Will Hall Media Conference - UTSA game week
11/9/2021 3:34:00 PM | Football
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss football coach Will Hall met with the media Tuesday morning following practice to discuss the team's road game this weekend against No. 15 UTSA.
The Golden Eagles play the Roadrunners at the Alamodome this Saturday for a 2:30 p.m., contest. The game can be streamed through ESPN+ and also be heard on an affiliate of the Southern Miss Sports Network from Learfield.
Here is some of what Hall said to the media on Tuesday morning:
Opening Statement…
"Lit bit different on Tuesday. Obviously, we are getting a little bit later in the year. We are a little bit thin with our scholarship numbers and we are a little beat up at the end of the year, so we went on a lighter day with more mental work, which is typically the end of the year for a lot of teams, but especially for us and where we are with our roster numbers. We have a lot of energy and will continue to improve, especially with our young guys. We have three more weeks in this season to finish it the right way and we are working on doing that."
On how Briason Mays did at center last Saturday…
"He did pretty well. He was our third center to have started this year and our fourth one that we have played which is not ideal, but it's the hand we were dealt. Briason has played center before and he did pretty good for his first start. We are hoping we can get Coker (Wright) back this week and that will add more depth at tackle with Briason at tackle. It was the hand we were dealt and Briason humped in there and gave us all he could."
On the younger guys who have stood out…
"All of our young backs, Frank (Gore, Jr.) and Dajon (Richard) are some young guys. Brandon Hayes coming on at wideout. Zay Franks, Richard Mays has had a good year. We are not going to play him anymore and redshirt him. (We will) redshirt Zay. Jeremiah Robinson is a young man that is not redshirting and is playing well. Brendan Toles at corner, Jay Jones at safety. Those are all freshmen that are going to be really good players. Luke Baker is coming on at tight end and showing that he will be a really good player in this league. My'kal McLeod and Peyton McKinion are some young tackles that are showing that they can really play. Those are some true freshmen that are doing some really good things that we are seeing and are going to be really good players in this league down the road. "
On Antavious Willis on practicing at running back…
"We are just thin. We are thin and quarterback and running back, so we are doing all we can to add more to the backfield. If you will, he is a young man that played quarterback in high school and he's played running back and slot here. Obviously, we are just out of quarterbacks and running backs. We lost Darius Maberry for the year too. It's been a year where we have had a lot of catastrophic injuries and we are trying to move people around constantly to have enough depth to get through this season. He is a great kid with a great attitude. He has been phenomenal. He's started four kicking game units and has been a great special teams player in this league and hopefully, it adds some depth back there."
On the possibility of redshirting Swayze Bozeman…
"There is a possibility to do that. He's played in four games and missed the first several of the year. That's something we are looking at and evaluating every week, and something we will do if we can."
On the Mississippi High School Championships moving to Hattiesburg this December…
"It's huge because we have a great place and a lot of people who have never been don't know that. That's why it's such a blessing to be the head coach here. We have a great place with great history and tradition. We are building this thing back to prominence and it will be a lot of fun to be here over the next few years. I've said it a bunch and I'll say it again. With the way we are recruiting, they better get us right now, because there will be a day where it will be really hard to get us. We have to continue improving with the rest of this year and keep recruiting after we build this thing moving forward. Now, the connections we have in this state, getting the state championship here and the Miss.-Ala. game here is going to bring more people to our campus and see all the great things this place has to offer and why it should be one of the top group of five programs in America."
Thoughts on UTSA…
"They start 15 seniors, six juniors, and one sophomore. They are a really good program that's recruited really well over a period of time. Their previous staff did a good job recruiting and the new staff has come in and done a great job with those guys. That's what we will probably be in year three here. We will look up in 2023, we will be starting start 15 seniors, six juniors, and a sophomore. That's why they are winning. They are older guys who have been in their program, they are well-coached and they play really good football. I have a lot of respect for Coach Traylor and how they have built it. They are a good, solid football team that doesn't have any deficiencies. I have a lot of respect for how they do it and it's very similar to the style that we will be moving forward."
On UTSA in CFP Rankings…
"Yeah. They've done what they are supposed to do. They've beaten everybody on their schedule and there is a lot to be said for that. They play who they play and they win. They win on the road and win at home. They have done a great job and that's a part of it when you get into rankings and people's opinion and all that. You are going to control what you can control and they have done that to this point."
