The following is a written transcript from Carson-Newman coach Ken Sparks' weekly press conference. 

Ken Sparks Press Conference 

Ken Sparks Press Conference

Pre-Brevard

10-6-15

SPARKS: Brevard, I would say, when they watch some video of Carson-Newman Eagles, they are going to say 'wow, we got a chance.' They have been beat up a couple of times this year but they are playing a whole lot better. They are improving which is probably a great compliment to coach Hamilton and his staff. They will do some things that we struggle with like cut blocks and getting mauled at the line of scrimmage. So we are going to have to play differently than we have been playing. They always give us a fit defensively. They will line up in a fifty defense and play fundamentally with anything and they will just try to our block and tackle you. I'm that is what we are up against this week.

Q1: What about the job Paul Hamilton does there?

Sparks: Unbelievable job coach Hamilton does there. I've been an admirer of his ever since he's been at Brevard because he takes less and does more with it than anyone else in the conference. I'm not talking about players—he has had some great players—but I'm talking about some of the things he has to deal with administratively he has to deal with hat probably no one else in the conference exactly has to deal with the same way. We all have our own problems and our own limitations but every time he just takes whatever they hand to him and keeps on ticking.

Q2: How do you rely on faith after what happened over the weekend?

SPARKS: Well, I mean that's when you do rely on faith. If your faith is conditional, you are in some trouble because there is always going to be some things happen in your life that will take away some of your self-proclaimed' I can see it, so I can believe it' attitude. If we have to see it before we believe it or if we have to have good things happen before we adjust to how we respond, we are going to be in trouble because that's the devil's playground there. That's his whole scheme and always has been. I'll make you think your something and then take that away from you. Then the Lord comes along and says "with me you are everything. You trust me and I'll take care of you."  

Q3: Brevard has Tyler Gregory, a freshman quarterback, who kind of got thrown into the role there. What does he bring to the table for this Tornado offense?   

SPARKS: Well, he can throw and run. He was a great high school football player. He was the player of the year down there in Georgia. We know he has the tools to do it and its probable one of the reasons why they are getting so much better. He is getting better and getting more adjusted to the fire of college football.

Q4: IS there something-you mentioned their defensive looks, they  have lost a lot of last year's club- or someone that sticks out to you?

SPARKS: They have a couple of linebackers that they always have had but a couple of returners that are making some plays for them. One is inside, one is outside and they are doing the things that people have had a lot of fun doing against us, like running the linebackers around and making tackles. We are going to have to find out some way to block a linebacker in our scheme. We have always been pretty successful in that but the last two or three years we have struggled with it.  We still managed to make them make the tackles six or eight yards down the field, so you can live with those yards. You can't live with only getting three yards and that's kind of the position we have been in this year.  

Q5: What is the biggest point you have stressed to get better on from last week?

SPARKS: We are a very young football team in some places. The number one thing that jumps out in my mind is the attitude of course. I've really enjoyed coaching this football team from the prospective of not having to be a juvenile director in the middle of a ball game by saying "hey you  don't act that way, you don't do that." I haven't had to do that much all year. Last year, I was majoring in that with a few guys. I even had to suspend some people because they wouldn't do what we were asking them to do. You don't win ballgames with your mouth or a sorry attitude or with a defiant attitude. The defiance is what gets you beat. I'm really proud of this group of kids for that reason. I know we can build on that and continue to get better on that. Our thing is the same thing it's always been. Let's get better by blocking and tackling better. Let's do it like we are told and coached to do it. Specifically, where we are struggling a whole lot is up front, offensively and defensively. It all starts on that level. If that level doesn't get it done then that second level isn't going to get it done. If that second level doesn't get it done then that third level is in trouble because it just snowballs that way. So, we have to get a whole lot better up front. That's where we are struggling a whole lot right now.  

Q7: Where do you see the team's attitude, where in a situation like this you have the L-R game last week, fall break this week, and then you get a team on paper that hasn't won a whole lot and doesn't wow you on paper. Then you have Newberry the next week. How do you ensure that the attitude is solely on Brevard this week?

