Defensive Presser Notes: Abilene Christian

Blake Baker | Defensive Coordinator

• “I thought we started a little slow. I thought we finished poorly. In the meat of the game we bowed our neck. We can’t let our circumstances determine our performance.”
• “It really comes down to that first drive, two critical third downs. Both very preventable, if we do our job then we’re off the field.” On what hurt the most from the game
• “Until the fourth quarter I thought we did a good job at stopping the run. Really proud of the four straight 3-and-outs we had when our backs were against the wall.”
• “Talent is not an issue. We just have to hone in and do our job.”
• “It felt like there was never breathing room to get some of those guys in there.” On lack of rotation in the secondary
• “They’re kinda a mix between LA Tech with their 11 personnel and Kansas State with their 12 personnel. They’ve got a good quarterback who’s mobile and leads the team well. A lot of transfers as well.” On Abilene Christian
• “I don’t wanna say that cause he’ll get a big head. He’s doing a great job, I think our corner room is very deep.” On Kris Abrams-Draine not being targeted and “locking” down his receiver
• “He got cleared, he is eligible. I foresee him being able to help us this year.” On Miami transfer CB Marcus Clarke
• “The biggest thing I want to see them do is start fast and finish strong.” On what he wants from the defense this week
• “I think that’s thanks to the transfer portal. I think you’ll see a lot closer level of football across the board.” On upsets from last week
• “Sunday, you could still see when we all got together that it bothered them. Wasn’t a lot of laughing or joking around. Today I thought it was phenomenal, the guys were locked in.” On the team’s response this week
• “He’s got a professional mindset. He FaceTimes me every night while he’s watching film, asking questions. His work ethic during practice is amazing too.” On Joseph Charleston

Isaiah McGuire | Defensive End | Senior

• “Adversity hits every team in football. It’s about how you respond.”
• “Losing sucks. That’s not gonna change, if you don’t care about losing then you’re in the wrong business. It’s all about staying positive.” On his mindset after a loss like that
• “We saw what we could be as a unit. Now it’s about just putting that together for the whole game.” On the defense’s play in the middle of the game

Joseph Charleston | Safety | Junior

• “Every given week it’s going to be a battle.” On what he learned from last week
• “Things like this happen, it doesn’t define us. This one game does not define us. If we do let it define us, it’s going to be a long season.”
• “We never quit. That’s one thing I can say confidently. We played hard and physical till the end”