University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Charles Huff Weekly Press Conference – The Louisiana Tech Game
9/16/2025 2:52:00 PM | Football
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Southern Miss head football coach Charles Huff addressed the media on Tuesday, Sept. 16, ahead of the Golden Eagles' week four matchup against App State.
Southern Miss (2-1) gets back into non-conference action against Louisiana Tech (2-1) in Ruston, La. Malcom Butler (Play-by-Play), Luke McCown (Analyst) and Madison Kaufman (Sideline) will be on the ESPN+ call beginning at 6:30 p.m., while the Southern Miss Sports Network's pregame show begins at 5 p.m. with the Voice of the Golden Eagles, John Cox, and analyst Lee Roberts on the call.
Here is what Huff said to the media:
Opening Statement…
"Welcome everybody here, I appreciate you guys for what you do. Great win last week by our players. Phenomenal job of them executing, battling through adversity, keeping the competitive spirit, showing the ability to respond, executing in big moments. Really good job by all. Great community win, I said that after the game, I think this is again a great opportunity for our community to continue to show it takes everybody: fans, donors, students, support staff. I told the lady that cleans our building, Miss Diane, that she's a part of it, the people that help our guys with the food's a part of it, Rusty Keyes and the parking attendants, everyone's a part of it. It takes everybody to win, and it's not easy. So last week was a great example of that. I really appreciate everyone's commitment to the process and helping us achieve our goal, which was to win the game. Tremendous challenge coming up this week against a good opponent. Louisiana Tech is a confident team right now and doing some good things off to one of their better starts that they've had. [Louisiana Tech head coach Sonny] Cumbie and his staff have done a phenomenal job. A lot of respect for him, he's done it at a high level for a very long time. We have an appropriate fear of these guys. These guys have good abilities, so it's going to require us to prepare at a high level. And we got a lot of things that we need to improve internally to continue to go out and play well on Saturday."
Q: Coach, obviously first time on the road, can you kind of talk about the nuance that brings in terms of preparation?
"Yeah, that's part of the challenge. Each week it's a different challenge. Sometimes it's schematical, sometimes it's opponent, sometimes it's a combination of schematical and opponent, meaning really good players. First game was a challenge for the opponent perspective, this one's a combination of a really really good team, traveling on the road for the first time, all the things that go into that and obviously driving down to Ruston, getting in a new hotel location, doing our Friday routine in a different location, obviously playing in a hostile environment. They've had some really good crowds as of late. I'm sure it'll be a great crowd there. They're off to a really good start battling mean on the other side of the fields, there's a lot that goes into it. We got to put on the white uniforms, everybody's got to make sure it fits. We're going to be in different locker rooms. We won't have as much space; we're in a different training facility. So, there's a lot that goes into that that's part of the challenge, and each week presents a little different challenge. We're going to have to have unbelievable road focus, which is what we talked about yesterday in a team meeting, and that's just not focused on, just singularly the opponent, but everything involved. I can't get frustrated because they only have two bathroom stalls or three bathroom stalls, and I've got to wait before I can go to the bathroom, or maybe we don't have a huge training taping area, so we've got to kind of wait. That changes how we take the field, show up to the stadium. So, a lot of that's going to play into it with the road focus we're going to have to have."
Q: Curious as to how the team responded watching the film from Saturday. I know that you know this, but the team here isn't used to winning, the team you have here is different of course, curious how they responded after a win like that on Saturday after the emotions were over and you watched the game on film?
"We try to keep the process the same, you know we talk about on Sundays. It's kind of their recovery day, and then they come in on Monday and we watch the film. We talk about things we did well, talk about things we need to improve on. We did the same thing yesterday, you know. So, they're kind of into a routine now. We've been working to get them there, don't get me wrong, and obviously enjoy the wins and all the things that come with it. But when you go back and look at the film and you point out the things they need to improve on, the competitor in them wants to go out and be better, because there are things that you know happen in that game that could have drastically changed the outcome. I mean, really, in theory, you could say it was 38-7 or 38-10 or 38-14 or whatever it was. Josh Moten jumps all sides rough the kicker that changes the dynamic. There were some plays that we didn't make, not necessarily from your eye, but some things we worked on in practice like footwork, hand placement, eye discipline, and some things that we talked about that we didn't necessarily do consistently. So, when we go back and look at those things, you know, it kind of carries over from week to week. There are some things we point out at the beginning of the week of some key points or some key components that we have to go out and do. Sometimes we hit all of them. Sometimes we hit some of them, and that allows us to come back and say, hey, if we want to be the team we want to be, which is go out and improve every week we've got to be able to do these things consistently. Then the other part of it is there's an individual piece to it, right? Individually, guys want to perform better, so our guys like being coached. We coach them hard. We encourage them hard as well, but it helps when you kind of keep the same routine regardless of the result on Saturday, the next day is your recovery day, and then you're right back into it the next day."
