University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Jeff Bower Weekly News Conference Quotes - Sept. 24, 2007
9/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 24, 2007
Coach Jeff Bower Press Conference Quotes...Sept. 24, 2007
Opening Statement:
We have had a pretty good week of practice. We worked mostly last week on improving some thing that we weren't doing well. We are on schedule getting ready for Boise, who I think is a really good team. They are very strong on defense and they don't give up much running the football at all. Their strength offensively is in their offensive line and the running backs. The quarterback is a good thrower. They move the ball and play extremely hard. They are an outstanding football team and it is going to be challenging going out there where they have been very successful, but we are looking forward to it. We have been in some tough places before and this is another one.
Do you expect their defense to have seven or eight guys in the box again?
Yeah, that is what they do. It really depends on what personnel group you have, but they like to have seven or eight guys up there and play a good bit of man coverage.
Do you think that makes more options for the passing game?
They try to outnumber you, but like every week, we have to be able to run the football and try to keep it balanced. When we get one-on-one match ups, we have to make plays.
Will they throw a lot of formations at you?
A bunch. They try to out-number you with a lot of formations, a lot of shifts and movements. They do a good job and they do it fast. You have to make some adjustments and you have to do it fast. It is hard to rehearse that, but throughout the week we have done the best that we could with our scout team.
Do you think that Damion gets extra pumped up for game where is going against another good back?
If you have any competitive spirit in you, you are going to be that way no matter who you are. It is a good challenge and they are a good football team and may very well be the best team we play all year. They are good and we have to bring our best game.
In practice do you see the team being better than it was two weeks ago?
I think that we are making improvement; we haven't been a really consistent team in terms of our play. The last two games we have not played well in the third quarter. Turnovers have hurt us. We are minus-1 for the year as far as turnovers go. That is probably our No. 1 goal other than out scoring opponents, which is to take care of the football. We have had some meltdown, primarily because of turnovers. We have to be a better consistent football team in terms of our play. The way you do that is that you practice consistently. That is sort of something that we have pushed with our players.
How does playing this Thursday, then the following Wednesday against Rice, change your weekly schedule?
We will get back about 3:00 a.m., Friday morning, and we are going to go to class that day. Then we will practice Friday night, as we will treat Friday like a Monday and so on. We have tried to do some work on Rice, but it is not a lot you can do because they changed staffs. With us having a few extra days to get ready for Boise, we have also tried to do a little preliminary work on Rice, so we can give our players a good plan.
What do you think about how Brett (Favre) is playing?
I had a chance to watch a little bit of the game. He is amazing; just what he has accomplished is amazing. He might be playing as good as I have seen him play. From what I saw yesterday, he is calling everything from the line of scrimmage. You have to have a little confidence when you throw it on the one-yard line as many times as they did, with no backs in there. I am really proud of him and really proud of what he has accomplished. I know he is feeling really good about himself.
He still gets excited about playing and I don't want to say it surprises me but when you think back to last year when they were question if he was going to come back or not. But now you see the excitement and he is still so competitive just like he is a rookie. The guy has been in the league 17 years and still has that in him so maybe he will keep playing.
What about Favre when he was here that still see the same in him now?
The way he competes and the way he can make plays - he is a playmaker. He could always throw the ball, no question, but I think he just love to compete. Yesterday, it was a typical Favre game. I am not sure if he doesn't play to keep it close so he has to win it in the last two minutes. That is when he is at his best, when the game is on the line, and that is what makes him a cut above the rest. When the pressure is on and you have to make plays to win the game, the really good ones do it.
How do you feel about the defense going into the game? Good. They have to eliminate the big plays, which we did against East Carolina. We also have to stop the run. They are very good at running it and they have a good strong offensive line and a couple of good backs. That will be the key defensively going into the game - being able to stop the run.
2026 National Signing Day Press Conference with Blake Anderson
Wednesday, February 04
Southern Miss 2026 National Signing Day
Wednesday, February 04
Christian Ostrander Preseason Press Conference
Monday, January 19
Blake Anderson Introductory Press Conference
Monday, December 15