Head Coach Doug Marrone Press Conference Transcript (Nov. 16, 2009)
Opening Statement:
“After reviewing the snap, after the game I said it went through the hands of (junior holder/punter) Rob (Long). The snap was really a wide snap. I just wanted to make sure I clarified that. Not to say anything about the snap or (senior long snapper) Max Leo (who usually handles punt snaps). He was put into the game at that position because of the injury to (senior long snapper) Dalton Phillips.
“I felt exactly the same way that I felt after the game. Louisville went down and made a play. There were a lot of plays that we could have made during the course of that game to go up by two scores to win the game. We didn't make those plays. We had a chance to make plays at the end of the game to put us in a position to win it, and we didn't. We have to keep building this team. We have a lot of players who we've lost in our depth. We keep talking about it, but we have to move on. Like I said before, no one is going to feel sorry (for us).
"We're playing a Rutgers team that's a good football team. Coach Schiano has been there for nine years. He's done a good job of building that program. We have to go out there and play well and we have to get a win. It's our last home game and it's important for us to put a good showing for our fans. It's important for us to make sure it's a special day for our seniors, who have endured quite a bit through this program.
“With that said, going on about the injuries, the injuries don't stop for us. (Sophomore running back) Mike Jones is out for the remainder of the season, as well as Dalton Phillips. We'll have a statement about those injuries later on. I won't be able to address specifically what they are, but they will not be available for us for the rest of the year."
On whether Dalton Phillips was hospitalized after his injury at Louisville:
"He is right now, yes."
On whether sophomore quarterback Ryan Nassib will play more against Rutgers or if :
"You know what's funny about Greg, and Greg is our starting quarterback, (pausing), well, it's not funny, but, one of the things that has gone unnoticed because we haven't won is that Greg will probably have the highest completion percentage in the history of our school at .658. We're still looking for packages for Ryan, too. We're still going out there to win games, not to give people experience for next year. It's not next year until the last game is over. The way that people are getting experience right now on this team is through injury, unfortunately."
On why he chooses not to start Nassib and look ahead to the future:
"I've always played to win. I think this team will always play to win. Coach Mac (MacPherson), and I don't want to speak for him, but we always played to win. I think that's what you do at Syracuse. You play to win."
On the importance of the Rutgers game to recruiting and the program's direction:
"I look at it as a game that we have to go in and play and win. It's no different than the other games we've played during the year. I don't look at it as a hostile situation of where we are. I worry about our football team. I don't worry about what the other team does in recruiting or what the other team goes through. I worry about our football team and our ability to go out there and perform."
On what will be done to honor the seniors:
"We're going to have a senior day very familiar to the one that I was involved in as a player. It's a big day for the players, so we have a set event for the seniors on the team. We'll have a banquet prior to the spring game that honors the whole team, but specifically a lot of the seniors. We have a tremendous tradition in the awards that we hand out in this football program."
On the unusualness of saying goodbye to three senior quarterbacks:
"I really haven't thought about that, honestly. You're talking about three kids who have put a lot of work into this program, three kids who have really stayed the course and supported everything that the head coaches have asked of them. You have three special kids. It's kind of what Coach (MacPherson) was saying. There's a time you have to stand up and clap and appreciate what they've gone through. Most of these players have gone through a whole lot more than maybe what we've gone through in a long period of time and they've done it in four or five short years."
On Rutgers improvement and playing what seems to be their best football now:
"You're talking about a team that's probably going to be in the top 20. Except for the Cincinnati game, their only other loss was a close one to a Pittsburgh team that we know is a top 10 team. They're playing well. If you ask me what is the reason they're playing better now than before, I think they're getting good play from their young quarterback. I think he's coming along quite well."
On what options are left for kickoff coverage:
"We have to put players on the field who have to make plays. They have to be able to go down the field. Like I said after the game (at Louisville), when your roster starts to become depleted due to injuries that are occurring during the games – no one is getting hurt during practice – then people need to step up and they need to play. I don't think there's any magic scheme. You have to go down, run and beat your opponent in front of you and you have to make a play. We've done everything we can to make sure we get the best people on the field to make the play."
