Head Coach Terry Hoeppner Weekly Press Conference
11/30/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 30, 2004
Opening Thoughts
"We've had good practices this week. We gave the players some time off last week and brought them back Saturday. We've had great practices the last two days, as we try to get as much in as possible in case the weather gets bad. We're playing inside, so there isn't much point to practicing in the sleet if it comes to that."
"We're relatively healthy going into Thursday. Mike Smith is as close to 100 percent as he's been for awhile, and he probably could have gone last week at
Bowl Situation
"We don't know where we're going, but we hope to be going back to
On the MAC Championship Game
"Even knowing that it was the East's turn to host, I was very much in favor of a neutral site championship. I was at Ford Field last year at the Motor City Bowl, and if you haven't been there, you'll be impressed.
"It's the first time at a neutral site, and it's been one of my personal goals to play in this game. We've got two traditional MAC Schools that have been around for awhile and played each other a lot. These are, in my opinion, the two best teams...the teams that have survived. I think this is an important measuring point for our conference and a challenge to all of the league's programs. It's important that everyone comes out and supports this. I want to see people step up and come out to the game."
On Playing Toledo
"There's a sense of familiarity whenever you play someone again. It's like an extended four-week halftime in which the teams have to make adjustments. We'll make some adjustments, but we don't want to get too cute. Our defense worked pretty well last time, but our offense left some points on the field. I'm sure
"The fact that they won a must-win game at Northern Illinois to control their own destiny and were able to come back against
"They're so creative and imaginative on offense, and a lot of that has to do with how well they run screen plays. They got us with one of those on fourth down the last time we met. We have to be very aware defensively. We have to try to contain their offense and not let them get on a role. Field position will be big."
"Offensively we left a lot of points on the field last time. We dominated field position and turnovers in the first quarter when we last played, but we were only up 6-0. We have to be efficient on offense but also opportunistic."
"It's going to come down to the team that is most prepared physically and mentally, and the team that is not distracted by Ford Field. My guess is that it's going to be another close game. As
"The first game was a lot of fun, and I said so afterward. We were coaching for 60 minutes and on our toes the whole time. You're physically exhausted after that kind of game."
"Both sides will be making adjustments, and the game tape everyone will watch the most is the one of us playing each other. There will be a lot of anticipating and trying to figure out what adjustments the other side is going to make. I don't put a lot of stock in that. A lot of those decisions have to take place during the game. You have to do what the game calls for not just what you prepared for."
On the State of the Team
"We know what we have to do. I said early in the season that we had to find what we did best. You can go in with similar ideas from the previous year, but the team personality and players themselves may not match what you did a year ago. There were some things we could do better with some of the guys that left after last season, but there are also things that this team does better than last year's. We now have a better understanding of our team on both sides of the ball and special teams. We've built on the positives and eliminated what wasn't working."
"Defensively, I think it took some time for the players to develop confidence in a first-year coaching staff. There's an adjustment period that goes along with that, but I'm very proud at how well our staff has matured and how the players have responded."
"I really appreciate how the seniors have stepped up. It's a confidence thing, because it's not easy to stand in front and tell everyone to follow you. We voted on and announced our permanent team captains earlier this week. Michael Larkin and Dave Rehker are the captains from the offensive side, and Alphonso Hodge and Matt Pusateri are the captains from the defensive side. It's a great honor for them."
