What Jax State's Charles Kelly said before the Western Kentucky game

A win Saturday and Jacksonville State plays for the CUSA championship. Charles Kelly says he had no idea.

"I appreciate you letting me know that because I had no idea," Kelly said with a laugh when a reporter told him the stakes. "Had no idea."

Kelly then pivoted to his former coach, Pat Dye, and the way Auburn prepared for the final stretch of the season. Dye called it Amen Corner — borrowed from the Masters — because the Tigers finished every year against Florida, Georgia and Alabama. "What we look at is we're focusing on every shot that we gotta make right now," Kelly said. "We're not focused on championship talk. We're focused on preparing like a champion, because what happens is when you start looking at those outcomes and worried about the outcome, that's how people lose the Masters."

On Western Kentucky, Kelly praised head coach Tyson Helton and warned that the Hilltoppers present one of the most complex offensive preparations the Gamecocks have faced. "We will see as much stuff on the offense against them as we have against anybody," Kelly said. He compared Helton's scheme to his brother Clay Helton's approach — finding explosive plays that have hurt opponents before and dressing them up. Kelly singled out two quarterbacks — Brock Glenn and Rodney Tisdale — as distinct challenges. Glenn is bigger and runs more designed quarterback runs, while Tisdale can beat teams with both his arm and his legs. Receiver Jonathan Stafford doubles as a dangerous return man.

Kelly did not hold back on the new 24-team College Football Playoff format. "All of this is about money," he said. "It's all about money. So it's not about competition. It's about money." He called it "unfortunate" that football will be the only NCAA sport where conference champions don't have a guaranteed path to the championship tournament. His path for a Group of 6 team remains unchanged: "If you win them all, you take that out of it." But he said the expanded format may create scheduling advantages, and he hopes the sport eventually follows the model set by basketball, baseball and softball.

When asked about Jamill Williams' growing confidence after a kickoff return for a touchdown last week, Kelly reached for the highest comparison he could. "The greatest player, one of the greatest football players I've ever known and ever watched was Deion Sanders," Kelly said. "He had as much confidence as any person that I've ever been around. But he's also one of the best people that I've ever been around. You can be both." Kelly said Williams is a true competitor who wants the ball in his hands in big moments.

Kelly credited special teams coordinator Max Thurmond with building one of the best units in the country. The Gamecocks have scored touchdowns on both a punt return and a kickoff return this season. Kelly said the travel squad is decided by special teams ability — "If you can't play special teams, it's hard for me" — and cited his time at Florida State in 2013, when players like Telvin Smith, Jalen Ramsey and Lamarcus Joyner were all elite special teams contributors.

On the defense — which ranks in the top 25 nationally — Kelly deflected from the unit itself. "Playing good on defense is a team effort," he said. He pointed to the offense maintaining drives, converting third downs and creating field position through special teams. "When I first took this job, everybody says, 'Oh, you're a defensive coach.' No, I'm the head coach. I want the offense to be good. I want the defense to be good, and I want the kicking game to be good."

Full transcript

On the Sam Houston win and playing a complete game:

Charles Kelly: "I mentioned after the game, I'm very proud of our players. Yeah, we're proud of the result, but I'm a lot more proud of the preparation that went in to get the result. I think our guys have learned that it takes discipline, preparation, and consistency to play a complete game. And listen, we had tons of mistakes in that game that we got to be able to fix and get better as we go throughout the rest of the season."

On Western Kentucky and Tyson Helton's offense:

Charles Kelly: "Well, first of all, Tyson Helton is a really good coach. He and I have had opportunities to work together. We will see as much stuff on the offense against them as we have against anybody. I mean they do a lot of stuff, and he's a good coach. I mean, his fingerprints are all over the offense. A little bit similar to Clay, they do a really good job of going out there and finding the explosive plays that have hurt you in the past and dressing them up and finding a way to do that. So that's why it's so important for us to correct our mistakes as we go along through the season, because we got to fix those things that have given us problems. But they've got two talented quarterbacks. I mean, you know, Brock is a really good athlete. He can throw the ball. He can run the ball. Rodney, we played against him last year. I mean, he's one of the better young quarterbacks that I've seen. They got good receivers. They're running the ball better. They're very active on defense. You know, do a lot of movement. Try to create problems. And Jonathan Stafford. I mean, he's a really good receiver, but he's a good return guy too, so we got to be sound in the kicking game, be able to you know be focused for six seconds at a time and do our job."

On the 24-team CFP format and Group of 6 access:

Charles Kelly: "I think there may be some advantages for us in scheduling. You know, that that's the advantage that I see. It's unfortunate that it's going to be the only sport in NCAA that doesn't take a conference champion. All other sports conference champions have an opportunity to compete in a championship tournament. Why we came up with that, I don't know. All of this is about money. It's all about money. So it's not about competition. It's about money. And you know, at the end of the day, if people realize that, then it is what it is. But as far as creating an advantage for another G6 team to get in, you know what I've always said since I've been here, if you win them all, you take you take that out of it. It gives you a chance if you win them all. But that's the path that I see for a G6 team to get in. But you know, hopefully, maybe down the road we'll look at it like we do basketball, baseball, softball, and say, you know what? Conference champions deserve an opportunity to compete for a championship. That's what this country's about."

