Troy University Athletics
Chip Lindsey Press Conference - South Alabama Pregame
10/8/2019 2:39:00 PM | Football
Troy Football Head Coach Chip Lindsey – October 8, 2019
Opening Statement
Just to quickly recap last weekend's game at Missouri. I was very impressed with their football team, and they have a chance to have a really good year. They were very sound in all three phases with an SEC caliber defense. After the first drive, they really showed their merit and really defended us well, although we missed some opportunities. The story of the game to me were the turnovers. When you throw two interceptions in your own end, one of which ended up in a touchdown for them, and then fumble a kickoff, it's going to be hard to win against a good opponent. Unfortunately, we did that. I like the way we started fast, which was important for us because we have talked about it every week. We just couldn't sustain that start, which was partially due to self-inflicted mistakes.
When you look at the film, we missed opportunities. We had a great week of practice, and I thought we were ready to go. We just did not execute well as the game went on. We need to figure out how to execute better and make sure we carry the practice execution into the games.
Defensively from the second quarter on I was pretty pleased. We limited their explosive plays and stopped the run pretty well. They ran it around 40 times and had only 165 total yards, which against a good SEC team is pretty solid. We got stops in the second half, and I thought we showed a lot of improvement, especially in the secondary which has a lot of young players.
Our front seven continues to be disruptive and play well and hopefully that'll help us as we get back into conference play. Coming out of the game, I think we came out pretty healthy minus Kaleb Barker. We have so bumps and bruises, but we have a few guys who we might get back before the game next Wednesday. Hopefully we can get those guys back during this bye week. Kaleb is probably questionable, and we hope he'll be available, but it's too early to tell that.
This bye week comes at a great time for us. We need to focus on trying to improve in the fundamentals of all three phases. We need to continue to try and sure up all of the loose ends while getting our guys healthy. This week is extremely important for us and we'll have a normal week of practice. We look forward to having a great week of practice and getting a head start on South. I know they'll be doing the same. We're looking forward to getting back out there today and hopefully we can some guys back out there that haven't practiced in a couple of weeks. Today, tomorrow and Thursday will be important fundamental days for us as we continue to try and improve on the mistakes we've made.
On the internal Players of the Week
Offensively we chose Khalil McClain who caught three balls for 44 yards and made a great catch on our touchdown. He showed a lot of toughness and focus on that play. He did a good job of locking in and catching the ball knowing that a big hit was coming. He held onto the ball and that play to me shows what he's capable of. He's made a lot of progress in the last few weeks, and he's done a good job of showing up and making big plays. He's a guy who played quarterback in high school and was a great athlete. Khalil can really throw the ball, and I think he's redesigned himself as a wide receiver. He's really starting to develop and polish his skills.
On the Defensive Player of the Week
Defensively, we selected Dell Pettus. He had nine solo tackles which for a freshman in an SEC game is pretty good. He's a guy that we use in different ways both in the run game and against the pass. He's getting more and more comfortable and you're starting to see that in the games, which is a huge plus for us for the future.
On the Special Teams Player of the Week
"On special teams, Patrick Richardson was our Player of the Week. He played 19 special teams plays which is a pretty high number. He starts on all four of special teams which is so important. He graded out a 100-percent and had five production points which is one way we grade. His performance was really good for playing just special teams., and we're really pleased with the three guys overall."
On the matchup with South Alabama
South Alabama is a big game for us without a doubt. It's our rival and it's a chance to win the "Battle for the Belt". We're excited and our players are already looking forward to that. It's a good rivalry for a lot of different reasons, but it's a close proximity for both our fans and their fans. It's a good game for our state and our conference. Our staff and their staff know each other well and there's a lot of familiarity. Both teams' players know each other, and some were even high school teammates, so there are a lot of relationships. It's a good competitive rivalry and we're excited for the game.
Looking at South Alabama, they're a really good team. I think the record is misleading because they've played a really good schedule. They played Nebraska who is currently 4-2, played Memphis who is currently 5-0 and they played UAB who is 4-1. Then ULM had a great opportunity to beat Florida State so you're talking about a team who has played some quality opponents and it's going to be a big challenge for us.
