Quotes from Tuesday's News Conference
9/14/2010 8:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 14, 2010
Head Coach Ralph Friedgen
Opening statement:
"They have a newcomer Bruce Irvin (6-3, 235 pound), a junior college transfer who is extremely quick and they use him as a pass rusher. Their linebackers are solid. They really have some outstanding people in their secondary. Robert Sands is probably one of the best safeties I've seen on tape. He's an outstanding player. Brandon Hogan is an outstanding corner. They play the 3-3-5. They've done it for a number of years and they are very, very good at running that defense.
"Offensively, they have four returning lettermen back on the offensive line. Guys you must stop are obviously Noel Devine and Tavon Austin...also Jock Sanders. The quarterback Geno Smith had a very good game against Marshall. He brought them back with two 90-plus drives and 72 percent completion percentage. He's a sophomore, 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds and very mobile. Their special teams are great. Greg Pugnetti has ten punts for a 45-yard average. Corey Smith is their kickoff guy with a 64-yard average. Austin and Devine are their kickoff and punt return guys. They have a lot of skill, athleticism and speed. They will be a concern to us. This is a very good team.
"This is another test for us. From a team standpoint, number one to play on the road in a hostile environment against a very good football team. And number two, the more we win, the bigger the games get, and I think this is a very big game for us. We will learn a lot about who we are after this game. We had a good practice last night and I am anticipating a good practice today. We are looking forward to being ready on Saturday."
On the improved play of the offensive line:
"The improvement of the offensive line is a big thing, but our running backs have improved as well. They are all running the ball very well and very hard. Now our passing game must follow suit to have a balanced offense."
On winning on the road:
"The big thing is focus. I thought last year, at the end of the year, we were a lot closer to that than we were in the beginning of the year, and a lot of that is credited to maturity. Being able to concentrate on the things that are important is key. So far, in the two games we have had, this team has shown that they are much more mature than the team we had last year. They have played before and they know what to expect, but this will be another test for us to see how far along we are."
On extending the rivalry with West Virginia:
"I was really avid for extending the rivalry. I think it's a game that's good for both states, it generates a lot of interest, our fans really enjoy it, and it's always going to bring a great crowd. I know when we played in the Gator Bowl, there was some concern about playing them twice in one year, but the game still sold out. The last couple of years, they have gotten the best of us, and earlier we got the best of them. They have been a very good team and a good opponent, but we are looking to come out on top on Saturday."
On the team's confidence after the 2-0 start:
"Obviously I was really pleased with the way we finished the game against Navy. Last year we couldn't do that, and I think that was a huge hurdle to overcome. I was very concerned that we would have a letdown against Morgan State. They are a very young team that has gone from everyone criticizing them to everyone patting them on the back, and it is human nature to let your guard down when that happens. For the most part, our guys came out there fired up. I see some really positive things from this team. This week is going to be another test, a different type of test, and will serve as an indicator as to how much we have grown in the past few weeks. You are going to need more than just confidence to win in Morgantown."
On facing West Virginia after its emotional win:
"I think one of the things that West Virginia has shown me is that they can finish. They were put in a very tough situation and they came back to win the game. They made some key plays, especially on their final drive to the end zone and their two-point conversion. If one single thing went wrong, they would have lost that game. They were put under pressure and rose to the challenge, and that's what winning teams do when facing pressure."
On the play of Danny O'Brien:
"Danny is a different guy. From the day we recruited him, he would drive up from Charlotte, N.C., to attend Saturday morning scrimmages. He's really a gym rat and he loves to study football and practice football, which is a rare combination. He doesn't get flustered easily and is very calm, which shows his maturity. He did make some mistakes, but he also made some great throws. Our receivers also made some great plays, and we really haven't had that combination here in a while. I was close to playing him last year because he is mature beyond the point where he should be. He has another test this week, and I am very confident in his ability."
Junior Quarterback Jamarr Robinson
On the team's momentum going into the game:
"I'm very confident and I feel like we are very confident. We have two big wins under our belts and there is no need to go into it with our heads down. We have two wins and we hope to continue it with a third."
