Bucs head to Starkville on Saturday for regular season finale

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Nov. 14, 2022) – ETSU football will travel to Starkville, Miss. for its regular season finale at Mississippi State this Saturday. Today, the Bucs hosted a press conference at William B. Greene, Jr. Stadium to preview the SoCon/SEC matchup.

ETSU head coach George Quarles was joined by a pair of sophomores in offensive lineman Fred Norman Jr. (Rossville, Ga.) and defensive back Sheldon Arnold, II (Loganville, Ga.) during today’s press conference.

Below are comments from Coach Quarles, Norman and Arnold. 

Head Coach George Quarles

On the challenge Mississippi State poses to end the season…

No question. I think the best thing about this game is that we get to play it early. Originally, they bounced around (the idea of) a later kick, so the 11 a.m. central time will be nice. You don’t have to wait around. But clearly, they are an SEC program in the SEC West that’s really talented, big and fast. I think one of the few good things about this one is that we’re kind of that ‘sandwich’ game between Georgia and Ole Miss and they have to turn around and play Ole Miss next Thursday. That’s obviously a one game season for them and whoever wins that has a good year. But yes, it’s a huge challenge for our guys and coming off…there’s no other way to say it...a disappointing season.

On the results and ups-and-downs of this season…

We’ve been in every game. I mean, there’s not one that we haven’t been in and we’ve had chances to win…lots of them, but just haven’t. I told our staff yesterday it’s kind of amazing that sometimes you can’t just stumble into a win. You’d think you’d just stumble along and win one of those games, but we found ways to lose, which is obviously disappointing. We have to do a better job coaching, get through this week and regroup. There’s no other way to say it.

On what pulling off the upset would do for this season…

Obviously, it would be a huge feather in our cap to go and beat an SEC team like Mississippi State. It’s a big challenge. They’re just so big and defensively they are so unorthodox. We’ve not played a defense like this — they line up literally everywhere and don’t line up in the same spot very many times…they’re coming off a tough game Saturday night so they’ll be ready to get that bad taste out of their mouth I’m sure. 

On what he’s learned about himself and the team after one season at the helm…

I’ve learned it’s hard and it’s tough at the top. I knew that going into it. Taking over a program that was at the top and just came off a great season. We lost some key players. It’s been difficult to get over the hump. We’ve been so close in every game. We’ve been in every game or won every game that we ran away with. Those close games, we just don’t know how to win and that’s been a real challenge for me to figure out…It’s been challenging for coaches, players, fans, everybody. But we have to learn from it and figure out ways to get better and keep this from happening again. 

On his first losing streak at Maryville and what he did to overcome that to win a lot of games…

I mentioned it to our staff a little bit but I don’t think I mentioned this to our team. In 2000 — my second year as head coach — we started 0-4. We came back and won 11 in a row and somehow won a state championship. I’d love to tell you we did something different between week four and week five that started a magic turnaround. But we didn’t. We stuck to the process and trusted the process. That’s constantly a reminder to me — that’s what you have to do. The guys have heard me say ‘there’s no magic offense or defense’ and it’s about making plays. It’s certainly coaching and playing…reflecting back on that 2000 season is a reminder that just because things started off really bad doesn’t mean they will end up bad. I’m hopeful. In this storm, it seems awful dark, but we can come out of this. We’ve got to work harder, trust the process and have that attention to detail on the things we’re not great at right now.

Offensive Line – Fred Norman Jr.

On playing against an SEC team…

It’s always fun to compete. We always want to play against other people, especially against bigger competition, to just show what you have to prove.

On drawing attention after the Vanderbilt win last year…

They’re going to pay a lot more attention, especially since we beat Vanderbilt 23-3 last year. We’ll come in there with the same attitude. We put our pads on just like they put their pads on — cleats, helmet, shoulder pad, girdle…everything. So they shouldn’t take us different. 

On playing with nothing to lose…

Yes, that’s the mentality — nothing to lose. We did have a rough season. We were so many plays close from actually being 10-0 right now. But like coach said — ‘see it through.’ We just have to see it through and keeping playing. Keep going for it. We got one more game with nothing else to lose.

Defensive Back — Sheldon Arnold, II

On playing against an SEC team…

I’m pretty excited. Me personally, I love competing at the highest level, and we are playing a highest level team on the highest stage. Playing against Mississippi State in Starkville is a great place to play. I’m looking forward to it.

On drawing attention after the Vanderbilt win last year…

I know that their coaching staff is probably going to be harping on that and tell them not to overlook us. To play every game week by week. I believe they will do that. They should. If they don’t come in with respect, I feel like we have enough talent on our team to at least put up a fight with those guys.

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