University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Charles Huff Weekly Press Conference - The South Alabama Game
11/18/2025 4:04:00 PM | Football
HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Southern Miss head football coach Charles Huff addressed the media ahead of the Golden Eagles' game against South Alabama this Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
Kickoff between Southern Miss (7-3, 5-1 Sun Belt) and South Alabama (3-7, 2-4 Sun Belt) is slated for 2:30 p.m. in Mobile. Pat Greenwood (PxP) and Brian Genard (Color) will be on the ESPN+ broadcast while the Voice of the Golden Eagles, John Cox, and Lee Roberts will open the Southern Miss football pregame show at 1 p.m.
Here is what Huff said to the media:
Huff opening statement...
Well, first, I appreciate you guys being here. This thing is coming to an end, but no, I appreciate you guys being here and appreciate all you guys do. Obviously, not the result we wanted last week; we didn't play well at all. A lot to get cleaned up, a lot to learn from to get ready for an unbelievable challenge this week down in Mobile, obviously, with the regionality and closeness of these two schools, a lot of the fan bases probably share family members and relatives, and probably work similar places in between the two. So obviously, a really good football team, coach Applewhite has done a really good job, he and his staff. I worked with him at the University of Alabama, so I know he's an unbelievable offensive mind and has been a successful head coach in multiple places. So we got our hands full down in Mobile this weekend.
Huff on how the team got schemed up...
When you go back and you look at it, not necessarily schemed up. They made some plays. Their O-line was big, so they kind of moved some of our guys a little bit more than we'd been moved. When you really go back and look at it, the game was kind of similar to how we've played. We just didn't have the responses that we've had that have kind of kept it from getting the way it got. You think about it, on the first drive they go down, they get three points. Well, that's been our defense for the past eight weeks. We drive down and either we made a great play in the red zone, beginning the season App State, or they get seven. We kind of regroup, get back to the sideline. Offense comes out, gets seven. Okay, well, now the game's a little bit different flow. We didn't do that. We weren't able offensively to kind of answer when we needed to, which again, when you have our type of team, we drive to drive down, get their three, we three and out, or come off the field quick. Well, down defense is right back out there. They kind of drive down again. Ended up getting a score. We still didn't get a response. So now, all of a sudden, we're in a kind of a situation where we're getting a little bit antsy. You know, we got to make a play, or we got to make a stop. We turned the ball over in the red zone for probably three points. Probably makes it three or three. We went back and looked, no disrespect, I thought Texas State played an unbelievable game, I thought they did a great job coaching. We probably shouldn't have went into halftime, 10 to seven, maybe or 10 to three, at least. When you don't do that, it changes everything coming out of the half. Our defense has done, did, what they've done all year. We came out of halftime three and out, three and out, three and out. We didn't get that response on offense. Typically, we come out on offense, we're able to get a score at some point in that three and out phase. So when you looked at it, no excuses made. I thought Texas State did some really good things. We did some things that we typically haven't done. We gave up some super explosives. We haven't done that all year. We've given up explosive plays. We haven't given up very many that went 70 for a touchdown. So you kind of start adding the things that we hadn't done all year, or not able to get the response we got all year, on top of a really good team. And I thought they played really well. You go back and look at the games that they had played before, and our kind of self Scout, they didn't turn it over. They didn't drop a bunch of passes. And they didn't, from an O-line up front, they didn't cut guys loose. So when they play well, and then we don't get the response we get, it changes the outcome a little bit.
Huff on if Texas State played 12 personal...
Yeah, what they did, everything they did, they did it in different percentage. And I don't know if coach Kenny decided that's what they wanted to do, but when you don't score, they don't have to get out of it, you know? So if we're not scoring, and I'm not putting on one side or the other, if we score, and we kind of keep it a 7-10, 14-7, 14-14, they probably get out of it a little bit with what they were able to do. They were having success with it defensively. They did some really good things, so they didn't have to get out of it you know? They kind of were able to stay in it. Well, now you add that on to the defense to be on the field for almost 60 plays. It was 40-some odd plays in the first half, you know. So now you're talking about the wear and tear. So I thought it was really good job by them, and we talked to the team Sunday. This is what happens when you don't execute, when you don't get off the field on third down, when you don't stay on the field on third down on offense, when you don't score, when you turn the ball over in the red zone. It's almost worth two scores. When you do that, you allow another team to kind of dictate the momentum of the game. And they were able to stay in it, you know, same plays they were running on film, they just didn't run them as much. So, somebody asked me in the post game, did they surprise us with anything? They were probably 60/40, pass to run on film. It was probably flipped on Saturday, not like they were. They didn't come out in triple option and start running Navy and Army offense and, I mean defense and we're like, what are they doing? It was just, Oh, man. We've got to get them out of 12 by putting some points on the board. Well, next thing you know, it's 28 to nothing. Well, if this 12 thing is working, we probably should stick with it. The worst thing they would want to do is start throwing it around all of a sudden. Now we get a turnover, momentum swing. So really good job by them. I thought it was a good learning lesson for us. You know, we had lived and kind of been, I won't say lucky, but there's always been a point in the game where we get some type of spark. I thought we almost had it on the incomplete pass fumble that Mike ended up picking up and running back. If that's a fumble, that momentum may swing. Now, defensively they still held them to three, but that's been kind of the plays that we've been getting all season at some point to kind of flip the momentum, and we just didn't get that play on either side of the ball on Saturday.
