Mike Houston’s Weekly Press Conference Quotes

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Fifth-year East Carolina Head Football Coach Mike Houston addressed members of the media Tuesday morning prior to Saturday's American Athletic Conference contest against No. 21 Tulane at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. The following are selected comments:

Opening Statement
"Tough loss down in San Antonio this past weekend. I thought the players played very, very hard and were ready to play. I thought we came out with a lot of energy. We came out and did some really good things there, especially offensively, early in the ball game against a very good team. Kind of had a back-and-forth ball game for much of the day. Just really pleased with the effort of the players, thought the four explosive plays we gave up defensively were ones that we have not been giving up, and ones that we should make the play. Those were big. We had two trips deep in UTSA territory and we came up with no points. You've got to convert those into points against a quality opponent. Our guys gave us a chance to win, but we weren't able to get that done. I think we faced a very good opponent and they've got a lot left of the season to play for. The kids are excited about the match-up this week. They were fantastic on Sunday, very motivated and glad to be back home in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Obviously, a challenging opponent in a 7-1 Tulane, ranked in the Top 25, veteran quarterback in Michael Pratt, veteran defense, veteran offense, quality football team we're facing. The guys are excited about the match-up. Looking forward to gameday, looking forward to getting back on the field today and to have a solid Tuesday in preparation to play very well this weekend."

On The Message to the Team for the Remaining Games
"I think the kids, we talked about it in our leadership counsel Sunday night, they set the message the same as I do which is next game, it's a 1-0 mentality. The only game you can focus on is the game this week. They're very dialed in on that and I'm very encouraged by their attitudes, so excited about the game this weekend."

On Growth Within the Team
"I thought we saw us gel and play together this past weekend. Obviously got some more consistent play from our offensive front, got some more consistent play from our wide receivers. I thought the quarterback play was more consistent and improved this weekend, so I think the combination of all those factors resulted in a better performance. That's what we all desire. It's like, "Hey that's the guy we've been waiting on" and they have too. I think that the positive result is that should give the guys some confidence and we want to really build on that going into this weekend."

On Using Tulane's Growth as Proof That Things Don't Stay Tough Forever
"Every year is a new year, and every team is a new team, there's no doubt about it. The thing is they had a challenging year two years ago, but they have a solid program. We're having a challenging year this year, but we have a solid program. We're very close and that's how I look at it. That's why we stay motivated. You stay motivated by looking at the way the kids competed this weekend from an effort level. They're very invested in this program and so are the coaches. This is a great place to be. We're excited to be here, and we look forward to playing well this weekend. We look forward to getting Pirate football exactly where it needs to be."

On Player Development Taking the Front Seat the Next Few Weeks
"Player development has had a front seat the entire season. That never stops. The focus for us is to go out this weekend and get a win against Tulane. Certainly, we have some guys banged up, so you're obviously going to see some younger guys make their way into the rotation. I think you'll probably see some on special teams at some times because now we have the ability to give ourselves more depth in the latter part of the season. The whole focus is how can we help the Pirates have the best chance to win on game day, that's it."

On Opening Fan's Eyes to NIL Investment and How Much College Football is Changing
"I think the landscape of college football has changed drastically in the last two years. We talked about it this time last year and I beat that drum pretty loudly at the end of the year last year and all through the winter. The thing is you do have a lot of teams in this league that have invested heavily and when I say teams, really the people surrounding those teams have invested heavily in name, image, and likeness. We're thankful for the name, image, and likeness endorsements that our student athletes enjoy here at East Carolina University. Very thankful for Team Boneyard and what they've been able to do. I would just encourage everyone to take a good look at where support is needed for those student-athletes and to continue to invest in the program. Obviously, it makes a huge difference. I think you can get some guys to do some research just on the different investment levels on different programs throughout our conference and our division and see where everything stacks up."

On Juggling the Needs for NIL Funds and the Need for an Indoor Practice Facility
"I think that's more of an administration question than a head football coach question but when you're looking at it from my seat, you need both. At the end of the day, every coach knows you're only as good as your players and so everything we do is player centered. When I first got the job, I took a look at everything that touched the players' lives on a daily basis. Nutrition and development were way down so we have pushed to invest heavily in a training table, a new full-time nutritionist, fueling stations in Ward and in the weight room, and we've been able to establish that. We can see the difference that it made since 2019 in our roster and their development physically. Everything for me centers around how we can support the student athletes and so when asked that question, I'd say everything starts with name, image, and likeness."

