Football Press Conference Quotes on Monday, September 26, 2011

Press Conference with Coach Higgins, Keith Carter and Derek Douglas

Coach Higgins' recap of the Elon game…

"From a defensive standpoint, I think we played extremely well. We have been getting better and better very game. Elon has a very good offense and we held them to one touchdown, which was very encouraging. We didn't plan on blitzing as much as we did the previous two weeks because they attack them very well. Derek Douglas, Chris Billingslea, and Demarrio Sims played very well and Jeremy Buncum and Rod Harland did a nice job. Harland had a fumble recovery and Davis Boyle picked off a ball on the 10-yard line, which was a big play for us."

"We struggled offensively. What hurt us the most were the five three-and-outs that we had. We talked about getting off to a good start and we started with an 11-play drive; but we came away with no points. Ben has to step up. He did not have his best game, but we have to help him out"

"From a special teams standpoint, we missed two field goals and those were points that would have had a difference at the end of the game. In overtime they made their field goal and we pushed ours to the right. We have to be able to score points, especially when you get in the red zone. On the positive, we probably lead the country in the least number in penalties. We had one penalty for five yards."

Coach Higgins' comments on the upcoming Chattanooga game…

"We are playing this week in Chattanooga. Chattanooga has a great defense. In their game against Appalachian State, Chattanooga didn't allow an offensive touchdown. Keith Carter and the guys upfront are familiar with defense and that makes a difference. B.J. Coleman, Chattanooga's quarterback, is in his last year and I believe he is one of the best quarterbacks in the country. He is a big, strong kid and has a very good arm and can throw across the field with velocity. Offensively, they haven't run the ball as well as they would have liked to thus far, so I would imagine they are going to work very hard to get the running game going and become a little more balanced. They are well coached and this is going to be a good football game."

Coach Higgins' comments on Chattanooga's defense…

"They have a little more experience than last year, especially on the back end. Their team speed is very impressive. Their linebackers are playing extremely well and their secondary is very disciplined. They look faster and stronger than last season."

Coach Higgins' comments on The Citadel quarterbacks…

"We could possibly use both quarterbacks. Ben has started multiple games now and he is still learning. The thought [using Matt Thompson on the last play of first half] was we wanted to throw a hail mary in the last seconds. We wanted to spread them out and get a throw down the field, which is an aspect Dupree needs to improve on."

Keith Carter comments on the offense…

"It is not so much that the defense was coming at us, it has to do more with our timing and the reads. If you look at the Elon game, it is not that they were playing in our backfield, it is the timing of our blocks"

Coach Higgins' comments on Ryan Sellers and the kicking game…

"Ryan had been playing well up until this game. He kicked two field goals in the previous week. He and I talked yesterday and he commented on how he did not feel well the entire day. In the pre-game warm ups he wasn't hitting the ball the way he wanted to. The bottom line is Ryan Sellers has a real strong leg and gets the ball up high. He is a committed kid and football is important to him. We have to stay with him. He is by far our best kicker. We have a new long snapper this year and the operation is good. Alexander Wall puts the ball down every time."

Coach Higgins' comments on Terrell Dallas' status…

"Dallas has a medial collateral injury and he is getting better everyday, but everyone comes back differently from this injury. I talked to him yesterday and he is feeling a little better, but he is not ready to go this week. The good news is that Darien Robinson is stepping up and getting better. He had a 65-yard run and he is only going to continue to improve. Rickey Anderson has done a very nice job and we are going to try and get the ball in his hands more."

Coach Higgins' comments on safety, Davis Boyle…

"Davis Boyle has been playing extremely well. We are looking to get his brother, Austin out on the field. Both of these guys are stepping up and they keep on getting better and better. We talked about mental toughness and handling things that arise during the course of the game. In our team meeting I talked about a clip I saw when Davis got tanked and he was down on the ground. He got back up and ran back to the huddle. The very next play he intercepted the football. That is the kind of kid he is. He is quite leader for us and he is only going to continue to get better for us."

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