Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
MT vs. ODU presser
11/20/2017 12:51:00 PM | Football
Kickoff at Floyd Stadium is 2 PM
Head Coach Rick Stockstill
Opening statement:
"I appreciate everybody being here. It's a huge game. I told my team yesterday, 'If you're a baseball player, if you've ever played baseball it's like a one-game playoff.' Both of us are fighting to get bowl eligible. Old Dominion's coming off three-straight wins and a good come-from-behind win Saturday against Rice. Their quarterback is playing really well. He's a runner. They run the zone read really well, he can beat you with his feet, he's getting better throwing the ball week to week. He's a dangerous player. Their (running) back (Ray) Lawry is back and running really well. They've got a really, really good defensive line; might be one of the best defensive lines we've seen in this conference this year. They're really good up front and they're doing a really nice job. Their linebackers can run. They've got good speed there at the linebacker position. This is a good football team. They're kind of hitting their stride a little bit here the last three weeks. I know they'll come in here with a lot of confidence, winning three-straight games. We've got to be ready to roll. I think our team's got a good attitude, they understand what's at stake. We've got to rebound emotionally, mentally and physically from last week and get ready to play this game. There's a lot on the line and I'm looking forward to playing it."
On what this year's senior class has meant to this team and program:
"There's a lot of good players in that senior class, guys that've played a lot of games. Obviously there's three or four of them that have been here five years. A couple have been here four years, and then a couple junior college guys. It's a small class numbers wise. But all those guys are going to leave here with a degree. If we can get this one here Saturday night, Conner Trent, Lucas Hamilton, those guys that have been here five years, they can leave and say they were bowl eligible their entire career. That's hard to do, especially what all they've gone through. I'm really proud of them and I appreciate everything they've given to this program, to this University."
On how the team has responded after a grueling three-overtime loss against Western Kentucky:
"It was a very emotional game. You compete for four hours as hard as you can, and we played extremely hard. We left everything out on that field. There wasn't one player that held an ounce back. They competed their tails off, they played extremely hard. You do that for four hours, then you get beat at the buzzer in three overtimes, it's hard for anybody, but especially for young people to flush it. You guys want to talk to them five minutes later and that's hard for people to do. Yeah, it was emotional. It was a very emotional game; it was a physical game. Saturday was there day off. We went ahead, came back yesterday, met and practiced. I think it was good. Obviously, there were still some laboring effects on Sunday because you've got to watch the film, you've got to talk about it again. That brings back you're thoughts on the game. Once we got out there and practiced, started moving around, I thought they responded very well. Today's their day off and we'll get back tomorrow. But I don't have any doubts that this team will be ready to play Saturday afternoon."
On how Middle Tennessee stacks up in the conference now that multiple C-USA teams could be bowl eligible:
"Well there's eight teams that are bowl eligible right now. Then our game and LA Tech is playing for bowl eligibility. So it's a possibility that you're going to get 10 teams. I said it at the beginning of the year that this is a very balanced conference, a very competitive conference. Us and San Antonio are the only two teams in this conference that've got a power-five win. We played an extremely tough schedule, I told you guys that at the beginning. To look at the big picture, the national picture of it, I haven't gone that far yet to look at it because I can't control what's going to happen with LA Tech and San Antonio, or whoever's playing. So I'm just focused on this one. But I feel very confident that the winner of this game, is going to get in a bowl game."
On running back Tavares Thomas' health:
"it's way too early to say that. He didn't finish the game and he wasn't able to go (on Sunday) either. I really can't I've you an answer right now."
On how running back Terelle West is coming along after being out most of the season due to injury:
"He's better. I think he's getting a little more confident every week. He looked better against Western Kentucky that he'd been in the previous games. So I think he's getting a little bit better. I still don't think he's back to where he was, but he's better than what he was last week."
On how important it was to have last Saturday off:
"Obviously it's good. We didn't do anything with the players on Saturday because that's there day off, we're not allowed to do anything with them. It will be good for the players to have an extra day to get their legs back after an 11 games. We worked (Sunday), now they've got today off. I think it'll help from a preparation standpoint. Obviously, you got an extra day. That'll help a little bit there. Probably the big thing is coming off a short week and now playing on a traditional Saturday. That'll help the players a little bit, they might have a little bump or bruise."
