MEAC-SWAC Challenge Wrap with Steven J. Gaither and Vaughn Wilson | HBCUGameDay.com

what's going on everybody it's sjg welcome to HBCU game day we are coming to you live from Center Park Stadium myself and our own Von Wilson uh here in the aftermath in the early morning hours after the Mex swack challenge Florida A&M coming up with a thrilling 2423 win over Nork State University um van you know you and I talked yesterday and we talked about this game and um how special teams might end up being coming into play and obviously uh you know fourth quarter we kind of saw that come to fruition um with the woes of the kicking and then the decision to go for two points just your thoughts on the on the game overall and then how that fourth quarter came out well first off we got a great start to the HBU season I mean you really couldn't turn away from the game until the very end right so hats off to both the Northfolk State Spartans and the Florida andm Rattlers a lot of different parts from last season you know norol State just won three games last year you can't tell me this team is going to win just three games uh coming in with someone who they didn't think was going to be the quarterback actually came in and did a great job and for FAMU their quarterback Daniel Anderson uh performed uh almost to Perfection there were a couple of drops but uh he with his legs and with his arm showed that he is qb1 and FAMU so a m swack uh another win for the uh swack I think it's about 11 and six now something three in a row for the swack three in a row Ro for the swack uh it's just a great all-around festive atmosphere that they make every year for the M swack challenge it's a great opportunity for kids to be on the big stage on ABC on the on big three letters uh the opportunity for them to come to Atlanta coach odm says he took North State's team down to the the the black college Hall of Fame and the Black History Museum and things of that nature so the kids get to develop not only play the game but they get to develop um at the mxre challenge yeah no doubt about it and we had a very uh interesting game that developed obviously uh last time fam you suited up and played football they were here in Atlanta down the road at Mercedes Benz a lot of changed since then uh but this this game kind of similar to the the celebration bowl that got down early 140 North State really kind of jumped out on him with the running game uh and then you know as you say family was able to kind of steady itself um and get some momentum towards halftime and then break out in the third quarter um you know you talked to you were able to go to the press conferences I kind of snuck around a little bit and and and caught the sights and sounds but what was what was some what came stood out to you about you know maybe that momentum that happened for FAMU or is anything that coach Coy said that you know he talked to his team about at halftime all right Stephen well let's just hear it from coach odm and the kids let's take it to the press conference coach D Dawson odm and the Northfolk State Spartans well first of all uh you guys got a chance to see an entertaining football game cuz um many of you probably didn't expect that but I've been explaining to people we got a good football team and we got to believe that but once that belief kick in Spartans going to be hard to deal with this year and we got a chance to put a lot of people on notice I'm proud of these guys the coaches our program we came a long way we came up one point one point short but what I tell our guys is that I can be excited for victory I'm humble and lost because I always try to find the positives uh we ran the football and for the most part of the game we stopped the Run uh we held a really good football team in check for the most of the game and we was in a football game all the way to the to the last horn we didn't make a few plays they made a few plays in the second half and we battled back and we just came away a little short I went for two because I felt like uh a lot guys started cramping so don't know if we would have had enough of gas to finish that football game but when you make that penalty our offense have been playing well and um I can live with that decision uh cuz we didn't come down here to play a football game we came down here to win win a football game and that's the mindset that I've always coached with and that's the mindset I want my guys to play with and even though we was one point short three things I told them we had to we had to do in order to give ourselves a chance we had to win the penalty battle uh that was probably close we had to win the turnover battle and I think we did that and we had to play with unbelievable effort and one thing I know anybody that watched this game they cannot question the effort of these young men and that's what I'm most proud of because we owe that to the people that pay to watch them play just to play with great effort and I thought they did that tonight okay we'll take questions for the student athletes we're going to start in the back to with Mr Ricks black hat state your name in affiliation please Ernest Rick mmv Sports um Kevon is this questions for you um going into this game um what did you see on film that allowed you to just make the mov that you made and and basically take advantage of the running lanes that you did tonight so basically I was just trusting my trusting the process and watching film with uh with my coaches and executing the plays thank you right in front Kendrick in front yeah I'm Kendrick Marsh Sports um how much how much confidence did you guys have in the in the two-p conversion play call at the end I trusted my coach fully so whatever he whatever decision he make I'm ride with Jake McDonald cor 360 Sports uh I'm interested in understanding uh the running game definitely was working uh I'm I'm a little wondering why there weren't any more passes I mean it was only like four in the first half well you I mean I don't know guys I mean what what is it I mean what were you watching I mean if if somebody can't stop something why would you go to something else we literally ran the ball down to HBCU national champ throat tonight yes sir we bullied them up and down the field all night long in the running game so why would we why would we stop I mean I don't have no stat sheet but I'm quite sure our our rushing yards are something they're not accustomed to if you go look at the stats from a year ago they went top 10 in all categories when it come to defense but I've always said with our football team is that we believe we can run the football on anybody I mean I think our offensive line is one of the best in the country I think our offensive coaches do a great job and I think our offensive coordinator said we'll take them five yards and we'll take them 10 yards but when you can run the football like that that's why we was in this ball game we kept the ball game