We felt, as a staff, we're going to start Thompson. We feel that he has earned it to this point.

We felt we needed to bolster our team along the offensive line because we had the fewest number of scholarship players returning at those positions. We feel like we met our needs. We recruit the kind of players that we feel can play early in their careers.

He got off to a bad start and never really recovered.

We have been made to feel so welcome ever since we got to Thompson.

We brought the game back to a point and sometimes when things get going your way, they start to get going against you. It's really difficult to get it going back your way.

This sends a clear message to Mark Thompson that he is out of touch with his staff. We have been given a clear mandate in favor of a strike.