QUOTING JSU HEAD FOOTBALL COACH JACK CROWE
JSU FOOTBALL PRESS CONFERENCE 8/31/09

OPENING REMARKS
“We are right here at the beginning of football season. Actually, this season started the day the last game ended. There really has been a lot of ups and downs since we finished last season. We actually ended on a very high note, winning our last three games. Since then, we were not selected to go to the playoffs, which we are in dispute of. We've received a post-season ban, which we felt was stiff, and we are going into a game without our starting quarterback. So, we just stack challenges on top challenges for ourselves. But really, the biggest challenge is what we are looking at for the month of September.

"We are on the road four straight games. By the end of the year, we will have traveled more than any team in our conference and a lot of it is on the front end. Playing the first two games against BCS schools and then going to Alabama A&M and to Thibodaux to play Nicholls State. These are teams that have proven they can win against anybody. What may highlight this schedule is the fact, and I would dare to say, that probably nobody has started a season with two favored BCS teams. Florida State is favored in one division of the ACC and depending on who you ask, Georgia Tech or Virginia Tech are favored in the other division. This team has heaped challenges after challenges on themselves, so I don't see a challenge that I feel like we can't handle. We have handled the challenges until now with a tough and go forward mindset. There has not been any self-pity from anybody.

"I don't think we could have had a better camp than what we had. The one thing I would change is the amount of kids that missed work because of injuries. But even that has been understandable. We had 90 players report. I caught myself watching the Georgia Tech team (scout squad). They consist of walk-ons and first or second year signees. One way of measuring the quality of talent is by measuring from the bottom of the talent pool to the top. Inside of all of this, I will tell you we had one player, Benjamin Puckett. He was here during the spring and has continued right where he left off and Benjamin is going to be on scholarship when that scholarship is available to us. He is a linebacker from Marietta, Ga., who may cover the first kickoff against Georgia Tech. But, there is a lot of heart in all of those players and it has been very competitive. There is no one that just takes a walk through the tulips out there because everyone is getting challenged every step of the way. That has assured me that we have withstood the challenges from last season and are challenged to go forward. But I don't want anybody to think that there has been an easy road, because it has been anything but an easy road. I don't want anybody to think that this is just an average September for a football team. This is no average September, this is one Heck of a September. Anyone who thinks it isn't needs to come stand on the sidelines and walk across that line. We are staged to be challenged to the up most.

ON THE GAMECOCKS
We are a talented football team. We're not a very experienced football team, but we are going to play with the depth of this football team. Even to inexperience just to make sure we that are able to represent ourselves. We are probably deeper at some positions than we have ever been. We are at the traditionally shallow positions like offensive line. Who can say they have more than just enough when it comes to offensive linemen. It seems that is a standard story. There are going to be emerging playmakers. For me to forecast all of them would be that I know what is going to happen. I don't know what is going to happen. There are going to be some and there are going to be some our Gamecock fans will be talking about all week after the game is over.

"We have got our questions as we roll into this year. We are starting a quarterback that will be starting for the first time. Not an average guy to put in that position. I have had first start quarterbacks in a lot of places. I don't think I have seen one that has been less affected by all of the circumstances than Marques Ivory. He just rolls with the punches and goes on. Marquis has enormous confidence in himself and is very resourceful. He is not a great talent, but he maybe beyond his years in terms of managing a game. Brooks Robinson should have a role in this game. I guess it tells you something about a quarterback (Brooks Robinson) that we had to take off of two starting kick coverage units and he is upset that we had to take him off, because as a backup quarterback, we don't want him to cover kicks. That tells you a lot about a guy. He is going to be interesting to watch."

ON THE KICKING GAME
"We are replacing a kicker and a punter with one guy, Patrick Tatum. Nothing is bigger in a football game than what the kicking game does. Patrick is ready for this. I don't think I have had more confidence in one I haven't seen than what I have in this one. I don't think he is going to be bothered by any environment. He is very tough minded, especially for a kicker. Jamal Young will be our punt returner and James Wilkerson will return kickoffs. We lost (Maurice) Dupree, who is playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars. I think he will be around for a while. We lost an All-American really in that regard. Jamal is going to be given a big responsibility, but I think he will get there."

ON JSU'S RECEIVERS AND RUNNING BACKS
"We are going to play a lot of receivers and running backs and we going to try and put them in the best position they can be in."

ON THE JSU DEFENSE
"We are going to play a lot of players on defense. In fact, we are going to almost play a two-deep mentality. Given the enormous challenge of Georgia Tech and an opening game at one o'clock represents, but it will be hot on both sides".

ON GEORGIA TECH
"It goes without saying how good Georgia Tech is. They have probably the premier offensive player in the league in Jonathan Dwyer and a quarterback that has proven his effectiveness. Really, their whole offense returns with some improvement. It is interesting that who we thought was there best offensive linemen last year has someone ahead of him on the depth chart. I don't know what that means. In fact, there are four positions that we thought the starter was a significant player that had somebody else ahead of them on the initial depth chart.

"Where is the biggest challenge? Probably tackling Dwyer. He is very quick. If he is not the first pick taken in the next NFL draft, I will be surprised. That is probably our biggest challenge. Of course, the scheme presents big challenges to people. Last year, we made a lot of mistakes. Not to take anything away from anybody, but when the quarterback pitches the ball and the guy that is supposed to have the pitch guy is covering the quarterback, then it becomes a track meet. But, that is what their offense presents. You have to play assignments. You can play as hard, physical and as fast as you want and you go brain dead for one second, they can be out of the gate.

"I used to coach this offense and I am a big fan of this offense. I told our coaches to not let me watch this very long or I will be changing what we are doing because it's almost like stealing today. When I coached this offense everybody was playing against it to some degree. We are going try and make sure they don't steal anything from us."

JSU's GAME CAPTAINS
"Greg Smith is one those guys that is playing for us now and I am so grateful to have. Greg is a football guy and he is a great leader. He mentioned to me that he might want to coach. He better run from me, because I am going to keep him. Greg and Reggie Wade will be our game captains. Greg has been here three months and Wade is a junior college transfer that has been here a year and three months. The defensive captains are Brandt Thomas, who walked across the tracks from Welborn to play, and other two are both All-Conference guys and walk-ons in Alexander Henderson and Carnell Clark."