Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Coach Lennon football press conference transcript
09/22/2014 | 12:00:00 | Football
By Jordan Roberts
SIUSalukis.com
Q: After looking at the tape from Saturday, what’s the biggest thing you guys took away from the game?
A: I looked to see if there were any matchups that we just couldn’t handle physically, and I really didn’t see that. I was really disappointed in the way we started the game, just the execution offensively and defensively. There were elements that we did very well, but we did make those critical mistakes that you just can’t make. Offensively turning the ball over and defensively giving up touchdown passes, those are simply things that will get you beat. In the second half we came out and we were very competitive, but it was a hard hole to try and dig ourselves out of.
Q: Despite the loss do you like where you guys are sitting going in to conference play?
A: The loss stings but I think we found out something about our team. We have to be all on the same level of preparedness going into a game, and we have to execute at a high level.
Q: MyCole (Pruitt) said he had a lot of single coverage against Purdue. What do you think you have to do to get Malcolm (Agnew), LA (McKinney), and Tay Willis?
A: It goes down to making plays too. MyCole had some single coverage, so therefore he’s open and then you go to him. If they double him like a lot of teams have been doing and you can’t go to him, those other guys need to step up. We needed someone to step up to get our blood pumping and that shot of energy, and MyCole stepped up. After that first play in the third quarter our offensive strategies started to work better. Iannotti has to play better. We have to run harder. We have to make the catches, and we can’t have balls go through our hands that are intercepted. It’s a lot of things everyone has to do better for us to have more success as a team.
Q: What do you have to do to establish Malcolm (Agnew) and Mika’il (McCall) this weekend?
A: You just have to execute. We got beat in a couple of one-on-one matchups. You just have to get the job done up front. If you get the job done up front, you’re going to have success running the ball.
Q: What jumps out to you about WIU?
A: They’re a good team. Last year, they were very young, especially with the new staff. Now you see the progression that they have made. Defensively, they are playing great; I think that’s probably the strength of their program right now. This is a team that is definitely a high-caliber MVFC team.
Q: After the game you said you wanted to be more of first-half team more than a second-half team. Have you figured out how you wanted to do that?
A: I want to be a four-quarters team. The game will take its course. You have absolutely zero control on the course of the game, slow or fast start. A couple of our game we scored 21 points in the first quarter, so you cant say we’re a slow-starting team. It’s just that consistency that you have to have where you just don’t stub your toe and not give yourself a chance of success. That’s what happened against Purdue. You do that against a good football team, and you’re not going to be successful.
Q: How have you seen WIU’s QB progress?
A: He’s really developed well. The types of throws he’s making right now are really confident. He’s throwing the ball across the field with defenders all over him. His receivers are very confident also, so right now his numbers are going to be pretty impressive in the league because he does have that type of talent.
Q: How’s the Valley as a whole this year?
A: Its good. It’s going to be a wild week-in, week-out type schedule. Every single member of the MVFC is playing some really good football right now and has a chance to make some noise, so its going to be a battle.
Q: Does the approach change at all heading in to conference play?
A: Well you’re in a routine now, and once you get into a routine, you don’t want to have a completely different emphasis; but everyone’s aware that this determines whom the conference champ is, and this can determine who goes to the playoffs. Every game is significant, and there’s no off weeks.
Q: Do you like the way the conference schedule was set up this year?
A: I guess. You just want to get that first game; then you worry about the next game and so on. If I was looking at the schedule back in the summer, I would have liked the schedule, but now you’re just worrying about how to improve for the next game.
Q: Agnew has been named one of the best running backs in the nation. How do you think he has improved this year?
A: Malcolm is a hard worker, and he has developed his game. You see now that he has gotten that burst that he may have been missing last year, plus he’s tough to bring down. His effort in the weight room has changed and so has is durability. He’s taken some hits this year but he’s still running, and that’s all we can wish for.
Q: How has Iannotti been doing so far?
A: He’s a work in progress. He has had some flashes of excellence and some flashes of him forcing the ball, but that’s all apart of the growing process. So far, I do like what I see. His competitiveness is great, so we want to see him continue to strive for excellence because hitting a plateau wouldn’t be good.
Q: Has the Blackout Cancer game grown since year 1?
A: Well when we first came to terms of doing the game, we thought it was going to get shot down immediately. Then when we got the OK and we thought it was going to be a one-time game. Fortunately, they have allowed us to do it again, and now it’s taking off across the country. I hope we can continue to build on it and fight the cause with these special memories.
