CONFERENCE USA PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES – Oct. 16, 2018

CHARLOTTE Head Coach Brad Lambert’s Quotes from Tuesday’s Press Conference

Opening statement “We’ve got a tough challenge on the road, this week. What Coach (Rick) Stockstill has done at Middle Tennessee speaks for itself. I think they probably have the best quarterback in our league, that we’re going to play against. I think Brent Stockstill is a fabulous player. We’ve watched him on video and we’ve seen him live. He’s a very accurate, active passer. He can run and make first downs.

“It’s a tough challenge going on the road. We haven’t been up there since 2015 and they beat us up pretty good there in 2015. They’re a really good football team and have played a very difficult schedule. They still are playing another SEC team and they’ve already played two. They have played Marshall, FAU and on the road at FIU, came up just a little bit short down there.

“This is a good football team we’re going play, so we’re going to need to have a great week of preparation, starting today, to make sure we’re where we need to be because, if we’re not, they’ll take advantage of you defensively. They’ll expose you a little bit. Their offense is pretty good.

“On the defensive side, they’re very active. No. 6 (Khalil) Brooks is as good of a player that we’ll play against. We’ve seen him now for a bunch of years and he is very active. He’s a great blitzer. They’ll come at you from all angles, so offensively we’ll need to be on point from a protection standpoint to try and establish the run game once we get up there. It’s all about how we prepare today, tomorrow and get ourselves ready to play.”

What can you do in preparation to help overcome the obstacles you have faced on the road this season? “I think the mental intensity you approach. Our guys showed up on Sunday and did a good job. Our mental intensity of paying attention to detail and the little things today are real critical in that process and today is what we have control of. That’s what we’ll try to go out and do. They can dictate a lot to you up there. They’re a fine football team, so we’re going to have to put hats on people and play a real physical game from the opening play to the end.”

What’s the quarterback situation? “Right now, we’ll go out there with Evan Shirreffs today and give him an opportunity. I left Chris Reynolds downtown. He just had surgery and it went well. I just feel bad for him because he’s played good through the first six games and that’s always tough, like when a guy like Karrington King last year had his season end against WKU.

“I tell my team all the time, nothing is guaranteed in football. Chris didn’t think that was going to be his last game and sure enough it is, just like Karrington. We’ll give Evan a shot and see what he can do. I thought he responded well. We were humming pretty good on the offensive line. Evan hit a couple of good passes out of the backfield to Benny LeMay and Aaron McAllister. It was a good first drive for him to give him a little confidence, so we’ll see how he does the next couple of days.”

Are Hasaan Klugh’s packages put on hold? “I don’t think so. We’re going to keep Hasaan involved in the game. We need to utilize him. I got a little nervous on him Saturday when he went out and fumbled. He had the first down. He’s got to really focus on his ball security and we’ve got to keep Hasaan involved in the game.”

How does Evan fit into the offensive schemes? “I think both quarterbacks are pretty similar. It’s just Evan is a little taller. Evan has done a good job coming and acclimating himself to our team and our players. That’s the No. 1 thing. He came in and joined our guys and feels comfortable in the locker room. He’s done a good job from that standpoint. I expect him to go out and play well.”

Would you expect Evan to be efficient as he was on Saturday? “The first couple of passes, you’re throwing it to a running back and we were running the ball well. That lends itself to any quarterback being efficient. When you can run the ball and play in the offensive line like we were playing the other night. I thought our offensive line was playing well and they’ll have to play great, this week. When you’re running the ball, you have a lot better chance of being efficient throwing the ball and that’s one of the offseason emphasis we wanted to make. We want to be more efficient throwing the ball and we’ve done that through six games. The competition this week is pretty stiff, so we’ll see how it goes on Saturday.”

Redshirt freshman wide receiver Victor Tucker

What do you have to work on this week with Evan Shirreffs? “In the summer, we actually worked with all of the quarterbacks. As a whole in the receiving room, we have to focus on going out there and catching the ball and do the things that we need to do to help this offense flow a little better.”

Is there anything different between in preparing for both quarterbacks? “All of those things we got used to and got acclimated with over the summer, so I really don’t think there’s any difference.”

What were some things that you noticed with the quarterbacks over the summer? “Evan is obviously a taller guy, so he can see the field a little better. His release point when throwing the ball is a little bit higher. It really makes it easier to locate the ball when it’s in the air.”

