Texas A&M
1-1 , 0-0
McNeese
1-2 , 0-0
Team Stats
MCN 0, A&M 7
A&M - Moss,Le'Veon 2 yd run (Bond,Randy kick), 5 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:16
MCN 0, A&M 14
A&M - Daniels,Amari 2 yd run (Bond,Randy kick), 6 plays, 46 yards, TOP 04:11
MCN 0, A&M 21
A&M - Moss,Le'Veon 6 yd run (Bond,Randy kick), 10 plays, 73 yards, TOP 04:33
MCN 0, A&M 28
A&M - Thomas,Noah 15 yd pass from Weigman,Conner (Bond,Randy kick) 7 plays, 35 yards, TOP 03:04
MCN 0, A&M 35
A&M - Muhammad III,Moose 3 yd pass from Weigman,Conner (Bond,Randy kick) 8 plays, 80 yards, TOP 03:50
MCN 0, A&M 38
A&M - Bond,Randy 42 yd field goal 5 plays, 15 yards, TOP 01:46
MCN 0, A&M 45
A&M - Daniels,Amari 7 yd run (Bond,Randy kick), 10 plays, 92 yards, TOP 04:47
MCN 7, A&M 45
MCN - Wright,Jalen 10 yd pass from Sixkiller,Kamden (Larco,Tyler kick) 19 plays, 75 yards, TOP 10:30
MCN 7, A&M 52
A&M - Bussey,Terry 65 yd run (Bond,Randy kick), 1 plays, 65 yards, TOP 00:13
MCN 10, A&M 52
MCN - Larco,Tyler 26 yd field goal 11 plays, 89 yards, TOP 04:20
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Aggies Blow Past McNeese, 52-10
Sep 07, 2024 | Football
The Aggie (1-1) offense was clicking on all cylinders, scoring on the first eight drives of the contest, marking their longest streak in regulation since 2011 against Baylor. The Maroon & White accumulated 529 yards of offense on the afternoon, including 333 on the ground. On the defensive end, Texas A&M held the Cowboys (1-2) to 279 yards and only 99 through the air.
Le'Veon Moss paced the offensive attack for the Aggies as the junior racked up 84 yards on nine carries and found the end zone twice. The multi-touchdown performance marked the first of Moss' career. Amari Daniels followed with 75 yards on 12 carries and two scores of his own, recording the first multi-touchdown game of his career.
Conner Weigman was efficient through the air in only a half of work as the sophomore went 11-of-14 for 125 yards and two scores. Off the bench, Marcel Reed finished 5-of-11 for 71 yards and added 43 yards on the ground on seven carries. Transfer Cyrus Allen led all receivers with 72 yards on five catches, while Moose Muhammad III and Noah Thomas each hauled in a touchdown catch.
On the defensive end, Jordan Lockhart led the Maroon & White with six tackles, including four solo. Myles Davis and Tristan Jernigan each followed with five, while Shemar Turner led the team with a tackle for loss. In the secondary, Marcus Ratcliffe and Will Lee III accounted for the lone turnovers of the game as the duo each recorded an interception.
The Aggies wasted no time striking first as Moss capped off a five play 75-yard drive that lasted 2:16 with a 2-yard touchdown run. During the drive, Moss accounted for 47 yards on the ground. Following a three-and-out by the Cowboys, the Maroon & White found paydirt again as Daniels punched it in from 2 yards out with 7:19 left in the opening quarter. Randy Bond's kick pushed the advantage to 14-0.
Texas A&M stayed hot to open the second quarter as Moss found the end zone once again, this time from 6 yards out to push the lead to 21-0 with 14:20 remaining in the half. A Lee interception on the ensuing McNeese drive set the Aggies up with prime field position at the Cowboys' 27-yard line. The Maroon & White capitalized seven plays later when Weigman found Thomas for a 15-yard touchdown. Following a Bond kick, the Aggies held a 28-0 lead.
After another Cowboy three-and-out, Texas A&M stretched its advantage to 35-0 as Weigman connected with Muhammad for a 3-yard score with 4:36 left in the half. The Aggies concluded the half with a 42-yard field goal courtesy of Bond, who moved into seventh all-time in program history with his 42nd career made field goal. The scoring drive was set up by Ratcliffe's second career interception at the 2:30 mark.
The Maroon & White took a 38-0 lead into the break after scoring on all six possessions and amassing 314 yards, 189 of which came on the ground.
