Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Head Coach Dale Lennon press conference transcript
10/26/2015 | 12:00:00 | Football
Tony McDaniel
SIUSalukis.com
Opening Statement:
Another exciting week in front of us. We're definitely excited to be back at Saluki Stadium. It's getting to be a very good place for us. We're looking forward to playing the four-time national champion, North Dakota State. This is a stretch that we knew would be challenging. Watching North Dakota State on film; they're definitely a very good football team that is top-5 caliber. They're going to get a chance to compete for another national championship. That' the challenge we have, to get our game at a level we need it at to be competitive and have a chance to win that ball game.
What the biggest lasting impact of a game like Saturday for you guys?
It's good to have something happen that was positive. Our guys never gave up, and I told them on Sunday that previously we would have things that happen to us that cost us the game. This time negative things happened, but we recovered and were able to find a way to win at the end. I think that's encouraging. I think this team is maturing. They've handled a lot of the situations that we've been in very well. Nobody has given up hope as far as the potential of this football team. We are a very good football team; now we have another opportunity to prove it. Morale is high right now, which is exactly what we need.
How did North Dakota State's offense change without Carson Wentz?
Carson is probably one of the best quarterbacks in the country, period. His ability to throw the ball last year against us was big time. That's what they miss out on is that capability with Carson in there. With their new quarterback, Easton Stick, he's a player, too. There's a reason why he's there. He was a top player out of Nebraska. He's very capable to make all the throws. Athletically, he's been referred to as a better runner than Carson, and that's saying a lot. He's going to be a threat with his feet. He was able to elude a lot of rushers in the Indiana State game. His game is different than Carson's. I think the Bison offense reflected that. They kind of went back to more of an old-school approach, where they just hammered the football and controlled and managed the clock. Defensively, they had a lot of people to replace from last year. Now, a lot of those players have seen some playing time. They're very sound defensively. They don't make many mistakes. That will be our biggest challenge offensively, trying to take an up-tempo offense and make it effective against a defense that doesn't give up much.
Is this a more vulnerable Bison team than in years past, with two losses and the injuries?
Every year that we've played them since we've been here, I've felt like we had a chance to win the ball game. Every year, except last year, we led at halftime. You have to play a full four quarters. This team is no different. I think they've shown that with some of their games. They beat Northern Iowa at the end. They controlled South Dakota State from start to finish. They're just a good solid football team and that hasn't changed. That's really not any different than the persona that they had the last four years, the main difference is they have different players playing the positions.
What kind of challenges do their two powerful running backs and Stick, who looks pretty fast, present?
They're using four to five running backs out of their backfield; they have a couple freshmen in the mix that are very talented. They are spreading the ball around more than just with the two running backs. With Stick, he becomes like Mark Iannotti. He can run at any time, so they are similar to us in that fashion. A lot of they plays that they designed are just for him to get out on the perimeter.
 | We are a very good football team; now we have another opportunity to prove it. Morale is high right now, which is exactly what we need. Dale Lennon |
Do you expect to use Shaq Findlater again on the D-line this week?
Shaq is a defensive lineman now. He's turned in his tight end card. Even though we used him on the 2-point play; that was the residue of his former life. You'll see him in all the defensive meetings.
How good is it to be at home for two games in a row?
It feels real good. That's the crazy thing, we're almost at the end of October and this is just our fourth home game. We're playing well at home so confidence is extremely important. You just want to feel good about going down that final stretch. After this week were on the road again, but if we can take care of business and keep wining at home things are going to stack up well for us.
Does it mean any more to you to beat North Dakota State than any other teams?
All wins are special, but the history involved here I can't make it anything else than what it is. There's a personal side here. I enjoy playing North Dakota State. They're good; they bring out the best in you. You have to be at the top of your game to have a chance to make it happen. It goes back to my playing days; it goes back to being a young coach. One of my motivational reasons for getting into coaching was I wanted to keep competing against North Dakota State. It's a goo rivalry that exists up north and I've taken it down here. I'm doing my own personal one right now, but I do feel it can bring out the best in you.