Redshirt junior defensive lineman Tyriq Harris

What kind of energy does Juwan Foggie bring to the defense? “Juwan comes out every day focused and locked in. There is so much energy about him and so much good juice. He’s just a real leader on our defense and on our team. He comes out every day and it leads us to play better, practice better and make sure we do what we have to do to stay locked in.”

What are you guys focusing on to get ready for the second half of the season? “We’re just focused on taking it one day at a time. Just play today, play your game and do what you have to do and do your assignment. We’re just not trying to become complacent. That’s the biggest thing for us. We just don’t want to say for the first half, we’re 3-3 that’s awesome that’s what we’re aiming for. No, that’s not what we’re aiming for. We want to win all of our games coming up. We just have to win today, win the practice, win the film study. It’s what you do on and off the field that’s going to get you better.”

How important is it for this team to get out in the community? “It’s really big for me because growing up I had good stuff and my family gave me everything they could. I just know what it means to have a community around you that helps support you and get you through everything. I had a really good community in my high school so it’s really big to me and my team and Juwan Foggie especially. He’s gotten an award for the community service stuff and is up for another. As a team, we’re really big on community service and just giving back for what we have been given.”

Talk about how Juwan Foggie is thriving in Coach Spencer’s defense “He’s a freak out there. He’s just doing everything he can in the film room. You know he’s practicing hard. Everything Coach Spencer is telling him to do, he’s doing it. That’s why we’re productive. Players play and coaches coach. He’s putting him the right position and Juwan is just capitalizing on it.”

FIU Head Coach Butch Davis’ Quotes from Tuesday’s Press Conference

Please contact FIU Athletic Communications for Butch Davis quotes. Video available here: https://www.facebook.com/FIUSports/videos/744949869180266/?__xts__[0]=68.ARD- SSV5MYNA0X1xe38aeLkDcape4rgB-f6d3HxeIuseTf62_93QN85iPf4dmpF3HOv_rONkM- oaY2k8bVHZkLn7Zfo7mQ86QumtxaD4mq8kchom4tFb2KFSDI1jfkcNN6WUeurDjWD6fWrlBnxq- BnJFLSCafT2fmjXKQlerKhfL1pOvPeJ&__tn__=-R

FLORIDA ATLANTIC Head Coach Lane Kiffin’s Quotes from Monday’s Press Conference

Opening Comments: As we learn our conference in our second year, these guys (Marshall) are arguably the most talented guys we see all year in conference. Nothing against anyone else, they just have a lot of really good looking players again. They return a lot of guys on defense. These guys last year held us, I would assume, to the least points and yards in the conference of any of our games and we have to go on the road to play them. We will have our hands full. They got their run game on track last week, running the ball over 300 yards in the game, so this is a big challenge for us.

On the bye week for you especially going into playing such a strong opponent, how much was focusing on your own team and how much is it a head start for your next opponent? We don't do a lot of things to get a head start on things just because we like to stay in our routine, so we just get a little bit. A lot more is on us and working on getting better. We actually got rained out one day, so we lost a day. So we really only had two practices. Probably more than anything, we got guys' legs back, we got guys healthy.

It seemed like when we talked to the guys last week that maybe the confidence was up again. Are you maybe seeing more confidence and guys starting to get looser after the ODU win? I don't know. It's still frustrating to look at all these numbers halfway through the year. There is a lot of really glaring defensive numbers that are beyond what I could have imagined, regardless of who we played. Not just yards and points, red zone, third downs … kind of everything. Then the turnovers on offense being interceptions. There is a lot of stuff to work on.

I noticed the defensive bell is back. What prompted that and do you think that kind of stuff makes a difference? I don't know. We just try anything to stop somebody. A couple weeks ago, I think it was going into the Middle Tennessee game, we had really struggled. We brought it back, 'going to answer the bell.' Going on the road, it was going to be a tough game. At times we did in that game on defense. We screwed that game up on offense obviously in the second quarter. I don't want to go back to that one. But, obviously that was a very frustrating game to give away against a quality team, but a team that we had a million chances to win (against).

