Todd Monken Weekly Media Conference
11/24/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Southern Miss Football Coach Todd Monken
Weekly Media Conference Transcript
Nov. 24, 2014
Opening statement…
"Coming off of a bye week, we had a chance to get a number of our guys back healthy. We missed four or five guys that we didn't have healthy for UTSA. I think our guys are excited about a last shot at The Rock. The seniors, we will be honoring them this week. A number of guys who have been through the ups and downs from 2011 and winning the league to the struggles we have had to bring it back. I think that is a microcosm of life. Not everything is going to be perfect, but how do you battle. A true testament of a man is how you handle tough times. Not always when things are going well. I think our seniors have done a good job of fighting through that. It will be fun to play here one last time. Bill Clark has done a great job over at UAB. They are right on the cusp of being bowl eligible. They could have easily beaten Marshall last week. Really played hard. They had a bye week before them. They really had them dialed in on both sides of the ball. Offensively and defensively, I really thought they had (the team) dialed in. We will have a real challenge. I think he has done a great job. You talk about all the talk that is out there about the UAB program and all they have done is continue to coach and play. They have done a great job. We are excited for our guys and we are excited about the opportunity this weekend."
On a chance to be spoiler to UAB's bowl eligibility…
"They are trying to spoil us winning our last game. I want to win our last game. I know what it meant to our team (last season). I know what it means for any team to win that last game. That juice you get from it. I am not really concerned about what it means to them, but what it means to us. We have lost four or five in a row and we want to stop that. This is a chance for us to taste victory irrespective of what it means to them. I know what it means to us."
On the biggest difference from last year to this year heading into the final game…
"It is hard to get into the minds of our players as to what our mindsets are now. Are we infinitely better? Yes. Is it more frustrating when you are better that you don't taste victory more often? Without question. There was a moment last year we struggled. We weren't very good. We were playing a lot of young guys. I think the higher your expectations climb; the more frustrating it can become. I don't care what you do. I know this, we are going to fight like heck to get that taste out of our mouth and give ourselves one more time to taste victory. I say it every week. You only get 48 shots in your whole career. Basketball gets 30 something in a year. Baseball gets 60. All the work our guys put in for just these few opportunities. I don't know why anyone would waste it and not prepare their best to give themselves the best opportunity to win and sing the fight song."
On winning last year at UAB, and if that effect the mindset heading into this year's game…
"It is so far removed. It was from last year. Ultimately, we are much better football team. At times, it has shown. At times, we have done enough to not allow ourselves to taste victory. Bottom line is, our guys are confident in our ability when they put everything together and we build on momentum. When we don't, we are not as good as we need to be, coaching or playing. I think our guys believe that if we play well we can win. That is what we have to do; go out and find a way to win."
On what UAB does well…
"The first thing they did when Coach (Clark) got there was assess what they had. I think they did a really good job of maturing their team. They went out and took a number of junior college players that have filled in nicely with the players they already had. That was the start of it. That was probably the biggest thing that put them forward. They don't have as many holes. They would tell you, they do. That was the start. They found a guy in a quarterback who's athletic and makes plays for them. Offensively, they do a good job getting in good formation in relation to your defense and running the football and then throwing the ball down the field. I think they do a very good job of that. Defensively, they have done a really good job. They are a three-down team. Multiple looks. Force you to execute. They are not afraid to challenge you. They play man. They aren't going to give you a lot. I think they have their guys playing hard. Last year, UAB in the game before we played them went to overtime against Rice, who won our league. They had some players there. For four straight years they had beaten Southern Miss. It is not like they didn't have players. That is what I think Bill has done such a great job of, bringing it all together and adding some players. I think what they do on both sides of the ball; they have really done a good job."
On potentially restricting players' diets on Thanksgiving…
"No. I don't know about any diet for Thanksgiving. That makes sense though. For our guys, it is hard to restrict their diet."
On having a Thanksgiving feast for the team…
"We will have a little something for them here. Plus, I think some of the coaches are going to have a little something for them. Some of the players are going to get a chance to go home. It is a little bit different this year. Last year, we had to travel on Friday. This year we don't have to so our guys will get a chance and greater opportunity to go home. Once we get done Thursday morning and give them the afternoon off, we don't have to be back until Friday afternoon. Last year we had to get everything done in the morning because of travel. They will have a greater opportunity to get home.
On if there was one senior who carried this team throughout the year or was it a collective effort…
"There have been a number of guys. One guy that sticks out is Das McCullum. Das has been through a couple of knee surgeries. Every reason not to continue to play. Das has had a really good year. Is he as explosive as he once was? No. Does he play hard? Yes. I wouldn't say that he stands out, just in terms of persevering. We have had a number of guys that have really battled through the ups and downs to where the program was to where it is today. I'll always be appreciative of them and the work they put it. It is not easy to put in all the work and not taste the fruits of your labor. Those guys will always hold a special place in our hearts, as last year's group did."
What do you tell the seniors about leaving their stamp on the program heading into the final game?
"It takes a long time to get the last one out of your mind. The last game you play. I think back to the last game I played. I broke my leg. That is all I really remember. I know it was Knox College. I still remember it. What do you want to remember? You are going to have a lot of memories of your time here that will span from football to everything. Like we all do. I think the biggest thing is what do you want the last memory to be here at The Rock? Fight song. The alma mater. Taking the field. The Eagle Walk. And potentially singing the fight song in the locker room. That is part of preparation. It doesn't just happen on Saturday. That is what we are fighting for. Their last memory of playing here and all the work they put into it."