Wake Forest Athletics
Tuesday Football Press Conference Quotes
8/29/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 29, 2006
Head Coach Jim Grobe
On this year's team:
"I like this team. This is one of my favorite teams that I've been around. I don't know how many games we'll win; I don't know how we'll play on Saturday, but it's a team that likes to work. It's a team who pretty much likes to practice which is unusual, and I think they make our coaches feel better by just being around them."
"I think our players are anxious to play. They seem to be having a lot of fun, and that's a big part of it."
On playing Saturday's game without film of 2006 Syracuse team:
"I think it makes it the toughest game for our defense because they have a new offensive coordinator. It'll probably be sometime around the middle of the first quarter before we start figuring things out."
On the team without Chris Barclay:
"That's a little bit scary on our part. We like (Micah) Andrews. We like De'Angelo Bryant. We've got some good depth at running back."
On trick plays:
"Most teams go into the game with at least one just to try to keep people off balance a little bit, but the problem is you don't usually work on them a lot so the execution is the problem and defensively, you just hope you react well enough to play."
On opinions of the media, other coaches, polls, etc.:
"I think from our standpoint, we can't put too much stock in that because basically polls are based on past performance. In the past we haven't performed as well as we need to. We're just hoping this is a new football season and a new team and we'll play better than we have in the past. That's what we have to do to change people's opinions."
Junior quarterback Benjamin Mauk
On the excitement of game day:
"I'm real excited to play against a defense that's not our own. I'm just excited to play against a different color jersey."
On expectations this Saturday:
"I am taking things in stride. Syracuse has long a history of tradition and have great guys playing in the NFL. For this first game, the biggest thing for me is to learn from my mistakes and come out with a win.
On having something to prove:
"I'm not trying to put pressure on myself. If I can execute and manage the offense, I think we can come out with a win."
On preseason rankings:
"We don't pay too much attention those rankings putting us at the bottom. But when you come back from a 4-7 season, you have to put together some wins."
Junior center Steve Justice
On the excitement of looking ahead to gameday:
"It's going to be great for us, we've been wearing each other down on the field and it's going to be awesome for us."
On Syracuse:
"We started watching tape about a week and a half ago. They have great players coming back and we can't help but look at them. They had a great defense last year and they have a great one this year."