close we controlled the time of possession we play winning football winning football ain't pretty but it's winning football football is all about giving your team the best chance to win week in and week out and some weeks you can run the ball some weeks you might have to throw the ball but tonight the running game gave us a chance to win a football game and I'm proud of these guys and how they ran it because that's a that's an emotion that you got to deal with cuz I coach on defense when somebody can run the football it's tough to deal with because you got to go and do some soul search because that's Pride so just a reminder we are asking questions to the student athletes in the back [Music] F and a gentleman in the black shirt next TLC Von Wilson Capital Outlook HBCU game day guys the story of last year for Northfolk State the record you know said one thing but all those on score games but this one was a little different I would I would say would you all agree with me that this one was just a little bit different this was a little bit closer and it's for the student athlet yes sir they ain't going to say too much was that the answer well from year I can say we ain't we ain't dominated as much as we did this year man I feel like we was more disciplined but we ain't we didn't finish as displ as we started so that's was the difference from this um I'm Justin fav from Tomorrow L sports network um this question is for Kevin King um you finished the game with 14 sub R yards how do you how does that affect your uh your confidence going into the season after this game um my confidence has boosted a lot cuz I trust in my old line and trust my reads any additional questions for the athletes all right um I don't expect an extended answer but U what was the um if you kind of had to walk away with something that you're most proud of right I know that it was a tough loss but if you had to walk away the thing that you're most proud of tonight what would that be I'll be most proud of us staying as a team I say the same thing the UN the afterwards stay together still better at the end of day thank you question right here the blue [Music] shirt Rocky Miller HBCU Coaches Corner um as you guys were preparing for this upcoming game this is to the players were you guys concerned about the speed and athleticism that fam you presented today no sir it wasn't one athlete that was better than our athletes we just they they was more discipline than us [Music] today coach from HBC coaches coach hey Coach Co guys uh I know you guys was playing with a I guess an experienced quarterback losing your top guy how much did that hurt you tonight and how much did the game plan circle around where we do got to be very successful in running football it really didn't hurt us cuz we believe in him like he's a very very good quarterback yeah if y'all was at the if y'all was allowed to be at the the fall camps and y'all would have saw how good is we have no worry about what he can do and yeah yall going to see what he can do for yeah okay all right thank you [Music] guys all right questions for Coach just reminder please raise your hand so that we can see it and wait for the mic before you ask a question in the corner back there Earl uh Earl kitchings quari back Awards coach how would you rate Jaylen Daniels tonight being that he had to come in the way he did because he he looked real polished tonight how would you rate him on the way he played tonight that's kind of what I expected I I didn't have no problem with him being the starting quarterback it's just it's all inh housee so when you guys on the outside I know you want a story uh I know you looking for a story but Jay Danel is a good quarterback this I mean what did he show you tonight that that didn't resemble a good quarterback um our offense didn't have one turnover we were pretty good on third down we moved the ball up and down the field um we executed in the Red Zone the difference in this field in this game was a field goal we we we missed the field goal we had an extra point block that led to me going for two as well so you look at all those things and I think for his first start for the Spartans he's only going to growth in it and gain confidence know I know you you probably want to know why we didn't spread the ball around and push it down the field and but it wasn't the game plan the game plan always changes BAS Bas on what you're able to do and one of the reasons I hired Coach Phillips is because he understands that when things are going a certain way we don't have to change we're not just calling plays to call plays it's it's up to them to stop us and I thought he put our quarterback in a good position when it was third and long we didn't press to try to you know push the ball down the field we we called a game that allowed our football team to play as a team a couple blunders and special teams but other than that I thought our football team played well for a lot of the unknowns cuz this was an unknown football game had a lot of question marks new offensive coordinator new defensive coordinator new head coach who calling plays what they doing how they doing it 50 new players or so on the football team and it was a lot of unknowns but for our football team to come into an environment with a lot of unknowns and play up to the speed of the national champions and the defending national champions and give our a chance to win a football game I thought we took the next step and I told him we're going to find out y'all don't have to keep asking we're going to find out if the Spartans are able to compete at the highest level HBCU football and you all decide what grade you're going to give and how you go about doing that but we have our grade as well we're going to go to the back coach how you doing coach uh Reg 11 live TV here in Atlanta yes um this event here in Atlanta um obviously maybe not the results you wanted but just the opportunity to come here be in this environment situation um what can you say about just being here in Atlanta how important it is for um HBCU Athletics to have events like this here in the city first of all what they have done with the m swack challenge is giving us a platform norfor state was in the homes of people that don't even know what norford state Loc lo I looked at it today and I was watching and it said we was- 13 I was like what they basing that on one thing about people they always think about last year if we base everything on last year how good are we going to really be this year I know last year you know I was a little bit up in my weight but this year I'm down so I don't understand it but I I understand it but at the end of the day I just think that we have a great platform here in Atlanta and we have a chance to Showcase and we we gave our guys an unbelievable experience we took them to the king C them we took them to the Hall of Fame and because I believe that the impact is greater than