Oct. 24, 2006

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Opening Statement: "We are excited about the opportunity to play Florida State and we are excited over our win last week. I thought our kids were full of pep last night and hopefully we will have a good practice today as we did last night."

On playing Florida State: "We are going to get them at their best. They have a lot of pride and tremendous tradition. I don't have any doubt about that. I knew we were going to get Virginia's best shot too, but that's the way it is. You have to get ready to play and not worry so much about what they are going to do, but about what we are going to do."

On the defense: "We are starting to get better in certain areas. We have a big test ahead of us this week. It will be a game-by-game type of thing. We will assess the whole season at the end. I've been pleased with our defensive staff, how hard they are working and the game plans they have. We are working hard to put the pieces of the puzzle together and I thought we made a few adjustments Saturday that really helped us."

On the remainder of the season: "One of our goals is to get to a bowl game. We could become bowl-eligible. If we could get that sixth win it would be big. Right now we have our hands full with Florida State. It doesn't matter who we play in the next four or five games, or next year. We have a lot to worry about right now."

On Conrad Bolston improving last weekend: "We talked to him about really pushing the pocket and we put a defense in that allowed him to do that. He got some great speed-rushing off the edge. I don't ever remember us being able to get the pressure we got Saturday with just four rushers. Conrad is a motivated guy. He's a senior, he wants to play well and he wants to win. I think he was as frustrated as anyone else. He'll finish out this year the way he should."

On Florida State's quarterback Drew Weatherford: "He's an excellent thrower. He's a big, strong guy and has good receivers to throw to. He's mobile; he can run. When you put those together it makes a very dangerous quarterback."

On Florida State's slide in the ACC in the past couple years: "I don't know if it's a slide or if the rest of the ACC is driven. One of the things I think goes unnoticed about the ACC is that every team is so close. If you get two guys nicked up here, or you are not ready to play that one day, or you fumble the ball a couple times, you are beat. That's what happens. You have eight or nine good teams and you have to play them each and every week. It takes a toll on you. That's what I think happened."

On Florida State this season: "I know they are a good football team. I know what I see on tape and let me tell you, they got my attention. We have our work cut out for us."

On Sam Hollenbach: "I thought Saturday was his best game. He made the plays that were there and he made a couple of plays that weren't there. His decisions were excellent. I was pleased with him. When you can get guys to make plays that are not drawn up perfectly and can still find the right guy, it makes my life a lot easier. Those are the types of things that make the difference in winning or losing the football game. When you have a quarterback who can do that it really accelerates the whole team."

On being able to open up offensively this weekend: "I think we are going to have to. Whether we can or not remains to be seen. I don't think we are going to be able to just line up and run against these guys."