Head Coach MIKE SANFORD (Full Video)
On preparing for Ball State's defense:
"They're a little dinged up it seems like at defensive end from what reports are out there, safety as well, but man they're playing well. You watch that Notre Dame film and they're very aggressive, attacking. Their front is what makes them go and their secondary plays very top down, three interceptions against Notre Dame and that's a quarterback I have a lot of respect for, so seeing that is impressive from a defensive unit against an offensive unit I know very well. You know when you watch them on the Indiana game, they played a little bit more conservatively up front, their secondary was very similar, but the pressure was coming in droves against Notre Dame and that's what we expect to see. That's what was successful so they're going to go back to the calling card. That's something at times we've had success with is handling pressure up front and other times we can't handle it very well. We've been practicing all week expecting them to blitz over 60 percent of the snaps."
On going to a "four quarters" practice plan:
"Just wanted to have kind of a rallying cry when we get into that fourth quarter. Even that second half, including the third quarter itself, there has been some opportunities in the last two ballgames to really do something in the third quarter to kind of get over the hump. Not just go up by 14 or 21, but kind of see a team that's a little bit wounded and impose our will in the third quarter. Then the fourth quarter just has to be about focus and that's obviously the big emphasis this week in practice. We have to go up in Muncie, Indiana and play with great focus in the fourth quarter."
On what a win would mean for the team:
"It would be big. Obviously we've been knocking on the door of it but right now that's where we have a missing piece is finishing ... There's nothing that would be more impactful for our team to get the result that we want to get and play a complete game as a team. We know Ball State's a really good team ... You can tell they're in their third year continuity-wise within their offense and defense. I have a lot of respect for David Elson and what he does; he had a great plan for us last year, really did."
Western Kentucky University Athletics
- Champions Climb Here
- WKU Athletics
- Athletic Director
- Academic Services
- Annual Report
- Athletic Communications
- Athletic Hall of Fame
- Athletic Training
- Big Red
- CLIMB Program - NIL
- Compliance
- Facilities
- Financial Reports
- For Students
- Student Employment
- Forms/Requests
- Book Big Red
- Donation Requests
- Site Feedback
- For Fans
- Hilltopper Highlights
- Gameday Promotions
- Alumni Tailgates
- Big Red's Rascals
- Basketball Gameday
- Football Gameday
- Mobile Tickets
- Travel Center
- Tickets
- Give
