Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
MT vs. Marshall presser
10/1/2018 1:11:00 PM | Football
Kickoff is Friday at 6:32 PM
Middle Tennessee Football Press Conference Quotes
Head Coach Rick Stockstill
Opening statement:
"I appreciate everyone being here. Looking forward to this week's game against Marshall Friday night. They are 3-1, they had a game that was cancelled because of the weather in South Carolina. It's a really good football team historically. They've always played well at home. I think they have over an 80 percent winning percentage at home. Doc Holliday is not only one of the best coaches in this conference but one of the best coaches in the country. I have a lot of respect for Doc as a man and as a coach. He's done an excellent job at Marshall in the time that he's been there. They're always well coached and they do a good job and this year's no different. Marshall's got some very explosive players of both sides of the ball. They got one of the leading receivers not only in the conference but in the country. Their quarterback is a little bit different from what they've had the last couple of years in Chase Litton. This guy can move around, he can run, is very athletic, and throws the ball well. I think after four games this year, he's in the top 10 of the history of all Marshall quarterbacks after their first four games of play. You can tell he gets better each week from a maturity standpoint, and a decision making standpoint. Their offensive line is good and they're athletic. It's a very balanced offense. Defensively, their safeties are very active in their run game. They're going to play downhill. Their linebackers are good, they can run and are physical. And up front, they've got some really good players. Their defense is really good and they're not giving up a whole lot of yards rushing. I think they're one of the top teams in the conference against rush defense. They've got dynamic kickoff returners. They're a difference maker back there. It's a short week playing on Friday night. Just that in itself is going to add some different things that we've got to make sure we are handling as a team and as players in our preparation for them. It's going to be a heck of a challenge against a really good football team."
On having one less day to prepare:
"Sometimes those Friday night games, when you're at home, they don't represent the same problems when you have to travel. We're going to have to give up Thursday as a travel day. We'll still get in a little bit of work before we get on the plane. It presents a little bit of organizational issues you have to prepare for. Other than that, it gives you one less day to get over your bumps and bruises from the previous game. But we've got a great plan in effect. As long as our players do a good job of taking care of their bodies and getting treatment, staying off their legs as much as they can, they'll be fine."
On if he thinks it's more mental having less day to prepare:
"I think it's more physical. The mental part probably puts more pressure on the coaches than it does players. As a coach, you lose a whole day of evaluating your opponent. I think there is more pressure on the coach and their preparation than the players."
On how to slow down Tyre Brady:
"He's a good player and it's hard to slow him down. Good players usually find a way to make plays throughout the course of the game. So we just got to do a good job of tackling in space so we don't give up a big explosive plays to him because he has those capabilities of taking a screen or a short ball and turning into a big ball. Just his athletic ability and athleticism, you've got to do a great job with your eyes as a defender and you've got to do a great job tackling."
On why it's tough to play in Huntington:
"It's hard to get there for one. Places like that that are hard to get to makes it hard. That added part of the travel. Plus for a visiting team, it's going to be a great crowd. It's going to be lively and loud. They're going to be welcoming us with open arms. And we've got to do a great job of mentally blocking all of that out and not getting caught up in all of that. Most teams play really good at home. It's always why it's called a home field advantage. It's hard to go on the road and win no matter who you are or what conference you're in. I think you throw all of that together and I think Marshall has done a great job of playing at home."
On how difficult it is temper emotions after a big win:
"We talked about that yesterday and our guys have put in a lot of effort for this entire season. They deserved to have that success. They deserved for people to tell them great job because they played their tails off. They never gave up and won a big game over a really good football team. But you've got to be mature enough to understand that we can enjoy that Saturday night and enjoy that Sunday morning, but when we got through the practice yesterday, it's on to Marshall now. They're not giving us three points or seven points to beat Marshall just because we beat Florida Atlantic. And that's the beauty of college football. Every game is basically a playoff game. And for you to want to achieve your goals that you have as a team, you've got to be mature enough and disciplined enough to flush and we flushed Florida Atlantic yesterday. It's time to move on to Marshall because this is a really good football team that we're playing. Coupled with being a short week, coupled with going on the road and playing up there just adds to the dynamic of the importance of this game. I'm not worried in the least bit, these guys aren't thinking about Florida Atlantic anymore, we're focused on Marshall."
On if they change anything this time around at Marshall:
"You play better. Hotels are limited. There aren't a whole lot of choices up there. You just have to play better. I've been there three times and they've beatedn us all three times. Basically the same story, they played better than us."
On if he likes Friday games:
"Absolutely not. I don't have a choice obviously but I think Friday's should be dedicated to the high school games. I understand why we play them. I understand the TV deals and all of that. But if you ask me, college football needs to be played on Thursday and Saturday.
