Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Kill's Weekly Press Conference
11/05/2001 | 12:00:00 | Football
Nov. 5, 2001
CARBONDALE, Ill. - SW Missouri State Preview: "Southwest Missouri State is a football team that is improving a bunch. They got what the doctor ordered with a win at Western Illinois a couple weeks ago, and that was a huge win for them, because they were struggling at the time. Then having Drake come into town, being a team that is not as tough as your normal Gateway opponent, it was something where their offense got even more confidence. They had close to 700 yards against Drake."
"They are very similar offensively to everybody else we have played. They line up in the "I" formation and run downhill with it. Their quarterback is a pocket passer and does a good job of throwing to his routes and play action. They have done some good things. Defensively they are an eight man front team. They will be pretty standard to what we have been playing the last 2-3 weeks on defense. They have some good, strong kids over there, and they are pretty much your typical Gateway team. They are a football team that is better than their record, I don't think there is any question about that."
Game plan against Youngstown: "There were times where we were maybe a little conservative against Youngstown State, but I planned that all the way. I wanted to hold onto the football and give us a chance to win, because if we get into an airball contest with them and go three and out, it is going to be a long afternoon. That is what happened late in the game. I felt we had an excellent game plan, but when you are 1-7, everybody is going to question your play calling. I think we are doing whatever it takes to give us a chance to win.''
Positives from Saturday: "We played better than we had the last two weeks. We played much harder. Defensively, we played probably well enough to win the game if we wouldn't have fumbled the ball. That score wasn't an indication of what the game was like. I don't have an answer for that (how to avoid turnovers). If I had the answer for that it would be a great world.''
"I thought our punter did a great job. I thought in the kicking game we did good except the offsides on that one kickoff. We are making less mistakes on defense than we did before.''
"The bottom line is we are not a disciplined football team. That is our problem right now. That is the bottom line. That is my job, and sometimes it takes time.''
