University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Football Coach Jay Hopson Media Conference – Alcorn State Week
8/26/2019 1:25:00 PM | Football
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss football coach Jay Hopson met with the media Monday morning in the Duff Athletic Center to discuss the school's season opener against Alcorn State.
The game will take place this Saturday, at 6 p.m., and tickets can be purchased by going online at SouthernMissTickets.com, by calling 1-800-844-TICK (8425) or 601-266-5418, as well as visiting the Pat Ferlise Ticket Office, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Here is some of what Hopson said to the media on Monday:
Opening statement
"It's August again and football season is here. It should definitely be an exciting first game. We're looking forward to a great football game and we know we have a football team coming to town that has our utmost respect. It's the first of four non-conference bowl teams showing up to town. We know we've got a good week of preparation in practice and understand we have a big challenge."
Hopson on starting quarterback
"Jack [Abraham] will be our starting quarterback. It's been a fun battle to watch and we definitely have fans for both quarterbacks. Jack had a good last year and Tate [Whatley] did too when he came in. It's not like Jack ever did anything to lose the job, but we felt like through spring that Tate had a really good spring and he deserved an opportunity. We leave camp feeling like we have two really good quarterbacks that are ready to go. Jack's the starting quarterback, but we understand we have a really good football player in Tate. We've got a plan for Tate. We're excited to have those two guys leading our football team."
Receiving core depth
"I'm extremely, extremely impressed with our receiving core. Those guys have really done a great job and they're a bunch of competitors. I think we're deep at that spot. Again, I'm excited about that position. There's a lot of guys that go to work every day at that position, so it's been stiff competition. We're a team that can play a lot of players at that spot."
On the development of offensive line
"I've been pleased. I really felt like some of those upperclassmen -- Drake [Dorbeck], Arvin [Fletcher] and Ty [Pollard] -- they've had good camps, but there's still competition across the board. When you look at some of the newcomers, there's Trace [Clopton] and Coker [Wright]. Coker's really come on lately and Hayden Sturdevant's had a really good camp. I think the one thing we tried to create was competition in the offensive line. I think we had that. It's one of those spots that's kind of like the receiving core, it's you have to be ready every week because there's a guy right there that's capable of going in the game ASAP."
On the running back position
"You're thin if you're three deep at running back. That's just the facts of the running back position because those guys are going to take shots and get hit. I feel like we have five or six guys that can play. I don't think we have an exact number of how many we're going to play. We have solid depth there. Like always, we want to stay healthy, but we know for sure three or four are going to play."
On freshman redshirting after four games
"We've come across that bridge every year since that rule has been put in place. There's certain guys we know we're going to try to play four games and there's certain guys we might have to play more. The team always comes first and I say that in every home I'm in. If we as a football team can afford to play a freshman four games and just get him playing time, while it's not a detriment for us, whether we're winning or losing, we're going to try to redshirt him. If we need that young man to win football games for us, then he's going to play. The teams always first and that's our philosophy."
Hopson on Alcorn State
"They're a really good football team. You can look at film and tell they're a well-coached football team. Defensively, they fly to the football and offensively they're very talented. They run the ball well and they have a quarterback that can throw the ball. He's a really good dual-threat quarterback. Noah [Johnson] is a young man I recruited four or five years ago, so I know he's a really good football player. I also know he's a guy that can do things with his arm and his legs. Anytime you have a quarterback like that -- that type of weapon -- you always have concern. They are an athletic football team and we know we've got to bring our a-game.
Alcorn State roster Hopson recruited
"I hadn't thought about it. Most of the guys, if they had been there, would be the guys that are seniors. It's getting to that point. Again, we know they're the defending SWAC Champions. New Mexico State's a Division I and [Alcorn State] had them on the ropes. They had a big opportunity there to win a game. Rice and Prairie View was battle, so we're not foolish enough to understand we've got a good football team coming to town and have to be ready."
Hopson On the Strength of the Team
"We've got good strength coming out of summer. We had good numbers and we've kept our weight, which is good. When you look at our overall strength and weight totals, we've done a pretty good job getting through August camp and maintaining there. Jim [Durning] and those guys have done a tremendous job. We got a season to go so we have to continue that throughout the season, but so far, we've been impressed."
On First Games
"First games are first games, so all the hype, the jitters, everybody comes out from both sides. The thing I do like about this football team is that we're an older team. So usually, and knock on wood, older teams handle that better than younger teams; they've been there before. Hopefully some age and experience will help us there and the guys will understand that we need to get ready to play ball."
On the Connections with Alcorn State
"Fred (McNair) was our quarterback coach and did a tremendous job. Fred, and his brother Steve, they've meant a lot to Alcorn State and I was blessed to have Fred on my staff for four years. Coach Stanchek who I just hired this year, he was on that staff. Alcorn is a special place; it will always have a special spot in my heart. It's certainly an exciting game for both teams. I know it'll be a great atmosphere here on Saturday; it'll be a full house and we know there's two good football teams playing so we need to be ready to go."
On Alcorn's Offense
"Each team has their own identity. Alcorn is no exception to that. With a quarterback as talented as Noah, they have the ability to run the ball, throw the ball. They are a football team that can run the ball both inside and outside. Anytime you have an athletic quarterback, you have a quarterback that can do things with the option, you have a quarterback that's talented to run any type of zone read concept you want to run, and all power-read scheme…bottom line is we know we have to be prepared well for Saturday."
On Alcorn's Defense
"They play fast, they're athletic, they cover well. When you look at defensive football teams, you look at if they are strong up front, are they physical, do they maintain gap integrity, can they cover. Alcorn State checks all those boxes. Defensively, they are a good football team. They make you work, they make you prepare for everything you're going to see, so that's the challenge we have."
On Whittington's Switch to Southern Miss
"Well we didn't really get him here, honestly. Terry chose us, he came to us. He had gone home, and I think he was through. He was not going back to school and he actually came to us. I recruited Terry out of Miami a long time ago, so I knew what type of athlete he was. We actually had lost a couple of guys at our wolf position and that was a spot we looked at that we needed some depth. He's a good addition for us and he's had a good camp."
On kickers and place-kickers
"I'm really pleased at our placekicking right now. Of course, we know Parker Shaunfield was an excellent kicker, but right now, we're deeper than we've ever been as far as punting and kicking the ball. With our two additions this summer in Andrew Stein and Ryan Schemtob, those two young men have done a good job this summer. We brought in Matt Bromell, our punter from Australia, and he and Zac [Everett] are battling right now. With Tyler [Flathau] and Payton [Snyder]…we've got some guys that can kick the ball around pretty well. Dalton Melancon came in this summer too so that's more depth at the kicking situation. I feel better; kicking was a concern leaving spring practice. That was probably my biggest concern that night driving home after the spring game. We were thin and so I was a little bit worried. But looking at how Andrew, Ryan and those guys have responded, I'm pretty excited about where we are in our kicking game. Andrew Stein will be our kicker. We're still battling at the punting job right now."