On the Aggies' opening drive of the second half, Daniels found the end zone for the second time on the afternoon as the junior scored from 7 yards out with 5:55 left in the third.
In the fourth, McNeese broke through on the scoreboard, 45-7, with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Kamden Sixkiller to Jalen Wright at the 10:25 mark. On the first play of the ensuing Texas A&M drive, freshman Terry Bussey showed off his breakaway speed with a 65-yard touchdown run. Bond's extra-point extended the advantage 52-7 with 10:06 remaining in the contest. The Cowboys accounted for the final points of the afternoon as a Tyler Larco 26-yard field goal in the closing seconds made the final score 52-10.
Postgame Notes
Team Notes- The Aggies' four rushing touchdowns in the game were their most since tallying four in the win over Prairie View in 2021, while the team's 333 total yards on the ground were their most since racking up 503 against Northwestern State to open the 2018 season.
- The Maroon & White saw two players score multiple rushing touchdowns, marking the first time that has happened since De'Von Achane and Isaiah Spiller each posted a pair of rushing scores in the Orange Bowl victory over North Carolina to cap off the 2020 season.
- The Aggies tallied 529 yards of total offense, eclipsing the 500-yard mark for the first time since racking up 557 yards against ULM a season ago.
- The Maroon & White limited the Cowboys to just 99 yards through the air, the fewest passing yards since holding Auburn to 56 in 2023.
- Texas A&M's 38 points in the first half were the most through two quarters since putting up 38 on Prairie View in 2021.
- The Aggies' eight straight scoring drives were the most consecutive scoring drives in regulation since scoring on nine straight against Baylor in 2011.
- Thirty-two Aggies recorded at least one tackle in the victory over McNeese.
- Today's captains against McNeese were season-long captains sophomore LB Taurean York and junior OL Trey Zuhn III.
Individual Notes
- Sophomore QB Conner Weigman moved into 19th all-time at Texas A&M with his two touchdown passes in the victory, upping his career total to 18 after connecting with junior WR Noah Thomas and graduate WR Moose Muhammad III in the first half.
- Weigman cracked the top-25 of A&M's all-time passing yards list (2,100), eclipsing the 2,000 yard mark with 125 yards through the air, while he also moved into 22nd with 178 career completions.
- Muhammad III moved into a tie for 14th all-time at A&M with 11 career touchdown catches.
- Junior RBs Le'Veon Moss and Amari Daniels both scored a pair of rushing touchdowns in the game, marking the first multi-touchdown game for each player.
- Junior WR Cyrus Allen extended his streak to 15 straight games with at least one catch, dating back to his time at Louisiana Tech. He finished the game with a team-best five catches for 72 yards.
- Junior DB Will Lee III recorded Texas A&M's first interception of the year, picking off a pass and returning it 4 yards to position the Aggies for their fourth touchdown of the game.
- Sophomore DB Marcus Ratcliffe added a second interception in the first half and returned it 12 yards for his first pick of the year and the second of his career.
- Graduate K Randy Bond sent a 42-yard field goal through the uprights to close out the first half and move into a tie for seventh all-time with 42 career made field goals.
- Bond surpassed the 200-career points mark with 10 points on the day, upped his career total to 207.
Postgame Quotes: Mike Elko
(quotes courtesy Caption Pros)
COACH ELKO: Yeah, so obviously, first of all, thank you to the 12th Man. It never ceases to amaze when you come out here on a Saturday morning at 11:45 a.m. and there's 90,000 strong in Kyle Field pulling for you. We talked a lot this week about the strength of the support for this program and how strong it is. It's the people who show up every weekend in Kyle Field. So we thank them for coming out.
I thought from our guys, just proud of the way we handled it. When you get into these games, it's really important to play to your standard and to your level. I think we did that in the first half. I think we were really efficient.
On offense, I thought we did a really nice job to get into halftime and put ourselves into position where we could play a lot of guys in the second half.
In the second half, we got a lot of guys reps and opportunities. It wasn't pretty at times. It wasn't to the level we needed it to be at times. But the only way those guys are going to learn is to be to get on the field and get into game action. So we were able to do that. We will go back and study the tape for them and figure out how to clean stuff up.
Now turning our attention to next week. First SEC game, a road game. We know what both of those things mean for this program. So we will have a great week of prep and get ourselves ready to go.
