Sept. 7, 2009

COACH WEST: Going back and looking at it, man a lot of positives in the game. (I'm) really pleased with our effort and intensity that we played with. One of the places in particular we were concerned with coming into the game was our secondary. They played really well. They played together; played as a unit.

Overall defensively I felt like we played really well until we probably ran out of gas a little bit at the end and kind of lost our edge a little bit, which I wasn't pleased with. Overall defensively I thought we did a lot of good things. We played really sound against the run for most of the day. We gave up 190 yards of offense in three quarters and then the negative is we gave up 150 (yards) in the fourth quarter. So we really kind of spoiled what could have been a really good day. Defensively, we did what we said we were going to do going into the game to give ourselves a chance to win the game.

Offensively, I'm really pleased with our offensive line, for the most part. They are playing together pretty good. I thought we ran the ball, not great, but good against a good run defense and that was kind of our question mark coming in with our offensive line. I thought they held their own. I thought they battled and banged pretty good in the game. We didn't play well enough. We didn't make good enough decisions in the passing game. We had some chances there where we didn't make good enough decisions.

The kicking game, I was disappointed to start the game. We didn't punt it well. We missed a field goal. We didn't kick it off well. Looking back now defensively I felt that we did what we needed to do. Offensively, we said we would score or punt and that we wouldn't turn the ball over. We wouldn't give them anything. We didn't get that done.

In the kicking game I was disappointed early because we didn't make some plays but we didn't give up the big play in the kicking game. We knew if we did (give up the big play in the kicking game) that would kill us immediately. I ended up being okay with our teams.

The biggest thing was our decision making. I will take the blame on the third down play. I should override everything. We put the guy (Arkelon Hall) in a bad position. We should have handed it off and punted the ball and gone in 10-7 at the half.

Q: How much of that was you thinking that we have some time and we do need to make some plays?

COACH WEST: You know you kind of get into that. That is what happened. We have preached and we have talked about that our chance (in the game) was to not make that mistake. That is what we were not going to do to take ourselves out of a game. In that field position, backed up inside the 30, we don't need to do that (commit a turnover). We should have handed the ball off.

Everybody gets mad because you hand it off and you run the clock out before the half, but that is what you do. That is how you keep yourself (in the game) and you play for your breaks.

One great thing that we did offensively was when Deante' (Lamar) intercepts the ball and we get the break, bam, three plays we score. That is what you got to do. You play for and you make your breaks and when they come, you cash in with them. You get in trouble sometimes when you try to make things happen. In that field zone backed up, you got to protect the ball, and we didn't do that. I put him in that situation.

Q: What is the biggest positive that you take from Sunday's game?

COACH WEST: Well, I really felt like, for probably a little over three quarters, we looked like we had a chance to have a really good football team. We have got to get better in some places. I liked our intensity. I liked the way we approached the game. I liked the way we played the game, in particular on defense. For us to do what we want to do this year, we have got to play good defense. We have got to be a really good defensive team and not beat ourselves on offense.

I would say the biggest positive was the way we played defense for three and a half quarters. I think everybody was a little bit concerned because we were up against a quarterback and a wideout and some backs who are some pretty good players. I thought our front seven played pretty well. We played 10 guys up front. We rolled a bunch of guys (in and out of the game). We are bigger. We are stronger. We have got more depth, defensively, than we have had. We played that way.

I will brag on Kenny (Ingram). I thought Coach Ingram did a nice job of mixing zone and man and mixing three man fronts, four man fronts, not letting them know where we were. We got the guy (Jevan Snead) to throw us a couple.

Q: What are your thoughts on Middle Tennessee?

COACH WEST: We better lick our wounds and get them done quickly. You look at what they did last year beating Maryland in their home opener, and any time you go on the road it's tough, but they are all tough these days. What I want to do is correct our mistakes. We have to take those mistakes that give up points and give up the ball out of our game. We will take what we did and build on it.

Q: On the QB competition

COACH WEST: I am going to stick with what I said after the game. Obviously, we made some bad decisions at quarterback, but I am not going to throw a player under the bus. I have to put our quarterback in better situations than what I did. We will go through this week, look at their defense and see who gives us the best chance to win the game. We have to approach it that way right now.

Q: On the injury situation

COACH WEST: We came out really good injury wise. That's what happens when you are glued in and ready to play. We have a few bangs and bruises but that's about it.

