Appalachian State is a team that is used to winning and there is a reason why they have won. They have good players, they are well coached and they get after you. They play hard, they play tough and it’s a program that really gets your respect in a hurry. We need to get ready to go this week, for sure.
What impact do you expect from true freshman tailback Michael Holmes?
We are still making a decision on him. We want to keep him up to speed and get him ready to play. It’s a situation where if you play him, you want to play him a lot. There are already three guys there with David Wilson, Josh Oglesby and Tony Gregory that are certainly very capable, and we’ve got other guys that already have some experience, like Martin Scales. With that, we are still trying to determine if we are going to redshirt him or if we are going to play him.
Do you think it helps quarterbacks to be redshirted and how do you think it has benefited Logan Thomas?
I think any time a quarterback can have more time before he is thrown in there, it certainly benefits the guy. There is so much going on and so much he has to do, getting the play called and getting the ball to the line of scrimmage. I think Logan sitting behind Tyrod and going through all that and going to practice, I think he learned a lot from all that. I think he’s going to play as well as he possibly can play because I think he’s prepared himself as well as he possibly can.
What kind of impact do you see Jarrett Boykin making this year?
Jarrett is a solid player. He’s just a guy that doesn’t say a lot, but plays big. I think he’s in there with some other guys that we feel good about in our receiving group. Most of them have some size and I think we have a good crowd in Boykin, D.J. Coles, Danny Coale, Marcus Davis and Dyrell Roberts. I think all those guys have good ability.
Are you concerned about the defensive line, especially after losing Kwamaine Battle?
I think it is definitely a concern, especially against an offense as good as this offense. Their quarterback Presley, he’s exceptional, and they have a good running back from last year and there is another guy, Miller that is having a good preseason. They have experience up front; they have their whole right side back on the offensive line. They have an NFL guy in Quick, the receiver. I think that’s the concern, you play an offense that’s really good, they had great numbers last year, and they have a lot of those guys.
Are you reminding the players of the JMU game last season as you face another FCS opponent?
There’s just not that much difference, of course I came from that level and I know more than anyone, there’s just not that much difference. This is a team that is picked at the top of that level and this team can play. They are for real and, like I said, they are used to winning. They are the winningest program in the last six years at both levels. There’s no question of the credentials of this team.
What do you think of the talk about Appalachian State moving up to the FBS?
Absolutely, I think as far as playing at the next level, there is no question about their ability to do that. I don’t know about what conference they would be in and all those things, but as far as their ability to play at the next level, there is absolutely no question there. They are good players, they play hard and they are well coached. I think it is an excellent football program. Coach Moore has done a great job and he has an excellent staff there and they’ve coached them up.
Do you think the difference between the levels is just the number of scholarships?
Yes, I think so. If you look at this Appalachian State team, you see good players. They could play at the next level and several of them are going to play in the NFL.
What was your reaction to scheduling Appalachian State?
I don’t really remember how this came about. Whatever it was then, it probably seemed like a better idea then than it does this week. When you start looking at these guys, it doesn’t look like such a good idea.
Do you have any personal expectations for Logan Thomas on Saturday?
Just watching him, I think he’ going to do fine. He’s a smart guy and I don’t think the situation is going to be too big for him. I think the thing he knows is that he has good players around him. He just needs to manage the game and do what he does and everything will be fine, he’ll play well.
On Appalachian State quarterback DeAndre Preseley and wide receiver Brian Quick
Presley is certainly experienced, he runs that team and he’s a threat to run. I think he had 1,200 yards running last year and 2,600 yards passing. This is a guy that can do both and I think he is very much in charge of that offense. He knows exactly what he’s doing. Quick is just a big body. He’s 6-5 220 pounds, he can run. We played a guy like that from Georgia Tech a few years ago and he’s in the NFL now, I’d imagine Quick will be in the NFL
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