Q: Coach, what did you really like about the offense and how do you want them to kind of keep growing into this week?
"Yeah, I think offensively, we've been playing really consistent. I'm not going to say we've been perfect, but we've been able to throw and run the ball. We've been able to get the ball in the perimeter. I think we're doing a good job of stretching the field horizontally and vertically. I don't know the number, but we've got multiple guys that have touched the ball, which to me, when that's happening, means your offense is flowing efficiently. That means your quarterback is not forcing things, he's doing a really good job of distributing the ball. I thought we ran the ball in between the tackles, which you guys only like a little bit better. Saturday, we also had some perimeter game that was still there, and then we're also able to stretch the field vertically a little bit, so I think it's starting to continue to grow. Not saying that every week we don't have the same plan. Every week, there's a little different focus, but I think you're starting to see progress. You're starting to see step one to step two to step three, and if we can continue to build on that each week, obviously there's going to be things that teams do to negate some of the things we want to do. If we can continue to build on that, we're going to be a very hard offense to control."
Q: Coach, obviously a 40-year vet in [Louisiana Tech offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach] Coach [Tony] Franklin. Obviously, you're going to face some RPO-heavy stuff, can you speak to where he's at now in his system and how it fits his personnel and some of the problems that may create for you with two quarterbacks to prepare for?
"Yeah, that's a huge challenge. I think when you have a real system, it will stand the test of time, and that's what Coach Franklin's system has done compared with what Coach Cumbie has done in his history with offenses. Good offensive coaches, whatever position you coach, they're able to adapt their system to the players they have. When you do that, it doesn't matter where you go, you're going to be able to have success. That's what they're doing right now, and they've done a really good job. Really good job of using the RPO system, and they're playing two quarterbacks, which I think are both playing really efficiently. They're slightly different, but they're able to still operate the offense at a really high level. Both of them, in my opinion, are dangerous because they can activate their legs and they can get the ball out of their hand very quickly, and then they got skilled guys that can make plays once they get the ball in their hand. Again, it just shows that Coach Franklin has done a really good job of adapting his system to the players' strengths and putting them in really good position. And they you watch the games, even against LSU, you watch the games, they're finding ways within the system to put their players in the best position."
Q: Braylon [Braxton] at quarterback, I mean if you look at his numbers it's like things that haven't been done at Southern Miss in a long time: seven touchdown passes for the first time since 2018 in this program right now, how has Braylon embodying the turnaround and culture you guys are building right now through three weeks?
"There are two different tales, right? There's a story that goes on inside the Duff, and there's a story that goes on outside the Duff. Inside the Duff, we are not playing up to our full potential. Don't get me wrong, we're not victory snobs, it takes a lot to win. There are 133 teams in the country, what's that math, divided by two. I'm a football coach, so about 60 some odd. Yeah, there's 62 teams in the country that would have loved to win, like we won last week. But again, I think inside the Duff, we have some standards, and we have some expectations of our own abilities. That started in January, that started back long before we started reporting on the season, back long before we started playing games. When you have that kind of focus and that kind of internal expectations, what's happening is not a shock. I tell the guys all the time that sometimes, when you pray for things and God gives them to you, you can't be surprised that he's given them to you. What you have to do is you have to be good stewards of what he's given you and continue to refine and continue to live the right way. So internally, Braylon is right on par with what he thought he would be doing. He'll tell you there's probably a handful of throws in each game that he would love to have back. There's probably a handful of throws in each game that, you know, he was fired up about. But I think, again, I think the internal expectation, the internal kind of energy, is different than the external. I get it, and no one gets to see these guys practice, no one gets to see the kids out here at 8:30 every day throwing with his receivers, no one gets to see that. No one got to see these guys running around cones in January. No one got to see these guys doing their own walkthroughs in the summer. No one gets to sit in the meetings with these guys. No one gets the film reports that we get where the guys are watching film outside of this building. So, I get it, but internally, the expectation is obviously to go improve and play well. So as far as internally, I think Braylon would be pleased with his performance but not definitely satisfied and always looking to improve. Every week, I tell these guys, right, we've got three games on film now. Every week gets more challenging, because every week you have film out there that says this is who you are, or this is who you're not. So now teams are going to try to attack your weaknesses or your deficiencies. So, Braylon's got some deficiencies that he's got to clean up as we go throughout the season, so that teams don't try to use it against us."
Q: Obviously, Louisiana Tech is a heavy rushing team, like Glyn was saying with RPO action; is there something that you're doing differently in practice in this week or is it all systems normal?
