Head Coach Paul Pasqualoni Post-Game Quotes
November 9, 2002
Syracuse, NY - Carrier Dome
Comments on the game:
"It was a great game for this reason. We kept letting them get back in the game on one play and then our offense would come back and get us back in the game. I thought the team never gave in and fought hard. There is tremendous character on this team. You couldn't break their will."
"I was proud of Maurice (McClain). We tried to double team (Ernest) Wilford and make him one dimensional. I think we got that accomplished. As you saw, we had problems covering #19 (Wilford) and the kids came back on the last play of the game and finally got the coverage right and made one of the biggest plays of the year. The interception by Maurice was a great play and a pretty way to end the game."
On Troy Nunes:
"Troy had a great game. He made a great throw to Joe Donnelly on fourth and three. Joe made a nice move to get inside the safety. Troy put it right on him."
On David Tyree:
"David Tyree is a warrior. That is the definition of a football player. He had a great performance."
On the secondary:
"We struggled in the secondary but it was great to have the guys come back and make the last play."
On Damien Rhodes:
"After Walter Reyes went down, Damien stepped up. He made a great run on the counter to put us ahead. We were throwing the halfback cross pass to Tyree and the defender saw what we were doing so Rhodes reversed his field. Troy got in the way of the defensive end and Damien was able to sneak his way into the end zone. There were two great plays there."
Ranking the game:
"If you are playing a top ten team and you are a 3-6 team coming into this game, I think that tells you a little something about the kids and how much they believe in what they are doing."
On the fans:
"The fans were unbelievable. The Dome was a great atmosphere for college football today. It was full and the crowd was really into the game. It was fantastic and a great day to be here."
On giving up the big plays:
"I am not happy that we gave up all those plays and we are going to watch the tape and make corrections. I am happy that the team never gave in and came back and made corrections in the last overtime. It was broken and they fixed it."