On the Perseverance of the Team and Finding That in Recruits
"I think it says a lot about our student-athletes. I love this group of kids. They are outstanding. Every single day I get to spend with them is a great day. We have not gotten the results as far as wins and losses that we've wanted this year up to this point, but I am proud of the way they compete. I'm proud of the way they responded on Saturday. We were all very disappointed in the performance against Charlotte, but the way they went out and competed at a high level this weekend shows what they're about. It's what we want to be about. You ask about recruiting. We try very hard to recruit student-athletes that match-up with us character wise, toughness wise, work ethic wise, and when I say "us," I mean East Carolina University. There's a certain kind of individual that thrives here at ECU and in this region, that our fan base identifies with, and there's some student-athletes that don't. I think we have a collection of guys that our fan base can be proud of just with the way they compete on game days and the way they represent themselves in the community. I think that based on the performance this past weekend, I would expect that to be improved this weekend and that's been my challenge to the coaching staff and the student athletes."

On Tulane's Defense and Michael Pratt
"I think we've known who Michael Pratt is since 2020. He's one of the top quarterbacks in the country and I told him this summer that I was disappointed to see him returning. He's a challenge. He's very composed, he's a great leader, he's a guy that makes great decisions in the pocket, he makes good decisions with his legs and throws the ball down field with accuracy probably as well as anybody in this league. We have a challenge against him, and he's surrounded by a very talented group of skill kids: wideouts, tight ends, running backs and a really solid offensive line. We have a tremendous challenge defensively this week facing the Tulane offense. I think their defense is a little different this year. There are some similarities to last year, but they have a new coordinator who we've known for a long time. He's a top-notch coordinator so they're doing a few things different so when you look at them, and I can say this about all three phases - you don't see weaknesses. You see a very solid football team. You see a solid defense. They're going to make you work for what you get, so that's the challenge for us. But you're facing a 7-1 football team with their lone loss being to Ole Miss and that was a close loss. You're facing one of the best teams in the country. So, the challenge is that, and I'll say this, our players are really excited about that challenge. I think that probably gives them a little extra motivation this weekend, and I should see that in practice this week."

On Javious Bond's Injury and the Overall Health of the Team
"We're at Week 10, so there's bumps and bruises no doubt. That's just the way it goes with our sport. Javious will practice today so we'll see how it goes throughout the week. We've been cautious with bringing him back too quick just because you don't want a relapse there with a hamstring strain. We'll see how he does throughout the week as far as his availability for Saturday."

On Jeremy Lewis and His Performance This Season
"He and I talked Sunday evening, and I just told him I think he's playing the best ball of his career right now. You look at him last year, and he was a really good player last year, but really now he's playing with confidence. When you watch him, you know that's an experienced football player. He's a smart football player. He sees things naturally and he plays naturally. Great motor and a great intensity. He's playing all over the place for us and that's by design. He's having a great senior season. My only cautions to him, and I've told him this, is don't try to do too much. Make sure you stay within the parameters of the scheme because when he has gotten himself in trouble this year, it's when he's tried to make plays that aren't his to make. Most times it results in big plays for the offense. I thought he did a better job of that last weekend. He's having the kind of senior year you'd hoped he would have, and I know he's excited to continue to build on that this week."

On Different Combinations
"I think the guys have been getting those opportunities if you look at targets and plays. The difference was we were making the plays this past weekend, so it was great to see. It was great to see Jaylen (Johnson) have the production he had. It was great to see Chase (Sowell) have the production he had. It was great to see Jhari (Patterson) have the production he had. Desirrio (Riles) in his first college start I thought he was very solid. Now, he's got some things he can really improve on, and some plays he left out there, but he's a young guy getting his first crack at everything. It was great to have Gerald Green back from injury. You saw the impact that he made. I think with some of the guys you saw make impacts this past weekend, it was them making plays and gaining confidence from making plays. Much like a lot of what we've talked about today, we want them to build on that and improve on that this weekend."

Players Mentioned

Javious Bond

Gerald Green

Jeremy Lewis

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