West Virginia Student-Athlete Quotes
Syracuse Football
Syracuse vs. West Virginia
October 5, 2007
West Virginia Student-Athlete Quotes
Running Back Steve Slaton
On the importance of bouncing back from last week's loss:
"It's very important, I mean, anytime you lose the coaches want to see if we can fight back and we definitely did that today."
On waiting for the chance to get back out there and play again:
"No, it wasn't too long, wasn't a long week. We let everything bother us for like 2 days but then we got back up on track."
On the team getting its rhythm back:
"Yeah, we started out the week with a good practice, and it transferred over to the game."
On how defensive touchdowns help out the offense:
"Yeah, it's a big lift, I mean especially when we're going all ascended, and they're going all ascended at those points it helps us out."
On Pat White's injuries compared to Slaton's injuries:
"Last year I limited myself during recovery, and he's done a good job in his recovery."
On the unselfish nature of team:
"As long as the points are being scored, as long as we win, it's all that matters."
On not getting his average touchdowns in the last two games:
"It's only frustrating when we lose, but when we win it's not frustrating."
On not breaking the career rushing touchdown record in the past two games:
"I'm going to save it for when I get home."
On the locker room atmosphere during halftime:
"It was very exciting. We thought we needed to have a good game, not just a good half, but a good game for all four quarters."
On the team being more focused this week:
"I definitely think so just because of everything that happened last week, we needed to get back on track and play West Virginia football."
On approaching this game with an air of revenge:
"Not revenge, but just to get back on track, I mean it's Syracuse not South Florida so it couldn’t be revenge."
On looking forward to the bye week:
"I definitely think so, a couple guys have a couple injuries that need to rest up and have a good week. Pat feels a little bad, but he feels good to have a couple weeks off."
Safety Ryan Mundy
On the defense scoring:
"Anytime we have an opportunity to score and get our hands on the ball, we're definitely thinking of the end zone."
Timing of the defense:
"That's what we look to do every time we step on the field, just to dominate, and that's what we did."
On not letting up as many turnovers as last week:
"We really focused on turnovers in practice so I think that carried over to the game. Our coaches have done a great job working with us on those."
On his feelings of the defense in its current state compared to beginning of season:
"That's the goal of the defense, you have to get better every week, you know people were kind of on us still on the first week, but I really wasn't worried about us. We had the talent, we just had to keep working hard and stay together, and that's what's going on right now."
On Keilen Dykes' touchdown run:
"He looked tired. I was running my best to try and get up there because I thought I might have to push him in there, but he got in there on his own so he did a good job."
On his performance and play:
"My play was just a product of running to the ball. It was a three step drop so I really wasn't going to be too much involved in the play, but the guy tipped it, I was hustling, so I scooped it up and ran. I looked up, I thought 'I'm about to score,' but then the running back came over so I just did my best to get all the yards that I could."
On the importance of a win going into an off week:
"It's definitely going to make it a lot easier. We still have to stay focused and everything like that, but nobody wants to go into a bye week with two losses. We had to prove that we can bounce back and stay together, and I think we did that."
On the importance of coming out strong after last week's loss:
"That was the key, all week we said we had to get out of the gates early, you know to let everybody know that we were contenders, and we were still going to play hard. Like I said, we focused all week and then we went out and executed on them."
On making a statement to the BIG EAST and the nation:
"We did, but the focus, like I said earlier in the week, is still on us. We're not too focused on what anybody thinks of us now or who's saying what about us, you know as long as we stick together and do our jobs I feel like we'll be OK."
Owen Schmitt
On his punt:
"Oh it's just a play we run and Syracuse does something like that. It's just to throw the defense off-guard, have a different look."
On how open SU's defense was during the game:
"They were bringing a corner down every time, so I mean that's why when we pitched the ball quick we got it out to me, but later in the game they started bringing like five guys outside so it wasn't really going to work. At first it was good."
On when he got into his groove:
"Me? A groove? I don't know, the first touchdown kind of felt good, it's the first all year. It got me up and going a little bit. The coaches kind of fed me the ball a little bit, I kind of just worked into it a little bit I guess."
On how creases opened up for him:
"It's more of they put too much emphasis on those two guys (Slaton and White) so they kind of forget and keep me open."
On what he thought of his punt:
"I thought it was going to be horrible at first. I kind of "sally" kicked it, but I got a pretty good roll on it. I got lucky."
Pat White
On his injury in the game:
"Just felt a lot of pain in my chest."
On the team this game compared to last game:
"Last week we definitely didn't perform to our ability, but we came out, had a good week of practice this week, and performed like we're supposed to play West Virginia football for four quarters."
On the importance of playing well this week:
"It's definitely important to get back on track. That's the type of football we play. We have to come out every week and do that."
On pitching the ball to Schmitt on the option:
"They gave it to us…if they give it to me I'm going to take it."
"They gave it to us…if they give it to me I'm going to take it."
On teaching Keilen Dykes how to score:
"Nah, I think Johnny Dingle taught him that."
On his injury when it first happened:
"I was walking off to the sideline, I was hurting, but in order for the next quarterback to get ready and take snaps, I had to get down. So, I got down so Jarrett (Brown) could get ready."
On his performance:
"A few mistakes here and there, but for the most part I think I played pretty well."
