Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest Media Day Quotes
8/5/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 5, 2006
Head Coach Jim Grobe
On this season's points of emphasis:
"On the offensive side of the ball, we need to take better care of the football. Last year the problem was we had turnovers at the worst times. So we want to really stress limiting our turnovers on offense. And then defensively, we have to limit big plays. In the kicking game, we have to replace Plackemeier, so that's big concern for us."
On quarterback Benjamin Mauk:
"I think when we talk about limiting turnovers, the burden falls squarely on the quarterback. You can't throw the ball up for grabs. Once in a while, a defender is going make a great play. We just need to be a little smarter in our decisions, as far as taking care of the football. Not just Ben, but everybody."
"I think for Ben to give us a chance to win, he needs to just worry about getting first downs and getting the ball in the end zone. In high school, he was the player of the year in Ohio and won a bunch of state championships. He was the kind of kid that when things got down to crunch time, he put the whole team on his shoulders and carried them. The problem is in the ACC there are so many great defensive football teams it's hard to do everything by yourself."
On the offensive line:
"From a starting standpoint we feel pretty good. As long as our front five stay healthy we'll be pretty solid. In a college football game, you need to have fresh people late. If we can get two or three of those redshirt freshmen to develop, then I think we will be able to spell those guys once in awhile."
On establishing the running game:
"We need that to happen early. We need for Micah [Andrews] and De'Angelo [Bryant], and maybe even Kevin Harris, to play well early in the season. We can't get four or five games into the season before they start playing well. I think the big emphasis is going to be on their supporting cast. We need to block a little better up front than we did last year. We need to come out as a better short yardage and redzone football team. Last year, Chris [Barclay] was a big break-away threat. Right now we don't have that in any of our running backs. What we do have is a few physical running backs, so the trade-off is we may be a better possession team and better at scoring touchdowns rather than kicking field goals.
On Matt Robinson's injury:
"I wouldn't say he's day to day but it might be week to week. In Matt Robinson you have a guy that wakes up full speed and goes full speed all day until he goes to bed. He's going to work as hard as he can to get back. Unfortunately, this is an injury we just never see. It's really almost a test case to see how fast he can come back. He's worked really hard doing rehab, maybe even a little harder than he should. He's one of those kids you never worry about, he wants to play so badly. I'm almost surprised it's taken that long [for him to come back]. I'll be honest, I've been coaching 30 years and I've never seen anyone break a kneecap.
Junior quarterback Benjamin Mauk
On last season:
"I am just trying not to think about last year. I learned from my mistakes and I came back during the North Carolina State and Duke games and played more efficiently. That is the way I want to play this year.
"I am not too pleased with last year's performance, but I am not going to worry about it. You can't live in the past and you have to learn from your mistakes. That is the thing about football, every season brings a whole new slate. My slate is wiped clean and I am going to focus on the new season and get off to a good start."
On losing Chris Barclay:
"I think that anytime you lose a guy like Chris Barclay, it hurts your offense, but when you bring in players like Micah Andrews and D'Angelo Bryant and Kevin Harris, we will do well. We just have to be on top of the game plan and be ready to play each week."
On being the starter:
"Nothing changes from last season. You come out and compete every day just as if the position was on the line. That is the way you get better, through the competition on the practice field. We are pushing each other and each of us is getting better. Cory (Randolph) is gone but we are still competing and basically everything is the same."
On the experience of the offensive line:
"Having experience on the offensive line makes a big difference on the field. I think it was Coach Grobe's plan to build the team up that way and I believe it will pay off. Our running backs look good, as do our wide receivers. Everybody has experience and I think that will make a difference."
Junior linebacker Jon Abbate
On the first practice:
"It was good to get back out there and working with the coaches. We can't work with them all summer and it was good to just get out there and get started with the season."
On the team's experience:
"Having experience on the field is and isn't going to help us this season. The experience is a good thing, but you can't say just because you grow one more year doesn't mean you are going to pull out that close win. You have to go out every practice and bust it. You have to prepare for each game and get better every day."
On the number change:
"I changed my number for my little brother Luke. His life ended too short and I thought this was one of the best ways that I could honor him."
