By: By Jake Dorow
HEAD COACH BRIAN BOHANNON (Audio) | CHANDLER BURKS & IZZY SAM (Audio)
KENNESAW – Kennesaw State returns to the gridiron after its open week and welcomes non-conference foe North Greenville to The Nest for the first meeting all-time between the two programs. The Owls' "Gold Out" ist set for 3:30 p.m. at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.
Head Coach
Brian Bohannon, along with senior LB
Izzy Sam and junior QB
Chandler Burks, met with the media Wednesday afternoon to preview KSU's matchup with the Crusaders.
Click the links above to hear complete audio from the press conference. Below is a transcript of selected questions and answers:
Head Coach Brian Bohannon
Opening Statement
Seems like an awfully long time since we've played with the open week, especially this early in the season. We are very excited about getting back on the football field and it's our second home game. We hope to see a big crowd and a packed student section with a lot of Gold. North Greenville is a team that went into the third round of the NCAA D-II playoffs last season and brought a lot of that team back this season. Their kids believe in what they are doing and know how to win. North Greenville is 3-1 and could be 4-0 coming in here. We are going to have to match their intensity and play a really good football team. They are very skilled upfront and they understand what they are doing, same defensively. They're very balanced and it will be a great challenge. We have to make sure we have that edge and that chip on our shoulder.
Q: How do you avoid a slow start on Saturday?
A: All we have talked about is to play a full game. I hope that our kids are motivated to be the best they can be and go out and take care of yourself. We want to come out with a little edge and prove to ourselves that we can be a better football team than what we have showed. I believe we have not scratch the surface on what we can be, but what you do on Saturday's is who you are. Our kids are motivated. It's important to come back home and we want to play a full four quarters.
Q: What do you expect out of North Greenville?
A: They're an outside zone team and like to run the ball with play action. Their guys up front may do the best job of anyone that we have played. I'm impressed with their offensive line, and they keep hammering and hammering until the back goes for 40 yards. They do a nice job offensively, and they want to run the ball. You don't go three rounds in the playoffs without having talented guys, and a lot of those guys are back.
Junior QB Chandler Burks
Q: How has the offense progressed over the first three weeks?
A: I believe the offense has made strides. We aren't where we want to be, but as Coach Bohannon has said in press conferences and practices that the focus is on us. We must focus on practice to have success on Saturday's. We are looking for consistency out of every player to put our team in positions to win ballgames.
Q: How different is the offense this season than last?
A: I will say it's a testament to our opponents. We have played some tough opponents and we tip ours hats to them. But it's nothing different about what they do, it's all on us. We have to stop the turnovers and give ourselves a chance to win ballgames. We have been putting up numbers statistically, but the scoreboard is not showing that. It comes down to assignments and the attention to detail that we harp on throughout the week.
Senior LB Izzy Sam
Q: What are your thoughts about the defense?
A: We have been up and down. We played well against Samford and Tennessee Tech, but missed a lot of assignments and weren't very sound. We cleaned up some things against Alabama State and this week will be a great challenge for us.
Q: What is the process you have to prepare your mind going into a game?
A: The linebacker position is like the quarterback of the defense. You practice like how you play. I look at it practice as the first 11 periods is the first half of the game, and the second half of practice is the second half of the game and we have to pick each other up just like a game. We have to help each other out and treat practice like a game.
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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