Troy University Athletics
Photo by: Chris Davis
Football Press Conference - Abilene Christian Game
9/8/2014 3:22:00 PM | Football
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Head Coach Larry Blakeney
Opening statement…
I've said it already, but I think we played a little better and had a little more energy and emotion during this game. You can't play this game without that. I told our team about the legacy of the home record here, which was 19 losses over 24 years, before Saturday. There are a lot of people that have extended themselves dramatically on this field out here to win games over the years. That is where we are striving to get back to. Of course we started out with a good team at home. David Cutcliffe is a great football coach, even better man and person. He does a fabulous job. We were not able to get it done and that is on all of us. The coaches and players alike have to do better. We have to grow and continue to get better. We have to find ways to move the football, take care of the football, stop drives, play defense and get turnovers. Our kicking game is pretty good, especially for the youth and inexperience we have in those areas. We're doing a good job there. Hopefully we will continue to get better there. I think we need that to compete.
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It starts Saturday with Abilene Christian. They're 0-2 also, but they do not look like they are 0-2 on tape. They have big defensive lineman inside that can move. They have a couple of ends that are experienced, good players. They fly around on defense and they make you work hard on defense to stop them. They have one guy that is a track athlete and he can really run. We'll have to be guarded against his deep threat. There are a lot of things that you cannot go to sleep about with Abilene Christian. They are a very good, well-coached football team. Yes, they're I-AA. What does that mean? It means they have about eight transfers. That doesn't mean anything but that they're good people, good players, and they get lined up and get after folks. That's what it looks like to me. We have to match their intensity and exceed that to have a chance to win the game.
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On the improvements he has seen since the first game…
Even though we didn't get to practice much because of the weather. I think we worked harder in practice against each other, when we got to practice. We had some good mental work in walk thrus and meetings across the week, but the one thing that most impressed me was the fact that Duke was coming to town and we did everything to try and have a chance to win against them. That took getting better. The effort we had in Birmingham was not good enough to beat anybody. You always have to get your heart ready for a fight, especially when you play this game. You cannot go in half, and if you do you're going to get ejected. You're going to get beat. I think we put more time into getting our heart ready for the fight. If we continue to do that, we will win some games
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On the lack of turnovers from quarterbacks with inexperience…
I'm a little bit surprised, really and truly. You have to prepare yourself for whatever they give you because you put them out there and you recruited them, you meaning I. I have been proud of the fact that they are coached well by Sean Reagan. They have certain things they have to do and it starts with making sure everyone is set in the proper formation. Then, it proceeds to pre-snap looks and post-snap look and delivery of the ball, handing off the ball, carrying out a fake, all those things. There are a lot of things. I think we got better across the board and I think the quarterbacks also improved. They are not quite there yet, but I think we can get there with these two guys, and Dallas (Tidwell), too.
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On lack of passing touchdowns…
Well, we have to be able to score the football. All the grass that you can consume without crossing the goal line is more or less, meaningless. We need to keep moving the football and making big plays and generating first downs. I think we will continue to get better there but, you're correct, we need to score the ball in the air, too.
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On Tray Hall getting named a starter for this upcoming weekend…
Well, I'm happy for Tray Hall, and I'm happy for us that we have Tray Hall. It was pretty obvious he had a chance to be (a starter) when we evaluated him. After I met him and saw what kind of guy he is, that made me want to pull for him. He has done the rest with his ability. I do like Tray Hall and what he's done.
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On Khary Franklin having a bigger impact…
I think maturity as much as anything. Khary wasn't playing a great deal, but was always contributing. He's hard to find when he runs the football because of those big linemen. He is not very big. He works hard to do the things that Jeff (Beckles) coaches them to do. I think he has good vision and he has been good for us. He has made some plays, at Western Kentucky last year, what a big play. He made some good runs in the game the other day, too. We just have to keep him and the other two running backs going, especially in the heat.
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On not overlooking Abilene Christian…
I think we are mature enough to see what we need to do and believe it. They played two games and lost them both, but they could have won both, easily. I think with a little bit of coaching we will understand when they look on their defensive front from an offensive perspective they will see those four guys they are going to have to deal with. They're very physical. We're going to have to attack on a broad front. We have to have a great mixture to make them defend the whole field. Offensively they have speed and big people. They're nasty. They run the ball tough. I think our kids will see that they are a good football team, and they've already played Georgia State in our conference, and matched them step for step until the last play of the game. You'd have to be a dummy to not realize that these guys played a team that we were lucky to escape with a win last year.
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On the team being more confident…
It's hard to say. We are certainly not over confident but I think we are gaining some confidence with what we're doing, with our depth people getting to play. I hope that delivers some confidence.
