Syracuse Student-Athlete Quotes
Syracuse University Football
Syracuse vs. Penn State
September 13, 2008
Carrier Dome - Syracuse, N.Y.
Syracuse Players
No. 15 Bruce Williams
On this being a disappointing game for the team:
“I have to say we fought hard, you can’t knock us for that. A couple of bad things we did out there cost us touchdowns, we just have to keep trying to fix those things. A lot of young guys played today that don’t usually play, Coach is trying to get them experience because we’re going to need them in the long run.”
On trying to stay positive:
“No we were positive the whole time, they can’t break our will. No team can break our will. At the same time we just have to put points up and keep our defense off the field a little more.”
On if the anything on the team is broken:
“No, I don’t think so. We believe in Coach Robinson, he has a good plan for us. We, as players, just have to go out and execute that plan. And we didn’t do that today and it shows.”
No. 45 Jake Flaherty
On Penn State being a good team:
“Yeah, you have to give them credit. They’re a good team and they execute well. The type of athletes they have they really capitalized on our miscues. In some ways this is a great opportunity to go out and play against guys like that and a team like that. That’s what you have to take away from this game.”
On Penn State’s scoring on most of their first half possessions:
“We’ve been there before, we know not to get down. I don’t think anybody quit out there today and we just have to keep plugging away.”
On the fumble recovery in the first quarter:
“That was a great feeling right there, I think Nick stripped it and Art picked it up. They were in the right spot and it would have been great to capitalize on that but that’s the way the game went.”
On recovering from this loss in practice:
“We have to do it the same way we recover from other losses. We’ve gone through this type of adversity before. We just have to bounce back. That’s what football is about. That’s the bottom line. If you’re going to quit in football you’re going to quit in life. It sounds like a cliché but it’s true you have to just keep going when your back is against the wall.”
On the events surrounding this weekend:
“It’s definitely exciting. It was great to see those guys out there as honorary captains. How many things like that happen in life? It was a great opportunity to play Penn State. Obviously it didn’t go our way but you have to learn from it and move on.”
On Penn State being the best offense he’s faced as a player:
“Yeah, I think they’re very explosive. They were in the right spots and capitalized on that. In some ways you have to be perfect.”
No. 35 Mike Holmes
On facing Penn State’s receivers:
“This week I’ve been practicing very hard. I knew this week would be the best receivers we’ve had to cover. They were pretty tough, and I think we played man-to-man mostly the whole game which was pretty challenging.
“I think they are the best receivers we’ve played and I’m glad we played them early on in the season. It can’t get much tougher. We’ve seen the best so now we can only get better.”
On this feeding off of this weekend’s atmosphere:
“Of course we tried to feed off it. We couldn’t block out all this history, the renewal of this rivalry. We tried to feed off this energy and we really appreciate the fans coming out. We really wanted to play hard for all the fans who were in attendance today.”
On facing 0-4 and making sure the will of the team isn’t broken:
“It won’t be tough to bounce back. Everyone goes in the film room and see what’s going on. We’re still going into the BIG EAST so I see us as 0-0. We have to put these games behind us.”
No. 10 Dorian Graham
On seeing his first action on defense:
“It was my first time out there. There are still a lot of things that I need to work on. When I look at the film tonight I’m going to dissect it.”
On going out to play as a freshman for the first time in such a big game:
“Sure I was frustrated, but I do not think that was my game out there. What you saw out there today is not me at all. I know that I’m better than that. From here on out you will all see me play better than that. I will only do better.”
On what the positives of this game were:
“My first game is over and I have all the butterflies out. I’m not a veteran, but I can say that I have now had experience. Now I just need to work on getting better.”
No. 4 Cameron Dantley
On our first quarter fumble:
“We started off slow, pretty much every game this year. Coach Robinson talks about getting off to a fast start so we can build momentum, but unfortunately, it hasn’t happened when we want it to. It is always important to start the game off on a good note.”
On if the team and his confidence is shaken at this point:
“I really don’t think so. We love football. Coach Robinson always references the Tampa Bay Rays and how they went from worst to best. We know that at any given time things can turn around. We are ready to turn on whenever that comes. It hasn’t happened for us yet, but I am confident that it will.”
On positives from today’s game:
“A lot of us have not played in an environment like today’s. To be able to play in front of a crowd like this, especially for the freshmen to get their feet wet, could have been better, but was still a good experience.”
No. 97 Arthur Jones
On if his confidence is broken:
“No, not at all. I know where I want to be, and with this football team I want to win games. I came to Syracuse to win games. I didn’t come to lose so I know where I would like to be. My confidence will be high all season.”
On if the Syracuse program aspires to be like the Penn State program:
“They have a great program over there. The offense really gave it to us today. I do not know exactly what it is that we need to work on, but I am going to let the coach coach and I’m going to go out there and play.”
