University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Coach Todd Monken's Weekly Media Conference
9/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Southern Miss football coach Todd Monken addressed the media Monday with his weekly media conference, previewing the Nebraska game which will be played at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb. this Saturday.
Here are some of Coach Monken's statements:
Opening Statement...
"We got a chance yesterday to look at Texas State and look at the good and bad. No matter if you win or lose you have to look at the game and assess what you did well and what you didn't do so well. You're going to make mistakes. Part of growing as a team is correcting those mistakes and moving on and getting better. Our team is doing that. We had a good hour practice last night and we are excited to travel to Nebraska this week. This is another measuring stick for our program as every game is but this is a very good program with a very good staff. Mike Riley and his staff did a great job at Oregon State and I know a few guys on that staff and they do a great job. It will be a great challenge for us. Offensively, they do something similar to what we just saw these first three weeks with some quarterback run stuff. Defensively, we are going to see some four down quarters approach. They are physical up front and they are physical on the perimeters so we have our work cut out for us this week, but we are excited. We went up there a couple of years ago and didn't put our best foot forward, but we are significantly better now than we were then."
On down-field blocking...
"We were better this week, I will say that. I thought we were significantly better on the perimeters blocking. We took a step forward. It was ok in the first two games. I really didn't think it was an advantage. I don't think we understood the expectations of our team and how everyone has to pull their weight but it was significantly better and I expect that to continue."
How do you continue to improve on that aspect?
"You have to show the pictures of what it's supposed to look like. You have to say why it's more important for this guy than this guy. We control that. We control our effort, our energy and our attention to detail. All we ask of our guys is that they play as hard as they can until they can't anymore then they have to come out and we will put someone else in. That is something that we all can control. I don't know if we will ever be perfect but if you strive for protection then we could be really good out there and we can be better out there and we were on Saturday."
On learning how to win...
"Like I always say, confidence is a part of individual success. Then when the player has success and gains confidence players look around and see other players doing the same thing and that builds confidence in your team or unit. You have to find a way to do it. You have to have enough playmakers to make plays. It can creep into your mind, `hey do we expect to win or do we expect to lose?' The bottom line is that this is a different team with a different feel. We have the playmakers to give us a chance every week. I can't speak for the psyche of every player but there are certain moments that come up that generates the `Hey, we are fine.' I feel that in our team. Our team believes in each other and believes how far we have come and where we are headed."
Back to back weeks combining for 108 points. Is that what you envisioned throughout fall camp when you are drawing things up?
"No. All you envision of doing is getting better and practicing every day. Things like taking care of your body throughout the week, getting rest, hydrating and eating so we can get practices that lead to great success on Saturday. The problem with kids today isn't Saturday. We feed them great here and on the road. It's about during the week. How can we get guys better on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday? Not only physically but also their mental preparation, which leads to success on Saturday. That has been the real challenge. We have done a much better job at that. You can't go in thinking of a certain amount to score because every game is different. An average doesn't really matter to me. What does Nebraska pose is what really matters to me. We just gave up 50 and scored 50 but that changes. It is a week-to-week thing."
Nebraska has lost a couple of games in disappointing fashion. What do you think that does to a team mentally and what type of team do you expect to see on Saturday?
"I don't know what it does to their team so I can't speak to that. I know the right way to look at it is to say, `We are only a couple of minutes from being 3-0 and a ranked football team.' Which they are. They have played a pretty tough schedule. Let's not kid ourselves BYU is a good football team. At UCLA, they could've won this week and been 3-0. South Alabama is probably going to be a bowl team; they just beat San Diego State. Then they has to go play at Miami. They have played a pretty good schedule. If you look around the country, I bet not many teams have played that quality of schedule through the first three games and they have been right there. In my mind, I don't see where they would lose confidence. They are right there as a group. They are right there as a coaching staff and they have really good players. I don't see where they would change their approach because they have a really good football team."
How would you compare Nebraska QB Tommy Armstrong to the one you just saw at Texas State?