On what Marshall's front 7 do so well:
"They've very athletic. They're fast. They put a lot of pressure on you. They'll bring pressure with their inside guys and their outside guys. We have to do a good job fundamentally. They're so talented but we've got to do a good job fundamentally and communicate up front. We can't have any communications busts where someone comes through free."
On how big it was having Jovante Moffatt back on the field:
"We had played a lot of new corners that hadn't played much. Scooby hadn't been playing, Chris Stamps hadn't played, OJ hadn't played. So we played a lot of new people on that back end. We lost Reed Blankenship early where he missed a couple of games. So now you're playing new guys on the outside. You've got new guys deep. I just think from a confidence standpoint, with Jovante being able to communicate, he's played a bunch of snaps now. I think his presence from that standpoint helped immensely. And he's a great football player and did a nice job in that game."
Middle Tennessee Football Press Conference Quotes
Quarterback Brent Stockstill
On Marshall's defense:
"We just have to execute, that's the name of the game. We always have a great plan and the coaches do a great job, but the players make the plays. They're a good defense, they bring a lot of pressure, so we'll have to have a good plan and execute it just like last week."
On Marshall's front seven:
"Florida Atlantic had a good front seven too, I believe they have 10 starters returning and they had a really good defense. I've played against Marshall in the past and they always have a ton of athletes, a lot of team speed, and are very physical defense that brings a lot of pressure."
On playing at Marshall:
"Well the first time I went there I was the backup quarterback, and the second time I was out with my collarbone. So I got to soak in the atmosphere and see how it works. Like my dad said, they play really well at home. They have a great fanbase and a lot of tradition there. Their guys get fired up to play. It's fun to go on the road though, it's a challenge so you have to be locked in and focused on the details."
On how playing at Marshall is different:
"They're just usually a really good team. It's hard to beat any team on the road, but it's even harder to beat a really good team. Also the atmosphere, the fanbase, the tradition and all the great players that have played there. They know that and they try to play up to that tradition and that's what makes it so special."
On moving past Saturday's win:
"I think we've done a great job so far. We have a very mature team with a lot of leadership. Win or lose, our culture makes it easy to get over it. When you practice on Sunday, there's really no choice. You're on to the next opponent. We're very thankful and fortunate to get that big win, but now we're ready to go play Marshall."
On playing on Friday night:
"There's nothing better than high school football, and I guess sometimes a college game takes away from that. It doesn't really matter to me when we play. Sometimes it's good to watch a little football on Saturdays, but we'll show up to wherever they have us on the schedule."
On if playing on Friday helps in moving on from last Saturday:
"Usually by Sunday we're already moved on, but we know it's kind of an accelerated process this week, so we already started our plan yesterday though we usually don't start that until Tuesday. It definitely speeds that up and gets us focused."
On having a 1-0 conference record:
"Usually if you lose one game in the conference, it's tough to get back in it. But having these two east powerhouses back to back allows us to use that momentum from last week, and that's going to be good for us. I'm excited about this one, it's going to be a critical game for us."
On what he does to help the team move past the win:
"I take that upon myself, but none of the leaders had to do anything about that. I think we all understand how critical this upcoming game is. We're excited about the win, but we did a great job of bouncing back yesterday in practice."
On Wide Receiver Patrick Smith:
"Pat has been one of my favorite players since he got here. He was a walk-on who came from a junior college and now he's been a three-year starter. He's one of the toughest players on our offense, he loves to block. He's been more of a role players the last few years, but when you have a guy like Richie James, he takes the spotlight. This year, Pat has stepped up with a lot of catches and he's a complete players who's been a great leader for those other receivers. I'll put my money on Pat any day."
Linebacker Darius Harris
On facing Marshall:
"They have a good offense, so we have to come out fast and put last week behind us. It'll be a faster week playing on Friday, so we have to take care of the little things throughout the week to be prepared come Friday."
On what the coaches told the defense after the win:
"That it was a good team win and a good effort on defense. They liked the way we hung in there and kept getting stops and kept faith in our team."
On playing Friday helping the effort to move on from Saturday:
"You can't hang on to wins or losses, you have to move on to the next one. We celebrated a good win, but now it's time to move to the next game."
On what he remembers from the last trip to Marshall:
"It was extremely cold out there. They had some good, explosive players there in that tough environment. We just have to be locked in and eliminate the explosive plays."
On Marshall Wide Receiver Tyre Brady:
"We just have to follow the game plan and try to rally around our guys, make some big plays on defense."
On having players back from injury:
"It makes me confident to know that Jovante Moffatt and Reid Blankenship are back behind me. They always know what to do and are always in the right spot, so it's nice to know they're behind you to protect you."