"Yeah. I mean, there's always a schematical adjustment that you go into. We've got to make sure we do a really good job with our fundamentals and techniques. As the season goes on, a lot of coaches get very play-conscience, or you start really focusing on what scheme you're running this week, and typically you see the fundamentals start to dwindle. We try to keep fundamentals as a big part of what we do. Every Thursday, I say to the coordinators, 'Take out of the game plan whatever we don't need.' Because ultimately, we can call the same offensive or defensive play, and if we play with great fundamentals, technique, and effort, we'll be okay. We try not to overload our guys with schematical answers. It comes down to blocking and tackling. If we block better than LA Tech and tackle better than LA Tech, we'll win the game. The consistency of that is what you have to continue to work on. So, we try to constantly focus on the fundamentals. The focus this week is: what fundamentals didn't show up consistently enough last week that we need to keep emphasizing? So that's the thing we kind of focus on. Obviously, there's always a schematical change or addition that you want to make to be sure you're giving your players the best chance to be successful versus what the opponent does, but we try to get our guys to play with unbelievable fundamentals, intensity and effort and then execution comes from the good Lord, so we try to recruit the best athletes we can, the ones who run fast and jump high usually play better on Saturdays than the ones who run like me."
Q: Coach, a little different animal this week with a 3-3 on the defensive side of the football, creates some confusions for Braylon [Braxton] and his linemen as well. Just looking at the film, that trio of linebackers is impressive from the stuff I watched, can you speak to attacking them and what kind of issues they're going to create for you guys?
"Yeah, you know, the scheme they run gives them a huge advantage because there are only certain ways to attack it, and when you run that scheme you know what those deficiencies are. Obviously, it's going to take a lot from us to be very patient. It's not a scheme where you can expect to go out and first five plays have 672 yards and the game's over. You have to be very patient, you have take what they give you. The running backs have to get the dirty yards. Their linebackers do a phenomenal job of running to the ball. They're long, they can play downhill, they do a really good job of tackling. The pass game is going to be limited because of the space. So, we talk about the plays that Braylon wants to have back, we can't have three or four throws that end up either tipped or in somebody else's hands. So, we've got to be strategic, not only with what we call, but what we allow to be put in the game plan. As you work throughout the week, you really have to refine where are the deficiencies, what do we have in our system that can attack the deficiencies and is it executable by the players. We can draw up any play on the board, but can our players execute it? Can we block their guys, can we hold up their three-man front, can block their linebackers? Can we get into voids in the pass game? So, those are the things that we work on throughout week. Obviously, we don't know right now. We go out today to practice and kind of see what our guys feel really good about. Thursday, we always cut back, regardless if we feel great, we cut back, so we've got to be able to minimize putting our players in comparable positions, if that makes sense."
Q: It feels like the DBs have been a very strong part of that defense over the last few weeks, what strengths have you seen from that side of the ball, guys like Anthony [Richard, Jr.] and Josh [Moten]?
"We've done a really intentional job of coaching the techniques and fundamentals of playing DB in practice. Most guys grab, they tug, they push and typically even when you play good coverage, if you don't use really good fundamentals, you end up with a flag. So, it's a 15-yard pass where the guys throws it out of bounds where the guys throws it out of bounds or in the dirt. Our guys have taken to the fundamental piece. I read somewhere we lead the country in pass breakups, which is the worst stat that you can lead the country in, because it does nothing for us. I tell our guys: catch the ball. But if you're focused on playing the ball in the air, playing good technique, then you're not focused on grabbing, pushing. You're not in a position where you panic and run into the guy. You trust your technique and you trust your alignments. They've done a really good job of that. Part of that, we've got some really good receivers in practice. We go good-on-good everyday. So if you don't have to push Carl Chester, you probably don't have to push a guy on Saturday. If you don't have to grab Doc, you probably don't have to grab a guy on Saturday. I think a little bit of iron sharpens iron and I think our coaches are doing a good job of hounding the fundamentals of how to play DB. You don't have to grab the guy, you can play the ball in the air. Understanding where the guy is going to be, the quarterback is not throwing it to you so don't think when you turnaround it's going to be thrown to you, it's going to be over your head or behind you. So, just understanding those small nuances of the position, I think [defensive backs] Coach [Dominique] Bowman and [cornerbacks] Coach [Taveze] Calhoun do a really good of fundamentally focusing on things that are applicable to a game, not just DB drills that you get on YouTube. Our guys have done a really good job of embracing it and carrying it to the arena."
Q: Josh [Moten] being who he is, how do you think he's making guys around him better on that side, like Ian [Foster] and Anthony [Richard, Jr.]?
