By: By Jake Dorow
Head Coach Brian Bohannon (Audio) |
Auzoyah Alufohai & Justin Sumpter (Audio)
KENNESAW – Entering Saturday with a program-best 6-1 start and winners of six straight following a 17-3 victory over Gardner-Webb, Kennesaw State remains in Big South action against Presbyterian for a 2:30 p.m. conference clash at Bailey Memorial Stadium in Clinton, S.C.
Head Coach
Brian Bohannon, along with junior DL
Auzoyah Alufohai and junior WR
Justin Sumpter, met with the media Wednesday afternoon to preview KSU's matchup with the Blue Hose.
Below is a transcript of selected questions and answers:
Head Coach Brian Bohannon
Opening Statement
I appreciate you guys being here. Obviously, we are excited to get going again and we have to go on the road for another conference game. We have to play a tough Presbyterian team that's coming off a bye week and they are playing with a lot of confidence. Last game they were tooth and nail with Charleston Southern, coming off a defensive battle. Coach Spangler has taken over and done a great job. They are always solid and sound on defense and have improved on the offensive side of the ball. They're playing with more confidence and energy. It will be a big game for us. It was a tough lose for us to end 2015 and we have to go get ready to play the best football game we have play this season. You have to go out and prepare for it and execute. I'll open it up for questions.
Q: What have you done this week to get your offense going?
A: Our kids understand the expectations. If you went in and took a poll after the game on Saturday about the offense, our kids knew it wasn't very good. They didn't realize how bad it was until they watched the tape. The first thing you can't do is beat yourself. You have to give yourself an opportunity and a chance. Don't turn the ball over, don't have missed assignments and don't have penalties, and if you do, limit those mistakes. We have to go out and execute what we do. It comes down to being mentally focused to go out and play a football game. It's about mentally preparing to go play a game and dialing in to get yourself ready Saturday. It's when the least bit is off, things get magnified.
Q: Your inside run game has been really good the last two weeks. How important is that again this week against Presbyterian?
A: I went and told the offensive line in the position meetings yesterday and told them it's on you this week. We go as you go. If you are able to win your battles, we have a chance. We made some improvements this week, but they are stout inside. When you go back and look at the tape last year, it was a lot of big plays. We weren't hammering the ball inside and this is a big week for us up-front.
Junior DL Auzoyah Alufohai
Q: What do you see out of Presbyterian's run game?
A: They have four offensive lineman that are coming back from last year and playing really well off the ball. They have a really big running back. Playing Tyrell Maxwell helped us to prepare for everything with missed tackles and it will help us in this game.
Q: What is the camaraderie like amongst yourselves inside on the defensive line?
A: We've been playing with each other for a while now. We trust each other. We all know each other. We all trust our coach. We want to be unselfish and eat up double teams for our linebackers. It's not about us, it's about the team.
Junior WR Justin Sumpter
Q: What are your thoughts when you heard coach on not being happy with the offense from last week?
A: Coach is right. We didn't come out and play as good as we have been playing. We had a lot of mishaps with penalties, but we have to make sure we are focused and locked in with what we're supposed to do.
Q: How do you keep younger guys in-check with every game becoming bigger?
A: Mainly, we know each week gets bigger and that gives us a bigger chance of slipping and a chance at a conference championship. One game can mess up the whole season and we have to make sure we're all locked in.
Fifth Third Bank is the Official Bank of Kennesaw State Athletics. Fifth Third Bank Stadium, the signature athletics landmark on the Kennesaw State University campus, is a world-class facility that has been recognized as one of the premier multi-use outdoor athletics venues in the country. In the fall of 2015, it become the official home of Owls football team and is home to Owls soccer and lacrosse as well.
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