Rhode Island Player Quotes
Syracuse vs. Rhode Island
September 10, 2011
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Rhode Island Senior quarterback Steve Probst
On the offensive performance:
“We had some good stuff going on offense. We had a great game plan I think first of all. Our offensive coordinator, Coach I [Istvan,] put in a great game plan,. But at the end of the day it just comes down to executing. We had them in our spot for a little bit, but it comes down to scoring points. They scored seven more points than us so we lost, that’s how it goes.”
On his ability to scramble:
“That’s a big part of our game, to run the quarterback, and know when everything’s covered down field, (we can) make a play with our feet. If they can cover everybody then they can’t cover me. It’s part of our game. We’re going to continue to do it, and we’ve just got to do a better job executing.”
On the Syracuse defense’s ability to make plays:
“Yeah, those guys are animals, those guys got after it. The defensive lineman, I thought those guys were really good. But I thought our offensive line, Fost [LT Jason Foster], picked it up pretty well too, a bunch of times. Their pass rush is good but we have to find a way to beat it and get the ball out of our hands and make some good throws to some different positions.”
On whether the idea of beating Syracuse got stronger after tying:
“Yeah, what, did they score with six minutes left in the game? These 1-A vs. 1-AA games kind of get like ‘Syracuse is having us go up here so they can beat our brains in’ but we’re up here to win the game. We had a great shot to do it, we just didn’t do it. They made more plays than us and that’s it. But that’s how we take every game. We try to win every game no matter who our opponent is. We had a good game plan, we came up here to win, we didn’t do it but I think we played well.”
On two sacks towards the end of the game:
“That was my fault. Brandon Johnson-Farrell and I had a miscommunication but we just didn’t execute it at the right time. I thought he was running one route, he thought he was running another route. I’ve got to work the far side, but it’s over with now. We’re going to come out, watch some tape and prepare for our big conference game next week.”
On whether Rhode Island could play in Division 1-A:
“Obviously all of us that play at the 1-AA level think we could play at the 1-A level. When you’ve got games to play, this is a BIG EAST team, and they’re a good team. We’ve got some playmakers too, we made some plays. It was tight. They just made a few more plays, that’s all it is. Everyone in our locker room thinks we can play at the 1-A level and I think we proved that today.”
On coming to play against the team that former Hofstra teammates Aaron Weaver and Jose Cruz played for last year:
“I talked to Aaron [Weaver] a couple times before the game. We were kind of joking around. I asked him who he was going to root for, stuff like that. He said he was rooting for the Orange. I played with those guys at Hofstra and that helps, that helps a lot. I grew up playing against Aaron Weaver and he is a great player, he was a great player at Hofstra and was a great player last year until he tore his ACL. So that helps, honest to God, people in our locker room think we can play at the 1-A level and I know we can.”
Sophomore running back Travis Hurd
On what this game means to the team:
“Last year we had a great year, and what we wanted to do was to show that we could come out here and hang with these guys. We came close to winning but we just couldn’t pull it off. We just came out this year with a chip on our shoulder because we have something to prove.”
On player excitement:
“Our team has a lot of energy and a lot of belief in each other so we have all that. You really can’t bring us down”.
On his play during the game:
“I don’t want to say what I could do if I didn’t do it, but I definitely got a good feel of the game. Lineman were blocking well, receivers were blocking downfield, all I really had to do was run the ball. It was a great effort on both sides.”
Senior WR Anthony Baskerville
On his ability to get open:
“I just try to press their cushion. They were already back about 12 yards and I try to see where they are before I make any moves or went any direction.”
On the quarterback’s ability:
“[Steve] Probst, he’s a star quarterback. He’s smart and he constantly pushes everyone forward. When everyone gets down, Probst is the guy who gets everyone up. We all believe in him.”
September 10, 2011
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Rhode Island Senior quarterback Steve Probst
On the offensive performance:
“We had some good stuff going on offense. We had a great game plan I think first of all. Our offensive coordinator, Coach I [Istvan,] put in a great game plan,. But at the end of the day it just comes down to executing. We had them in our spot for a little bit, but it comes down to scoring points. They scored seven more points than us so we lost, that’s how it goes.”
On his ability to scramble:
“That’s a big part of our game, to run the quarterback, and know when everything’s covered down field, (we can) make a play with our feet. If they can cover everybody then they can’t cover me. It’s part of our game. We’re going to continue to do it, and we’ve just got to do a better job executing.”
On the Syracuse defense’s ability to make plays:
“Yeah, those guys are animals, those guys got after it. The defensive lineman, I thought those guys were really good. But I thought our offensive line, Fost [LT Jason Foster], picked it up pretty well too, a bunch of times. Their pass rush is good but we have to find a way to beat it and get the ball out of our hands and make some good throws to some different positions.”
On whether the idea of beating Syracuse got stronger after tying:
“Yeah, what, did they score with six minutes left in the game? These 1-A vs. 1-AA games kind of get like ‘Syracuse is having us go up here so they can beat our brains in’ but we’re up here to win the game. We had a great shot to do it, we just didn’t do it. They made more plays than us and that’s it. But that’s how we take every game. We try to win every game no matter who our opponent is. We had a good game plan, we came up here to win, we didn’t do it but I think we played well.”
On two sacks towards the end of the game:
“That was my fault. Brandon Johnson-Farrell and I had a miscommunication but we just didn’t execute it at the right time. I thought he was running one route, he thought he was running another route. I’ve got to work the far side, but it’s over with now. We’re going to come out, watch some tape and prepare for our big conference game next week.”
On whether Rhode Island could play in Division 1-A:
“Obviously all of us that play at the 1-AA level think we could play at the 1-A level. When you’ve got games to play, this is a BIG EAST team, and they’re a good team. We’ve got some playmakers too, we made some plays. It was tight. They just made a few more plays, that’s all it is. Everyone in our locker room thinks we can play at the 1-A level and I think we proved that today.”
On coming to play against the team that former Hofstra teammates Aaron Weaver and Jose Cruz played for last year:
“I talked to Aaron [Weaver] a couple times before the game. We were kind of joking around. I asked him who he was going to root for, stuff like that. He said he was rooting for the Orange. I played with those guys at Hofstra and that helps, that helps a lot. I grew up playing against Aaron Weaver and he is a great player, he was a great player at Hofstra and was a great player last year until he tore his ACL. So that helps, honest to God, people in our locker room think we can play at the 1-A level and I know we can.”
Sophomore running back Travis Hurd
On what this game means to the team:
“Last year we had a great year, and what we wanted to do was to show that we could come out here and hang with these guys. We came close to winning but we just couldn’t pull it off. We just came out this year with a chip on our shoulder because we have something to prove.”
On player excitement:
“Our team has a lot of energy and a lot of belief in each other so we have all that. You really can’t bring us down”.
On his play during the game:
“I don’t want to say what I could do if I didn’t do it, but I definitely got a good feel of the game. Lineman were blocking well, receivers were blocking downfield, all I really had to do was run the ball. It was a great effort on both sides.”
Senior WR Anthony Baskerville
On his ability to get open:
“I just try to press their cushion. They were already back about 12 yards and I try to see where they are before I make any moves or went any direction.”
On the quarterback’s ability:
“[Steve] Probst, he’s a star quarterback. He’s smart and he constantly pushes everyone forward. When everyone gets down, Probst is the guy who gets everyone up. We all believe in him.”