"It's funny because he wants so many picks and so many balls, and like I've told him you've got to this position because the guy you played across from is playing for the Cardinals right now, the guy at Marshall, Micah Abraham. Micah Abraham had six picks so they threw at Josh, well Josh had six picks so now they're throwing at Richard. Part of the reason that Richard and the other DBs are getting so much attention is because obviously Josh has played a really high level. And I tell him that's almost a badge of honor. Your other guys are getting a chance to benefit from what you've already put on tape. Then I tell him, you've got to make sure that you stay sharp because at some point they're going to have to throw your way and you've got to be able to maximize your opportunity. Again, when you have good players around good players it's kind of like a fire, it just catches. It goes from one guy to the next guy to the next guy and I think right now we've got a really good blend of good players on offense, good players on defense, which makes each other better and then good players on each side of the ball which creates competition, so now going out and competing not necessarily with the offensive guy but competing with guys at my position becomes a premium."
Q: Coach, the defensive timeouts last week produced good results, can you reflect on those a little bit?
"Yeah, I'm different than other guys. Think about this, you're a football expert, on offense if you let the clock run out, what's the penalty? Five yards. On defense if you don't like the look, it's probably a touchdown. So, we'll use all our timeouts on defense. What's five yards? I'll take a five-yard penalty over a 66-yard touchdown because somebody's not lined up right or this formation may not be what we were expecting or hey, we think a team is in an area where we think they may take a shot or they may try a certain formation or hey look, our guys have been out there seven, eight plays, we can't sub them, so I've always been a coach that I'll use timeouts on defense more than you will on offense. Why? What do you need timeouts on offense for? Typically two-minute to try and use the clock, well if you have really good fundamentals, you don't need it. You've got a two-minute warning and you get out-of-bounds. And, we run a tempo offense, so we really don't have a need for the timeouts on offense. Now, could we use them, yeah. Do we want to run a bad play, no. Do we want to get into a situation where we lose five yards, no. But, if it's five yards or a 66-yard touchdown, I'll take the five yards everyday of the week. So, that's our philosophy and it doesn't – each game is a little different. Sometimes it's a hey, we've been out there six plays, we've got to get a new D-line in there or we've got to get a new rush in there or hey, sometimes it's hey, when this group hits the such-and-such yard line, they have a shot mentality, hey when this group hits this area of the field they run trick plays. So, it's the opportunity for us to settle the defense, remind them we're in the area where they do xyz: take shots, throwbacks, trick plays, whatever it may be. Or it could just be half the defense is playing one coverage, half the defense is playing another, we've got a communication issue, we need to get it fixed. So, I'm a big believer. I tell them every Saturday we have a staff meeting before the game and I tell them we'll use timeouts on defense. Now, do you want to use them all? No. You try to save them for when you need them, but we would all feel a lot better about a five-yard delay of game than a 66-yard guy running down the middle of the field and everybody going 'Oh, who's supposed to cover him?' where half the defense is playing this, half the defense is playing that. For multiple reasons, it could be a communication issue, could be we have some defenses where certain formations trigger certain adjustments. Two-by-two, we're going to do this. Three-by-one, we're going to do this. Well it started two-by-two, it went to three-by-one, it went back to two-by-two, well did they all get the check? So, that's kind of our philosophy. I don't know if it's right, but I think five yards is easier to gain back than six points, so that's just kind of my philosophy."
Q: Coach, what about linebackers? Talk about Chris [Jones] and how he's emerged as a leader and the rest of the guys there?
"He's done a really good job. He has really grown fundamentally over the last three weeks. He's always been a guy that's ran around and threw his body around and played extremely hard. Some of the things that the fans won't see, he's playing with unbelievable fundamentals. You know, [defensive coach/linebackers] Coach [Jason] Semore talks about step-replace, talks about falling back, talks about striking from your hips, talks about near shoulder, you're starting to see those things on film. We're starting to see all the indy fundamental drills that the linebackers do show up on film, and it's starting to produce results. Obviously, he's making a lot tackles, he's in position to make a lot of tackles. I always think when your guy has a lot of tackles there was an opportunity for him to miss some tackles as well, and playing linebacker is a position where you're in a phone booth, man. There's usually not a lot of room for error, and he's done a really good job of fundamentally growing to produce the results from an execution standpoint that he wants to. Mike Montgomery, the same way. They're playing off of each other like NFL linebackers, and I'm not saying talent-wise, I'm just saying as far as the flow. Who's over the top, who am I spilling it to, am I running a cross, am I inside-out, am I outside-in. Obviously, they're our communicators on defense, so they're doing a great job of communicating, I think they're doing a really good job. They're playing a lot of plays, we need to probably get some more guys going as the season goes, but it's hard to take good players off the field. They do a really good job of taking care of their bodies. They're up here all the time, I don't know if they sleep in the locker room or not, but they're here all the time. Which is a sign that they want to improve. I couldn't be more proud of those guys, obviously their visual leadership carries a lot more weight than what they could ever say, right. Because again, it's easy for kids to hear you say, 'hey, do this do that,' but when they see you doing it, it's a lot easier to replicate."
