HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Southern Miss football coach Jay Hopson held his weekly news conference at the Duff Athletic Center, Monday, as the Golden Eagles get ready to entertain ULM this weekend.
The Golden Eagles and Warhawks play at 6 p.m. at Carlisle-Faulkner Field at M.M. Roberts Stadium. The game can be viewed on ESPN3 as well as be heard on one of the affiliates of the Southern Miss IMG Sports Network.
Here are some of things Hopson said during his news conference:
Opening statement
"It's good to start the season off with a win. Certainly, as with everything, you have to find ways to get better for Week Two. We did some things pretty well in the first half. Defensively, we created some turnovers which were huge. I thought offensively, we had pretty good precision. Quez Watkins had a pretty good game and Jack Abraham did a great job running our offense. In the second half, we got a lot of guys in, so it was good to see some young guys play. We certainly didn't execute as well in the second half, but there were a lot of learning moments in the film room."
On quarterback Jack Abraham's debut
"I thought he threw well. It's never a perfect game, and there were some reads to get better at, but all in all I was pleased with Jack's play."
On Southern Miss' rushing performance
"We certainly want to run for more yards and be a balanced attack. We had some opportunities and missed some blocks that could have led to some big runs, but you give Jackson State credit. They clogged up the run pretty well. We just need to take advantage of our opportunities."
On new running backs entering the fold
"Trivenskey Mosley and Steven Anderson ran well. Two freshmen, so that was good to see. I look forward to seeing them get more touches as the season goes on. We held George this week, but he will be fine."
On the defensive secondary play
"I thought they did a good job hawking the ball. Some of our new guys made big plays, and that was good to see. Xavier Marion is an older guy who had a caused fumble and took it for a touchdown. Our linebackers and front as a whole did a solid job and we started substituting, so they didn't get a ton of plays. Our four linebackers rotated in the first half, so nobody got a ton of snaps besides a few defensive backs. DQ Thomas played well, and there are some things to correct, but for his first game he was a good addition."
On what he saw of his defensive unit after the first game
"The front seven is our strength, but I do think they played well. Certainly, from here on out, every game is a battle and they will need to bring their A-game. I really like our front seven and our back end, which has a lot of athleticism. It will be fun to see them grow and get better. That's the journey."
On the third phase of the game
"I thought our special teams unit played well. They started off well, which is always big. That first half of football, I was very pleased. We came in, up 41-0, and challenged our guys in the second half. We didn't execute quite as well, and missed an assignment that led to a big play. Everybody has to get better."
On newcomer defensive back DQ Thomas
"He's a junior college guy out of Texas who was recruited by Coach Tim Billings. He came to camp a year ago, so we saw the talent. He's a fast and explosive player. He's a special breed that's a big guy but can run a 4.3 or 4.4. He's thick and fast, which is a good combination back there. He played well. He got here this summer."
On senior receiver Jordan Mitchell
"Jordan's finally healthy. He's a talented young man. He's been a player since before I got here, but he's just been hurt. Getting him healthy is good for us, because he's a guy I've been excited about since I've been here."
On ULM
"Tough. They're a tough football team who will make it a four-quarter game. It'll be that way from this game and onward. We know from here on out, we have to come ready to play. They have a real good dual-threat quarterback, and they have a lot of talent at the skill positions. They're good up front and are well-coached."
The Golden Eagles and Warhawks play at 6 p.m. at Carlisle-Faulkner Field at M.M. Roberts Stadium. The game can be viewed on ESPN3 as well as be heard on one of the affiliates of the Southern Miss IMG Sports Network.
Here are some of things Hopson said during his news conference:
Opening statement
"It's good to start the season off with a win. Certainly, as with everything, you have to find ways to get better for Week Two. We did some things pretty well in the first half. Defensively, we created some turnovers which were huge. I thought offensively, we had pretty good precision. Quez Watkins had a pretty good game and Jack Abraham did a great job running our offense. In the second half, we got a lot of guys in, so it was good to see some young guys play. We certainly didn't execute as well in the second half, but there were a lot of learning moments in the film room."
On quarterback Jack Abraham's debut
"I thought he threw well. It's never a perfect game, and there were some reads to get better at, but all in all I was pleased with Jack's play."
On Southern Miss' rushing performance
"We certainly want to run for more yards and be a balanced attack. We had some opportunities and missed some blocks that could have led to some big runs, but you give Jackson State credit. They clogged up the run pretty well. We just need to take advantage of our opportunities."
On new running backs entering the fold
"Trivenskey Mosley and Steven Anderson ran well. Two freshmen, so that was good to see. I look forward to seeing them get more touches as the season goes on. We held George this week, but he will be fine."
On the defensive secondary play
"I thought they did a good job hawking the ball. Some of our new guys made big plays, and that was good to see. Xavier Marion is an older guy who had a caused fumble and took it for a touchdown. Our linebackers and front as a whole did a solid job and we started substituting, so they didn't get a ton of plays. Our four linebackers rotated in the first half, so nobody got a ton of snaps besides a few defensive backs. DQ Thomas played well, and there are some things to correct, but for his first game he was a good addition."
On what he saw of his defensive unit after the first game
"The front seven is our strength, but I do think they played well. Certainly, from here on out, every game is a battle and they will need to bring their A-game. I really like our front seven and our back end, which has a lot of athleticism. It will be fun to see them grow and get better. That's the journey."
On the third phase of the game
"I thought our special teams unit played well. They started off well, which is always big. That first half of football, I was very pleased. We came in, up 41-0, and challenged our guys in the second half. We didn't execute quite as well, and missed an assignment that led to a big play. Everybody has to get better."
On newcomer defensive back DQ Thomas
"He's a junior college guy out of Texas who was recruited by Coach Tim Billings. He came to camp a year ago, so we saw the talent. He's a fast and explosive player. He's a special breed that's a big guy but can run a 4.3 or 4.4. He's thick and fast, which is a good combination back there. He played well. He got here this summer."
On senior receiver Jordan Mitchell
"Jordan's finally healthy. He's a talented young man. He's been a player since before I got here, but he's just been hurt. Getting him healthy is good for us, because he's a guy I've been excited about since I've been here."
On ULM
"Tough. They're a tough football team who will make it a four-quarter game. It'll be that way from this game and onward. We know from here on out, we have to come ready to play. They have a real good dual-threat quarterback, and they have a lot of talent at the skill positions. They're good up front and are well-coached."