"I'm going to give you a funny little story about Tommy Armstrong. So I'm at Oklahoma State and we are doing a camp in San Antonio. He comes to the camp and we weren't really looking for a dual threat quarterback at the time but more football is going to that. He had an offer from Nebraska or maybe he had already committed but we tried to convince him at the camp that he should go play another position like maybe safety or wide out. He said he wasn't going to do it he was going to stay at quarterback but then he went through the whole camp and threw the heck out of it. At the time we weren't taking a quarterback like that and we told him Nebraska is probably going to move you. Then I'll be darned they haven't moved him and he is a whale of a football player. He is a good football player, a leader and a winner. To be real honest with you, I'm sad they haven't move him. He is going to be a handful. They are going to do some of the stuff that we have seen some this season. Let's not kid ourselves, football is going towards quarterbacks that can move around. It's good football. It's hard to defend and we are going to go that direction because that's the way it's going. If you want to move the ball down the field consistently then you have to get quarterbacks that can move around a little bit."
If this game is a measuring stick, how does it compare to week one against Mississippi State?
"I think anytime you desire to be a DI football player the measuring stick are programs that have had success and have success right now. It is to see where you are as a team and how far we have come to go on the road and put our best foot forward. It is one game just like last week was just one game. It can't be one week the sky is falling and the next week we can beat anyone in the country. We have a good football team. How we do and prepare is up to us. That is something we can control."
What are some steps that you take to cut down on the penalties?
"You show (the team) the video of the things we can't continue to do. Some of it you can correct but some of it like aggressive penalties you just have to live with. I think for the most part we have eliminated the false start issues, but obviously we can't have the same amount of penalties and still be able to overcome good people. You address it. You talk to the team about it then you move forward."
Where did you expect to be this season? Does being over .500 change any outlook?
"I expected that we would be better but I never guess the record. I just know the way we prepared going into our first game gave us the confidence that we could compete so that I knew. I didn't have any preconceived notions that we would lose a game either. I didn't say `Ok, 2-1 is where we expect to be.' I expected out team to practice well and play well and they have."
On the O-line's roll in the offensive success...
"Luke (Meadows) has done a great job with the offensive line. We brought everyone back and we added a couple more to the mix. We still have levels we can get to up front. We are playing ok but we can play better in terms of our base and our ability to communicate and move people. It's not just them. We have room for improvement everywhere. We have talented guys on the offensive line so we have to continue to get better and move people. It is going to be a challenge this week. The have some stout guys up front and this isn't going to be easy for us. That is the strength of their defense if you ask me. They are physical and even though it's a big challenge, it's one that our guys are up to. We have gotten better, but it's about how we can consistently keep our energy, drive, pad level and foot quickness and those things throughout the game. We have rotated a bunch of guys but it will be critical this week. You can't get edgy with these guys and you can't get lazy with this group."
On going 2-1 in the first quarter of the season...
"You want winning quarters. You want to break it up into quarters and that's the way we did it in the NFL and that's a good way of doing it. We are 2-1 at the end of this quarter now it's time for the second quarter of the season. If you end up with winning quarters every quarter, then you are going to have a good year. If you happen to have 3-0s, then you have a great year. If you consistently break it up, then you can say, `Ok we have Nebraska first game of the second quarter and they're next.' Whether it was Austin Peay, Mississippi State or Nebraska, it's not really the team but what they do schematically, which presents problems for you. What do they have personnel wise that cause problems? What can we prepare for that might give us advantages or mismatches? Just things you can take away from or stay away from."
Is there any different mindset for the players going up against Nebraska who is nationally known for their football?
"I hope not. I'm pretty sure Southern Miss is pretty well known in football for being a good program with good players. We have had four guys drafted the last four years so we have good players here and good teams. I hope our players don't look at it anything other than an opportunity because that's what it is. It's an opportunity to see how far we have come and a measuring stick against a good football team and coaching staff. I hope our guys don't look at or approach it any differently."