just being football players uh these guys are going to represent our communities and we want them to be great fathers and great husbands and we have a chance to do that at HBCU where a lot of people don't so we don't we take our time and we invested in these young men and hopefully we'll get a thank you later in life because we do it for them okay Coach to your left over here coach um I'm I'm pleased to say this was a great game and I would I would like to say my name is wizdom Anderson ESPN am 1300 toone ihart media Austin Texas what does a result of a game like this do to propel you for it through the rest of the season you just got to look at what you came up short uh and try not to make those mistakes again and put yourself in the position to come up on the W side of these contests we knew it was going to be challenging we knew we was playing against a football team that that know how to win and we want this game to come down to the fourth quarter and give ourselves a chance to win uh but we don't like losing but what I always try to get people to understand is that somebody is going to win this football game somebody's going to lose it tonight we were that somebody that lost but if we learn from it we're always winning and that's the thing I always tell our players what did we learn from this game and how can we grow from it cuz we got a long season and we feel like we can get a lot better and we can play a lot better what it starts with i belief I think that's where it [Music] start Jared Hoffman HBCU Sports coach you talked about you know the play of your offensive line everybody's going to look at cavon King and see all of his Russian yards and the touchdowns that he scored but talk about the offensive line and the job that he they did to create those open lanes for him to be successful tonight well it don't happen without them and I've talked about the strength of our football team on offense is our offensive line and when you hear fam you talk about their offense they said the strength their offense is their offensive line well I I also think we're pretty good on the defensive line and they're pretty good on defensive line so this game was about adjustments and I thought our offensive guys made great adjustments so when we came out in the third quarter we took some shots uh they were stack in the box so we pushed the ball down the field U it's all about numers you know it's only 11 guys can go out there so that mean they going to put six on one side of the field so if you're running the football you you always run with the numbers in your favor or you try to get the numbers in your favor so that's where you get the plus one running game with the quarterback you're always trying to do things to manipulate the defense you trying to move their eyes you trying to create Lanes both offenses were trying to do the same thing um but one just made a couple plays more than the other one to win the football game but they were pretty identical they really wanted to run the football but they couldn't run the football so they opened it up with the short intermediate passing game Crossing routes hitches they hit us with a over route so when you look at those things it balance itself out that's why it's a onepoint game that's why it's a close footb game because when you look at it both teams will evenly match that's why the entertainment was great for tonight's game and and hopefully that people saw that our program is is one to deserve recognition and credit for where we're going because we're going uh we're going some places so our last two questions right here and then in the back coach Jake McDonald cor 360 Sports it's kind of a two-point question two-part question one uh did feu do anything different than you expected them to do and the second part is your defensive line looked like they were able to get pressure but they just couldn't get them down when they needed to they did a lot of the stuff that we saw on film from a year ago and the the quarterback he's a he's a he football player he don't look like it but he's a hey football player played a lot of snaps so his experience is is something that you have to take into account when it come to playing the position um but I I really thought that they were well coached um some of the stories you heard about their teams last year uh they were better disciplined than they were a year ago and as you can see both teams were were fairly low in penalties we pride ourselves on being disciplined and uh I really respect what their program meals and and how much success they had and I felt like our guys came to compete at a high level uh they they're good football team they're going to get better they still trying to figure out the pieces and how to put those pieces together but they have some players they have some players uh but we do too and that's what I'm more focused on is how can we become better and get better each and every day Ernest rck mmv sports coach was there something about um FAMU that you saw previously that gave y the the approach to come in running the football as much as you did or is that just your offensive identity we can run the football on anybody we believe that our all line believe that and you stack the Box we believe we can throw the football on anybody we just believe we have people that can make plays all over the field it's just what are you willing to give up and that's the thing about playing defense in today's game it's hard to stop everything did you watch Georgia Tech play Florida State uh you made a lot of money had you probably put it on Georgia Tech yeah but nobody nobody made that bet not a lot of people made that bet they might have picked them you know but that's what this game offers you it offers you a opportunity for the unbelievable to take place the unexpected to happen because young men go out and they get better and they develop and that's what happened that's what you saw tonight you saw a football team that developed in the offseason that got bigger that got stronger that became closer together and they played like a football team and when you play like a football team you're going to always have a chance to win football games now we got to taste victories and we're going to we're going to taste victories this year we we want to be in the conversation in November cuz everybody know our conference is decided in November so you know we got to play The Gauntlet well we broke our Gauntlet up this year we only got four late in the year year cuz we go to play North Carolina Central early so we know what we got to do in the challenges we Face to get there and we feel like we got a chance as long as we can stay healthy and keep working going one and0 every day trusting the process and believing in each other we like our chances okay and as we heard from that press conference Stephen coach Odum is not backing down for going for that two-point conversion you know a lot of