University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football coach Russ Huesman and senior linebackers Steven Smigelsky and Joseph Thornton met with the local media Wednesday to discuss Saturday's home finale against The Citadel, the chance for a winning season and much more.

Here's some of what they had to say:

Russ Huesman

On slow starts against Western Carolina and Appalachian State ...

We have to execute better, we have to make plays early in the game and I don't think it has anything to getting our guys ready. I think it's more of the ball hasn't bounced our way early in a couple of situations.

On coaching kickers ...

Unless you have a kicking coach, a kicking guy that knows how to swing the leg, that knows how to plant, that knows what they're doing, you really can't mechanics. We don't have anybody that coaches mechanics.

If we're signing a kid and he's coming here, he'd have better been to about 800 camps and have about six gurus, kicking gurus, along with him. And they should know what they're doing right or wrong.

You try to stay away from (mechanics), it's like a golf swing. If you got too many people in their head and they start thinking about it too much, they're going to be dead.

Steven Smigelsky

On playing his final home game ...

We're excited to be back at home and it'll be a pretty good crowd, I hope. My parents will be there and all that stuff. I just want to focus during the week, that way we can put on a good show for everybody.

I can't say anything now, it might hit us more toward game time, but right now it feels just like any other game week.

On the importance of a winning season ...

I think it's real important. It would be a nice statement, coming from 1-11 to 6-5, with basically the same crew. That shows that we worked pretty hard and got things done.

On plans after graduation ...

I'm going to apply to med school in the spring.

On if medical school will fly by as quickly as his collegiate career ...

I don't know about that. A lot of books, a lot of studying, so we'll see.

Joseph Thornton

On what he'll remember from this season ...

I guess the way our team is playing. The guys, the enthusiasm, especially from a lot of the seniors, we're playing like basically it's our last game, which it is our last home game. But throughout the season the team has been playing remarkably good and the connection that we got, the bond that we share, not just seniors but underclassmen as well, it's something that anybody will remember.

On being part of the turnaround this season ...

It means a lot. It's real special and I'm happy to be a part of it. I can't really express it until (after the season), when it will probably hit me then. I feel good being a part of it and I'm happy to be a part of it. I'm just happy to see this program starting to pick up again and win some games.

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