Murray State University Athletics
Weekly Press Conference
10/20/2003 11:00:00 PM | Football
Quotes from head coach Joe Pannunzio during the weekly football press conference on Oct. 20 in preparation for the Racers' Ohio Valley Conference road game at Southeast Missouri on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 6 p.m.
On the status of the team and where they are right now:
"When you start the season as the defending OVC champs and you have high expectations, and then play the way we have the last two months, it's very tough. You have to look at everything and evaluate what you're doing and see where you going."
"Right now, we're a fragile team on offense. I think our defense has gotten to a point where it can overcome some adversity, and God knows we've given them some adversity. But our offense is still very fragile. Then, you look at some of the reasons why we're fragile, and I guess the biggest reason I can point to is that we have a lot of young players out there right now. We don't have a senior on our offensive line. We have two second-year players and two first-year players at the running back spots. And we have a redshirt sophomore playing quarterback, so we're making a lot of youthful mistakes."
"Obviously, you're not going to win any kind of game when you turn the ball over four times in a half. It doesn't matter who you're playing. It hurts bad enough to lose, but when you give a game away, it just adds to that. Needless to say, it was a tough, tough weekend for us."
On the play of the offensive line against EIU:
"On a better note, offensively, we did start to run the ball for the first time this year. So, our line is getting a little bit better, not that it's anything to brag about yet."
On the key to last week's loss against Eastern Illinois:
"I think there were five plays in the game that really cost us. The four turnovers, plus the big punt return that we gave up in the second half were really the difference in the game."
On what's led to the Racers' struggles in 2003:
"I think we have some good players, but for whatever the reason, it just hasn't come together. Anybody that really understands sports can look at all the new people we had to bring in and all the things that had to fall into place for us to succeed and see those things just haven't worked out. Then, we have to start our conference schedule at Tennessee Tech without our starting quarterback from the last three years, and to do without him for most of the snaps in our OVC games, that makes it tough. The team that looks like it has the best chance to win the league, to me, is Jacksonville State, and we beat them here a couple of weeks ago, so things just haven't fallen into place for us. Also, I don't think I've done some things right through all of it and I'd change some things if I had it to do over again. But, the only thing we can concern ourselves with right now is finding a way to beat SEMO."
On this week's game at Southeast Missouri State:
"We're going to play a Southeast Missouri team that's playing with a lot of confidence right now. It's amazing that two or three weeks ago, they were 0-5 and now, they're in the middle of the OVC race. They have a quarterback in Jack Tomco that's making some plays. They're defense is flying all around and that was a big win for them on Saturday at Eastern Kentucky. I'm sure they'll have a crowd that's ready for us, and we'll go in there and play."