Anytime these two teams faceoff, you can guarantee that the records go out the window, so we're going to need to be ready to play mentally and emotionally. The teams that South has lost to are a combined 17-9 overall which is pretty good. This is a dangerous team that is getting better when you watch them from the first game to now. They have continued to improve, and they have good players. This will be a typical rivalry game and both teams will be ready to play. It's going to come down to who takes advantage of the opportunities when they present themselves, which is something we did not do last week.
On the South offense
Offensively it starts with their quarterback Cephus Johnson who is 6-foot-5 and a good-looking player. He's a sophomore so he's still young but he's very talented. He's a really good athlete who can throw the deep ball. They have two receivers in Kawaan Baker and Jalen Tolbet who are impressive. Both are long and can get the ball down the field. They have a combined 30 receptions this season and Baker has three touchdowns on the year.
Tra Minter is a really good player and one of the better players in our league. He can run the ball and catch the ball too. He does some returning for them as well and is powerful with the ball in his hands. So, he does a lot for them. From the outside looking in, I'd say he's the heartbeat of their team because he does so much. He's around seventh in the country in all-purpose yards so we'll have to find a way to slow him down and know where he is.
On the Jaguars' defense
Defensively, their front is impressive. They have some really big and athletic guys. Tyree Turner is a guy who has been banged up for them, but we plan on him playing. He's explosive and powerful and our players are very familiar with him. He's disruptive and he's a big-time player for them. Jeffery Whatley is another key guy for them. He's big and athletic and very talented. You can see he does a great job of executing what they want him to do.
Their linebackers are very solid. Riley Cole, Roy Yancey and Nick Mobley are all very solid. I think their defensive backs are really good too. They all tackle well it seems like, they compete and they're well coached. It seems like they're always where they're supposed to be. For us, it'll be a big challenge for us because they play a different style of defense then we've seen so far this season, but we're looking forward to the challenge.
On the defense as a whole
We're continuing to improve every week. The secondary is getting better. We know it takes some time and those guys are continuing to mature and doing a nice job of growing into their roles.
On how the rivalry will affect the week of practice
Our players are aware of this game and it's something that we've talked about already. When we get on the field, we have to focus on the things we need to improve on regardless of who the opponent is. They'll be a sense of excitement heading into the week in practice, which should mean an energetic week of practice. I really think our guys will be motivated and excited to play in rivalry game. There are a few guys who are looking forward to getting back out there too. I don't think there will be a need to motivate our guys as the motivation should be there."
On Kaleb Barker's status
Right now he's banged up so we need to do everything we can to make sure he's available and ready to go for next week. Right now, he's probably questionable.
On trying to prepare the team for the matchup against South Alabama on ESPN2
I don't think we approach the week any differently than we would any other game. I think the historical stuff is more for the media and fans. Each year is different, and our team is really focused on what our task is this week. We know we're going to get a great effort from South and if we're not ready it's not going to be a good night for us. We need to make sure we're ready and prepared and we'll let all the other stuff handled itself.
On playing on Wednesday rather than Saturday
The good thing about this week is we can count backwards and start the preparation just like we would any other week. This allows us to stay in that same routine. Saturday will be more like a game-week Tuesday, and Sunday will be more like a Wednesday and so forth. Once you get into that rhythm it won't be all that different than any other week. Our guys will have class the day before and the day after but at the same time we know it's a great opportunity to showcase Troy University and our program on national television. It's one of the things our players look forward to and why they decide to come to Troy. I don't think we'll have any issues. We'll get a couple of extra days with us not playing this weekend but so do they. At the end of the day, I don't think it'll be a factor.
On the importance of this game in the season:
It's extremely important. It's a Sun Belt Conference game and we're 0-1 in the conference right now. We cannot allow ourselves to get behind and dig ourselves a hole we cannot get out of. The good thing about us is that we control our own destiny. All we can focus on is our team and giving ourselves the best chance to win and compete. All of our goals are still out there. We just need to play well and continue to improve each week. If we do that, we'll give ourselves a chance to win the game.
