RUSTON, La. (Oct. 15, 2019) – Louisiana Tech head coach Skip Holtz spoke with the media Tuesday in advance of Tech's home Conference USA matchup vs. Southern Miss set for Saturday at 2:30 p.m. from Joe Aillet Stadium.
 
Head Coach Skip Holtz
 
Reflecting on the UMass Game:
"Going back to the game Saturday, I was really pleased with the energy and focus the team came out with. We talked about the beginning of the season and what we've learned through the first five games. In two of the games we were highly favored in, we came out and did not play our best football. We challenged our players last week to come out and set a standard – and I thought we started really fast. We were focused and dialed in. We had one of our better weeks of practice after the open date. A lot of energy and leadership during the week of practice, so I felt really good going into the game. It resulted in a very positive performance on Saturday night."
 
"It all started with Amik's interception, which put us on the board quickly, and then once we got another stop, Justin Henderson's long run put us up two scores. From there it really started to steamroll. It seemed like confidence began to grow as the game went on. We got an opportunity to play an awful lot of people to gain some valuable game experience for a lot of guys that need it. I thought there were a lot of guys who played really well for us."
 
Defensively, I thought Courtney Wallace had one of his best games of the year. It was nice to see him and Ka'Derrion Mason play as well as they did on the inside. I thought both Ezekiel Barnett and Connor Taylor played really well. L'Jarius Sneed continues to get better and more comfortable at safety. We've got a lot of guys that are playing really solid football, and the battle cry is that we need to keep getting better.
 
I thought the offensive line had one of their best games as a group. Those guys really opened up some nice holes in the run game. We got an opportunity to play a guy like DeAndre Marcus – a young player who is waiting for his opportunity, and he rushed for almost 100 yards. We were able to put Wayne Toussant back on kick return and Smoke Harris back on punt return, and those are invaluable reps.
 
Bailey Hale continues to play really well on special teams. I'm just really excited about the way he's responded from his opening day performance at Texas. He's just playing with a lot of confidence right now, which we're certainly going to need walking into this weekend."
 
On getting back into conference play:
"Every time you win a football game, the next one gets bigger. Having the opportunity to get back into conference play with Southern Miss at our place is huge. It's a game I know our players are very excited about. This is one of our longest running rivalries. We've played 50 games against each other in this series. It's a game I know geographically has an impact on our fans and our players. Many of our players are from Mississippi and some of theirs are from Louisiana. We recruit against each other. Even though it's early in the season, this game appears to have large implications for the West Division. There's an awful lot on this game, but this is why you play football. These are the games you want to be involved in. We know it's going to be hard fought. We know both teams are going to be very competitive. Two years ago we lost in double overtime in our place and last year lost by one point at their place. It's been a one-play game in each of the last two years, and I think it's got all the makings for a great game and a great atmosphere.
 
We're excited we have the opportunity to play at home. Joe Aillet Stadium has been very good to us. The fan base has been great. The student body has been as good as it's been in years, and I would encourage all of them to come out, because we're going to need all their support at 2:30 on Saturday for a very big game here in Ruston.
 
On the challenges Southern Miss presents:
"We understand the challenges we have in front of us. This is a very good Southern Miss football team. When you look at them, defensively they are built to stop the run. They have been a standard in this conference for defense. I know last year they were a top-20 defense. They are very aggressive, play hard and play downhill. They held us to 300 yards a year ago. They are a very physical defensive football team.
 
On top of that this year with Adams, Watkins and Mitchell have been huge for that offense. They're putting up huge yards and leading our league in passing offense. I think Jack Abraham is playing really well. They have a great scheme and they've got some really talented and speedy receivers. Last week, they put up 45 points on North Texas. Offensively, they're either one or two in pretty much every category. We understand the challenge facing our defense.
 
They are very explosive in the kicking game with Adams back there. He's very dangerous. He took one to the house in their opening game.
 
This game has got great challenges for us. It's a great opportunity, and we're excited we have the opportunity to play it at home.
 
On the uniqueness of this rivalry:
"Every rivalry is special and unique. I've been involved in a lot of rivalries from my time as a coach and player. What makes a rivalry unique is when you've got two teams that compete against each other in recruiting, on the field, and between the fan bases. This is the closest C-USA school to us. You look at the traditions, history and long-standing relationship these two teams have dating back to 1935. On top of that, these have been two of the better teams in the division for several years now – and that makes it that much bigger of a rivalry. It's got a lot of things that make it special and unique. It's certainly a rivalry game, and one that our fan base and our players will certainly be excited to be involved in."
 
On slowing down the Southern Miss defensive line:
"They create an awful lot of pressure. They do a great job of pressing their linebackers to the line of scrimmage and that really takes away opportunities to double team. They are a pressure-built defensive football team. They like to control the tempo of the game, and in doing so, they like to crowd a lot of people to the line of scrimmage, which makes a lot of your offensive lineman become one-one-one blocks. They make getting into double teams very difficult. From a pass protection standpoint, I know they got to us a year ago. We're just going to have to challenge our players to step up. There's really not anything scheme-wise we can do. It's going to be man on man, and everybody will need to put their big boy pants on and be ready to play. That's what this game is going to boil down to."
 
On Jack Abraham:
"We knew Jack was a great player, watching him develop throughout high school. He was the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Mississippi. We recruited him, he was here, wanted to play, and he opted to find another school – which I hated because it was never the case that he wasn't wanted here. We thought he was going to be a special player, and he is. He's continuing to mature as a quarterback. He's always been smart, very accurate and a quick release. All that is really showing now that he's got a couple years of college football under his belt."
 
To access video of today's LA Tech press conference, go to: https://conferenceusa.box.com/v/2019-20Video
Password: 2019-20Video
 
Click on Conference USA File Share > Video > Football > then the week of highlights you are seeking > then the school you are seeking.
 
Audio from today's press conference can be accessed on SoundCloud by clicking on the links below.
 
HC Skip Holtz audio: https://soundcloud.com/latechathletics/skip-holtz-game-7
 
QB J'Mar SMith audio: https://soundcloud.com/latechathletics/jmar-smith-game-7
 
CB Amik Robertson audio: https://soundcloud.com/latechathletics/amik-robertson-game-7