people might question it but he said they were having a little issues with special teams a couple snaps and that sort of thing so that he felt his quarterback's mobility and the FAMU was not really stopping it you know uh uh King had over 200 yards running rushing so they felt that they could run on FAMU better than they could kick that extra point and he said he did just like he said he didn't come here to tie he came here to win a a ball game yeah no doubt about it I I I know I'm definitely one of those folks you know uh what I guess Sunday morning quarterbacking you know kind of like why would you go for it there but obviously um you know there was a method to his Madness and so he'll you know have to live with that I'm sure he'll be answering questions about that on the Mak call on Monday for sure but um for FAMU obviously first game under coach KY um so many you know different pieces from last year um you know new quarterback uh new play callers on both sides of the ball um just talk about uh their performance and kind of what what was the message from coach KY as far as uh how they were able to come out and and flip that 14 uh o deficit into a onepoint win oh all right well let's just hear from here let's take it down to the press conference and hear coach Coy uh Jamari gasset and Daniel Richardson first and foremost uh like to uh kind of congratulate coach odams and his staff uh they did a heck of a job uh preparing for us and uh giving us some uh some things we weren't necessarily ready for uh you know you go all summer uh looking at them and some of the things that they did and then they come out and don't do any of it but uh you know we I think we persevere um I thought our offense did a really really good job of answering you know once we got down 14 to zero and let us get our wits about ourselves and uh and ultimately great football game um I told uh I told Rattler Nation uh that I was hoping for a little adversity well well damn I don't think he wanted it to be that much but uh congratulations uh to our team uh heck of a job uh persevering and and working through the adversity and uh extremely excited to head home want to know okay we'll now take questions for the student athletes we're going to start over here to the right the green shirt and then blue shirt thank you what's up coach D Rich Mari um Gerald Thomas Tas Democrat um this Marian Daniel um tell me about you know coach said he wanted y'all to go through some adversity in y'all boys went through some adversity today um talk about what y'all learned about the team here I know this was your first game here Mario you not been for a year what what what did y'all learn about this team it's like okay well being down 14-0 that's when it that's when it hit certain guys like oh man like you know this this University hit the fan coach said it's going to be some times where they going to punching them out it's about responding how you how you going to punch them right back and at the end of the day I I felt like you know uh we were calm we were very calm you know a lot of guys we had a veteran line a lot of guys don't been there before and they said lash on the sideline and we have been his position last year in Atlanta you know I wasn't on a team but they were down 14-0 as well in the championship game so you know I felt like we we we came out you know we started off slow but we were to pick back up yeah for the most part exactly what he said like I was on that last year Team National Championship we down 140 but we we just look at each other like now yall know we got to go do we got to go fight we got to go grind we got to work a little harder so that's all it was though we don't we don't really like take we don't really take too much pressure take the pressure and ride with it You Feel Me Kendrick yeah I'm Kendrick Marshall HB Sports um this for um um Daniel um you started out the game one for three 10 yards you finished the game with 286 yards three touchdowns games MVP um was it a matter for you just settling down after those first couple drives to really get yourself in in Rhythm and and kind of get comfortable out there yeah it was just you know just getting in Rhythm getting getting to The Playmakers that's what it was I wasn't really trying to rush everything just getting The Kinks out and you know Old Line said they got me so you know K May plays tonight question right here in the front Don Stinson DNA Sports Talk you got the ball back with a little over six minutes to go you've been passing the ball most of the uh the game what was the mindset and the uh the Huddle light knowing that you had to play ball control well coach Coy came over there and was like we going to pound him and you know that's what we did and we just you know managed the game you know when we was SEC second and long we had to throw a little th a little out route to him and you know we made it happen after that and you know we just kept going repeat the question I thought was right are you good okay I myad U Mac you heard the crush Sports Talk uh this question for Daniel talking about having a playmaker like two uh and just any kind of situation knowing that you can give him the ball he's going to make a play for you I feel like he's special I mean you know especially in practice he be like man give me the ball I'm be open you know just little stuff like that but I feel like all our guys can make plays you know he made plays tonight but all our guys you know can make plays it's all love though I you screaming out give me like hey I'm open it that's all it is don't be screaming out that's my dog though yeah uh Mr Richardson Troy white fat mouth Sports there was a key play you star down the Blitz and through the wide receiver screen was that something that you were seeing that was a possibility throughout the game or did you game plan for it what came about what made you be able to make that particular play um I mean we just on the sideline we drew up cuz they were they brought a different uh bunch of of pressure tonight that we you know didn't go over I mean we went over him we seen it before but you know they they play came out play different fronts odd front that we haven't seen on film and you know when they coach made adjustment on sideline if you know they bring that pressure just be ready to dump it down and that's what we did Jake McDonald cor 360 Sports Daniel uh did you think you would have to throw the ball 30 times a game and Jamari uh were you happy that he had to throw the ball 30 times I mean you know at the end of the day uh we play complimentary football um you know we got to be able to run the ball open up and got to be able to throw the ball so I feel like we did that hey I feel like the game plan was great throw the ball throw the ball throw the ball you know that's what I do I go block sometimes but they pay me to throw the ball you feel me catch the ball so yeah I feel like the game plan