English Class: October 2008 Archives

"It's a great opportunity. We play Wednesday at Ball State on national television (ESPN-2). It, obviously, brings a little more to the game because more people are watching. I know I watch other teams in our league when they're on.

"Because of the schedule we'll be off tonight for Halloween, but it's still gonna be a big practice day for us so I don't think anyone will be partying. And at our apartment, we don't get trick or treaters. I do remember a couple years ago somebody on the team had a Halloween party and some of the guys tried to wear costumes they had from when they were kids.

"I think (senior running back) Montel Clanton wore his old Spiderman outfit. Somebody else was Superman. Clearly, they didn't fit 'em, that was the funniest thing about it.

"I think my favorite costume as a kid was probably one time when I was a vampire. I was scared of Freddy Krueger from the horror movie as a little kid. I tried to go as him one time. Can't remember who did the makeup, but it didn't work out too well.

"I grew up on the west side around Illinois Avenue and Palace Street. One of the schools (Hill) down the street use to have a party outside that all of us would go to.

"Ball State is 4-0 in the league and we're 4-1. We've put ourselves in real good position to go to the MAC Championship if we can win this one and the next one (at home with Central Michigan, which is 5-0 in the league). But we can't worry about that. We have to just worry about Ball State.

"We play four mid-week games in a row which is something we've never done before. We usually have a couple each season. You still prepare the same, though.

"Their quarterback, Nate Davis, is a good player. He's good outside the pocket so as defensive linemen we've got to do a good job of keeping him in the pocket and making him step up. If he gets outside the pocket, he's got a big gun and can put it down the field."

EDITOR'S NOTE: NIU has won three straight Mid-American Conference games to get back in the West Division race after opening league play with a loss at Western Michigan. The Huskies host MAC East foe Bowling Green at 3 p.m. tomorrow in a crossover game that counts in the league standings for both teams.

"I think we've put ourselves in pretty good position (with wins the last two weeks over Miami and Toledo), but at the same time, I feel like we aren't playing our best football yet. It's important now that we're not getting content. We need to be coming out and striving for perfection. Everyone needs to be really concentrating on coming out and playing to their capabilities each week.

"Things like sacks or individual stats are not something I'm gonna get stressed out over. I know what I'm capable of and sacks are one of those things where a lot has to happen right for you to get a sack. Playing hard with explosiveness and getting my moves down are things I'm focusing on."

EDITOR'S NOTE: After recording 2.5 sacks and forcing a fumble on one of them that led to a Northern Illinois field goal in a 13-9 loss at Tennessee, defensive end Larry English earned Mid-American Conference West Defensive Player of the Week honors.

"People do come up to me and say things like 'You improved your draft stock' today. But in all honesty, and I know it may sound cliché, I'm just concentrating on what we've got going on here. It's really one of those things fro me that I'm finding joy in the journey.

"I'm happy with the season right now and the way things are going and the opportunities that we have. I'm excited about what we can do here. That's really what I want to finish out doing. I'm focused on here. I don't think playing for the future is a good mindset to have."

"We head into the fifth week of the season and play at Tennessee after winning two in a row. The past two weeks our preparation has been more sound and it's allowed us to come out on Saturday more relaxed. We have been able to play looser and with more confidence as we've gotten used to the new system and coaches.

"Playing at Neyland Stadium, which holds more than 100,000 people, will be quite a difference from last week at Eastern Michigan. It was Eastern's homecoming and the crowd was reported at 17,000-something but I doubt there were that many people there.

"We have an opportunity this week and we're not letting outside factors control the outcome. It was a challenge last week to go in there and be ready, be up for the game in a stadium where there are (virtually) no fans. We brought our own energy. That won't be the case this week but we still have to be ready. The nice thing is, once you get on the field, it's still 11-on-11.

"I'd say the toughest venue I've played on while I've been here would be a tossup between Wisconsin and Ohio State, but I know Tennessee is going to be a tough environment. At the same time, I'm looking forward to it. This is a mature team. I don't think the fans are going to weigh too much on the outcome of the game."