Saturday, October 3
JACKSONVILLE
1 p.m.
Jacksonville State University
vs
University of Tennessee at Martin
Jack Crowe Press Conference Quotes - The UT Martin Game
9/28/2009 3:47:15 PM | Football
Jacksonville State University
Weekly Football Press Conference
Sept. 28, 2009
Weekly Football Press Conference
Sept. 28, 2009
QUOTING JSU HEAD FOOTBALL COACH JACK CROWE
On The Nicholls State Game
“We had a complete football game against Nicholls State, which is always a good thing. I think we played well. We can get better and we need to get better but for where we are right now and given all the circumstances it was a good effort.
“For the second straight week we look like we understood the plan in the kicking game. Eric Russell has really stepped forward as a leader in our kicking game along with Patrick Tatum, our punter and kicker. For the second week in a row, we had a kick return for a touchdown. So, now we have had a punt and a kickoff return for a touchdown. I think we have managed field position pretty well.
“Defensively, we held them under 100 yards (rushing) and offensively we ran for over 200 yards (rushing). Those are usually two pretty good measures that you are winning the line of scrimmage. We have played four games now. I think we have found something that has gotten better in each of the four games. If we can continue to improve, we can be a really football game. The improvement from here forward will be against a known quality of football team.”
On the UT Martin Game
“We know exactly who we are playing this week. The majority of the players are the same ones, particularly on offense. We are playing a team that has beaten us two out of the last three years. The game that we won here was won virtually on the last play of the game on a pass to Taurean Rhetta. We are ready to start OVC play and understand how good our opponent is. Our quarterback is playing well and their quarterback, Cade Thompson, is playing well, too. Their running game has distinguished itself and they have distinguished themselves on defense. I think they have been ranked near the top of the defensive statistics the last few years and this team gives every indication that they are the same quality. Our defense has to stop their running game and we have to go out and run the football against their defensive front. After that, you have to control their passing game and we have to make some big plays in our passing game. This is going to be a week that we will find out a lot about ourselves. I think our players are going to work to be ready and I think will be ready. We should be physically okay, but we start off the week with a lot of people nursing some things from the physical effort we had last week. But, we should physically, mentally and emotionally be ready. This should be one heck of a football game for coming home and showing our fans what it means to be playing in front of them.
On Finally Getting To Play At Home
“We have been road warriors and we have developed a road personality. I don't know what our personality is at home. I can only think it will make us better to hear our fans respond when we do something and to hear our band playing in rhythm with what is going on with our team. I expect it to bring out the best in us. This could be really good, because this is a talented football team that can do some really good things. If there is such concept as a 12th man, it could really make this an outstanding football team. There are some players that are playing at a level on this team that is the highest level a player could reasonably play. There is certainly an entertainment value to the general football fan. So we will have the loyal crowd and I hope we will have the crowd that is looking to see a quality football team and quality football game, because it will be an exciting game.
Is this the best rushing attack that you have seen this season?
“I would have to say after Georgia Tech, yes. It is the most run-pass balance by far of anybody. Georgia Tech was certainly more run and Florida State more pass. Alabama A&M had some balance, but I think this group has achieved more running and passing that A&M had at the time. We are going to be faced with a powerful running game and yet we are going to have to handle the passing game off of it. We are pretty much the same (both teams) philosophically. We have a quarterback that transferred from LSU, and they have a quarterback that transferred from South Carolina. These are, if you want to brand them, SEC caliber players.
On Senior Safety Josh Cain
“Josh is one of those guys that you become a fan coaching him. We put all of the rookies on one team during a scrimmage and it is suppose to be an easy day for the first-team. Josh lines up at free safety and makes every tackle. I think he made 13 solo tackles and he is a true freshman. One day, the head of the computer science department was at practice. He said he just came to watch and told me he (Josh) was the number one student we have, and that is pretty distinguished. He has already earned his degree and is working on his master's in computer science. I have been told by a couple of individuals that they represent companies that have offered him jobs already. He spends weeks out of the year in Tanzania doing mission work. The other players respond to him. Against Florida State, he made some plays that set himself apart. I think before the year is over, he is going to be one of the leaders on this team statistically. On top of that, he is just a classy guy that smiles a lot and everybody likes.”
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