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Pittsburgh Quotes
Syracuse University Football
Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh
September 27, 2008
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Pittsburgh Head Coach Dave Wannstedt
“Anybody that thought it was going to be different than what it was this afternoon has no clue about young athletes, and coaches and trying to win. This started the conference race today and if you read the papers up here, they were saying the exact same thing we were. Everybody was 0-0 in the conference and it started today, so there was no lack of motivation on their part. I thought we had good practices; I really thought we were prepared to play today. The thing that happened the first half, they hit the kick-off returner, they blocked us. We didn’t make the play and I think that put us a little bit on our heels. When we came in at halftime and looked at the statistics, I think they had six first downs. Our runs were for four, five, six, 10, so we were moving the ball and running the ball, but we weren’t converting third downs, so that was what was keeping us from scoring points. I thought our kids did a great job at halftime of not coming unglued and staying positive. I used the example of the Connecticut game last night – they were down by 11 and came back and won. LaRod Stephens, I normally don’t award game balls in the locker room until I look at the film, but he made tackles on kick offs, he made tackles on punts, and obviously he scored two touchdowns. It was a good win for us. Any win on the road is a good win.”
On keeping the ball with LaRod Stephens and LeSean McCoy:
“We were trying to do that in the first half, but they were giving us a lot of pressure. Our offensive line deserves some credit. They really blocked today. We had a very active defense. I thought our guys did a nice job of adjusting to it. For us to win any games, you have to run the ball.”
On having the ability to come from behind to win:
“That’s why you recruit. Players win games, I’ve always believed that. You have to go get talented guys. They do things we don’t have to coach. Our defensive line, we can’t get a lead if we don’t take advantage of those guys rushing. We have some guys who could rush the passer.”
On Syracuse’s opening kickoff return:
“We knew exactly what happened and they doubled our number three, they kicked in our number two, they trapped number four – I can draw it up for you. We actually had Andrew Taglianetti, who had never been in there before, moving around, which is what we took from Iowa. Iowa did that with number 17 and we never got there. It’s not a new return, they just blocked us. They did a good job. Give them credit.”
On the defense:
“The first half, I was not happy defensively. We were trying to create some pressure. We didn’t blitz once. We created some pressure in the first half and they hurt us. The long run was a pressure. We thought they were going to waggle – they didn’t. They handed it off. At halftime, we said ‘that’s the end of that, we’re going to play straight rush four and play defense.’”
On Pittsburgh’s pass completions:
“Matt Cavanaugh did a great job calling plays and taking advantage of the defense. I think our whole offensive staff after awhile figured out the best way to try to attack them.”
On Syracuse’s turnover:
“That was the game-winning play in the game. Aaron Berry – we were one-on-one coverage. We’ll take that all day long. The kid made a great play, that’s going to happen. The first one that they ran, we mostly had that cleaned up. We gave up two big pass plays, which we can’t do.”
On the short week:
“We’ll work tomorrow. We won’t put the pads on and be really physical. I’ve been around short weeks every year when I was at the Cowboys. I think four of the years I was at the Bears, and six when I was at the Dolphins playing Thursday night games – Thanksgiving. I think the one thing that helps you more than anything else is what you do the week before. The week before, if you look back, the short practice week, guys aren’t as sore, guys are into it, guys are excited about playing again. I think the win today will definitely give us a chance to be prepared the best we can in a few days.”
On not punting the ball in the second half:
“It was the first game all year that we really controlled the line of scrimmagein the second half. We have to give the offensive line credit.”
On coming back from an 11-point deficit:
“It gives them confidence. You can always refer back to that. I look at that kind of like going for it on fourth down. I’d rather not.”
Conor Lee, RSr., Place Kicker
On his four field goals:
“I was just trying to keep the team in it. We were getting in scoring position and unfortunately things had happened. I was just doing my job, one kick at a time. Just doing what I’m told to do.”
