Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcon Football Quotes: Week 10 (Game Nine)
October 29, 2007 | Football
Oct. 29, 2007
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSUFalcons.com) - The Bowling Green State University football team hosts the University of Akron Friday night (Nov. 2) at Perry Stadium. Falcon head coach Gregg Brandon and several Falcon student-athletes met with the media on Monday afternoon (Oct. 29) ...
HEAD COACH Gregg Brandon
Thoughts on playing Friday games after a Saturday game
"It's an adjustment that gets a little difficult at times to manage because of academics. The kids are here to go to school and scheduling these mid-week games, or games that throw the schedule off, makes it tough on the academics side. That would be the only drawback, but it's a great opportunity to play TV games and get a chance to show off your program."
How has the perception of Akron's program changed through the years?
"They're a competitive team in the MAC, as is everybody else now. It's a very balanced league. You look at our side and we are the only team that doesn't have a losing record overall. We are sitting at 2-2 and it's really a must win game for us right now and probably is for Akron. Their team is in the hunt for the championship; they couldn't say that five years ago.
"They've stepped up facilities by building the new stadium. I think they've made a commitment to coaches' salaries. They want to win and you can tell."
Some people thought Tyler Sheehan might be going through growing pains. It doesn't appear that he's lost confidence; do you or [offensive Coordinator] Mick McCall ever have to talk to him about confidence?
"All the time. It's something a young quarterback has to fight through - the struggles. Each week is a new challenge with him. We just have to have patience."
Akron has the best passing defense in the league. Is that because teams are running the ball more against them that they don't have to defend the pass as much?
"I don't think necessarily. I think they're pretty good defensively overall. I mean, you look at their overall stats; they're a pretty good defense. I think that's something Akron has done a nice job with the last couple years. They've stepped it up defensively.
"I think their defensive scheme can present problems because it's a different scheme that you don't block every week. They are getting better players. They're getting faster, athletic players and they are built for speed."
When you say it's a different scheme, what do they do?
"Well we call it an `Odd Stack'; three down guys, three linebackers and two flat defenders. Its pretty much an eight-man front, but a different way of getting to it."
The guys in the flat are there for the passing game mostly?
"They are primarily there for run support and to defend the flats in the pass."
Can you talk a little bit about [senior RB] Dan Macon's role this season?
"I think he's done a nice job in a backup running back role and on special teams. He made a couple big tackles on the kicking game Saturday night. He does a great job as a gunner on the punt, running down the kick for us. He's a fifth-year kid who's embracing his role as a special team's guy and when Willie [Geter] got hurt he went in and did his job."
What kind of patience has he shown from last year to this year?
"I think he's shown a lot of patience. That could have been something where he would have not handled it well, but he has (handled it with) a lot of maturity. He's been a team guy and he's still a good leader and a guy we count on."
You talked about Akron's defense. What do they do offensively?
"They changed their system in that they're doing a lot of audible from the sidelines like we did last year. They had a fifth-year quarterback last year with [QB Luke] Getsy and they're having some growing pains there at the quarterback position. I think they still have some weapons. [Jabari] Arthur is a good receiver and he's one of the leaders in the league. They have speed at the other receiver spots and at the running back position so they're still pretty formidable, I think, offensively."
With the calendar changing to November and four games left, is that how you're going to approach it? Wipe away these last eight games and let's just try to win these last four games?
"Well, I'm not wiping away anything. We've been very productive at times with the four wins and we've been sloppy and undisciplined with the four losses. With every win or loss, there are teachable moments and that's what we've had this season. Our team goals -- we win, we get most of them, and we lose when we don't. We talk about that and we will continue to talk about that. Being that it's a four-game season they remember what you do in November."
If you had to grade the team at this point what would you say?
"C plus, maybe B minus. I would say B minus because I want to be positive."
FALCON PLAYER QUOTES
Senior linebacker Loren Hargrove
What happened out there on Saturday?
"It basically boils down to the fact that we didn't execute too well and Ohio did. They came prepared and they did a lot of things we thought they would do -- they just executed and we didn't. They're a good team; it was matter of who executed everything better and they were the better team."
What do you as a defense have to do to restore your confidence?
"We just have to have a higher level of preparation this week in practice. We talked yesterday at practice about how we've got to lock in more. Most of us starters have been watching film already on Akron and those are the kind of things we need to be doing; just locking in more and preparing more than we did last week."
What is the mood of the team right now after losing on the road, then winning a tough game on the road, to now being back at home and losing Saturday?
"It's like Coach Brandon said, we've just got to get off this roller coaster we're on right now. That's really what it feels like now, we're just on a roller coaster and we got to get off. That's just the main focus right now. We just need to get back on track because our goals are still attainable and a lot of things are happening around the Mid-American Conference."
Does a game like that ruin your pride as a defense?
"To say it ruins our pride is a little harsh. Our pride is still up and we still know we can attain our goals, so our pride isn't dented at all. It's just all about how you bounce back and we need to bounce back as a unit."
Does being at home help you after a loss like that on Saturday?
"Yeah, it helps a lot. We feed off this fan base and this community and we love them for that. We always love to come home and that's why it's going to be a big challenge for us this week, because it is a home game and we need to keep that fan base alive."
Running Back Dan Macon
Did it take a little bit away from your performance that you weren't able to win the game on Saturday?
"Well, you definitely want to win the game. I mean the coaches and everyone said I had a good performance, but to me it was just taking advantage of a great opportunity. My number was called a few times, so I had to be ready and I tried my best to be. But yeah, you definitely want to win the game. We just have to put this one behind us and look forward to Akron on Friday."
How big is this game for you guys?
"It's huge. I mean it feels like every game is huge for us anymore, and as we approach the end of the season, the games are just going to continue to gain importance for us. Our team does a good job of looking forward to each game and this game against Akron is definitely one that we're looking forward to. So we're just leaving everything else in the past and putting our sole focus on Akron."
What's been your mindset over the past year, being in the lineup at the start of last season to being on the bench and now having to be ready when needed?
"My mindset has been that it's all about the team and what's best for the team. I've had a lot of ups and downs, like many players have, but one thing I've always believed in my time here is that it's all about the team. So therefore, I've had some rocky moments, being knocked down to third or fourth string even at times, but it's all about the team to me. I've tried to help out with special teams or wherever I could and just stay ready for when my chances to help came up."
How hard was it to see that opportunity late in the game you had to get the ball back slip away?
"Things like that happen in football games all the time. Sometimes it goes your way, other times it doesn't. ... There were a lot of opportunities we had in that game to give us a great chance to win that just didn't go our way."