Q. What did you think of Conner [Weigman]'s footwork, and your overall evaluation of his play today?
COACH ELKO: I thought his footwork was amazing. No, we'll go back and watch the film. Conner is going to respond and we talked about that. There's a lot more to this season than just responding today. But we certainly didn't anticipate anything else than what he did on Monday, owning it; coming out and having a good week of preparation; and coming out here today and playing. So we'll go back to work and do it again and come out next Saturday in the Swamp (Florida) and have to have a really good day.
Q. Mike, last week you mentioned you were still kind of looking for ways to get separation for the receivers. After, obviously, just looking at the sideline, do you feel like you were able to get a little bit more of that today? Do a little bit more of what you wanted to do offensively?
COACH ELKO: Yeah, it's so hard to judge. Today is not the day we'll learn the answers to that question; we know that. I think we went out and did what we were supposed to do. We have got to continue to improve. We have got to continue to detail up what we're doing. We got to continue to get better and a lot of that stuff will be next week in the Swamp (Florida).
Q. Mike, what about Conner [Weigman]'s performance did you like? And, also, how would you assess how Marcel [Reed] looked?
COACH ELKO: I think Conner was efficient. He was 11-14. He got out there, he did what we asked him to do. I thought he saw things well. Maybe missed one that I think he would have liked to have back. But I think, for the most part, he did what he wanted to do.
And I think Marcel is still working on consistently functioning the way you want him to when he's out there. I thought you saw some good signs from him. I thought he made some good throws. I think there were some throws he wished he back.
But, again, until you get out there and get the game experience, don't forget that's the first snaps he's taken live in this offense now too. So I thought it was great for him to get out there. And, again, we will get back to work and get better.
Q. Guys on defense were talking about creating turnovers. What did you see from the two interceptions you had and some heads-up plays on tipped balls?
COACH ELKO: Yeah, I think we were opportunistic. Again, we talk a lot about the turnover battle and winning the turnover battle, and we were able to do that today. Pressure created both of them, which is always a good thing, too.
But both of those kids made a nice job getting their hands on a tipped ball, and we got some returns out of it. So that was good to see.
Q. I'll ask the Terry Bussey question today. How nice is it to have that option on offense, when you want to, to get a 65-yard touchdown run?
COACH ELKO: Yeah, I think he's an extremely talented kid. We've known that for a long time. Every week he's getting better at learning how to be a receiver. Don't forget that he wasn't really a full-time receiver in high school. So I think every week he's learning how to do that at their level.
Q. Do you feel like this program is now ready for SEC play on the road?
COACH ELKO: I don't think we have much of a choice. Next week we're going down to the Swamp (Florida). And the expectation is we're going down there and play our football. Yeah, that's where we're at.
Q. Coach, did you notice anything differently from Conner [Weigman] this week compared to last week mentally? And if so, what little things did you notice?
COACH ELKO: No, Conner is a really good quarterback. He was a really good quarterback last week. He's a really good quarterback this week. He'll be a really good quarterback next week.
Q. Couple guys out with E.J. [Smith], Enai [White], Scooby [Williams], and Jahdae [Walker] got hurt. What's the status on those guys?
COACH ELKO: Yeah, Jahdae is fine. He was wanting to go back in. He was chomping at the bit to go back in. We just figured it wasn't worth the risk, so he'll be fine.
Scooby will be fine. We had to hold him for cautionary. He probably could have played had this been a conference game today. It wasn't in his best interest long-term for the season to go out there and keep pushing him. So we were able to hold him.
E.J. was a game-time decision. He just wasn't able to go. We fully expect him to be back.
Obviously Enai hasn't played all year. We don't expect him back for a while.
Q. 12th Man, the walk-on kick-off team, how long was that in the works? And why is that meaningful to you?
COACH ELKO: Yeah, I think that's something really special to this program. It's been in the works all year. It's something that we have. We know what that group means. We've talked a lot about it. Today there was an opportunity to utilize it, and so we were able to do it. It was great for those guys. It's always great to see how the fans respond to that.
It's special. The 12th Man connection at this university is really, really special. So it was cool to get them out there today, and it was cool for them to experience it as players and to see the fans react to it. It was an awesome moment.
Q. Mike, last week, you said it wasn't bad but you wanted to see more dominance on the line of scrimmage and controlling it. Just from the sidelines today, how do you feel like you guys did controlling the line of scrimmage-wise?
COACH ELKO: Yeah, I think at halftime, we had really controlled the rushing game. In the second half, we didn't do nearly what we wanted to do on defense in terms of running -- stopping the run. Again, we were the better team today. So we kind of expected that we would be able to control the line.
