Montgomery Expects Test in Non-Conference Game at Temple
10/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 25, 2005
Shane Montgomery
Weekly Press Conference
October 25, 2005
On the Eastern Michigan Win:
"It was a good win for us up at Eastern Michigan. Any win on the road in this or any conference is hard to get. I knew going in that it was going to be a tough game. They're a much improved team that has had some nice wins this season. By watching tape of them from past years to this year, you can see how much they've improved, especially on defense."
"We played well at times, but we're still leaving points on the field. Defensively, if you take away the first series and the last series, I felt like we played pretty well. We made some big plays on defense including the stop on fourth-and-goal and the blocked field goal. As hard as the win was to get, there were definitely a lot of good things about the game."
"It's good to win a close game like that. Earlier this year, we were on the opposite end in our Central Michigan loss. You find a lot of character and learn about playing 60 minutes in a game like that. Even though you play a lot of plays in this game, the game usually comes down to a few big plays, and we made those plays Saturday. There's a fine line between winning and losing, and, at this point in the year, we're just trying to find ways to win games."
On Getting Back into the MAC East Title Hunt:
"When we found out Bowling Green lost, there was a lot of excitement in the locker room. We've had our backs against the wall and have had to take care of our own business to stay in the hunt, but we also needed help. I think there's a little extra bounce in everyone's step now that we're in control of our own destiny again. In this game, you want to be playing meaningful games late in the season, and, after the last couple of years, we're a confident team that expects to be playing in those meaningful games."
On the Offense:
"We're really running the ball well right now, which is taking a lot of pressure off the offensive line. It's a lot easier for those guys to pass protect when the defense has to look for the run before it can come after the passer. We still need to be more consistent on offense and keep improving through the end of the season."
On the Defense:
"We're always focused on our rush defense, because it's important that we be able to make teams one-dimensional. They were able to come out and run the ball against us early, but our coaching staff and players did a nice job of making adjustments. The quarterback that started was more of a threat running the ball than their usual starter, and they were able to show us some things we hadn't seen. Our defensive staff did a good job of making the necessary adjustments, and, other than some breakdowns on the first and last series, the defense played pretty well."
Injury Update:
"At this point in the season, you're going to have plenty of bumps and bruises and we've got a lot of guys banged up. Dan Tyler is still day-to-day with his knee and may or may not be able to go at Temple this week. Terna Nande is still week-to-week. I'd be very surprised if we have him back this weekend, but there's a chance we can have him back by the Buffalo game."
On Temple:
"Even though this is a non-conference game for us, it's a big game where we need to get win number five. Temple's record is not indicative of the team they have. They've played eight very good teams this year, including teams that went to bowls last season and teams that will be going to bowls this season. We're going to have to play a good game on both sides of the ball and special teams."