Coach Hill Press Conference Transcript

Opening statement
We're excited to get back here. We started practicing on Mondays this year. The guys came in and watched some film this morning and we will have a short practice this evening. We're excited to get back after it after a tough loss, but I like the attitude of our guys. They're ready to respond and have a great week of practice. We know who we're playing. I have a ton of respect for coach Tuke. He's a guy that I played for and has always helped me throughout the entire process of being a coach. He's turned into a friend of mine. A lot of those guys were coaches when I played. I have a ton of respect for those guys. I know the way they've built their program. They're going to compete and play hard. We have our work cut out for us. We're just looking forward to the process.

Q: Is there any more pressure to win a game like this since it's a regional rival and the first home game?
Yeah. The expectation is to win them all, especially to get the first one. We're at home. We've talked about to have any successful season you have to protect your home turf. We expect a big crowd. We have to use our home field to our advantage. We have to come out and play well. It's going to be a tough match. They got us last year and a lot of our guys are back from that. We know the feeling that we had. Making the 45-minute trip back here wasn't a good feeling. It's the process. It's Monday. We have to get to work.

Q: Why do you think Josh Straughan was so efficient?
I think he just did what we were asking him to do. He went through the progressions well. He took care of the football. I've said this a couple of times: Some of his best plays are ones where he didn't throw the ball. He pulled it down and learned to fight another day. He threw a couple of balls away. He played smart football and just did what we asked him to do. We feel really good about the receivers we have and the weapons we have. He was able to distribute the ball around well to all the guys that we have.

Q: How do you go about creating turnovers?
You have to put emphasis on it. I thought they did a really good job. Their quarterback, Driskel, did a good job of being smart with the ball, too. The one at the end of the half was the one that he probably forced. It was kind of a fluke play, but we weren't able to get the ball. Deondre Barnett got a strip sack late in the second half, but we were unable to get on the ball. The ball was out, but we just have to be more physical when we get to the ball and get more hats to the ball. We have to create some turnovers.

Q: What did learn about the team now that they've played someone else?
I like the way that we competed. I wasn't nervous about that at all. I know with the veteran players we have in this locker room, they know how to compete. They played hard. We found some little things that we have to get better at just like every team in the country did. We have to clean those types of things up. I like the guys that we have out there. We just have to see some improvement this week. I know it's exciting to turn around and get another shot this weekend.

Q: What kind of tail back is Will Young?
Really good. It was impressive. He runs the ball really hard. He's a really good back. When you put on the film he sticks out. He's a physical kid. You can tell they want to run the football and control the ball. They did a lot of good things against Memphis and he's a really good back.

Q: How similar are the schemes coach Tuke uses to when he coached here?
It's crazy, but it's a long time ago. It's a different scheme than what we used on defense. Now on defense, they're a bit more of an odd front, playing a 3-4 defense. It's completely different. His philosophy hasn't changed. He's an intense guy and you can tell his teams are going to play extremely hard and they're never going to quit. That's just how he coaches, with a lot of passion and a lot of energy.

Q: Have you noticed any extra fuel in your guys after last year's game with SEMO?
Not yet. We still haven't got out there on the field. I hope that on Mondays we don't see them getting ready any different as far as how they prepare for any week. It's our first home game. They beat us last year. We have to have a workman's-like attitude every day. This is the next game. It's the most important game. The week of preparation just makes you feel so much better on game day when you know you've went out and had a good week. For us to play well on Saturday we have to start this afternoon and have a good week of practice.

Q: They forced three turnovers on defense. Were they really aggressive or did they make a play on the ball or was it a combination of both?
It was a combination. They're aggressive. They do a good job. Their defensive back picked us off twice last year. I think he ranked in the top of the country in interceptions last year. He did a good job and got another one against Memphis. They mix things up. The quarterback forced a couple things, but that's because they did a good job on Memphis. It wasn't fluke plays, they created turnovers. They've done a good job of that since coach Tuke took over.

Q: Their transfer quarterback Jesse Hosket had a good game. What in particular impressed you about him?
He's a guy that can throw the football. He's a big strong kid and was successful in junior college. He's doing what they ask him to do. He's taking care of the football. He's got an arm to make all the throws. He moves around a little bit. They spread him out and move the pocket. It's a small sample size. It's one game, but he did a nice job.

Q: You did a nice job rotating running backs. How do you like mixing those guys with Mixon, Isom and Stanton?
It's the same thing. We have a few different guys who do some things differently. Mixon got the one carry for a touchdown. We probably could have gotten him a few more touches, but it's just the way the game goes. We feel good about those guys, they're all healthy and ready to roll again for this week.

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