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Syracuse Player Quotes
Syracuse vs. Clemson
October 5, 2013
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Terrel Hunt, Sophomore, Quarterback
On start of the game:
“Things weren’t really clicking. They are a good defense. We can’t downplay that at all. They are fast. Things just weren’t clicking. I take that upon myself. I messed up and we got to get it next week.”
What can you take away from this game, playing one of the best teams in the ACC:
“More competition, basically. We just have to execute a lot better. I didn't do my part today. I messed up and it showed on the field. The receivers had to do their part. As a whole, as a team we just weren’t together and we have to fix that.”
On how to learn and grow from this game as a new starter:
“Really, I just have to go watch the film and just keep fixing whatever I messed up. I can’t really say I was doing bad or because we played against them, I did good. Just got to go out next week and keep pushing and do that exact same thing I was doing because it was working, so I’m not going to change.”
On the turn out of the game:
“Very disappointing. At the same time we lost to a good team, we actually beat ourselves too. They are a good team at the end of the day. We had a couple of things we should have maximized on, but we didn't and so be it. We just got to take it on the chin and go into next week.”
Ashton Broyld, Sophomore, Running Back
Takeaway from playing the first game in ACC:
“We fell short. We gave them a lot of stuff, but they came and played it best. That's a great football team we just lost to. Hats off to them. We just got to come back next week and be ready to play.”
On speed of Clemson:
“We saw exactly what we saw on film. We got exactly what we saw on film. It was just a little bit more man coverage than we expected. At the end of the day, we got to play football. We didn't play our best football today and we know that. It was a time and a point where we had them. We had them right where we wanted and we just didn't execute, and that's what we come back for on Monday, to get better and tighten up the little things.”
On the drive right down the field during the third quarter:
“We are never going to quit. That’s one of our mottos. We are going to play hard and we’re never going to give up. We just fell short. We never gave up. We didn’t execute on the little things like we needed to.”
What’s next for the team in the ACC; How does this game prepare you for the rest of season?
“Tomorrow, we come in and watch film. We get all the little things corrected that we messed up. We just fight hard to get them right. That's how we win. If we can get these little things right, we’ll be alright. I have a lot of faith in this team. We have a lot of faith in each other. We’re going to get it done.”
Julian Whigham, Sophomore, Cornerback
On if Clemson’s wide receivers intimidated the secondary:
“Earlier in the week I said they were nice and they were. They were fast, one of them was pretty big, but they bleed too. It’s not that we were afraid of them, it’s just that they did a good job.”
On if Clemson’s offense surprised the defense:
“They did everything they did on film. They threw post-routes, go-routes and stop-routes. They just played their offense.”
On when he found out he was going to see more playing time:
“I found out Monday. I knew I was going to be in (more). I prepared pretty well and I’ll evaluate my play. There’s always room to improve.”
Marquis Spruill, Senior, Linebacker
On defensive miscommunication:
“Our miscommunication resulted in touchdowns, unfortunately, and that’s what killed us. If you allow a great team like that to get open spaces on the field and open receivers, then they’re going to capitalize on it and that’s what they did.”
On what led to the miscommunication:
“We put in some new things this week and it kind of got everybody’s head mixed up a little bit for the most part, but that’s it.”
On how Syracuse’s first ACC game turned out:
“It’s a big disappointment. You know it’s bad if you lose any game, but this one especially. We worked really hard we prepared very hard for it. We had our mind set on a win and, unfortunately, we didn’t get that win. It just hurts. First ACC game and the opener we would have liked to win it but it just didn’t turn out.”
Jerome Smith, Junior, Running Back
“We always got each other’s backs. We never felt like we were digging our way out. I knew that the defense would come up and come around sometime. So we just had to do our job and in the end we came up a little short.”
On what positives he takes away from this game despite the loss:
“We kept fighting. We kept fighting as a team and that’s something we will always go by. We’re going to keep fighting and keep being physical. They’re the #3 team in the country for a reason and they showed that they are a really good football team. That’s our goal for the future’ to become a team like that.”
On his break-away plays:
“This past week we did a drill and whenever our running back took a carry he had to do 50 yards on a sprint. We worked out during the off-season on that for three days straight and I’m glad to see it came to work out for us.”
Durell Eskridge, Sophomore, Free Safety
On the miscommunications in the secondary in the first quarter:
“First of all, Clemson is a great team. They have an explosive offense and we knew that coming in and just like you said, it was bad communication. As a secondary you have to be able to communicate together to cover those guys. We didn’t and that’s when you give up those big plays.”
On the last touchdown of the first quarter:
“To tell you the truth I don’t even remember the call. I’ll just say as a free safety I am going to take full responsibility for those changes not being made. As a whole, we are supposed to communicate. We didn’t communicate and we gave up a big play.
On not having Brandon Reddish out on the field:
“It made a big difference. Brandon is a great player. We could’ve used him. We were looking forward to seeing him play this week. Unfortunately, right before the game, they told us he wasn’t playing so that was one of our big losses. But with the guys we had, we felt like we still could have played well but we didn’t communicate well and it cost us the ballgame.
