April 26, 2008
Recap |
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Head Coach Ralph Friedgen
Opening Statement:
"The second-team defense was the team that was giving up all the points. The first-team defense did pretty good. All in all we had a very successful spring; I think these kids competed right to the very end. You don't see that a lot, usually in the 13th or 14th practice they are mailing it in, but not this team. How much progress we make over the summer will really determine where we are as a football team."
On choosing a quarterback:
"I really need to look at the tape. I didn't think any of them had the day I was hoping for. I'm looking for a factor to separate them and I really can't see that right now. I wish it was that easy but I'm hoping we got one."
On the results of the game:
"I kind of had it just the way I wanted it, not counting the last drive, but the first team had 42 plays and the second team had 40. That's what I wanted to get and I think Jeremy Navarre played well earlier but we just wanted to get him 25 plays and then get him out of there, same with Dan Gronkowski. They've had great springs, Trey Covington too.
"I was really looking to get the third team some work with the second and see if we have a guy that could move up there. I asked our coaches the other day to pick out their top ten offensive lines, if we got three at left tackle and only have one at left guard then we have to move someone. I did that with everyone's position, but we are going to put the best players on the field and bring the best players back here in August whether they are scholarship or not scholarship."
On the offense's response to Coach Franklin:
"I think they are still learning and I think their response has been very good. He's a very energetic guy and he's very enthusiastic. He probably motivates the defense more than most coaches because he's so pro-offense that I've kind of enjoyed that. I'm in between now, they always thought I was pro-offense. We have some things we need to clean up but we have all summer for that."
Running Back Da'Rel Scott
On the offensive performance
"Overall, I think that the offense stepped it up. At first we were going really slow because the defense was good and they played really hard, but I think we finished up at the end and we played really hard."
On the spring game's effect on his off-season
"It gives me a lot more confidence to know what I need to work on. I can watch tape and figure out what I need to do."
On his summer plans
"Staying at home, working out my legs. Just staying here and working out hard."
On his offensive line
"I'm feeling really confident in my line, I feel that I can run behind them."
On Coach Franklin's new offense
"He's been helping out a lot, trying to scheme a lot of runs for me... trying to make it my kind of style."
Quarterback Jordan Steffy
On the quarterback race
"I go hard and play every day and whatever happens, happens. I'm not really concerned with separation. I'm just interested in competing and playing football."
On his performance and return from injury
"It felt good to come out and have a decent game. Over the past 10 years, I don't think a quarterback has played well in the Spring Game. So, it felt good to come out here and move the ball a little bit, in the first half especially. We scored some points, that felt good, and it was good to get out here and play with the guys."
On not throwing deep
"As in any game, we're not going to show everything that we've got. But we came out and we kept it basic and we did alright, we moved the ball."
On the running back situation
"They both ran hard, especially early on, and DaRel came on as the game went on. They really compliment each other very well. They'll pick up right where Keon and Lance left off and we should be in great shape."
Quarterback Chris Turner
On the quarterback race
"I think its only fair to have this approach. The only reason I played was because Steffy got hurt. Up until that point it was his job and there was no consideration of me playing. It's only fair that it's a competition. Do I feel like I have momentum? Do I feel like I have a leg up? Sure. But we'll have to see what the reality is."
On Jordan Steffy and Josh Portis
"Jordan and Josh are Division I quarterbacks, it's not an easy thing to separate myself from those two. All three of us are capable of playing. If I haven't outplayed Jordan and Josh then they haven't outplayed me. It's up to the coaches to make that kind of call."
On his performance
"I thought that I had a pretty good first half, I think that I managed the game. We were in scoring position twice, stranded once. But my first time I felt very comfortable that things were moving. We had penalties and we need to work on that, but overall I felt confident."
On the new offense
"As far as I can tell everyone is happy with it. It's an explosive offense when it's clicking. We're not all the way there yet, we have some work to do."
