Nov. 16, 2004

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Below is a transcript of a question-and-answer session with Samford head football coach Bill Gray on Tuesday. The Bulldogs practiced for two hours at the practice fields on campus Tuesday afternoon in preparation for Saturday's game against Eastern Illinois. The game is scheduled to kickoff at 1:00 p.m. at Seibert Stadium.

TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SENIOR DAY AND THE SENIORS THAT WILL BE PLAYING THEIR LAST COLLEGE GAME ON SATURDAY.
"Not only will Saturday be an emotional day for a lot of people, but it will be an emotional week, really. Everything these seniors do this week, they will be doing for the last time. Each day, there are different aspects of the game that we cover and emphasize. Beginning last Sunday night, they began their last journey through Samford football. These guys have done a lot of great things for us. It hasn't just been the ones people have read about in the newspaper, but we have had some tremendous leadership from our seniors that has really meant a lot to our program. Hopefully, they can go out on a winning note, but it is definitely going to be an emotional time for them. They have brought a lot of excitement to Seibert Stadium during their careers. The year has not gone the way they or anyone else expected it to, but their work ethic and attitude has been tremendous from day one. Regardless of the circumstances, they have continued to work, and they have continued to battle. Each one has an opportunity to get a degree and to be successful after Samford and that makes us even more proud. This will also be the last time we will honor one of their teammates who is no longer with us, Charles Williams. So, that will carry a lot of emotion on Saturday as well. He would have graduated with this class, and was a good student as well."

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO WIN THIS LAST GAME, NOT ONLY TO GO OUT ON A WINNING NOTE, BUT TO FINISH AT .500 IN THE OVC?
"It is very important. For the seniors, it will be their last opportunity to play college football and they will always remember their last game. Everybody remembers their last one. As far as the standings are concerned, it's an opportunity to finish as high as we can. It's an opportunity to jump over a team we are tied with in the standings. For the young guys, it is the last taste of Saturday football they'll have going into the off season. Hopefully, it will give them some momentum heading into the off season, and hopefully it will give the coaches momentum as well when we hit the recruiting trail. It will be our last taste of how the young guys can contribute next fall. So, there are a lot of reasons for us to point toward an important ball game for us."

HOW HAS THE OFF WEEK AFFECTED THE TEAM?
"The main thing is it has given us a chance to get our legs under us and to heal a little physically. To have to think about a defeat for two weeks is not really beneficial, and to have an off week the next to last week of the season is not the best, but those are things we can't control. Hopefully, it will allow our guys to come back in here after watching everyone else play on Saturday thankful they have one more opportunity to go out and play. The season is not over and they should have some fresh legs under them. This time of year, hopefully we won't be rusty as far as what we do on the field."

WHAT ARE YOUR IMPRESSIONS OF EASTERN ILLINOIS?
"First of all, they have a veteran head coach. He has been through a lot of battles on the field, so he knows what it takes to win and he instills that in his players. They play very hard. Offensively, they do a lot of pre-snap movement, which tries to create confusion and limit what you do on defense. By doing that, it gives them the best chance to be successful on offense. It is a team you have to prepare a lot for defensively. Defensively, I think their front four is very active, they play hard. They've got linebackers we didn't play against last year, but they have a full season under their belts and they are experienced now. Their secondary is very good, especially Ben Brown, who is number two in the country in pass defending. They pose a tremendous challenge for us, and they do some things that are unique in the kicking game as well. They have a good football team, and they have had some tough losses this year like we have."

DOES WINNING AT EASTERN ILLINOIS LAST SEASON GIVE THE PLAYERS CONFIDENCE HEADING INTO THE GAME?
"It should help the players who went up there and played last year as they prepare this week. That was a game last year that came down to the fourth quarter. We had to make a couple of plays to keep from giving the ball back to them. And, to go on the road on a long road trip and win up there was big and gave us some momentum heading into the off season. I'm sure that is how they are looking at it this year as they come down here and their seniors will play their last game a long way from home. The guys that made the trip last year and walked off the field a winner have to be a little confident going into the game and wanting a repeat performance."