Q: Thoughts on Middle Tennessee QB Dwight Dasher

COACH WEST: He is a real athletic guy, fast, good runner and good thrower. He is a dual threat guy and that's what they do. They are going to spread you out all over the field with three, four or five wide receivers and let him throw it and run it. We did a pretty good job against him two years ago until the end of the game when he got the touchdown on us at the end of the game. We were struggling a little bit defensively at the time when we played them and we played good defense but didn't play well enough on offense to win the game.

Q: On the Middle Tennessee defense

COACH WEST: They are all over the place. You don't know what you are going to get, it's a little different each week looking at them through last season. They pressure with you a three man front a lot. I think our run game will be pretty important in this game, if we can hand it off and control the tempo of the game somewhat.

Q: On the play of the running backs versus Ole Miss

COACH WEST: I thought our three backs played extremely well. I thought you saw that up against a quality defense, Curtis Steele made his plays again. (Curtis) can play for or against anybody. He is a really, really good player. He made his plays when they weren't there at times. He can create and make his own plays. T.J. (Smith) was solid and did some really nice things in pass protection. T.J. (Pitts) does some things without the ball that you don't notice that are really important. Lance (Smith) did exactly what I thought he would do, being hard to tackle. If we can get him out in space a little bit more, he will be even better. I thought all three backs played the way that I thought they would. They all played good enough to win the game.

Q: Who is your primary playmaker? Is it Curtis (Steele)?

COACH WEST: I think we have several. I think Curtis is definitely a guy who has been here and done it. He has been a guy who has been here and made plays. I think Carlos (Singleton) and Duke (Calhoun) also are. Duke made some plays in the game and I think Carlos can make plays for us. Those three guys right now. I think there'll be more. Whether it's T.J. (Pitts) or Lance (Smith). Those are guys who can also make some plays. I think Lance is a guy who is really capable of making some big plays for us.

Q: How important is this next game against Middle Tennessee?

COACH WEST: This game is really important I think. We'd love to go on the road and get the first win there to get started. Even though it's a non-conference game, it's still an important game. I think it's important for the mental part of this team. They poured a lot into the game yesterday, but that's the way it is. That's the way life is, and that's kind of the way our game is. You pour everything you've got into it, and then you've got to get up and go again. You have to get up. It's a game about getting knocked down and getting up and going again. We can't sit around and feel sorry for ourselves. We have to get up and go again today.

Q: How does the practice week change with the short week?

COACH WEST: Normally this is our day off, but it just won't be our day off today. We'll watch the tape and go out for about 30 minutes probably today and do our normal jogging to get some of the soreness out, and then try to get started tomorrow on Middle. It's a short week, but you've got to make it work. I don't see that it's going to be that big of a problem.

Q: Did you get a chance to see film from Middle Tennessee's first game?

COACH WEST: Yeah I watched their game. It didn't start out good. Clemson ran back the opening kickoff for a touchdown, so that wasn't a good start for Middle. I thought they battled Clemson pretty good. I don't know how good Clemson is because I don't know much about them anymore. It was a pretty good game all the way through it. Middle gave up a turnover for a touchdown and helped them. But they have a good team.

Q: Is there something with Rick (Stockstill) that you know that there are certain philosophies that he'll adhere to?

COACH WEST: I hired Rick as my co-offensive coordinator at Clemson. We know each other pretty good. He's not going to do anything different. He's going to do what he does on tape. He knows we're going to do what we did; it's what we are. He'll be saying the same thing. We'll both just try to do it better than what we did in the first game.

Q: If a guy is so familiar with you from working with you, is that an advantage?

COACH WEST: I don't see it as an advantage for them. He knows us. He doesn't know us offensively really. He knows us defensively because he's kind of been there with us. He knows what I've always done defensively. But things change a little bit through the years. I know Rick (Stockstill) pretty good too through the years. Rick was on our staff one year at Clemson with Coach (Danny) Ford, and then I hired him when I came back as the head coach. We've talked all through the years. Rick has had the chance to work for some good guys, some offensive guys. Whether it was (Steve) Spurrier or (Lou) Holtz or whoever he was working with. So we've shared ideas. But I don't think it's an advantage either way. I don't think he gets one, or I don't think I get one. And at the end of the day your players have to win the game on the field. You put them out there and they've got to go out there and win the game.