Jon Heacock Quotations

We stopped the run against Western Illinois, which at times we have not been able to do. There were some pretty good things in that game.

We felt like we needed to bolster our lines on both sides. I felt like we did that.

We feel that we have the opportunity to do what we want to do this season. I like our schedule and my job is to make sure that they all reach their potential.

Louis was with us in the fall, kind of just went through the whole thing on his own. I think he's put himself or giving himself another chance, but he has, to this point, done everything we've asked him to do and will continue to do the same and ... is excited about his new opportunity.

Louis made a couple of good catches out there, although he did drop the first one we threw to him.

Obviously, there are some guys that can help us. How soon, I don't know.

I am like every coach, I am excited about the guys we got.

Fortunately we do have some depth at the tailback position. We've got some folks who can step up and carry the load.

He'll be able to give us a hand at both positions until we get everybody back.

I was just as surprised as everyone. You're disappointed. It hurts and bothers you. Our football family is like any family.

Just look at the last three games. They ran the ball for more than 200 yards against Northern Iowa and not many folks do.

I think that's the thing. As coaches, we have to do a great job of being innovative and yet focusing on the things that really matter in football. That will be our challenge with this group in the spring.

I think this team as a whole, have an understanding. They have had to play in this conference, and they know what's happening.

That was too many carries this early in the season. He was getting tired in the second half. We've got to be smarter about how we do that this week.

Wide receiver is one of the positions that will be critical to fill this spring and fall.

We've got some pretty good talent at tailback.

We haven't played any football yet as we are still in just helmets, but their attitude is great and they are taking coaching well and we look like a veteran football team.

We'll go through the same practice we went through today without the contact.

We gave them some easy scores, which we said we couldn't afford to do and we never were able to get anything going offensively on the ground or in the air. We never had any momentum in the game.

We've blocked very well on offense. That success running the football has opened up so many other options for us.

We learned that we still have an awful lot of work ahead of us.

We don't always get everyone we recruit, and we don't recruit everyone. I would say we took in over one thousand DVD's, videos and CD-ROMs of players.

When you look at their scores by quarters, their fourth-quarter performance is really something. That tells you that they are going to play right to the end.

We need to get some cohesion in our units.

We've got a lot of guys out there banged up, a lot of guys that we are counting heavily upon.

With Josh out and Demetrius banged up we felt that we needed another body in the backfield.

We certainly didn't help ourselves today. We knew we had to play a near perfect game to stay in the game with them and we weren't anywhere near what we needed to be. We gave them some easy scores, which we said we couldn't afford to do and we never were able to get anything going offensively on the ground or in the air. We never had any momentum in the game.

I've been coaching defense a long time and I still believe you have to be able to run the football to win and win consistently. I don't get as nervous about large passing numbers.

It's just the physical part he will need to learn, he knows the offense as well as anyone.

They know where they are coming. They know what they are playing for.

I know they are special team problems, but they are important ones.

I don't question the ability of either of our kickers, but we still have some work to do in that area.

I don't think that we've ever gotten in all 29 practices since I've been here, but even with that change we'll still have 28 practices in before the opener.

For the most part, when you're an older football team I think you are already farther along as far as in preparation and schemes and plans and plays and defenses and those kinds of things. They understand what is expected.