Head Coach Greg Robinson Press Conference Transcript (Sept. 20, 2008)
Syracuse vs. Northeastern
Carrier Dome – Syracuse, N.Y.
Opening Statement:
“It’s great to get a win. I really felt like there were a lot of good things that took place today. Obviously the running game, the offensive line and the two tailbacks did an outstanding job. I think we were five-for-five in the redzone for scoring and that’s a good thing. On the defensive side, I thought there was a lot of good football played. There were two plays in that game that shouldn’t have happened. The touchdown pass in the first half – we had worked on that route. We did not play that right at all. Then the ball down the middle – that quarterback shouldn’t be throwing that ball. It’s a three-deep zone with a strong safety in the middle of the field. When you’re sitting flat-footed, you have a problem. That was a young mistake that shouldn’t happen. All in all, there was a lot of good hitting, a lot of good tackling and some turnovers. I was pleased by the effort, pleased by the tackling and I was pleased by a lot of the good coverage stuff. I’d like to take about three plays away from the defensive effort and I think it would’ve been a really good day. I talked to a couple of pro scouts this week about the Northeastern tight end and they told me he’s the real deal. Sure enough, he is everything we expected him to be and then some. I was contemplating getting (defensive end) Jared Kimmel to come out of the defensive line to cover that guy because we have no one else that can go up against him. The quarterback just throws the ball up and he can come down with it. I give him a lot of credit. That offense put a lot on Georgia Southern last week which is a good Bowl Championship Subdivision football team. We won a game and that’s real important for us right now.”
On whether or not the score was too close:
“There’s no such thing. We won. I don’t think you can ever judge it like that. I can see that we created some of our own problems, but those are things we can eliminate tonight. If we went out and played the game again tonight, those two things aren’t going to happen. We’re going to play that scissors route and we’re going to play the guy down the middle of the field when we’re in a three-deep zone. That can be fixed. On the offensive side of the ball there are some things, but we can fix those things.”
On the fact the score was not higher and more one-sided:
“That’s somebody’s opinion. You’re allowed to have your opinion. I’m not going to sit here and speculate on what the score could’ve, would’ve, should’ve been. We won the game. We did a lot of good things in that football game. That’s the bottom line.”
On what can be learned about the team from playing this caliber of opponent:
“I’m going to say this, that quarterback is a good quarterback. If you go talk to their coach, Rocky Hager, who’s a good football coach and has been around a long time, he’ll tell you he’d take that guy anywhere he’s going to go play. He’s a very good quarterback. He has a good arm, he can run around and he’s tough. He is really smart in what he’s doing. That tight end is a very good tight end. He will play on Sundays (in the NFL), in my opinion. Six-foot-six and change and 255 pounds and can do what he can do, I give him credit.”
On how the defense changed between the first three games and today:
“If you don’t have those two touchdown passes, there is a lot of good football. There was tackling. I thought we played the running game solid. I thought we hit well. There was a lot of good coverage. They were trying to dink and dunk. I would have to view the film to really say it, but there was a period of time where I thought we were playing very well.”
On whether this was a good enough performance to get wins in the BIG EAST:
“Time will tell. I just think that we’re a team that needed to win. I see little things that are improving. I know some things we have to fix. That I do know. That was obvious.”
On what was going through his head when Northeastern was within six points during the fourth quarter:
“What it was was ‘Hey offense, let’s go! Get something done right here.’ That’s really what it’s all about. Even on the offensive side of the ball we found a couple ways to shoot ourselves in the foot. Those are things we can fix. All in all, it was a football game and I give them credit. I’m taking it for what it is.”
On how much momentum the team will gain from this win:
“We’ll see. I can say anything but we’ll find out. Being in that locker room with those football players, it’s a great feeling to win. They fought for it. It was third down and 10, if you stop them right there the game is over. Derrell Smith is hitting the quarterback right when he’s throwing the football. It was a great play. Give him credit. You guys don’t want to give Northeastern credit. The quarterback has a guy beating down his throat, he has enough poise to lay it up there to a 6’6” guy. Jake Flaherty is just dangling all over him. He (the tight end) still comes down with it. He made three catches like that. Don’t sit there and try to put down something that was real. That’s the truth. That kid played his tail off and the quarterback did a great job.”
On how he feels to not be 0-4 right now:
“I don’t know about relieved. I don’t think about 0-4, I just think about finally winning a football game. I don’t think about it being relief. I think about it like we’re getting ready to play Pitt and we just won. That’s a good thing. I look forward to it.”
