Good afternoon, Bulldog Faithful,
As we head into Week 2 against Samford, the focus for our team has been on mentality and growth. Last week didn’t go the way we envisioned, but there were important takeaways for both players and coaches. One of the positive takeaways was that we had zero penalties, we will continue to strive for this standard of discipline. There were stretches where we looked like a complete football team.
That said, we struggled to stay ahead of the sticks, converting just 2 of 12 third-down attempts. After reviewing the film, we had honest conversations with the players about what we need to have fixed going into next weekend’s game against Samford. I truly believe that if they played with the same confidence I have in them, the outcome would have been very different. This week, we’re emphasizing consistency on both sides of the ball and playing with clear, confident minds.
Looking ahead to Saturday, we face a Samford team that is always well-coached and competitive. I don’t expect them to look like the team they were last week. They’re returning 20 seniors and bringing in 28 transfers, over half from the FBS level. But I also don’t expect us to look like the team we were last week. Our players have been resetting mentally and starting to find that edge that we are looking for. I’m also really pleased with how our depth is shaping up so far. We’ve built this roster from the ground up, and I believe that gives us an opportunity to have some success going into this matchup. As for the quarterback position, we plan to play both #17 Quentin Hayes and #9 Cobey Thompkins on Saturday. While I haven’t named a starter yet, both will get meaningful reps.
We’re ready to head into enemy territory and bring home a win. Go Dogs!
Sincerely,
Maurice T. Drayton
Head Coach ’98