On how to halt the momentum Old Dominion has right now:
"To do that, you've got to do yourself. We've got to prepare, we've got to work, we've got to play. They made a quarterback change there in the middle of the year. They've had some people hurt also. They've got a little juice going down (the stretch), but so do we. We didn't play as good as we would've liked to have played against Western, but we're a hungry team. If you watch that film, you watch it on TV, you watch it in person, those guys laid it on the line and played their tails off. Now they know they've got something at stake. This is your last chance to accomplish one of your goals. Our guys will be ready, but it's about us. It's about us executing better and doing the things we can control. I know you guys here that from coaches all the time, but that's what it is. When you've got a chance to make a play, you've got to make the play."
On if Stockstill expects to get more out of his players this week as they are fighting for a bowl bid:
"No. I can't ask anything more from this team or those seniors who have given it everything they have every game. This team has fought through a bunch and they continue to do that. It'll be special for them. It's their last regular season college game. That'll be special to them, but they're not going to play harder this game than they did against Western Kentucky. They're not going to play harder this game than they did against Syracuse. They've played extremely hard all year."
On if Stockstill usually sees seniors prepare differently in the final week of the regular season:
"You watch these guys, they come to you as 18-year old kids, young mean and now you're sending them off four and five years later with a degree. Now they're men ready to take on this world. There's a since of pride that I have that I've watched them make mistakes and learn from them, do good things in this community, do good things on the football field and just grow personally. I have a lot of admiration and a lot of respect for those guys, what they've gone through, what they've done and what they've sacrificed. So yeah, it's always emotional because you hate to say goodbye to some of these guys."
On the fear of not making it to a bowl even with a win on Saturday:
"I'm not because there are other conferences that aren't going to fulfill all their spots. There's going to be other bowl opportunities that aren't just going to be Conference USA tie-ins. There's going to be some SEC, other conferences that just don't fill all their slots. I'm extremely confident that whoever wins this game will be going to a bowl game in December."
On the possibility of every bowl eligible C-USA team could make it to a bowl:
"LA Tech has got to win, then they'll get bowl eligible, the winner of our game is going to get bowl eligible. So yes, I do."
On what Middle Tennessee must do to contain ODU's strong return game:
"Well our kickoff coverage has done a really nice job. (Isaiah Harper's) a really dynamic player. He's had a 100-yard return. He's special, he's a good player. But we're kicking very well. You've just got to make sure you're doing what you're coached to do. You've got to stay in your lane, defeat the block on the proper shoulder, proper side and do your job. So if we do that, I think we'll be successful, but he's really good."
Middle Tennessee Football Press Conference Quotes
Head Coach Rick Stockstill
Opening statement:
"I appreciate everybody being here. It's a huge game. I told my team yesterday, 'If you're a baseball player, if you've ever played baseball it's like a one-game playoff.' Both of us are fighting to get bowl eligible. Old Dominion's coming off three-straight wins and a good come-from-behind win Saturday against Rice. Their quarterback is playing really well. He's a runner. They run the zone read really well, he can beat you with his feet, he's getting better throwing the ball week to week. He's a dangerous player. Their (running) back (Ray) Lawry is back and running really well. They've got a really, really good defensive line; might be one of the best defensive lines we've seen in this conference this year. They're really good up front and they're doing a really nice job. Their linebackers can run. They've got good speed there at the linebacker position. This is a good football team. They're kind of hitting their stride a little bit here the last three weeks. I know they'll come in here with a lot of confidence, winning three-straight games. We've got to be ready to roll. I think our team's got a good attitude, they understand what's at stake. We've got to rebound emotionally, mentally and physically from last week and get ready to play this game. There's a lot on the line and I'm looking forward to playing it."
On what this year's senior class has meant to this team and program:
"There's a lot of good players in that senior class, guys that've played a lot of games. Obviously there's three or four of them that have been here five years. A couple have been here four years, and then a couple junior college guys. It's a small class numbers wise. But all those guys are going to leave here with a degree. If we can get this one here Saturday night, Conner Trent, Lucas Hamilton, those guys that have been here five years, they can leave and say they were bowl eligible their entire career. That's hard to do, especially what all they've gone through. I'm really proud of them and I appreciate everything they've given to this program, to this University."
