Antonio Bonner Breaks It Down

ANTONIO BONNER POST-GAME COMMENTS

Antonio Bonner, a senior linebacker from McEachern High School in Marietta, Georgia, had another fine game leading the Gamecocks with 7 tackles. Here is what he had to say after the game:


His expectations coming into the game:

“Tennessee State was a good team on film. Good running backs. We thought it was going to be a tough game today so we had to have a lot of focus coming into today, give it everything we had.”


The Defenses’ feelings at half -time after leading 17-0:

“Everybody got real serious. There wasn’t any laughing or playing around. We had a goal [to get] a goosegg.”

When did he sense a shutout might happen:

“I’d say about the third quarter because I felt like they started to give up.”

On the intensity increasing when Tn. State, threatened:

“Every play . . . Somebody would say ‘turn it up’ [or] ‘turn it to another level.’ Everybody knows what we can do out there when we play together.”

His reaction to the shutout:

“Real psyched. We worked hard every day in practice preaching about getting a shutout. Every day. Coach preached to us ‘run to the ball.’ That’s what helped us, running to the ball.”

“We were real satisfied [getting a shutout]. We worked all summer long, practice, two a days, preaching about getting a goose egg, shutting a team out. We want to make sure we get another one.”

On some of the young linebackers stepping up:

“James Powell has stepped up a lot. Coming into the year, Coach was kind of iffy about him, but I knew deep down inside he had it. I preach at him every day in practice: ‘Go hard, Go hard!” It feels good, he is starting to show up now.”

On JUCO transfer Brannon Byrd:

“Brannon Byrd is a tough player. He is going to get in there and make his plays. When we get tired, we don’t have to worry about anything. Brannon Byrd is going to get in there and make that play.”

The Team’s Goals:

11-0. That’s one of our main goals to go undefeated in the conference so we can get in the playoffs and have it here. . . . We embrace it every day in practice. We break it down: ‘OVC Champs, 11-0.”