November 10, 2015

Ken Sparks Press Conference: Pre-Tusculum

The following is a written transcript from the Ken Sparks press conference.

Ken Sparks Press Conference

Pre-Tusculum

11-10-15

Sparks: Tusculum is a team that is probably better than their record. They got beat in a double-overtime game against Lenoir-Rhyne. They had some other close games. They are a very capable team that is more balanced on offense than they ever have been. They have a 100-yard rusher and a three hundred-yard passer. They have very, very talented skill people. They have two wide receivers that are breaking school records—they have had some school records and maybe an NCAA record with two receivers on the same team with the yardage that they've got and the number of catches that they've got. They are a very capable football team. Defensively, they have some really talented people. The secondary looks very sound. They have linebackers that can run and are big up front. The yarer doing some things defensively that can create problems. They are good and are better than I wish they were. We have got to go out and play better than we have the last two weeks.

Q1: You bring up the quarterback in Luke Lancaster. A sophomore signal caller who is pretty heady. What makes him a threat back there for the Pioneers?

Sparks: He's got a quick release. They feature him a whole lot with the things they do offensively. He's a typical Tusculum quarterback who is going to throw it a lot and throw it pretty good.

Q2: With his skill set, when you think about Tusculum quarterbacks, Bo Cordell comes to mind. How does he compare to him?

Sparks: At least early on in Cordell's career, he would pull it down in a heartbeat. He's maybe not as quick to pull it down and run as Cordell would, but he can still run and hurt you. They like to do some plays with him running. They do some quarterback draws and a couple of other things. He can hurt you by pulling it down and running it.

Q3: How does Robinson, the running back that you brought up as being a 100-yard rusher, do and what's his skillset like?

Sparks: Well, big and fast. He's big. He likes to get a little space, so that he can show his skill. He's tough.

Q4: You brought up that their defense has improved, how impressive is it that the defense loses an NFL player in Deshaun Lions?

Sparks: I think they have one or two that's in that category now. They have some people that can play and they always have had. I think that the main thing is to not let them dictate play. You got to make them make the adjustments by making them do some things that they probably wouldn't want to do. That's a challenge.

Q5: What is it about this game being at the end of the season? Does that do anything to you as a coach playing Tusculum in a traditional rivalry game at the very end of the year?

Sparks: No. I struggle a little bit with what everyone says is a traditional rivalry game. We have been playing a whole bunch of people a lot longer than we have Tusculum. They are all rivalry games as far as we are concerned, but the fact that we are a few miles away from Tusculum makes it I guess what people makes it a rivalry game. We have played them last year in the middle of the year and this year at the end of the year. All I know is that it's the next game and the one that means a whole lot as far as us playing any other games. That's the reason that it is important.

Q6: Justin Houston is their top-receiving option. I think he is second in the country right now with over nine catches per game. What do you do to try to slow him down? Is there a mentality of let him get is and try to slow everyone else down or do you try to shut him down one-on-one?

Sparks: I don't think that anyone has shut him down because of the patterns they run with him. They are going to get the ball into his hands somehow. It might be a two-yard crossing pattern, but they are going to get the ball into his hands. The main thing for us is, if he was the only one it would be one thing but they have four that can catch and run. We have to make tackles. In zone coverage, we have to make tackles and make sure that there isn't any yards after the catch or limit those yards. The second thing we have to do is in man coverage to figure out ways that we don't get picked and that we are able to cover them. Both of those are tough assignments.

Q7: Conversely, your defensive backfield is very deep and very talented. Can you remember a time where you had a group like this that had a week like they did last week?

Sparks: No, not with five interceptions although I kept hearing that it tied the school record. I remember one time against Wingate we had a whole bunch of interceptions. We had one guy that intercepted three that ballgame or four that ballgame. We had five different guys intercept a pass. That's always a good sign that there's five different guys that picks one. I'm hoping that opens the door for some other good things to happen this week.

Q8: Does it do anything for the team's psyche after seeing the latest regional rankings to know that if you win, you have a very good shot at hosting another game here?

Sparks: Oh I'm sure. It's not just the kids, it's the coaches who are excited for the fact too, but we have to remember that we are just standing looking in. We aren't in yet. We have to understand that that can change. DO you remember what happened the year before last? We were out of the picture as far as hosting a game and in the last week all things happened to where we moved up a few places and ended up hosting a football game. Now, we are in the process to host a game, but there are several people around us that has ballgames that they might win or lose, and the fact is, two or three of them are playing each other. Don't ever put your paycheck on that one, because a lot of things could happen.

Q9: Senior day. It's really a smaller group than normal.

Sparks: I think we have 18 seniors and it's just the fact that we had 27 last year makes it seem smaller. It's not senior day as far as we are concerned, its senior week. We do a whole lot of things to celebrate our seniors and to have a good time all week. We started that yesterday and it will be fun. It's always fun to see what the Lord has done in some guys when they got here and all the things that have happen to them in the last four years.

Q10: I kind of get the sense that you are referring to senior speeches where players get up and talk?

Sparks: Yeah. Testimonies. Senior statements about what has happened in their life or what is happening in their lives.

Q11: Are there any of those that have stuck out to you over the years?

Sparks: There's a whole bunch of them that sticks out but if I started naming names I'd mess up bad on it, so I just won't do that. Some years are better than others as far as the quality of statements and I think this year will be a great year. I really do.

-CN-