On whether he can pinpoint a reason why the team is unable to make a game-changing play:
"It's always the age-old question. You answer these questions a lot when you're not winning. We're not making plays at the right time. We can make plays in the field, move it down, and then all of the sudden red zone turnovers become an issue. We move the ball well sometimes between the 20s and do a nice job there, then when it comes down to a time when it's critical, we don't make a play. We just have to keep working on it and moving forward. I don't think you can pinpoint any one thing because there are a lot of things that go into it. One is the players' ability to play with each other, the coaches' ability to put them in the right situations, the amount of times that you practice those plays. There are so many factors that come into it."
On senior running back Delone Carter and the yardage he picks up after contact:
"He's always done a very good job of yards after contact. I think the reason why he's getting more yardage now is the offensive line is doing a better job than they were at the beginning of the year. Now the yards after contact are occurring six or seven yards down the field from the line of scrimmage. We're able to get him to the secondary more than we could in the beginning of the year."
On the injury to sophomore running back Mike Jones:
"Someone will step into that role. That's going on during the course of the week. One of the things that I think we should understand is to credit to Mike Jones. Mike Jones has been a big part of this team and he's been someone we haven't spoken about quite a bit from kickoff returns and what he's been able to do on the field. Even in the last game, I don't know the exact amount of snaps off the top of my head, but there are probably 14 snaps of him playing wide receiver. Mike is a play maker, and we moved him to wide receiver and gave him the opportunity. Then we had an injury occur, and it's disappointing for Mike and his progress and, obviously, for our team."
On whether he has simplified the playbook after all the injuries:
"We have to take a look at simplifying. We always want to give the players the ability to play and not have to think too much. Football is a reactionary game. That's why you've seen us use a lot of different packages with a lot of different personnel, but now the personnel group is becoming thinner."
On seniors Mike Stenclik, Lavar Lobdell, and Andrew Robinson and how they have impacted the program:
"It's truly amazing. I've talked to those players personally during the course of the year. (Tight end) Andrew (Robinson), I spent a lot of time with, along with the other two, (linebacker) Mike (Stenclik) and (wide receiver) Lavar (Lobdell). I'm proud of them and I haven't been with them as long as some other people. I always say to the team that it's not going to surprise me later on in the future that they're very successful in whatever they do. I know that if I'm out there right now and I'm in a position to hire someone, those are the types of people I would hire."
On what he wants recruits to take away from the Rutgers game:
"Whatever recruits we have on the sideline, we want them to take away a great experience, a vision of the direction the program is heading, and commit."
On whether he has a 24-hour rule before he moves on after a loss:
"The one statistic that you look at in what it takes to win a game, the only statistic that comes up is the two turnovers. That would be the one battle we lost, two to their one, which would dictate the game. All the other statistics are in our favor. Is there a 24-hour rule? People say that, but all those losses hurt. There's something inside you that just hurts. You need to move on. It's no different than still thinking about Minnesota, South Florida, West Virginia – all of those hurt, but you have to move on and go forward. As coaches, we can always recall games where we haven't succeed and we can recall games where we've been successful. This is part of what we do. Unfortunately, the losses hurt a lot more and last a whole lot longer than the wins."
On the last turnover at Louisville:
"It was a catchable ball, it was just the execution."
On the number of official replays during the Louisville game:
"Honestly, I think it's a very difficult job (being a referee). Terry McAulay is in charge of the BIG EAST officials. I've known him for a long period of time. He's an NFL official who is in charge of the BIG EAST. There are checks and balances within every system. The BIG EAST has done a great job. Terry's done a great job. We have the ability to turn plays in to be evaluated. They come back with a decision. It’s an internal matter of what we turn in and what we receive back. I give credit to those officials. They communicate well in the BIG EAST, having come from the NFL. They communicate well. There are things that are tough on them. I've said it before, I was an umpire when I was 12 years old and it was the hardest darn thing and it was the hardest job. I have a tremendous amount of respect for them. I always tell the officials they have the toughest job. They need keep the integrity of the game the way it is. They have to keep it clean and fair."