Syracuse vs. Penn State
September 13, 2008
Carrier Dome - Syracuse, N.Y.
Syracuse Players
No. 15 Bruce Williams
On this being a disappointing game for the team:
“I have to say we fought hard, you can’t knock us for that. A couple of bad things we did out there cost us touchdowns, we just have to keep trying to fix those things. A lot of young guys played today that don’t usually play, Coach is trying to get them experience because we’re going to need them in the long run.”
On trying to stay positive:
“No we were positive the whole time, they can’t break our will. No team can break our will. At the same time we just have to put points up and keep our defense off the field a little more.”
On if the anything on the team is broken:
“No, I don’t think so. We believe in Coach Robinson, he has a good plan for us. We, as players, just have to go out and execute that plan. And we didn’t do that today and it shows.”
No. 45 Jake Flaherty
On Penn State being a good team:
“Yeah, you have to give them credit. They’re a good team and they execute well. The type of athletes they have they really capitalized on our miscues. In some ways this is a great opportunity to go out and play against guys like that and a team like that. That’s what you have to take away from this game.”
On Penn State’s scoring on most of their first half possessions:
“We’ve been there before, we know not to get down. I don’t think anybody quit out there today and we just have to keep plugging away.”
On the fumble recovery in the first quarter:
“That was a great feeling right there, I think Nick stripped it and Art picked it up. They were in the right spot and it would have been great to capitalize on that but that’s the way the game went.”
On recovering from this loss in practice:
“We have to do it the same way we recover from other losses. We’ve gone through this type of adversity before. We just have to bounce back. That’s what football is about. That’s the bottom line. If you’re going to quit in football you’re going to quit in life. It sounds like a cliché but it’s true you have to just keep going when your back is against the wall.”
On the events surrounding this weekend:
“It’s definitely exciting. It was great to see those guys out there as honorary captains. How many things like that happen in life? It was a great opportunity to play Penn State. Obviously it didn’t go our way but you have to learn from it and move on.”
On Penn State being the best offense he’s faced as a player:
“Yeah, I think they’re very explosive. They were in the right spots and capitalized on that. In some ways you have to be perfect.”
No. 35 Mike Holmes
On facing Penn State’s receivers:
“This week I’ve been practicing very hard. I knew this week would be the best receivers we’ve had to cover. They were pretty tough, and I think we played man-to-man mostly the whole game which was pretty challenging.
“I think they are the best receivers we’ve played and I’m glad we played them early on in the season. It can’t get much tougher. We’ve seen the best so now we can only get better.”
On this feeding off of this weekend’s atmosphere:
“Of course we tried to feed off it. We couldn’t block out all this history, the renewal of this rivalry. We tried to feed off this energy and we really appreciate the fans coming out. We really wanted to play hard for all the fans who were in attendance today.”
On facing 0-4 and making sure the will of the team isn’t broken:
“It won’t be tough to bounce back. Everyone goes in the film room and see what’s going on. We’re still going into the BIG EAST so I see us as 0-0. We have to put these games behind us.”
No. 10 Dorian Graham
On seeing his first action on defense:
“It was my first time out there. There are still a lot of things that I need to work on. When I look at the film tonight I’m going to dissect it.”
On going out to play as a freshman for the first time in such a big game:
“Sure I was frustrated, but I do not think that was my game out there. What you saw out there today is not me at all. I know that I’m better than that. From here on out you will all see me play better than that. I will only do better.”
On what the positives of this game were:
“My first game is over and I have all the butterflies out. I’m not a veteran, but I can say that I have now had experience. Now I just need to work on getting better.”
No. 4 Cameron Dantley
On our first quarter fumble:
“We started off slow, pretty much every game this year. Coach Robinson talks about getting off to a fast start so we can build momentum, but unfortunately, it hasn’t happened when we want it to. It is always important to start the game off on a good note.”
On if the team and his confidence is shaken at this point:
“I really don’t think so. We love football. Coach Robinson always references the Tampa Bay Rays and how they went from worst to best. We know that at any given time things can turn around. We are ready to turn on whenever that comes. It hasn’t happened for us yet, but I am confident that it will.”
On positives from today’s game:
“A lot of us have not played in an environment like today’s. To be able to play in front of a crowd like this, especially for the freshmen to get their feet wet, could have been better, but was still a good experience.”
No. 97 Arthur Jones
On if his confidence is broken:
“No, not at all. I know where I want to be, and with this football team I want to win games. I came to Syracuse to win games. I didn’t come to lose so I know where I would like to be. My confidence will be high all season.”
On if the Syracuse program aspires to be like the Penn State program:
“They have a great program over there. The offense really gave it to us today. I do not know exactly what it is that we need to work on, but I am going to let the coach coach and I’m going to go out there and play.”
