Press Conference Transcript -- September 20, 2004
On Virginia:
“Virginia is a really good team. They have great personnel and it’s hard to find a weakness on their team. They just have a lot of depth and a lot of good players. It is going to be a challenge for us.”
On any similarities to Purdue:
“They are that quality of an opponent. It is hard to make comparisons, this is a totally different style of defense. They play a 3-4 that is very multiple and complex. It’s makes it hard when you don’t play a team year in and year out. Their offense is probably geared a little bit more around great backs. Virginia is very capable of passing, the quarterback has a great arm. He is very strong and handles things well. They have some great backs.”
On the team’s capability to go on the road and get a win vs. a nationally ranked opponent:
“We are better prepared to do that right now than we were against Purdue. We are a little bit surer about who is doing what and what everyone’s role is. I think we are a little bit further along.”
On the starting quarterback:
“Perry Patterson will be the starter this week. But we are very happy with what Joe Fields is doing. Joe and Perry will continue to develop. We’ve have two great kids there. They are really battling and it is a positive thing. Xzavier is also still competing there. We expect them to support each other and they are. Production is the key thing so that is where we’ll start again this week. We have two guys that will play and we will go down there with those intentions.”
On Patterson’s two interceptions:
“He is inexperienced and he is anxious and he just cannot try to force the ball in somewhere. And hopefully, we won’t do it again.”
On Damien Rhodes and Walter Reyes in the game at the same time:
“When you have two very explosive guys, you would like to get them both in the game. And, we will continue to do that. They are a great one-two combination and they are outstanding players. They play hard and are into it.”
On the team’s progress:
“On Saturday, we took some steps of improvement. Our goal is to throw for 200, I think we threw for 160. We certainly could have been at 200, we just had a couple miscues. I thought we threw and caught the ball better. I think we are making progress.”
On the wide receivers:
“I think the one that Jared Jones dropped was an awfully difficult throw. Perry Patterson was pressured and he had to throw it when he did and had a guy in his face. It was a catchable ball but it would have been a tough catch. I thought Andre Fontenette made a really nice catch. I thought that Landel Bembo made a very nice catch. I think we are getting better there.”
On limiting the big plays:
“The two biggest factors in football are, in order, turnovers and explosive gains. An explosive gain is a 12-yard run or a 16-yard pass. In 98 percent of the games, when you win those battles then you win the game. The last two weeks we have won those two battles. It is going to come down to turnovers and the big plays.
On Joe Fields’ injury:
“Joe is fine. It was not anything major, but it did stiffen up. He got some treatment and this morning he said he felt better.”
On Anthony Smith’s great play:
“Anthony is playing very good football. I don’t want to jinx it. He is playing very smart football. He and Diamond Ferri may have had their best game together on Saturday. One time we had a blitz on and took it off and changed the coverage, Anthony did all that and made the tackle. This is only his junior year and he is getting a handle on it. Usually at that position it takes a while to really become great at it.”
On Coach Groh at Virginia:
“Al Groh is an outstanding coach. He was with Coach Parcells for a long time. He developed that defensive system with the Giants, Jets and Patriots. It is a terrific system, it’s a 3-4 style of defense. They do a terrific job with the overall teaching of the fundamentals and the techniques. They do a great job with the game planning of the defense. They have been able to recruit the kind of players that fit in the system, I think that is the key.”
On the Virginia defense:
“They don’t play one gap, they play two gaps. You have to have the right people to do that. This is the older style of 3-4 with the big ends, big nose guard and four big guys playing linebacker.”
On the SU offense matching up with the Virginia defense:
“Nobody’s offense has matched up against it so far. We have some thoughts and we will have a good plan going in there.”
On the six takeaways versus Cincinnati, was it UC’s offensive mistakes or SU’s defensive execution:
“I’ll say this, the interceptions were good plays by us. One of the fumbles there was great penetration by our defensive line, particularly Kader Drame. He knocked the center and guard back into the quarterback and stepped on his foot. That is when he fumbled and Tommy Harris ended up with the ball.”
Senior Tailback Walter Reyes
Opening Statement
“I thought we played a great game Saturday against Cincinnati. It was a very physical game. I think the offensive line played very well. The defense came out and played extremely well for us and special teams. So overall, for the team it was a great win. This week we have Virginia at Virginia. They are a very physical, big team. We just have to have a good week of practice and go down there and give it our best shot.”
On the Purdue game playing a role in going to Virginia this week:
“Purdue is Purdue, that is long gone. That was the first game and this is the fourth. I think we have a little more experience in certain positions and that will help on the road at Virginia.”
On Virginia:
“They are a very good team, offensively and defensively. The coaches are going to do a great job preparing a plan for us. I know my teammates and I will have a great week of practice. We just have to go down there and let it all loose against a great defense.”
On reviewing film:
“For the offense, you just want to look at the defense and see their personnel and what type of players they are. It is good to get gage on how physical they are. There are certain things that will just help you in a game. We watch film as a team for a little bit before practice. I watch about an hour to hour and a half a day of film. There are a couple things you miss in the game. And on the film you see things like, ‘if I would have cut that way I would have broke one.”
On the offensive line:
“The offensive line dominated, they let it all hang out. The offensive line makes myself and Damien look really good. They deserve the credit.”
Junior Defensive End Ryan LaCasse
On the big plays given up by the defense in the first game but have not allowed in the first two:
“I think initially, in the first game, we had a tough time lining up and since then we have made an effort to go out their and play and just get lined up. Since we have made that adjustment, it has been the biggest help to our defense. It lets the players make the plays.”
On the defense and its improved play:
“After the Purdue game, the defense had a meeting and we said that we were going to do something to win games. We want to take the ball away, but if we don’t, then we want to back them up to be in a position to kick it where our offense will have great field position. If we win the turnover battle and field position, then we will probably win the game.”
