Head Coach Scott Shafer
Syracuse vs. Villanova
August 29, 2014
Carrier Dome
Syracuse Head Coach Scott Shafer
Opening Statement:
“First off we’re 1-0. That’s all that counts, we’re 1-0. I’ve been on the other side of it, I was a defensive coordinator for many years and we played Wisconsin one year and had something like 11 sacks at Northern Illinois. We had a great performance, but we lost and we felt horrible. We’re 1-0. Was it pretty? No, it wasn’t pretty, but we found a way.
“We lost (quarterback) Terrel [Hunt] and that was unfortunate, but the NCAA is trying to clean up football, that’s an emphasis. So, that was a shame but it gave us an opportunity. It gave us an opportunity to put Austin Wilson in the game to see what he could do and to lean on some other people to find ways to win a game. Because that’s what it’s about.
“I'm proud of the fact that we came away with the victory, I'm extremely pleased and happy with the fans that showed up. They said we had 41,000 people. The people who stayed to the end when we needed them the most were there for us like they always have been. I just have to thank the fans and the community because we're going to get it better every week, but there's something good about saying that it wasn't the performance that we wanted but we got a victory. Teams when they grow and mature, they find a way to win ugly. I've been on the other side of it and lost pretty and that's no good.
“I also want to say hats off to (Villanova coach) Andy Talley. He’s got 204-victories. He’s a career head coach over there at Villanova and he’s done a great job with that program, and he’s tough to defend.
“That quarterback Johnny Robertson is one tough son-of-a-gun. I’ll be real interested to see how many yards he got that were not by design. Where it’s not there and he takes off and makes people miss and moves the chains.
“So hats off to Villanova and an unbelievable effort by them. I think they’re going to have one heck of a season. I hope they stay healthy.
“But Congratulations to my team and, more importantly, congratulations to the fans. Stick by us because we’re going to get better every week.”
On (quarterback) Terrel Hunt’s ejection:
“[I spoke with him] briefly, then we moved on. He was frustrated. He thought something happened that didn’t. The way it happened was that it was right at the echo of the whistle, the kid left his feet and went helmet-to-helmet with him a bit from behind. He came over the top of him and he reacted. He’s a competitive, tough kid and I love Terrel Hunt. He’ll bounce back and keep going. It is what it is.”
On (quarterback) Austin Wilson’s performance:
“He found a way to win the game. It wasn’t always the prettiest thing and I’m sure his butterflies were at an unbelievable level, but I’m proud of him. He had some good moments and you learn better from playing maybe not the way you wanted to than sitting there and saying ‘could’ve, would’ve, should’ve.’ Again, we’re going to accentuate the positives and we’re going to look at the things we could do better and that would include developing our backup quarterbacks and everything and anything you can imagine.”
Are you more mad about the goal-line offense or because the defense was out there so much?
“I’m mad because I wish we could have won that game by a couple of touchdowns. I think we were a good enough team to do that and we didn’t get it done. I thought Villanova really did a great job today. It’s just your nature. You have a picture in your head of the way you want something to do and when it doesn’t go that you don’t feel good about it. But, great job by (holder) Riley Dixon. I asked him after one of those field goals ‘If we go purple are you good?’ And he said, ‘I got this coach.”
What was going through your head when Villanova attempted that late field goal and did you seek him out after the game?
I just told them to block the damn thing, and after the game I just wanted to see Johnny. He's such a damn good football player. That was a hell of an effort by that kid. I've been around football my whole life and that is a gutsy son of a gun.
What did you tell the team prior to the two-point conversion attempt in double overtime?
Not a whole lot. Just try to play with sound eyes. They were doing a lot of razzle-dazzle stuff, backs chipping out of the backfield and running late wheels. I said 'Just play sound, trust what you see, believe what your eyes and stay locked onto what you're taught to. Simple as that"
Will there be any further discipline for Terrel Hunt?
No. I love Terrel Hunt. It's an emotional game and if you've never played it you have no idea what it's like to get pummeled and have people on your back and people talking to you and you react. We've all done it and unfortunately, I think two-or-three years ago it would have been a 'hey, be smart" kind of thing but that's an emphasis of the game. So you suffer the punishment and get going.
Did you think it was warranted?
"Yeah, it was the right call. Anytime you swing on a guy it's supposed to warrant an ejection and I think it was the
right call. I think the officials did a good job tonight."