On how the team has responded after a grueling three-overtime loss against Western Kentucky:
"It was a very emotional game. You compete for four hours as hard as you can, and we played extremely hard. We left everything out on that field. There wasn't one player that held an ounce back. They competed their tails off, they played extremely hard. You do that for four hours, then you get beat at the buzzer in three overtimes, it's hard for anybody, but especially for young people to flush it. You guys want to talk to them five minutes later and that's hard for people to do. Yeah, it was emotional. It was a very emotional game; it was a physical game. Saturday was there day off. We went ahead, came back yesterday, met and practiced. I think it was good. Obviously, there were still some laboring effects on Sunday because you've got to watch the film, you've got to talk about it again. That brings back you're thoughts on the game. Once we got out there and practiced, started moving around, I thought they responded very well. Today's their day off and we'll get back tomorrow. But I don't have any doubts that this team will be ready to play Saturday afternoon."
On how Middle Tennessee stacks up in the conference now that multiple C-USA teams could be bowl eligible:
"Well there's eight teams that are bowl eligible right now. Then our game and LA Tech is playing for bowl eligibility. So it's a possibility that you're going to get 10 teams. I said it at the beginning of the year that this is a very balanced conference, a very competitive conference. Us and San Antonio are the only two teams in this conference that've got a power-five win. We played an extremely tough schedule, I told you guys that at the beginning. To look at the big picture, the national picture of it, I haven't gone that far yet to look at it because I can't control what's going to happen with LA Tech and San Antonio, or whoever's playing. So I'm just focused on this one. But I feel very confident that the winner of this game, is going to get in a bowl game."
On running back Tavares Thomas' health:
"it's way too early to say that. He didn't finish the game and he wasn't able to go (on Sunday) either. I really can't I've you an answer right now."
On how running back Terelle West is coming along after being out most of the season due to injury:
"He's better. I think he's getting a little more confident every week. He looked better against Western Kentucky that he'd been in the previous games. So I think he's getting a little bit better. I still don't think he's back to where he was, but he's better than what he was last week."
On how important it was to have last Saturday off:
"Obviously it's good. We didn't do anything with the players on Saturday because that's there day off, we're not allowed to do anything with them. It will be good for the players to have an extra day to get their legs back after an 11 games. We worked (Sunday), now they've got today off. I think it'll help from a preparation standpoint. Obviously, you got an extra day. That'll help a little bit there. Probably the big thing is coming off a short week and now playing on a traditional Saturday. That'll help the players a little bit, they might have a little bump or bruise."
On how to halt the momentum Old Dominion has right now:
"To do that, you've got to do yourself. We've got to prepare, we've got to work, we've got to play. They made a quarterback change there in the middle of the year. They've had some people hurt also. They've got a little juice going down (the stretch), but so do we. We didn't play as good as we would've liked to have played against Western, but we're a hungry team. If you watch that film, you watch it on TV, you watch it in person, those guys laid it on the line and played their tails off. Now they know they've got something at stake. This is your last chance to accomplish one of your goals. Our guys will be ready, but it's about us. It's about us executing better and doing the things we can control. I know you guys here that from coaches all the time, but that's what it is. When you've got a chance to make a play, you've got to make the play."
On if Stockstill expects to get more out of his players this week as they are fighting for a bowl bid:
"No. I can't ask anything more from this team or those seniors who have given it everything they have every game. This team has fought through a bunch and they continue to do that. It'll be special for them. It's their last regular season college game. That'll be special to them, but they're not going to play harder this game than they did against Western Kentucky. They're not going to play harder this game than they did against Syracuse. They've played extremely hard all year."
On if Stockstill usually sees seniors prepare differently in the final week of the regular season:
"You watch these guys, they come to you as 18-year old kids, young mean and now you're sending them off four and five years later with a degree. Now they're men ready to take on this world. There's a since of pride that I have that I've watched them make mistakes and learn from them, do good things in this community, do good things on the football field and just grow personally. I have a lot of admiration and a lot of respect for those guys, what they've gone through, what they've done and what they've sacrificed. So yeah, it's always emotional because you hate to say goodbye to some of these guys."
On the fear of not making it to a bowl even with a win on Saturday:
"I'm not because there are other conferences that aren't going to fulfill all their spots. There's going to be other bowl opportunities that aren't just going to be Conference USA tie-ins. There's going to be some SEC, other conferences that just don't fill all their slots. I'm extremely confident that whoever wins this game will be going to a bowl game in December."
