Opening Statement
“Very excited to get the privilege to prepare and play ULM on the road. It will be our third contest on the road, and [we are] very much anxious to get to work today and practice.
“Our young men had an excellent day on Monday and very, very excited. A lot of energy- not very typical of a team that’s 0-7. Most teams that are 0-7, it’s like pulling teeth getting them to come and our guys are chomping at the bit to be able to get out and do some things yesterday, and we’re looking forward to practice today.
“Looking forward to seeing coach Berry and his Warhawks.”
Did you try and get the players to bring some energy back to practice?
“Of course. We always talk about preparation. That’s the key to winning. It’s how you prepare during the week…and we didn’t think we practiced very well last week.
“We got to the game and our kids played hard, battled and had opportunities to win the game. Again, it comes down to four, five or six plays that determine the outcome of the game, and that’s how you know when you’re getting where you need to go. When you’re battling and you have a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter and it comes down to just a few plays, either way. So, we’re in position. We just have to continue to work.”
How do you keep from losing in the fourth quarter?
“We practice on execution, practice on the schemes, and plan. So it’s just got to happen in the game. We’ve got to do it well in practice, and we’ve got to carry it over to the game.
“There’s no magical combination of things. It’s go out, work hard, practice well, execute in practice, [and] execute when it counts in the game. That’s it. It’s really that simple.”
Is it a good sign games are coming down to five plays?
“You know it is.
“You’re giving yourself a chance…it’s hard to win games at this level, even when you’re Alabama, Oregon or anybody else. It’s hard, and you can play a great game and get beat in the end. That’s just the way it goes.
“What’s going on with our kids is they’re competing so hard and they’re playing at a higher level, that they’re giving themselves a chance.
“It shows the progress.”
How will the offensive line look Saturday?
“Same.
“We’ll get Ulrick John back. Tim Wynn is questionable…Ulrick’s coming back, that’s obviously a bonus.”
Who could become a leader on the offensive line in the seasons to come?
“We’re always looking for leadership, and we’re in a process of teaching leadership everyday. We try to talk to them about being a vocal leader. There’s vocal leaders, there’s leaders by example, and we’re still trying to develop that.
“I don’t know if there’s been guys put in the role in the past. I can’t speak for the past. But, when you’ve got seniors on an offensive line, and they are getting ready to leave, you’ve got to develop younger guys to try and be leaders for the future. To keep passing on the way it’s supposed to be.
“I see potential from A.J. Kaplan. He’ll be back next year; I see potential from him. Usually, it’s got to come from the guys who are doing the playing.”
What does ULM’s defense show?
“Complicated defense. Kind of like watching our defense, you get a million different looks. You can get a 3-3-5, you can get all these different looks and blitzes…we had one formation- I won’t say which one it was- I think there were 12 clips of it and they were in 11 different defenses [on film]…They don’t give you a specific tendency. They do so much; they keep you off balance.”
How will you celebrate your first win at Georgia State?
“When our first win comes, I will probably be no different than I am when we lose. I’m the same guy everyday. I’ll smile. You see me after losses, and I’m smiling.
“Talk to them about how they played [and] what we need to do. There’ll be problems that we need to fix and what we need as far as after the game to get ready for the next one, and move on.
“I don’t celebrate that way… because it has to become an expectation.”