was great we're going to go over here to your right in the black shirt uh Justin favors tomorrow lead the sports network right here in front of you uh this question for Jamari uh was there any match up that you seen on film that was favorable considering you got to the end zone twice with over 100 receiving yards uh bable matchups um not being cocky but I just go out there play my game I don't really look at who in front of me I just go be me and hey if you I'm a dog so you got to come with it you feel me every a whole game like you said we've got four quarters last name gassing for a reason I come with gas I don't get tired you feel me so yeah that's just what it is okay right here to your left Jared Hoffman X Sport sports.com Daniel and Jamari you know you guys are this is your first game together and you look pretty good I'd say you know so Tarter how good do you guys think your connection is right now and how much better can it get as the season progresses we going to be great little yall know I played him my freshman year when we was at Buffalo he was at Central Michigan and he ran for 200 yards against us so I already knew like who he was and what potential he had I already knew he was a gamer and I know I'm a gamer so like you know what I'm saying we dog we just going to go out there and play and do what's best for the team so I think it just pay off from the summer workouts you know just you know after I mean before practice getting get some routes in and just just building that chemistry that's all it is okay blue shirt right here in the middle yes my name is Rocky Miller with hpcu Coaches Corner you guys coach Coy I want to congratulate you on the victory you Daniel and you as well Mark um coming into the game you guys had a new head coach new new offensive coordinator new defense a coordinator it seems like at the beginning of the game you guys were searching to find what your true identity is as a team and anyone who wants to answer can answer this question going into the game what what did you think your identity was going to be and then coming out of this game what do you think your identity actually is just the players just the players oh oh identity going to the game and I didn't finish the game like we just always going to finish we're always going to work you know what I'm saying uh ain't really too much to it we got a game plan like you said they came out something different but we stick to our game plan we made a little tweaks but we stick to our game plan he said the best appreciate it over ala Cooper with the fam muan this is for Richardson and cassette with you guys being down early in the game having to go on the road in a neutral sight game and having to face adversity early and being able to adapt how do you feel like that's going to help your confidence throughout the season and especially being able to come home next weekend and play at home at Brag well first thing we don't lose that brag that's number one but I facts I will say you know watching film we have to start faster on both sides of the ball and special teams and you know when we start fast we get in the Rhythm I don't think nobody can stop us final two questions in the back first with v and then the lady in the back V with hcu game they out look Daniel you said last year December 16th you had already decided you going in the portal and you watched the celebration bowl and you said wow that school's got a winning culture was it everything you expected leading the team today definitely definitely felt it especially being down and uh guys just like man we've been here before we got this and you know guys stepped up to the plate and we made it happen and just saying like he knew coming in like we got a Target on our back we just want a championship everybody going to if they zero in 10 or never won a game they going to play us like like we Alabama or something like you feel me like they going to come hard so he already know He St that too Sydney wicker WCTV Sports Jamari um coming into this game Rattler Nation had no idea who Daniel was you said you knew him from your last school but you guys obviously got to know him a lot better throughout practice what do you think Rattler nation and the whole world honestly learned about Daniel tonight hey that he ain't going to never quit he going to find a way to make it happen Mr to make it happen that's what I'm going to call him especially especially when it was a play down when I found him in the end zone uh you were trying to get the defense jump off sides and I seen the the CL the time was running out and I was just like man I'm going to check it so I just checked the different play and you know it was kind of a little screw up but I just made something happen and found him in the back of the end zone yeah that second touchdown was on the Fly he CAU it right before the right before the uh clock went out he just check check check and I was like okay bet you know so and then my boy r came found you going to make it happen like I said okay Daniel was our MVP of the game congratulations and thank you fellas good luck next send me some Chick-fil-A that's all that'll be left waffle okay we're going to open it up for coaches uh questions for um coach in the back uh coach obviously being in Atlanta is nothing new to uh FAMU you guys were just here won the title here um what what is it about Atlanta that's so special when it comes to HBCU Athletics you guys get a chance to have this platform and just this experience for these guys as well what does it all mean being here I think we call it the second Tallahasse is what I'm is what I think we call it ain't thaton is we call it obviously a lot of all I'm not here um mean and Atlanta is the place you have to come to win the championship so I mean it just happens to be that uh you know getting a chance to start here um and hopefully end here and that's kind of been the motto since since taking the job at late January so you know exciting place it was great atmosphere uh you know a little bit closer than I wanted it to be but uh obviously being on the right side of it is is always a blessing uh coach over to your right coach uh Earl kitchings qualifi back Awards could you speak to the uh your thoughts about the leadership of Daniel today uh coming in as a new quarterback although he had experience but could you speak to his leadership for leading FAMU uh starting today well you know to me the tonight you know I think he just did his job you know we uh you know it wasn't a whole raah ra speech it wasn't any of that it was just a man uh you know we had a game plan always had to make some tweaks when you got down 14-0 and uh he was doing what was asked of him by our offensive coordinator on our quarterback coach right we you know that that on that last Drive um you know we we actually weren't going to even run to play when it was uh third down you know we weren't even going to run a play