On the possibility of every bowl eligible C-USA team could make it to a bowl:
"LA Tech has got to win, then they'll get bowl eligible, the winner of our game is going to get bowl eligible. So yes, I do."
On what Middle Tennessee must do to contain ODU's strong return game:
"Well our kickoff coverage has done a really nice job. (Isaiah Harper's) a really dynamic player. He's had a 100-yard return. He's special, he's a good player. But we're kicking very well. You've just got to make sure you're doing what you're coached to do. You've got to stay in your lane, defeat the block on the proper shoulder, proper side and do your job. So if we do that, I think we'll be successful, but he's really good."
Safety Jovante Moffatt
On what the seniors have meant to him and the team:
"It's meant a lot. Just from me growing and learning how they play the game and just seeing how they do things around here. Like DJ (Sanders) and Alex Dale, I've learned a lot from them so just seeing those guys leave is going to be a big moment for the locker room. We just hope that we can continue to get them another game."
On ODU's game being a 'one-game playoff' to go to a bowl:
"Yeah I feel like it's going to be really easy to gain energy from this, coming off the loss from last week, just because it's win or go home this week. So I think I will feel a lot of energy coming into practice this week and it will help us going into Saturday.
On if he's been a part of another emotionally draining game like WKU:
"No not really. Like you said last year, but I feel like this one hurt way worse. So that's that."
On what they can do better down the line going forward:
"For this game, I'll say maintain the quarterback. They have an athletic quarterback in the backfield, so he's going to want to move around and make plays with his feet. So I feel like that will be the main focus going into the game."
On the strength of ODU's offense:
"Yeah so far that's their strength. (Their QB) will pass every now and then, but they use the triple-option and stuff like that to get him going and help out his team."
On getting the seniors one more game (bowl game):
"I would enjoy it a lot. We talk about it, my locker is beside Mike Minter's and all he talks about is playing one more game. So hopefully we can do that for him and the guys."
On getting more out of a team that is playing for their seniors:
"I feel like everybody knows what is at stake so at the end of the day, we will come out to play. Guys know what we need to do. It's football so I'm just ready to play regardless."
Opening statement:
"I appreciate everybody being here. It's a huge game. I told my team yesterday, 'If you're a baseball player, if you've ever played baseball it's like a one-game playoff.' Both of us are fighting to get bowl eligible. Old Dominion's coming off three-straight wins and a good come-from-behind win Saturday against Rice. Their quarterback is playing really well. He's a runner. They run the zone read really well, he can beat you with his feet, he's getting better throwing the ball week to week. He's a dangerous player. Their (running) back (Ray) Lawry is back and running really well. They've got a really, really good defensive line; might be one of the best defensive lines we've seen in this conference this year. They're really good up front and they're doing a really nice job. Their linebackers can run. They've got good speed there at the linebacker position. This is a good football team. They're kind of hitting their stride a little bit here the last three weeks. I know they'll come in here with a lot of confidence, winning three-straight games. We've got to be ready to roll. I think our team's got a good attitude, they understand what's at stake. We've got to rebound emotionally, mentally and physically from last week and get ready to play this game. There's a lot on the line and I'm looking forward to playing it."
On what this year's senior class has meant to this team and program:
"There's a lot of good players in that senior class, guys that've played a lot of games. Obviously there's three or four of them that have been here five years. A couple have been here four years, and then a couple junior college guys. It's a small class numbers wise. But all those guys are going to leave here with a degree. If we can get this one here Saturday night, Conner Trent, Lucas Hamilton, those guys that have been here five years, they can leave and say they were bowl eligible their entire career. That's hard to do, especially what all they've gone through. I'm really proud of them and I appreciate everything they've given to this program, to this University."
On how the team has responded after a grueling three-overtime loss against Western Kentucky:
"It was a very emotional game. You compete for four hours as hard as you can, and we played extremely hard. We left everything out on that field. There wasn't one player that held an ounce back. They competed their tails off, they played extremely hard. You do that for four hours, then you get beat at the buzzer in three overtimes, it's hard for anybody, but especially for young people to flush it. You guys want to talk to them five minutes later and that's hard for people to do. Yeah, it was emotional. It was a very emotional game; it was a physical game. Saturday was there day off. We went ahead, came back yesterday, met and practiced. I think it was good. Obviously, there were still some laboring effects on Sunday because you've got to watch the film, you've got to talk about it again. That brings back you're thoughts on the game. Once we got out there and practiced, started moving around, I thought they responded very well. Today's their day off and we'll get back tomorrow. But I don't have any doubts that this team will be ready to play Saturday afternoon."
