Syracuse Head Coach and Student-Athlete Quotes
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
Syracuse Head Coach Paul Pasqualoni
Syracuse on third down:
"I thought there were some missed opportunities offensively. We gave up too many big plays on third and long, defensively. We have to be better on third down. It's too bad because I thought at times today we played well on both sides of the ball. It's frustrating."
On play of special teams:
"The special teams again played well. It's a shame that the first punt return got called back."
On not being able to get the offense back on the field:
"It's frustrating because at times we were really rolling. We were playing well on defense. There were times we couldn't get them (North Carolina) off the field and then couldn't stay on the field long enough for the defense to regroup."
Running combination of Damien Rhodes and Walter Reyes:
"Damien and Walter are different players. Walter runs more straight down the field, while Damien is more of a slasher, who turns the corner well. They are both very talented and the combination of both of them works best for us."
On the play of Johnnie Morant:
"I thought Johnnie played pretty well. I thought the catch on the deeper play wasn't an easy one to get."
On the positives of the game
"I think there were a lot of positive things that happened. At times we played well on offense and defense. We have Keeon (Walker) back and there's a chance we will have Will Hunter back at corner, which helps us. The pieces of the puzzle are set and are fitting together a little bit on defense on who's playing where...So, I think we are making progress."
Quarterback R.J. Anderson
"We blew opportunities in the fourth quarter, missed some good plays, and that put the game out of reach."
"We're going to fight back. It's rough to start 0-2, but this team is used to fighting with their backs against the wall, and we'll be prepared next week. It's a one-game season. Let's move on to next week."
On whether the offense got in a groove tonight:
"Definitely. You don't put 22 points on the board by accident. I consider that a groove."
"We were prepared for every situation. It's not like we're going to go out there and not know what we're doing. We just didn't get it done."
Will Hunter
"We've got a lot to do this week. We've got to work a lot harder this week than we ever have before."
"We had a lot of breakdowns in coverages, and we've got to go back to the drawing board and make those things up. We can't come out and keep doing that because then we'll keep giving games away."
"We got to have a lot of discipline next week. We've just got to work on it."
Steve Gregory
"I think everybody complemented each other and they just happened to throw it to me more than they threw it to everyone else. Everybody works together - that's the way it'll happen."
On starting 0-2:
"Obviously it's a reality. As long as we bounce back I think we're going to be alright. We just have to keep going strong from here on in and we'll be alright for the rest of the season."
