North Texas Mean Green College Football Pregame Quote, 11/05/2019

It was good to get back home and get a win against an improving UTEP team. I was proud of how we started fast and continued to build the lead throughout the game. We’ve had too many games where we’ve built a lead and let teams back in the game. I was proud of the effort and focus through four quarters to get the lead and the win.

When we score 52 points and the defense holds to 275 yards, you build confidence in all three phases but there are still things to clean up and we have to play much better against a very good Louisiana Tech team.

Their defense is extremely explosive and they’re very stingy, and offensively you know how explosive they can be. It’s going to be challenging. We have to have great week of preparation to go get a win.

On the grind with UNT’s bye week on the horizon:

They understand. It’s the time of the year when Game nine, statistically, you’re probably at the peak where you have to focus on nutrition and extra treatments and getting extra rest. It’s that time of year. We have to take some strain off their bodies, too, as coaches and as players you have to do your job and perform and be sure your body is where it has to be to perform at a high level. Everyone’s going through the same grind. Some years you’re healthier than others, but it’s a grind for every college football team in the country.

On QB Mason Fine’s T-Rex Costume:

I knew going into it. I was proud of him. I didn’t know if he’d do it or not. I egged him on a bit in pregame. You have to have fun. If you forget to get some laughs and enjoy it, it can be even more of a grind. It showed his personality. He likes to have fun. You know how serious he takes this game but you don’t always see who he is off the field.

On Louisiana Tech’s defense:

They’re very talented across the board and you try to find a weakness but they’re extremely talented. It starts back in the secondary. Amik Robertson is one of my favorite guys in the league. He loves to play ball and is very competitive. He’s not going to be that guy that is going to have the measureables, but he makes plays. Up front they always have twitchy D-linemen that are tough and physical. It’s a very talented defense. They haven’t given up much. We know we’ll have to be on point to have success, that’s for sure.

On Louisiana Tech QB J’Mar Smith:

He’s extremely talented and can make all the throws. He’s comfortable from being in the system for a while. His confidence is at a high level and he has playmakers all around. They’ll always have great wide receivers and their running backs are averaging about seven yards per carry. He has a lot of weapons around him, and it’s not just in the pass game. They’re balanced and they’re going to take what you give him, and they can do both well.

We’re going to have to make adjustments. That’s too good of an offense. You have to have a plan your guys can execute with confidence. Playing fast is important but communication on the sideline is key. They’re going to make plays. They’re too talented, but you have to be able to overcome adversity and we have to help them overcome that offensively as well. When you have success it’s because of all three phases and the energy on the sideline, and that’s key this week especially on the road where you can’t feed off the crowd and the extra players on the sideline. That’s why it’s challenging to play on the road.

On last year’s 29-27 loss to Louisiana Tech:

It was a hard-fought battle. We had a pretty good home winning streak going there. We hadn’t lost at home in a while. They played an unbelievable football game and it was back and forth throughout the game. We had an opportunity to kick a game-winning field goal and they came off the edge and blocked it.

We had an opportunity and we didn’t get the job done, and they did. It’s always going to be a great battles against them. Skip [Holtz] does a great job and they have players across the board. It’s one of the more challenging games in our league, year in and year out.

On WR/KR Deion Hair-Griffin’s impact:

Him and Deandre [Torrey] have been our return guys. They’ve both been explosive. He’s doing a good job of hitting it. You also have to give a lot of credit to the guys in front of him. Those aren’t easy blocks when guys are running down full speed and you’re on your heels a little. That return guy has to have some feeling and trust his guys and hit it up in there. All he needs is a little crease, him and Deandre, they’re both very explosive. We work on special teams a lot and that’s going to be key on the road, when you’re on the road you better bring your special teams’ ‚ÄòA’ game and play defense.

On the November grind:

A lot goes into it. Where it’s injury related. How much success you’ve had up to then. The grind of the highs and lows. Just trying to keep it balanced. If you’re on a roll and you have a lot of confidence going into November, it’s like we’ve gotten this far, now let’s keep the foot on the gas. It’s a little different in our position knowing our back is against the wall. We haven’t had some of the results we want but a grind is a grind. It’s a long season and there’s a lot that’s gone in to this point for a lot of teams. Ultimately all those things are just an excuse, you have to find out how to give yourself a chance to win games and go perform and do it.