Closing Statement…
"Thanks, guys. Appreciate you guys for all you do. Look forward to seeing you in guys down in Ruston on Saturday."
Southern Miss (2-1) gets back into non-conference action against Louisiana Tech (2-1) in Ruston, La. Malcom Butler (Play-by-Play), Luke McCown (Analyst) and Madison Kaufman (Sideline) will be on the ESPN+ call beginning at 6:30 p.m., while the Southern Miss Sports Network's pregame show begins at 5 p.m. with the Voice of the Golden Eagles, John Cox, and analyst Lee Roberts on the call.
Here is what Huff said to the media:
Opening Statement…
"Welcome everybody here, I appreciate you guys for what you do. Great win last week by our players. Phenomenal job of them executing, battling through adversity, keeping the competitive spirit, showing the ability to respond, executing in big moments. Really good job by all. Great community win, I said that after the game, I think this is again a great opportunity for our community to continue to show it takes everybody: fans, donors, students, support staff. I told the lady that cleans our building, Miss Diane, that she's a part of it, the people that help our guys with the food's a part of it, Rusty Keyes and the parking attendants, everyone's a part of it. It takes everybody to win, and it's not easy. So last week was a great example of that. I really appreciate everyone's commitment to the process and helping us achieve our goal, which was to win the game. Tremendous challenge coming up this week against a good opponent. Louisiana Tech is a confident team right now and doing some good things off to one of their better starts that they've had. [Louisiana Tech head coach Sonny] Cumbie and his staff have done a phenomenal job. A lot of respect for him, he's done it at a high level for a very long time. We have an appropriate fear of these guys. These guys have good abilities, so it's going to require us to prepare at a high level. And we got a lot of things that we need to improve internally to continue to go out and play well on Saturday."
Q: Coach, obviously first time on the road, can you kind of talk about the nuance that brings in terms of preparation?
"Yeah, that's part of the challenge. Each week it's a different challenge. Sometimes it's schematical, sometimes it's opponent, sometimes it's a combination of schematical and opponent, meaning really good players. First game was a challenge for the opponent perspective, this one's a combination of a really really good team, traveling on the road for the first time, all the things that go into that and obviously driving down to Ruston, getting in a new hotel location, doing our Friday routine in a different location, obviously playing in a hostile environment. They've had some really good crowds as of late. I'm sure it'll be a great crowd there. They're off to a really good start battling mean on the other side of the fields, there's a lot that goes into it. We got to put on the white uniforms, everybody's got to make sure it fits. We're going to be in different locker rooms. We won't have as much space; we're in a different training facility. So, there's a lot that goes into that that's part of the challenge, and each week presents a little different challenge. We're going to have to have unbelievable road focus, which is what we talked about yesterday in a team meeting, and that's just not focused on, just singularly the opponent, but everything involved. I can't get frustrated because they only have two bathroom stalls or three bathroom stalls, and I've got to wait before I can go to the bathroom, or maybe we don't have a huge training taping area, so we've got to kind of wait. That changes how we take the field, show up to the stadium. So, a lot of that's going to play into it with the road focus we're going to have to have."
Q: Curious as to how the team responded watching the film from Saturday. I know that you know this, but the team here isn't used to winning, the team you have here is different of course, curious how they responded after a win like that on Saturday after the emotions were over and you watched the game on film?
"We try to keep the process the same, you know we talk about on Sundays. It's kind of their recovery day, and then they come in on Monday and we watch the film. We talk about things we did well, talk about things we need to improve on. We did the same thing yesterday, you know. So, they're kind of into a routine now. We've been working to get them there, don't get me wrong, and obviously enjoy the wins and all the things that come with it. But when you go back and look at the film and you point out the things they need to improve on, the competitor in them wants to go out and be better, because there are things that you know happen in that game that could have drastically changed the outcome. I mean, really, in theory, you could say it was 38-7 or 38-10 or 38-14 or whatever it was. Josh Moten jumps all sides rough the kicker that changes the dynamic. There were some plays that we didn't make, not necessarily from your eye, but some things we worked on in practice like footwork, hand placement, eye discipline, and some things that we talked about that we didn't necessarily do consistently. So, when we go back and look at those things, you know, it kind of carries over from week to week. There are some things we point out at the beginning of the week of some key points or some key components that we have to go out and do. Sometimes we hit all of them. Sometimes we hit some of them, and that allows us to come back and say, hey, if we want to be the team we want to be, which is go out and improve every week we've got to be able to do these things consistently. Then the other part of it is there's an individual piece to it, right? Individually, guys want to perform better, so our guys like being coached. We coach them hard. We encourage them hard as well, but it helps when you kind of keep the same routine regardless of the result on Saturday, the next day is your recovery day, and then you're right back into it the next day."
Q: Coach, what did you really like about the offense and how do you want them to kind of keep growing into this week?
