Following the Flames’ upset loss to Gardner-Webb, Coach Gill and Josh Woodrum met with the media this afternoon. Here are 6 notables (very difficult to keep it at 6) from today’s press conference:
- Injuries, injuries, injuries. Coach Gill announced D.J. Abnar is out for the season and will need ankle surgery. Lucas Holder is also out for the season and will need foot surgery. Kyle Carrington is out 6-8 weeks. T.J. Tillery is out for the season. Wesley Scott is questionable for Monmouth.
- Josh Woodrum opened his portion of the press conference by saying, “We have to stop worrying about what other people are trying to do. Stop worrying about what the other units are doing. Too many defensive players are worrying about the offense. Too many offensive players are worrying about the defense. Just do your job and don’t worry about another spot…I don’t know how, but I’m going to find a way that it doesn’t happen again. We have to get it fixed.” He kept referring to this idea throughout his press availability: “If we have 11 people on both sides of the ball (doing their job), we’re going to have some success…(As a leader), a lot of the responsibility falls on me, but I can’t go out there and run the route or block, that’s their job, and, ultimately, they have to take responsibility. We need all 11 guys doing their role and not worried about the guy next to you.”
- The other main point Woodrum kept referring to was how the Flames no longer have any margin for error. “The Big South championship race just closed really tightly on us. We have to play perfect if we want to make it back to the playoffs. If we lose, our season is basically over…We have to prepare every week as if this is our last game…This is the end of our season right here (referring to Monmouth game).”
- Coach Gill on the team losing after having a big win: “We try to do the best we can to make sure they maintain their preparation and focus throughout the week. (Against Gardner-Webb), we weren’t focused.”
- Gill on the demeanor of players after the loss, “they are ready to get better as a football team…we’re not going to sulk…We’re ready to play a football game, and we know we have to be better than last week to win.”
- Woodrum on all the “talk” surrounding the team this season about building on last year’s playoff appearance and being a national championship contender: “That’s all its been thus far is a bunch of talk. So, they’re not backing up what they’re saying.”
I absolutely HATE Woodrum´s usikng the word ¨they¨ when talking about the negatives and what needs to improve. How hard is it to say ¨we¨? A huge part of being a leader is owning up to your own failures. I thought Josh was starting to get it. No such luck. I guess we still need him at QB, but if I were TG, I wouldn´t let him get anywhere near a microphone from here on out. We have other guys who do get it who can do that.