The Golden Eagles play the Roadrunners at the Alamodome this Saturday for a 2:30 p.m., contest. The game can be streamed through ESPN+ and also be heard on an affiliate of the Southern Miss Sports Network from Learfield.
Here is some of what Hall said to the media on Tuesday morning:
Opening Statement…
"Lit bit different on Tuesday. Obviously, we are getting a little bit later in the year. We are a little bit thin with our scholarship numbers and we are a little beat up at the end of the year, so we went on a lighter day with more mental work, which is typically the end of the year for a lot of teams, but especially for us and where we are with our roster numbers. We have a lot of energy and will continue to improve, especially with our young guys. We have three more weeks in this season to finish it the right way and we are working on doing that."
On how Briason Mays did at center last Saturday…
"He did pretty well. He was our third center to have started this year and our fourth one that we have played which is not ideal, but it's the hand we were dealt. Briason has played center before and he did pretty good for his first start. We are hoping we can get Coker (Wright) back this week and that will add more depth at tackle with Briason at tackle. It was the hand we were dealt and Briason humped in there and gave us all he could."
On the younger guys who have stood out…
"All of our young backs, Frank (Gore, Jr.) and Dajon (Richard) are some young guys. Brandon Hayes coming on at wideout. Zay Franks, Richard Mays has had a good year. We are not going to play him anymore and redshirt him. (We will) redshirt Zay. Jeremiah Robinson is a young man that is not redshirting and is playing well. Brendan Toles at corner, Jay Jones at safety. Those are all freshmen that are going to be really good players. Luke Baker is coming on at tight end and showing that he will be a really good player in this league. My'kal McLeod and Peyton McKinion are some young tackles that are showing that they can really play. Those are some true freshmen that are doing some really good things that we are seeing and are going to be really good players in this league down the road. "
On Antavious Willis on practicing at running back…
"We are just thin. We are thin and quarterback and running back, so we are doing all we can to add more to the backfield. If you will, he is a young man that played quarterback in high school and he's played running back and slot here. Obviously, we are just out of quarterbacks and running backs. We lost Darius Maberry for the year too. It's been a year where we have had a lot of catastrophic injuries and we are trying to move people around constantly to have enough depth to get through this season. He is a great kid with a great attitude. He has been phenomenal. He's started four kicking game units and has been a great special teams player in this league and hopefully, it adds some depth back there."
On the possibility of redshirting Swayze Bozeman…
"There is a possibility to do that. He's played in four games and missed the first several of the year. That's something we are looking at and evaluating every week, and something we will do if we can."
On the Mississippi High School Championships moving to Hattiesburg this December…
"It's huge because we have a great place and a lot of people who have never been don't know that. That's why it's such a blessing to be the head coach here. We have a great place with great history and tradition. We are building this thing back to prominence and it will be a lot of fun to be here over the next few years. I've said it a bunch and I'll say it again. With the way we are recruiting, they better get us right now, because there will be a day where it will be really hard to get us. We have to continue improving with the rest of this year and keep recruiting after we build this thing moving forward. Now, the connections we have in this state, getting the state championship here and the Miss.-Ala. game here is going to bring more people to our campus and see all the great things this place has to offer and why it should be one of the top group of five programs in America."
Thoughts on UTSA…
"They start 15 seniors, six juniors, and one sophomore. They are a really good program that's recruited really well over a period of time. Their previous staff did a good job recruiting and the new staff has come in and done a great job with those guys. That's what we will probably be in year three here. We will look up in 2023, we will be starting start 15 seniors, six juniors, and a sophomore. That's why they are winning. They are older guys who have been in their program, they are well-coached and they play really good football. I have a lot of respect for Coach Traylor and how they have built it. They are a good, solid football team that doesn't have any deficiencies. I have a lot of respect for how they do it and it's very similar to the style that we will be moving forward."
On UTSA in CFP Rankings…
"Yeah. They've done what they are supposed to do. They've beaten everybody on their schedule and there is a lot to be said for that. They play who they play and they win. They win on the road and win at home. They have done a great job and that's a part of it when you get into rankings and people's opinion and all that. You are going to control what you can control and they have done that to this point."
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