MOBILE, Ala. – South Alabama football head coach Kane Wommack, offensive coordinator Major Applewhite, defensive coordinator Corey Batoon, along with student-athletes Carter Bradley, Devin Voisin, Jaden Voisin and Darrell Luter Jr. met with the media Monday for the program's weekly press conference.

Below are highlights from the session.

Head Coach Kane Wommack
- On the Texas State win:
"When you look at the film from this past Saturday, there are a lot of positive things to point toward. Being back at home after two successful road trips, it takes a toll on your team and the flu didn't help. But we felt like it was going to be a great opportunity to come back to Mobile, play in front of our fan base and really come out swinging. We wanted to make sure we threw the first punch, and certainly I thought we were able to do that. It was a really tremendous job from that standpoint. We talk about keys to victory every week, and our first key to victory from a defensive standpoint was to affect the quarterback. The very first play of the game we get a sack, and really kept an experienced quarterback uncomfortable the rest of the night. The thing that was probably the overwhelming disappointment was the amount of penalties that incurred on our team. Each penalty still has to be judged individually, so you can't look at that collectively and say every penalty needs to get corrected. We are a very physical team and high-effort team as well so you're going to have some of those; however, the unsportsmanlike penalties in the last two games are truly unacceptable and that starts with me and the urgency to get that corrected needs to be felt through our staff and football team. And that can't just come from the coaches; there needs to be peer accountability in the way that we do things. We're going to win football games, but when we do, who do we represent and what do we have to say for ourselves. In a lot of ways, we're representing this university well, but certainly in terms of the unsportsmanlike penalties, that's not representative of how we want to play the game."

- On playing against his alma mater in Southern Miss:
"I have such great admiration for my time in Hattiesburg. I really fell in love with the game of football as a kid watching my dad have all of those great defenses. And the success they had in watching all of those great players was so influential in my life that I chose to follow in my dad's footsteps. I have not been back since my Senior Day on that field in terms of gameday, so I think that will be a neat moment. When you get to this point in your career, a game is a game. You can appreciate going back to a place that means so much to you in your history, but also, I would be cutting this team short if I wasn't fully focused on where we are as a program right now. So, I think I can hold both of those things pretty well and still get ready to go do what it takes to execute in the game."

- On Southern Miss:
"You look at the overall culture of their team, and the foundation that they're laying defensively and the effort and passion they play with – that's a proud, defensive-rich tradition at that university and one my family was proud to be a part of and help establish. You see some of the passion and aggression they play with on defense. They're very mindful of creating momentum for their team, and the style they play defensively and how attacking they are on defense. And they're playing complimentary football. They're committed to running the ball in a number of different ways. When you look at their team, they have played well at home and I think they want to use that momentum and passion in terms of how they want to attack and play this game as well. It's going to be gritty at times when you play a defense that is so multiple in the things that they do. They're going to get some plays on you and create some negatives, but we have to be able to respond from those negatives on every single given drive and also have to be able to take advantage of some exposures that they're leaving for themselves."

Offensive Coordinator Major Applewhite
- On the win over Texas State:
"I told the guys this morning that I was proud of playing without a turnover; that's a big thing for us. Three out of the first five drives we had we went down and got points. We could have four out of six, but we had the penalty on the touchdown pass that got called back. There were just some inconsistencies at times. We didn't finish in the red area, but I told them that is more on me than it is them; they were executing. But I was proud of the way they just went out and handled business."

- On the balance in offense:
"I was proud of the way the guys adjusted to the game plan. There were times where we could run it, and there were times we had to throw it. We talk about being a physical offense, and whether we have to throw it or run it to win the game – either way we need to be physical. Our guys gave (quarterback) Carter (Bradley) time, he found some guys who made some great plays in the passing game. We have to continue to work on it though. There's some things we can still button up in the passing game in terms of our details, just some things we can do to be more explosive in that part of what we're doing."

- On Southern Miss:
"They have a great defense that plays with great tenacity. They come from a lot of different angles with a lot of different pressures and fronts, and are built around creating a lot of negative plays and takeaways. They've done a great job – a large improvement from last year, and they were good last year. It's a very tough bunch to go on the road against, and we know they're playing for things. We need to be ready and be prepared."

Defensive Coordinator Corey Batoon
- On what he saw from the game against Texas State:
"It was a really good first quarter and first half. I thought we played with a lot of intensity out of the gates. We played physical and fast. I thought the kids had really good communication and were playing confidently. We need to do a better job of maintaining that momentum through four quarters. The second half, we got a little sloppy. We were a little loose with our eyes that led to a couple defensive holding calls that kept the drives alive. I felt like that could have been four quarters of dominance. So, I'm disappointed in that, not being able to finish that out the right way. But, I'm happy with the overall production, happy we were able to play as many guys as played this late in the season. Those things are going to come back and help us."

- On how to coach guys to play with an edge but not too much of an edge:
"For us, it's twofold. The penalties that happen after the snap, those are silly. There's no room for that. You can play right up to the edge and understand at this point in time you are making a decision that is more about me than the team. So, just continuing to educate the guys in regards to that. Also, not getting into one-on-one battles. Defensively, if you're chasing the ball, if you're 30 yards away from the play you're getting into these one-on-one battles. So, just trying to do a good job of understanding what the expectation is play in and play out. And then the holding penalties, we are getting loose with our eyes trying to do too much and play outside the frame of the defense. We just need to tighten those things up. We did a really good job in the first half, but got loose in the second half and it hurt us defensively." 