Q. Talking about the line of scrimmage just offensively, rushing for over 300 yards, what stood out to you about the run game today? And how do you think you can carry that over? SEC play, you kind of have to bring that over.
COACH ELKO: Yeah, I think we went out there and we established the line of scrimmage. I thought we hit the holes the right way.
Le'Veon [Moss] is a really talented back, and so we gave him a lot of space to run today. He was able to take advantage of it. It was good that we were able to get him out early and keep the hits off him a little bit because it's going to be a long season. And you take a pounding in this league.
And running the ball is going to be critical for us to have success. You go on the road in this conference, you are going to have to be able to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. So it will be paramount next week.
Q. I'll ask the Moose [Muhammad] question. Seeing him involved a little bit more in the game today. Obviously had the touchdown. What allowed, in terms of how the game plan played out, him to be able to be a factor? And what were you seeing from him to be much more of an impact this week?
COACH ELKO: Yeah, I think he had a much better week of preparation. I think that was good to see. Obviously, he didn't get in a ton last week. And we challenged him to do the things he needed to do to put himself in position to have a successful game.
And I think he did that starting on Monday, a really good week of preparation. We felt really confident that he was going to be able to go out there and execute what we wanted him to. And when he does that and he's consistent, he can help us. And so he did that today.
Q. Coach, last week, you talked about wanting to get the offense more comfortable, put Conner [Weigman] in more comfortable situations. Can you talk about the prep this week, getting the first drive ready? Coach [Collin] Klein kind of prepped what was going into the execution of that first drive.
COACH ELKO: Yeah, you look at ways to move the ball around and attack the team you're going against. I think that's just kind of part of how you put your offensive game together.
And I think it's good that back-to-back weeks we have taken the first drive of the game and scored. I think that's a good thing to get yourselves in rhythm. So, yeah, I think it was a good way to start the game.
Q. Coach, can you talk about the benefits of going down the depth charts and getting those guys scheme routes and see how they hold up and how they perform in game action?
COACH ELKO: Yeah, you don't learn until you get out there on Kyle Field. And it's real easy to be a young kid in this program and have these visions of what it's going to be like.
I told them from the sideline, it always looks easy, until you actually get out there and you got to function and see things and operate, both sides of the ball.
So those moments are really good. They're really good to see some of those young guys. We have TJ [Shanahan] out there. We got Jordan Lockhart out there.
Myles Davis who will remember that first play. That was his first play where he lit up the running back. So that will be something he'll remember for the rest of his life.
Those kids are talented kids, and they're going to help us at some point. Somewhere they'll have to help us this year. So it's really good. It's really good to get an opportunity to get those guys out there and let them play for a little bit.
Thank you, guys.
Postgame Quotes: Kolinu'u Faaiu
Q. Just want to get your take on the offensive line and the running game today. You guys took over pretty early on and seemed like you had your way. How do you feel about the performance of your group?
KOLINU'U FAAIU: Yeah, I feel like we performed to the standard. Definitely after looking at the film from last game, we wanted to come and pretty hard in the running game. We just came out there, put our heads down, and fired off the ball.
Q. What was it about Texas A&M that drew your attention and brought you here? What's this been like getting a little bit of an elevated role from the last game?
KOLINU'U FAAIU: Yeah, for sure. Coach [Adam] Cushing was a really big thing that made me decide to come here. I felt like there was so much more I can learn from him.
After being at Utah, I just kind of felt like it came to a point where it was time for me to move on. And I felt like Coach Cushing was able to raise my sling to a whole other level.
After being with him for this summer and this fall camp, I feel like I've taken my game to a whole other level.
Q. What was the fall camp competition like between the big guys you're battling with?
KOLINU'U FAAIU: It was great competition between me and Mark [Nabou Jr.] going back and forth. It's a tragedy what happened to him, very sad and very heartbreaking. But I took that next-man mentality approach to this game and these next couple games, of course.
Q. Kind of on that note, can you talk about if there was any sort of a message from the coaching staff or mentality change when you learned that Mark was out for the season that you were going to be moved up to the starting center position?
KOLINU'U FAAIU: Yeah, it was just the next-man approach. Going into this game, we really wanted to come out here and really prove that we belong and that we want to change the approach from, of course, what happened last game.
Came out here, fired off, held ourselves to a standard, and came out with a W.
