April 29, 2006
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The following are postgame quotes from head coach Ralph Friedgen following and selected players from Saturday's annual Red-White game.
On his team's defense:
"I thought defensively we played well. I was impressed with our secondary. I tried to press them deep, tried to throw the ball deep on them and then they came up and attacked very aggressively. A couple of the turnovers were just good plays by the defense."
On Jordan Steffy's play:
"Jordan came in the first half and didn't read anybody. He had one nice drive where he read the defense very correctly. He made a play here at the end for a touchdown pass so I thought he got better as the scrimmage went on."
On the team's play:
"Overall, we've got a lot of work to do before we are the team we want to be...I still think that we can be that. I think this summer is going to be critical for our wide receiving support. I thought our running backs for the most past, I think the top three guys ran pretty good."
On the team's progress:
"I think they made less mental errors today. They were aware of where they were supposed to be. They just didn't finish the play so that's progress."
On the play of Kevin Barnes:
"He played very well. I thought he had another very good day and I think we might have found a spot for him."
On Vernon Davis and D'Qwell Jackson being drafted:
"I'm happy for them. I think that was a good pick for (D'Qwell) to go in. I'm happy for him. And I'm elated for Vernon. I have nothing but the best wishes for those guys and I just hope they go out and are successful."
Senior Tailback Josh Allen
On return to play:
"It felt good to be back out there. Once I got going, I felt like I did a pretty good job. I have the whole summer to keep getting better and stronger. This spring for me was really just to work through the pain. There are going to be a lot of kinks that I have to work out and a lot of scar tissue that I have to break up, but I felt pretty good out there today. I'd say I'm about 80% right now. I still don't have that burst or that second gear. I just have to keep working on my strength and mobility over the summer and hopefully, I'll be ready to go in the fall."
On things for Maryland to work on:
"Interceptions are definitely one of the things we have to work on this summer. But the plays that our quarterbacks and receivers did make will help open up the running game a little bit for us as well. Terrell Skinner had a pretty big day. We just need to clean those things up."
On lessons from today's game:
"We came out in the second half, doing a much better job of running the ball, but we have to do that from the start of the game. We also have to start being sharp with route running and catching the ball. We dropped a lot of passes today that could have set up some big plays for us. With more experience with each other, we'll be able to keep ourselves focused mentally."
On participating in spring game:
"Thursday after practice Coach called me over and told me that I wasn't going to be participating in the spring game. I told him that I would like to play, even if its just a few plays. A lot of people have been scared a little bit here and there when I get hit, but as far as I'm concerned, my knee is healthy."
On D'Qwell Jackson being drafted by the Cleveland Browns:
I'm so excited for him. He's worked very hard and I'm really excited to watch him. I'm a D'Qwell Jackson fan, so I think he should have been the first linebacker taken, but maybe that's just me.
Senior Defensive Tackle Conrad Bolston
On Maryland's performance:
"I think we still have a little bit of work to do. We're playing really well with a lot of young guys who can really play. We have a lot of really good football players out there and we just have to put it all together."
Freshman Wide Receiver Terrell Skinner
On Maryland's receivers:
"As a receiver, I think we just all need to keep working and keep getting better. We need to keep getting more comfortable with our offense and do what we have to do without using the excuse that we're young. I really have no experience as a receiver, so this spring game really gave me a mark to build off of. This summer we're going to work really hard. And as long as we can improve everyday and every time we practice, we'll be okay in the fall."
Freshman Wide Receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey
On today's game:
"It felt good to be out there and as a whole I felt pretty good about the game. The game does show that we're young and our confidence is inconsistent. I'm happy about the fall and I know that Drew [Weatherly] and Isaiah [Williams] are as well."
