Press Conference Quotes
8/28/2007 8:00:00 AM | Football
Maryland Football Weekly Press Conference - August 28
Head Coach Ralph Friedgen
On the team's offense:
"We're really excited about the season opening. We had a good camp. I think Keon Lattimore is playing his best football right now. Scott Burley is playing extremely well at left tackle. Dan Gronkowski has really improved not only as a blocker but as a pass receiver. And we have a lot of flexibility with Jason Goode's athleticism. He's a senior and I think he can really help us."
On the team's defense:
"Defensively, Adrian Moten, a redshirt freshman, has done really well for us. He's playing two positions and he's a really good football player. Moise Fokou, Isaiah Gardner and Kevin Barnes have all had exceptional camps. We lost Alex Wujciak who had a knee injury and is probably one of our better defensive football players, but other than that I expect everybody to be back."
On the quarterback position:
"We named Jordan Steffy as our starting quarterback. Jordan has played really well, not only in camp but also in spring ball, and I think he's a clear leader. But we will play Josh Portis also. I would like to get him in because I think he has some special talents that can help us as a football team."
On Villanova:
"Villanova is a very good football team. They're very talented and they have a very good quarterback He's a young guy and is very athletic. They won their last four games last year. They have a very fine group of wide receivers and some good-sized kids who can run. They have a good running back and are fairly sound on offense. Defensively, they have six defensive linemen that they rotate. They are very aggressive on defense."
On his team's depth:
"I feel pretty good about our first team, but our second team is very young and very inexperienced. Depth is a concern of mine, especially on the offensive line. I feel a little better about receivers than I did last year and we have two very good running backs in Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball. Also, with the improvement of Morgan Green and Da'Rel Scott, I think we'll be fine there."
On his team's conditioning:
"I've tried to condition a little bit differently this year than we have in the past. We've tried to condition in more of a game-like situation. I thought we needed that, especially with out inexperience at quarterback. I've been very pleased with the way we've handled that. In my time here, I've always felt that it has taken us a little while to get into game-type condition and I'm hoping we've addressed that and that it will help us."
On the running backs:
"We'll try to keep the fresh guy in there; I think that's a real strength. I look at Lance and Keon both as starters. The guy who is playing well will play the most. We'll have to see where Morgan goes. I have been pleased with him. He had a hamstring injury in camp, but I think he's well now. Running backs always get nicked up so you can never have too many of them.
On leadership:
"The senior class here is quality. They really go out of their way to help the younger kids and I've been really pleased with that. I only have 11 seniors right now, but they've had a good career here. The junior class is very good; we have 21 juniors and most of those guys are playing. Next year, this team will be predominantly a senior team. All of them are quality kids and they also are looking to help out the freshmen."
On team's freshman class:
"I think we have a pretty good bunch of freshmen. I'm anxious to see how they adjust to school, which starts tomorrow. We try to stress to them that this is the most important semester they face and they need to get off to a good start."
Junior Quarterback Jordan Steffy
On his mentality starting the season:
"Obviously the games are going to be a little bit different from practice, but I'm excited. I know that we have playmakers at receiver and running back who are going to make things easier for me. I don't have to go out and win every game or throw a touchdown on every pass. For me the biggest thing is directing everything and getting us in the right place. I have to make sure I do the little things."
On Villanova:
"They had some close games last year. They have some guys returning and their linebackers seem to play pretty fast. It's definitely not going to be a cake-walk by any stretch. We're going to have to go out and execute in order to win."
Sophomore Wide Receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey
On his health:
"I was hoping it wouldn't linger into the season, because that's the worst thing to worry about week in and week out. But I felt like the medical staff would be able to get me ready for the start of the season and so far that's what they've done."
On the team's receivers:
"I just want to win. I felt that we should have gotten to the ACC Championship last season and that's where I want to be this year. A better season for me is going to the ACC Championship, individual stats don't matter. Coach Friedgen is a great offensive mind and we have other weapons like Isaiah Williams, Danny Oquendo and LaQuan Williams. Everyone can make plays; it's not just about me."
Senior Offensive Lineman Andrew Crummey
On learning from last season's close games:
"It's an experience that can only help you, especially when you're in a similar situation again. It's a building process and an understanding of what it takes to win. Once you have that understanding, you can hopefully go forward and do better."
On the team's offensive line:
"Our quarterback is never going to get that comfort and ease of playing the game if he's getting hit on every play. We have 11 guys on offense and we have a lot of people with ability and talent. There's no reason why we can't spread out the pressure."
Junior Linebacker Erin Henderson
On junior defensive lineman Mack Frost:
"I think Mack Frost had a really good camp. He did a great job of getting after the quarterback and making a lot of plays. I think he probably was the most improved player during camp."
On the team's defense:
"Last year, people weren't as comfortable as they are now. Everybody has a better understanding of what role they are supposed to play and I think that's going to allow people to go out there and show their true athleticism without worrying if they're doing the right thing on every play."
On Villanova:
"They have a very interesting offense. They have a very good quarterback, a good running back, a good tight end and a good wide receiver, which is pretty much all you need to have an efficient offense. They're going to present some different things for us. It's all things we've had an opportunity to see and now we just have to go out and execute."
