Ten Minutes with Shane Boyd

Nation Hahn: How does it feel to be in second place and to control your path to the Championship Game?

Shane Boyd: It feels good to be in second place and to control our destiny. We know we can win, execute. It feels good to be in the hunt and we can be in Vegas Thanksgiving weekend.

Nation Hahn: What accounts for the difference in your play, and the team, from Las Vegas until now?

Shane Boyd: When we played Vegas, we had no film. No idea what they were going to run, some of our guys had never played in a professional game. We had preparation this week, I had preparation. We had to get the jitters out. We added some talent which helped my play. We had lots of growing to do, plus a good amount of changes. We’re starting to settle in on our team identity.

Nation Hahn: What did the Coaches have to say about your performance?

Shane Boyd: My offensive coordinator was excited about our execution on Thursday night. Overall, it was a good game. We are just scratching the surface of what this offense can be. And, you know, our defense played great. Even with the pick I threw, I made the right read – I just put the ball behind him. I just need to fix the throw. You can fix physical mistakes, my mental execution was good.

Nation Hahn: How did being benched impact you?

Shane Boyd: When they decided to go with McMahon, they wanted to give him a shot to see how he did. I have my opinions about the move but I am here to do my job whether I am the starter or the backup.

Even then I had feelings I would be back – and I came back in a strong way. I was presented with a challenge but I came back stronger. I worked even harder to get back, to put back in this position. I intend to stay in this role.

Nation Hahn: Does your team feel as if it has a shot against the 4-0 Tuskers?

Shane Boyd: We feel like they can beat the Tuskers. They have the most pro experience and a solid team. They have a lot of advantages, staying near their home field and all of that. They run the defense well, they move the ball well. They bend and not break. The score from our game might not show it but our defense played well. They can be stopped and we had some opportunities on offense. They are a great team, they play solid. If we play our game and execute, we can beat them.