MT vs. UTSA presser

Quotes from today's press conference with Head Coach Rick Stockstill, quarterback Brent Stockstill and linebacker DJ Sanders. The Blue Raiders face UTSA at Floyd Stadium Saturday. Kickoff is 1:30 p.m.

Head Coach Rick Stockstill
Opening Statement…
"Coming off a really good win last week. I'm proud of our effort in getting that win on the road. Like I've said many times, it's hard to win games. It's hard to win conference games. It's doubly hard to win on the road. I'm really proud of our team. We have a really good UTSA team coming in here this weekend. They are 4-4. I think the thing that stands out to me is that they are an extremely fast team and athletic team like they were last year. I thought they were really explosive last year, but I think they are faster and more explosive this year. They are really good on defense. They are second in the conference in scoring defense. I think they are only giving up 26 points a game, and then they are about third, fourth or fifth in total defense. Offensively, they are doing a great job with ball control. They run the ball and then they will hit you with explosive plays like you saw them do against Southern Miss. They put up over 50 points and had a lot of explosive plays in the game. We've got to do a good job from that standpoint of keeping the ball in front of us. They are right behind us in turnover margin. We have done a really good job. We have only turned the ball over eight times this year, and I think they are right behind us at nine. They are doing a good job of protecting the ball. They are very sound in the kicking game. Their kickoff coverage and punt teams are right up there at the top of the conference. This is a really good football team coming in. They had a tough, close loss earlier in the season against Arizona State. They had a five overtime loss a few weeks ago to UTEP. This team could very well have a few more wins under their belt. They are really well coaches. They play extremely fast. They play extremely tough and physical. We have to do a great job this week. It's going to be another four-quarter game that we have to get ready to play."

On UTSA's new coaching staff and schemes…
"They have a new staff. Frank Wilson has done a nice job. Coach (Frank) Scelfo is their new offensive coordinator. I've known him for a long time. They do a great job of running their offense. They'll get in big sets and try to hammer the run at you. They'll spread you out and still run the ball. They'll get in big sets and max protect to try to get deep shots. They have great skill players. How is it different from last year? We played them at the end of the year and they were a really depleted team from an injury standpoint last year. Schematically, it is different. It's not vastly different, but it is a little bit different from last year. They have good coaches, and they do a good job of running their schemes.

On forcing turnovers against FIU…
"To me, turnovers, you can do everything right. We practice turnovers a ton. We emphasize it a ton every day. Our defense tries to get them and sometimes the ball bounces your way and you get them. Other times you make a play and you get it. When that opportunity comes, you can't be a hand clapper like I say. You drop an interception and clap your hands. You almost get a fumble you can't be sitting there clapping your hands, 'man, I almost made it.' You have to make a play when your opportunity comes. We did a good job of that last week with the turnovers we had. We had an opportunity to get another one and we didn't. When your opportunity comes in any facet of the game, when you get an opportunity you have to make a play."

On red zone defense…
"I think FIU is three-out-of-three last week in the red zone. Our defense has done really well in the red zone. We spend a lot of time on it. It's a critical area of the field. When the field reduces the windows get tighter. It's about execution and playing your responsibility and not doing something out of character that you're not supposed to do out of the scheme of the defense. Our defense plays hard and competes. We do a lot of good things. When you get down there, that's when execution and doing your job and doing what you are coached to do in that critical situation is paramount. You have to make a play when you get down there. You don't get points for getting down there, you have to cross that white line. That's the mentality of our defense, do not give them anything and make them snap it one more time."

On jumping ahead to 21-0 lead before FIU answered…
"I don't think FIU got off of a slow start at all. We came out of the blocks and played good. We took the first drive down there and scored. The defense got a three-and-out. We go and score again. The defense gets a three-and-out, and we go score again. They got some pretty good players over there too. It's not going to be a shutout every game. They stopped us and we had a couple drops that stopped some drives. They made some plays and scored. It's a ball game. You knew that was what it was going to be. Nobody scored in the third quarter. We got a score in the fourth. We got a great stop and created two turnovers on their last two possessions. That game didn't surprise me. I don't know what you guys expect, but we knew that was going to be a four-quarter game. We say it every week. I'm not Lou Holtz up here saying that we are getting ready to play the Denver Broncos every week, but there are good teams in this conference. I think people are misled by teams' records. FIU had won three out of four games. We knew it was going to be a good game going down there. Our players were ready. We played with great intensity and great emotion. We didn't relax. We didn't lose our concentration or lose our focus. You have to give the other team some credit sometimes. They did a good job. We competed harder and made plays at the end. I'm proud of that football team.

On becoming bowl eligible…
"It's elating. I'm extremely happy and proud for these players. We've been bowl eligible eight out of my 11 years. That's hard to do, especially with the people we play out of conference. I'm really proud of what we have done. I'm proud for our seniors, these guys that have been here four or five years. They can leave here and say 'I was bowl eligible every year I was in college.' To me, that's a tremendous accomplishment for those guys. I'm really happy for them. I'm really proud of them. I talked to them about it yesterday. One of our goals was going to a bowl game. You cannot go to a bowl game unless you get bowl eligible. We got bowl eligible. We won't talk about it anymore. Now it UTSA this week. I'm proud of our team for being able to accomplish that."

On winning close game…
"I think this team has a great mental toughness about them. Four of the last five games have been decided by one possession. I think the mental toughness and competitiveness and what the fourth quarter means to us and how we approach the fourth quarter means a lot to us. We talk about never flinching or losing faith or hope. You can be up 21 or down 21 and you have a chance to win every game. I think we have done that this year. I think this team has strong character and a strong belief in one another. They are accountable for each other. They are going to lay it on the line for one another. I think it's easy for a coach to say 'I knew this was going to happen,' but when you look at this team you have a strong belief that they have a strong belief in each other that no matter the situation, their mental toughness and physical toughness is going to overcome whatever situation they are in."