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On a tough nonconference schedule followed by league play…
The Sun Belt guys are looming out there. There are a lot of good football teams in our league. There's plenty of ball to be played and this is a very tough nonconference season. It is all lined up early. I would have liked to arrange them differently if I had the choice, but we have to deal with it.Â
Head Coach Larry Blakeney
Opening statement…
I've said it already, but I think we played a little better and had a little more energy and emotion during this game. You can't play this game without that. I told our team about the legacy of the home record here, which was 19 losses over 24 years, before Saturday. There are a lot of people that have extended themselves dramatically on this field out here to win games over the years. That is where we are striving to get back to. Of course we started out with a good team at home. David Cutcliffe is a great football coach, even better man and person. He does a fabulous job. We were not able to get it done and that is on all of us. The coaches and players alike have to do better. We have to grow and continue to get better. We have to find ways to move the football, take care of the football, stop drives, play defense and get turnovers. Our kicking game is pretty good, especially for the youth and inexperience we have in those areas. We're doing a good job there. Hopefully we will continue to get better there. I think we need that to compete.
Â
It starts Saturday with Abilene Christian. They're 0-2 also, but they do not look like they are 0-2 on tape. They have big defensive lineman inside that can move. They have a couple of ends that are experienced, good players. They fly around on defense and they make you work hard on defense to stop them. They have one guy that is a track athlete and he can really run. We'll have to be guarded against his deep threat. There are a lot of things that you cannot go to sleep about with Abilene Christian. They are a very good, well-coached football team. Yes, they're I-AA. What does that mean? It means they have about eight transfers. That doesn't mean anything but that they're good people, good players, and they get lined up and get after folks. That's what it looks like to me. We have to match their intensity and exceed that to have a chance to win the game.
Â
On the improvements he has seen since the first game…
Even though we didn't get to practice much because of the weather. I think we worked harder in practice against each other, when we got to practice. We had some good mental work in walk thrus and meetings across the week, but the one thing that most impressed me was the fact that Duke was coming to town and we did everything to try and have a chance to win against them. That took getting better. The effort we had in Birmingham was not good enough to beat anybody. You always have to get your heart ready for a fight, especially when you play this game. You cannot go in half, and if you do you're going to get ejected. You're going to get beat. I think we put more time into getting our heart ready for the fight. If we continue to do that, we will win some games
Â
On the lack of turnovers from quarterbacks with inexperience…
I'm a little bit surprised, really and truly. You have to prepare yourself for whatever they give you because you put them out there and you recruited them, you meaning I. I have been proud of the fact that they are coached well by Sean Reagan. They have certain things they have to do and it starts with making sure everyone is set in the proper formation. Then, it proceeds to pre-snap looks and post-snap look and delivery of the ball, handing off the ball, carrying out a fake, all those things. There are a lot of things. I think we got better across the board and I think the quarterbacks also improved. They are not quite there yet, but I think we can get there with these two guys, and Dallas (Tidwell), too.
Â
On lack of passing touchdowns…
Well, we have to be able to score the football. All the grass that you can consume without crossing the goal line is more or less, meaningless. We need to keep moving the football and making big plays and generating first downs. I think we will continue to get better there but, you're correct, we need to score the ball in the air, too.
Â
On Tray Hall getting named a starter for this upcoming weekend…
Well, I'm happy for Tray Hall, and I'm happy for us that we have Tray Hall. It was pretty obvious he had a chance to be (a starter) when we evaluated him. After I met him and saw what kind of guy he is, that made me want to pull for him. He has done the rest with his ability. I do like Tray Hall and what he's done.
Â
On Khary Franklin having a bigger impact…
I think maturity as much as anything. Khary wasn't playing a great deal, but was always contributing. He's hard to find when he runs the football because of those big linemen. He is not very big. He works hard to do the things that Jeff (Beckles) coaches them to do. I think he has good vision and he has been good for us. He has made some plays, at Western Kentucky last year, what a big play. He made some good runs in the game the other day, too. We just have to keep him and the other two running backs going, especially in the heat.
Â
On not overlooking Abilene Christian…
I think we are mature enough to see what we need to do and believe it. They played two games and lost them both, but they could have won both, easily. I think with a little bit of coaching we will understand when they look on their defensive front from an offensive perspective they will see those four guys they are going to have to deal with. They're very physical. We're going to have to attack on a broad front. We have to have a great mixture to make them defend the whole field. Offensively they have speed and big people. They're nasty. They run the ball tough. I think our kids will see that they are a good football team, and they've already played Georgia State in our conference, and matched them step for step until the last play of the game. You'd have to be a dummy to not realize that these guys played a team that we were lucky to escape with a win last year.
Â
On the team being more confident…
It's hard to say. We are certainly not over confident but I think we are gaining some confidence with what we're doing, with our depth people getting to play. I hope that delivers some confidence.
Â
On a tough nonconference schedule followed by league play…
The Sun Belt guys are looming out there. There are a lot of good football teams in our league. There's plenty of ball to be played and this is a very tough nonconference season. It is all lined up early. I would have liked to arrange them differently if I had the choice, but we have to deal with it.Â
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