Q. Koli, in terms of establishing the run game, how did you feel like y'all were performing not just in terms of physically dominating, but in terms of the scheme of fitting your run blocks and seeing that come together? Did that feel like that was at a high level, in addition to just your physical exertion?
KOLINU'U FAAIU: Yeah, I feel like we took this last week of preparation really hard. Every little detail that we found against this team, we came out here knowing what was going to happen. Saw little things that would happen. We were able to either check into another play or switch our mentality knowing who we're going to block to.
If something is messed up, we on the fly fix it. And that's what we did today. And we came out and put a bunch of rushing yards on the board.
Q. Koli, A lot of eyes on Conner [Weigman]. What did you see from his performance today on the field and just his demeanor on the sideline as well?
KOLINU'U FAAIU: I felt like the last game and the outcome of what happened really changed him when he came out on the field today. He attacked the game today, and that's what everybody wants to see from a quarterback.
The level of fire that he had on the sideline for us. And after -- no matter if we scored or if we came off the sideline kicking a field goal, it was always, Hey, let's move on to the next play. Let's go out there and score and let's not have to kick another field goal.
Q. Koli, last week Coach [Elko] talked about wanting to get the offense more comfortable earlier on. Could you talk about the mindset when you go in for that first drive, what you guys are hoping to do, and how you tried to execute and lead to that touchdown?
KOLINU'U FAAIU: Yeah, we were originally set on running one play no matter what we were going to face coming out into this game. And we ran the one play.
There was some stuff that happened that wasn't according to plan. But we were able to fit it up and got a good 20, 15-yard drive out of it.
But we came out there ready to go. We fired off the ball and we succeeded.
Q. I know last year you mid-season replaced the starter at Utah. And I'm wondering if there was anything you could take from that experience you translate to here? Just what that's like to replace somebody mid-game in such a big game against Notre Dame.
KOLINU'U FAAIU: Yeah, for sure. Having to take on that role halfway through the season, it was definitely a little shock, being my first time starting against a game. And I think the game was actually Cal.
Being able to take those experiences I had against those teams halfway through the season and bringing it here, I feel like it's brought me a lot of confidence to my game. And not only that but has been able to put me in a position to compete with a lot of guys that are at another level.
Postgame Quotes: Le'Veon Moss
Q. You had 52 yards on your first three carries on that opening drive. How important was it for you to come out and establish the running game right off the bat after last week?
LE'VEON MOSS: It was very important because, I mean, we like to run the ball. But we can also put it in the air, but we just like to run the ball. It was very important.
Q. Just between year three in the program and Coach [Tommy] Moffitt coming in as well, how do you feel like you're able to hold up deeper in games, a little more on your play? And just physically after you get through these games, how do you feel like maybe from before you're holding up?
LE'VEON MOSS: I feel like I'm in the best shape I've ever been since I got to college. Especially with Coach Moffitt coming in, I had a lot of minor injuries in my past two years, like hamstring injuries. But when he got here, that problem went away.
Q. Le'Veon, the way you guys were able to control the ball and pound the rock, how much confidence does that give this offense now heading into SEC play next week?
LE'VEON MOSS: That gives us a lot of confidence. The O-line up front was doing their job so I can do my job. So very much confident.
Q. What did you see from Conner [Weigman] today on the field responding from last week and his demeanor throughout the game on the field or on the sideline?
LE'VEON MOSS: Conner always keeps his head up, but he definitely improved himself from last week. Definitely about -- not upgrading but progressing as we go along so we can play a better game.
Q. I know there's not a whole lot of new guys on the offensive line, but does it feel like a new offensive line compared to what you've had in your time here?
LE'VEON MOSS: Most definitely. I feel confident running behind them every down. No matter how long the run is or how long the stakes are far away, I feel comfortable behind them.
Q. Want to go back to your recruitment. What was it that you ultimately changed your mind from Alabama to Texas A&M? What prompted that a couple years ago?
LE'VEON MOSS: I just -- the coaching staff was very genuine. I'm big on being genuine with folks. So just very genuine, felt like home. Besides being back home in Louisiana, this felt like home.
Q. So what's it like being on the sideline when that all walk-on kick-off team runs out there and fields the kick-off?
LE'VEON MOSS: That's lit. I love when they get the chance to show their talents. I mean, it's lit. That's all I can say.
Q. A lot more linemen pulling in stuff in this system. What's that like for a running back? Seeing those guys move, being behind them, and having different kinds of holes and pathways opening up in that kind of offense.
