Rick Stockstill, Head Coach
On finally arriving in Nassau
“The anticipation and logistics of everything we’ve gone through the last couple of weeks, we had a great week of practice at home and our guys are excited. It’s good to be here and get settled in today and get ready to go tomorrow.”
Were the players excited on the way down?
“Absolutely. It’s pretty cold in Tennessee so they were excited to get down here. It’s a great opportunity for these guys. Most of them have never been out of the country before so it’s going to be a great experience for them.”
On Western Michigan
“They’re a really good team and have some dynamic skill players on offense. Their two receivers, running back and quarterback are really good. They’re huge on the offensive line. Kind of the typical Midwestern-type guys that you see. Defensively they’ve done a really good job of not giving up the big play. They keep the ball in front of them, and they’re sound in the kicking game.”
“I think the big thing is, they’re No. 2 in the country in time of possession so they’re good on third down. Defensively, we’ve got to be good on first down and get them in some third-and-long situations and try to create turnovers. Conversely, offensively, it looks like it might be a shortened game because of their ability to control the clock, so we’ve got to be great on third down and protect the football. We can’t give up any possessions.”
92 Patrick McNeil, Defensive Tackle (Mobile, Ala.)
What are you looking forward to the most?
“I’m looking forward to getting out and being able to see everything. I want to do the most I can do while I’m here. This is my last college football game. I want to enjoy it.”
16 Khalil Brooks, Cornerback (Atlanta, Ga.)
What are you looking forward to the most?
“My mom’s from Belize so I’ve been out of the country before. I’ve seen a lot, so it’s nothing new. I just want to have a normal vacation, experience the culture and explore.”
33 Myles Harges, Linebacker (Grenada, Miss.)
How did it feel flying down to the Bahamas?
“Being from Mississippi you don’t see water that color there. It was different. We know this is a business trip but we know we can have a good time here. Not sure yet how it’s going to feel playing a football game outside of the U.S. but I’m looking forward to it.”
What’s the one thing you want to do while you’re here?
“I want to swim with dolphins.”
