Head Coach Mike Sanford Media Availability - September 6 - Western Kentucky University Athletics

Head Coach MIKE SANFORD (Full Video)

Opening statement:
We had some in some adverse weather conditions, but the guys got the work in and it was a good 'Perfect Practice Thursday' even though it was a little wet outside, little muddy outside. Our themes for this week are: we've got to go out and be on the attack and we've got to play our best ball in all three phases. Maine's coming in very confident, as they should, that's a program-changing, program-altering victory for them against their rival that has kind of been at the top of northeast football in the FCS and certainly in one of the best leagues in all of FCS football; the CAA. So getting that win against University of New Hampshire certainly got our attention.

Every game, no matter who we play, we come into it with the mindset that we're going to get everybody's best shot. All you've got to do is look back to last year and see, obviously how we played against UTEP, and if you don't prepare the right way, anybody can beat anybody any given day. But I think this is a different beast then UTEP because this is a team that's actually very confident in what they're doing on the field. So we have to play our best ball, we have to take care of the ball. We're looking forward to a great atmosphere with the Cage the Elephant show and everybody who comes out for that. We need our fan base to get out here and support these players. There are a lot of really exciting and talented young players that a lot of our fan base doesn't know yet. I want them to come out and meet these players and we want to put forth a great performance on that field to carry some momentum with our fan base as we go through this journey together in 2018.

About the Hilltoppers staying focused:
I think with our players the mindset has been just to prepare for your opportunity to play. All the exterior factors, they don't have a chance to enjoy those things. Just like pregame tailgating would be a distraction for a player but because you're at the team hotel, because you're on the Topper Walk and then you go in and get your pregame activation, you don't have an opportunity to get distracted by everything else that's going on. I think the guys will feed off of great energy, so that's what I'm most looking forward to with Cage the Elephant being so willing to add some spice to our home opener, our players feed off of that energy. We want that type of energy as a team, as a fan base, as an entire football program and we're really grateful and thankful to Cage the Elephant for providing that spark for us. There are a bunch of good, young players who want to have a chance to play in front of a great crowd. They already did in Madison, getting those big-game jitters out of the way early as a true freshman and now it's time to play at home to play in a great atmosphere.

On what a win vs. Maine would mean:
A victory would be huge. I told the team that this is the biggest game of the year, it really is. I know we say that and it's coaching cliche, but I really do believe in where we're at as a team. Coming off a performance against Wisconsin knowing that we could have put forth a better score, if you will. The effort was there but the situational ball we played was not where we need to be. We want to come into this game and put all that together, and I think we have the pieces to put it all together. Let's be honest, the past seven games haven't been pretty, we have to piece together some victories and it starts with the biggest game of the year. That's this week against Maine.

Head Coach Mike Sanford Media Availability - September 6

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