On safety Darryl Randolph…
"I think he is improving every game, every week. He is a long way to go to be a finished product. This is the most he has played in his career. He played some last year, mostly special teams and certain situations. He is playing more and more each game this year. Still, there are some mistakes he is going to make, but we all make mistakes. I think he is getting better and improving each week. As long as he continues to do that, he'll continue to get better and have success, and we'll develop more confidence in him because he knows what he is doing and has seen more different situations that he has been exposed to now, critical situations that he cannot make the same mistake he made the game before or play before. He is improving, and that's what you want in a player."

On if I'Tavius (Mathers) is the best running back he has coached…
"We've had some good ones through here. Benny (Cunningham) was a really good player. Phillip Tanner was a good player. Reggie Whatley was a good player. This is the first year in a long time we have remained healthy at the running back position. You look at even last year, Jordan Parker and Jeremiah (Bryson) and Shane (Tucker), all those guys were hurt and missed games at different points in their career. Benny probably would have led the country in rushing his senior year, but he gets hurt in the fourth or fifth game down at FIU and he's done for the year. Same with Phillip Tanner. He gets hurt off and on throughout his career. We've had some really good backs. I'Tavius is really good. I think when you say he's the best right now, he hasn't finished out this year. Let him finish out this year, but he's really good. He's a special person. He loves this team and loves this school, and he has only been here a year-and-a-half. I have a lot of respect for I'Tavius as a man and as a player. He's having a really good year. I'm glad he is here. He's really special."

On having one of the best offenses in school history this season…
"Statistically, last year was our best offense. I think this year is our most balanced offense. If we continue working to improve and make plays, this could go down as the best offense in this school's history. I'Tavius and Brent are really good players. The offensive line has done a great job. Ty Lee, Dennis Andrews, Pat Smith and some of the other guys who have been contributing are having good years too. We have good players on this team. Let's finish out the year and see how it unfolds."

On favorite Halloween costume growing up…
"Spiderman. Shoot that web at you. I'm a Spiderman man. Spiderman. I'm loyal to Spiderman. I could shoot the web. I couldn't draw the Batman symbol. I was always a Spiderman guy.

QB Brent Stockstill
On breaking the program record for career passing touchdowns:
"To be honest, I wasn't even paying attention to it. It feels like yesterday I was throwing my first career touchdown to Lucas Hamilton, who's now an offensive lineman, and then they all add up after that. I haven't thought about it too much as I've gone on. As I said, it's very humbling, but it's not something I'll look back on too much. "

On getting road wins:
"That's an area we've been really good at so far in the past since I've been here. That just speaks to the maturity of our team and the character we have on both sides of the ball to stay focused. Saturday we played a 7 PM game, and it's tough to stay in the hotel that long and be able to come out fast, which shows we were ready."

On facing UTSA's defense this Saturday:
"They do a great job. They mix it up really well and like to do some unorthodox things, with three safeties. I'm sure Richie [James] will get double-teamed a lot. They do a lot of different things like bring a safety down to double team somebody. They're extremely well coached and have some great players. "

On the style of play in rough weather:
"We try to do what we do all the time, no matter the weather. "We've played in more rain games than probably anybody ever has, so obviously it makes it tough to do certain things. It makes it hard to throw the ball sometimes, but it's my job to get it done. We try to do what we do, and we don't try to get too conservative."

On playing an athletic UTSA defense:
"I know [Josiah Tauaefa] is a heck of a player. He's been making plays all year, so it doesn't surprise me that he made that great play against North Texas. That defense has been very athletic all year. They've played close games with some big teams. They've done a great job and pose a threat at every position on the field. We'll come in with a great plan and find some ways to attack them."

On the difference from last year's UTSA team:
"First of all, their quarterback was a true freshman last year, and I believe he's grown up a lot. They're very balanced on offense from what I can see watching on TV and a little on film. Defensively they're very sound. They're in the right spot and make you beat them play after play. They're not going to give up big plays. They're very sound on both sides of the ball, so we'll have to play well."

LB DJ Sanders
On the reactions from family after the interception to win the game against FIU, and where did he get the moves that got him into end zone:
"I played a little wide receiver in high school, so that's where I learned my moves. My family was actually at the game. They drove down to Miami to the game, and they were so excited. Both of my brothers called me after the game, and I had so many messages. It was crazy."

On facing another dual threat quarterback:
"It helps a lot to see another similar scheme. The quarterback from FIU really didn't run much on film, so we were a little surprised. This week, we know what to look for against UTSA."

On moving forward after being bowl eligible:
"We're just taking it one game at a time. We aren't looking too far ahead. We're just really excited to play. Practice is fun. This is the most excited part of the season so far for us."

On being one of the best in Conference USA in passes defended:
"The scheme that we have helps a lot, first of all. I work on making sure my eyes are in the right place, and I try to get a hand on those passes as much as I can."

On facing UTSA's running backs this week:
"I remember watching them last year, and they were good last year. This year, they're even better. They're more of a two-headed monster, so we'll have to focus on reading our keys because they're going to run the ball hard."

On playing a home game this week:
"It's always nice to play at home. It's always a great feeling to be back in Floyd Stadium."

On a Halloween costume:
"I haven't dressed up since I was in the third grade. I want to say I dressed up as Spider-Man because I really like him. I think he'd play corner or safety."

Middle Tennessee State University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Dennis Andrews

Lucas Hamilton

Ty Lee

Jordan Parker

Darryl Randolph

Brent Stockstill

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