"Yeah, I think offensively, we've been playing really consistent. I'm not going to say we've been perfect, but we've been able to throw and run the ball. We've been able to get the ball in the perimeter. I think we're doing a good job of stretching the field horizontally and vertically. I don't know the number, but we've got multiple guys that have touched the ball, which to me, when that's happening, means your offense is flowing efficiently. That means your quarterback is not forcing things, he's doing a really good job of distributing the ball. I thought we ran the ball in between the tackles, which you guys only like a little bit better. Saturday, we also had some perimeter game that was still there, and then we're also able to stretch the field vertically a little bit, so I think it's starting to continue to grow. Not saying that every week we don't have the same plan. Every week, there's a little different focus, but I think you're starting to see progress. You're starting to see step one to step two to step three, and if we can continue to build on that each week, obviously there's going to be things that teams do to negate some of the things we want to do. If we can continue to build on that, we're going to be a very hard offense to control."
Q: Coach, obviously a 40-year vet in [Louisiana Tech offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach] Coach [Tony] Franklin. Obviously, you're going to face some RPO-heavy stuff, can you speak to where he's at now in his system and how it fits his personnel and some of the problems that may create for you with two quarterbacks to prepare for?
"Yeah, that's a huge challenge. I think when you have a real system, it will stand the test of time, and that's what Coach Franklin's system has done compared with what Coach Cumbie has done in his history with offenses. Good offensive coaches, whatever position you coach, they're able to adapt their system to the players they have. When you do that, it doesn't matter where you go, you're going to be able to have success. That's what they're doing right now, and they've done a really good job. Really good job of using the RPO system, and they're playing two quarterbacks, which I think are both playing really efficiently. They're slightly different, but they're able to still operate the offense at a really high level. Both of them, in my opinion, are dangerous because they can activate their legs and they can get the ball out of their hand very quickly, and then they got skilled guys that can make plays once they get the ball in their hand. Again, it just shows that Coach Franklin has done a really good job of adapting his system to the players' strengths and putting them in really good position. And they you watch the games, even against LSU, you watch the games, they're finding ways within the system to put their players in the best position."
Q: Braylon [Braxton] at quarterback, I mean if you look at his numbers it's like things that haven't been done at Southern Miss in a long time: seven touchdown passes for the first time since 2018 in this program right now, how has Braylon embodying the turnaround and culture you guys are building right now through three weeks?
"There are two different tales, right? There's a story that goes on inside the Duff, and there's a story that goes on outside the Duff. Inside the Duff, we are not playing up to our full potential. Don't get me wrong, we're not victory snobs, it takes a lot to win. There are 133 teams in the country, what's that math, divided by two. I'm a football coach, so about 60 some odd. Yeah, there's 62 teams in the country that would have loved to win, like we won last week. But again, I think inside the Duff, we have some standards, and we have some expectations of our own abilities. That started in January, that started back long before we started reporting on the season, back long before we started playing games. When you have that kind of focus and that kind of internal expectations, what's happening is not a shock. I tell the guys all the time that sometimes, when you pray for things and God gives them to you, you can't be surprised that he's given them to you. What you have to do is you have to be good stewards of what he's given you and continue to refine and continue to live the right way. So internally, Braylon is right on par with what he thought he would be doing. He'll tell you there's probably a handful of throws in each game that he would love to have back. There's probably a handful of throws in each game that, you know, he was fired up about. But I think, again, I think the internal expectation, the internal kind of energy, is different than the external. I get it, and no one gets to see these guys practice, no one gets to see the kids out here at 8:30 every day throwing with his receivers, no one gets to see that. No one got to see these guys running around cones in January. No one got to see these guys doing their own walkthroughs in the summer. No one gets to sit in the meetings with these guys. No one gets the film reports that we get where the guys are watching film outside of this building. So, I get it, but internally, the expectation is obviously to go improve and play well. So as far as internally, I think Braylon would be pleased with his performance but not definitely satisfied and always looking to improve. Every week, I tell these guys, right, we've got three games on film now. Every week gets more challenging, because every week you have film out there that says this is who you are, or this is who you're not. So now teams are going to try to attack your weaknesses or your deficiencies. So, Braylon's got some deficiencies that he's got to clean up as we go throughout the season, so that teams don't try to use it against us."
Q: Obviously, Louisiana Tech is a heavy rushing team, like Glyn was saying with RPO action; is there something that you're doing differently in practice in this week or is it all systems normal?