On a win Saturday clinching a spot in the CUSA championship game:

Charles Kelly: "You know what, I appreciate you letting me know that because I had no idea. Had no idea. Honestly truth that I had no idea and in all due respect absolutely not. When I was in school when I played for Coach Dye at Auburn. We got down to the last stretch. You guys have probably heard me say this before, but we got down to the last stretch of the season. And back then, the schedule was the same every year. We finished up the season with Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. That was our last three games, and Coach Dye referred to it as Amen Corner, like in the Masters. And what we look at is we're focusing on every shot that we gotta make right now. We're not focused on championship talk. We're focused on preparing like a champion, because what happens is when you start looking at those outcomes and worried about the outcome, that's how people lose the Masters. They're worried about winning the tournament instead of the next shot, and the guys that have won more times than not focus on the next shot. So that's what we're trying to do."

On the defense's national ranking:

Charles Kelly: "Our coaching staff would tell you this too. We have improved in a lot of areas. We've tackled better. We've created more pressure on the quarterback. But you know, playing good on defense is a team effort. It is a team effort. How you prepare throughout the season, people talk about we want to play good defense. Well, that goes back. You can't cure that in a week. That's how you prepare and start in January. And it's what you do in practice against your offense. And then our offense does a good job of maintaining drives, converting on third down, creating explosive plays. So most of the time, when people play really good defense, it's because it's complementary football. The kicking game helps the defense with the field position. I mean, we won the field position battle in special teams a lot of times, and that's not to take anything away from our defensive players or our defensive coaches. But it is always a team effort. Sometimes you go out there, and the offense is going to have to play better to win the game. Sometimes the defense has got to play better to win the game. Sometimes it's the kicking game, but it all kind of works together, and I think everybody because they want instant gratification, they want this magic dust to put on there and say let's play great defense. Well, you gotta live that way, and you gotta live that way in your whole organization, or it just doesn't work. So I think the complementary way we play together is, and I think our players understand that. I think they know the way we practice. That's you know we emphasize. When I first took this job, everybody says, 'Oh, you're a defensive coach.' No, I'm the head coach. I want the offense to be good. I want the defense to be good, and I want the kicking game to be good. But being able to prepare all those three phases has to go together."

On Jamill Williams' confidence:

Charles Kelly: "First of all, he is a great young man, you can be a great person and have a lot of confidence. I mean, the greatest player, one of the greatest football players I've ever known and ever watched was Deion Sanders. He had as much confidence as any person that I've ever been around. But he's also one of the best people that I've ever been around. You can be both, and you know Jamill has a lot of confidence, and there's nothing wrong with when you're a competent person of wanting the ball in your hands. I always want athletes that, whether it's the end of the game and it's a defensive player, hey, throw it at me so I can make a play. Kick it to me so I can make a play. Give me the ball so I can make the shot. Let me be up with two runners on to drive them in. That that's what competitors are, and you can tell by that not only is he competent, but he is a true competitor."

On preparing for WKU's two-quarterback system:

Charles Kelly: "It does. Very good question because both guys are very talented, but they do some different things when both those guys are in there. So I think it's really important that our guys understand from their film study and the things that, because you can't practice everything. You only are you have limited amount of time. So a lot of it goes based off of what we see on video and study and tendencies, you know, both guys are very capable. Both guys are very athletic. You know, Brock's a little bit bigger guy, so it's been a little bit more quarterback run with him. But, Rodney's a guy that he's very athletic too. He can throw the ball, but he can hurt you with his legs. They do some, so that does present a challenge for us."

On special teams success and Max Thurmond:

Charles Kelly: "Well, first of all, I think we got the top special teams coordinator in the country and one of the best football coaches that I've ever been around, Max Thurmond. I mean, and I'd say that about every one of our position coaches and coordinators. I love them, but Max has done an incredible job. I mean, I would put him up against anybody, and he's very passionate about it. He does a very good job of evaluating and finding the right people to put in the right spots, and then we make it important. Our position coaches, our coordinators, our players will tell you, that's how our travel squad is decided. It's based off of who can play special teams. Has nothing to do with anything else. If you can't play special teams, it's hard for me. I've always thought this. It's hard for me to understand how I could have a guy that could be a starter at an FBS level, coaching the secondary, linebackers, but he can't play special teams. You know, when I was at when I was at Florida State in 2013, you know, Telvin Smith, Jalen Ramsey, Lamarcus Joyner. I mean, I could go on and on. Karlos Williams, our tailback. I mean, I can name all these guys. They were great special teams players. So I think Max does a good job. And our players play hard. We have good return guys and they have confidence. I think every time we're on punt return, our punt return team plays a little better because know, that Caleb is going to try to return it for a touchdown. Same thing on kickoff return. I think our guys, because they know, hey, our guys get the ball in their hands, they can make something happen. But I think it all starts with leadership, and I think, you know, Max has done an incredible job."