On how Middle Tennessee stacks up in the conference now that multiple C-USA teams could be bowl eligible:
"Well there's eight teams that are bowl eligible right now. Then our game and LA Tech is playing for bowl eligibility. So it's a possibility that you're going to get 10 teams. I said it at the beginning of the year that this is a very balanced conference, a very competitive conference. Us and San Antonio are the only two teams in this conference that've got a power-five win. We played an extremely tough schedule, I told you guys that at the beginning. To look at the big picture, the national picture of it, I haven't gone that far yet to look at it because I can't control what's going to happen with LA Tech and San Antonio, or whoever's playing. So I'm just focused on this one. But I feel very confident that the winner of this game, is going to get in a bowl game."
On running back Tavares Thomas' health:
"it's way too early to say that. He didn't finish the game and he wasn't able to go (on Sunday) either. I really can't I've you an answer right now."
On how running back Terelle West is coming along after being out most of the season due to injury:
"He's better. I think he's getting a little more confident every week. He looked better against Western Kentucky that he'd been in the previous games. So I think he's getting a little bit better. I still don't think he's back to where he was, but he's better than what he was last week."
On how important it was to have last Saturday off:
"Obviously it's good. We didn't do anything with the players on Saturday because that's there day off, we're not allowed to do anything with them. It will be good for the players to have an extra day to get their legs back after an 11 games. We worked (Sunday), now they've got today off. I think it'll help from a preparation standpoint. Obviously, you got an extra day. That'll help a little bit there. Probably the big thing is coming off a short week and now playing on a traditional Saturday. That'll help the players a little bit, they might have a little bump or bruise."
On how to halt the momentum Old Dominion has right now:
"To do that, you've got to do yourself. We've got to prepare, we've got to work, we've got to play. They made a quarterback change there in the middle of the year. They've had some people hurt also. They've got a little juice going down (the stretch), but so do we. We didn't play as good as we would've liked to have played against Western, but we're a hungry team. If you watch that film, you watch it on TV, you watch it in person, those guys laid it on the line and played their tails off. Now they know they've got something at stake. This is your last chance to accomplish one of your goals. Our guys will be ready, but it's about us. It's about us executing better and doing the things we can control. I know you guys here that from coaches all the time, but that's what it is. When you've got a chance to make a play, you've got to make the play."
On if Stockstill expects to get more out of his players this week as they are fighting for a bowl bid:
"No. I can't ask anything more from this team or those seniors who have given it everything they have every game. This team has fought through a bunch and they continue to do that. It'll be special for them. It's their last regular season college game. That'll be special to them, but they're not going to play harder this game than they did against Western Kentucky. They're not going to play harder this game than they did against Syracuse. They've played extremely hard all year."
On if Stockstill usually sees seniors prepare differently in the final week of the regular season:
"You watch these guys, they come to you as 18-year old kids, young mean and now you're sending them off four and five years later with a degree. Now they're men ready to take on this world. There's a since of pride that I have that I've watched them make mistakes and learn from them, do good things in this community, do good things on the football field and just grow personally. I have a lot of admiration and a lot of respect for those guys, what they've gone through, what they've done and what they've sacrificed. So yeah, it's always emotional because you hate to say goodbye to some of these guys."
On the fear of not making it to a bowl even with a win on Saturday:
"I'm not because there are other conferences that aren't going to fulfill all their spots. There's going to be other bowl opportunities that aren't just going to be Conference USA tie-ins. There's going to be some SEC, other conferences that just don't fill all their slots. I'm extremely confident that whoever wins this game will be going to a bowl game in December."
On the possibility of every bowl eligible C-USA team could make it to a bowl:
"LA Tech has got to win, then they'll get bowl eligible, the winner of our game is going to get bowl eligible. So yes, I do."