On the team being ranked 8th in fewest penalties:
"Coach preaches playing smart to us all the time. It correlates to winning and hurts when you have multiple penalties."
Head Coach Rick Stockstill
Opening statement:
"I appreciate everyone being here. Looking forward to this week's game against Marshall Friday night. They are 3-1, they had a game that was cancelled because of the weather in South Carolina. It's a really good football team historically. They've always played well at home. I think they have over an 80 percent winning percentage at home. Doc Holliday is not only one of the best coaches in this conference but one of the best coaches in the country. I have a lot of respect for Doc as a man and as a coach. He's done an excellent job at Marshall in the time that he's been there. They're always well coached and they do a good job and this year's no different. Marshall's got some very explosive players of both sides of the ball. They got one of the leading receivers not only in the conference but in the country. Their quarterback is a little bit different from what they've had the last couple of years in Chase Litton. This guy can move around, he can run, is very athletic, and throws the ball well. I think after four games this year, he's in the top 10 of the history of all Marshall quarterbacks after their first four games of play. You can tell he gets better each week from a maturity standpoint, and a decision making standpoint. Their offensive line is good and they're athletic. It's a very balanced offense. Defensively, their safeties are very active in their run game. They're going to play downhill. Their linebackers are good, they can run and are physical. And up front, they've got some really good players. Their defense is really good and they're not giving up a whole lot of yards rushing. I think they're one of the top teams in the conference against rush defense. They've got dynamic kickoff returners. They're a difference maker back there. It's a short week playing on Friday night. Just that in itself is going to add some different things that we've got to make sure we are handling as a team and as players in our preparation for them. It's going to be a heck of a challenge against a really good football team."
On having one less day to prepare:
"Sometimes those Friday night games, when you're at home, they don't represent the same problems when you have to travel. We're going to have to give up Thursday as a travel day. We'll still get in a little bit of work before we get on the plane. It presents a little bit of organizational issues you have to prepare for. Other than that, it gives you one less day to get over your bumps and bruises from the previous game. But we've got a great plan in effect. As long as our players do a good job of taking care of their bodies and getting treatment, staying off their legs as much as they can, they'll be fine."
On if he thinks it's more mental having less day to prepare:
"I think it's more physical. The mental part probably puts more pressure on the coaches than it does players. As a coach, you lose a whole day of evaluating your opponent. I think there is more pressure on the coach and their preparation than the players."
On how to slow down Tyre Brady:
"He's a good player and it's hard to slow him down. Good players usually find a way to make plays throughout the course of the game. So we just got to do a good job of tackling in space so we don't give up a big explosive plays to him because he has those capabilities of taking a screen or a short ball and turning into a big ball. Just his athletic ability and athleticism, you've got to do a great job with your eyes as a defender and you've got to do a great job tackling."
On why it's tough to play in Huntington:
"It's hard to get there for one. Places like that that are hard to get to makes it hard. That added part of the travel. Plus for a visiting team, it's going to be a great crowd. It's going to be lively and loud. They're going to be welcoming us with open arms. And we've got to do a great job of mentally blocking all of that out and not getting caught up in all of that. Most teams play really good at home. It's always why it's called a home field advantage. It's hard to go on the road and win no matter who you are or what conference you're in. I think you throw all of that together and I think Marshall has done a great job of playing at home."
On how difficult it is temper emotions after a big win:
"We talked about that yesterday and our guys have put in a lot of effort for this entire season. They deserved to have that success. They deserved for people to tell them great job because they played their tails off. They never gave up and won a big game over a really good football team. But you've got to be mature enough to understand that we can enjoy that Saturday night and enjoy that Sunday morning, but when we got through the practice yesterday, it's on to Marshall now. They're not giving us three points or seven points to beat Marshall just because we beat Florida Atlantic. And that's the beauty of college football. Every game is basically a playoff game. And for you to want to achieve your goals that you have as a team, you've got to be mature enough and disciplined enough to flush and we flushed Florida Atlantic yesterday. It's time to move on to Marshall because this is a really good football team that we're playing. Coupled with being a short week, coupled with going on the road and playing up there just adds to the dynamic of the importance of this game. I'm not worried in the least bit, these guys aren't thinking about Florida Atlantic anymore, we're focused on Marshall."
On if they change anything this time around at Marshall:
"You play better. Hotels are limited. There aren't a whole lot of choices up there. You just have to play better. I've been there three times and they've beatedn us all three times. Basically the same story, they played better than us."
On if he likes Friday games:
"Absolutely not. I don't have a choice obviously but I think Friday's should be dedicated to the high school games. I understand why we play them. I understand the TV deals and all of that. But if you ask me, college football needs to be played on Thursday and Saturday.