Huff on the response he expects to see from the team...
Yeah, I talked to them, you know, I think we're really good as a program at responding, teaching young men, that's a big characteristic to have in life, how you respond to adversity, how you respond when things don't go your way. And I think we're really good at that. You think back to the last time we lost the game, we responded really well. You think back to the last time we didn't play well on offense or defense. We responded really well. I think those are great traits to have in life. The thing for us, we got to have a little bit more proactive urgency. We've got to have a little bit more, okay, let's not let this thing get into the halftime before we say, okay, hey, we're going to come out with a three and out. Let's not wait until the third quarter to decide we're going to get a drive together that ends up in points. We've got to have a little bit more proactive urgency, you know. And that's to me, that's in life, and in football, you can't wait until the day of the test to study for the test, and then when you fail the test, respond by passing the midterm. You don't want to live your life like that. So, we just talked to them about, how can we be more proactive and urgent in these next few weeks? Let's not wait until we get to a game and everyone kind of feels like, man, we got it. We got to bring it. Well, let's bring it on Monday. Let's bring it on Tuesday. Let's learn from the things that we haven't done well throughout the year. We've been talking about this penalty turnover on offense thing all year, and we've been getting away with it. We had six penalties on offense against Arkansas State, and we keep talking about it, and false starts or snap infractions or holdings. And you look at the game, and those were the things that showed up and bit us. You know, we had some big plays. Got called back for holding. We get in the situation. We get a snap infraction. Now it's first and 15, and when you're not scoring at the clip, we've been scoring at those things really hurt you. So that's kind of what we talked about. They were hurt. They should be. We were hurt, as coaches, I was hurt. I didn't obviously have enough answers for them on game day, I thought we had a good week of practice. We didn't respond well during the game, and that's on me, but it didn't break their swords, if that makes sense.
Question for Huff… You mentioned you're just almost to the end, what do you think is the biggest thing you've learned from this group?
This group, they care. They really do. They care about this university. They care about each other. They're not done. They don't by any means, think that the season's over or this was a good run. They're different. They're like your kids. You know, every team you have as a head coach, they're like your kids. You love them. All different, right? They're all different. I think the more and more that we're in this college football, new landscape teams like these are very rare. When I say that, meaning a group of guys that can come together from all different ends of the spectrum. When I say all different ends of the spectrum, talking about some guys that won a championship, some guys that have an experience winning at a large clip, some guys that were kind of in the middle, it's difficult to get them all jailed, to follow a process that all of them don't know. You know, if it works or doesn't work. If we were just putting a process together, and we took some guys from some places who were on good teams, let's just say that they all would be pushing for a championship, but when you take some guys that haven't won at a really high clip, we're kind of in uncharted waters. And not as a negative, but okay, well how do we keep this thing going? How do we respond from a loss? How do we take care of our bodies in week 13? And then when you have the guys who have one there, you're into that. Okay, we know what we have to do. We got to get everybody else to understand what it looks like. So I think it's different. They're a special group. I love them. I tell them all the time, I love them. I appreciate everything they've done for this university and us unattached to a result. I know everyone was beyond disappointed in Saturday's result, and I was too, but I came in Sunday with just as much excitement about this week and this game and this challenge as any because I had an opportunity to do some teaching, you know, and we had kind of got away five weeks in a row. If you guys asked me these questions, what about running the ball? Well, we hadn't run the ball great, and we probably needed to, without Braylon on Saturday and weren't able to do it, you know, Hey, Coach, what about the defense giving up this or that? Well, we won the game, but we probably needed a stop or two more in the first half. So, all the things that obviously, when you win, it's easy to point it out, and they kind of say, well, yeah, we see it all right, what's next? Now, it's kind of like see this here in this game. Let's go back three games, same issue. All right, we got to get it fixed so, but they're a special group.
