Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Dale Lennon Football press conference transcript
09/05/2011 | 12:00:00 | Football
Sept. 5, 2011
By Tim McGaughan
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Saluki football coach Dale Lennon discussed this week's game at Mississippi during his weekly Monday press conference.
On Mississippi
What we have to prepare for is they are an experienced team. They return 16 starters from last year, coming off a 4-8 record in 2010. They have six individuals who have received some type of SEC recognition. Their kicking game and special teams are probably the best we will see or anyone will see in the country. They have the best punter in the country who had the best average last year. From watching the film, he can just flat out kick it. Tyler Campbell is his name. Their kicker was 16-of-18 on field goals. Watching the kickoffs, there are kicks he has kicked out of the end zone. They have two individuals that are two of the best individuals you will find in college football. They also have a return specialist in Jeff Scott who was 20th in the country last year in return yards. Their special teams are something that is going to be a challenge for us. We are definitely going to spend time on it, making sure that we are ready to handle that.
Offensively, they run a pro style offense, not all that different from the offense that we run. They will use a lot of different personnel coming in and out of the game. I think the strength of their offense is their offensive line. They have three linemen that have post-season possibilities. Both of their tackles are very good, and have been honored in the SEC. Their center is up for the Rimington award for best center in the country. If you look at their size, their smallest guy is at 6'3 and 315. Everyone else is 6'6 to 6'9 range and definitely is in the 315-plus category. They put a lot of emphasize on their offensive line. They will do a run-pass. I think they try to do 50-50 similar to us. They will use different formations, shifts and motions. That is something that we will be fairly familiar with as well.
Defensively, they run a 4-3 defense. I think the strength of their defense is probably their defensive line. That is where they have most of their experience returning. Their defensive ends are very talented. Their secondary has the type of players that are just playmakers. The touchdown they scored last week was off of a 96-yard interception return. Athletically they are very good. They are fairly young at the linebacker position. Defensively that is what we are preparing for.
Do you use this as an opportunity, having nothing to lose?
For us it's a great opportunity. For the players and for the coaches, you actually look forward to this. I coached at the NAIA where you are lucky to have 300 people at a game, and now to be at a stadium that can hold 60,000 people, and the tradition, and the atmosphere that comes with it. That is exciting. The challenge that we have, too, is to keep things in perspective. We know that we are the underdogs going in there, and what you do is play it one play at a time. You let the game present itself to you. You try to not get overwhelmed by anything. I think if you do that you have a chance.
What will you do in practice this week to simulate the noise?
We will do the music. In fact, to be honest with you, playing indoors is louder then playing in the big stadiums. It will be similar to what we do when we play Northern Iowa and North Dakota State where the noise can be deafening, where you can't hear the person next to you. I think that is something we will be prepared for.
How do you feel about your offensive line and your ability to be physical and run the ball?
It's going to be a challenge. I think the big thing will be their athleticism. We just have to be ready to stay on our blocks and give us a little more time to get to the seams. Again, if we look back to how our league played against the division-up teams, I think we were competitive for the most part. I was especially impressed with Youngstown State and how they played, and Northern Iowa, how they played against Iowa State. You control what you can do and take what they are giving us, and be smart with the game plan.
Does it help that their two running backs are out indefinitely?
I would thing that they would have very quality depth and that's where we don't know a lot about them because we don't play them a lot. My assumption would be that they have 4-5 running backs that are pretty talented.
BYU runs a 3-4 defense as well...what do you think you can do that they did against Ole Miss?
It allows us to see what their blocking schemes are. A lot of times for a play you will block a 4-3 defense different then a 3-4 defense. If there is any advantage, we can see their blocking schemes and it will help our guys with their reads more so then anything else. That is why you like following up with a team that is similar.
Do you go back to more of your style this week, trying to blitz the quarterback more?
We're not going to change the personality of our team. We want to see if we can cover, if we can blitz, can we do the things we think we can. Same thing offensively -- can we run our offense, can we establish the run game, the play action? That is where the give and take will come in. We have to be smart with our game adjustments, be quick not to abandon our game-plan early if we struggle. It doesn't mean it won't work later. This is one of those games that I hope we have the opportunity to be patient and be able to sort things out as the game goes by.
What are some things you can take from playing Illinois last year?
It all adds up. I think for us, always playing a division-up game against a team that is pretty formidable, you get used to the stage. Walking out there and playing at the University of Illinois last year, while it wasn't the performance we wanted, it is an experience that we can benefit from. You look back at that game, if we did a few things a little better, we could make it a contest. I think that is the biggest thing we can take from it. You just have to play your game, and do what you do well, don't get overwhelmed by the size of the venue you're playing in or the color of the jerseys you're playing.
What is your opinion of FCS-FBS games?
I like them. I think one a year is good, not two. It is beneficial for the athletic department, plus it's beneficial for recruiting. They want to know who we are playing. They want to prove themselves. It's a chance for our athletes to show how good they are on the national stage. I think it helps them increase their draftability if they are being considered. There are a lot of pluses for it, but there are a lot of risks as well. Anytime you lose, that's not good. You also that the chance that it could be a physical game, and you could get beat up a bit. I do think the benefits outweigh the risks.
Do you need any of the FBS transfers to speak up and let the team know what they will be facing?
We have good experience coming back. I would be disappointed if we walked in there and were awestruck. I think we have a team that has some maturity and have been around the block a few times. I hope they have a hunger more than anything to go out there and take this opportunity.
What are some things from the past week's game that you could improve on?
Mainly when we struggled or gave plays up, it was our mistakes. We have to play a little smarter game. We put the ball on the ground three times, which is way too many times. We didn't give up a fumble, but it's a risk factor that we aren't helping ourselves. There are a lot of little things that we need to improve upon to become a better team.
What did you think of the passing game after looking at the film of the SEMO game?
I think the receivers, tight ends and running backs have a better feel for our passing game this year. I think that the communication between the quarterback and the receivers is at a point where they know where one another are going to be. That makes us more effective in our passing game.
