Chattanooga Week Football Media Availability

Opening Statement
“It’s Military Appreciation Day this Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium. We certainly appreciate all they do for us and the freedoms that we have. Steve Fink reminded me it was Veteran’s Day Sunday, so I appreciate all the veterans and what they’ve provided for us and the country that we have. November 11, 1918 was the end of World War I, in case you were wondering. That signifies that day.

“Also, it’s Senior Day at Williams-Brice Stadium, a 7:30 (p.m.) kick against Chattanooga. (We’re) honoring 20 seniors that will walk on Senior Day and appreciate them. (It’s a) small gesture of thank you for what they’ve done. It certainly is not good-bye. We’re certainly just saying thank you for what they’ve done for our program. Eight of them have already graduated. Nine of them will graduate in December, so 17 of the 20 will have completed their eligibility while they have their diplomas in their hand. That’s pretty impressive, and the other three are all on-track to graduate in May. I really appreciate them and appreciate what they’ve done for our program. It meant an awful lot, especially in a coaching change and transition, helping build the foundation of our program as we move forward. We certainly appreciate that.”

On the team’s injury situation
“Jaylin Dickerson has a hamstring, and he’ll be out this week. Aaron Sterling probably will not be back this week with a knee. We’re still trying to work through that, and (we’ll) see what we need to do as we move forward.”

On Jake Bentley’s role as an on-field play caller in RPO packages
“It’s his decision. There are certain sequences that we go into a game that we give him some guidelines of situations whether we want to hand the ball off or throw the ball. The other day it was all based on the look, and we felt good about the decisions that were made, but obviously we couldn’t get the results we wanted, and that’s unfortunate. We will go back and continue to look at the situation, what we need to do better, to put our guys in a better situation to be successful.”

On the controversial non-fumble call in the third quarter of the Florida game
“Once forward progress is stopped, it is now not a reviewable play, and I knew that on the field, number one. Number two, the whistle had blown. Number three, no official had reacted to the ball being recovered by Jaycee Horn and returned down the sideline. So, number one, the play cannot be reviewed once forward progress has stopped. Forward progress had been stopped because the whistle had blown. I had communication on the sideline with the official asking ‘did forward progress stop?’ and he said ‘the whistle has blown, coach.’ I said ‘are they looking at it upstairs?’ and he said ‘you know the rule.’ I do know the rule. So, forward progress had stopped; it is no longer a reviewable play. That’s the situation.

On the absence of D.J. Wonnum and Bryson Allen-Williams at different points this season and if he thinks about what impact they would have made if they had played more games together
“Sure. Those guys are both really good players. Just thinking in terms of last night and our seniors, Bryson is guy who is really special to me, a guy who I’ve known for a long time, (from) Cedar Grove High School. (He) had a very difficult junior season; it was supposed to be his senior season last year with the labrum and having the surgery. Then, coming back this year and really playing at a high level, playing extremely hard, very productive, and playing at a very high level. (It’s unfortunate) to have the ankle injury, and hopefully we will get him back for the bowl game. We appreciate everything he has done for us, but he and D.J. are both guys who in training camp looked really good on the edges, quite frankly, and being stronger on the edges with the both of those guys playing and playing at a high level. We wish we would have had Bryson down this stretch. It would have really helped us.

On why the team is struggling to tackle this season
“We’re a little thin at the safety position. We are a little banged up at the safety position. We haven’t been as productive at the linebacker position as we had liked to be. I think those two positions have really hurt us, as far as explosive plays. I think you go back to last year, Chris Lammons and D.J. Smith were both very good tacklers, and when the ball did hit the second level, in a lot of those situations, the ball was on the ground, from the standpoint of a six-or-eight-yard gain, as opposed to a twenty-yard gain and an explosive run. Things have kind of snowballed on us. We got worn down in the fourth quarter. In our last ballgame, we struggled to answer in those situations. I think there are a combination of things that have affected the ability of the tackling, and obviously, we continue work on it.”

On the fear of targeting and if he feels like that affects tackling issues
“I think that has a small part to do with it. I wouldn’t say it has a huge part to do with it. I think that targeting is an issue. We talk to our players all the time about lowering their targets and not leading with their crown of the helmet. Those are things we talk to our players constantly about, lowering their targets. Those are things we are constantly talking about. We do sometimes make mistakes, as far as trying to create a turnover instead of securing the tackle. That’s a judgement, and a hard judgement when a 220-pounder is running at you, and you have got to be able to get the guy on the ground, bottom line. That’s the most important thing. Again, I do think those factors have a small portion of it, but I think again, tackling a lot is a want-to. You’ve really got to want to throw your face in the fan and enjoy it. We have to continue to recruit to that.”