Question for Huff… Turning on the film with South Alabama, their team had ups and downs. Looks like a group with a lot of resolve. Kind of speak to what stands out to you at this point in the season with them
I think the scary part, appropriate fear, they're starting to play consistent football in the back half of the season. I don't know who does the schedule, but they should let me in on those meetings next year, so we can take all the teams that start out really slow, schedule them early, and then all the teams that turn it on at the end, we should flip the schedule. But that's what started to happen. I think again, it's where we are in college football, you know, Coach Applewhite's a great head coach. It takes time and it takes time to get players all on the same page. It takes time to really find out who's who. Luckily, we had a pretty good idea about a handful of guys on our side, but there are some guys playing at a really high clip for us that we didn't really find out who they were until game four or five. I think that's kind of what's happening at South. They're starting to find out who some guys are. They're starting to play a lot more consistent. They're starting to play a lot more with their own identity, offensively, big, physical group up front, willing to run the ball, does a really good job of taking care of the ball. The quarterback can run and throw. You know, again, we're in kind of that world again. So his dual threat ability puts you in some binds on defense of what you can and can't do, as far as looks and coverage and how you fit certain runs, and then defensively, they've been able to come up with some big plays here of late. You know, got a huge interception down in the end zone last week, an unbelievable catch SportsCenter level catch. Defensive line wise, they're playing really stout up front. Their linebacker one, Blaine, is doing a phenomenal job. I think he was a preseason defensive player to hear he's playing like it. So again, they're starting to really gel. They're starting to really put it together.
Question for Huff… Put in a position where we throw the ball a lot last week. How do you feel like Landry and the offense kind of grow this week?
Yeah, I think, a little bit of that was kind of how the game was going. You can't really keep handing it off when you're down 30 points. Did we go into the game saying we wanted to throw it 44 times with Landry? No, that's wasn't what we wanted to do. I think again, the flow of the game dictated a lot more throws than we wanted to do. Not saying that we didn't think he could throw it. But we were probably 10 or 15 over what we would have liked to been. I thought he did some good things. I didn't think people played as good or as consistent around him. And then when you go back and look at the film, it's guys trying to do too much. You know, everyone's trying to do a little bit more because, you know, Braylon is out or trying to make one more extra play, and that's, that's the competitor in them. And as coaches, we got to kind of try and find a balance. How do we just get them to do you, man just do your job. You don't have to try and make up and try and do so much more. You know where you're pressing, and I think that's kind of what happened on offense, everyone was kind of like, hey, all right, Braylon is not going in, let's step up. And stepping up took too much effort or too many. Well, I did this because I thought this, and then I saw this. Just do your job, you know? And that's, that's kind of what happened. I think Liddy got put in a bad situation. He turned the ball over twice, which he can't do regardless of your plan. Who's playing around you, but I thought for the most part, he gave us a chance to be successful. We didn't help him out on defense. Obviously, when you get far, that far behind, it changes some of the things you wanted to do, you fumble in the red zone, that changes a little bit. But I didn't think he played horrible, but I didn't think he played great to where it was like, hey, if we just keep letting Liddy throw it or do whatever we're going to be okay. We got to find that balance.
Huff on Elijah Metcalf (Charlotte, N.C./Mallard Creek HS)… For Elijah, it was a second straight game with over 100 yards and a touchdown, just to kind of keep helping the guys like Landry out, or just kind of keep helping his offense.
Yeah, I think he's doing a really good job. Obviously, he's an older guy who gets it right. He gets it. He understands what it takes to prepare. He understands what it takes to get ready for these type of games. I think again, the offense is starting to reward everyone. You think back a couple of weeks ago, Doc was the guy that obviously didn't know he was out there because they just kept letting them run down the middle of the field. Well, they realize he's out there now. So now Elijah's getting some throws. Micah's getting some throws. You know, they realize that Carl can go up and make some plays on the perimeter, so that opens some things up inside. So I think smooth is just a byproduct of the system, but what he is doing is he's taking advantage of those opportunities, and he's doing a really good job of creating YAC yards. He's probably the first guy that we've had inside have been able to catch the ball and get some extra yards, not just running by some guys. And we're able to use him in multiple spots, because he's really smart, you know, we can use him. We call it the Y and the H. You can use him at either spot. We can put him outside or inside. We've put him in the backfield a couple times, so his ability to retain and embrace multiple roles has helped. And then when he gets the ball in his hand, he does a really good job.
Question for Huff… Earlier this morning, Braylon was nominated for the C Spire Conerly trophy in Mississippi. Just talk about his impact in this program this year, and just maybe how it's kind of help you guys in the state?
Yeah, I think, obviously that's an unbelievable honor to be nominated for. I'm biased. I think the guy should win it. You look what he's done for his team, you look what he's done for this community. You look what he's done for this state, and that's no disrespect to any other candidates. He has really impacted this entire state, this entire region. And you know, if you get a chance to be around him, he's got the right makeup. He makes really good decisions, model citizen, big time leader. I mean, you just look Saturday. The team looks different when he's not out there. I mean, as a coach, I would love to say, if I didn't show up to the game, that they would look different. They would probably play better if I didn't show up. But just having that leader presence around, having a person that everybody feels like, Hey man as long as we got Braylon, we're good, and that was missing Saturday. No disrespect to Liddy, but it's just one of those deals man, when Patrick Mahomes gets behind there, it's a different feel. You know, obviously, you still have good players around him, and the team would play without him, but it's a different feel and I think him being nominated for that award just kind of puts an exclamation point on what he's been able to do, not only for this team and this university, but this whole state.
