Orangemen Ready for Kickoff Classic
8/20/2001 4:42:37 PM | Football
The Syracuse Orangemen are completing their final preparations for Sunday’s Kickoff Classic against Georgia Tech.
The Orangemen finished last season with an overall record of 6-5 and a BIG EAST mark of 4-3. Georgia Tech posted a record of 9-3 in 2000. The Yellow Jackets are ranked No. 10 by the Associated Press and 13th by the ESPN USA Today coaches’ poll.
The game will be televised by ABC. Fans can listen to all of the action on the Syracuse Radio Network. Dave Pasch serves as the play-by-play announcer. He will be joined in the booth by Dick MacPherson.
Coach Pasqualoni Quotes Prior to the Kickoff Classic
On starting quarterback:
“We will make an announcement on the starting quarterback the morning of the game. We’ve done this this way over the years. We have four excellent guys we’re working with and they’re really terrific kids who are working hard. We’ll be excited for any of them.”
On approach to playing in Kickoff Classic and the opportunity to make a statement early in the season:
“I don’t know how you approach this game. In a lot ways you’d like to keep the whole thing in perspective. You have to realize you have to play a full season schedule. When you have a chance to play in a game like this, which is obviously a marquee game in a place like Giants Stadium, you can’t help but be a little bit excited about it. You look forward to the challenge and the opportunity to see what kind of team you have. We’ve been working very hard over the past six months and we’re anxious to go out and see how far we’ve come to this point.”
On Georgia Tech’s strengths: “Georgia Tech has a lot of strengths. Offensively, they have excellent skill at the running back position. They have a really good wide receiver. Their quarterback had a great year last year. He’s a really smart kid. He knows what to do with the ball. The combination of the quarterback and the skill players on offense is very good. Defensively, I would say the strength, at least on film of the returning players, are the defensive ends. They’re very fast. The linebackers are also very fast.”
On kicking situation:
“Right now we will go with (Mike) Shafer as the field goal and PAT kicker and punter and (Justin) Sujansky as the kickoff guy. Collin Barber would back up Mike as the punter. Mike has worked so hard. He’s studied and worked hard and kicked with great consistency through preseason camp. We tried to make it as realistic from a scrimmage standpoint that we could. He did really well. He was very consistent with his approach and his attitude.”
On tough schedule and its effect on players’ attitudes:
“Our attitude has been great. I think the effect of having the kind of schedule we have it can wear us down. It’s a game of attrition. That could have an effect on our season.”
On depth at wide receiver position:
“I would say that we have eight wide receivers I really like. That seems like a lot of depth, but I just hope that they stay healthy. If they can stay healthy, we’ll have a lot of depth. But if somebody gets hurt, then it starts to limit what your plans are. I like the guys we have right now, but I just hope they can stay healthy.”
Assessment of where the SU program is:
“I like the players we have on this team. I like their approach to football. I like their approach to what we’re trying to get done with school. I like their approach to what we’re trying to do to promote career development, personal development. I think the program is on very solid ground. I think the kids and staff are working very hard.”
On the relative inexperience of the defensive line:
“The good news is that last year Christian Ferrara did start games and did play in big games. Louis Gachelin did play a great deal. Mark Holtzman has played. Obviously Dwight Freeney has played. Josh Thomas got hurt. So we’re inexperienced there, but it’s not like these guys haven’t played in a game either. What I’ve seen out of the defensive line in preseason is they’re a very hard-working group. They’re a very disciplined group which means that they’re trying to be where they’re supposed to be when they’re supposed to be there on a consistent basis. They’re not a flashy group, except for Freeney. I like who they are and what their approach is.”
Player Quotes
Malik Campbell, Wide Receiver
“We’re right on schedule. We’re right where we’re supposed to be with the game on Sunday. We’re right on pace to get everything accomplished and get everything in that we need to win this game.”
On how offense has performed during preseason camp:
“The guys are coming along. We have a lot of experience on the offensive line. We’ve got a lot receivers and quarterbacks who have played. We’re ready to play.”
On wide receivers becoming more involved in the offense:
“I hope so. We’ve been working hard and doing everything possible to show the coaches that we’re ready to play and help the team win.”
Charles Burton, Linebacker
“It’s been a rough preseason camp, the roughest I remember in my five years here. I’m looking forward to hitting somebody in a different color jersey. We’re all waiting for Sunday.”
On what has made preseason camp so tough:
“I’m in a new position this year. The hitting has been rough on me. The intensity level has been up every single day and it hasn’t gone down at all which has made it so tough. A lot of it has to do with the workout we did this summer with the strength coaches. We came to camp in shape, we didn’t have to get in shape.”
On switch to linebacker position from safety:
“It’s been a good switch. I had a pretty good spring campaign so it put me in good position for preseason camp. There’s a lot more contact than I expected. It has taken a toll on my body. I have to get used to it. It’s fun.”