On what Middle Tennessee must do to contain ODU's strong return game:
"Well our kickoff coverage has done a really nice job. (Isaiah Harper's) a really dynamic player. He's had a 100-yard return. He's special, he's a good player. But we're kicking very well. You've just got to make sure you're doing what you're coached to do. You've got to stay in your lane, defeat the block on the proper shoulder, proper side and do your job. So if we do that, I think we'll be successful, but he's really good."
Middle Tennessee Football Press Conference Quotes
Head Coach Rick Stockstill
Opening statement:
"I appreciate everybody being here. It's a huge game. I told my team yesterday, 'If you're a baseball player, if you've ever played baseball it's like a one-game playoff.' Both of us are fighting to get bowl eligible. Old Dominion's coming off three-straight wins and a good come-from-behind win Saturday against Rice. Their quarterback is playing really well. He's a runner. They run the zone read really well, he can beat you with his feet, he's getting better throwing the ball week to week. He's a dangerous player. Their (running) back (Ray) Lawry is back and running really well. They've got a really, really good defensive line; might be one of the best defensive lines we've seen in this conference this year. They're really good up front and they're doing a really nice job. Their linebackers can run. They've got good speed there at the linebacker position. This is a good football team. They're kind of hitting their stride a little bit here the last three weeks. I know they'll come in here with a lot of confidence, winning three-straight games. We've got to be ready to roll. I think our team's got a good attitude, they understand what's at stake. We've got to rebound emotionally, mentally and physically from last week and get ready to play this game. There's a lot on the line and I'm looking forward to playing it."
On what this year's senior class has meant to this team and program:
"There's a lot of good players in that senior class, guys that've played a lot of games. Obviously there's three or four of them that have been here five years. A couple have been here four years, and then a couple junior college guys. It's a small class numbers wise. But all those guys are going to leave here with a degree. If we can get this one here Saturday night, Conner Trent, Lucas Hamilton, those guys that have been here five years, they can leave and say they were bowl eligible their entire career. That's hard to do, especially what all they've gone through. I'm really proud of them and I appreciate everything they've given to this program, to this University."
On how the team has responded after a grueling three-overtime loss against Western Kentucky:
"It was a very emotional game. You compete for four hours as hard as you can, and we played extremely hard. We left everything out on that field. There wasn't one player that held an ounce back. They competed their tails off, they played extremely hard. You do that for four hours, then you get beat at the buzzer in three overtimes, it's hard for anybody, but especially for young people to flush it. You guys want to talk to them five minutes later and that's hard for people to do. Yeah, it was emotional. It was a very emotional game; it was a physical game. Saturday was there day off. We went ahead, came back yesterday, met and practiced. I think it was good. Obviously, there were still some laboring effects on Sunday because you've got to watch the film, you've got to talk about it again. That brings back you're thoughts on the game. Once we got out there and practiced, started moving around, I thought they responded very well. Today's their day off and we'll get back tomorrow. But I don't have any doubts that this team will be ready to play Saturday afternoon."
On how Middle Tennessee stacks up in the conference now that multiple C-USA teams could be bowl eligible:
"Well there's eight teams that are bowl eligible right now. Then our game and LA Tech is playing for bowl eligibility. So it's a possibility that you're going to get 10 teams. I said it at the beginning of the year that this is a very balanced conference, a very competitive conference. Us and San Antonio are the only two teams in this conference that've got a power-five win. We played an extremely tough schedule, I told you guys that at the beginning. To look at the big picture, the national picture of it, I haven't gone that far yet to look at it because I can't control what's going to happen with LA Tech and San Antonio, or whoever's playing. So I'm just focused on this one. But I feel very confident that the winner of this game, is going to get in a bowl game."
On running back Tavares Thomas' health:
"it's way too early to say that. He didn't finish the game and he wasn't able to go (on Sunday) either. I really can't I've you an answer right now."
On how running back Terelle West is coming along after being out most of the season due to injury:
"He's better. I think he's getting a little more confident every week. He looked better against Western Kentucky that he'd been in the previous games. So I think he's getting a little bit better. I still don't think he's back to where he was, but he's better than what he was last week."
On how important it was to have last Saturday off:
"Obviously it's good. We didn't do anything with the players on Saturday because that's there day off, we're not allowed to do anything with them. It will be good for the players to have an extra day to get their legs back after an 11 games. We worked (Sunday), now they've got today off. I think it'll help from a preparation standpoint. Obviously, you got an extra day. That'll help a little bit there. Probably the big thing is coming off a short week and now playing on a traditional Saturday. That'll help the players a little bit, they might have a little bump or bruise."