On what Marshall's front 7 do so well:
"They've very athletic. They're fast. They put a lot of pressure on you. They'll bring pressure with their inside guys and their outside guys. We have to do a good job fundamentally. They're so talented but we've got to do a good job fundamentally and communicate up front. We can't have any communications busts where someone comes through free."
On how big it was having Jovante Moffatt back on the field:
"We had played a lot of new corners that hadn't played much. Scooby hadn't been playing, Chris Stamps hadn't played, OJ hadn't played. So we played a lot of new people on that back end. We lost Reed Blankenship early where he missed a couple of games. So now you're playing new guys on the outside. You've got new guys deep. I just think from a confidence standpoint, with Jovante being able to communicate, he's played a bunch of snaps now. I think his presence from that standpoint helped immensely. And he's a great football player and did a nice job in that game."
Middle Tennessee Football Press Conference Quotes
Quarterback Brent Stockstill
On Marshall's defense:
"We just have to execute, that's the name of the game. We always have a great plan and the coaches do a great job, but the players make the plays. They're a good defense, they bring a lot of pressure, so we'll have to have a good plan and execute it just like last week."
On Marshall's front seven:
"Florida Atlantic had a good front seven too, I believe they have 10 starters returning and they had a really good defense. I've played against Marshall in the past and they always have a ton of athletes, a lot of team speed, and are very physical defense that brings a lot of pressure."
On playing at Marshall:
"Well the first time I went there I was the backup quarterback, and the second time I was out with my collarbone. So I got to soak in the atmosphere and see how it works. Like my dad said, they play really well at home. They have a great fanbase and a lot of tradition there. Their guys get fired up to play. It's fun to go on the road though, it's a challenge so you have to be locked in and focused on the details."
On how playing at Marshall is different:
"They're just usually a really good team. It's hard to beat any team on the road, but it's even harder to beat a really good team. Also the atmosphere, the fanbase, the tradition and all the great players that have played there. They know that and they try to play up to that tradition and that's what makes it so special."
On moving past Saturday's win:
"I think we've done a great job so far. We have a very mature team with a lot of leadership. Win or lose, our culture makes it easy to get over it. When you practice on Sunday, there's really no choice. You're on to the next opponent. We're very thankful and fortunate to get that big win, but now we're ready to go play Marshall."
On playing on Friday night:
"There's nothing better than high school football, and I guess sometimes a college game takes away from that. It doesn't really matter to me when we play. Sometimes it's good to watch a little football on Saturdays, but we'll show up to wherever they have us on the schedule."
On if playing on Friday helps in moving on from last Saturday:
"Usually by Sunday we're already moved on, but we know it's kind of an accelerated process this week, so we already started our plan yesterday though we usually don't start that until Tuesday. It definitely speeds that up and gets us focused."
On having a 1-0 conference record:
"Usually if you lose one game in the conference, it's tough to get back in it. But having these two east powerhouses back to back allows us to use that momentum from last week, and that's going to be good for us. I'm excited about this one, it's going to be a critical game for us."
On what he does to help the team move past the win:
"I take that upon myself, but none of the leaders had to do anything about that. I think we all understand how critical this upcoming game is. We're excited about the win, but we did a great job of bouncing back yesterday in practice."
On Wide Receiver Patrick Smith:
"Pat has been one of my favorite players since he got here. He was a walk-on who came from a junior college and now he's been a three-year starter. He's one of the toughest players on our offense, he loves to block. He's been more of a role players the last few years, but when you have a guy like Richie James, he takes the spotlight. This year, Pat has stepped up with a lot of catches and he's a complete players who's been a great leader for those other receivers. I'll put my money on Pat any day."
Linebacker Darius Harris
On facing Marshall:
"They have a good offense, so we have to come out fast and put last week behind us. It'll be a faster week playing on Friday, so we have to take care of the little things throughout the week to be prepared come Friday."
On what the coaches told the defense after the win:
"That it was a good team win and a good effort on defense. They liked the way we hung in there and kept getting stops and kept faith in our team."
On playing Friday helping the effort to move on from Saturday:
"You can't hang on to wins or losses, you have to move on to the next one. We celebrated a good win, but now it's time to move to the next game."
On what he remembers from the last trip to Marshall:
"It was extremely cold out there. They had some good, explosive players there in that tough environment. We just have to be locked in and eliminate the explosive plays."
On Marshall Wide Receiver Tyre Brady:
"We just have to follow the game plan and try to rally around our guys, make some big plays on defense."
On having players back from injury:
"It makes me confident to know that Jovante Moffatt and Reid Blankenship are back behind me. They always know what to do and are always in the right spot, so it's nice to know they're behind you to protect you."
On the team being ranked 8th in fewest penalties:
"Coach preaches playing smart to us all the time. It correlates to winning and hurts when you have multiple penalties."
Players Mentioned
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QB
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