Bowling Green State University Athletics
Gregg Brandon Press Conference Quotes
November 25, 2003 | Football
Nov. 25, 2003
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Bowling Green State University football coach Gregg Brandon met with members of the local media Tuesday afternoon (Nov. 25), four days before the Falcons play the arch-rival University of Toledo to decide the Mid-American Conference's West Division champion. Coach Brandon shared his thoughts on the Rockets and the Falcons...
How is the health of Mitch Hewitt?
"Mitch is doing well. I will anticipate that he'll play in this game. How much? I don't know. We'll see on Saturday. He'll practice this week, and be part of the game plan, and if he can go, he'll go."
What about Rob Warren?
"Rob was gimpy (in the Ball State game), but he's a warrior. It's amazing to me that guys like Rob, Andrew Hart and Jimmy Williams have all had major knee surgeries, and fought through it. They've done a great job, and we're leading the MAC in rushing. That speaks volumes to me the job that Stud (Greg Studrawa) has done with them. We lost three senior linemen (from last year), and to rebuild that group to the point where we could lead the conference in rushing ... Stud should get coach of the year."
At this point, do you expect any other changes in the two-deep?
"Not really. We'll get (Charles) Sharon back, which will be huge. That was 100 yards of pass offense that we lost (by his missing the BSU game)."
After watching film of the Ball State game, does anything stick out to you?
"Well, we didn't throw the football well. When you lose one of your top receivers ... we weren't able to overcome that. But then, we didn't have to, in that we were able to run the football. And that's fine, we'll figure out the best way we can win. It doesn't matter if we run or throw. We have to be able to do them both. I was just disappointed with our lack of production, yardage-wise, throwing the football. We've been throwing for 300 yards a game, and we got half of that. We weren't real sharp early on. Then, Josh (Harris) got a feel for it, and did make some nice throws, but then we didn't need to throw any more. I don't know if that's something to be disappointed about, or if that's just the way it shook out. I'd like to think it's the latter."
On the defensive side, was there anything that stuck out in your mind?
"We challenged our defense to step up after the Kent debacle, giving up all of those yards (vs. KSU). I said before the season, if we're gonna win this thing, it's gonna be on defense, because defense wins championships. We have to perform at a championship level, and we did (at BSU). I felt we played good team defense Saturday. We tackled better and got some turnovers, which we hadn't been getting, and we didn't turn it over on offense. And, we scored (when we got) in the red zone. So, the things we addressed, we went out and answered, so that's encouraging."
Toledo runs that 'bubble screen' or 'middle screen,' whatever you call it, and it has been very effective. How do you address that?
"They just do a great job with that play. Come hell or high water, they're gonna find a way to throw that thing, and we have to defend it. There's no secret way to stop that play. You have to be in position defensively, and you have to tackle. They get the ball out there so quickly, and they get downhill with it. And, if you don't have somebody out there to begin with, then you're chasing right away, and that's not good, because their guys are fast. Their quarterback puts it on the money. He's a very accurate passer -- his completion percentage is something like 70 percent -- and he does a good job."
Do the keys to winning change this week from previous weeks, or is it still a lot of the same things that you've been preaching all season?
"Well, it's a lot of that. But, it's also, I think, the team that believes the longest that has the best chance of winning this game. There's gonna be some adversity on both sides of the ball, and you've got to hang in there for 60 minutes. And, our players have got to believe that they can beat Toledo. Toledo talks about their championship tradition, and that they live for games like this, and that's where we're trying to get. And, I told our team Sunday night, 'We'll see. Are you ready for this kind of intensity?' And, my bet is that we are, because we've been in some big games, and responded in some big games. The only game that we didn't play well was Miami. But, until we do it, until we win a championship, it's all talk. They've (Toledo) done it; they've won the MAC West four of the last six years, I believe."
The game is a sellout. How big of a factor is the crowd going to play?
"Well, it's huge. I just hope there are a lot of orange shirts. I would ask our fans, when we show up for this game at 10:00 Saturday morning, that they line the sidewalk on 'tent row' and cheer us in, just like they did for Northern (Illinois). I tell you what; that was awesome. And our kids, when they come out of that tunnel and they see the Thunderstix going, and all the orange, it's a motivator. There is no doubt in my mind that it will crank us up."
With the game being moved from Friday to Saturday, will having the extra day help you or hurt you?
"It helps, for preparation, but moreso for injuries. It will help Mitch Hewitt, Robert Haley, Rob Warren ... it will help all those guys get an extra day of treatment and rest."
Can you talk about Toledo's defense?
"Toledo is a well-coached defense. They play hard, they run to the ball, they're in position ... coach (Tom) Amstutz has always had good defenses. This defense is good, and we have to be sharp and take care of the football."
Toledo has taken a lot of penalties this year. Is maintaining your composure going to be a focus?
"Oh, yeah, no question. We talk about that all the time. A lot of this game is playing with poise, and not hurting your play by getting a foolish penalty. We preach that all the time."
