Ball State University Athletics
Ball State Football Postgame News Conference Quotes, November 15: Game 10 versus Eastern Michigan
Coach Uremovich
Opening Statement: "It is a disappointing outcome. I'm disappointed in our coaching staff, disappointing our players, disappointed in our lack of discipline. For the first time all year, I felt like we didn't play Ball State football. We didn't act like we want our players to act. We didn't coach [the players] the right way. I'm disappointed in the wasted opportunity that we had, and I really feel bad for the seniors, because those guys deserved a lot better of a performance than what we just did out there."
Q: "What was the main thing you saw that made you say the team wasn't playing the Ball State football way?"
A: "There was no discipline on either side of the ball. It shows that we are not nearly as far as everybody wants to think that we are. Whatever's on that film is what you are as a player and what we are as coaches. It starts with me. Today was a disappointing performance in every aspect of the program, starting with me as the head coach."
Q: "The offense struggled to get into a groove. How much do you attribute a lack of discipline to that side of the ball?"
A: "We had a play that ran down to the four-yard line and got called back because we weren't lined up properly. We had personal fouls that just were complete, selfish, undisciplined football, which we won't play here, and those cost us drives. When you're not very good on offense, you can't shoot yourself, and we did that multiple times today."
Q: "What do you want to see in this team with two games left in the season?"
A: "I'm going see how we're gonna respond, and we're gonna get the guys on the field. They're gonna do things right. Everybody's going to see [film] tomorrow. We'll all watch it as a team, we'll all watch it as a staff, and everyone's going to have to be held accountable, starting with me for the plays that I called down to the way that we performed on the field. The film does not lie."
Q: "What is the message to the team to make sure they put this loss behind them?"
A: "Well, they don't have a choice. That's the beauty of football. We've got to show up tomorrow and be accountable for what we just did. I have no doubt these guys will do that, led by our seniors, because they've been all in and it sucks for them on senior day. It's my fifth time being a head coach or an assistant walking in the door new with the staff, and our seniors aren't always like how past kids have been. They haven't questioned anything. They've showed up every day. They've done everything we've asked, and they deserved to have gotten a win today."
Q: "What do you think the coaching staff could have done better for a better result?"
A: "if we're not executing on the field, then we need to evaluate what we're calling and who we're calling it to. It starts from the play design to the play execution to the personnel that's on the field. All of it's involved. If it's not working, then we've got to find a way to get it to work, and I can promise you, we're going to do that."
Joey Stemler
Q: "What were the emotions like, knowing you've played your last home game?"
A: "It's hard. You don't think the time is going to fly the way that it did. I'm just really appreciative of my five years here. I'm very appreciative of coach [Uremovich] and everything he's done for all of us, keeping our heads on straight."
Q: "What's it like hearing coach Uremovich saying he wants to put everything on the line for the seniors these next two games?"
A: "I'm the same mentality. After these last two games, we're going to go bowling, I know that for a fact. We're going to buy in, watch film and we're going to learn, starting with myself. The goal of a bowl game is still there. [Toledo and Miami] are great teams, but we've juts got to play Ball State football, which we didn't today. We know what we can accomplish, and we want to get it done."
Q: "What's it been like to play for coach Uremovich in your final year?"
A: "It's awesome. He's a great player's coach. He really cares about us and wants to make sure we have everything we need. We can always talk to him no matter what, and he keeps it real with us. If we're not playing well, or when we're playing great, he tells us. He's also going to give us a pat on the back and tell us good job. He's a true player's coach first, and I'll play for coach [Uremovich anytime."
Q: "What do you personally want to see these next two games?"
A: "Just a bunch of energy. We're going on the road at two places that are going to be very hard to play. We've got to come out of the gate with energy and fire right away. We can't just sit back. We've got to get right after them and play the Ball State way."
Q: "What adjustments do you want to see from the defense?"