On the hostile environment at West Virginia:
"I take it as another challenge. I'm not really a guy to get intimidated wherever we play. I visited Florida State and started that game. It was supposed to be the loudest place we ever played. It was loud but its eleven guys that have to line up and play. I went to Virginia Tech the year before and didn't play but its all about lining up to play and not about the crowd."
On the factor of West Virginia's speed and its impact on the game:
"It's going to be a real factor. They are real fast but I'm going to have to trust my speed and do what I do best."
Junior Wide Receiver Torrey Smith
On how they are approaching the West Virginia game:
"The same way we have been approaching it the past few weeks. We just stay focused and take it one game at a time. We need to stay focused and not let the outside distractions get to us."
On how his performance has been thus far this season:
"I feel like I'm playing my role well right now. If my team needs me to make a play I'm going to make it. If I'm out there blocking I don't have to get the ball. As long as we win I could care less."
On the atmosphere and dealing with the crowd noise:
"There is nothing you can really do to control the crowd noise. It's mostly you being composed and not letting it get to you. Personally when I'm on the field I don't really hear anything anyway. Everything just sounds the same. You just have to really focus in and look at the ball. The biggest thing is going to be with the offensive line, communication-wise."
On playing a ranked opponent and how much of a test it is for the team:
"It's definitely a test for us and right now we are focused in on them. Coach Friedgen is getting us as prepared as he can and come Saturday it will be a great test for us and hopefully we stand up to it."
Junior Running Back Davin Meggett
On dealing with the excitement of the big game:
"In the grand scheme of things it's all the same. It's still a football game, it still has the sidelines and the end zones and the hash marks. We just have to be focused and locked in and ready for your assignments to play football."
Senior Defensive Back Antwine Perez
On the West Virginia-Marshall game:
"You can expect anything to happen in college football now a day. I know West Virginia is a very talented team and I don't look at the score and think that they must not be a very good team or anything like that. I think they still have a lot of talent on their team regardless of what the score was last game."
On building on the team's progress:
"We really think that we can build off what we learned from what we did against Navy. We can use that discipline and it can carry over as the season goes on. Definitely, now that we are much more prepared after facing Navy's offense and going into offenses that we're facing now, we think we are able to adjust on the fly."
Senior Linebacker Alex Wujciak
On dealing with West Virginia's speed on offense:
"Pretty much our whole defense runs under (5.0 second in the 40-yard dash) so I think we do have the speed especially at the linebackers and the secondary to keep up with them."
On the environment he can expect at Morgantown:
"I think it's going to be hectic. They are 2-0 and we are 2-0 so I think its going to be a crazy environment. But playing Navy on national television is going to help us in being in front of a big time crowd."
On what is the biggest challenge in playing West Virginia:
"Just stopping their skill players. They have Noel Devine and Tavon Austin, their quarterback (Geno) Smith and that's their big three. We just have to try to contain them as much as possible."
Senior Linebacker Adrian Moten
On the excitement for the game:
"These are the teams that you want to play against. The teams that are undefeated with the national ranking. It can't get any better than this right now. I just can't wait until we get down there."
On how it feels to have lost three straight games to the Mountaineers:
"We played them here my redshirt-freshman season and it hasn't been a good taste. Especially a neighboring state, you don't want to ever lose to anyone in Virginia or Pennsylvania or them. It's just one of those games that's going to be a live crowd and I just can't wait until we get down there."
Senior Kicker/Punter Travis Baltz
On the team's focus right now:
"All of the special teams, the entire team, everyone, I think we put the team goals before anything else. We just want to win."
On kicking and punting:
"It's not too bad. It's different. I just try to prepare myself mentally for it. It's like I said after the Navy game, if you go through the mental reps it isn't too much different. Obviously you can't completely visualize it but I think if you go through it and prepare yourself for it it's alright. I think so far I've done a good job of it and continue with the routine. The routine is what helps make it comfortable for you."
On kicking on the road:
"Kicking is kicking; it doesn't really matter where you are. The ball isn't going to be shaped any different. The only thing that's different is whether we're playing on turf or grass. We have field turf on the practice fields. It's just a different set of people yelling at you a different way, I guess. You need to go into it with the mindset that it doesn't change from place to place. Technique-wise everything is the same and nothing changes."
