Bowling Green State University Athletics
Scot Loeffler Monday Press Conference Transcript (Kent State Game)
Sept. 27, 2021
Bowling Green, Ohio
Good afternoon, thank you everyone for coming. Super excited about starting MAC play. Starting out playing, arguably, one of the best teams in our conference. Extremely explosive on offense, very good defense, very good special teams. Very multiple in special teams, and we've got our work cut out for us this week. It's going to have to take great preparation to prepare for these guys and then go down and give our greatest effort. It's a really good Kent state team. Does anyone have any questions?
How do you get your players to come down from a big win and get refocused for MAC play?
Yeah, we have a 24-hour rule and that's over, and this team that we're playing down in Kent is a very good football team, so they've got our attention as soon as we got back from Minnesota.
When you get a win like Minnesota, does that kind of give you the indication that this program is headed in the right direction and you're doing it the right way?
Yeah, we had a great, really great victory last week and we learned a lot from it just like we do every game. There was some good, some bad, some ugly, and fortunately, the ball bounced the right way at times for us. We're able to get a win, but our approach is going to be nothing different than what it's been. That was a great moment for our kids and we're going to get every single kid a game ball and all that for their office for when they get older, they'll appreciate it. We're starting MAC play and we're playing, arguably, the best team or one of the best teams we'll play all year.
How much confidence is this team playing with right now as they enter into MAC play?
I say at times we do. We're so young at times that we still don't have that old confidence of having a ton of experience and all that. So, we're improving on that, working on that, and trying to get old in this program and want to get old as soon as we can. Things will be more consistent, more balanced and we'll be a better football team with age and time.
How important is that win for the momentum of the program?
It's really similar to the Murray State week. We did some better things in practice, and some things occurred in the Murray State game and the Minnesota game that helped us win. In a nutshell, what we're preaching works if you do it, so we've got to continue on that process. We've got a ton to clean up, a ton of work to do. But, yeah, that was really fun last week, was really fun the week prior.
Winning is really hard, especially when you have as young a football team as we do. Everything matters, every rep in practice matters. We've got to have a tremendous urgency to compete against a really good Kent State team.
Everyone loved the “Row the boat” tweet with Jordan Anderson. Have you earned the right to say that kind of thing after a good win?
I never saw it. I don't even know what he said, I'm sorry.
How important has the special teams unit been for this team's success?
The punt team has been exceptional. They've got to be with this young offense. It's no secret the strength of our team is our defense right now and our special teams. Offensively we're doing enough to get by.
Offensively we need to improve, but when you've got two phases of your team clicking in the right direction, you've got a chance. Offensively, with time, with age, and as the season goes on, we'll improve. But that's the weakness in us right now. We're struggling to run the football. We're throwing it well enough, but we're not balanced. Anytime you're just living off the throw, it's not fun to call the game and it's generally not the formula we want.
In terms of managing the game, how would you assess Matt as far as keeping the clock moving and keeping the ball away from Minnesota?
At times really well and at times he wants some things back. In this game, there were a few things that we needed to clean up that could have made our situation on offense better. There's a lot of responsibility on him right now. Every single thing that we do, we're micromanaging what he does, we're on top of what he does. He's got to play really well to make up for some things that we're not doing well on offense.
Everything matters with him, he will stand up here and say that he missed a few reads and a few decisions that he'd love to have back. As we run the football more effectively, things will be less off his plate. It's not easy to call the game right now, and it's not easy to play quarterback right now, because of the lack of the ability to run the ball.
Do you have a health update on Terion Stewart?
Yes, he's much better.
Are you surprised the defense has gelled as well as they have?
No, it's not shocking. The plan was to bring in some significant older help along with the veteran defensive line. This defensive line's been together for two years now, the linebackers have spent two years together. We got Bryce and some secondary guys, Ferg and Dev, to help in the backend. So not only are those guys good players, they're really good leaders, and a little help with some age, a little experience. I'm not shocked that they're playing well right now. I'm not shocked at all. They're playing really well.
They'll continue to get better. And just like I said, we think a year from now, we'll have one of the better defensive lines, defensive fronts in this conference. We need another year of strength and conditioning, another year of age. And that'll occur the same on offense. We need to get old. We're too damn young right now. I look forward to the time when we can run the football, be extremely balanced, get the defense off the field. That'll make our defense even better once we can run the football.
You play a Kent State team that's scored 62 points on you the last two years. Do you look back at those games or are you focused on how the team's performing this year?
No, you always look back. There's sometimes you go back even farther than that if you've had history. The coaching staff, the defensive coordinator hasn't changed. We'll always look back.
Does a win like that change the expectation or expectations for the season in terms of what's possible?
I don't know. I don't. It was a great win, we I loved it. It was so awesome for those kids. But in this business, it's on to the next. Our staff has done this a long time. I've done this long enough to realize that you have heartbreaking losses, you have unbelievable wins and they were 48 hours ago. It's time to really get focused.
I'm glad we're playing a really good team. It's getting the attention of our kids. Let's say it how it is, we have to be the best-prepped, hardest working team right now in the country to give ourselves a chance. We have no time to rest regardless of what happens.
How cool would it be to shock the timetable of the rebuild and have a really special year?
I wish I had a crystal ball and I could predict all that. It's going to be the same approach. We know where we're at. We've got a ton of work, even on defense. They're playing great. They've got a ton of work. We're such a young football team right now, that everything matters. Once we do get this program to where it needs to be, you know it's hard. You've got to be locked in, mind on the prize, you got to be old and that's where maturity takes over.
Now guys understand real quick that 48 hours ago didn't matter. So, we're trying to educate our players that that is over, it's time to move on. I think they have, I know they have, actually. They're pretty focused and driven to try to give ourselves, our team a chance to compete this Saturday against a really good football team.
What's the biggest challenge Kent State presents?
Everything. They're a pain in the butt on offense. You talk about old, all you got to do is go look at the offensive line at Kent State. They're old, and anytime your fronts are old, the quarterback is old, you got a chance to have a heck of a football team, and they're old. They've got all seniors on that offensive line, an old defensive front, their quarterback is good, they're multiple on special teams. To answer your question, they're built right now, to make a push on our side, because they're old, and they're experienced, and they got a good quarterback. Anytime those fronts are experienced in this league, it's everything. So you look at all these teams that have won, their O-line is pretty good, their D-line is pretty good, they got a quarterback. One or two difference makers, next thing you know you're a heck of a team. We've got our hands full because we're playing a very mature group. So, it's going to be a challenge, no question.