ARMY BLACK KNIGHTS FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 9, 2023

Isaiah Alston

Press Conference

Army 57, Delaware State 0

Q. Take us through the 53-yarder and the 70-yarder.

ISAIAH ALSTON: The corners just showed that they were biting on the outs, and they just called that play. The offensive line blocked it well. Bryson Daily stepped back, made a great throw, and I just had to do the rest from there, caught the ball, and there was nobody else in front of me, so just scored a little touchdown.

Q. When you got the ball back 16 seconds, is that just Coach Thatcher saying first (indiscernible)?

ISAIAH ALSTON: Not necessarily, no. It's just something he seen up in the box, and that was just one of the plays he wanted to call for that situation. Yeah, we just get the call and we just execute whatever play he calls.

Q. Last week you guys didn't really throw downfield much at all. How much were you itching to get that going?

ISAIAH ALSTON: I didn't really think of it too much. Yes, I've always sometimes you're in the moment like all right, this guy -- I think I can run this play against this person or something like that. But for the most part I'm just looking to do my job, and whatever Coach calls is what we have to do. Just try and execute that to the best of my ability for the offense.

Q. What do you like about playing with Bryson Daily?

ISAIAH ALSTON: His passion for the game of football. He brings it every day, and he just keeps the guys around him up, and I really love that about him.

Q. How about his skill set? You've played with a lot of different quarterbacks in your time --

ISAIAH ALSTON: Very tough quarterback. He just keeps coming, play after play. Even if he makes a mistake he flushes it and moves to the next play. Actually he's there, and the ability to make plays and read the defense, he's really locked into the details of what the coaches are telling him, and he just goes out and executes that.

Q. Last week six points on specialty. This week a lot of offense from you guys. How does that feel?

ISAIAH ALSTON: It gives us confidence rolling into the next week. Last week I feel like we shot ourselves in the foot early and that just kind of killed the momentum of the offense. A lot of people started hesitating.

But now that we got to really put together what we've been practicing and put 57 points on the board, it gives the offense some confidence that what the coaches are calling actually works.

Q. Next week you guys play Friday night on ESPN. What's it like playing in a spotlight game, and talk about facing UTSA, a team that kind of stole one from you guys last year.

ISAIAH ALSTON: I don't really think of that much. We roll out -- whoever we play, doesn't really matter to me. Time, place, doesn't really matter. It's still a football game at the end of the day.

I just love doing what I do, so that's what we're going to do, and Army doesn't flinch, so it doesn't matter where we play. Could be Tuesday night, honestly. Doesn't really make a difference for us.

Q. Leo mentioned this game is like a stepping stone, after last week and now this week. Talk about that.

ISAIAH ALSTON: Personally for us, I think for the offense, it just showed confidence in that we can really do what the coaches are harping on because last week it kind of demoralized the offense's confidence, and putting 57 points on the board today, it's really a step in the right direction.

So we just have to keep that momentum going into next week and just keep practicing hard, following the fundamentals, executing our plays and just keep it going.

Q. It seemed Bryson had a lot more confidence as the game went on. Obviously you hope that continues. Did you notice that on the field?

ISAIAH ALSTON: Of course, I always do. I can tell personally when Bryson is at his highs and when he's at his lows and when he's just feeling it out.

It's just something I seen from being with him all spring, honestly for the last three years, so it's just something you can see in him, and today he was just on one today.

Q. Coach talked last week about the turnovers. During practice this week is that something you guys worked on a lot?

ISAIAH ALSTON: Yes, a lot. Ball security was very harped on this week. Yeah, that's something we have to improve on. I think we've done a better job securing the ball. We still came up short one turnover, but it's the game of football. Sometimes it happens. You can be doing fundamentally perfect; sometimes the defense makes a play.

We've just got to move on from that and clean things up, and I think going into next week we'll just keep holding the ball and do what we do.

Q. What did it mean to have the highest receiving yardage total for an Army player in about 15 years? I think '07 was the last time someone had as many yards as you did.

ISAIAH ALSTON: Honestly, I didn't know that until you just said something. Doesn't really make a difference. I'm more happy about the win. That was just my contribution to the win today. Whatever I can do to help the offense keep going, and whatever I can do to help the team win, that's what I'm going to be worried about.

But maybe I'll think about that later. I don't know.