On Matt Robinson's injury:
"It is like every injury and it takes time. Unfortunately, with the knee cap, we just don't know how much time. He is going to keep working hard with his rehab and I think he will be alright."
On Bryan Andrews:
"Bryan Andrews has been working hard running, training and lifting this summer. He has taken the role of a senior and being a leader seriously. Having him as a fifth year senior will be great. He came into Wake as a tall and skinny linebacker and over the past two or three years he has put on some weight and now he is a beast. He can run and is athletic and that is going to be a huge part of our defense.
Sophomore offensive guard Chris DeGeare
On his size:
"Yesterday when I weighed out at practice I was 346 [pounds]. I want to be 330 or 335 by the start of the season."
On playing as a freshman last season:
"I was happy to just come out and play and get into the swing of things. I just had to learn the system coming out of high school. I did that and now I'm in the starting five.
On the starting five offensive linemen:
"With the starting five, we know each other. We know what's going on and what's going to happen. Playing next to [Steve] Vallos, I almost know what he's thinking. I know what I have to do every play."
Senior safety Patrick Ghee
On evaluating the team's performance so far:
"You can't really judge in the beginning. We're installing new stuff and working on our technique. Not until the last scrimmage or the last practice can I really evaluate how we're doing."
On the season opener versus Syracuse:
"Our first game is our most important game. It sets the mood or the atmosphere for the rest of the season. Syracuse is a good team, so we have to be prepared."
Junior running back Micah Andrews
On the offense:
"It's important for us to establish the ground game early. This year I think we have more spread out weapons as far as wide receivers and running backs. It's going to take a lot of weight off of Ben [Mauk's] shoulders. As far as him being the leader of the team, I think Ben's going to do a great job. I just think we have more of an arsenal on offense this year."
On Chris Barclay and his record:
"If I didn't think I could put a dent in his record or break it, I wouldn't be trying so hard. I learned a lot from Chris by watching him. If I could emulate some of the things Chris does, I will be in good shape. I learned a lot from his running style."
On the running game:
"We run the ball. It's our forte. We don't abandon the run whether it's working or not. It's good for our confidence in the backfield because you know you're going to be a big part of the offense no matter what. We're going to run the ball and pound it. That's Wake Forest football and that's how it's going to be."
Junior defensive end Matt Robinson
On his injury:
"It is just one of those things that nobody knows very much about right now, but in the last week and a half I have come a long way. We are working out two times a day, five days a week and we are just pushing it as hard as we can. We have the underwater treadmill going and it has been really great for it. It is going to be one of those things where we will wait until crunch time to see if I can be out there. If I can get out there, then I will definitely be productive and if not then we will have to look at our options."
On his playing options:
"If I don't get out there, then my option would be a medical redshirt. With the shoulder injury that I had my freshman year it is possible that I could get a medical, but right now we are pushing for me to play. Even if I do have to miss a couple of games in the start, if I could get in there during the ACC games and help the team out, then I will sacrifice those. It is just one of those things that will come down to the wire and we are going to keep pushing it everyday."
On when he can play:
"The doctors don't know when I will be able to play. Dr. Martin did a good job in surgery and it is just one of those things that they don't really know as far as recovery. We have come a long way over the last couple of weeks and if it keeps progressing like this, I feel pretty good about getting in there."
Senior defensive end Bryan Andrews
On being a starter:
"I put a lot of pressure on myself since the first day I got here. Now I'm in a starting role again like I was my sophomore year. Hopefully I can come out and gain the confidence of my teammates and make some plays."
On Jim Grobe saying Andrews played well toward end of last year:
"I felt like that because I was able to get my technique down. I didn't play defensive end before I came here, so it took me a lot longer than I expected. Now that I got my technique down, I'm already quick, so I just had to get the size."
On Matt Robinson's injury:
"I want to wish Matt all the best. Everybody's praying for him. I think we're going to be OK. We have a lot of players at defensive end that if they get the chance they can shine. I plan on being a big part of it. I'm going to be looking to make plays. I want that pressure on me."
