Sept. 19, 2005

Charleston, S.C. - Head coach Kevin Higgins welcomed the media Monday afternoon in the Altman Center of Johnson Hagood Stadium. Higgins talked about the Bulldogs' trip to Florida State and how they prepared for their first SoCon game against Appalachian State during their off week.

Coach Higgins opened the press conference talking about how well the defense played in the first half against Florida State and how some things need to be worked on before playing the Mountaineers from Boone, NC.

"The defense played well in the first two quarters against Florida State, causing four turnovers," Higgins stated. "Safety Josh Lawson and cornerback Vince Hill stood out after watching the game film." Lawson, a sophomore from Summerton, SC, recorded seven tackles including a forced fumble and Hill, a sophomore from Stone Mountain, GA, collected an interception and a 70-yard fumble return for a touchdown.

The inconsistency of the running game was a big concern in the off week for the Bulldogs, who are looking for one guy to step forward and emerge as the leader in the backfield.

"We used the off week to tweak the running game a little bit," said Higgins. "We tried to simplify our running game to fit the inexperience we have in the backfield."

After reviewing the Florida State game, Coach Higgins moved on to talk about the upcoming game against Jerry Moore's Appalachian State team. He pointed out that the Mountaineers are coming off a very big win against No.17 Coastal Carolina and will be looking to continue their winning ways in Charleston on Saturday.

"They are a very good team with a very good quarterback in Richie Williams," explained Higgins. "He makes very good decisions and possesses a strong arm and can run too. It will be a great challenge for us."