Murray State University Athletics
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Murray State's Matt Griffin Addresses Media At Weekly Press Conference
10/16/2006 5:00:00 AM | Football
Murray State University Head Football Coach
ON IF THE PROGRESS OF THE TEAM TOOK A STEP BACK ON SATURDAY AGAINST SAMFORD: “Disappointing is probably a better word for it. We've got some opportunities, even when we put ourself in a whole, to turn things around quickly and we just don't. Those are things we just have to keep correcting, keep coaching. The encouraging part is the play of our young guys has been fabulous. As you watch that film Sunday and see the effort and the technique improvement from guys like Will Roach, Tamar Butler, Blake Booth. We've just have to keep playing. We can't get enough reps right now between now and Nov. 19th. With that being said we have to go find a positive that we can take into next season.”
ON CHANGING QUARTERBACKS IN THE SECOND PERIOD: “The play merited it. Zach (Barnard) wasn't sharp, there's no doubt about that. Both guys practiced well, they have week in and week out. Zach has been the guy five weeks prior but at the same time Ryne (Salyer) has come out and practiced hard and practiced well. When you're not playing well you try to do something to get a spark. Does it promote a battle? It's the same battle this week as we had last. Both guys will practice, they'll get the same reps. You may see two of them in the game. We have to find a way to get some continuity offensively. We have some flashes of brilliance and then we have too many flashes going the other way right now. We're going to get there, I have no doubt about that, as long as the kids keep working hard.”
ON THE TEAM'S STRUGGLE RUNNING THE BALL: “On a positive note, Charlie Jordan, his effort, his strength, his ability is outstanding. He's a guy that's becoming a leader of our football team even as a true freshman. Up front we just started out very slow. We actually get better at the end of the first quarter and the end of the second. We just can't hold up. We get ourselves in a situation where we try to throw it because we're playing catch up. You give the ball away on the opening kickoff the whole game changes. Your field position is now flipped completely. Whether they score or not you're pinned. Instead of having the ball at the 25 (yard line), even if you go three and out and punt you're putting them on their side of the 50 (yard line). All these things come into play, it changes the mindset of your play calling, it really does. We just have to keep pushing through. We'll play a third young guy up there. We have to get those guys four good games of experience and it starts with
ON RECRUITING NEEDS: “We're going to recruit guys and bring them into the program with great structure, academically and athletically, and make sure they develop. Part of that is evaluating the character of the young man. That's the hardest facet to evaluate, but I know our group is very thorough. We're well into recruiting. We've already started on our next class and there is work being done on the one after that believe it or not. Every position gets evaluated daily. We're going to make mistakes in recruiting just like every school and every coach make but as long as a guy's doing what he's supposed to do in the classroom and off the field then we're going to graduate him. If we make a mistake on tape, that's our mistake, that guy stays in this program and gets his degree. That's what we're here for. If it goes the other way then he doesn't stay here. The character issue is huge with us and will continue to be because that's how you win. Everything is getting addressed positionaly. We're going to take about five offensive linemen and three or four more defensive linemen. Those two groups are the personality of your club. If you look at
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ON EASTERN ILLINOIS HEAD COACH BOB SPOO: "I hope he's doing well. I think a lot of Bob. He's done it right. His teams are always physical, they always run the ball effectively, they play good defense and they're sound in the kicking game. He does things the right way and he's a good person. We want the best for coach, we really do. He's got a great staff, they're good guys."
