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WKU Football
Postgame UTSA
November 22, 2014
Opening Statement
"Great effort by our guys today. I couldn't be prouder of their performance. They definitely continue to get better every week and they work extremely hard to get better. It's important to them and means a lot to them. To finish the home season with a win like this on our home turf for our seniors is just a great job. Our staff, our coaches, everyone involved with the team, I couldn't be prouder of them. They've put in the time and the hard work and it's definitely paid off."
On thinking about being bowl eligible
"Well I think all of us think about it in the back of our head but we don't really talk about it. I think right now we've definitely been in a playoff mentality, our guys have responded to it and they look forward to it. They look forward to each week the competition getting tougher, stepping their level of play up. For us, now we're in the championship game. We get to play a championship game against an undefeated team on their home turf with a lot of implications for them riding on this game. It's a great opportunity for us. Our players are going to look forward to it. We're going to enjoy this week, work hard, do whatever we can to continue to improve and see what we can do when we go up there, cut it loose and see how it goes."
On how soon you start looking at Marshall
"Well we'll look at them right away. We definitely want to get a head start. We have a slightly short week and it's important that we do that. Our guys will come in tomorrow, get the kinks out, run a little bit, lift a little bit and we'll change the schedule. We'll move right on to Marshall. We'll get right on their game footage, study them, put a preliminary plan together and get ready to go."
On playoff mentality and three-game winning streak
"I like our team. I think we have a bunch of good guys that work hard and want to do well. We struggled in the middle of the year, especially on defense. Sometimes you just have to look in the mirror and realize the things you're deficient at. You've got to find the solutions, keep a good attitude, believe in yourself, continue to play confident and continue to work at it. Our guys have done that and we definitely haven't told them they're not worth a crud. We continue to build their confidence, continue to believe in them. They continue to improve and work hard every day. I always want them to play with confidence and swagger no matter the circumstances. Today, you could see that on the field."
On wanting the shutout
"It would have been great. Our defense played good enough to do it. They slipped a little seam on us on a blitz we had called and had a miscommunication in the secondary. Other than that, our defense played tremendous."
On team playing best football of the year right now
"Well this was a great overall game for us. Our offense played pretty well. We made some big plays. Their defense is pretty good and they stopped us at times but when your defense is playing well like that you're going to get the ball back. We try to talk about...if all three units can play well, if all three units can do what they're supposed to do, play hard, keep fighting then you're going to have a chance to win it. At the same time, we've really stressed ball security. If we take care of the football, in our opinion, we're going to have a chance to win in the fourth quarter. We've definitely done a tremendous job at that. Brandon's (Doughty) stats at home are off the charts. I've never really heard of that before. He's done a tremendous job and I couldn't be prouder of him."
On eliminating second-half struggles
"We hope it's a thing of the past. We've improved upon that. I think our team is better as an overall team. Really, to play effective football at a high level, you need all three units playing well. We've got all three units to raise their level of play, our defensive especially. They're playing well right now. They've played well the last three games and continued to improve. To come out and play well in this game was very important. We knew they weren't a tremendously talented offensive team and if we got a lead on them we'd be in the driver's seat. I'm sure that helped but our defense played hard, played well and didn't give up too many big plays. That's how you have to play."
On being bowl eligible in first season as coach
"Well I'm satisfied because we struggled early o struggled in the middle of the year and there were times where it was like `Geez, what's going to happen here.' We kept the faith, our players kept the faith and we've continued to work at it. It's all about having a good attitude and wanting to get better. It's been a collaborative effort by everybody and I'm proud to say we've gotten better. To end with a home victory like this means a lot."
On what it means to send seniors out with a win
"It means a lot. Those guys have achieved a lot. They've worked hard while they've been here. They've brought this program to greater heights and greater levels...raised the level of play here. Now we're in Conference USA, a competitive conference. We've got to be a good football team to survive and to send them out with a victory like that means a lot. Our players wanted to win very badly. Our seniors wanted to win. You could tell by the work they put in this week and the look in their eye today. I know they're happy right now."
Redshirt senior OL Cam Clemmons and redshirt senior DB Cam Thomas
On envisioning a senior day like this
Clemmons: "I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Coming into this game we knew it was going to be a challenge offensive line wise with their ends and interior guys. We knew we were going to have to play really, really well to give Brandon and the other guys a chance to shine. I'm really happy the way it turned out."
Thomas: "I told you guys the other day we just got to attack these guys. God put is in this position for a reason. I told these guys every possession `We want the goose egg.' We didn't get it but three quarters without a score - that's huge for our defense. I just love seeing the guys that are going to be after me play so well. This was a huge accomplishment for us. We're blessed to experience a win on our senior day and be in the position we've put ourselves in."
On going for the shutout
Thomas: It's just the competitor in me. I didn't want them to get anything. I told them before the game. Going through three quarters and then the fourth quarter I was like `Oh yeah, this is perfect.' They had one play and I was just like `man.' To see our guys progress throughout the season - I told those guys I believed in them. I feel like toward the end of the season I'll be able to say that this defense is coming along and that we're one of the best defensives. We're proven that the last three games. We'll continue to do that."
On playing undefeated Marshall on Friday
Thomas: "I'm ready. I'm excited. You look forward to games like that, especially to knock off an undefeated team. I feel like we've got the guys to go out and complete the job. It's a championship game for us. I feel like we can be champions.