Tyre Brady what about him makes him so dangerous in the passing game? I think that they have bounced back with these quarterbacks, figuring out looks who to go with. We have been in that same kind of problem before. These guys are very talented. The receivers are really good and cause you some issues, just like a lot of teams in this conference. The two returning backs are tough to bring down and pretty special. That is a big issue upfront on defense, 6-6 and 6-7 inside. They return a ton of starters. This is a lot harder (of a) game than most people think it is.

Marshall is a team that FAU has never beaten on the road. I know you haven't played them on the road and a lot of the players weren't either. What are you hearing about it and how do you focus the players to get ready for them? We are kind of, after two years, used to those stats. No disrespect. A lot of these teams we haven't beat on the road. I don't think we had ever beaten Marshall, in the history of the school, before last year. Just another obstacle.

The FIU win last week (over Middle Tennessee), you got a hand without even playing a game. Did you address that with the team, now that you have a better shot of accomplishing your goal? We screwed up obviously, things got out of our control … (and) we needed some help. Obviously that was some help. Obviously they are a much different team when they lose their quarterback last year and this year. He is a great player and everything runs through their quarterback. When he is out of there, they are obviously very different like that game and the year before. We would need some more help but we've got a lot of work to do ourselves and they don't have a very difficult schedule. We are just focused on this week.

At the end of the ODU game we saw Nick Weber at right guard. Was that because of an injury to (Antonio) Riles or was just to get Weber some snaps? We wanted to get him in there. That just kind of fit with our theme last week of how we said we wanted to play more players, so guys' reps come down a little bit and Riles had been a little banged up. That was the plan before the game to execute.

Harrison Bryant is a guy that can get overlooked with how many playmakers there are on that side of the ball. What kind of contributor do you see him being the second half (of the season)? Hopefully it continues to go the way it went last week. He had a really good game and he always comes through. Our analytics, like we talked about, always showed at times (he's) our most productive guy, with catching range and yards after contact. We just keep try to find a way to get him the ball.

With Frank Diaz joining the staff, I know you can't talk about recruits themselves, but what does Frank bring to FAU as a recruiter after getting experience under Chip Kelly and him being on Last Chance U and being recognizable? Those guys can't recruit much (non-fulltime coaches) besides on campus when recruits come to visit. So it doesn't impact a whole lot that way.

With Willie Wright, it seems like he hasn't been as explosive early this year as he was last year. Is that something where defenses are keying on him more because they know he can do it and is getting him the ball a little further downfield as opposed to the little tosses behind the line of scrimmage going to be more of a focus going forward? We have missed some. There was one early in the game we should have scored a touchdown on and we missed the throw to him, a deep one down the middle. We gotta make the plays when they are there to make. We had another one in the UCF game where he got behind them and we got sacked. Numbers sometimes can be misleading both ways. I'm sure he will end up with a lot better numbers than in the last couple of weeks.

Midway through the season, how have De’Andre Johnson and Rafe Peavey taken Chris Robison, a younger quarterback, starting over them and how have you approached them being backups? I think that is a difficult situation. Anytime that you are in it, especially when you are older, and both guys have played before, everybody wants to be the starter. It is always tough at every spot, but quarterbacks always think that they should be the starter. Every quarterbacks' dad thinks that they should be the starter. That has always been the case everywhere you're at. It is nothing new, but they have handled the situation very well.

Noah Jefferson (newcomer on the defensive line) got into the game last week. How much can he grow into this defense? It would be good if he could pick the stuff up, (but) it's hard. He got here after the season already started. That is tough obviously. We need help. That is a position we lack height in. We have some good players, but they are a little shorter. It would be good if he could help us out.

LOUISIANA TECH Head Coach Skip Holtz’s Quotes from Tuesday’s Press Conference

Opening comments: “Looking back to UTSA last week, I was really proud of the bounce back performance of our football team after what we did with UAB out here at home. I am really proud of the leadership and the way the players kind of took over. You can see it happening during the course of the week in the way that they practice with their focus, their energy, the questions they are asking, the things they are saying. I thought they were really dialed in and really determined.”

On being consistent throughout the season: “We have to make sure that we can be consistent in what we do. When you start talking about the mark of championship teams, consistency is one of the keys, that each and every week they are going to prepare in the same way and we can't be ready at North Texas and have a letdown the next week against UAB and not play as well and then come back and put together arguably our best performance of the year. I'll also say that nobody wants to lose, but if you can learn something in a loss then it makes you stronger as a football team and that is going to help us as we continue to go forward. I felt like there was an awful lot of lessons to learn in the loss against UAB. One in how we handled our controllables. Our intangibles, our attitude, our effort, our toughness and our togetherness; I thought it was much better. Playing on the road is hard, but you need all those things to be very positive to be able to win on the road.”

