Coach Pasqualoni's Comments (January 16, 2004)
On whether, in his tenure, the program has been this close to completing the recruiting class this early:
"I think this is a year that we are probably further along. There have been years when we have been close to where we are. I would have to go back and do the research and see if the numbers are the same. There have been years when we have been as far along or almost as far along. That doesn't happen for you every single year. This year we certainly are in good shape considering we still have two-and-a-half weeks to go."
On whether he still hopes to sign another quarterback in this class considering that Joe Fields has already enrolled at SU:
"If it is the right quarterback, we would. We are not going to just take another player. But if it was the right player who fit into the program and fit what we are doing, then certainly we would consider taking another quarterback. If not, we are very comfortable where we are."
On how this class ranks among other recruiting classes in his time at SU:
"The first ranking or the first feeling about this class is a great feeling in regard to we are as far along as we are. I have never been one to rank the class initially. I think you rank the class after two or three or four years. I have always been a firm believer in that. I have never been a coach who has put high expectations on an incoming freshman. I think that is everybody's imagination. I think that is for the fans and the media to speculate on. I can recall my undergraduate years at Penn State under Coach Paterno, that was a no-no. Very little was said. Over the years, I think that is probably a pretty good approach. I think it is fair to the young players coming in. I don't think you want to be unfair to those kids coming in. I would say that we feel very good about the guys."
On how proud he is of the recruiting class considering the conference situation – the possible move to the ACC and the new BIG EAST Conference – in the middle of the recruitment process:
"We feel really good about that. The guys that we have recruited who have been committed and who we continue to recruit have been as solid as ever. They have hung right in there with all of that going on. So we are pleased."
On whether he was nervous about losing some guys over the conference situation:
"Absolutely, because there is uncertainty there. There's the element of the unknown so you are always concerned in anything as delicate as recruiting when there is some gray area in there. So we were certainly concerned about it. But to be very honest with you, even as we continue to pursue some high-profile guys down the stretch, it hasn't been an issue. Syracuse football is Syracuse football and The BIG EAST Conference is a highly-respected conference by high school players and high school players. I think although we don't know what is going to happen with the BCS, there is a pretty good feeling that one more BCS game will be added and how that is going to work, I don't know. But I think there is a pretty good feeling about that. And there has to be a good feeling about the BIG EAST in that whole mix of things. I think we feel pretty good about and I think that is the key to it."
On whether the questions about Syracuse's conference affiliation made it harder to recruit this class:
"I guess we recruited this group when we were in the BIG EAST, then we were in the ACC, and then we were back in the BIG EAST. We have been through three stages of conference affiliation with this group. Syracuse football, the school and the tradition of football is as solid in recruiting as it always has been. I just got back from Florida where I had a great time seeing high school coaches I don't get to see very often. Getting out on the road is refreshing as we get into the final stages of this. Syracuse football and the University and athletic program are very well respected. I can't tell you the number of compliments I get from people who saw our last game of the year and their impression of that game. And the success that our men's basketball program has had and continues to have creates exposure and an opportunity for fans to view Syracuse University. When I meet people, that is what they are talking about. They are also talking about the number of kids we have in pro football. We had 16 former players involved with teams in the playoffs. I don't know how many other schools had, but I know it is a lot of fun. Take a guy like Donovan McNabb, who has overcome what he has had to overcome, shows what tough people and people with character can do. It is a lesson for everybody."
On the scheduling issues for 2004 and 2005:
"Obviously we are going to be in a period in 2004 and 2005 where we are going to have to work though this. We certainly like to have six home game and five on the road. (Athletics Director) Jake Crouthamel and (associate athletics director) Rob Edson are working on that and there still is a possibility to have that, but there is also a possibility that we will have five home games and six on the road. It is still a question which will be five and which will be six."
On whether he has input on the schedule:
"I have input. We sit down quite often. (Director of football operations) Reggie Terry also works with Rob. When it gets down to the final stages, we all sit down and take a look. We try to do what is the best for the program and what is best for the fans. We are very conscious of who we try to bring in. We lost Miami, but we added Florida State. We were going to play the team that lost the most in the state, but instead we are playing the team that has the most coming back. And we would have had Miami at home. I must not be living right."
On how scheduling is affecting recruiting:
"We have always sold the BIG EAST as a tough and physical conference. Out of conference we play top teams. Next year we open against a Virginia team that has to replace its quarterback, but has a lot coming back. We play Florida State and we are looking at two other teams. Down the road we are going to play Ohio State, Penn State and Notre Dame. And we will add to that."
On whether Joe Fields will be competing for the starting quarterback position:
"The thing that coaches love about spring practice is that everybody is competing for playing time. Our philosophy in spring ball is to take nothing for granted. We start over again. The slate is wiped clean. It is a lot of fun for coaches because you are teaching skill, not game planning, not making adjustments. You work on what you do. We'll have about 70 scholarship players in the spring which is obviously short of the 85 we have during the season. So there will be no lack of repetitions. Back when there were 125 scholarship players like when I played, you didn't always get the reps you wanted to get."
On whether he learned anything from the Cecil Howard situation which will cause him to handle Joe Fields' development differently:
"What I learned is that it is tough to show up in August as a true freshman and go out and perform. There is a lot to learn. Joe and Mike Sklarosky and Kurt Falke have spring practice and the summer program which is basically June and July. So Joe's situation is different from Cecil's. Cecil was a great kid. He just felt better competing at the Division I-AA level. We feel good for Cecil. The people at Northeastern love him."
On the advantage to a recruit of enrolling in January:
"The advantage to a guy who comes in at this point is that he has a chance to figure out, number one, the University, going to class, the dorms, etc. I think sometimes, the easiest part of coming into a program is learning the playbook. The difficult part for these kids is to feel comfortable and feel like part of the team. During the next six months, these three guys have an opportunity to make that transition and get a feel about this place and for the team. The guys on the team will bring these kids in and get to know them and begin to form a chemistry. By August, they won't be the new guys anymore. Damien Rhodes, because he lived here, did that during the summer. He would drive over here and lift and workout with the team. By the time the summer was over, the other guys felt like he had been here all along. I think that is the biggest impact."
On the fact that since Donovan McNabb's graduation, there hasn't a real quarterback progression. With the possibility of starting a young quarterback next season, does he feel that the process is starting all over again:
"What coaches do is they have a system of offense and defense. You have a big picture and you go ahead and put in the big picture. When you figure out who the guy is going to be, then you start picking out from that big picture to fit the personnel."
On whether he would compare Joe Fields to any former Syracuse quarterbacks:
"Joe is a guy who in high school, on film, is very impressive with everything. He has experience as a drop-back passer. He looks as polished and as smooth as any high school prospect we have gone to look at. When Donovan McNabb was in high school, he threw most play action passes. That is part of the evolution of contemporary offense in America. When I look at film, I am amazed at the number of formations and different plays being run. It's a trickle-down effect from the NFL, to the college to high school football. The style of offenses was different in 1994 when we were recruiting Donovan so it is hard to compare. Joe is a very good athlete."
On whether it was Joe Fields' idea or the coaching staff's idea for him to enroll early:
"The subject came up in recruiting. You don't get into the fall semester of your senior and decide that you want to graduate early because you might not have the credits you need. Joe had done some planning on this with his guidance counselor and high school coach. I think that is a great question for Joe."
