Applewhite on Week 1: Davenport will start, defense has embraced new system

South Alabama head coach Major Applewhite confirmed quarterback Bishop Davenport as his starter for Saturday's home opener against Southeastern Louisiana. Applewhite said Davenport has taken care of the ball very well during fall camp and that his leadership has become more pronounced with another year in Mobile.

Applewhite, who is now calling his own offense from the coaches' box, described a drill he borrowed from former Alabama quarterback Scott Hunter. Quarterbacks run through their practice plays in order and see how long before they make a mistake — 12, 14, 15 plays without a mistake simulates a drive. "That's what I see from Bishop," Applewhite said. "Less of those faults. I'm pleased that they've kind of trimmed some fat out of their game." Jared Hollins is practicing and "moving around well," Applewhite said, but his game day availability remains to be determined.

On defense, Applewhite said the veteran players have accepted the new coordinator and embraced the new system. "At no point have you ever saw wavering in their faces, or questioning what we're trying to do," Applewhite said. "And that's really helped with the younger guys, too." He noted that the majority of players moving into starting roles were backups last season. As for Southeastern Louisiana, Applewhite said he feels confident about what he'll see from defensive coordinator Bill D'Ottavio's system after six years but is preparing for an offense that incorporates elements from new offensive coordinator Matt Bergeron's time at ULL with what SLU ran last season. Applewhite pointed to turnovers as SLU's primary issue in its Week 0 loss — "super talented, explosive just like we thought."

Full press conference transcript

On Southeastern Louisiana having already played a game

"I would always rather play a game first. I would always rather get everybody out of the locker room, go set your pads, make your game one mistakes, come back, clean that up, and be ready for opponent week two than be down a game. That's my personal preference, especially in today's age where you're getting so much turnover and new players on your roster."

"I would always rather get one out of the way."

On SLU's defense — DC Bill D'Ottavio, six-year system

"Coach D has been there for six years and he's run the same system, but he can call it differently. I've seen him within games, teams that run the ball heavy, teams that throw the ball heavy, he can call it differently."

"From a structure standpoint, you'd feel more confident going in against a coordinator that you've seen several times. Confident about what you're going to see — how you play and how you execute is up to you, but you feel confident about what you're going to see defensively, schematically."

On SLU's offense — new OC Matt Bergeron from ULL

"Anthony Scelfo left as a coordinator, and in comes Bergeron from ULL. So, there's some scheme that shows up that he did at Lafayette, and then there's some scheme that shows up that they did last year at Southeastern."

"What is the carryover? What did they do there that they're also doing here? What are the similarities in those two schemes? What are some things that they held on to from last year? And then what did they just hold period — what did they hold for week two or hold for week three?"

On SLU's Week 0 game

"We came in there thinking they were very, very deep at running back. We knew what type of player he was. So, it all showed up, and the game was just turnovers hurt him."

"Had a chance to win and everything that could go wrong kind of went wrong for him. Block kick, fourth down stop, ball on the ground. Still had a chance in the last series to win the ball game. So, super talented, explosive just like we thought."

"You make great strides usually between games one and two."

On fall camp progress

"I like the intensity that the guys practice with. I like the way that we're training ourselves to go run and hit. To finish on people."

"I want to see us finish on the ball more defensively. I want to see us finish down the field more as an offense."

"I'm not talking about just effort, but just the intensity, the intentionality in what they're doing."

"I believe they're trying to be more pro-like in what they're doing — their preparation, how they get their bodies prepared, their minds prepared for practice, how they meet. The details and things in which we're doing from a special teams standpoint."

On calling his own offense from the box

"I've always preferred to call it from up top. It's more clinical. There's not a lot of noise. You've got a great view of it."

"You have to trust your eyes in the box. You have an iPad now — I'm aware of that — but that doesn't help me at ground level."

"I have to trust the eyes upstairs with the defensive line. I have to trust the eyes upstairs with the secondary and the looks that we're getting with the substitutions."

"All the people in the building have to lift heavier. I don't have as much time to look at some of the ins and outs of the program and I have to trust people."

On Bishop Davenport — confirmed starter

"The leadership that we talked about, I see that getting more pronounced. More comfort being in Mobile another year, in the offense, having success."

"I saw him take care of the ball very well during fall camp. There's always going to be — when you have that large a sample size — some throws and things that you question here and there, but less of those overall."

"God didn't make you like me, he made you you. So when you can use your feet, go."

Applewhite shared a story about former Alabama quarterback Scott Hunter. Applewhite had dinner with Hunter, who said he would put all his practice plays in order and see how long before he made a mistake — 12, 14, 15 plays without a mistake simulates a drive. Applewhite now challenges his quarterbacks with the same exercise.

"That's what I see from Bishop. Less of those faults. I'm pleased that they've kind of trimmed some fat out of their game."

"We're not satisfied yet as quarterbacks, but I'm pleased with where they've performed thus far."

On Jared Hollins (QB2)

"He's practicing. He's moving around well. We'll just have to watch him throughout the week and see where he is in terms of game day availability."

On the defense coming together under a new coordinator

"We picked up some people from the portal. Some of the guys were here. We're just trying to get everybody on the same page and create a standard of good aggressive football."

"The players have accepted me, especially the older guys, the guys that are talented — that sometimes as you come in as a coordinator and you want to try to be different, those guys accepting what we want to do, how we want to look, what's it going to look like when everybody watches us on Saturday. And to embrace it. It's hard to get something flipped. And they've been great."

"At no point have you ever saw wavering in their faces, or questioning what we're trying to do. And that's really helped with the younger guys, too."

On defensive players stepping into starting roles

"The Hendos, Dallas — he's been around. Some of the guys up front that maybe were in limited roles last year that are going to play a lot for us."

"The majority of guys that played are in brand new roles. They were backups and now they're going to be full-time guys."

"Cole's another guy that played a lot of football for us. This is their time."