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Opening Statement
“We’re definitely excited to get the season started this upcoming Saturday at home. I think we’ve had a good camp up to this point. Our team understands what’s at stake every week, which is trying to prove yourself and play your best brand of football. We have to do that starting week one. We have an opponent from right up the road in Eastern Kentucky. They had a successful season last year, 6-2 in their conference and went to the playoffs. Coach [Walt] Wells
has done a really good job coaching that football team. They play football the right way. They’re fundamentally sound and they’ll come in here hungry and ready to go. So we have to come out swinging and play our best football. I feel like we’ve practiced very well to this point and we’re in a good position to go out there and show up on gameday to play a good brand of football.“
(On opponents game planning for Isaac Brown)
“I think we have good, stable running backs. Of course, Isaac of course leads the way. Duke Watson gives us another good runner in the backfield. Keyjuan Brown gives us another element. We try to have a good balance. So every week, no matter who we’re playing, we have to be able to throw the ball and run the ball. Whatever our team’s doing, they dictate whatever we’re going to do more of. But without questions, Isaac will get plenty of touches no matter who we play. He’ll get a chance to show what he’s all about. I think he’s had a good camp. He is dynamic with the ball in his hands. We’d be foolish not to make sure he gets enough touches no matter who we play. I feel confident we’ll be able to do that a lot of different ways and he’ll play good football for us.”
(Questions about the team right now, that he would like answered on Saturday)
“I think when you get into a game setting, you have to see what guys are going to be able to concentrate, go out there and do the small things correctly and perform come gameday. It’s time to take the test, you have to show up and ace the test. So, it’s really just seeing what guys can do that and keep their composure, stay controlled, stay focused and stay locked in all game. We’ve got a new quarterback, he’s got to go out there and execute, he has to deliver the ball to our playmakers, he has to remain poised in the pocket. We’ve got an offensive line that’s new and they have to be consistent in what they do. We don’t need a lot of penalties, a lot of holding calls, a lot of false starts, a lot silly things happening. We’ve got our receiving corps that we feel confident about, they have got to make plays. They have to show up on gameday and they have to make plays, and that’s what playmakers do. We talked about our running back room, I think they’ll do a good job. We have to continue to build the tight end room as well. They need to show up and do good things, but I feel confident they will. On defense, we’ve got to eliminate the big plays, get pressure on the quarterback and be consistent in what we’re doing.On special teams we’ve have to get an advantage. With all that said, the first week sometimes you have a lot of turnovers, a lot of fumbles, a lot of miscues and a lot of penalties. We have to try and be as clean as we possibly can be week one and not allow for that to happen.”
(On expectation from the defense)
“We want to perform on defense, and I feel like we’re very capable. We’ve had a good spring, summer and fall, and I want to see that on the field. I think there has been a lot of hard work put into figuring out how we can get better. How can we eliminate big pass plays? How can we still apply pressure on the quarterback? How can we still guard things tighter? How can we be sound getting lined up properly, knowing the call, get set before the snap, being good in our substitution pattern? Those are all things that have to show up and happen. I think we’ve made progress, but still we can’t have a couple of costly miscues that end up hurting us. So, we have got to just prove it on the field.”
(On the third wide receiver and depth)
“I think we can play multiple guys. That’s a good position for us right now. I think Chris Bell and Caullin Lacy are our two most experienced guys. They’ve got to show up and perform. I think they’ve done outstanding to this point. TreyShun Hurry is a newcomer that has really stood out and has done a really good job, so him and Antonio Meeks will be at the other position and rotating in there quite a bit. Dacari Collins is another addition that has stepped up, and he has got size that the other guys don’t have and can really do some good things. We’ve got some other newcomers. Kris Hughes who was here last year that needs to make plays, Terrence McWilliams [too]. I think that room will get plenty of action. Experience is good and they’ve got to continue to show out, and the newcomers have to get on the game field and produce, know the call and execute and do all the small things as well.”
(On the offense line mix)
“We have worked through [finding the mix]. I do think anywhere from seven to nine [players] are ready right now that should be able to rotate in the game and play and do a good job. There’s some other newcomers that are on that edge that just have to continue to work and get there. If they see the field, you’d like to see them produce. I think it’s a good group. We’ve got to keep certain guys healthy, without question. Pete Nygra is our starting center. He’s a fantastic player, makes all of our calls, he’s smart. We need to keep him healthy. A couple other gentlemen have stepped up and done a good job that we would like for those [players] to stay healthy as much as we can. But, we do have competition there and we do have some young players that have stepped up and done a good job and we hope to see that carry over to the game.”
(On Miller Moss’s growth here and if he has done everything that he wanted him to do at this point)
“He has [done everything I’ve wanted him to]. For example, before I came down here, today was our players’ day off. And he’s over here getting in extra work and stopping by to see us. He’s going to do everything he can to perform well. We know what he needs to continue to work on and we’ve worked hard at it. [We’ve worked on] going out there and having poised, command of the huddle, command at that position and being able to make good decisions, pass the ball accurately. When things don’t happen in rhythm, find a way to make a play, or at least do not do something negatively like an interception or a fumble. We’re working on all those things. It’s a position you just have to continue to work hard at. Don’t ever think you’ve arrived. Something new will come up and how you handle that will determine the type of success you have, but he’s done a great job at this point, and I’m looking forward to him having a great year.”
(On Eastern Kentucky)
“Well Coach Wells has done a great job. I know him personally. He loves football, he loves the game, really works hard to put his team in the best position to succeed. Of course, growing up Coach [Roy] Kidd was a tremendous coach there for years and they always played a good brand of football. I’ve been at Western Kentucky, when you’re there you’ve got a chip on your shoulder, you’re hungry and you’re out to prove what type of football you can play. So anytime you’ve got a chance to play against a power four opponent you’re going to be ready to go. These players are going to be licking their lips and ready to play football and show what they can do. I’m sure Coach [Wells] will have them ready to do that. So, we have to understand that and understand that on any given day anything can happen. We have to step up to the challenge and be really good and sharp. And, make plays and be precise in what we’re doing because without question EKU will come in here hungry and ready to play.”
