Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Question and Answer with head coach Jerry Kill
09/15/2005 | 12:00:00 | Football
Sept. 15, 2005
By Beth Miller
www.SIUSalukis.com
You've had two good wins to start the season, how do you keep the momentum going into Saturday's game?
JK: We've just got to keep working hard. Our job is to keep getting better and better. I thought we got better from week to week, from week one to week two. Now, we've got to get better week three, and that's what we're concentrating on.
How do you plan to contain Western Michigan star receiver, Greg Jennings?
JK: I don't think anybody has. He's a guy that's probably going to be a first-round draft choice. I think we have to worry about everybody else on the football team and make sure we shut the run game down and shut everybody else down and try not to give him the big play. But he's a very, very good player. We have a great deal of respect for him. He's the best receiver we've faced since we've been here, so it's a great challenge for our kids.
What other challenges does Western Michigan present?
JK: They've got about 25 more guys on scholarships. That's the biggest challenge, they've got a lot more depth than we have. They're a Division I program. They're going to be big and strong and fast. We hope we can get to the fourth quarter and we've got a chance to win. But we competed well against Northern Illinois a year ago, and I compare this game very similarly to that one.
They are expecting 30,000 fans Saturday night. How do you think your team will play in that environment?
JK: I think we'll play well. We played in front of 30,000 last year at Northern Illinois. I think the more people, the better we play. That's the great thing about college football. So I don't think that will bother us at all. If anything I think it will inspire our kids.
Do you expect the injured players, Will Justice and Frank Johnson, to play Saturday?
JK: Will Justice will play and Frank Johnson's a question mark.
How do you feel about the future of the quarterback position after the way Nick Hill has performed this season?
JK: I feel good. We've got a lot of depth in that position. John Cairns is coming back this week, so we've got three guys that are very capable of playing college football. Of course Joel's our guy, but we've got two guys that can step in if they're needed. Plus, our future is bright because we have good players at that position.
Having coached in the state of Michigan, will you have any friends or special guests at the game Saturday?
JK: Oh yeah, there will be a lot of people there I know, and that have touched my life in the five years I was at Saginaw Valley State University. I've had a lot of phone calls, so we want to do well. My family is going to get to see some old friends. Hopefully we'll perform well.
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