"Yeah. I mean, there's always a schematical adjustment that you go into. We've got to make sure we do a really good job with our fundamentals and techniques. As the season goes on, a lot of coaches get very play-conscience, or you start really focusing on what scheme you're running this week, and typically you see the fundamentals start to dwindle. We try to keep fundamentals as a big part of what we do. Every Thursday, I say to the coordinators, 'Take out of the game plan whatever we don't need.' Because ultimately, we can call the same offensive or defensive play, and if we play with great fundamentals, technique, and effort, we'll be okay. We try not to overload our guys with schematical answers. It comes down to blocking and tackling. If we block better than LA Tech and tackle better than LA Tech, we'll win the game. The consistency of that is what you have to continue to work on. So, we try to constantly focus on the fundamentals. The focus this week is: what fundamentals didn't show up consistently enough last week that we need to keep emphasizing? So that's the thing we kind of focus on. Obviously, there's always a schematical change or addition that you want to make to be sure you're giving your players the best chance to be successful versus what the opponent does, but we try to get our guys to play with unbelievable fundamentals, intensity and effort and then execution comes from the good Lord, so we try to recruit the best athletes we can, the ones who run fast and jump high usually play better on Saturdays than the ones who run like me."
Q: Coach, a little different animal this week with a 3-3 on the defensive side of the football, creates some confusions for Braylon [Braxton] and his linemen as well. Just looking at the film, that trio of linebackers is impressive from the stuff I watched, can you speak to attacking them and what kind of issues they're going to create for you guys?
"Yeah, you know, the scheme they run gives them a huge advantage because there are only certain ways to attack it, and when you run that scheme you know what those deficiencies are. Obviously, it's going to take a lot from us to be very patient. It's not a scheme where you can expect to go out and first five plays have 672 yards and the game's over. You have to be very patient, you have take what they give you. The running backs have to get the dirty yards. Their linebackers do a phenomenal job of running to the ball. They're long, they can play downhill, they do a really good job of tackling. The pass game is going to be limited because of the space. So, we talk about the plays that Braylon wants to have back, we can't have three or four throws that end up either tipped or in somebody else's hands. So, we've got to be strategic, not only with what we call, but what we allow to be put in the game plan. As you work throughout the week, you really have to refine where are the deficiencies, what do we have in our system that can attack the deficiencies and is it executable by the players. We can draw up any play on the board, but can our players execute it? Can we block their guys, can we hold up their three-man front, can block their linebackers? Can we get into voids in the pass game? So, those are the things that we work on throughout week. Obviously, we don't know right now. We go out today to practice and kind of see what our guys feel really good about. Thursday, we always cut back, regardless if we feel great, we cut back, so we've got to be able to minimize putting our players in comparable positions, if that makes sense."
Q: It feels like the DBs have been a very strong part of that defense over the last few weeks, what strengths have you seen from that side of the ball, guys like Anthony [Richard, Jr.] and Josh [Moten]?
"We've done a really intentional job of coaching the techniques and fundamentals of playing DB in practice. Most guys grab, they tug, they push and typically even when you play good coverage, if you don't use really good fundamentals, you end up with a flag. So, it's a 15-yard pass where the guys throws it out of bounds where the guys throws it out of bounds or in the dirt. Our guys have taken to the fundamental piece. I read somewhere we lead the country in pass breakups, which is the worst stat that you can lead the country in, because it does nothing for us. I tell our guys: catch the ball. But if you're focused on playing the ball in the air, playing good technique, then you're not focused on grabbing, pushing. You're not in a position where you panic and run into the guy. You trust your technique and you trust your alignments. They've done a really good job of that. Part of that, we've got some really good receivers in practice. We go good-on-good everyday. So if you don't have to push Carl Chester, you probably don't have to push a guy on Saturday. If you don't have to grab Doc, you probably don't have to grab a guy on Saturday. I think a little bit of iron sharpens iron and I think our coaches are doing a good job of hounding the fundamentals of how to play DB. You don't have to grab the guy, you can play the ball in the air. Understanding where the guy is going to be, the quarterback is not throwing it to you so don't think when you turnaround it's going to be thrown to you, it's going to be over your head or behind you. So, just understanding those small nuances of the position, I think [defensive backs] Coach [Dominique] Bowman and [cornerbacks] Coach [Taveze] Calhoun do a really good of fundamentally focusing on things that are applicable to a game, not just DB drills that you get on YouTube. Our guys have done a really good job of embracing it and carrying it to the arena."
Q: Josh [Moten] being who he is, how do you think he's making guys around him better on that side, like Ian [Foster] and Anthony [Richard, Jr.]?
"It's funny because he wants so many picks and so many balls, and like I've told him you've got to this position because the guy you played across from is playing for the Cardinals right now, the guy at Marshall, Micah Abraham. Micah Abraham had six picks so they threw at Josh, well Josh had six picks so now they're throwing at Richard. Part of the reason that Richard and the other DBs are getting so much attention is because obviously Josh has played a really high level. And I tell him that's almost a badge of honor. Your other guys are getting a chance to benefit from what you've already put on tape. Then I tell him, you've got to make sure that you stay sharp because at some point they're going to have to throw your way and you've got to be able to maximize your opportunity. Again, when you have good players around good players it's kind of like a fire, it just catches. It goes from one guy to the next guy to the next guy and I think right now we've got a really good blend of good players on offense, good players on defense, which makes each other better and then good players on each side of the ball which creates competition, so now going out and competing not necessarily with the offensive guy but competing with guys at my position becomes a premium."
