Charlotte 49ers College Football Pregame Quote, 10/19/2021

On defensive game plan against Florida Atlantic:

I think it’s important to make sure those are third-and-seven plus instead of third-and-ones and twos, right. It’s the same with us offensively. These guys do a really good job of getting you behind the sticks on first down. We have to stay ahead of schedule on offense, we have to get them behind schedule on defense. So, we have to make sure on longer distances that you can pin your ears back and rush the passer. These guys have great talent. Quarterback’s a really good player and can do a lot of different things, no play is ever really over. I think the backs are really good players, the wideouts, tight ends ‚Äî they are a good football team and that’s the fun part about it. Because of how these guys have played, we have made it an important game for both teams. That’s fun to talk about getting toward the end of October.

On K Jonathan Cruz: 

Three years ago, Brad Lambert’s last game here, was when they had already announced that they wouldn’t be bringing him back and it was the first Charlotte football game I watched, was FAU and Charlotte. I watched Cruz kick ‚Äìit looked like a 77-yard kick to win the game and he had a couple big kicks that year. So, all of a sudden expectations, which Chris[Reynolds]and Tyler[Murray]can both talk about, expectations go through the roof. You think he’s the next Sebastian Janikowski and he’s going to be drafted in the first round. He’s had some ups and downs. He’s had three special teams coordinators in three years. I’ll say the same thing about Cruz that I would say about Mikel (Horton), his buy-in, he is a teammate and his work ethic, it means something to him when he does not provide for his football team. I think our team sees that as well and I think in the past, Cruz was just here because he was good enough to now we’re here where Cruz is here because he loves being here. I think it’s made a difference and it doesn’t hurt anyone more than it hurts Cruz when he doesn’t make all of them when we expect him to make all. He’s a weapon, he’s done a great job. We have a ton of confidence in him and know he’ll show up big on Thursday.