Coach Pasqualoni's Quotes Prior to West Virginia Game
On how the team recovers from a disappointing loss to Miami:
"I think we look forward to it. West Virginia has a really good team. They are really hot right now. They are probably the hottest team in the conference. The only team that has beaten them in this league in the last two years is Miami. They are 10-2 in this league in two years. Miami has barely beaten them. Our guys are looking forward to have another outstanding opponent to play. The difference this time is that this one is at home. It makes it a lot of fun."
On what the West Virginia game means to his team:
"They are our next opponent. It’s the most important game because it is the next game on our schedule.”
On how the flight home from Miami was different than after other games:
"The flight was like any other flight. The only difference was this one was two-and-a-half to three hours. That was the only difference."
On the Miami game :
"I think the kids gave great effort against Miami. There are plays you would like to take back, one or two plays on offense, one or two plays on defense. But you can’t do that. We have a great chance to build on this thing. We have a lot of football left to play. We have three games against quality opponents. It is very exciting for us. We had a few open weeks earlier in the season. Now we have a chance to play in some big games. We look forward to bouncing back."
On what has happened to West Virginia since its game against Maryland:
"They have gotten better. They had a little bit of inexperience on the offensive line. I think the offensive line has improved which is a great credit to the players and the coaches. Quincy Wilson is a tough back. (Kay-Jay) Harris is a tough back. Rasheed Marshall is a quality quarterback. He can run the ball. He can probably throw the ball better than people think. Their defense has gelled. Grant Wiley is playing the well. He’s the leader back there."
On what West Virginia did to beat Pittsburgh:
"West Virginia played outstanding. They ran the ball on Pitt. They have run the ball against everybody they have played. Pittsburgh put up some points, but West Virginia answered the bell.”
On West Virginia running back Quincy Wilson:
"He’s powerful. He has a little bit different style than (former WVU running back) Avon Cobourne. He’s every bit as productive as Cobourne, he just has a different style. He is explosive. He has speed. He will run by you. He can run through tackles. He is a terrific back."
On West Virginia’s spread offense:
"West Virginia is not just in the spread offense. A few years ago they were totally in the spread offense. Now they run the spread offense with two backs and two tight ends or three wide receivers. So the spread is part of it, but it is just a part of it. They have a two-back power game which is what you saw against Pittsburgh. That is how they broke the game open."
On how West Virginia’s offensive line has been so productive despite its lack of experience:
"West Virginia is a big zone team. With the no-huddle offense, it keeps defenses off-balance. The quick substitutions, along with the groupings of two backs, or one back with four wide receivers or two backs and three wide receivers, keeps defenses off-balance. You can’t get your feet on the ground.”
On what he feels will be the biggest matchup on Saturday:
"My biggest concern is that we are ready to play against the no-huddle, hurry-up style of offense. We have to be lined up when they snap the ball. On offense, we have to be ready to play and execute against their defense."
On West Virginia’s defense:
"They aren’t the only team in America using this defense, but they are the only team in the league using it. So when you play them, it’s the first time you have seen it all year. You don’t see it every week. They have done a great job fitting the right person to the role and job description at each position. They have the right players in the right spot."
On what factors have led to West Virginia’s recent success:
"They play hard. They are executing well. They play well on defense.”
On how high West Virginia’s confidence must be after its recent success:
"When you win games like they have won, it builds confidence. They have been fortunate. They played Virginia Tech at home and Pittsburgh at home. There is no denying how well they played against Miami. If (Miami's) Kellen Winslow hadn’t made a spectacular catch, nobody in the league would have beaten them this year."
On Syracuse’s struggles on third down in the second half against Maimi:
"It’s a matter of execution. We didn’t finish some blocks, we didn’t pick up some blocks. We need more exactness running a route or two. Against Miami, the game is going to be very fast."
On whether it is easier to take close loss like Saturday’s game or a larger margin of defeat like SU has had against Miami the last two years:
"You never like to take a loss. In a game like this, there are probably more constructive things, more positives you can point out. There was great effort in that game. In no way do our players have reason to put their heads down. Not many people have played Miami like we did. They have a sign hanging up that says NCAA record home winning streak: 58. So they play pretty well in the Orange Bowl."
On whether facing quarterbacks with similar style to Rasheed Marshall earlier this season will help on Saturday:
"What will help more in our preparation for Rasheed Marshall is that we played against him last year. The quarterbacks we have seen this year are running different offensive schemes. A bigger help is that we played against the spread and no-huddle offense.”
On status of Damien Rhodes and Jameel Dumas:
"We will evaluate both this week. We don’t usually do that until later in the day on Monday."
On Syracuse’s run defense against Miami’s Tyrone Moss in the fourth quarter:
"Moss was in the game before the fourth quarter. Miami decided to run the ball and not throw it. On the drive (that resulted in a field goal), out of 17 plays, 16 were running plays. In that drive, one play went for 18 yards. They only had one explosive play. So now you are playing pass defense and run defense. We executed on every play but one. When you play a team the caliber of Miami, one play can make the difference."
Player Quotes
Louis Gachelin
Senior
Defensive Lineman
On West Virginia’s offense:
"I would put them in the category of an explosive offense. They have a two-running back system. The defense is facing a big challenge."
On what it will take to stop Quincy Wilson:
"We have to beat the offensive line and get penetration. This week in practice we have to work on drill for sure tackles. We have to make sure he doesn’t break tackles."
On how important it will be for Syracuse to get an early lead against West Virginia:
"It is extremely important. The key to the game will be special teams and we look for our offense to control the time of possession. We want to jump on them quickly. We have to get Rasheed Marshall to gun the ball. As long as they are comfortable running the ball, we are in for a long day."
On how important the West Virginia game is to Syracuse's season:
"This is a big game. This game will define our season. We have to get this thing going. The Miami game is out of our system. We can't ask for a better effort than Saturday (against Miami). There are a couple of plays you would like to take back. This is the game of football and you can't do that. Right now we are 5-4. We need to come out of this game 6-4. West Virginia is a quality team. If we beat West Virginia, it like beating Miami because they are just as talented. West Virginia has created as many upsets as anybody this season."
On defensive line's pass rush now compared to earlier in the season:
"I would love to take credit for it, but the credit goes to the guys in the secondary. They have done a great job in learning their technique. They get the quarterback to second-guess and hold the ball and the guys up front rush the passer. I said at the beginning of the season that they were talented and young and they would grow and get better. That is what has happened. Every game they learn something. They have been playing lights out."
On how facing West Virginia's no-huddle offense last year will help this year:
"The way the schedule has been set up, we have faced a no-huddle offense against Toledo, Central Florida and Temple. The defensive line and the secondary know the hand signals that the defensive coaches are sending in to Rich Scanlon which allows us to line up faster. We struggled with that last year. This year the no-huddle will not affect us."
Nick Romeo
Senior
Offensive Lineman
On the offense’s effort against Miami:
"We missed some blocks that resulted in a negative loss, resulting in 2nd and 13 instead of 2nd and 7. We also had key penalties at the wrong time which killed some of our drives."
Whether Syracuse should have thrown more against Miami:
"It's hard to say. When it is 2nd and 7, they are going to drop their coverage, drop five or six people, which makes it harder to pass. Sometimes running the ball is just as good as passing."
On what makes Grant Wiley so good:
"He is powerful. He has a great knowledge of the game. His experience makes him good. He has a drive to get to the ball."