Cameron Lynch, Junior, Linebacker:
On the Clemson Quarter Back Tajh Boyd:
“He did a good job getting it to his receivers, throwing them the deep ball. I feel like as a defense we got to him. I feel like we could have got to him more, but he did his thing.”
On if he could have done anything better on the pass that beat him:
“Well it was a mishap in coverage. The safety is supposed to roll over, but I took it and I have to deal with it. I was right with him. It was a good ball, the receiver had his hands there. He didn’t throw them up first, then bring them down. It was a good thrown ball and a good catch. “
On what changed in the locker room at halftime:
“We had seen all they had. They did everything that they could do so we were like let’s go out there and do it. We got it pretty close. It was close there so it was to a point like, ‘hey, this is going to be an upset.’ Next time we just have to fix the small things and go back and go to work.”
Jay Bromley, Senior, Defensive Tackle
On how the team was able to rebound in the second half:
“We stayed confident in what we do, but they had great play makers that made their job a lot easier. We just tried to buckle down and do what we were supposed to do and we did that in the second half. For the most part, it showed.”
On defending Tajh Boyd:
“From the start, we got a feel for how the game was going and how they wanted to pass protect and we made sure that we brought pressure. Then we got home and tried our one-on-ones.”
On leading the defense and how a game like this gets them prepared for NC State:
“We just take the game for what it is. We get in film mode and we make sure we go over the mistakes and understand what they earned and what we made mistakes on. They’re a good football team with a great quarterback. We give them their praise for that. But we understand that we have to continue to work hard and not give people plays on offense and defense and if we do that, then the score is a little different. Hand it to them for doing what they did today.”
Macky MacPherson, Senior, Center
On his thoughts on the game:
“There is a lot of learning experiences that we got out of this. They’re a good football team. They are third in the country and we’re not ashamed to go out there and play with them and fight our butts off for the entirety of the game. I think we showed improvement, especially in the second and third quarters. But it’s tough to lose a game like that at home in front of a homecoming crowd. That hurts.”
On the team fighting back in the second half:
“We’re fighters. We’re a team that’s going to fight you until the end and it doesn’t matter what the score is. We’re going to try and put as many points on the board as we can. We’re going to go out swinging whether we’re winning, losing, or tied. I’m proud of the way these guys fought their butts off. No one gave up and no one hung their heads. Terrell (Hunt), Ashton (Broyld), Sean (Hickey) and me – we all made sure no one was pouting on the sidelines when the score became 35-7. We came real close to making it an interesting ball game. We take away a few penalties, dropped passes, a few missed assignments here and there, and some guys couldn’t hear the snap count but it could have been more interesting.”
October 5, 2013
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Terrel Hunt, Sophomore, Quarterback
On start of the game:
“Things weren’t really clicking. They are a good defense. We can’t downplay that at all. They are fast. Things just weren’t clicking. I take that upon myself. I messed up and we got to get it next week.”
What can you take away from this game, playing one of the best teams in the ACC:
“More competition, basically. We just have to execute a lot better. I didn't do my part today. I messed up and it showed on the field. The receivers had to do their part. As a whole, as a team we just weren’t together and we have to fix that.”
On how to learn and grow from this game as a new starter:
“Really, I just have to go watch the film and just keep fixing whatever I messed up. I can’t really say I was doing bad or because we played against them, I did good. Just got to go out next week and keep pushing and do that exact same thing I was doing because it was working, so I’m not going to change.”
On the turn out of the game:
“Very disappointing. At the same time we lost to a good team, we actually beat ourselves too. They are a good team at the end of the day. We had a couple of things we should have maximized on, but we didn't and so be it. We just got to take it on the chin and go into next week.”
Ashton Broyld, Sophomore, Running Back
Takeaway from playing the first game in ACC:
“We fell short. We gave them a lot of stuff, but they came and played it best. That's a great football team we just lost to. Hats off to them. We just got to come back next week and be ready to play.”
On speed of Clemson:
“We saw exactly what we saw on film. We got exactly what we saw on film. It was just a little bit more man coverage than we expected. At the end of the day, we got to play football. We didn't play our best football today and we know that. It was a time and a point where we had them. We had them right where we wanted and we just didn't execute, and that's what we come back for on Monday, to get better and tighten up the little things.”
On the drive right down the field during the third quarter:
“We are never going to quit. That’s one of our mottos. We are going to play hard and we’re never going to give up. We just fell short. We never gave up. We didn’t execute on the little things like we needed to.”
What’s next for the team in the ACC; How does this game prepare you for the rest of season?
“Tomorrow, we come in and watch film. We get all the little things corrected that we messed up. We just fight hard to get them right. That's how we win. If we can get these little things right, we’ll be alright. I have a lot of faith in this team. We have a lot of faith in each other. We’re going to get it done.”
Julian Whigham, Sophomore, Cornerback
On if Clemson’s wide receivers intimidated the secondary:
“Earlier in the week I said they were nice and they were. They were fast, one of them was pretty big, but they bleed too. It’s not that we were afraid of them, it’s just that they did a good job.”
On if Clemson’s offense surprised the defense:
“They did everything they did on film. They threw post-routes, go-routes and stop-routes. They just played their offense.”
