[Walt Longmire]

Here's some quotes from Coastal Carolina's press conference:

Opening statement about Eastern Kentucky:
"In terms of the types of things we need to work on as we think about Eastern Kentucky, I think our offense has improved from where we were the first game. I think we still need a little more consistency, a little more crispness and a little more sharpness. From a defensive prospective, I give a lot of credibility to our guys for their ability to hang in there, never quit and come up with big plays when we really need them. However, we have been very inconsistent against the run. I thought the special teams improved. Last year in the 13 games we played, I think Eastern Kentucky was probably the most physical team we played against. I think most of our guys would agree with that. They do a wonderful job on defense, aggressive getting on the ball, they break on the ball quickly when the ball is in the air, they are aggressive to get to the ball on the runs, outside plays they get a lot of people there. They really do have a good defense, especially against the run. From an offensive prospective, the quarterback that plays for them this year played quite a bit a year ago. Frankly, I think he is better than the kid they had a year ago. They are nationally ranked for a reason and we have our work cut out for us. We've got to show significant improvement as a team from where we were from week two to week three, especially on the defensive side of the ball. I am optimistic that we can do that. Our guys' attitudes are very good, but we need to be far more consistent across the board and hopefully we will be."


On Eastern Kentucky coming off a loss: "They work hard, they expect to win and they think they're going to win. That's the way they think. They beat us a year ago, and yes they're coming off of a loss, but they had a pretty good win the week before that. They come off a loss against an FBS team (Louisville) that is ranked eighth in the country. The reality is, they are a good football team and no matter what they did the first two games, they are going to be ready to go."


"I think when you're playing to your full potential and you're really consistent then you're playing well. You improve and become more and more consistent and you continue to grow each week, but I don't think we've gotten there yet. When you're able to fix any mistakes, and as coaches we have to simplify things so our guys can get to our ball well. When you're not where you need to be, but you start to put things together and things start to click, you can make a huge jump forward from one week to the next. There are a handful of things that we can do to make us significantly better, but we have to execute that during the game."




Senior offensive lineman Jamey Cheatwood


On playing a ranked team: "Our main goal, according to Coach Moglia, is, through the philosophy, to be a man and he wants us to compete nationally. In order for us to (compete on a national level) we have to beat ranked opponents. But, like coach said, that's not going to affect our preparation. I've played here for a long time. I've started a lot of games. Physically and mentally, I have a preparation, a strategy for each week. I don't ever go off of that strategy. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are big learning days for me. I watch a lot of film; see what type of player I'm playing. Thursday and Friday are big polish days. Usually by Thursday, I know what's going on. This is a big week for us, just like any other week."

On Eastern Kentucky's Run Defense
"Last year, I played seven games before I got injured. This year, I've played two games. Out of all those games, this is the best defensive front I've played. They're physical, they're the most gap sound defense I've played and I'm really looking forward to the competition. They are a good team, but our main goal each week is to knock people back as an offensive line. So from here, and how many games we play, that will be our main goal."


Junior linebacker Quinn Backus


On Eastern Kentucky' offense: "What makes Eastern Kentucky effective is their ability to run the ball right at you. They don't really have any trick plays. They line up, and it's just our big guys against yours. The main thing we have to do this week is do our assignment and don't do other people's jobs. We need to do what we've practiced all week and trust in our coaches' game plan."


"This week, we are really focusing on getting better angles and we know we have to tackle better. If not, [Eastern Kentucky] will have a successful time running the ball. We just have to stay disciplined, read our keys, do everything right, and play a perfect game."

Sounds like the Chanticleers have a lot of respect for the Eastern Kentucky program.