Postgame Quotes from App State's Win vs. Coastal Carolina

POSTGAME QUOTES
 
App State head coach Eliah Drinkwitz
 
Opening Statement:
"Always great to start conference play 1-0. It was a unique game today with the delays and having to deal with the lightning. I thought our guys handled the adversity well. We also had the factor of where we spent a lot of energy last week against UNC, so to be able to come back and sustain that energy for as long as we did today made me real proud of our guys. We really took control of the game right at the end of the second quarter where we had those 14 points right there, and then we scored right out of halftime. It put us up 21, and I think that was the difference in the ballgame. I'm proud of our guys, and we have a lot of things to get corrected as always. But, it's always nice to be 1-0."
 
On the mindset during the two-hour weather delay:
"In 2006 at Springdale High School, we played Bentonville High School in the first conference game, and it got delayed and canceled and we came back the next day and played. It went about an hour-and-a-half and they canceled. The one thing we were trying to do was to be upfront. There was one time we thought we were coming out at 5:35 and it got pushed back to 6:05. Shout out to John Eckman for getting our guys food in the locker room. University services did a nice job with making sure our guys were fueled up. I thought our guys did a good job being ready for the moment."
 
On the success on kickoff returns:
"It's something we talked about all week. We felt like we needed to have a dominant edge there in this game. We felt like we had a significant advantage in the return game, and coach (Erik) Link did a good job getting some schemes up that took advantage of what they were trying to do."
 
On Shaun Jolly's interception return for a touchdown:
"He's got a knack for finding the football. They had run that same concept earlier, and he had come down too hard. Coach Harbison made an adjustment with him, he stayed deep and the quarterback threw it right to him. That really shut the game down, so that was a big-time interception."
 
On the crowd returning to the stands after the delay:
"Our student section, those people are the real MVPs tonight. I mean my goodness, they came back in there and had great energy, great juice and great enthusiasm. We need to make sure we take care of those guys this week. I'll have to ask my wife if we can get them some donuts or something because they did an unbelievable job. I'm very proud of our student section and our fans. We have the best fan base in the Sun Belt. There's no doubt about it. When we get a chance to play at home, it's a huge lift for us. I'm very thankful for the App Family coming out and supporting us in this conference game."
 
 
App State quarterback Zac Thomas
 
On his offensive weapons: 
"Realistically, it makes my job easy. I know my guys are going to win. Sometimes they (the defense) cover them up by the coverage they chose to read. If you go through your progressions, you are going to find someone open. They (App State wide receivers) do a great job of getting off the ball and getting open, because in football you have to have common sense. You have to know what's open and know what's closed. They do a real good job of common-sense football of making themselves open."
 
On the offensive success against the statistically stout Chanticleer defense:
"We spent a lot of time in the film room this week. I think we did a good job of realizing that this is a real good defense. We had to make a statement as an offense. We put some pretty good numbers in past weeks, but I think this game really set us apart as an offense. A lot of things were clicking. Even when stuff wasn't clicking, we were still making plays. This offense is really good. I think it's one of the best in college football."
 
On connecting on deep balls:
"We spent a lot of time this week in the passing game, because we knew that we could hit them vertical and we could hit them underneath. So, that's kind of what we took pride in this week. When you hit those, it opens up the running lanes. When the running lanes start to open, that's when things get fun."
 
On the lengthy weather delay:
"Coach Drink was just saying stay in the moment. Obviously, you can't control the circumstances that were happening. You can't control weather. Weather obviously hit. I think as an offense, we said that we just have to go out there and execute, do what we do best and put points on the board. Right before halftime, putting up those two touchdowns were big. I think that gave our defense a lot of confidence. So, that was good, and I'm glad that happened."
 
On special teams giving the offense remarkable field position:
"I think we have the two best returners in college football. They do a great job of when they catch the ball, they put us in great field position. When you do that, the statistics go up on how you are going to score touchdowns. Giving us the ball at the 50-yard line, that's huge. That gives you a lot of confidence, and it's easy to go down and score when you're at the 50."
 
 
App State wide receiver Malik Williams: 
 
On moving the ball against the Coastal defense:
"It was a real good defense in the way they disguised everything. Just studying in the film room every day this week, it just helped us out a lot."


App State cornerback Shaun Jolly
 
On his interception return for a touchdown:
"Earlier in the game in the first half, I jumped the shallow route. We held them to a field goal that drive. After we got off, coach Roof made the adjustments and got into me a little bit. He told me like just understanding what coverage we were in and not having to jump the short eye candy. Just coming back, it was a similar play with somebody in the flat and somebody on the deeper route, and I was just ready and patient. As soon as he threw it, I was ready to make the play."
 
On his second late-momentum killing play this season:
"Just understanding the situation, understanding the down and distance, understanding what's at stake at that point. If they would have converted that drive, they would have had a little momentum closing the fourth. So, we just had to end it. Before we went out there, we were saying put a statement on this drive, and we had to make a play. I was just there to make a play."
 
On the lengthy weather delay:
"With the first 11 minutes, they put up some points. That just gave us the opportunity to settle down, get back to work, get back to App State football and make the adjustments after the break."
 

App State linebacker D'Marco Jackson:
 
On his active presence on defense today:
"I just have to give a lot of praise to my D-line. I felt like they (Coastal's offense) could not get to me, because two guys were having to hold on to the nose or the end. It was just allowing me to see the gaps and fill them pretty much."
 
On the App faithful who toughed out the weather delay:
"I just want to thank the fans for staying and waiting for us. I feel like in the games when we got that momentum coming, we hear the fans coming and the sideline gets a different type of energy. On the field just looking at that, it just makes you feel like you want to go get it more." 


Coastal Carolina head coach Jamey Chadwell

Thoughts on how his team performed:
"I was pleased with our effort. They had a chance to blow us out and our guys kept fighting. We have to play better. We had too many penalties and just have to get better in certain areas. They are good and they can take advantage of you and they did. We have a ways to go, but if our guys keep playing the way they are and keep competing we will have a chance to eventually win some of these games. We did a lot of good things but just not enough to beat a team like them yet. Our guys didn't give up. They could have looked at the scoreboard and said no shot, but they didn't and kept fighting."
 
On areas for the defense to improve:
"We gave up two touchdowns to them because of our mistakes and not doing the right coverage and that's the frustrating thing. Those are things Coastal Carolina can control and we have to get that fixed."
 
On special teams performance:
"Every time we kicked off they were getting the ball at the 45 or more. It puts your defense's back against the wall and makes it a difficult start. We kicked it deep and they returned it to the 40. We sky it and they return it to the 40. Special teams is your lack of depth and overall talent, and it shows up especially when you are playing against guys that are good at it. Sometimes your talent level and your guys out there are giving it their all, but the other guys are better and right now it's showing up on special teams."
 
About App State:
"They are the measuring stick. They are obviously a lot better than us. We are far off in a lot of ways 100 percent. You can see it in their depth and skilled athletes. When we got out there and run, they could catch us. When they got out there running, we struggled to catch them. But we are not as far as people may think. I'm not talking about the consistent level, but our guys are trying to play at a high level."
 
On Coastal's upcoming off week:
"It's coming at a great time. We need it for health recovery and to get our guys sharper. I think coaches need it too. We need to step back and take a breath to regroup and really see where we are."