Jacksonville State Football Weekly Press Conference
August 29, 2023 
East Tennessee State Week
 
Head Coach Rich Rodriguez
 
Opening Statement
"It's good to be back home again and obviously last weekend was a nice way to start the season off. After Sunday we moved on to East Tennessee State, so we got a little banged up, I don't know for sure who's going to be out, but we have a few guys, few starters that, that will be very limited this week. We'll see how it happens in the next couple of days and see if they can play on Saturday, but hopefully we'll have another nice crowd and our guys will be ready to play."
 
On East Tennessee State
"It is the first game of the year, so we don't know for sure what they're going to do offensively, defensively and who they're going to do it with looking at the depth chart. They got a lot of new guys, they got some transfers coming in, so we're not sure about the personnel just yet. We'll catch that up as the week goes on.  They played hard two years ago here. They were in the playoffs and a very good football team a little younger last year. They lost some guys in the portal, but they gained a lot of guys in the portal. We're still trying to figure out who those are."
 
On his team after the first game
"We have a lot of issues, not a lot, but we've got issues. We've got to fix our own team with some execution issues on offense and some things that we have got to clean up so that'll be our focus this week."
 
On QB Zion Webb's performance
"I didn't think he had his best game, he's played a whole lot better. I thought he competed well, made some nice throws and was in control the whole time and knew what was happening. He can play a whole lot better and he knows that. I think our expectation for him is pretty high and his expectations for himself are pretty high."
 
On playing as a running QB
"If the quarterbacks aren't willing to run in our offense, they won't play quarterback. Obviously, you don't want those guys running as much as the running backs or other guys, but, and there were some opportunities and he ran. We'd rather have our running backs and our slots carry most of the balls, particularly running backs. There were a couple of runs I think he might have been a little banged up early and was trying to fight through it, but there were a couple of times, he slid a little early and that's, that's not how we play."

On Playing an FCS Team
"I'll talk a little bit about it but I'm not a big talker about this and that and all that kind of stuff because I'm more concerned about how we play every week. It's the same way last week. It's our first year as a full-fledged FBS, so we're not like an established FBS program or anything like that. It was a year ago, we were playing on that level and most of those guys are still back. We always concern ourselves first, but they'll watch the film, they'll see that they have good football players, it's their first game, they'll play extremely hard and there's areas that we have to play a lot better at. I would be shocked if our guys don't prepare the same way. if not even better. Our Sunday walk through and today's practice will be physical. Our way of coaching, our approach doesn't change no matter who it is. It's just the way it is."
 
Quae Drake, R-Sr., LB
 
Opening Statement
"I had a lot of fun in my first game here at Jacksonville State. I told Coach Rodriguez at the game that I just appreciate him bringing me in and bringing me back closer to my family. Overall, I think we played good and it was fun to be on the sideline."
 
On being closer to home
"It kind of feels like high school again and a lot of my family is getting to come watch me play. This means a lot to me because it brings up like old memories and I know that they want the best for me and they're proud of me, so it just motivates me when I go out there. Just knowing that I have a lot more people in the stands that's there and they want the best for me."
 
On joining the program with one season to play
"I'm a true competitor.  I've played with some of them before. I've been in situations with them before at my previous school. It was just a matter of just coming in and just learning my teammates and earning their trust more. They've been open me and a warm welcome."
 
 On Defensive Coordinator Zac Alley
"Coach (Zac) Alley is a great coach. He works hard day in and day out to come up with a game plan for us to go out there and be successful. Knowing his system has given me a little bit more of a leeway, I already know a little bit of what's coming, so that's made it easier for me to play faster and play harder, day in and day out and also compete each and every day."
 
Ron Wiggins, R-Jr., RB
 
Opening Statement
"I thought we played fantastic on both ends, especially on defense. The defensive line off held their own. We had a few mistakes throughout the game but we have to work on those things in practice and fix the things that we messed up on."
 
On getting the first FBS TD
"That was a surreal moment getting the first FBS touchdown in program history. Hopefully in the future there will be many more."
 
Being from Jacksonville
"Just being from here and coming to the games when I was younger and now years later, we're now FBS, national televised games, more exposure. It's a big thing and I'm happy for where this program is going."
 
On his offseason goals
"The goal in the offseason was mainly to get bigger. I have always been 170, 175. This offseason, my goal was to just at least get like around 191. We got a great strength staff and Coach Blake (McCall) worked as hard in the spring and in the summer with me and I was able to achieve my goal."