JSU GAME NOTES VS EIU

Opening Comments:
“ We had a very competitive game last week and I thought in the first half we were suffering from an emotional hangover from the week before. I didn't think out focus was really good, but I thought we were very willing and tried really hard to gain a rhythm on offense. We came out in the second half and really got into a rhythm. We have had to make some adjustments with the style of quarterback we have now. If we can come back and maintain what we did last week, I think we will have put the train back on the track. Defensively, I don't know if we have had the train on the track yet – in fact, I know we haven't. We are giving up plays that really do not make sense to give up. There is not an inability to make a play and there is not the preparation there to make a play – when we miss a play, the opportunity is there and no one is really wide open or the void of being out of position. I think we are still dealing with a state of mind and a comfort zone with a degree of certainty about – where I'm at, what I'm doing and how I get it done. I think we are still that mule that needs to keep his blinders on and keep pulling the wagon because we are getting better. Nonetheless, to our fans that have been tremendous to us – we have this schedule in the first part of season that makes us the home team in September. We are very fortunate because the uncertainty would be even more if we have not had the emotional support that we have had with the environment of playing in front of our fans, students and our great band.”



On Eastern Illinois:
“We have another home game here and another week to out and improve on things. I changed the practice schedule last week and I am going to keep it. We are about to play an Eastern Illinois team that has always been a challenge for us. When we first came into the league, Eastern Illinois had won the league and had come out of the Tony Romo era where they were really the dominant team in the league. We beat them the first couple of years and it has been nip-and-tuck to some degree and we have had some great games with them. Whoever won this game was going to the playoffs, so these games have meant something.

These people are very talented and they bring a Big 10, homegrown, physical football players mixed in with a pipeline of recruiting down to south Florida, which gives them great skill people. Offensively, they are centered around their quarterback, who was just becoming their quarterback last year with (Jimmy) Garoppolo as a freshman. He has settled in to his role as the quarterback and their leader. I think they are like a lot of teams – trying to establish the run and have balance.'

On getting back to OVC play:
“We are now playing for the conference championship. Every game is life or death to stay alive in the competition. Everyone can win it at this point in time and it appears from looking at the league – that there are a lot of the teams in the league that are capable.”