Syracuse Player Quotes
Rutgers at Syracuse
Oct. 26, 2002
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Senior Maurice McClain
On returning to the game from an injury suffered on April 20, 2002:
"I wanted to get back out there and play. It was my will to overcome things through adversity and be strong."
On walking out in the field:
"I was calm. I wasn't really nervous when I came out on the field."
Freshman Damien Rhodes
On being down, 7-0, in the first quarter:
"Rutgers did a great job blocking the kick. We weren't too worried because we knew we would bounce back."
On getting a win under their belts:
"It's a very big win. Coach said it's never too late to start a new beginning. So now we need take this win and try and start a winning streak. We want to turn this year around and make it successful."
On the blocked punt:
"It was a lucky bounce. My eyes got big and I grabbed it."
Junior Rich Scanlon
On his play:
"I tried to run around and make plays. We haven't been doing that lately, so I wanted to do whatever I could to help the team."
On the defense:
"It just clicked today. The defense didn't give up a touchdown. We played really well today."
On the return of Maurice McClain:
"Maurice is a great guy. We couldn't be happier for him. He deserves everything he got today."
Senior Clifton Smith
On the play of defense:
"I think our defense played very well. We got turnovers and held the offense to 200 yards. We didn't have to do much, because the offense was doing its job."
On the rest of the season:
"We feel that if we could get this win under our belt, we could try and put something together. Even though it hasn't been the season we wanted, we can finish it up strong."
On the return of Maurice McClain:
"Mo was our spark plug. Seeing him on the field motivated us."
