ULM Press Conference: Arkansas State Game Week

ULM Football Press Conference (Week 11)

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MONROE, La. -- ULM head football coach Todd Berry met with members of the media Monday afternoon in advance of Thursday’s road contest at Arkansas State.

Below are selected quotes from Monday’s event and the entire press conference can be viewed by clicking the link on the right side of the article.

Head Coach Todd Berry
Opening statement...
"Obviously, it was a disappointing loss. We didn't play our best game. I think we've been playing pretty well and didn't play as well in that one. I tell things the way I believe them to be. I think Kolton Browning's injury had some impact on that, although obviously it doesn't have a complete impact on it. But there was some deflation on the sidelines, but I feel we rallied up. Our inability to get ourselves off the field defensively, especially on third downs was really critical. We didn't sustain some drives offensively, especially with the changes that were going on."

On the final play of the UL-Lafayette game...
"There were obviously four seconds left. Everybody has a play, we call ours 'launch'. What 'launch' is, basically, is that you can take six or seven seconds off the clock and the quarterback is going to launch the ball in the air. You don't put the ball in the middle of the field because you don't want an interception, and so you throw the ball up high and you throw it out of bounds over the top of a receiver's head going down the sideline. You can effectively eat up the clock. At that moment, when the play was coming up, I thought that's what we were going to get. But, their punt team got ready."

"During the time out, their punter was milling around on their sideline, so we thought 'maybe they don't have the play'. We had our punt block team out on the field.  When their offense came back out onto the field, I didn't put our defense back on the field because I made the assumption that they were going to run the launch play. I think, or at least one of their assistant coaches told me that that was not what was supposed to happen. I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt on all of this.  That's the way the game kind of turned out. "

On team discipline after the play...
"I've always said that we're going to our best to represent ourselves well and represent the university well. I take great pride in that. I think our players do also. We get to play them again next year, so it's not like there's lost opportunities."

"We've got some adversity right now. We have seven very good players on the sideline with me right now. I'm not making excuses. I think our guys are stepping up pretty well, but our lack of depth is showing right now. It showed in that game."

On team dynamic going into Arkansas State game...
"We're playing a very good team this week in Arkansas State. We have a short week to prepare for them. They're a multiple football team. You have a lot of things going against you and now this is your opportunity. This is where you get to find out what you're made of as a man. It's really easy to go through life and think that everything's rosy and great and think you're a great person. The reality of it is this is where you find out what you really are. It's when you have a lot of different issues going on and you overcome it. That's the real challenge, and I expressed that to them Saturday night after the game."

"We came back yesterday and had a great practice. I was pleased with the energy at practice. We did our normal Tuesday practice, which is a heavy collision practice for us. They were excited about coming off a game and going right into that. They didn't blink. We know our backs are up against the wall right now. Again, we're going to find out who we are. That's one of the great things about sports. We get constantly tested on these kinds of things, and this our opportunity to overcome. As a grown man, you have to relish that opportunity to overcome."