A: "I think one thing that we need to focus on is communication. We need to get that down 100%. It can be better every single game, obviously, but we lacked it today. I need to have a better job of communicating to the whole defense, making sure everybody's on board."Â
Coach Uremovich
Opening Statement: "It is a disappointing outcome. I'm disappointed in our coaching staff, disappointing our players, disappointed in our lack of discipline. For the first time all year, I felt like we didn't play Ball State football. We didn't act like we want our players to act. We didn't coach [the players] the right way. I'm disappointed in the wasted opportunity that we had, and I really feel bad for the seniors, because those guys deserved a lot better of a performance than what we just did out there."
Q: "What was the main thing you saw that made you say the team wasn't playing the Ball State football way?"
A: "There was no discipline on either side of the ball. It shows that we are not nearly as far as everybody wants to think that we are. Whatever's on that film is what you are as a player and what we are as coaches. It starts with me. Today was a disappointing performance in every aspect of the program, starting with me as the head coach."
Q: "The offense struggled to get into a groove. How much do you attribute a lack of discipline to that side of the ball?"
A: "We had a play that ran down to the four-yard line and got called back because we weren't lined up properly. We had personal fouls that just were complete, selfish, undisciplined football, which we won't play here, and those cost us drives. When you're not very good on offense, you can't shoot yourself, and we did that multiple times today."
Q: "What do you want to see in this team with two games left in the season?"
A: "I'm going see how we're gonna respond, and we're gonna get the guys on the field. They're gonna do things right. Everybody's going to see [film] tomorrow. We'll all watch it as a team, we'll all watch it as a staff, and everyone's going to have to be held accountable, starting with me for the plays that I called down to the way that we performed on the field. The film does not lie."
Q: "What is the message to the team to make sure they put this loss behind them?"
A: "Well, they don't have a choice. That's the beauty of football. We've got to show up tomorrow and be accountable for what we just did. I have no doubt these guys will do that, led by our seniors, because they've been all in and it sucks for them on senior day. It's my fifth time being a head coach or an assistant walking in the door new with the staff, and our seniors aren't always like how past kids have been. They haven't questioned anything. They've showed up every day. They've done everything we've asked, and they deserved to have gotten a win today."
Q: "What do you think the coaching staff could have done better for a better result?"
A: "if we're not executing on the field, then we need to evaluate what we're calling and who we're calling it to. It starts from the play design to the play execution to the personnel that's on the field. All of it's involved. If it's not working, then we've got to find a way to get it to work, and I can promise you, we're going to do that."
Joey Stemler
Q: "What were the emotions like, knowing you've played your last home game?"
A: "It's hard. You don't think the time is going to fly the way that it did. I'm just really appreciative of my five years here. I'm very appreciative of coach [Uremovich] and everything he's done for all of us, keeping our heads on straight."
Q: "What's it like hearing coach Uremovich saying he wants to put everything on the line for the seniors these next two games?"
A: "I'm the same mentality. After these last two games, we're going to go bowling, I know that for a fact. We're going to buy in, watch film and we're going to learn, starting with myself. The goal of a bowl game is still there. [Toledo and Miami] are great teams, but we've juts got to play Ball State football, which we didn't today. We know what we can accomplish, and we want to get it done."
Q: "What's it been like to play for coach Uremovich in your final year?"
A: "It's awesome. He's a great player's coach. He really cares about us and wants to make sure we have everything we need. We can always talk to him no matter what, and he keeps it real with us. If we're not playing well, or when we're playing great, he tells us. He's also going to give us a pat on the back and tell us good job. He's a true player's coach first, and I'll play for coach [Uremovich anytime."
Q: "What do you personally want to see these next two games?"
A: "Just a bunch of energy. We're going on the road at two places that are going to be very hard to play. We've got to come out of the gate with energy and fire right away. We can't just sit back. We've got to get right after them and play the Ball State way."
Q: "What adjustments do you want to see from the defense?"
A: "I think one thing that we need to focus on is communication. We need to get that down 100%. It can be better every single game, obviously, but we lacked it today. I need to have a better job of communicating to the whole defense, making sure everybody's on board."Â