Murray State University Athletics
Weekly Press Conference
11/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Quotes from head coach Joe Pannunzio during the weekly football press conference on Nov. 17 following the Racers' 41-27 win over Tennessee-Martin last Thursday. MSU closes out the 2003 season by hosting Tennessee State at Roy Stewart Stadium at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Opening statement:
"It's nice to get back to the winning ways. It seemed like our offense finally started to get into gear. For the first time this year, we were able to gain some significant yards rushing and that make's play-calling a whole lot easier. We're still fighting through some injuries, and now we've got the flu bug going through the area, which has gotten to our team a little bit. Yesterday, we had a few kids and some coaches who were out dealing with that."
"This week, we're playing Tennessee State and as usual, they're a very athletic football team. They've faced a little bit of adversity the last two weeks. They have a receiver in C.J. Johnson that I really, really like. They have the ability to make a lot of big plays, so we'll have to contain that. Defensively, they run around really well, and they'll make it tough on us."
On TSU running back Charles Anthony:
"He's as good a running back as there is in our league. With the athleticism they have, they can really spread a defense out, and they will throw the ball down the field. Then, when things are opened up, he's got the ability to make plays after he breaks the line of scrimmage, and he's got the kind of speed that can hurt you."
On the play of MSU running back Ron Lane and the Racers' rushing game against UTM:
"When you give Ron space and get him out in the open, he's got the ability to really hurt you. It seems like our offensive line is starting to get things going, really over the last three or four games. For the first time since I've been here, we were able to go up against an eight-man front and get everybody blocked so Ron could get in the open field and do some things."
On the status of the offensive line heading into next season:
"It's college football, so we're going to go out and try to recruit some guys to beat some of the other guys out. I'm hoping I can bring in two or three offensive linemen before the spring semester to push them and make us better. That's one of the areas we have to improve in, without a doubt."
On MSU's 2003 senior class as they play their final game this week:
"There are some kids in that class that mean a whole lot to this football program. Bobby Sanders, Josh Catlett and Stewart Childress have all been here a long time. When you talk about what this football program is and what it's all about, the stories on those three kids right there are what college athletics and Murray State football is all about. We'll miss their character. We'll miss what they bring to us on and off the field. I'll miss having them on sidelines and on the playing field."
On how senior quarterback Stewart Childress has handled the career-ending knee injury earlier in the season:
"He's handled it about as well as you could expect. For a while, he thought he was going to be able to make another comeback, but the reality eventually hit him. He's been great through it all. He's been on the sidelines the whole time and I think he's helped Stephen (Hatchell) in a lot of ways. He's helped me in identifying what kind of coverage we're seeing and helps get us in the right things."
On getting his team ready for Senior Day:
"We haven't lost a Senior Day since I've been here, so we don't want to start now. Football is a little bit different than basketball or baseball in that when we put those pads away for the last time on Saturday, of those 18 kids, I'll bet 15 of them will never put pads on again and will never play football again. With baseball or basketball players, they'll have the chance to play slow-pitch or go down the street and play a pick-up game. With football, when it's over, it's over. The thing they miss the most, above the games and playing time, is the camaraderie and what they have with each other. Anybody that's played football knows what Senior Day means."
On what it says that MSU defeated the two teams playing for the OVC title (Jacksonville State and Southeast Missouri):
"I think it's indicative of what this season has been for our team and what we've gone through. It's been a crazy year. Our trainer, Alan Lollar, told me that last year we had 29 guys miss starts. This year, we're up to 60, so we've had a lot of injuries. A lot of crazy things have happened to us all year long. Now, if we can beat Tennessee State, we'll close by winning three of our last four and be one of the hottest teams in the league at the end of the year. It's been that kind of year."
