Quotes from Tuesday's news conference
8/31/2010 8:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 31, 2010
Head coach Ralph Friedgen
Opening Statement:
"I think we've had great preparation going into this season. Our off-season work was very good. I think we've improved over where we were this time last year.
"I think our offensive line is better, we've been able to stay healthy and have the same team working together which I think is really important for us. We have a young, inexperienced group behind the first team but we are looking very good with the first team at this point. We're going to have players on the offense that can make plays, especially at wide receiver and running back and also at tight end. Even though we've suffered a few losses there, the good news is we've only lost one of our tight ends for the year; the others will be back. "Defensively I think we have some youth. We lost some defensive linemen but I think we are more athletic and have more speed. Our secondary is inexperienced but I think we will be better there. We have more athleticism and more aggressiveness so we should be improved there also. I think the strength of our defense is our linebackers. With (Alex) Wujciak, (Adrian) Moten and (Demetrius) Hartsfield I think we have three very good linebackers. With the addition of David Mackall and (Ryan) Donohue we are solid at that position.
"Special teams should be good. Travis Baltz is one of the better punters in the country, and he is back. Also with our returners, Tony Logan and Torrey Smith, we should have very good special teams there.
"Going into this game with Navy, I think they are a very good football team. The one thing that kind of jumps out at me when I look at their defense is they have 18 senior starters and on offense they have five senior starters. They're coming off a 10-4 year, won the bowl game against Missouri and played very tough against Ohio State in the opener last year. They lost some players at the linebacker position, but they've replaced them with players that have played.
"When I look down at the team, some of the guys that jump out at me are No. 98, Jabaree Tuani - he's an excellent football player. He's definitely a force to be reckoned with in the defensive line. He plays left defensive line. (Right tackle) R.J. Dill will have tough competition against him. Their secondary is outstanding. They have three out of the four players back at that position.
"When you talk about offense, Ricky Dobbs is the guy. He had 27 touchdowns last year, 1,203 yards (rushing), he's a very good football player. He's also one of the co-captains of the team. Chris Proctor is his back up and he's pretty good also. They have two solid quarterbacks. At fullback, (Vince) Murray and [Alexander] Teich, are both about 6-1 and 217 lbs. and they got about 1,000 yards out of their fullbacks last year. Murray averaged 5.3 and Teich averaged 5.4. (Teich) also returns kickoffs for them so that tells you what kind of athlete he is.
"In their offensive line what jumps out at me is their two offensive tackles. Both of them are three-year starters, both are seniors. I think their whole offensive line is athletic. Their slots are small but fast and all of them have played. So they have a lot of guys that have touched the football that are returning.
"The special teams is very solid. (Kyle) Delahooke had 53 punts, averaging 43 yards and (Joe) Buckley, the place-kicker was 10 out of 13 last year for 76 percent. The thing that impressed me is 4-for-4 in kicks over 40 yards. Everybody is back for the kickoff coverage; the only person they have to replace on the kickoff team is the punt returner. This is a very solid team. Obviously it is a great opportunity for us. I think it's going to be a great game at a great venue. I know our players are excited about it and I am also excited."
On preparing for the triple option that Navy runs:
"It is very difficult to defend. The more we look at it the more you have to play the `what ifs.' They're very adept at knowing if you stop this, they dish it and open it up. To match the speed they are going to run is one of the reasons we practiced without the ball. Our scout team can function a whole lot better if they can just run the plays. We added the ball yesterday because we were worried about our guys over running things and playing too fast. I think we have a good plan. It is all in how well we execute and how disciplined we are. I think you have to be very disciplined and play your responsibility. Defensively guys usually just want to run to the ball and not have to think, just react, and this offense makes you take care of your responsibilities."
On if this game is a budding rivalry:
"I think any time you play against an in-state team it is going to be a rivalry... I have the utmost respect for their program and their coaches, who they are and what they are working to be. At the same token, I like the competition also. I really think it's good for the state of Maryland. I think for football in this state, to play a good rivalry is something you look forward to. We need a rivalry in our situation. We play Virginia and that is a rivalry, we play West Virginia and that's a rivalry, we play Virginia Tech and that's a rivalry, but when you have someone who is 25 miles away from you, it's going to turn into a rivalry and that is what I'd like to see it become."