Opening Statement
Just to quickly recap last weekend's game at Missouri. I was very impressed with their football team, and they have a chance to have a really good year. They were very sound in all three phases with an SEC caliber defense. After the first drive, they really showed their merit and really defended us well, although we missed some opportunities. The story of the game to me were the turnovers. When you throw two interceptions in your own end, one of which ended up in a touchdown for them, and then fumble a kickoff, it's going to be hard to win against a good opponent. Unfortunately, we did that. I like the way we started fast, which was important for us because we have talked about it every week. We just couldn't sustain that start, which was partially due to self-inflicted mistakes.
When you look at the film, we missed opportunities. We had a great week of practice, and I thought we were ready to go. We just did not execute well as the game went on. We need to figure out how to execute better and make sure we carry the practice execution into the games.
Defensively from the second quarter on I was pretty pleased. We limited their explosive plays and stopped the run pretty well. They ran it around 40 times and had only 165 total yards, which against a good SEC team is pretty solid. We got stops in the second half, and I thought we showed a lot of improvement, especially in the secondary which has a lot of young players.
Our front seven continues to be disruptive and play well and hopefully that'll help us as we get back into conference play. Coming out of the game, I think we came out pretty healthy minus Kaleb Barker. We have so bumps and bruises, but we have a few guys who we might get back before the game next Wednesday. Hopefully we can get those guys back during this bye week. Kaleb is probably questionable, and we hope he'll be available, but it's too early to tell that.
This bye week comes at a great time for us. We need to focus on trying to improve in the fundamentals of all three phases. We need to continue to try and sure up all of the loose ends while getting our guys healthy. This week is extremely important for us and we'll have a normal week of practice. We look forward to having a great week of practice and getting a head start on South. I know they'll be doing the same. We're looking forward to getting back out there today and hopefully we can some guys back out there that haven't practiced in a couple of weeks. Today, tomorrow and Thursday will be important fundamental days for us as we continue to try and improve on the mistakes we've made.
On the internal Players of the Week
Offensively we chose Khalil McClain who caught three balls for 44 yards and made a great catch on our touchdown. He showed a lot of toughness and focus on that play. He did a good job of locking in and catching the ball knowing that a big hit was coming. He held onto the ball and that play to me shows what he's capable of. He's made a lot of progress in the last few weeks, and he's done a good job of showing up and making big plays. He's a guy who played quarterback in high school and was a great athlete. Khalil can really throw the ball, and I think he's redesigned himself as a wide receiver. He's really starting to develop and polish his skills.
On the Defensive Player of the Week
Defensively, we selected Dell Pettus. He had nine solo tackles which for a freshman in an SEC game is pretty good. He's a guy that we use in different ways both in the run game and against the pass. He's getting more and more comfortable and you're starting to see that in the games, which is a huge plus for us for the future.
On the Special Teams Player of the Week
"On special teams, Patrick Richardson was our Player of the Week. He played 19 special teams plays which is a pretty high number. He starts on all four of special teams which is so important. He graded out a 100-percent and had five production points which is one way we grade. His performance was really good for playing just special teams., and we're really pleased with the three guys overall."
On the matchup with South Alabama
South Alabama is a big game for us without a doubt. It's our rival and it's a chance to win the "Battle for the Belt". We're excited and our players are already looking forward to that. It's a good rivalry for a lot of different reasons, but it's a close proximity for both our fans and their fans. It's a good game for our state and our conference. Our staff and their staff know each other well and there's a lot of familiarity. Both teams' players know each other, and some were even high school teammates, so there are a lot of relationships. It's a good competitive rivalry and we're excited for the game.
Looking at South Alabama, they're a really good team. I think the record is misleading because they've played a really good schedule. They played Nebraska who is currently 4-2, played Memphis who is currently 5-0 and they played UAB who is 4-1. Then ULM had a great opportunity to beat Florida State so you're talking about a team who has played some quality opponents and it's going to be a big challenge for us.
Anytime these two teams faceoff, you can guarantee that the records go out the window, so we're going to need to be ready to play mentally and emotionally. The teams that South has lost to are a combined 17-9 overall which is pretty good. This is a dangerous team that is getting better when you watch them from the first game to now. They have continued to improve, and they have good players. This will be a typical rivalry game and both teams will be ready to play. It's going to come down to who takes advantage of the opportunities when they present themselves, which is something we did not do last week.