On the difference between slow starts versus UAB and UTSA: “I felt like when we were at home, we got a little panicked. I made the comment in here last week that I felt like we have been a little bit spoiled in scoring a lot of points and guys started pressing a little bit and probably got a little negative. They get a little frustrated. Where in this game I thought it started out in the first quarter with the opening drive getting a good kickoff return, taking the ball down the field, scoring and then kind of hit a little bit of a lull at the first quarter. It had some of the same feelings that the UAB game did. But then I was really proud of the way they were able to bounce back, put it together, score a couple more times to make it 17-0 at the half. I was just really proud of the way that they bounced back.”

On the performance of the defense at UTSA: “I felt like defensively, we played for 60 minutes. We played a really solid football game to hold our opponent to three points on the road in a very difficult environment to play in the dome. I was just really proud of what the defense was able to do with the way that they played.”

On the improvement on special teams: “In the kicking game, I thought it was our best performance. We actually won the net punt and we won the net kickoff, which is the first time that has happened all year. Outside of a missed field goal, I thought our special teams is improving and playing much better. Some guys that maybe have not played a lot of football for us are really starting to dig in and find a very valuable role for us on special teams.”

On turning the focus to UTEP: “It was great to win. I am proud of what this team was able to do on the road. With the UAB game, as we talked about, we were not going to wallow in self-pity, but at the same time we cannot gloat past our 24 hours with the win. Winning is hard and you have to be excited when you win, but you have to come back and you go to the drawing board and get ready for this UTEP team.”

On the improvement of UTEP over the last few weeks: “I've been asked how do you get a team up for a team that is 0-6. Everybody starts talking about where the after party is going to be, what are we going to do here. It is Homecoming, so where are we going after the game, but our focus right now is on UTEP. That is where our focus is. I think we learned some valuable lessons on how important it is to be consistent and prepare for each opponent. Now one of the things that definitely helps us when you look at this team chronologically in the order of their games. They got beat early. They got beat pretty soundly early as the new staff came in and trying to identify what they can do. I think the buy-in factor with this team is very strong. They are getting better and better. They have had a chance on the last possession of the game to win both of their last couple games. They lose to North Texas 27-24 and I thought North Texas really had to play well in the second half to be able to do that. They found themselves losing that game. This is not a team to take lightly. They play extremely hard. They play extremely physical. They have really bought in to what they are doing as a football team right now. They are playing multiple quarterbacks. The quarterback got hurt at UTSA and then came out and the backup (Metz) came in against North Texas and threw for over 300 yards. They had over 400 yards of offense and scored 24 points. I think this is a dangerous team and a very talented team.”

“I think Dana (Dimel) has done a great job of getting this team ready each and every week. Obviously, he has done a great job of getting these guys to buy in because even at 0-6 they are playing extremely hard and coming off an open date. They have had a chance to get healthy, get some guys ready to go and I am sure that they will come in here and we will get their best shot. Believe it or not, but even as an 0-6 football team, I think they are playing with an awful lot of confidence right now with the way they have played the last couple weeks and they have to be encouraged.”

Closing remarks: “We know it is going to be a challenge as it is each and every week. We’ve just got to do what we have to do to get ready this week to go play the football game.”

MARSHALL Head Coach Doc Holliday’s Quotes from Tuesday Press Conference

Opening Statement: Captains this week will be Ryan Bee and Malik Gant on defense, and Levi Brown and Marcel Williams on offense. Just to recap that game last week real quick, I thought that was our most complete game that we played all year. It is going to be critical that we accomplish that again this week against FAU. As you all know, FAU is an excellent team. They have the Conference USA player of the year (Devin Singletary) back and he is a handful. They also have the preseason defensive player of the year, Azeez Al-Shaair. He is also an excellent player. They have tremendous talent on both sides of the ball. It is going to be a challenge for us that I know our kids are looking forward to and of course our fans as well. I know it will be a great atmosphere here on Saturday afternoon.