On when he found out he was going to see more playing time:
“I found out Monday. I knew I was going to be in (more). I prepared pretty well and I’ll evaluate my play. There’s always room to improve.”
Marquis Spruill, Senior, Linebacker
On defensive miscommunication:
“Our miscommunication resulted in touchdowns, unfortunately, and that’s what killed us. If you allow a great team like that to get open spaces on the field and open receivers, then they’re going to capitalize on it and that’s what they did.”
On what led to the miscommunication:
“We put in some new things this week and it kind of got everybody’s head mixed up a little bit for the most part, but that’s it.”
On how Syracuse’s first ACC game turned out:
“It’s a big disappointment. You know it’s bad if you lose any game, but this one especially. We worked really hard we prepared very hard for it. We had our mind set on a win and, unfortunately, we didn’t get that win. It just hurts. First ACC game and the opener we would have liked to win it but it just didn’t turn out.”
Jerome Smith, Junior, Running Back
“We always got each other’s backs. We never felt like we were digging our way out. I knew that the defense would come up and come around sometime. So we just had to do our job and in the end we came up a little short.”
On what positives he takes away from this game despite the loss:
“We kept fighting. We kept fighting as a team and that’s something we will always go by. We’re going to keep fighting and keep being physical. They’re the #3 team in the country for a reason and they showed that they are a really good football team. That’s our goal for the future’ to become a team like that.”
On his break-away plays:
“This past week we did a drill and whenever our running back took a carry he had to do 50 yards on a sprint. We worked out during the off-season on that for three days straight and I’m glad to see it came to work out for us.”
Durell Eskridge, Sophomore, Free Safety
On the miscommunications in the secondary in the first quarter:
“First of all, Clemson is a great team. They have an explosive offense and we knew that coming in and just like you said, it was bad communication. As a secondary you have to be able to communicate together to cover those guys. We didn’t and that’s when you give up those big plays.”
On the last touchdown of the first quarter:
“To tell you the truth I don’t even remember the call. I’ll just say as a free safety I am going to take full responsibility for those changes not being made. As a whole, we are supposed to communicate. We didn’t communicate and we gave up a big play.
On not having Brandon Reddish out on the field:
“It made a big difference. Brandon is a great player. We could’ve used him. We were looking forward to seeing him play this week. Unfortunately, right before the game, they told us he wasn’t playing so that was one of our big losses. But with the guys we had, we felt like we still could have played well but we didn’t communicate well and it cost us the ballgame.
Cameron Lynch, Junior, Linebacker:
On the Clemson Quarter Back Tajh Boyd:
“He did a good job getting it to his receivers, throwing them the deep ball. I feel like as a defense we got to him. I feel like we could have got to him more, but he did his thing.”
On if he could have done anything better on the pass that beat him:
“Well it was a mishap in coverage. The safety is supposed to roll over, but I took it and I have to deal with it. I was right with him. It was a good ball, the receiver had his hands there. He didn’t throw them up first, then bring them down. It was a good thrown ball and a good catch. “
On what changed in the locker room at halftime:
“We had seen all they had. They did everything that they could do so we were like let’s go out there and do it. We got it pretty close. It was close there so it was to a point like, ‘hey, this is going to be an upset.’ Next time we just have to fix the small things and go back and go to work.”
Jay Bromley, Senior, Defensive Tackle
On how the team was able to rebound in the second half:
“We stayed confident in what we do, but they had great play makers that made their job a lot easier. We just tried to buckle down and do what we were supposed to do and we did that in the second half. For the most part, it showed.”
On defending Tajh Boyd:
“From the start, we got a feel for how the game was going and how they wanted to pass protect and we made sure that we brought pressure. Then we got home and tried our one-on-ones.”
On leading the defense and how a game like this gets them prepared for NC State:
“We just take the game for what it is. We get in film mode and we make sure we go over the mistakes and understand what they earned and what we made mistakes on. They’re a good football team with a great quarterback. We give them their praise for that. But we understand that we have to continue to work hard and not give people plays on offense and defense and if we do that, then the score is a little different. Hand it to them for doing what they did today.”
Macky MacPherson, Senior, Center
On his thoughts on the game:
“There is a lot of learning experiences that we got out of this. They’re a good football team. They are third in the country and we’re not ashamed to go out there and play with them and fight our butts off for the entirety of the game. I think we showed improvement, especially in the second and third quarters. But it’s tough to lose a game like that at home in front of a homecoming crowd. That hurts.”
On the team fighting back in the second half:
“We’re fighters. We’re a team that’s going to fight you until the end and it doesn’t matter what the score is. We’re going to try and put as many points on the board as we can. We’re going to go out swinging whether we’re winning, losing, or tied. I’m proud of the way these guys fought their butts off. No one gave up and no one hung their heads. Terrell (Hunt), Ashton (Broyld), Sean (Hickey) and me – we all made sure no one was pouting on the sidelines when the score became 35-7. We came real close to making it an interesting ball game. We take away a few penalties, dropped passes, a few missed assignments here and there, and some guys couldn’t hear the snap count but it could have been more interesting.”
