Nov. 23, 2004
Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen:
On quarterback Sam Hollenbach:
"Sam is a wonderful kid and after two-a-days he was very disappointed. His dad is a coach in Pennsylvania and I've talked to him on numerous occasions. One of the questions he usually has is 'What does Sam have to do to get better?' Basically, he's got to make some more plays. I've told Sam, 'You've just got to relax.'"
"The thing I was pleased about Thursday night was that Sam was relaxed and let the game come to him. He's done that in practice recently also. He was able to see the coverage and execute better than he has in the past. Any time you see a kid who hangs in there and keeps persevering you're happy for them and proud of them. So many kids get disappointed and give up, that's why I'm so happy for Sam. that would be a really nice story if he can go out and play well Saturday."
On Saturday's game vs. Wake Forest:
"It's not a meaningless game, let's get that point clear. There is a big difference between being 4-7 and 5-6. And winning your last game, whether it's your last game ever, or your last game of the season or your last game in Byrd Stadium, is something that always stays in your memory. A win on saturday will carry us into the off season and make us feel good about ourselves. I don't think it's a meaningless game. It has a lot of meaning."
On younger players getting more playing time Saturday:
"We're working a lot of kids so we'll base that [the line up] on how they practice. Last night I brought our staff in on Saturday and we worked Saturday and then got Virginia Tech done Saturday so that when we came in Sunday we could spend our time on Wake Forest. Being that this is a short week because of Thanksgiving, and working a half day on what's normally an 18-hour day, we haven't gotten into who is going to play and who isn't. We want to see how they practice. But our top priority is to win the game."
On senior Steve Suter:
"Steve's had a great career here. He's the all-time leading punt returner in yardage and has struggled this year with injuries but has had gutsy performances and hopefully he'll have a good game this Saturday. His knees have been feeling better and I look forward to him doing well."
On the senior class:
"I just had Domonique Foxworth in today and I told him how much he meant to our football program and how much I appreciated what he's done on and off the field. I talked to C.J. Brooks about the same thing. I'll try to talk to most of the seniors before Saturday and tell them how much I've enjoyed coaching them. I hope they feel the same way. In many ways I feel like I've let these kids down. I dont look at it the other way around. They've played hard their whole careers here. We've had more good times than bad."
