RUSTON, La. - Louisiana Tech head coach Skip Holtz spoke with the media Monday in advance of the team's Conference USA road game versus North Texas Saturday, Nov. 5 at Apogee Stadium in Denton, Texas.

Head Coach Skip Holtz

Opening comments:

"It is always nice to win. It was a big weekend when you look at some of the milestones that took place. We got to six wins which is huge in the big picture of things. That is now three bowl opportunities in a row, which is the first time in program history that has happened. That is a testament to the seniors and the leadership on this team. The other milestone is Trent Taylor with 281 catches, breaking the record that Troy Edwards has held here. That is a testament to not only Trent, but Cody Sokol, Jeff Driskel, Ryan Higgins, the offensive line and the entire football team. It is definitely a team honor and award. Trent had an opportunity after the game to speak and say thank you to everyone. Two huge milestones took place this weekend. It is great to win at home and be 4-0 at home. I was really proud of the way our players went out and the way they competed. We have talked about finding our purpose as a football team and our motivation to go out and play each and every week. We have heard for three or four week, the word trap game. Whether that is playing on the road, or playing a team that does not have a particularly good record right now. Yet, the motivation of this team remains that we have been in this position the past two years in a row. We have three games down the stretch and an opportunity to compete for the West. We were able to accomplish that one year and not the other. We also have the opportunity to compete for a conference championship, which we were not able to get done two years ago. We have a lot of things that are out there and unfinished. There are a lot of things that we want to be able to accomplish. The bowl win is a great milestone, but there is a lot on the plate. That was not the ultimate goal coming into the season. We still have some things in place that we have to do to take care of business. There are three weeks remaining on the schedule, but I thought the way they came and took care of business on Saturday was great. I was really proud of them."

On Offense:

"Offensively, we had a pretty impressive day statistically. We had 735 yards and seven drives that went for 70 yards or more. We were 80 percent in the red zone and 67 percent on third down. We ran a successful two-minute drive. We had 483 yards on 11 big plays that counted for four touchdowns. We averaged 7.7 per run. Ryan Higgins continues to play at a high level with the way he is throwing the football and seeing the field. You can see he is getting healthier and healthier with his groin. We had some guys play really well upfront on the offensive line. You cannot say enough about Trent Taylor. There are not enough adjectives for me to stand up here and talk about the respect I have for that young man. Not just what he has accomplished statistically, but the work ethic he has and what he has meant to this team as a leader. So many guys played so well. We had the opportunity to play a lot of people on Saturday."

On Defense:

"Defensively, it was pretty much the same thing. We had five sacks and statistically, it was our best day. We had five sacks and created two turnovers. We did not allow any big play touchdowns as a defense. We had eight passes broken up. I felt like we played really well on defense. Xavier Woods continues to be that leader on defense. He had an interception and was vocal and focused. He was really dialed in with what he wants to get done right now. I think he is doing a great job of leading."

On Special Teams:

"After the break we gave him a week ago, I thought Jonathan Barnes kicked off well. He had six of seven touchbacks. This is the time of the year where his smaller body normally wears down. Giving him that break from kickoffs has really helped tremendously. We averaged over 40 yards a punt. That is something to celebrate and something we have been trying to get done around here. We not only averaged it, but we averaged 52.5 yards per punt with two punts and both being in the red zone. I thought there were a lot of positive things and a lot we can build on. Watching the film there are a lot of things to clean up as well."

On North Texas:

"Seth Littrell has done a fantastic job with this program. In his first year there, you can see the different being made. It is like watching two different teams. I think he is doing a great job. They are playing very hard and playing well together. They are 4-4 and fighting to get to a bowl game in year one. I think he has really done a nice job with that team. When you look at them on offense, I know they are playing with a very young quarterback. He is a throwing quarterback, but he has great feet. He can definitely hurt you with his feet. They have great size at wide receiver that they take advantage of in the red zone. Their offensive line is big. 6'9, 360 is large. They have a running back behind them that is averaging over 100 yards per game rushing. They have some balance as an offensive football team. I just think he is young and trying to put some pieces together. Those guys are competing well together and doing a really nice job."

On North Texas defense:

"Statistically, this North Texas defense is one of the better ones in the league. They are leading the league in interceptions and pass defense efficiency. They are only giving up 50 percent pass completion. That ranks seventh in the country. They are very aggressive on defense. They are ranked in the top three in about five categories, when it comes to scoring defense, total defense, passing defense, pass efficiency defense, interceptions. They are really playing an aggressive style of football. A lot of man coverage. They challenge you. They run to the ball and are playing well together as a defensive unit. I have really been impressed with what they do on film. They are one of the better defenses in our conference right now. They are really doing a nice job. They have really athletic corners and the safeties are some of the better players on their team. They have two pick sixes as a defense. The linebackers are solid and they play a lot of guys on the defensive front. They are very active. Unfortunately, they lost last week against UTSA, or they would be 5-3 and they had four turnovers in that game. They finished minus four in the turnover battle. I think he has done a really good job there."

On North Texas Special Teams:

"They have the best punter in the league. He ranks one in our conference, averaging 45 yards per punt. He has 15 punts that have gone 50 yards. He has a long of 68. He is ranked 17th in the country. Their punt returner is fourth in the conference. They are a really good football team. It will be a great challenge for us this week, going on the road to Denton to play a football team that is playing with a lot of energy and excitement. I am sure they are looking at this game as a necessity to get to bowl eligibility. We know we are going to get their best shot. We have to erase last week, that is behind us and take today as an academic day for our players. We will be back to work tomorrow for North Texas."