Weekly press briefing

The following comments are from head coach Bronco Mendenhall's Monday post-practice press briefing, including comments from sophomore wide receiver Mitch Mathews and senior linebacker Tyler Beck.

Head coach Bronco Mendenhall:

How has the team reacted to the game this weekend?
We had a full day of practice today. Our team we very disappointed after the loss and saddened by it. But I think our best medicine is to have a game one day earlier then when we normally play and be forced to get right back to work. I was impressed with their practice habits today and their resiliency and how they looked forward to getting back to work. 

Update on Jamaal Williams:
He's listed as day-to-day. He's been released from the hospital on Sunday and it will be documented as a concussion/severe stinger. He has no neck or skeletal damage. To play again, he'll have to pass concussion protocol before that will happen and that could take anywhere from two days to two weeks. 

Where do you consider your program to be currently?
I think that we are one of the best in the country, at least if you consider top-25 consistently. That and the fact that we all acknowledge that we've been here before at 1-2. I'm not setting off any flares or hitting the panic button. We've been 1-4 before and have yet to be excluded from a bowl game and we always just find a way to be resilient and win. I think that we are a consistent winner.  I think we are a program and a head coach that is expanding his scheme and strategy with the hope to be better than we have been.

Thoughts on how the passing game can improve:
There is only one way to go and that is up. Our focus has been predominately to run the football and pass it in a complimentary nature. Accuracy of throwing plus catching consistently I think is simply where it is and we need to improve.  

Sophomore wide receiver Mitch Mathews:

How has the team reacted this week from the game this past weekend?
It does sting and it is never fun to lose and it does bug us. You need to let it sting so that you know that feeling of defeat so that you don't want to have to feel that way again. I thought we bounced back so well in practice today and really played with a lot of emotion and energy.

How can the offense continue to improve?
There are obvious things that we can do to improve. There are a lot of people on the outside who are questioning the offense but we have been getting better each week and we know that. 

What does the offense see in the Middle Tennessee defense?
They're a fast team. People might think that they don't have a good football team because their not a big school. But we know they're a good team and that they're very fast. We need to prepare and come out playing hard in order to get a win.

Senior linebacker Tyler Beck:

What was the attitude of the team today?
Whenever you come off of a loss, it is always difficult. But we came out and I think that we had a pretty solid practice today. We were out there running and hitting today and everyone is ready to win every game from here on out and have a successful season.

What have you seen out of Middle Tennessee's offense?
They have some great athletes. They have two running backs that are pretty good. They run a lot of the same things, some of the rides and zones that we have seen. So not too much of a difference and we'll be ready.