On Devin Singletary: I am not sure I have seen a tape yet that someone has brought him down one on one. The thing is, you get him in the backfield and he just breaks tackles. He is just so powerful for how big he is. You hardly see anyone bring him down with just one person. It is important to make sure we get him on the ground. The crazy thing is they put (Kerrith Whyte) in there and he isn’t much different. They have two excellent backs that can make the plays.

On FAU’s offense: (Harrison Bryant) is about 6-5 or 6-6 and he creates problems. Durante, of course, just joined them. He is an NFL guy who can really stretch the field. When you add the tight ends and Durante in there with the ability to run the football, they create a lot of issues defensively. I thought our guys had a lot of issues going into that game a week ago and now it is almost totally opposite. Now we have to find out how to get the run game stopped in addition to being able to take vertical throws from Durant and stopping Wright in the slot. Anytime you have an offense that is good with a running back, a receiver that can stretch the field, and a slot that can make plays, you’re successful. They have all three of those guys.

On Marshall’s run defense: We have done a great job this year as far as stopping the run is concerned. That was the challenge last week, to unload the box and still be able to stop the run and take away the vertical throws. The vertical throws were usually where ODU was finding their yards. We were able to stop it a week ago, but I don’t think you’ll be able to unload the box against these guys with what Singletary is able to do so we’ll see.

On Tyler King: He has gotten better every week, as our team has. I think Tyler is starting to settle in. Here three weeks ago we were talking about how we couldn’t run the ball but now we are here talking about how we can’t throw it. At the end of the day, I think our offensive line stepped up when they had to the last couple of weeks and we’ve done a better job of running the football. I keep saying you can’t be one dimensional and maybe that is a little misunderstood. When I am talking about that, I am talking about being able to take what the defense gives you. If the box is loaded you have to be able to throw it and if the box is unloaded you have to be able to run it at times. And if the box is unloaded the entire game then, possibly, you are going to run it more a little more than you throw it. I thought our kids did a good job at executing that against ODU last week and we are going to have to do that again this week against FAU.

On King’s touchdown celebration: I was okay up to about the one yard line and then I was not really happy with Tyler at that point. That was conveyed to him multiple times throughout the last three days and it will be conveyed against today. We do not practice that, by the way. I don’t think you have ever seen that in practice have you?

On unsportsmanlike penalties: That was the message immediately after the game and we haven’t had that. At the end of the day, had he started that deal at the one yard line that ball could have been penalized and brought back to the 16 yard line for first and 10. That touchdown could have been taken off the board and in a critical situation or a tight game, it could cost you the game. Of course that was relayed to them after the game and it won’t happen again. Years ago, (Randy) Moss threw the ball over to McDonald’s, I guess. That being said, kids are kids sometimes. That happens sometimes, we just have to make sure it gets corrected.

On Marshall’s running backs: I think we are getting Keion (Davis) back today and that’s a positive, so we’ll add him to the mix. However, there is no doubt that (Tyler King and Anthony Anderson) bring something different to the table and both played really well.

On Singletary: Singletary is a tremendous back. He is probably a guy you will see in the NFL this time next year. We will have to do a great job at getting hats on him, wrapping him up and getting multiple guys to him because he’s a hard guy to bring down.

On turnovers from last year’s FAU game: I think this time last week we were talking about the one thing we have to do is eliminate turnovers. That was one thing we did at the ODU game. I think we were plus one in that game, as far as turnover margin is concerned. Playing a team like FAU, we better be plus in the turnover margin or you probably aren’t going to have a shot to win. You take away those four turnovers in that particular game and we probably had a chance to win. If it wasn’t for the onside kick and the fake punt, we probably weren’t in that game with the four turnovers. That being said, it kept us in the game but we still need to eliminate those things. (Robert LeFevre) has to punt the ball like he did last Saturday and play great special teams and take care of the ball on offense. Also, we have to find a way to get those guys stopped from a defensive standpoint.

On Alex Thomson: I told you last week that we started to see him settle in during the Middle Tennessee game. I thought he got in that game and got even better. I expect him to be even better this week.