On the importance of making field goals:
“Our coach always talks about being a momentum changer and that’s the approach I try to take when I go out there. I need to do this for the team because I can change the momentum of the game. Field goals are kind of a down thing, we want to get the ball in the end zone. Touchdowns win games. I go out there and think that I have to get this and not make a negative of this drive. It feels good to be more a part of the game. I could care less how we win it. If I have to kick 15 extra points, I don’t care how we win.”
On two-point conversions:
“It was early in the game and I think you have to get the points. Going for two later in the game depends on the situation. I don’t know if it reflects on me. It’s just the timing of the game.”
On the turning point in the game:
“I think that really the turning point in the game was the turnover. There were so many parts in the game, it was such a rollercoaster ride. I thought I was going to hit a game-winner with a second left, that’s how I was thinking.”
On playing in favorable conditions in the Carrier Dome:
“It’s good to not be in Heinz Field with the turf and the wind, but it was fun. Syracuse kickers are good kickers; they’re friends of mine and I enjoy coming up to kick here.”
Scott McKillop, Sr., LB
On Syracuse punting on fourth-and-one:
“Whenever a team doesn’t go for it on fourth-and-one, it’s a sign of respect for our defensive line. I think the penetration we were getting by the front four was something that they took into account. It definitely built up our confidence. As the game went on, we built upon that.”
On defensive improvements that can be made:
“We still need to make more plays. I think we only caused one turnover today. We have a great defense. We just have to cause more turnovers and be more effective. I think our front four showed up really big, but Jabaal [Sheard] was looking good on coverage, so that’s really big. Our front four did a great job today.”
On conditioning:
“Like I said before, [our conditioning] is showing up. In the fourth quarter, I felt just as strong as I did in the first quarter. I think for myself and the team, it is something that helped us out. You could see that in fourth quarter we were a stronger team.”
On the game:
“One of the things we didn’t want to do with the defensive side of the ball was get down. We had a couple good plays before that pass and had to keep everybody at the same pace and let everybody know what happened, so we didn’t have anyone thinking that they were playing faster or better. The receiver made a good play, it was a good throw by the quarterback. To be a secondary player, you have to have a good memory. You’re put out there on an island, one-on-one, and sometimes the other team is going to have a big play. I think Aaron [Berry] bounced back well and I think from that play, we moved past it. You have to go one play at a time. You can’t dwell in the past.”
On staying positive throughout the game:
“I think that shows maturity on the part of our team. Nobody shut down and everyone kept talking. As coach always says, sawing the wood. You’re never too high, you’re never too low, you just have to keep on and keep the same level. We were down double digits and I think if you went on our sidelines, you didn’t see anyone getting down. Our spirits were still high and we knew that we should be in the game. They made a couple of nice big plays – two great catches by the receivers and we have to stop that. To be a great defense, we can’t let them have big plays.”
Greg Romeus, So., DL
On coming from behind to win:
“All season we’ve been conditioning for all four quarters. Coach stresses it every week that we have 15 rounds and we know that. We know from start to finish, even if we don’t start off as well as we’d like to, we know in the end we have to finish it off.”
On his forced fumble:
“I honestly couldn’t even remember to tell you. I just saw the ball rolling and I was hoping someone came and picked it up. It was just one of those fast things.”
On getting the lead in the game:
“You know when it’s getting down to two minutes and they’re down that they’re going to throw the ball. The d-line gets excited in situations like that because then we’re more free to be able to go and pass rush.”
On the leadership:
“I think we’re definitely maturing a lot. We’re definitely going from last year. The last two years, we haven’t been much of a second half team. We have great leadership, Scott [McKillop] on the sideline was getting everybody’s spirits up and letting everyone know that it’s still a game and we have to stay in the game. The senior leadership was amazing. I think that’s what really got us through.”
On Scott McKillop:
“If he’s out there telling what we need to do, that’s our leader in our eyes. He’s out there laying it on the line and he’s motivating each of us every play.”