we wanted to try to draw him off sides and uh we got in the Huddle we talked about it you know he was he was pretty adamant about you know what we were doing he went to every lineman to say we're not running a play you know what I mean so but you know it was it's a young man that he when he decided to come here you know he wanted to win he wanted to be a part of the culture and uh you know today was his first tonight was his first step coach we got to stay to your right what's up coach Gerald Thomas T Democrat um first off congrat rations on your first win thank you here FAMU um coach like you said like I asked the players about the adversity you wanted the adversity and I feel like of course you've known more about this team that the world may know seeing your team rally together and make that comeback effort on the national stage once again as they did last year what does the world now know about fam Football under James Coy the third well first of all let's let's let's talk about that picture that you found of me in the article yesterday when you had you guys did article about me yesterday and he found a picture of me when I was 8 years old now you got to understand I have no idea where that picture came from okay so I'm going to start with that but now ask that question again cuz when I while you were talking all I could think about was that picture that you had of me when I was eight so you ask that question please if you don't mind yeah coach with y'all making another comeback on the national stage as y'all did at the celebration bowl and all doing it here at the Mi SWAT challenge what is the world I know about family football in the James Co thir area well well first of all I don't want I mean we didn't ask to get down 14-0 uh that wasn't something that was planned nor what we wanted um you know what what this team what it did show with this team was you know we we we spoke about adversity you know last night and and and throughout the week right just being able to understand that things might not happen the way you want and you know as they mentioned there wasn't a lot of you know you know R Ry it was just guys understanding what they needed to do we had to take care of some details defensively um offensively you know we we we had to take care of some details as well cuz they were doing some things that were a little different so hats off to our coordinators for making the proper changes and obviously at the end you know we we it was extremely similar to the last year's game against Jackson State where they you know they held the ball the entire fourth quarter uh you know we we were we had the game we were winning the offense got the ball with 8 minutes left and Jackson State never got the ball back tonight had the ball 6 minutes left you know nor folks State never got the ball back so these are situation that we talk about you know we talk about into of the game situations four minute situations and uh you know hats off again to what Coach Henry and the offensive staff did you know you know they they they got us that victory victory tonight and uh again extremely excited just to be happy to be one and0 but you know when when you you got another M school that you're going to be playing next week so uh South Carolina state you know they have on film what was successful against us so now we got to make sure we're ready to get get ready for them next weekend we're going to go with van in the back and then Mac per M well in capit Lo HBCU game day coach with about 4 minutes left the offense got a first down and you had a big smile on your face because the offensive lineman had just blocked and had done what you felt the team was going to be able to rely on this year you had a big smile like okay was that smile okay the guys that we knew we could depend on are coming through well a little bit of a relief cuz at that time you know we needed that first down um you ultimately we started the game that's what we thought we'd be able to do uh you know be able to pound them out and and you know and eat the clock and you know get our running game going you know we it was 247 you know and and we were doing that and then we have the fumble obviously changed a little bit of the momentum but uh at that time and at that stage of the game we needed a first down we needed the clock to run uh North Folk state was running out of timeout so that first down allowed us to kind of you know rethink about what we needed to do for the remainder of that drive so off offensive line of all is going to be our strength they've been our strength you know three three preseason All Conference players couple other guys that obviously play really really well but uh for us to be successful our offensive line has to be great and uh I think they showed that in the second half you coach Macy your heard the crush Sports Talk talk about resetting a championship culture guys can kind of get complacent but you come in and you have to redirect these guys just talk about that process this summer and getting to this point right here well believe it or not it started in the spring you know know obviously when everything was going on and then uh you know we I was named interim uh but you know the beginning of January you know I was attacking this as the head coach right we you know we had just won the championship first week of January everybody was back in school you know we were lifting and training getting ready to go again uh then then you go through spring practice you finally get your staff together and uh we knew that we still had some work to do and uh and and as they mentioned in the summer you know we had 85 guys there in the summer you know training and working and uh you know doing everything imaginable to to to possibly be in this type of situation but being able to overcome it so you I want to Ser say it's a reset you know believe it or not we are a much much different team than we were last year got some new guys new guys in different spots new guy new faces you know obviously you know you lose the play of the year on both sides of the football some other guys are going to have to are going to have to play better um and and at times we did and at times we didn't so what it did say about our football team is is that you know what we we we do understand that it's we got to play the full game and uh they did that tonight we didn't get down we didn't get down when we got down and uh I'm extremely excited that it's something to build on we know that we can come back uh and but but I'm not trying to make it a plan to be down every game 14 to zero that you can't believe we're going to go to second row on your left right Jared Hoffman HBC sports coach first of all congratulations on your first win as head coach of Florida A&M thank you uh just talk about the mentality of this team and training camp and what went into the decisions you made about the Personnel that you wanted to go with