On overall craziness of the game:
"It was pretty crazy, we lost in five overtimes at Ball State when I was at Western Michigan, so that was pretty wild. I've been around a lot of them around the years, but that was pretty crazy. You live in the moment and you're just going one play at a time every 10 or 12 seconds trying to make good decisions. What happens is I'll go home tonight and I'll reflect and say 'holy mackerel,' that was some crazy stuff going on out there"
August 29, 2014
Carrier Dome
Syracuse Head Coach Scott Shafer
Opening Statement:
“First off we’re 1-0. That’s all that counts, we’re 1-0. I’ve been on the other side of it, I was a defensive coordinator for many years and we played Wisconsin one year and had something like 11 sacks at Northern Illinois. We had a great performance, but we lost and we felt horrible. We’re 1-0. Was it pretty? No, it wasn’t pretty, but we found a way.
“We lost (quarterback) Terrel [Hunt] and that was unfortunate, but the NCAA is trying to clean up football, that’s an emphasis. So, that was a shame but it gave us an opportunity. It gave us an opportunity to put Austin Wilson in the game to see what he could do and to lean on some other people to find ways to win a game. Because that’s what it’s about.
“I'm proud of the fact that we came away with the victory, I'm extremely pleased and happy with the fans that showed up. They said we had 41,000 people. The people who stayed to the end when we needed them the most were there for us like they always have been. I just have to thank the fans and the community because we're going to get it better every week, but there's something good about saying that it wasn't the performance that we wanted but we got a victory. Teams when they grow and mature, they find a way to win ugly. I've been on the other side of it and lost pretty and that's no good.
“I also want to say hats off to (Villanova coach) Andy Talley. He’s got 204-victories. He’s a career head coach over there at Villanova and he’s done a great job with that program, and he’s tough to defend.
“That quarterback Johnny Robertson is one tough son-of-a-gun. I’ll be real interested to see how many yards he got that were not by design. Where it’s not there and he takes off and makes people miss and moves the chains.
“So hats off to Villanova and an unbelievable effort by them. I think they’re going to have one heck of a season. I hope they stay healthy.
“But Congratulations to my team and, more importantly, congratulations to the fans. Stick by us because we’re going to get better every week.”
On (quarterback) Terrel Hunt’s ejection:
“[I spoke with him] briefly, then we moved on. He was frustrated. He thought something happened that didn’t. The way it happened was that it was right at the echo of the whistle, the kid left his feet and went helmet-to-helmet with him a bit from behind. He came over the top of him and he reacted. He’s a competitive, tough kid and I love Terrel Hunt. He’ll bounce back and keep going. It is what it is.”
On (quarterback) Austin Wilson’s performance:
“He found a way to win the game. It wasn’t always the prettiest thing and I’m sure his butterflies were at an unbelievable level, but I’m proud of him. He had some good moments and you learn better from playing maybe not the way you wanted to than sitting there and saying ‘could’ve, would’ve, should’ve.’ Again, we’re going to accentuate the positives and we’re going to look at the things we could do better and that would include developing our backup quarterbacks and everything and anything you can imagine.”
Are you more mad about the goal-line offense or because the defense was out there so much?
“I’m mad because I wish we could have won that game by a couple of touchdowns. I think we were a good enough team to do that and we didn’t get it done. I thought Villanova really did a great job today. It’s just your nature. You have a picture in your head of the way you want something to do and when it doesn’t go that you don’t feel good about it. But, great job by (holder) Riley Dixon. I asked him after one of those field goals ‘If we go purple are you good?’ And he said, ‘I got this coach.”
What was going through your head when Villanova attempted that late field goal and did you seek him out after the game?
I just told them to block the damn thing, and after the game I just wanted to see Johnny. He's such a damn good football player. That was a hell of an effort by that kid. I've been around football my whole life and that is a gutsy son of a gun.
What did you tell the team prior to the two-point conversion attempt in double overtime?
Not a whole lot. Just try to play with sound eyes. They were doing a lot of razzle-dazzle stuff, backs chipping out of the backfield and running late wheels. I said 'Just play sound, trust what you see, believe what your eyes and stay locked onto what you're taught to. Simple as that"
Will there be any further discipline for Terrel Hunt?
No. I love Terrel Hunt. It's an emotional game and if you've never played it you have no idea what it's like to get pummeled and have people on your back and people talking to you and you react. We've all done it and unfortunately, I think two-or-three years ago it would have been a 'hey, be smart" kind of thing but that's an emphasis of the game. So you suffer the punishment and get going.
Did you think it was warranted?
"Yeah, it was the right call. Anytime you swing on a guy it's supposed to warrant an ejection and I think it was the
right call. I think the officials did a good job tonight."
On overall craziness of the game:
"It was pretty crazy, we lost in five overtimes at Ball State when I was at Western Michigan, so that was pretty wild. I've been around a lot of them around the years, but that was pretty crazy. You live in the moment and you're just going one play at a time every 10 or 12 seconds trying to make good decisions. What happens is I'll go home tonight and I'll reflect and say 'holy mackerel,' that was some crazy stuff going on out there"
