Chip Lindsey Press Conference - Akron Pregame

Head Coach Chip Lindsey Press Conference – Sept. 17, 2019

Opening Statement:
Obviously, it was a tough loss for us on Saturday. Credit Southern Miss, I thought they played well, but we just didn't quite make enough plays in the end to come out on top. I'm really proud of how our guys fought after being down 14-0. We came back, tied the game, and eventually took the lead. I really think that showed a lot about our character and this team will to keep fighting to the end, which is typical of Troy teams throughout the years. I think our team this year is no different, so I was impressed with that. I thought we had great leadership on our sideline and our guys stayed together. There really wasn't a player who didn't believe that we were going to make enough plays to get back in the game which we did. So, I was really pleased with that.

On recapping the Southern Miss loss
Obviously, it was a shootout, but we had plenty of opportunities on offense to help win the game. We punted five times and the first two series we went three-and-out which looking back was a huge part of the game. Then we had three other opportunities where we either got a penalty or didn't make a play to extend drives. In that type of game where teams are up and down the field with good skill players on both sides, every single possession is critical. At the end of the day, we didn't just make enough plays. Overall, we're disappointed we lost for sure, but like we said going into the week it was two good football teams that were going to battle deep into the fourth quarter. We tried to prepare our guys for that type of game. Our goal was to go out and play as well as we could, lay it all out there and see where we are. I thought our players did that and played extremely hard. We handled adversity well, so there are good things to build on for the rest of the season.

On the crowd
I thought our fans were unbelievable on Saturday. It was the fifth-largest crowd in the history, and you could hear them. They were loud, and I appreciate them showing up and pulling for us. I thought our student body was fantastic as well. They were into the game and very engaged. At the end of the game it was nice to see our players go over there and acknowledge them, and it was really impressive to see the interactions between the players and students. I think what makes our program so special is that our fans really care about our program. They care about Troy football and Troy Athletics as a whole. So, I was really pleased with that and appreciate what they do for us.

On injuries sustained during Saturday's game
There are a couple of injuries I want to touch on really quickly. Obviously, [running back] B.J. Smith is going to be out for the year with a knee injury. That's a huge blow for us because he's a great player, but an even better person and leader for our team. He'll still be a very good leader for us and doing all that, but we're heartbroken over his injury. At the same time, it's college football and the next man has to be ready. We have some guys who will get some opportunities now. We wish B.J. the best in his recovery and hopefully we can get him back healthy as soon as we can, even though it won't be this year. Demontrez Brown is another guy that is going to be out for the season. He was injured against Campbell and we were hoping it wasn't going to be that serious, but it is. So, we've lost those two guys, and we'll miss them tremendously because they're both great kids and great people.

On the internal Players of the Week
Offensively Kaleb Barker was our player of the week in addition to being named Sun Belt Player of the Week. Obviously, Kaleb had a great game, going 29-for-43 with 504 yards and four touchdowns. Kaleb did a nice job of running the offense. He checked us into some good plays a couple of times when he had that option. He didn't throw any interceptions which is critical when you throw the ball that much. I thought he made great decisions and moved around well in and out of the pocket and extended plays, which is a big part of his game. So, we're really pleased with him.

Defensively Will Choloh was our defensive player of the week. He had nine tackles, and I think he had two or three solo tackles. But I thought he was really disruptive at times in the run game, and he did a nice job of controlling the line of scrimmage. We know what type of player Will is, and he's impacting the game every week.

Our special teams player of the week was Reggie Todd. Reggie had the big kickoff return after the penalty and that was a huge play for us at the time. So, I'm really pleased with those three guys. There were other guys who were deserving as well for sure, with four wideouts getting 100 yards receiving. I think any of the four could have been named as well. Then we had several guys on defense who had good games as far as tackles go.

On this week's matchup at Akron
This week we have Akron on the road, which is a big challenge for us because it's the first road game for us. It's a long trip and there's a lot to handle with that. Akron is a team with a new head coach, new excitement and new energy. Obviously, a new staff, which brings different challenges. Throughout the years they've had some really good players come through there, and three or four years ago now they won the MAC (Division) championship. So, they've had success historically.

Tom Arth is their head coach now, and I've been very impressed looking back at what he's done both at John Carroll and Chattanooga. He's a guy that is an offensive head coach and you can definitely see his influence on the offense. He's a former NFL player who will have his team prepared. Defensively those guys play extremely hard and run to the football. It's extremely similar to Southern Miss in the sense of how they present different looks and so forth. I know they'll play with great passion.

