Week 10 Football Presser - Florida Atlantic - Western Kentucky University Athletics

Head Coach MIKE SANFORD (Full Video)

Opening statement:
"It was a tough game when we watched the film. It was a game of opportunity, there were opportunities in the red zone, there were opportunities for us to get our hands on balls defensively. I think the storyline was not capitalizing on drives, which has obviously been a storyline, and making those plays in the red zone. And then when we did have opportunities to get back into it, just fell short of making that happen. Have to play better, have to coach better in situations. Defensively, had a couple of opportunities to get some takeaways, we have to get those takeaways in those critical moments. The rush totals were high for our defense and that's something I think we had done a good job of. I was pleased with the red zone scoring chances, they had five trips inside the red zone and Middle Tennessee only scored one touchdown in those five trips ... Big week this week at FAU. Excited to go down there to Boca Raton, it's an area that we recruit and we have a lot of players on our team from that area. They're playing obviously at a very high level after last week's convincing victory over FIU. Ran the ball extremely well and we have to stop the run and we have to stay on the field offensively and score points."

On the team's focus with three games remaining:
"What I don't want to have happen is discount the commitment of these seniors to look forward to next year. But I think everything is cyclical, you take care of today and it gets you in position to have a better practice tomorrow. Taking it literally one day at a time - whether you're a senior and you're playing your last three games of meaningful snaps of college football or you're a freshman who is wanting to continue to get better and work towards a successful career both individually and as a team - the focus has to be on the now, which will ultimately pay rewards and dividends in different ways to different players in different stages of their careers. I do like that about this team a lot, the team meeting last night that [WKU Volleyball] coach Travis Hudson came and talked about Alyssa Cavanaugh, just seeing how our team was receptive to locking arm and arm with them and understanding that there is perspective about life and about other things that are happening. As much as the adversity that we're facing is tough and challenging, you've got to continue to fight every day and get better, and that's what we're doing."

On preparing for FAU's offense:
"You cant tackle [Devin Singletary] single-handedly, he's not a guy who one defender in open space is going to be able to get him down. You can see they've gone through different phases offensively this year, I watch FAU's offense almost every week. We watch them and study them, and they've gone through different waves. Chris Robinson is a very capable and talented quarterback, there have been games where he throws the ball upwards of 30 times, then there are games like the last one where he threw 10 times and they ran the ball for 400-plus. You can tell that's kind of their rhythm right now, they want to get the ball in Singletary's hands and Kerrith Whyte's hands. Bottom line is you have to get more than one defender to the point of contact and you have to wrap up because you're not going to be able to tackle him consistently in open space. So that's the game plan, be on point with our run fits."

Defensive Coordinator CLAYTON WHITE (Full Video)

On preparing for FAU's offense:
"Singletary definitely and the other running back presents a different kind of problem. No. 44 for middle was a bigger guy, he kind of popped one big run on us. But these guys, Singletary and Whyte are both two guys that are hard to touch and hard to tackle at the same time, so I think it's going to take a group effort. Our guys are gonna watch the tape, it's on the film. You know last year I feel like we did a good job for three quarters and then the fourth quarter he kind of let loose but that's what this football team is about, that's what FAU is. They're going to get you tired and try to finish you with one of those two guys ... You kind of know exactly their style, you kind of know what they depend on, especially late in games. For the past two years, late in the season and late in games, is kind of when I feel like they've played his best football and that's when they can definitely create some problems for the defense and other teams."

Who are WKU's most improved players on defense?
"I think, individually, just from a technical standpoint, I say Drell Greene. He's kind of a flashy player, but at safety you have to be ultra-disciplined and I think that's over the past 2-to-3 weeks, he has become a little more disciplined, he's getting closer and closer to the ball, I think that improvement right there, has really helped us just as a defense as a whole be able to run the things we want to run so I think that's one. The second guy, I would say is Jalen George. He and Juwan Jones, those guys, to me, have improved the most on our defense as far as making plays, being productive, being where they're supposed to be. But the number one guy I'd have to say is Jalen George for sure, there's no doubt about it."

Week 10 Football Presser - Florida Atlantic

Players Mentioned

Drell Greene

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