University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Larry Fedora Weekly Media Conference Quotes...Nov. 8, 2010
11/8/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 8, 2010
Head Coach Larry Fedora's Weekly Press Conference Transcript...Nov. 8, 2010
Opening statement:
"I said this Saturday after the game, but we were happy to get a win. We were not really pleased with the way we played, but I understand how hard it is to win in college football and I know there is about 60-something teams last week that would have traded places with us. When we play bad and win that is a whole lot better than playing good and losing. We know where we have to get corrected and started working on that Sunday and we are going to continue to work hard and get ready for the Knights this week."
On where the team is after nine games:
"Looking at it, things have not been consistent. It would be easy to fix things if the problem was consistent and say this is where we have been failing and change this and everything will be fine. But it has been one thing or another. We went back to having too many penalties the other night. We had done a pretty good job the previous couple of weeks with that, but just made some mental errors there. We were so inconsistent offensively, especially early in the game, where we had opportunities and we just did not convert those opportunities. We did not make plays like we had been making plays. We made enough plays in the long run, though. Special teams played exactly the way we wanted them to play last week - they dominated. We dominated the game in that phase and that is why we won the football game."
On Alex Walters' touchdown in the 4th quarter:
"It was an interception (rather than the fumble and recover that was ruled), We looked at it on film and the guy never had possession and he would have had to possession for it to be a fumble, so it was without a doubt a interception."
On QB Austin Davis:
"I don't think he played really well in the game and I don't think that our receivers played well. It was hard to find guys who played well offensively to be honest with you. When you looked at the guys that have been playing, it was really hard to find a guy who really played well throughout the game."
On the possibility of playing Martevious Young:
"It has not gotten to that point in a game yet, but we had a package in last week that had both of them on the field at the same time and that package will probably expand."
On UCF:
"We are looking for weaknesses and cannot find any to be honest with you. Offensively, they have scored about 40 points in each of the last five games so they are really hitting on all cylinders there and defensively, they are basically No. 1 in the league in every category. On special teams they are No. 1 in the league on kickoffs and kickoff returns. They have a great football team. They really do and are a very solid football team. We are going to have to go out there and play a complete game. We have to play great in all three phases.
"Every since their first QB has gotten hut, they have changed their offense completely. The Godfrey kid can throw it and run. He can do everything. I would say they are a spread offense now.
"Tulane and UCF were really the last two teams to go to the spread, and you see both of them are having a lot more success offensively now. It's another thing that is difficult to defend. UCF is No. 1 in our league scoring in conference games. People are scoring points in the league, there is no doubt as everyone in this league with a spread offense has shown they can score points."
On playing on the road:
"Our guys feel very comfortable with our plan that we have in place when we travel as well as the routine and structure around it. We are playing very well with that structure."
On the health of the team:
"We expect C.J.(Bailey) to be back this week and DeAndre (Brown) is getting a lot closer, so I am hoping that he will be back this week as well. If he is able to go on a limited basis, it would depend on how limited those snaps would be and I will have to make that decision this week.
"We have some guys who are banged up, but I am hoping that we get all of them back this week. I will not know until after tomorrow's practice. Desmond (Johnson) was kind of gimpy there at the end Saturday, he did not do much last night so we will see how he is tomorrow. Cameron (Zipp) is banged up like a lot of guys are and he keeps fighting through it, he gives a whole lot to this football team."
On getting pressure on the QB last Saturday:
"There were some times were he had some time and then there were sometimes that he was getting the tar knocked out of him as he let the ball go. That is going to happen in a game. You are going to have a game where you have pressure on the QB every single time he throws the football. They are going to slide the front and outnumber you with linemen or blockers, and sometimes that is going to happen. If you drop eight and rush three, he is going to have some time back there - even when you rush four. We got enough pressure when we needed it there at the end and that was critical."
On finishing a close game:
"It was definitely encouraging to finish out a close game. The previous two we were right back in the same situation basically. The difference was that we finished it Saturday and did not in the other two."
On the defense in the fourth quarter:
"We did not do anything differently. We did not change what we had been doing and the game play did not change. Now, I could not tell you what they called or what they did in those two series, but the guys just stepped up and made plays when they needed.
"We have more guys playing. Alex Walters played a good bit and made some good plays. We have numerous guys that played and it helped us. This is the point in the season last year where we were so beat up we could not get through a game."
On Deron Wilson:
"We got into some situations where he did not have any help behind him and they saw it. Give them credit because the QB took advantage of it. It caught him off guard and things kind of spiraled from there. What did I say to him? I told him he set a record for the most penalties in a season, and I think ESPN ran an alert on it or something. What do you say? The kid knows and he was obviously disappointed. He knows he can play better and he will."
On what is left to play for this season:
"To me there is a lot of things left. First of all you still have three games and then there is the possibility of a bowl game. So who is to say that you cannot win 10 football games. That is the way I am looking at it, which is to finish this season with 10 win. How many times has that been done in 100 years here?"
On DB Chico Hunter:
"He is playing every snap defensively as our nickel back. He plays even versus base personnel because we are not rolling out guys in a lot of situations. He also is playing on every snap of special teams and is down there in on two or three tackles every week. He is on everything, he is a warrior.
"He is more comfortable in pass coverage now. He has great speed and great athleticism and now that we have locked him down at one position, rather than two, he has done a lot better job at it."
On the UCF Defense:
"Overall, I am going to tell you that they are extremely good in the secondary. Their linebackers are good players and their defensive line has good players, That is why they are No. 1 in the league. They are really playing well together and have been playing in it a while. This is coach O'Leary's defense. (DE) Bruce (Miller) has been in it at least three years and I do not know how many before I got here. He has been a playmaker every year he has been out there. I was fortunate to get to meet him this past summer and he plays the game the way it should be played."