On the status of three players who are near the end of their eligibility
“Nick Harvey is not going to walk. We are trying to apply for another season through our compliances office. We have not heard on that yet. Eldridge Thompson is going to walk. His family had already planned to be here, but we are applying for an extra year with Eldridge. Donell Stanley’s family is going to be here anyway. He has planned to walk and has not made a decision. We will make that decision after our bowl game. He and I communicated that in the previous time of our open date. I think that those are the only three guys that we had talked about, that you might have questions on.”

On what Zack Bailey and other offensive line seniors have meant to the program
“Steady performer. You know every day what you’re going to get, every day on the practice field. Tough, hard-nosed, physical, and has been a really good football player here for us at South Carolina. But, the consistency that Zack brings every day, to me, is what impresses you. As far as just a guy who comes to work every day with his lunch pail and goes to work. We will miss Zack, he’s a good football player. That’s one thing we are missing is the chunk of offensive lineman. Malik Young has played really well for us this year. He’s done a really nice job. Blake Camper, I can’t say enough about Blake. Last year when Zack got hurt, he came in and played extremely well. Blake really dedicated himself a year ago to the weight room, changed his body, and has played really well for us this year. Both at right tackle, he comes in against Ole Miss and plays really well for us a left tackle. Donell Stanley, we talked about hoping to get Donell back, depending on what his (NFL Draft) grade will be. He will graduate in December, so he is one of the nine that will graduate in December. But, all of those guys, (including) Christian Pellage, from a playing stand point (it) hasn’t panned out to be as much as he had wanted to, but (he) has been a model citizen in our program. We are going to miss all those guys. Dennis Daley, from Ridge View High school right her in Columbia, went to Georgia Military College, and has been a fantastic left tackle for us and has played really well for us this season. So, we are really going miss some of those guys.”

On the lessons he can teach his team after a tough loss
“There are always teachable moments. They’re certainly easier to teach, unfortunately, after a very difficult loss. We’ve been really good in one-score games. Our guys understand that. They understand that those games are going to come down to probably three or four of five plays in the fourth quarter that determine the game. Our guys understand that. We talk about it all the time. We’ve been on the winning side of that a bunch. They understand those three or four or five plays. The interesting part of that (is that) you never know when they’re going to come. We’ve got to come out on top of those situations. That’s the bottom line, and our guys understand that. We’ve been really good in one-score games for a reason. They understand when crunch time comes, as coaches, we’ve got to put our guys in positions to be successful, and guys have to execute in those times.”

On Jay Urich’s role as a possible emergency special teams replacement last week
“Jay is a really good athlete. He’s a big athlete, a bigger body guy, and a guy that runs extremely well. (He) certainly can play in space. We’re short some guys, and (he’s) a guy that’s certainly willing to participate. He said ‘absolutely, I want to get on the field. I want to help the team any way I can.’ We’ve got a bunch of guys on our team like that.

On the senior class and if it’s helpful in any way that they experienced a losing season in 2015
“I don’t know that losing does a lot for you. At the end of the day, guys want to have a championship expectation – that’s what we have in this program. You’ve got a coaching staff that’s been part of 10 national championships and close to 30 conference championships. We know what it takes to win and be successful, and our expectation is higher than anyone else around here. I can assure you of that.”

On the importance of treating every week like its own season and if that’s harder to do when facing a lower-level opponent
“I don’t think so. I think our guys are very mature to understand that it’s about our preparation this week. I really always challenge our guys. To me, each week, as a player, as a coach, you make a decision about your effort, about your energy, about your toughness, your discipline, each week, to bring it on Tuesday. I thought we had a very good practice, a good tempo of practice today. We cleaned some details up of what we’re doing today. That’s always, with Tuesday, with the new installation of some things, we’re going to see on offense, defense and special teams, cleaning up again on Wednesday, and then obviously have a good, clean Thursday practice and a good walkthrough on Friday. Our guys understand it’s not really about the opponent. Regardless of who we play, it’s about us and our preparation and how we go about our business. That’s really our mindset each week. We can’t control who we play, where we play or what time. At the end of the day, we can control what we do, and that’s our preparation.”

On the chances of seeing Dakereon Joyner and other true freshmen get playing time on Saturday
“Again, if the situation, presents itself, number one, can they help us win the game? Number two, if there’s an opportunity that presents itself, whether it’s Dakereon or anyone else that’s a young player, certainly we’d like to have them have the opportunity to play. Absolutely.”

On the status of Josh Belk
“Josh is extremely bright. He’s done a nice job. He practiced today and I thought practiced well. He practiced last week for us. We plan on playing him Saturday.”

On the strengths of the Chattanooga defense
“They’re very talented up front. Isaiah Mack, number 8, is a really talented inside player. All three of their big guys inside present some issues for you. They’re all 300 (lbs.) plus. Thy move extremely well. They do a nice job in their four-down stuff, and they have a good three-down package on third down. He’s one guy that jumps out at you on tape. Karim Moore, number 2, is a transfer from Arizona State that was a freshman All-American at Arizona State. (He is) from Chattanooga and is a really talented corner.”