On how to halt the momentum Old Dominion has right now:
"To do that, you've got to do yourself. We've got to prepare, we've got to work, we've got to play. They made a quarterback change there in the middle of the year. They've had some people hurt also. They've got a little juice going down (the stretch), but so do we. We didn't play as good as we would've liked to have played against Western, but we're a hungry team. If you watch that film, you watch it on TV, you watch it in person, those guys laid it on the line and played their tails off. Now they know they've got something at stake. This is your last chance to accomplish one of your goals. Our guys will be ready, but it's about us. It's about us executing better and doing the things we can control. I know you guys here that from coaches all the time, but that's what it is. When you've got a chance to make a play, you've got to make the play."
On if Stockstill expects to get more out of his players this week as they are fighting for a bowl bid:
"No. I can't ask anything more from this team or those seniors who have given it everything they have every game. This team has fought through a bunch and they continue to do that. It'll be special for them. It's their last regular season college game. That'll be special to them, but they're not going to play harder this game than they did against Western Kentucky. They're not going to play harder this game than they did against Syracuse. They've played extremely hard all year."
On if Stockstill usually sees seniors prepare differently in the final week of the regular season:
"You watch these guys, they come to you as 18-year old kids, young mean and now you're sending them off four and five years later with a degree. Now they're men ready to take on this world. There's a since of pride that I have that I've watched them make mistakes and learn from them, do good things in this community, do good things on the football field and just grow personally. I have a lot of admiration and a lot of respect for those guys, what they've gone through, what they've done and what they've sacrificed. So yeah, it's always emotional because you hate to say goodbye to some of these guys."
On the fear of not making it to a bowl even with a win on Saturday:
"I'm not because there are other conferences that aren't going to fulfill all their spots. There's going to be other bowl opportunities that aren't just going to be Conference USA tie-ins. There's going to be some SEC, other conferences that just don't fill all their slots. I'm extremely confident that whoever wins this game will be going to a bowl game in December."
On the possibility of every bowl eligible C-USA team could make it to a bowl:
"LA Tech has got to win, then they'll get bowl eligible, the winner of our game is going to get bowl eligible. So yes, I do."
On what Middle Tennessee must do to contain ODU's strong return game:
"Well our kickoff coverage has done a really nice job. (Isaiah Harper's) a really dynamic player. He's had a 100-yard return. He's special, he's a good player. But we're kicking very well. You've just got to make sure you're doing what you're coached to do. You've got to stay in your lane, defeat the block on the proper shoulder, proper side and do your job. So if we do that, I think we'll be successful, but he's really good."
Safety Jovante Moffatt
On what the seniors have meant to him and the team:
"It's meant a lot. Just from me growing and learning how they play the game and just seeing how they do things around here. Like DJ (Sanders) and Alex Dale, I've learned a lot from them so just seeing those guys leave is going to be a big moment for the locker room. We just hope that we can continue to get them another game."
On ODU's game being a 'one-game playoff' to go to a bowl:
"Yeah I feel like it's going to be really easy to gain energy from this, coming off the loss from last week, just because it's win or go home this week. So I think I will feel a lot of energy coming into practice this week and it will help us going into Saturday.
On if he's been a part of another emotionally draining game like WKU:
"No not really. Like you said last year, but I feel like this one hurt way worse. So that's that."
On what they can do better down the line going forward:
"For this game, I'll say maintain the quarterback. They have an athletic quarterback in the backfield, so he's going to want to move around and make plays with his feet. So I feel like that will be the main focus going into the game."
On the strength of ODU's offense:
"Yeah so far that's their strength. (Their QB) will pass every now and then, but they use the triple-option and stuff like that to get him going and help out his team."
On getting the seniors one more game (bowl game):
"I would enjoy it a lot. We talk about it, my locker is beside Mike Minter's and all he talks about is playing one more game. So hopefully we can do that for him and the guys."
On getting more out of a team that is playing for their seniors:
"I feel like everybody knows what is at stake so at the end of the day, we will come out to play. Guys know what we need to do. It's football so I'm just ready to play regardless."
Players Mentioned
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