University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Coach Todd Monken's Weekly Media Conference
9/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Southern Miss football coach Todd Monken addressed the media Monday with his weekly media conference, previewing the North Texas game which will be played at Carlisle-Faulkner Field at M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Miss. this Saturday at 6:00 p.m.
Here are some of Coach Monken's statements:
Opening Statement...
"We dodged the rain yesterday and got a chance to go outside last night (for practice). We had about an hour to correct the mistakes that we had against Nebraska. I thought it was really spirited. I thought out guys were really excited about going out there last night. We did a little bit about North Texas but mostly it's about us and the things we can do better as a coaching staff and as a program. This is a good North Texas team. They had to play two out of their first three games on the road, which is a hard way to start. They had a bye week to start the season so everything started a week later. There are a lot of new faces on the offensive line and on defense but they play hard and they are active. Coach (Dan) McCarney does a great job. He is a tough hard nose guy that believes in the same things that I do. I know both of their coordinators fairly well. Coach (Chris) Cosh and Coach (Mike) Canales have great pedigree and have had a lot of success so it's going to be a challenge. It's going to be a challenge for our team to come back off the road after another emotional game. We have to realize this is a divisional opponent, which is twice as important due to the tiebreaker of divisional games. We are excited to come back to The Rock in front of our fans and our families to put our best foot forward as this season goes along."
Do you feel that this year is different compared to the last two in terms of how these guys are eager?
"I think the better you play individually and collectively then the more excited you are taking the field again and anticipating success. That is half of it. The focus is on winning, making plays and being a team that enjoys being around each other through practices. That's how this team is so that doesn't surprise me. More importantly are they excited to get back here tomorrow; that's the most important thing. Saturday is a bi-product of what we do throughout the week so I'll see that tomorrow, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday as we prepare ourselves for Saturday. I know our guys are excited. We didn't start the game out well last week. We finished it a heck of a lot better. We showed a lot of grit and resolve in the way we played. I think our guys are excited because they realize we have a good football team. We have eight games left and this weeks' game is the most important against a divisional opponent. Your goals are to win the division and then win the conference. Those are our goals and they are still there for us."
What has happened to give this team that grit and resolve?
"First of all, you have to have playmakers to be at their best when their best is needed. We have guys like that and we have more depth. We are as banged us as we have been the previous two years, but we have depth and more guys to go to than we have had in the past. I think what our players have learned is it's about playing good football and doing the right things. It's about the preparation during the week. We talked about that last week. `How many guys are willing to do what it takes throughout the week to get where we need to be on Saturday?' It's easy to get ready on Friday and Saturday. We want to know who is going to take care of their body; who wants to go to bed at night; who is going to fuel, hydrate, study film and take good notes. Are we going to do it better than North Texas this week? That's what it's all about. Are we going to do it better than we do it? That's what I think our team has done a great job of and what we continue to get better at."
Do you see the last game against Nebraska as a gauge to the team's success?
"Every game is different. In college football week to week there is so much change. One week, Ohio State can beat an NFL team and the next week they are upset with themselves and not sure. Your opponent presents different things every week. I don't look at it any differently. There were a lot of things that we did poorly against Nebraska but we did some good. We held them to field goals and that gave us a chance. I was proud of how we played in the second half but we need to get better as a football team and no matter who we play it is about us."
What turned it around against Nebraska?
"The turnover probably did it to come out of the second half. This week there was good pressure by Brian Anderson, good coverage by Elijah Parker and the interception by D'Nerius Antoine that put us in good field position. That took some of the pressure off a little bit. Then when it got to 22 points again we scored and got the onside kick. The turnovers put the excitement back in our team. We couldn't have started the game anymore poorly and the game is about excitement and the turnover sparked that."
What did you say at halftime to get them motivated again?
"Not really anything, those are overrated. All I said was nothing has changed so let's look at the positives. They have had six chances and had to kick five field goals. We played hard in the first half but we just didn't do it very well. Our guys continued to battle then got the passing game going but that isn't going to be the last time. You are always thinking of ways battle or figure out an opponent."
What does the comeback say about your team's character?
"It says a lot about our guys. I addressed that before. I thought our guys did well and continued to fight. With 10 or 11 minutes left in the game we were down eight points with the ball. We had gotten our first three and out but we just didn't finish."
Thoughts on Xavier Thigpen's performance?
"Xavier did a lot of really good things. He had a sack, a batted down ball, a tackle on kickoff and of course the onside kick recovery. Xavier has come a long way and we always thought he had it in him. It has a lot to do with Zac Woodfin and a lot to do with him. He has a world of ability and will only get better."
It looks like Nick Mullens has cemented himself as the starter. Wouldn't you say so?
"Tyler (Matthews) is a good football player so it was tough. Nick did win it over the course of time that we watched during the spring and fall camp. Nick has played well but it is a week-to-week sport. Yes, Nick played well last week but he needs to play well this week. You don't carry over stats everyone has to show up every week and Nick has done that. He has earned that. We are paid to make those decisions to put in the best player and he has been the best player."
Nick Mullens is fifth in the nation in passing yards. What does that say about your offense as a whole?
"I would prefer to lead the nation in scoring. I don't think it means too much passing or running. It says a lot about Nick because he understands where we want to go with the ball and he is accurate. We have some good players on the perimeter and we have protected him well so that says a lot right there. Some of those stats can be deceiving. If you are winning a lot you are going to run more and if you are losing you're more than likely going to throw more. I think balance is the key to that and that's what we have tried to be."
Schools in the conference have played some good power five schools. Is that a personal thing or has the conference been stressing that?
"I think every conference wants you to play quality opponents. Starting with your network deals, your networks want you to play better opponents at home. Why? Because you aren't on other networks you would be on our networks. Out of all the non-power five teams, one gets a power five-bowl bid. Obviously, strength of opponents plays into that. That was what people were unjustly saying about Marshall when they were undefeated. The biggest thing we have to do as a conference is getting them to play here. It is much harder for those teams when they have to play on the road. Look at Alabama. They aren't playing any power five opponents on the road. They play a neutral site game then play three at home. I would love to do that. We have a tough deal in our league having to go to them. We proved we can pack it with a team like Mississippi State and make it hard on an opponent."