Q: Coach, the defensive timeouts last week produced good results, can you reflect on those a little bit?
"Yeah, I'm different than other guys. Think about this, you're a football expert, on offense if you let the clock run out, what's the penalty? Five yards. On defense if you don't like the look, it's probably a touchdown. So, we'll use all our timeouts on defense. What's five yards? I'll take a five-yard penalty over a 66-yard touchdown because somebody's not lined up right or this formation may not be what we were expecting or hey, we think a team is in an area where we think they may take a shot or they may try a certain formation or hey look, our guys have been out there seven, eight plays, we can't sub them, so I've always been a coach that I'll use timeouts on defense more than you will on offense. Why? What do you need timeouts on offense for? Typically two-minute to try and use the clock, well if you have really good fundamentals, you don't need it. You've got a two-minute warning and you get out-of-bounds. And, we run a tempo offense, so we really don't have a need for the timeouts on offense. Now, could we use them, yeah. Do we want to run a bad play, no. Do we want to get into a situation where we lose five yards, no. But, if it's five yards or a 66-yard touchdown, I'll take the five yards everyday of the week. So, that's our philosophy and it doesn't – each game is a little different. Sometimes it's a hey, we've been out there six plays, we've got to get a new D-line in there or we've got to get a new rush in there or hey, sometimes it's hey, when this group hits the such-and-such yard line, they have a shot mentality, hey when this group hits this area of the field they run trick plays. So, it's the opportunity for us to settle the defense, remind them we're in the area where they do xyz: take shots, throwbacks, trick plays, whatever it may be. Or it could just be half the defense is playing one coverage, half the defense is playing another, we've got a communication issue, we need to get it fixed. So, I'm a big believer. I tell them every Saturday we have a staff meeting before the game and I tell them we'll use timeouts on defense. Now, do you want to use them all? No. You try to save them for when you need them, but we would all feel a lot better about a five-yard delay of game than a 66-yard guy running down the middle of the field and everybody going 'Oh, who's supposed to cover him?' where half the defense is playing this, half the defense is playing that. For multiple reasons, it could be a communication issue, could be we have some defenses where certain formations trigger certain adjustments. Two-by-two, we're going to do this. Three-by-one, we're going to do this. Well it started two-by-two, it went to three-by-one, it went back to two-by-two, well did they all get the check? So, that's kind of our philosophy. I don't know if it's right, but I think five yards is easier to gain back than six points, so that's just kind of my philosophy."
Q: Coach, what about linebackers? Talk about Chris [Jones] and how he's emerged as a leader and the rest of the guys there?
"He's done a really good job. He has really grown fundamentally over the last three weeks. He's always been a guy that's ran around and threw his body around and played extremely hard. Some of the things that the fans won't see, he's playing with unbelievable fundamentals. You know, [defensive coach/linebackers] Coach [Jason] Semore talks about step-replace, talks about falling back, talks about striking from your hips, talks about near shoulder, you're starting to see those things on film. We're starting to see all the indy fundamental drills that the linebackers do show up on film, and it's starting to produce results. Obviously, he's making a lot tackles, he's in position to make a lot of tackles. I always think when your guy has a lot of tackles there was an opportunity for him to miss some tackles as well, and playing linebacker is a position where you're in a phone booth, man. There's usually not a lot of room for error, and he's done a really good job of fundamentally growing to produce the results from an execution standpoint that he wants to. Mike Montgomery, the same way. They're playing off of each other like NFL linebackers, and I'm not saying talent-wise, I'm just saying as far as the flow. Who's over the top, who am I spilling it to, am I running a cross, am I inside-out, am I outside-in. Obviously, they're our communicators on defense, so they're doing a great job of communicating, I think they're doing a really good job. They're playing a lot of plays, we need to probably get some more guys going as the season goes, but it's hard to take good players off the field. They do a really good job of taking care of their bodies. They're up here all the time, I don't know if they sleep in the locker room or not, but they're here all the time. Which is a sign that they want to improve. I couldn't be more proud of those guys, obviously their visual leadership carries a lot more weight than what they could ever say, right. Because again, it's easy for kids to hear you say, 'hey, do this do that,' but when they see you doing it, it's a lot easier to replicate."
Closing Statement…
"Thanks, guys. Appreciate you guys for all you do. Look forward to seeing you in guys down in Ruston on Saturday."
Players Mentioned
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