On limiting turnovers:
"We have worked extremely hard, from winter conditioning and holding a towel and not being allowed to have a ball. Every day we do a five minute drill on ball security. I think our guys are much more aware of it. I've never worked so hard on something collectively. I think it is paramount to us having a good season. I think it's important to win the turnover battle and the penalty battle. I talked to our team yesterday about it (and said) `don't have missed assignments.' If we do those things we give ourselves a chance to win. I think our kids understand that after last year. They have gone back and seen the tape and where they can be better. This team I have right now, I have to throw them out of the film room. They're in there after practice when they don't have to be. They come in on the weekends when they don't have to be. They want to see what they are doing right and what they're doing wrong. That is part of the joy I have working with them."
Senior Linebacker Alex Wujciak
On facing Navy's triple option offense:
"It's a challenge. I think it helps that we're playing them the first game of the year so we can prepare for longer stretches of time, but it's going to be a challenge for our defense. Coach (Don) Brown has been a great defensive coordinator. He's played them in the past and has had some success so hopefully we can continue that."
On the potential of Navy developing into a rival:
"Definitely. A service academy and Maryland are two great schools and it's in-state. So I feel like a lot of people want it to become a rivalry. I've read Coach Friedgen say he wants to play them every year. So I think it can definitely be a good rivalry."
On the team getting a new start this season:
"We are just trying to move on; last year is behind us now. We are all in the film room just trying to get better and better every day. Coach Friedgen stresses to us every day about the difference between good and great. He always tells us that if we want to be great we have to be good all the time. That's what we're trying to do and continue it through practice."
Senior Linebacker Adrian Moten
On young Maryland defensive players that could make an impact:
"A lot of guys on the secondary are standing out. Eric Franklin and Travis Hawkins (are two). Some of those guys weren't too involved with the defense last year, but they're really stepping up for us this year which is a big thing when you're bringing in extra defenders."
On defensive speed:
"We are a lot faster. Coming out of spring practice a lot of guys on our team ran around a 4.0. That's pretty fast for some of our linemen. We only had two guys run over a 5.0. We are going to be a much faster team this year."
Senior Running Back Da'Rel Scott
On his comfort level with tight ends:
"They showed me a lot this camp because we mostly played with two tight ends the whole camp. They showed me how mentally and physically tough they are and I have all the confidence in the world in them."
On Matt Furstenburg:
"He has the attitude for it and he can catch and block being a tight end. That's something I think he's going to play a major role in. He blocks very well and catches very well so he's a dual threat right now."
On last season:
"It was very frustrating for me to not be able to help my team out when they were going through what they went through. I got sick to my stomach just seeing what happened to us with me being on the sideline and not be able to do anything."
Junior Quarterback Jamarr Robinson
On preparing for his first start of the year:
"I feel like any second string guy prepares like he's going to play, but now that I know I'm going to play I prepare a lot more. I watch more film. I'm more specific about what I'm looking for."
On deciding whether to throw or run on a given play:
"That's the hard part. In our offense there's always something open. So if nothing's there, just take off. That's a strength that I have."
On the offense being patient against Navy's defense:
"They are a disciplined team. They are built on being disciplined. They are going to play their pressure zone and they're going to stick to it. It's our job to keep taking whatever they give us and move the ball down the field."
Senior Defensive Back Antwine Perez
On playing Navy first:
"I don't think we could have been able to only have a week to prepare for a team with the things that they do offensively. I think having this time in the summer and playing them our first game is good because we've really had a lot of time to prepare."
On the defensive mindset this season:
"We want to establish that we are one of the top defenses, if not the top defense, in the ACC. Last year we learned a whole new scheme that was pretty complicated so it took a while to really catch on, but it's a great scheme. It just took us a while to adjust. This will be the first year in a few years that we've been playing the same scheme for more than a year so everyone is comfortable now playing the same defense for the second consecutive year. We expect a lot of big things from our defense this year."
Junior Wide Receiver Torrey Smith
On what Matt Furstenburg brings to the team:
"Furstenburg is a great receiver. He can block. He's very athletic and runs fast too. The coaches did a great job recruiting our tight ends. The only difference is (Dave) Stinebaugh hasn't played."
On tight ends having a better opportunity after playing and practicing so much through the summer:
"They've been doing their job this summer. We complain about our legs and there are 13 (wide receivers) practicing. They did the whole camp with just two tight ends. They did a great job making plays. Sometimes they were barely able to even make it back to the huddle and they were still making plays. I'm excited to see what they're going to do Monday."
On Jamarr Robinson's comfort level with the tight ends:
"We all worked out together in the summer and the spring so it feels like we've been together forever. So he really established a good relationship with the tight ends."
