Coach Pasqualoni Previews Virginia Tech Game
10/16/2000 6:04:38 PM | Football
Tight end Graham Manley (Olney, MD) also spoke, addressing the team's preparations for Virginia Tech.
Paul Pasqualoni
Syracuse University Head Football Coach
On how he views the Syracuse football team:
"I think we're a better football team than 3-3. We are probably a couple of plays away and that is what makes it frustrating. But that is football and that is why you play the game. We'll get ready to play and hopefully have a great game in the Dome on Saturday."
On what to address after reviewing the film from the Boston College game:
"We have to address scoring in the redzone. Offensively, we need to convert on third down. Defensively, we need to stop them on third down. Boston College ran slant patterns on third down and we have to play those routes better."
On playing Virginia Tech:
"They are an excellent team. They are very aggressive on defense. Michael Vick is arguably the best college football player in America. I don't think anybody would dispute that he is the best quarterback in college football. He can run and throw. He is very quick. They have good wide receivers. Andre Davis is very fast. Their offensive line has a lot of experience and they are good. Their running backs are good. They are a good power running team. You spend an extraordinary amount time preparing for Vick's running and passing, as well as preparing for the option they run. Their defense plays well together and they have had a history of playing well together."
On defending Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick:
"He creates a lot of problems when he runs with the ball. People said against Boston College that his passing statistics weren't that good, but his rushing statistics were very good. Two of his long runs in that game came on plays that were drop-back passing plays. Like any other team, you try to play first and second down and get them into a third down situation where you can make the stop. I haven't seen a team that has come up with a grand plan against Michael Vick on third down. A lot of teams are trying really hard, but he makes plays. On defense you need to stay in your pass rush lane. This can slow down the rush, but you want to stay in your lane, because if you are not Vick will find the lane and takeoff."
On Michael Vick's scrambling ability:
"He is just so quick. The only comparison I can make is when Major Harris played at West Virginia. In 1988 we played West Virginia and Harris had a sense of where people were when they were rushing him. We blitzed him from the backside. Terry Wooden had a clear shot at him and at the last second he ducked away. Wooden wasn't in his vision, he just had a sense of where people were. That sense and quickness reminds me of how Michael Vick is."
On the play of defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Duke Pettijohn:
"Dwight Freeney and Duke Pettijohn have played well. They have played hard. They are playing really good, solid football. They are both getting after the passer. For me it is important that they are playing well within the structure of our defense. I hope that they can play well against Virginia Tech and that is going to be a big challenge."
On running backs James Mungro and Dee Brown:
"James Mungro and Dee Brown are playing very hard. It is great to use both guys on alternating series, so they are both fresh all the time. They both know the offense and where the holes are on running plays. They've done a good job pass protecting."
On the play of wide receiver Jamel Riddle:
"Jamel Riddle is maturing. He is to the point now where he is comfortable with the entire offense. We have always felt that he could be a dynamic receiver. He is very quick and he has good hands. It has been a learning process for him during the past year. His approach and commitment to football have grown."
On Virginia Tech's punt return team:
"Virginia Tech does a great job on special teams. When they go after a punt, they use a lot of fast players that they have up front. They really come after the punt and they put a lot of pressure on you. This year they are having great success returning punts with Andre Davis."
On keeping quarterback Troy Nunes in the Boston College game versus playing R.J. Anderson:
"Playing R.J. Anderson is based on how we are playing in the game. Against Pittsburgh, R.J. did not play and we would've liked to have played him in the first half. We weren't playing well enough on defense. In the times we would've played him, we didn't have the game under control. Against Boston College we were in the same scenario that we faced against Pittsburgh. There is a lot that goes into playing R.J., it is not just how well Troy is playing or how well the offense is playing. Troy is our quarterback and we want to give R.J. the chance to get some game experience. Getting R.J. experience is not simply putting him in the game. The tempo of the game and how well we are playing and controlling the game are major factors."
On the game vs. Boston College:
"It is a very frustrating loss. Anytime you have two backs gain more than 100 yards rushing and gain the total yards that we did, it is frustrating to not win. We had numerous scoring opportunities and we probably could've score somewhere around 30 points in the game. We did not make some plays that we should've made. Defensively, we played pretty well in the game. We gave up 65 yards on a draw play. They had a counter play that worked for 40 yards and at halftime we adjusted to it. In the second half Boston College ran that play a number of times, but we made the play. When you have opportunities to make plays, you need to make those plays."
On kicking the field in the fourth quarter at Boston College as opposed to going for the first down:
"Mike Shafer was really hitting the ball well. We took a shot at it, with the feeling that we were going to have to score twice to win the game. There was almost five minutes left to play and we were playing well on defense."
