So the weekly interviews are pretty full of the same cliches from the rest of the season but here are some highlights from Chad Morris, Joe Craddock, Van Malone and Matt Davis.
- Morris saw effort from the team against Temple but said the team gave up 11 big plays (his definition of a big play is a pass of 16+ yards or a run of 12+ yards), four of which went for touchdowns.
- Morris is concerned about turnovers against Navy, noting that the Midshipmen are +12 in turnover differential, which he said is amazing in an option offense. Meanwhile, SMU is -5 in turnover differential.
- Craddock said the offense was going to watch a highlight tape of Navy stripping the football and trying to strip the ball this week to emphasize ball security this week.
- Morris and Davis were sure to say playing a team like Navy is different because you know the players will be the one defending the United States when they graduate.
- Craddock said this is not a standard Navy team, however, saying it is extremely talented on both sides of the ball.
- Craddock was really happy with the performances of freshman backs Xavier Jones and Braeden West, saying both are looking less and less like freshman. Davis said that when the two are going it makes his life easier and draws more people into the box to open things up for the receivers.
- Craddock and Davis both credited the run success to the play of the offensive line. Craddock said the line gave great effort and Morris called the Temple game the line's best performance of the season.
- Malone said it is tough to simulate the Navy offense in practice because the offensive line cuts on nearly every play so you don't want to risk injury in practice but you don't want the team to see all those cuts for the first time at full game speed. Morris added that James Proche will simulate the Navy quarterback at practice this week.
- Malone said the coaching staff has been preparing for this specific matchup for months because the triple option presents so many unique problems for a defense. The coaches told the players they wold be seeing this in fall camp but this is the first that the team has looked at the Navy offense in depth.
- Malone said while physically the defensive line will get challenged the triple option is toughest on the linebackers and safeties who can't afford to react late to the run. He also warned that the corners can't start cheating on the run or Navy will take advantage of that.
