Mercer University
Chattanooga
Postgame Press Conference: No. 14 Chattanooga 38, Mercer 31
10/25/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Mercer University head coach Bobby Lamb discusses the Bears' 38-31 loss to No. 14 Chattanooga on Saturday afternoon.
Thoughts on the game:"We really wanted to win this football and I think our fight showed that. After a long hard game, we were a finger tip away from tying it up late in the fourth quarter. Russ (Huesman) has a good football team with a phenomenal defense. I had no idea that we would be able to come in and get 440 yards of total offense today."
On Mercer's offense today:
"Our play-action pass game was outstanding today. We were able to hit some down the seams since they were focusing on the run. To be able to run for 150 yards against them is pretty good, but our play-action game was the key to our success on offense today."
On getting the ball to Mercer's playmakers:
"Chandler got going late in the game and we also got the ball to Alex Lakes, who has been a real warrior for us. John did a nice job of controlling the ball and passing it down field and we hit them on some big routes. We got the tight end on a seam route and then Chandler down the middle. They are a really good team that keys on the run, but if you can run the ball effectively then it opens up the play action game like it did today for us."
On fighting back from a 21-point second half deficit:
"We went into halftime down 21-14, but all of a sudden they were up 35-14 after an interception and a couple of other big plays. It could have been another big win for Chattanooga, but our kids continued to fight which gave us some more energy on the sideline. We hit Chandler Curtis on a touchdown pass and that ignited us and put us right back in the game."
"All year we've told our guys that if we can make it a game going into the fourth quarter then all the pressure turns on them. It showed today, as we were loose in the fourth quarter and playing well, but give credit to them they ran the clock out and got the win."
On the defense coming up with big stops late in the game:
"Defensively we kept fighting. We are just a scrappy bunch with a lot of guys that made some plays. Alex (Avant) had a big interception and Tyler (Ward) had some tackles in there and we had a lot guys running to the ball which is exciting."
On the progress of the program:
"We have come a long way, after essentially starting up the program three years ago. Our team starts four juniors, six freshmen and the rest are sophomores, so we are still a very young team. However, playing in this type of environment against a great team like Chattanooga is a step in the right direction for us."
We've played some close Southern Conference games, but this team is tired of being close. We are looking for a win and we've got Citadel and Warner at home and finally Wofford on the road to close the year. There are three more opportunities and as the season goes forward, we have to continue to improve each week."
