Sept. 14, 1999

COLLEGE PARK, MD.--Maryland head football coach Ron Vanderlinden held his weekly press conference on Tuesday to discuss last weekend's win over Western Carolina as well as this weekend's game against West Virginia.

On the Terps' win over Western Carolina on Sept. 11:

"There were a lot of positives. First of all, I felt like we made the necessary improvements the week heading into the game. Calvin McCall played about as well as we hoped he would play. LaMont Jordan ran like we all have come to expect. He really stepped it up and had a real determination heading into the game. Our offensive line did a good job and our defense had an outstanding game."


"Our guys felt really good about themselves after the game. They went in there and felt as if they had something to prove. They wanted to go out and play well and they did."

On Lewis Sanders, last week's ACC special teams Player of the Week:

"Lewis benefited from the year off (due to an injury). I don't think you realize how much you enjoy something until you lose it. Missing last year really made him very hungry to play again. He has really studied tape since he has returned, and he has started to become a real student of the game."

On the status of the Terps three years into his coaching tenure at Maryland:

"I feel like we have some playmakers. I feel like this thing is starting to come together. I think we are going to have an exciting offense, defense and special teams unit and that is starting to show as we enter into our third year."

On this Saturday's game against West Virginia:

"It's a big game. I wouldn't call it a make or break game. It's a very challenging game for us on both sides of the ball. Marc Bulger is a very good quarterback who knows his offense very well. Last year, I thought West Virginia was the one team that really took it to us."

"Offensively, we are going to have to play very well and we are going to have to contain them on defense if we are going to do well on Saturday."

"I like the mental status of our team going into the game. I think they have a lot of fire in them and the attitude they have is that they can't wait to get our there and play again. I think they can see what I saw coming into the year-that we have the nucleus to be a very good football team."

"We need to take another step forward this week. We need to have a very good week of practice. If we do that, I feel like our guys are going to come out ready to play."