Jacksonville State Football Weekly Press Conference
March 22, 2021 - Austin Peay Week
 
Head Coach John Grass 
Opening Comments:
"I slept really good last night after a solid win. I thought it was a beautiful day for football and we had a really good crowd. The student section had some folks in it and I was worried about that with playing two home games on both ends of spring break. I think we will have more next week and I just think it was a good day overall. Anytime you can beat a team like SEMO, I think their coaches have done a great job with that program and getting them established. They are a solid football team and have lost some really close games. I think we took control of the game early and played the way we did to finish the game was a tip of a the cap to the guys. I thought we played really well and played physical football. We dominated in stopping the run and we were able to run the ball and make some plays on offense. We are close on offense from exploding after you go back and watch the tape. There are a few things here and there and if we do it correctly, you got 550 yards of offense and three more scores. We are really close to playing really great offensively. I think special teams continues to be a factor for us and I think it is helping us win games with field position and not getting ourselves beat in special team. Special team is helping us win. I am proud of the guys and you have to put this one behind quickly and you have no open weeks." 
 
"We move on to Austin Peay and watching them for the first time this year and you see how they played in the fall, I think they are the most talented team in the league. They are a dangerous team and they have played two close games the last two weeks and went into double overtime with SEMO and losing a close one yesterday against UT Martin. We have our work cut out for us this week. You have to deal with spring break and that is something that you have never factored in with us playing spring football. Every college student is heading toward somewhere on the beach or vacation and getting a break from school. Our guys are going to be grinding and catching up on school work, practicing football and getting ready for a game on Sunday.
 
On the running back trio:
"That is a solid group we have, and this group is more like a DeMarcus James and they run the ball down hill, physically and all three have good vision. I am glad to have three and you do not really care which one you hand it to and then you can have all of them in there at the same time. It has been a plus for us right now."
 
On Yessman Green:
"All the young corners are getting to play and if we don't stop having injuries at that spot, we are going to run out of bodies. These young guys have stepped in and he got more action yesterday than he has all year. I thought he played well and had some big tackles in the game and almost had a pick at the line of scrimmage. It is fun to see him doing stuff and being energetic."
 
On Michael Pettway:
 "He is explosive and he a guy that we can get the ball to downfield and blow the top of the coverage. We can get the ball to him on screens and turn it into a 20–30-yard run. He has great hands and truns great routes. Over the years, we have not played many freshmen receivers, so he has been an impact this year."
 
On Jaylen Swain:
"He just does an outstanding job and you just love the way he plays the game. He is that same guy in practice and he loves to play the game. He has a high motor and that is what you want in a defensive lineman and he has played multiple positions. He is very versatile and plays with a lot of energy and is very physical."
 
On SEMO:
"I think they are a solid team as always and they are good year-in-year-out. They are good at stopping the run and you know going into the game, you have to match that. I think it will be a very physical game on Sunday and we are looking forward to the challenge."
 
 
Jaylen Swain
Fr., Defensive End
Opening Comments:
"Everything we did in the game plan and the stuff that we talked about was executed and we came out and played together and we made plays when they were needed to be made. We did a great job executing the plan."
 
On his high motor:
 "It comes from little league, playing hot and fast. I had a lot of energy and I was just doing my job."
 
On the defense in third down situations:
"Everybody wants to be in a third down situation, and you want to get off the field and not give up a first down. We know we have to make a play to get off the field to force fourth down."
 
 
Josh Samuel
R-Fr. Running back
Opening Comments:
"It was great offensively and we came out and executed the game plan. We went out there with the mindset of play-by-play, game-bu-game."
 
On JSU's running backs:
"I think we all bring something different to the bale and we all compliment each other. We have a great group of backs and we are not selfish. We put the team first and whoever has the moment, and you never know who it will be, we share the load and the main goal is to stay healthy and fresh, so when the fourth quarter comes, we are still fresh and ready to go."
 
On the ability to wear down a defense:
"It starts with the offensive line and they have been tremendous throughout the fall and spring. They are getting better and better and they want to dominate the opponent. We want to be more physical than the other team."
 
On the scoring play against SEMO:
"It was a play action play and I was set to protect and after awhile I just looked back and waived my hand. He threw the ball and we made a play and it tales all 11 of us to make a great play."