Mike Clowney Opening Statement: It's a new experience for us. First time we've been over there since I think you quoted it was like 1975 or something like that. So anytime you do something new, it is always a fun adventure and something we're looking forward to.
Q1: It's a road game. As we talked last week, that has provided some challenges. Reflection over the past few days. Any thoughts on how to get off the bus well?
Well, the biggest thing is you know, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter. You've got a game to play. You've got to get ready to go and get done what you need to get done.
Q2: The progression of your running back room really feels like it's been a next man up mentality, especially with all the knicks and bruises, and Tyree Nelson, good hard running after being held out a week at Mars Hill. What's that say about their ability to stick to it and Leonard Weaver, their coach?
You know, Coach Weaver's demanding, and I think that's one thing that you look for in a coach. You know, he's relational. Those guys have done a great job of working and developing, building relationships. Like I said, they do study hall in his office, and so, they're there, and they're connected all the time. But I think more than anything, you know, that just bringing that work mentality every single day. They are things that every week you go in and you see that we need to get better. The biggest thing for us is just continuing to work to get that done and continue to have that next man up mentality.
Q3: A winning season can still be in the cards if you win out. How much of a motivation is that?
For me, it's like you want to be a winner, you know. You get into this game to win, and I think that's something that is worthy of fighting for. You just don't want to go play 11 weeks of football and then go back and say well, we had these opportunities, and we didn't capitalize on them. So, I think it's something that's really worth fighting for right now.
Q4: In the history of Carson-Newman football, there hadn't been too many massive turnarounds. How challenging has it been to go from where you were last year, to let's face it, you've already tripled your win total from last year?
Yeah. It's about achieving at the level that you can achieve. I think, you know, the thing that we're talking about with our guys right now is we still think there's more out there that this group can achieve. It's like each week you just go play the game and try to do the best you can to win the football game, and then hope the results come out in your favor. But I think for us it's still about continuing to fight every week to do and pull the best part that you can pull together. That's what you want to see from guys.
Q5: What's the biggest challenge for your team to win these next few weeks?
I think it's, for us right now, mental preparation. Regardless of what the situation is, where the game is played, what the down distance is, what the score is. Going out and executing at the highest level possible is something that we've got to be able to do.
Q6: Talk about that mental aspect. With you as a player, you've mentioned in the past that you had issues injury wise. Coming back from those, how do you take the lessons that you learned as a player from a mentality perspective and try to translate that to this team?
I think that's one thing that we talked about a ton yesterday and just let them talk about. There's something that's on campus that I'll go and share with them, and the whole point is when it comes to the middle part of the game, do we agree, disagree, and then why do we agree and disagree? The consensus I think that we came to is you want to put your best foot effort every single time, and that winning is important and it's something that we ought to be locked into doing. It'd be a total commitment. That's one thing as a player, it was just always about achieving at your very best. I mean, if you're going out hurt, no, you may not run as fast as you did before, but you still give the very best effort that you can. We talk to them about that over and over and over again. You know, if you're going to succeed at a high level, you just play the next snap. You don't worry about the last one. It is all about the next one and the one 10 years from now, or three plays from now. You don't have any control over it. You may not even be in the game, but every time that you step on the field, it's about giving your absolute very best.
Q7: How do you balance right now, the playing time aspect of things with everybody that you have? You obviously have some guys that have really competed and played well, but you also have other guys that have been hungry. When you have a week like last week, maybe there's a temptation to change some things. So, how do you balance the personnel aspect of it?
You know, we go practice and hopefully we get guys in situations to where they compete within the week and just kind of figure out where that all shakes out. Us as coaches not being just completely locked in, we played a couple guys differently last week. But every week, you want to be able to open the floor up for guys to be able to come in and compete and figure out who's the best guy to give you the best chance in that game. Sometimes it's situational based on what the teams do offensively and defensively.
Q8: Emory & Henry has had some close calls with the upper echelon of the SAC this year. Nearly knocked off Newberry and did knock off Wingate on the road in an absolute fight. What sticks out to you about the Wasps in their first years at Division II?
You know, they're a good football program. I mean, they've done a good job of being settled, and bringing guys in to prepare, I think for this moment. They did a good job with that; I think they're very well coached. Their kids play hard. I mean, they're overall a good football program.
Q9: One of the better passing teams in the South Atlantic Conference. What sticks out to you about what they do passing-wise?
You can tell that the things they do, they worked on a lot and over a long period of time. You always talk about adjustments and answers. They do a really good job of having answers for situations and responding to them pretty quickly.
Q10: We watched the women's basketball team a year ago and that felt like a division III team. The volleyball team has had its struggles. The soccer teams have had their struggles with Emory & Henry this year. Is the football team ahead of schedule?
I would think so. I think when you look at this league, I think they were picked at the bottom at the beginning of the year. They came out of the gates and played Newberry to overtime, and then they wind up beating Wingate, and both of those teams are still contending to be able to win the Conference or at least their division. So, I think they are ahead of schedule.
Q11: Let's not forget too, a tight loss to Concord in week one, and Concord is the Mountain East leader right now. Defensively, what sticks out to you about them?
They play hard, and they've got good players. They do a lot as far as movement up front. Their guys do a good job of finding gaps and running to the football. As you watch film, a ton of interceptions on the back end and pass breakups. They do a good job on the back end.
