Jack Crowe Press Conference
The Eastern Illinois Game
November 5, 2007
ON THE SAMFORD GAME
“We’re happy to have completed the series with a team that we’ve played 45 times now and come out on top 23-22-2. I was proud with the way we played. We played very well defensively, particularly in the redzone in the second half. On offense, I’m proud that we found a consistent running game and were able to do the things we needed to do to win the ballgame. The biggest play in the game was Maurice Dupree returning the kickoff inside the 10-yard line and then we were fortunate enough to finish it off with Shawn Green taking it in on two runs. One thing of note that is a cause for recognition was that Deonte Carter (went in to play left tackle). People talk about being thin (depth wise), but it isn’t often that you have to stop a game to change a jersey before you can keep playing. That’s what you call thin. He was the only person that could have gone in the game.”
ON PLAYING EASTERN ILLINOIS
“Eastern Illinois is, for the fifth year in a row, a defining game that will determine the outcome of the season, both championships and playoffs. So, this is a playoff game in that regard. Maybe you want to call it a wild card game, because we have to win this one to get in (the playoffs). This game has been played that way and the last two games have been four-point games. I can remember that, in my opinion, points were lost in the redzone in both categories. Two years ago, we had a fourth-and-one call that we didn’t make at the goalline and last year we got a 15-yard penalty at the one and lost a lot of ground and missed a field goal. It’s been a game where your critical situations - redzone, third downs, kicking game - are very important. We’ve played good football against these guys. They are a team that’s been in the playoffs 11 times under Coach Spoo. They’ve been two years in a row and four of the last six. We’re looking to reestablish ourselves as a contender and to do that, you have to get into the dance.”
“To a Jacksonville State fan, Eastern Illinois doesn’t have the sound of a rivalry because of proximity, from the competitive standpoint, you couldn’t have a greater rival in a more defining game against a comparable opponent this late in the season. Three head coaches in the NFL and the best young quarterback in the NFL are all EIU graduates. They are a football school and they look at us as a football school of comparable competitiveness. It goes without saying that our players recognize it, too. They’ve had a week off and gotten their two senior offensive linemen back. They played with all sophomores two weeks ago and also have their senior linebacker back in Donald Thomas, who is an All-American. So, they spent their time off getting well and they’ll be at full strength. It will be an enormous challenge.”
“One of the things we have to make sure to do is not allow Michael Rucker to beat us. I think, you can say he did last year and in most games, his effect on the game is major. He’s 6-5 and runs a sub-four, 40-yard dash and is a specimen. You can tell watching the film that you have someone out there bigger than normal. We have an enormous challenge in stopping one of, if not the best running team in the league. It leaves us in a little envy. We’re trying to get our running game back to that point. On the other side of the ball, the challenge is the way they come after your running game. They’ll play eight or nine people, even 10 against the run in the redzone. For us to be effective, we’ll need to have our best running game. There couldn’t have been a better time for Daniel (Jackson) to make a statement than what he just did (against Samford). But we’ll also have to have balance. These guys are too good to line up and play one-dimensional football against them. Coach Spoo is as good a football coach as they come. We’ll need our best football game of the year and if we can’t do it now then we won’t ever play it.”