We're playing at their place, and it's a big game for us. We need to respond, rebound and go on the road and play well. If we want to have any chance to win the Sun Belt, we need to be able to win on the road and play well on the road. I think our players understand that.

I think their quarterback, Kato Nelson, has started for almost three years now. He was a member of the MAC (divisional) championship team as a freshman and I'm very impressed with him. I think he's sixth or seventh on the school's all-time passing list which includes NFL guys like Charlie Fry. I think that staff is doing a great job with him and of making the offense for him. Two wideouts were impressive on film. Dustin Burkhart is a guy we need to watch and know where he is in addition to Andre Williams. Those are two guys who make plays for them and two guys that we're going to have to have a good plan for.

Defensively, Alvin Davis is a corner who has started something like 32 consecutive games for them. So, he's their leader in that secondary. He's a guy who has been on a couple of the watch lists this season, and he's very impressive. He plays the ball in the air well and does a great job in coverage. We're going to have to make sure we know where he is. And then John Lako is a linebacker that some of our guys remember from a couple of years ago. He plays extremely hard, tackles well and is always around the ball. He's one of the better linebackers.

On special teams they have a returner Jeremiah Knight who has the ability to be a really good returner. Michael Mathison has also had two big returns for them. Akron is ranked in the top 10 in kickoff returns, and obviously that hurt us last week, so we're going to have to do a great job and have a great plan for them. Their kicker is fantastic and does a great job of kicking the ball into the end zone and limiting the return game. He's got a big leg and is very solid.

I know they're a team with a new coaching staff so there's probably still a lot of learning going on there. They're very capable of playing really well and have played three good teams in Illinois, Central Michigan and UAB. They've played a good schedule and the record will not deceive us. We know it's a good football team on the road and we're going to have to be ready to play or we're going to be disappointed."

On turning the page
I'm really excited to get back to practice today. I think it's really important for us to get out there and have a really good workday. We need to lock-in and go back to work. Sometimes you have a big game that doesn't go your way and you can get caught in that hangover. But I think after watching our guys practice and in the meetings on Sunday they understand where we need to improve and how we need to practice to get where we need to be. So, I think they're excited to get back on the field.

On his thoughts about DK Billingsley
I've been really impressed with DK. DK had a great spring for us. I mentioned him to most of you guys during the spring, but DK is a fantastic kid. He's a very smart and knowledgeable football player who has already had a big role for us. He'll get a little bit more of the load now for sure, and we're confident he'll do a great job. We know one guy can't replace a player like B.J. [Smith] so we know we'll need multiple guys. But, I'm really happy with DK's progress."

On if B.J. Smith will seek a medical redshirt
It's probably too early for me to comment because we really haven't even talked about it. We're still trying to get over the shock of him being injured. Obviously, he hasn't redshirted before, so I feel pretty good about it, but we'll have to see how that plays out. We'll definitely take him back that's for sure.

On if the game plan changes without B.J. Smith
We have five running backs on scholarship right now even though a couple are banged up. We're hoping and praying that we can get them back, but if we can't then we'll move on and make adjustments. I think that's what coaching is about. Being a former high school coach, you lose your best player and you need to think of a way to overcome it. I think we're used to that as a staff, so we're not going to make any excuses. We're going to find a way to coach our team and get them to play as well as we can. Hopefully we'll get back some guys who are banged up and be just fine.

On the confidence in Kaleb Barker
We're very confident in Kaleb, and we always have been. He's shown great poise and a great understanding of our offense and all the responsibility that is on him as the quarterback in our system. So hopefully he'll continue to improve and get better. That's what we're hoping each week, and I think he's done that. He might not always throw for that many yards but it's all about the opportunities that are presented to us by the defense. I think he's doing a nice job of taking what they give us and figuring out where our matchups are. I'm really pleased with him so far and want him to continue to progress.

On the confidence in the young defensive backs
They're fantastic kids, and they're getting an opportunity to play earlier than they maybe thought they would have. I'm confident in those guys, and we signed them for a reason and felt like they would be good players for us down the road. Now they just have to play a little bit sooner. Each time they get a rep in practice and games, they're going to improve. They're very capable and we just have to keep helping those guys out by putting them in situations to be successful.

Troy University Athletics

Chip Lindsey Press Conference - Akron Pregame

Players Mentioned

Kaleb Barker

DK Billingsley

Demontrez Brown

B.J. Smith

Reggie Todd

Related Videos