On the South offense
Offensively it starts with their quarterback Cephus Johnson who is 6-foot-5 and a good-looking player. He's a sophomore so he's still young but he's very talented. He's a really good athlete who can throw the deep ball. They have two receivers in Kawaan Baker and Jalen Tolbet who are impressive. Both are long and can get the ball down the field. They have a combined 30 receptions this season and Baker has three touchdowns on the year.
Tra Minter is a really good player and one of the better players in our league. He can run the ball and catch the ball too. He does some returning for them as well and is powerful with the ball in his hands. So, he does a lot for them. From the outside looking in, I'd say he's the heartbeat of their team because he does so much. He's around seventh in the country in all-purpose yards so we'll have to find a way to slow him down and know where he is.
On the Jaguars' defense
Defensively, their front is impressive. They have some really big and athletic guys. Tyree Turner is a guy who has been banged up for them, but we plan on him playing. He's explosive and powerful and our players are very familiar with him. He's disruptive and he's a big-time player for them. Jeffery Whatley is another key guy for them. He's big and athletic and very talented. You can see he does a great job of executing what they want him to do.
Their linebackers are very solid. Riley Cole, Roy Yancey and Nick Mobley are all very solid. I think their defensive backs are really good too. They all tackle well it seems like, they compete and they're well coached. It seems like they're always where they're supposed to be. For us, it'll be a big challenge for us because they play a different style of defense then we've seen so far this season, but we're looking forward to the challenge.
On the defense as a whole
We're continuing to improve every week. The secondary is getting better. We know it takes some time and those guys are continuing to mature and doing a nice job of growing into their roles.
On how the rivalry will affect the week of practice
Our players are aware of this game and it's something that we've talked about already. When we get on the field, we have to focus on the things we need to improve on regardless of who the opponent is. They'll be a sense of excitement heading into the week in practice, which should mean an energetic week of practice. I really think our guys will be motivated and excited to play in rivalry game. There are a few guys who are looking forward to getting back out there too. I don't think there will be a need to motivate our guys as the motivation should be there."
On Kaleb Barker's status
Right now he's banged up so we need to do everything we can to make sure he's available and ready to go for next week. Right now, he's probably questionable.
On trying to prepare the team for the matchup against South Alabama on ESPN2
I don't think we approach the week any differently than we would any other game. I think the historical stuff is more for the media and fans. Each year is different, and our team is really focused on what our task is this week. We know we're going to get a great effort from South and if we're not ready it's not going to be a good night for us. We need to make sure we're ready and prepared and we'll let all the other stuff handled itself.
On playing on Wednesday rather than Saturday
The good thing about this week is we can count backwards and start the preparation just like we would any other week. This allows us to stay in that same routine. Saturday will be more like a game-week Tuesday, and Sunday will be more like a Wednesday and so forth. Once you get into that rhythm it won't be all that different than any other week. Our guys will have class the day before and the day after but at the same time we know it's a great opportunity to showcase Troy University and our program on national television. It's one of the things our players look forward to and why they decide to come to Troy. I don't think we'll have any issues. We'll get a couple of extra days with us not playing this weekend but so do they. At the end of the day, I don't think it'll be a factor.
On the importance of this game in the season:
It's extremely important. It's a Sun Belt Conference game and we're 0-1 in the conference right now. We cannot allow ourselves to get behind and dig ourselves a hole we cannot get out of. The good thing about us is that we control our own destiny. All we can focus on is our team and giving ourselves the best chance to win and compete. All of our goals are still out there. We just need to play well and continue to improve each week. If we do that, we'll give ourselves a chance to win the game.
Players Mentioned
QB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
CB
/ Football
DE
/ FootballChanda Rigby Postgame Press Conference - No. 24 Alabama
Sunday, December 21
Troy vs. No. 24 Alabama
Sunday, December 21
Troy vs. Marshall (Full Highlights)
Sunday, December 21
Players Postgame Press Conference (Marshall)
Saturday, December 20