SPARKS: First of all, I didn't even know who we play next week. So that shouldn't matter to them. If it don't matter to the head coach, it shouldn't matter to them. The only thing I know is that we play Brevard this week. If they think that we are invisible, just look at last week's game and see how limited we are in the way we played. We aren't every talented in places so we have to play our hearts out by going wife open. It can't be every once in a while, it has to be every play. Which play is not important? Which play can get you beat? Anyone of them can. You have to play every play hard because any play can get you beat. Vice versa, any play can win the ballgame. You have to play every play as if that play is going to win the ballgame. We are very, very inconsistent right now. There are two things we are not doing well. We are not blocking and tackling well and we are not very consistent in playing together as a unit. Consequently, when we have a guy break down on a kickoff unit, we give up a kickoff return for a touchdown. We get one guy that doesn't block the way he needs to block on punt protection and we get a punt blocked. Did they want to do that? No. They have to be so geared up to get it done that they don't let that happen. There has to be an urgency involved to get it done.

Q8: What do you have to do to ensure that you have to be consistent? I know that you made some personal changes to your kicking units earlier in the season, but what do you do now to make sure that they are more consistent across the three phases of your football team?

SPARKS: Well we are playing some people too much. We need to play more people because our guys are getting tired. We are asking some people to play on two or more kicking units and then to play every snap on defense and that's unfair to them. They still should do it and to be able to do it. There are people that fight wars with one arm and there's people that do some great things without and arm or a leg. So, come on. What's our excuse? We don't have an excuse. But we certainly have to get a little more urgency about when we are on the field. That's an opportunity to make news. Let's go make some good news. Let's not make bad news, let's make good news.

Q8: A guy like Tra'shuan Ward kind of embodies that. His size doesn't necessarily wow you as being a receiver, but he does have great speed and he has overcome a lot since he has been here. What have you seen from his maturation from when he first stepped on campus to now in being a senior?

SPARKS: A whole lot. He has matured a whole lot. He has become a better team player and has grown a lot spiritually, but there is times where he is still doing Tra'shaun's thing instead of the Eagle thing. He doesn't play wide open like he needs to play wide open. That's the thing about a back or a receiver that don't get the ball into their hands all the time that has to guard against is that they are only valuable when tat happens. That's bologna. That's rotten bologna on top of that. You have to play regardless of whether you're in or are back side or a decoy or whatever. You have to play.

Q9: You have brought up consistency as a unit. Is it just about break down on any given play or is it a bigger concept?  

SPARKS: It's a little bit of everything. We are pretty good at shooting ourselves. Sometimes we should ourselves in the head, sometimes in our heart and other times in our foot. We shot ourselves. It's just a matter of getting 11 people to do it the way it's supposed to be done, but we have a great opportunity. We have a great opportunity to improve. We are halfway through the season. We aren't rookies any more. We are a veteran football team because we have five game under our belt, so let's act like veterans. Let's go play like we know we can play.

Q10: How could a day off for fall break potentially help this team?

SPARKS: Well I hope that we do some good and honest self-evaluation. Number two, I hope we get some guys healthy. We are playing with a halfcocked gun right now. We have got to play with some self-evaluation in saying 'I have to up my level. I have to get better.' I hope that maybe we can get a couple of more guys on the field to rest some guys who haven't gotten a chance to rest much this year.

Q11: You have two of the least penalized teams in the country going at it this weekend. Have you called the officiating crew to tell them to leave their hankies at home?

SPARKS: Well, I'll let you handle that. (laughing)

Q12: What about the discipline though? It seems like the last five years they have been one of the nation's least penalized teams. What does that say about them?

SPARKS: I think it's a great compliment again to their coaching staff. It's real easy to get frustrated, especially in their situation where they haven't won a ballgame, in the ballgame by wanting to push somebody or cuss somebody or do something. That stuff is no boss and hurry. They don't let that happen. Another strong and impressive thing about their football team. 

-CN-