Nov. 6, 2007
Opening statement:
"We are preparing for another tough football game against Boston College. We suffered a tough loss last week in North Carolina. We face one of the best teams in the country and one of the best quarterbacks in the country. We have our hands full on the offensive side of the ball, their defense is very competitive and they are the leading team in the country against the rush."
On the Maryland running game:
"I think our quarterback and receivers have to start making some plays to take the pressure off of our running game. At the same time, we can't abandon the run. We need to do a better job blocking."
On Boston College's defense:
"Obviously, they have good talent. They have really good schemes, especially in their blitz packages, a lot like Georgia Tech in that respect. On top of that, they all have good technique and they are very well coached. They come out with a scheme to beat you and they execute that scheme very well."
On the status of junior quarterback Jordan Steffy:
"He practiced really well yesterday. I thought he had a better practice [than he had been], yesterday. If that continues, we might make a change there."
On the play of walk-on freshman offensive tackle Paul Pinegar:
"Just because he's a walk-on doesn't mean he isn't good. I told our staff today that we might have found an offensive lineman. The thing that Paul's dealing with right now, like a lot of us are dealing with right now, is maturity. Not emotional or mental maturity, but physical. I was very impressed with the way he handled the situation on Saturday [against North Carolina]. He went out there against some very good football players, kept his composure and fought his guts out. That's all I can ask him do. Once he gets more experience I think he'll be a very good football player."
On the status of injured players:
"There's a chance we might get [senior offensive guard Andrew] Crummey back next week. I don't know if (the training staff) is teasing me with that or what, but they took him out of the boot and he's walking without anything right now. Whether he would be ready conditioning-wise or not, we'll have to see. I'm hoping to get [senior tight end Dan] Gronkowski back (next week). If we could get [sophomore defensive lineman Travis] Ivey back next week, that would help us a ton."
On offensive strategy against Boston College:
"I'd like it to be a physical game in the trenches, but I don't think we have the personnel for that. I think we'll have to throw the ball to be effective against them. That's where the quarterback, our receivers and our whole offense have to step up."
On Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan:
"I remember the first time I saw him play I thought he would be a good quarterback. I forget what game it was, but I remember saying `I hope that guy doesn't play against us.' He's one of those guys that knows how to handle the blitz. If you blitz him, he'll get rid of the ball to the right player at the right time. But if you don't get to him, he'll stand back and pick you apart. Therein lies the dilemma. He has a lot of good players around him and he does a great job using those guys."
On Boston College's defense:
"They don't do a lot of different things, but they do what they do very well. They cause a lot of turnovers. They have great defensive backs and good linebackers so it's a big challenge this week and I look forward to it."
On the game being nationally televised:
"We can prove to a lot of people that we are better team then we've been playing this year by beating the eighth-ranked team in the country. It's different because earlier this year we were playing for an ACC Championship and now we are playing to save our season and to go to the best bowl game that we can."
On the Terps passing offense:
"I think Coach Friedgen is probably going to keep it balanced like he normally does. You have to have the run to set up the pass, especially in this offense. I am not really sure what Coach has planned (this week)."
On Saturday's game vs. BC:
"Every time you get another chance to go out there and play again, there's always a feeling of excitement. Boston College brings a lot of different things to the table. This is another opportunity for us to play against a Heisman candidate, at home in Byrd Stadium, an 8'o clock game, the lights will be bright and it will be exciting."
On the condition of his back after Saturday's game:
"I'm in a little bit of pain but we have a great training staff here and they're doing a great job in trying to get my back to loosen back up. I got the x-rays done and everything came back negative so I don't have any broken bones, so now I am just getting my muscles to relax now."
On the pressure of the next three games:
"We have a tough road ahead of us and we understand that. We have to play Boston College at home this Saturday, then down to Florida State then to NC State. Iit's going to be tough. Everyone is playing good football right now and it's going to be a tough three games to play but we're taking one game at a time and hopefully we get the job done."
On maintaining a positive team morale after a three game losing streak:
"With the guys that we have here, no one is ever looking down on anyone else or feeling sorry for themselves, or feeling sad. We've dealt with a lot of tough times this year in dealing with the injuries and other adversities we've had to face, but everyone understands that we've got to keep going out there. It's a pride thing. We are all grown men here and we want to see each other do well and want to do well for ourselves and so we are going to walk around with our heads held high and continue to play and continue to compete everyday."
On Boston College as a team:
"They just have a lot of people that do a lot of things well. I think that is a sign of a good team, its going to be tough and it will be an interesting task for us."
Senior Defensive Lineman Dre Moore
On the team's mindset:
"I think mentally we are a little down because we have had consecutive losses, but at the same time we are really excited to get out there against Boston College and we are desperate for a win."
On practicing after a tough loss:
"It's not that hard to practice because we have lost three in a row so we feel like we are not doing something right. So when we are in practice, we are looking for ways to get another win under our belt. Practice isn't really hard when you are losing."
On teammates' communication off of the field:
"All of the leaders on the team are stepping up and keeping all of the younger guys and everyone positive, and we are not giving up at all this season, we are still fighting. We are still coming out there to win games."
On he challenges against facing BC's QB (Matt Ryan):
"He's a beast, and he's just as good as advertised. We watched a lot of tape on them, the team has a lot of formations they come out and throw the ball real well so I think we have to get pressure on them early which is hard to do because Matt Ryan has a good offensive line in front of him. He is a real smart guy. He steps into the pocket and avoids the rush. So stopping him is a real big challenge."
On BC quarterback Matt Ryan:
"He truly is one of the best quarterbacks in the country. He really is what has their team going this year. He's a fifth-year senior. He's been around and he knows what he's doing out there. On defense, we feel we have to shut him down for us to have a chance to win this game."
On playing in a crucial game that will be nationally televised:
"We couldn't ask for a better situation. We haven't been too fortunate playing on TV this year, and if we are able to pull off a win this Saturday everyone will forget about the way our season has been going."
On winning two out of three games that are against three tough opponents:
"I think we feel that we have to win all three games, and these are tough teams; Boston College is No. 8 in the country and Florida State just beat Boston College. We definitely don't have an easy way out, but that's how it is every year."