- On the challenges that Southern Miss presents:
"It's a really good challenge. They ask [Frank] Gore Jr. to do everything. The kid is uber-talented. He has the ability to throw the ball, runs it, he does it all for them. I think the offense as a whole has been a little more consistent the past couple weeks. I think they've settled in on some things in terms of their run game and their packaging. I really like their receivers. [Jason] Brownlee is a really good football player. [Tiaquelin] Mims, the local kid from Baldwin County, he can really go. They're finding unique ways to get him the ball. I think that has helped in regards to the quarterbacks playing more consistently. Then, that wildcat package, they are going to come out with something new every week, and they have a way to feature Frank Gore Jr. and do the things that he is able to do. It's quite the challenge for us."

Quarterback Carter Bradley
- On how he went through the review process after beating Texas State:
"Just like how you would review every other game. You look at the ups and downs, the things you could have done better. I looked at all aspects, where I went with the ball, where my eyes were and cleaning up my footwork. You treat every game the same when looking at what you can be better at the next game. You are always going to look at the good, but you look at the bad to see what you can clean up."

- On if he sees a difference between "should have" and "could have":
"I think for me it's always should have. I think it's always what I should have done better. Maybe I should have helped the offensive line with better protection, hit my check-downs quicker or have better ball placement for the receivers. But, you live and you learn and you need to move on to next week.

- On the matchup against Southern Miss:
"They are a good defense and hide things really well. They have a good run defense. They can stop the line with their defensive line. They flow really well, they are a good team. We have our hands full this week, but it's going to be a good one."

- On the team's performance in road games:
"We have a neutral mindset. We go into the game, no matter where it's at, it could be here, space or Afghanistan. It doesn't matter where we are at, we'll be ready to play."

- On if the team understands what it has already accomplished:
"Honestly, we have a neutral mindset. We are taking it one game at a time and trying to be 1-and-0 on the week."

Wide receiver Devin Voisin
- On what he saw on film from Saturday night:
"Our run game has been so dangerous these past two games, so we've committed to that. We knew that Texas State had a pretty good defensive line, and with them having to focus on the run game it opened up the passing game. Carter was able to put the ball in spots where I could go make plays."

- On what it's like to have consistency in the run game:
"I think it makes us a good offense. For the defense, it's hard to plan for both the pass and the run game. If they over-commit to the run game, then we can just throw the ball."

- On if what the team has accomplished this year has hit him:
"Yeah, it's big for us, and for me being here these past four years it's a big accomplishment. You can tell by the team morale that it's higher, and we all just want what's best for the team. It's not our end goal, we want to win as many games as possible, but we have to pat ourselves on the back for what we've accomplished."

- On if he's noticed a difference around campus with their success:
"For sure. Especially the students and all of the fans that come out to games. I mean, the Troy game was packed out. Having fans at our games, it may not seem like a lot, but it means a lot to us as players. It gives us something to play for."

- On if he plays differently when the stands are packed:
"I wouldn't say I play any harder. But, when you catch a ball or make a big play, hearing the crowd go crazy is a confidence booster."

- On his observations playing with Carter Bradley:
"In the offseason, we had a lot of time with him to get our routes and timing down. We're not used to someone throwing as hard as him, so having that work in the offseason helped us tremendously. With his arm, he can throw an out route from the right hash all the way to the left sideline. There's not many quarterbacks that can do that, and having him be able to make plays like that helps us."

Safety Jaden Voisin
- On the game last week against Texas State:
"I saw that our defense came out really aggressive. We showed what kind of a physical team we are, and we played really disciplined that first half. I think we came out in the second half, and we had a lot of penalties. A lot of them hurt us and we just have to clean those up because those can eventually come back and bite you."

- On the defensive mindset:
"We play with a chip on our shoulder, we think we're one of the best defenses in the country. We want to play like that, we have to show that, and I think if we come out playing like that it helps not only our defense but our offense. The offense believes in us and if they get to a three and out, they know that we can get them the ball back. It's just a big confidence boost for our team."

- On the challenges that Southern Miss presents:
"They do a lot of different things. They run a wild cat and they have a running back who can throw the ball. I think he's thrown two touchdowns on the year. We'll have to keep good eyes on that because, in wildcat, you expect them to run the ball, but they do have a running back who can throw."

Cornerback Darrell Luter Jr.
- On playing a conference game in his hometown of Hattiesburg:
"It's always a big, important game for me whenever I get to go back home since that's where there's a lot of support at. It's just an amazing environment to be around. Just like in 2020, when we went back to Southern Miss and played them, it was just amazing being back home and seeing all of the family and friends that I have there."

- On his ticket requests for Saturday's game against the Golden Eagles:
"I can only imagine what that request is going to be like. I know it's going to be in the double digits."

- On how the team did defensively against Texas State:
"I saw a lot of aggression, a lot of physicality, and a lot of enthusiasm on the field. A lot of energy, of course, there's some stuff that we could still cleanup but for the most part you see a lot of us swarming to the ball and making plays when we need to be. That's what I take from that game."

- On the challenge of Southern Miss:
"They've had some ups and downs throughout the season. They've had to change their game up a little bit, but wide receiver wise they have some talent. We just have to be disciplined and play with our technique and trust our coaching."

- On playing hard without committing penalties:
"It comes from being very disciplined and mature on the field. There are certain things you should know to do and not do on the field so it's just a lack of maturity and being more responsible on the field."

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