On FAU’s defense: If you look at some of the teams that are scoring on them, Oklahoma and UCF are tremendous offensively. Sometimes early on in the season or even up to the halfway point, stats can be misleading. You line up against Oklahoma or UCF that will score 40 or 50 at times and stats can get skewed a little big. However, there is no question that they are very athletic. All of the linebackers and the secondary is really athletic. The have big defensive ends. They have really good players on that side of the ball. A year ago they did create a lot of turnovers and, unfortunately, we had some against them that we have to eliminate this year. They are very talented though, whether it be the back end or the front seven, so it will be a challenge for us.

On Malik Gant: He is as good a tackler as I’ve ever been around. Just watch the way he practices. He goes to work every day. He practices just like he plays on Saturdays. He is just a great kid who loves football.

NORTH TEXAS Head Coach Seth Littrell’s Quotes from Tuesday’s Press Conference

Opening Statement: “I want to say I’m really proud of our men this past weekend for the way they played on all three phases. I thought it was one of our more consistent games in all three phases together against a really good football team. You have to give Southern Miss a lot of credit. They’re good in all three phases and it was a dogfight. I’m excited about how our men finished off the game.

“Defensively, we played well all night long. Everyone was on the same page and made sure they did their job making routine plays, and offensively, we knew it’d be a battle. They’re very physical and have a really good defense but the way our men finished off the second half on our last four drives, we scored on three of four of them and our defense shut them out to extend that lead. Special teams has been consistent and solid and it was the same this past weekend. It was a very good win for us against a quality opponent and we’re excited about that. The best thing about the whole thing was it was as well as we’ve played as a team, I think. Watching it on film, you see the improvements that we still need to continue to make and our guys are excited to get on the practice field and continue to grow and get a week better, and that’s what we’re going to have to do.

“We know exactly what we’re getting into this week. UAB is a veteran team that prides themselves on being physical. Offensively, they run the football very well, which causes problems because if you’re running the ball as well as they are, you can start hitting those play-action passes and some of those explosive plays. That all starts up front with them – on both sides of the ball.

“Defensively, they’re the top defense in Conference USA. They’re very physical and have a lot of returning starters so they’re very experienced and playing with a lot of confidence in all three phases. They’re a very good football team and we’re coming in on their homecoming and know we’re going to get their best shot.”

On UAB’s strong start to 2018: “They continue to battle. They get in dogfights and they don’t ever back down. They handle the pressure very well and they’re very physical. They do a great job controlling the clock and running the football and making sure they’re physical up front.

“Defensively, up front, that’s the strength of their defense. They’re big and strong and physical and they try to control the line of scrimmage and let the backers run and hit. Their safeties will play low in different sets and are physical as they come down and they tackle very well. They’re a very sound team and well-coached in what they do. They’re playing with a lot confidence. It’s similar to us – another year in our system with a lot of returning starters with experience. It’s a veteran team that is playing at a high level.”

On Running Back DeAndre Torrey: “I’m excited about that group, but this past week he [DeAndre Torrey] ran the ball very hard and was physical, which is something we’ve had to stress. At times, you have to run through tackles and make contested runs. They’re not all going to be clean and wide-open. You’re going to have to make plays at running back, and he did a great job of that the other night. He had some very physical runs.”

On the job head coach Bill Clark has done at UAB: “He’s a phenomenal coach. You can see why they are the physical team they are. He’s going to coach them hard and he takes great pride in being physical and you can see that. He’s done a great job recruiting and has a lot of experienced, older guys. There’s some grown men on that team. Through the transition, they recruited very well and a couple of years in their system, they’re a good football team.”

On why there’s been such a positive turnaround in turnover margin: “I think more consistency doing their job. Some of those turnovers, it’s like offensively, throwing and catching the ball, you have to make and finish routine plays. It’s no different with stripping the ball or using your leverage and being more consistent. The defensive line getting more pressure on the quarterback or timing up our blitzes better to get more pressure on the quarterback.

“Coming into the season, we knew we had to do a much better job of owning the ball on offense and special teams, but also getting some more turnovers defensively, which we didn’t do a great job of last season.

“The only time this season we’ve been minus in the turnover battle is the game we lost, so I’d say that’s pretty important.”

On Mason Fine’s role in protecting the football: “That’s huge. It’s something we didn’t do a great job last season, with interceptions and fumbles. He’s managed the game very well. He understands what our keys to victory are. Our whole, entire team understands that the turnover margin is key. You win the explosive play battle and the turnover battle, you’re probably going to win a football game. That’s something we’ve stressed as coaches.”