LE'VEON MOSS: It's causing me to be more patient. Last year, I played in my head and I used to try to rush runs, bouncing outside and crossing color, basically. But O-line helping me, and I'm helping them with the steps I need to do and what they need to do.
Postgame Quotes: Will Lee III
Q. Will, through the first couple games, you guys have been pretty stout against the passing game. Talk about the mindset that the corners have this year, especially after what you heard happened the last couple seasons.
WILL LEE III: We're just locked into the key details this year. I feel like as this corner room continues to grow and learn from each other every day that we're just going to stay focused in on the key details. And if we do that, we're going to be just fine every game.
Q. Yeah, first, can you take us through that interception you got and the feeling you had when you got it?
WILL LEE III: It was electric. My man ran a mesh route. I ended up seeing the quarterback throw the ball, so I broke off of my man. And just so happened, luckily, it got tipped, and I was in the area. So it was amazing to get my first pick here.
Q. You guys have talked about creating turnovers. Didn't get any last week. How did it feel to have opportunistic football? Catching tipped passes and whatnot?
WILL LEE III: It's just what we emphasized through practice all week. We need to start working on turning the ball over, attacking the ball when it's in the air. So I feel like starting from practice on Monday, we focused in on that and then relayed it to the game.
Q. Obviously, defense creating turnovers but really flying around all afternoon. What was the level of intensity, you think, when you guys stepped out on the field? Was there almost a chip on your shoulder to kind of show, you know, the talent that was on the field?
WILL LEE III: Yeah, I feel like we were capable of doing that all week and all last week. We ended up having to settle down at practice and realize who we are as a team and what we're capable of.
And that really showed today, actually. And it showed that we're a really disciplined team. And we play fast. And if we do what we're supposed to do, we're going to be fine.
Q. Will, what kind of differences in the play of the secondary did you see from tonight or last week?
WILL LEE III: I feel like we're more aggressive. We're more communicative. We're more talking. We just doing everything right. And we're supposed to play fast and play at 100% every day. Us being there this morning, we ended up being more focused in, more locked in on everything we're supposed to do. And I feel like that showed in our play today.
Q. Will, how much do you feel like having a couple actual games under your belt with this defense that you guys are maybe even gelling a little bit more together now having played in this atmosphere? And how do you think that will translate into SEC play next week?
WILL LEE III: Just being around everybody and understanding what we're capable of and who we're playing with and what guys are going to do, just learning that feeling of family environment on the defense, that carries a lot through everything.
So us coming into SEC play like we're playing in Gainesville, it's going to be a loud stadium. And we know how Florida gets. And I just feel like us being together as a family and understanding what we're going to do and what tempo and what speed we're going to play at, we'll be fine.
Q. Between yourself, a bunch of other new guys in the program, obviously, new coaches, seems like y'all have done pretty good in terms of not allowing many busted coverages through these first two weeks, and you're flying around, making plays in the run game, what would you attribute that? I imagine being the secondary may be one position group where even when you want to make a play, maybe in the back of your mind, you're like, Am I letting somebody go? How have you been able to do that as a unit, you think?
WILL LEE III: We just emphasize knowing what the secondary was last year, wasn't at the place they wanted to be. Just coming in, just understanding that we need to focus on the pass game and let the run come to us.
So we play the pass first. We do what we're supposed to do in the pass game area. And then it just makes it easier to fit in on the runs.
Q. Will, with the complimentary football today, in what ways do you think y'all gain momentum from when the offense is on the field and then vice versa? Do you feel like y'all's success on defense really kind of gives some momentum to the offense as well?
WILL LEE III: We go hand in hand. The offense gives us energy. We give the offense energy. They score, and that gets the defense hype. And we're going to go out there and force turnovers. And when we do that, the offense is in good position to go score. And it goes happened in hand with each other.
Q. First, from your vantage point being on the sideline, what was it like seeing the all-walk-on kick-off team run out there in the second half?
WILL LEE III: Yeah, so I ended up seeing that last year on social media. So, being the first time here, seeing it firsthand, just seeing my guys out there go crazy and make plays on kick-off, it was real exciting for me. I was happy for them.
Q. And overall as a team, what do you guys take from a game like this knowing that it gets real next week with conference play starting?
WILL LEE III: I truly believe we were supposed to come out to do what we were supposed to do. And that' just shows what type of team we are, so when it comes to SEC play, we're supposed to lock in and get serious at this point. And we're supposed to play hard, play fast. And we do all that, we're going to be fine.
