Photo by: © Dakota Hawxwell Photo
Tre Lamb Press Conference - Week 10 at Bryant
October 31, 2023 | Football
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - Every Tuesday during football season, Gardner-Webb Head Football Coach will hold a weekly press conference over Zoom at 9:30 AM EDT/8:30 AM CDT to discuss the Gardner-Webb football game each week. This week, Coach Lamb met with the media to discuss Gardner-Webb's upcoming road contest at Bryant on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 1:00 PM.
OPENING STATEMENT
"I am really pleased with that win. UT Martin is a very good team. That's the best defensive front we've seen all year, and we've played East Carolina and Appalachian State. That was a quality opponent, and they really don't have any weaknesses. They're big, strong, and older. I can't say enough good things about Coach Simpson and the job he's done. But that is a great win for us, and a great month of football for us. We won three of the four games we played, and if you told me at the beginning of the year that in October, we had a chance to beat UT Martin, Eastern Kentucky and Robert Morris, in our hardest stretch of the year, I'd be pleased. We lost to Austin Peay, but we were able to get three out of four."
"I'm very pleased with how our team is getting better each week and maturing. We have a lot of older guys on defense who are playing well, and we have young guys on offense who are stepping up. Special teams continue to be an Achilles heel for us, and I've got to get that fixed quickly if we want to win these last three games."
"This week we have a road game at Bryant, a really good team. I love their quarterback (Zevi Eckhaus) and I think he's fantastic. Their offense is really hard to stop. A lot of concepts passing that can give you issues. Their defensive line is big up front. So, we're going to have to play really well. It's a hard trip, and I've never been up there. But it looks like we're going to have good weather, and I'm excited to get up there. We're right back in the mix in the conference standings, and we need to bring our guys back down to earth, humble them, and finish strong in November."
Q1 – Your defense held Sam Franklin under 100 yards last week. How do you assess your defensive play to slow down UT Martin's rushing attack in last week's win?
"That's a testament to our staff. They had a really good plan to get seven, eight guys in the box and get some run fits to slow them down. The strength of our team is our defensive front. We have a lot of returners, older players, and they made them one dimensional. We're proud about that."
Q2 – How has Jaylen King's maturation been going so far?
"I've been in his shoes. You go out and beat Eastern Kentucky and UT Martin as a true freshman, you've done something big. There's a lot to be said for that. It's not easy. We have had some guys make some plays around him. But we had four drops on Saturday, and if those guys catch those balls, his stats are a lot better. He still had 230 yards passing, 40 yards rushing, and three touchdowns against that defense. I'm very happy with the way he's playing. And then our running backs have started to make it go. Our offensive line is blocking well. We didn't have a lot of negative plays, and got some things to work on the perimeter. I know Jaylen gets a lot of deserved credit, but other guys are making plays as well."
Q3 – How do you turn around your road woes this week?
"I think a lot of that has to do with who we've been playing. Two of those losses this year have been FBS opponents. We have to be better on the road. We have a really good record at home and have beaten some really good teams at home. But we have two road games in November with Bryant and Tennessee Tech, and finish at home with Charleston Southern. We need to do everything in our power to get these next two. Our kids know what's at stake. We're right back in the mix. And if we finish the year 7-4, we have a great shot to get a playoff bid as an at-large or as co-Conference Champions."
"A ton is on the line. We don't need to say much to get these guys ready to play. We need a fast start, and to separate. I am very impressed with Bryant. They have 17 guys starting that are seniors, and five juniors. They don't have any underclassmen starting. Any time you're that old, it's going to be tough to go against them at their place. We have a lot of injuries, so as a staff, we're trying to find out how to get 11 guys out there who can go out and do their job, execute their calls, and outplay them at their place. But it's certainly not going to be easy."
Q4 – How do you slow down their quarterback (Zevi Eckhaus) on Saturday?
"He's a winner. He's the type of guy I like to recruit. He can extend plays. He reminds me a ton of our quarterback from last year, Bailey Fisher. He's smart. He's a little bit undersized. If he's bigger than 6'1", he's probably not playing at Bryant. He's a talented kid that knows the offense. They put the ball in his hands, and the scariest thing he does is extend plays in clutch moments. We have to plaster it and rush the quarterback, and make him uncomfortable. But I think he is the best quarterback in the conference."
Q5 – How does Bryant's offense compare to other offenses you've played against this year?
"They're very pass-heavy. Concept passing. They put a lot on their quarterback, which I would too. Especially with how many reps and how much he's played. He's very smart and understands the system. Coach Merritt has done a great job recruiting. They're also big up front. Their offensive line coach has done a good job recruiting as well. That's a hard position to evaluate and he works at it. They do a nice job recruiting Georgia and Florida, and that's where we get a lot of our guys from, and we recruit a lot of the same guys. I think, offensively, they are extremely dangerous. Our defense has to come ready to play, and our offense has to be ready to score."
"Last year, we got into a shootout with these guys. They had 400 yards passing, and we won 48-40 at our place. It was a great game. But we have to play better defensively and on special teams, and we need to put some pressure on them. And then put some points up offensively."
For media interested in joining Tre Lamb's weekly Zoom call, please contact Richard Martin for more information.
Gardner-Webb heads north for their longest road trip of the season, traveling 715 miles to Smithfield, R.I. to face Bryant in a Big South-OVC contest. Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM on Saturday, Nov. 4.
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