On the good start on the road this year: “It’s a challenge. Most important thing we talk about, whether it’s at home or on the road, or whether it’s rain, sleet or shine, is we need to show up as the most excited team to play. We need to create our own energy at times. Even if they aren’t cheering for us, we have to be able to feed off the crowd. Even if they’re booing. You have to have a good sideline with guys who maybe aren’t taking as many, or any, snaps, they have a job to do on the sideline in keeping the energy level up and staying positive. Some of that is maturity. The more mature you are, the more you know your focus has to be elite every single week to win football games. Because of that maturity, I think we’ve had better success on the road. But it’ll take all that and more this week. We’re going on the road against a very good team for their homecoming. We know, without a doubt, we’ll get their best and we have to match that with our best in order to have any kind of success whatsoever.”

RICE Head Coach Mike Bloomgren’s Quotes from Tuesday’s Press Conference

Opening statement: “Let me start by thanking everyone for coming out today. Saturday's performance was not what we wanted. We played a very good, well-coach football team in UAB. The mistakes we made are magnified when you play a good team. We simply did not play well enough to win, there are no secrets about that. I think the last six weeks have been hard on everyone in our building, everyone in our families and our program. It's certainly hard for the players and the coaches, but I truly believe this team still cares. I really do. They are working hard to earn a win, we just haven't been able to put it together. We just have not been able to find a way yet. I completely believe in this staff. I completely believe in our approach. I believe in these kids. We will keep working and I believe we'll get this thing turned around.

You leave a Saturday, you get into Sunday, and you get into game-plan mode. This one was a little bit different for our staff because we spent a lot of time talking about our roster, but you kind of get back into the flow. You get back on the practice field and that's the nice thing about it - you don't have time to sulk. Our team came out yesterday (Monday, Oct. 15) and maybe had their best practice of the year, which was really good to see. A cold front came through, it was raining, and it seemed we all seem to enjoy playing this game. It was great to be out there yesterday.

The senior leadership we're getting right now from most of our seniors is really good. I think that our freshman class is phenomenal. They are listening to their coaches. They're listening to these seniors. They are trying to things the way that they are taught and coached to do them. They are a joy to work with. Those two groups are keeping us together right now. The old heads and the young bucks have a lot of energy.

Talking about the schedule - we're back on the road for another conference opportunity playing FIU down in Miami, 7:30 Saturday night against a well-coached Butch Davis team, a team with a quarterback is playing extremely well. Defensively they have the leading tackler in the conference. They are 4-2 and in first place on their side of Conference USA. It's a great challenge for us, but one that I believe our team is looking forward to. We are promised 13 opportunities, and I am never going to take any of them lightly. I also know what getting a win this Saturday would do for our team. I know how that would make us feel, so that's what we're working for every day this week.

On a positive note, we received our trophy yesterday for Conference USA Academic Excellence. This is for the semester that ended in December when I first arrived at Rice, and also the 2018 spring semester. That's a testament to our kids of how hard they are working in class, but it's also a testament to our academic advisors for all the hours of work they do and love they have for these kids. I think it's awesome what they have been able to do on a consistent basis. A focus on academics is something that will remain an important part of our program.”

Can to speak to the current mindset of the team? “We are going to do everything we can to try and find a way to get a win, and we are doing so with urgency. Paul Allen, the former owner of the Seahawks, passed away yesterday. One of my favorite quotes he has was, 'as long as we work together with both urgency and determination, there are no limits to what we can achieve.' That's what I want our guys to feel. We have got to be together, and we have got to have a sense of urgency. We need more. We need more from anyone who is going to touch the field for us in any way.”

How has been the preparation been? “First of all no matter who the opponent is we teach that there is one way to prepare. There is a process and a standard to be met in preparation each week. We think we have taught them, and have done things right to get them through Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Now we just need to get them to turn it loose and perform on Saturdays. We want guys to perform on Saturdays the same way we see them do the first part of the week. That's the thing, we've seen their ability and technique in practice. Now they have to do it on game day.”

What is most impressive about an FIU team leading their division? “FIU is a very talented defense. One thing I remember about Butch Davis from when I was at Florida State and he was at Miami was they are not going to line up on defense and try and dazzle you with dance. A Butch Davis defense is going to line up with the intent to whip you. It's up to us to come out Saturday and execute our assignments.”