going into this game well that's a great question actually the mentality for us was for me was to try to make this try to make training camp as hard as we could you know we we were trying to get a gauge on on some of the guys that we had you know you you I didn't need to test Jamar GID I I didn't need to test uh TJ Lee I didn't really need to test Jaylen C you know but with the amount of transfers that we did have coming in we knew that they were talented but uh we we needed to find out how much fight they had in them so you you asked them and we we we we had some tough afternoons we had some tough mornings and and that was that was by you know for a reason I I wanted to see where we were who we could trust at this time who's going to be accountable who's going to take care of the details so mentality wise I thought we got over a hurdle you know a lot of people thought we were going to come in and and and this is going to be an easy football game for us but you know we had to readjust our mindset we had to readjust some of the things that we did offensively defensively and even special team so I appreciate our guys getting to the sidelines getting on the iPads making making the corrections and then showing on the field but you know we're one to0 uh we got a long way to go if if we're trying to get back trying to get back here you know in December but excited about what we did but we still got a lot of work to do young man over here on the left on your right Justin favor is tomorrow lead Sports Network um your players talked about how being down 14 nothing it um it you know allowed them to wake up or whatever so you guys scored off the first drive coming out the second half what was the message to the team coming out at the half well we we talk about the uh the middle eight and uh and when we we discussed the middleweight we talked about the last four minutes of the second quarter and then the first four minutes of the third and uh you know we had a chance at the end of the second quarter to get some points you know and we didn't you know we we failed in our two-minute attempt but we got when we got to lock room at half you know we talked about you know being able to go down the field we had some things that we thought we could do offensively and and again it was important for us to you know grab the lead and uh just just to show you know that you guys come in have time work on our Corrections and it's it's always great to talk about it in the locker room and then get it you know let to transfer into the field so it builds confidence in the coaches it builds confidence in the players you know we had different guys at different moments make some really really good plays and uh so you know again it's it's week one we got we still got work to do and uh and I'm hoping I can't wait to get get back to work tomorrow so we can get ready for next week right here in the front Don ston DNA Sports thought coach odms uh appraise your team for having a lot of discipline in this particular game maybe a little bit more so than last year what areas did you see the discipline having effect in this game well I think he's being very very generous uh you know we had a couple situations where it gave them some first downs um and you know those those are things that can't happen you I guess you know maybe in the past some things you know might have maybe got out of hand but you know we had a we had a big third down stop and you know we had we had a hand you know we had a hand to the face and then then we had a face mask uh you know in the first half have so those are things we we we have to ultimately negate because they extend drives and normally when you extend drives that gives up points but uh you know we we strive to be better I don't necessarily know how many penalties we may have had but uh you know we we had two comes to mind and and that's three too many right so uh you know we we we continue to work on that we we'll do some running and do some disciplines for some of those things that happened tonight but uh you know it's things we can learn from it didn't cost us tonight but ultimately it could cost us later so ultimately I I I I'm always going to feel that we need to be better with our discipline we're going to go to your right over here coach yeah I'm kend Sports um coach you walked out of tunnels to football fields an unknown number of times how was this walk out to from the tunnel to the field tonight different and how was that walk from the field after wi different say that one more time I said how was it how was it different walking out on the field tonight being a first head coach considering the journey you took to get here and how was it different walking off the field tonight KN you had your first win as head coach of Flor well I'll tell you this you know my first two years I was I was in charge of the captains so we I would walk the captains to the 50 you know what I mean tonight I had to run very different right I mean I'm not used to running from the from one side to the other and I do that sometimes just you know not as a head coach that's that's probably the first part for me um secondly you know it was uh you know little butterflies that's some some butterflies in there and uh and obviously excited to see our fan base you know my family was was in the stands and uh you know but but the best part was walking off one to0 uh you know that that's something that you know you strive for uh and I and again I you know I won't be able to relive that moment ever again and and uh but but it was exciting for me exciting for the team excited for the staff excited for the you know in president everyone affiliated with our program rer Nation you know we got a lot of people come watch this football game we had a lot of people watching this football game on TV so I I think uh you know the M swack challenge was the number one ticket tonight and and and that's that's great to see and great to hear okay we got our final two questions we're going to go with Coach Johnny and then we're going to go with Jake but hey coach how you doing doing well HBCU Coaches Corner we'll get you next week yes sir but of course the victory was great and sweet and that's what it's all about at the end of the day but giving up 257 yards rushing you can't do that each game and talk about national championship of course and I know you got to get back and watch film what was really happening because you guys were getting caught up in the mixed Direction and once they po through the first line then you know the secondary had to catch them and they had to make one miss do you know now what was the issue or or of course you know that that's a whole bunch of yards to give up rushing well I mean the the standard of our of our defense is you got to stop the run you know we we can't have the success that we need to have if we don't stop the run and you over the last you know two or three years we've