think it's ridiculously foolish to ask me anything that relates to injuries, given the fact I never answer questions on injuries. The idiocy of asking me about injuries goes even several layers deeper when you consider the fact that I have virtually no input on it, the doctors handle it and they don't ask me anything about it. So I guess I would turn that question back to you. If you had to do it over again, would you ask a better question than that or would you stick to that foolish question?

Q: I would stick with it. Has getting more information about head injuries affected your approach to coaching?

ML: No, because it's always been in the hands of doctors and trainers. If they're there and they're cleared, I coach them. If not, I don't.

Q: Could you explain your policy of not addressing injuries?
ML: Well, one, the fact that (other coaches) violate HIPAA doesn't mean that I'm going to. Two, I'm not qualified to talk about injuries, that's something doctors and trainers should have the expertise for. Three, I don't see any sense in giving the opponent any additional information. Four, how am I able to predict what a guy's going to be able to do physically or not, given that if you refer to one, it's in the hands of the doctors? Five, somebody's going to play that position no matter what, and the last thing we're going to do is create a distraction for our team and sing the blues and act like somehow we're working our way out of a hole because someone else is playing that position, because the other person playing the position may be just as good or better than the last one. And I quite frankly don't understand coaches that are constantly talking about injuries because, to me, it smells of hiding behind trying to generate an excuse in case they need one after the fact if the game doesn't go the way they hope it does.

Q: When are you going to make a decision who will start?
ML: I don't think I'll share that, either. Game time. We're going to make that decision 27 seconds before kickoff.

Q: Did you notice a breakthrough for Gabe Marks with how he got through the lows of his career?
ML: A bunch of stuff hit him at once. I think he just continually, gradually battled through it. The biggest thing is he just sort of stuck with it and then, oh I think about a couple months in he just really dedicated himself to improve his skills as a player, just to work really hard as a player, to really focus on his ability to improve, ways that he could improve, ways that he could get better. Had an offseason where he was just extremely hungry for improvement, worked out, I also think that example rubbed off on others, as well.

Q: If you had a message to the voters who ranked you behind Oregon, what would it be?
ML:  I don't have any control over that. I've got too many things to worry about. The things I have control over, there's more of those than I can address. So I worry about that.

Q: What differentiates Bender from Falk?
ML: Very competitive guys. Ball comes off Peyton's hand quick. Both just really good players.

Q: What are you guys doing for Thanksgiving?
ML: Yeah, we'll have an activity and a dinner. I think that's on Wednesday. These guys just be sensitive to the fact that they're here this week and keep them occupied. Of course we'll be plenty busy with practice and meetings, too.

Q: What's your philosophy for rivalry games?
ML: I think your team's typically already motivated for it, you know? I think your team's already typically quite motivated and you just keep them focused and on track as far as their job, technique and things. I think with rivalries teams are already inclined to be motivated.

Q: What is the difference in Bender and Falk's demeanor?
ML: Peyton's calm, Peyton does a good job being calm. And then some of it's just Luke's got more experience. I'd say Peyton's calm and is pretty much kind of in attack mode. Luke's calm but kind of analytical.

Q: How was building a WSU foundation different than the Texas Tech foundation?
ML: Similar in some ways. Tech started out with a little better core of players, kind of a distribution between the classes although I definitely felt we upgraded the talent as time went on. Here we were pretty depleted. And even still we're pretty top-heavy freshmen, sophomores. We had kind of a semblance of a defensive line at Tech, we built it here. O-line, in both places we had to build that up and the better we got the O-line the more things started to improve. Tech had either barely made a bowl or been close to a bowl before we got there, here they weren't even close to one. I think further to go here. As far as recruiting, both places once people get there are excited about it, like what they see and all those things. But they don't have an initial visual most times because they haven't been there. People in Texas haven't been to Lubbock and on the west coast, generally positive impressions but they haven't been to Pullman. Too often they ask if it rains all the time here. And clearly, no, we're in the foothills of the Rockies, we're not over there in the cold swamp, you know. So then once they see it, and this is like the ultimate of college towns, you know. So it's similar that way. You can actually get, more places can get here quicker because there are direct flights. Like L.A. is really only a couple hours away. So I guess it's similar from that standpoint, that there's an isolation thing. But the biggest thing they have in common is just trying to get everyone's energy in the right direction so people are duplicating each other's efforts. Initially there will be a couple selfish guys who are more interested in what's best for them than the group, so you try to eradicate, change or eradicate them. In both places we had to do those things.

Q: What are you thankful for this year?
ML: Oh shoot. Turkey, you know? Family, the opportunity to work with this team. Your team develops into kind of a family and we've had the opportunity to accomplish some things and have more things to accomplish. That's the biggest thing and that's what occupies most of my attention right now.

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