Press conference for Louisville game held today

"My perception changed on some individuals. I thought I was probably too critical of Joe (Craddock) and I was basing that on an emotional decision on my part as I was mad about two throws but overall I thought he played a good game and made good decisions. He didn't have a whole lot of time to sit in the pocket and we didn't help him in the running game.

"I believe you win by blocking and tackling and we didn't do either very well. We didn't protect the ball. You are going to have penalties throughout the course of the game but penalties before the ball is snapped and a penalty after the whistle has blown, they are the ones that hurt drives."

How do you go about getting Desmond Gee more touches?

"We have to do a better job of getting him the ball than we did last week. We have moved him to wide receiver and he will be there 99 percent of the time. We have to get him more involved in our offense."

How much is that influenced by your receiving corps and how they performed last week?

"Fifty percent of that decision was how we can get him the ball more and then 50 percent was the other guys didn't perform like we had hoped they would. I have said since I got here that every day and every game people will be evaluated. You have to perform every day in practice and on the game film and if you can't then we will give others an opportunity."

What can you do to get QB Joe Craddock more time in the pocket?

"Block longer, block better. It is no secret that we are struggling up there from a numbers standpoint. It is no secret we are scuffling up there on the offensive line. We just don't have a lot of people and that's not an excuse, it's just the way it is. We didn't play well enough up front to win the game last week."

Talk about the opportunity in front of you playing a Louisville on national television.

It puts our program on a national stage. Thursday night everyone in the country will have a chance to see Middle Tennessee. It helps in a lot of ways from a national scope. It also helps our players get to play against some of the best players in the country. If we can play against those people then it helps you down the road in conference play. This is a great opportunity for our football team and our university."

What about the short turn-around and the changes you have to make on the offensive line due to injuries?

"We have to coach in a hurry. Mark Thompson has never been a center so he has to learn what he has to learn what to do from a blocking standpoint. Mark Fisher played two snaps against Florida Atlantic and now he is going to play against a Top 5 team in the country."

Does it help at all having played Louisville last season?

"I think our players may be a little more confident having played them last year. We hung in there pretty well until the third quarter. If we could have played a little better then maybe we could have made it a game into the fourth quarter."

What are your thoughts about Louisville QB Brian Brohm?

"I think he is as good as there is. He is a legitimate Heisman candidate. He is tall, he can make all the throws and they are throwing the ball all over the place."

What problems do their receivers present?

"Our guys can run with them (receivers) but we have the size mismatch right now. We will have to do a good job with our technique, positioning and competing for the ball. I thought our guys competed in the first game (against Florida Atlantic) and I have no reason to believe they will not fight their guts out again this week."

QB Joe Craddock
What was your assessment of your first start?

"I wish we could have come out of it with a win. We worked very hard all offseason to get ready for that game and it was disappointing to lose but we have to bounce back and get ready for Thursday night."

How much do you think moving Desmond Gee to receiver will help you?

"Dez is an explosive player and getting the ball to him more often is going to help any quarterback."

How different will this game be from playing at Florida Atlantic last weekend?

"There weren't a lot of people at the game at FAU. This crowd will be different and I'm sure it will be a fun atmosphere."

DE Tavares Jones
Is this game at Louisville bigger than any other game?

"I wouldn't say it is. We are going to go out there and put it on the line and try to play a good game."

What type of opportunity does the Louisville game present?

"It is great for our university. Middle Tennessee has grown. It gives us a chance to showcase our talent against a Top 10 team."

How do you deal with a quarterback like Brian Brohm?

"We have to create a good pass rush. He is a great quarterback and we have to get pressure on him. There is motivation there but not a lot. He has great receivers around him. We just have to work hard in order to make him make decisions under pressure."