we've been one of the best in the country um you know North Folk was giving us some unbalance they were they were they were moving the line around on us we we call it an ox front uh and and uh when you do that people can get out of gaps and that that first long run you know they put us in ax and then then they they counted with this with the guard and the center and we didn't have enough you know and uh then and then the running back made a made a great move you know to get to Spring and it went about 82 yards so you know uh for us I thought I thought we might have been moving a little bit too much you know we normally line up and just you know and we just take gaps and and uh you know I think we were moving around a little bit too much especially with the ox and the unbalanced stuff that they were doing you now have to slide D line you got to change your gaps and we are recognizing that so you know things things to grow things to work on um you know we I'm I'm not going to tell you that we worked on Ox a heck of a lot because that's not what they did right and then obviously you know looking at a guy that was at another program before so hats off to them but they thought they did a really really good job and ultimately what happens when you do things when you do things poorly now will you wonder what South Carolina State's going to do to us next weekend you already know they're going to they're going to they're going to see if we have that fixed or not so but I thought we moved around too well too much at the on the defensive line where normally we we play gaps right and then obviously they did a good job green planning and uh but we got some things we got to work on we know that and uh and you're right if we're going to continue to give up 200 yards game rushing I don't think we we're going to be lucky enough to be winning the game like we like we did tonight find a coach question right here in front coach Jake McDonald core 360 Sports uh usually in the last quarters you start gaming out scenarios what would happen if your scenario for the point after try and then the two two-point conversion did you welcome that two-point conversion what what was going through your mind when you saw that well I mean we we knew that since we were off sides that the likelihood of them going for two what going to happen um you know he show him called timeout you know I thought that was a good move you know we we we called a defense that we thought they were going to run a QB something with the QB and we got lucky on that one you know we we got a chance to get we our guy won the one-on-one battle with an amazing tackle uh you know but you know we don't want to be off sides on the extra point you know but but I mean again the other scenario was what it was defensively we did a good job and and then we didn't we didn't give up the two points uh and you know I guess obviously that's that was the uh the difference at the game and as you can see stepen coach coach uh Coy is adamant that uh you know this is a new team a new coaching staff if you think about all the pieces they had to replace the reason he said earlier in the week he hoped they' go through some adversity early I don't think he thought the 82 yard touchdown was what exactly he wanted or for the second touchdown to be down 14 to Z but clearly said this week he wanted to see the team get down to see how they responded and the second takeaway I took was Daniel uh Richardson saying you know his choice to come to FAMU was based on he had already decided to go in the portal and then he watched the celebration bowl and he saw FAMU and saw that they had the winning culture and just like he said he said when the team got down it wasn't the coaches it was the players that were there before to say hey we got to step up we got to get it done and that goes a long way that's what a coach wants to have the player that can fill in the gap for the coaches cuz you know players get tired of hearing the coach all the time but when it's in within the players that's what you want that's what builds a championship caliber team yeah no doubt about it so uh FAMU starts the season 1 and0 uh they'll go back home to brag Stadium where they'll take on uh former Mak SI longtime rival in South Carolina state and Coach head coach chennis Berry and uh North State they'll go back to the drawing board and see what they did well and how they can work on the things that they didn't so um you know as we uh finish up here and before they get ready to get to kicking us out um you know uh van your thoughts on the game uh moving forward and uh kind of just for both teams how you know what they take away from this game well first off you got nor Carolina Central and Southern playing in the M swack challenge in 2025 Shameless plug get your tickets for that one right um but um it was a great experience uh a great showing on the crowds two great HBCU bands an absolutely phenomenal football game I mean no matter what team you're for it's always a little more sour if you a Spartan losing by one but both coaches agreed that it was an exciting game and and I like uh coach odm's um his attitude about the whole thing Nork state is going to beat some people this year mark my word they have a lot of great players they got a great king is everything they say is kevon King he's he's all M for a reason he is everything they say he is he can really run hard and on the fam you side Daniel Richardson showed why he was qb1 uh no interceptions he didn't turn the ball over so we saw a lot of positives today they'll go back and work on the negatives cuz just like coach Coy said he knows coach Barry is sitting there watching this game like the first thing he's going to do is test them on what they didn't do out here today that's the first thing South Carolina State's going to do he's a smart coach he said so he has to make sure that the Rattlers go back and tighten up the things they did wrong so I'm looking forward to just can't wait this is the beginning of a exciting HBCU football season long way to go all the homecomings all the classics the conference Championship and of course the celebration Bowl to top it all off yeah well you know uh week zero is coming to a close our friends over at Delaware state are uh over in the Pacific uh they they finally made it over Yonder and they are being able to play that game so so haven't had a chance to see what's uh going on so we got a little time we can check those guys out uh but yeah as you say vanau uh the start of the SE HBCU season here in Atlanta and in a couple of months far too soon we'll end it here uh in Atlanta down the road so uh we'll try to enjoy every moment in between and the best way that you can do that is to go to HBCU gam day.com daily as well as our YouTube and our social media as well but definitely do that for all the uh updates on HBCU Sports Athletics and culture and uh we will catch you guys in week one