Coach Hill Press Conference Transcript

08/29/2016 | 4:51:00 | Football

By: By Tony McDaniel, SIUSalukis.com

OPENING STATEMENT

We're excited about being in game week finally. It's here and we're excited to play somebody besides ourselves. I feel like it's been a long time coming. I feel good with where we're at. These next few days are still important. We're just fine tuning some things but We have to get out there and play somebody else, so We have to put it out there. I'm excited about seeing our guys go out there and play. I'm excited about getting on the road and travelling down to Florida and excited about the opportunity we have. FAU is a great team. I know a lot of guys on their coaching staff and know what they've been putting together. I know that they've been coached really well. Coach Partridge does a good job. They're going to be well coached, and they're going to be prepared. They have really great athleticism with some of the kids they have on that roster. It will be a great test for us week one and we will find out a lot about our team.

Q: How good is FAU's defense compared to last year? They're projected to win twice as many games from last year.

I don't think you know until you go out there and play. It's the first game of the season for them too. We just know that athletically they're going to be really good. They had a really, really good defensive line last year. I know a couple of those guys are gone. They'll just reload. It will be a good test for us. I expect them to be really good.

Q: You were a part of beating an FBS program. What is that biggest challenge an FBS program like FAU represents?

I think you have to go there with the mindset that you're going down there to win the game. Any time you're in these situations and you're just going down there happy to compete, you're not going to win. We have to get ourselves believing that we're going down there to win the game. We're going to compete. I think that obviously in any game on the road, especially when you're playing a team that has more scholarships and is supposed to be deeper, we can't turn it over on the road. We have to play well in special teams to be in any game like that. In the two years that we beat FBS teams, we played really well on special teams. Thinking back, we got an onside kick. We made long field goals. Special teams and turnovers are huge, just like in any game.

Q: What did John Van Dam tell you about Trey Hendrickson? John was at Florida last year and they played FAU.

They played them in the second-to-last game, and I think he's done a good job, especially playing against a lot of those guys. It's a new year. They're going to have new schemes. They're going to have players that come out and surprise us. They're going to have freshmen and redshirt freshmen that we have no idea about. We have to control the things that we can control. It starts with effort and assignments. That's what this week is all about—going out there and sharpening up on ourselves. We have to go out there and be ready for anything.

Q: How similar is FAU's new offense to the one SIU runs?

We'll see. Coach Trickett is a good friend of mine. He does a really good job. They have the athletes to go fast. They have the weapons to be really good. It's just like anything. The first game they're going to have some things that we just have to be ready for. Our defense has gone against us every single day. I think it has prepared them somewhat. I'm sure we're not going to be the exact same. Like I said, I know a lot of those coaches, they're going to be coached up really well. We have to be ready to just go out and play.

Q: Do you start prepping for the first game sooner than other games?

Yeah, it's similar to a bye week. You usually are able to steal a couple practices more so than another week because we've had extra time leading up to it. We really got into FAU practices last Thursday, so we were able to get a couple more practices than you would in a normal week.

Q: What is your biggest concern heading into the opener?

This is my first game as a head coach, so I'm excited about watching them out there and seeing how it unfolds. I know we're going to be prepared. We have to trust the process of everything we've done for a reason leading up to this. Everyone knows to prepare for a game. You have to take your guys and go out there and play. You never know how the game is going to go, but I feel good about our preparation and the things that we've done. Spring ball, summer and fall camp, there's really not a situation that we haven't put them in. We're going to be prepared; and ultimately, it's the player's time to go out and have fun and players win you games. We're going to have to make plays and play well to be in the game.

Q: A good chunk of players are from Florida. It's kind of like a homecoming for them. How do you keep them from getting too emotional?

It's a special time for a lot of those guy—the only time that they'll play in the state of Florida in their entire career. There are no FCS schools down there that would play and no one else is on our schedule for the next four years. I want them to enjoy it. I hope they have tons of family. That's just like anywhere else we would go and play and have anyone else close to home. I'm glad we're able to do it. So many of them are from there. It's an exciting time. You want to play in front of your family. Everybody is going to have pregame jitters, but once the game gets going we're going to compete and play hard.

Q: What are you looking forward to in your first game as head coach.

A lot of things. Just like I keep saying, I'm excited to watch them play. The preparation, the things that you've done out there. So many times in practice we're on opposite sides going against each other. Now we get to come together as one unit. You only get 11 games a year. This is one of the 11. We're not going to take it for granted. We're going to compete and we're going to have fun.

Q: How do you feel about your two tackles?

We're confident in all the guys were going to put out there. They obviously have a really good defensive line and pass rusher. We have to do somethings to help our guys out. At the end of the day, if we put them out there we're confident in their abilities. It's up to us to make sure they're good to go and out them in the right situations to be successful. Austin (Olsen) has played a lot of games here. We feel really good about him. Austin will get the start at left tackle, and Devondre Seymour or Ben Bailey will get their first start at right tackle.

Q: Will any true freshmen get playing time?

We've talked about D.J. Davis on offense, who will play. Malik Haynes on the defensive line will play. We'll travel six true freshmen, but ultimately we'd like to redshirt some of them. We'll just see how the season goes. Especially in these non-conference games We'd like to travel as many as we want. The tricky part is in conference when you can only have so many people dressing. In these games, it will be good for them. Some of these guys that might not end up playing in the game will get the experience of traveling and being on the road and getting their feet wet a little bit.

Q: What impresses you about FAU's special teams unit?

I think that they do a really good job. They're sound in everything they do. When you see a team that's good on special teams, that means they're coached up because every little detail is sound. You're good on special teams when you're athletic, too. They have a lot of athletes; they're going to be good on special teams. We have to be good on special teams. Coach Nunez has been doing a great job. I feel good about where we're at on special teams, too. Just like anything, it's different when those lights turn on and perform when its game time.

Q: Who will be your returners on kickoffs and punts this year?

Billy Reed returned some punts last year. Matt DeSomer returned punts last year. Craig James returned them at Minnesota, so they all do it a little bit different and depending on how the game goes, it could be a couple of them. Kickoff is the same way. Daquan Isom did it last year. Aaron Stanton did it last year. D.J. Davis does a good job at it. We feel good about our return game and it will be a good chance for those guys to go out and prove it on Saturday.

Q: Will you call the plays on offense?

I'll call the plays. John will be in the box and has done a great job and still does. He will have a heavy influence on all the play calling. It will be nice having him in the box. He's a detailed guy, one of the most detailed people I've ever been around.

Q: What is your role when the defense is out there

Everything falls on your shoulders. You have to manage the game—clock management, going for it, time outs—all that kind of stuff. Then again, you have to rely on your assistants and the people in the box. You definitely have to prepare yourself. In the past as an offensive coordinator when they drive ends, you're thinking about the next one. That will be different, but I'm looking forward to that as well.

Q: Who will start at cornerback?

Right now we feel we have three guys that are going great. Craig James, Roman Tatum and C.J. Jennings will be the three corners that play in the game a lot, especially in a game like this. As much up tempo offense as they'll be, cramping is something we have to monitor with our trainer and strength coaches on the sideline. We're going to be playing in Florida and understanding that we have a lot of guys playing. We feel good about those guys at corner, though.