Tuesday Football Press Conference Quotes
12/16/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Dec. 16, 2008
Press Conference Video: Grobe | Arnoux | McClinic | Robinson | Skinner | Smith
Head Coach Jim Grobe
On the challenges of preparing for a bowl game...
"It's a huge challenge. I think bowl games are the hardest games to predict because you don't know what team is going to show up. It's a completely different environment. I'm hopeful that having final exams behind us will help our kids focus a little bit. It's a concern. They're out of their normal routine and that's always something to worry about."
On the challenge of playing an early bowl game...
"I don't think we'll know until after we play the game. When I was at Air Force we played in a pre-Christmas bowl game. The good news is once its over with you get time to relax and watch other teams play. It's been a little bit of a grind. We haven't been able to give our guys much of a break. When you're playing later, you can give them a lot of time off before you come back together. We'll see how it works out. It's been tough to navigate through the final exam schedule and still try to practice enough to try to play well."
On the health of the team...
"We're ok. We've had a couple of unfortunate injuries. Josh Bush has a bad shoulder and I don't know if he'll play at all. Jonathan Jones pulled a calf muscle and it doesn't look like he'll play. We have some guys who are banged up. I don't think we'll get (Barrett) McMillin back. We got some guys that are down. Everybody probably has issues with injuries right now."
On dealing with high expecations...
"I think if you've had success it gets harder because the expectations do get higher. For most teams around the country you're success to a great extent depends on your schedule. The Sagarin ratings right now have us listed as the fourth toughest schedule in the country. I think we've had a pretty good season against an awful rugged schedule. We played nine bowl times this year. I think that's a big part of it. Expectations are good. I hate to go into a season where nobody thing you're going to win a game. It's a little better if they think you have a chance to contend for championships, but it does put a little more pressure on you."
On next year's team...
"We're going to lose a lot of good players on defense. We've been in a situation where one year we're veteran on defense and the next year we're veteran on offense. I'm not sure most people aren't that way to some extent. It's rare that you have all the pieces to the puzzle together on offense, defense and the kicking game. Next year we'll be more veteran on offense. I would expect us to be better next year offensively. Defensively, we're going to be young but talented. I'm excited. I can't wait to get into the winter. I'd like to win our bowl game before we worry about that but I'm looking forward to winter workouts and spring practice."
Senior linebacker Stanley Arnoux
On what it's like going into to his last college football game...
"It's our last game and it feels like it. They always say play the game like it's your last and by the end of the game, it will be my last game so we're really playing for something. We have a group of guys that it will be our last game and we want to make it special, especially for us seniors since we've been here so long together. It's sad but at the same time, it's exciting"
On whether he has started thinking about all of the records the seniors have set...
"Not yet. I think after it's all done, that will start. I'm still just focusing on Navy right now.
On what they have to do differently against Navy...
"Well, we know what their going do and that's run the ball so we'll need to stop try and stop that. But I think we need to execute better this time because we didn't do that very well in any aspect of the game last time we played them."
On what will be said on Saturday when the teams come out of the tunnel...
"I can't speak for them but I know we're going to come out and play really hard and we'll be ready to hit the Midshipmen."
Senior linebacker Chantz McClinic
On graduating class playing their last game in a Demon Deacon uniform...
Like Stan [Arnoux] said, it's good and bad. We started to talk about how we're all graduating. I just turned 23 so I'm the old guy. It's sad but it's exciting at the same time because these guys have a bright future ahead of them. We've already planned to keep in touch and check up on one another to see how each other's doing. It's been great. I've developed a brother-relationship with these guys so it's tough to realize that it's coming to an end, but at the same time we've been through a lot together so it's pretty exciting."
On what Wake Forest has been doing to prepare for the bowl...
"The thing that we have focused on lately is pretty much film study. We have last year's game and this game to look through so we brought back a couple defenses from last year and combined them with what we did last year, so that's what we're going to do differently. But I think you know what they're going to do pretty much, so film study is the main component in preparing to play Navy."
On being part of one of the most successful linebacking trios in Wake Forest history...
"I really don't think that we notice how much of an impact we've had and how much we've done, but it is kind of cool to be labeled as that."
On what's going to be on his mind going through the tunnel at RFK...
"I don't think it has really hit me that this could possibly be my last football game. I've grown up in the sport and it really hasn't hit me that it's over, and after I'm opening up another door to my life. I think what's going to be on my mind is that this might be the last [game] and to play my hardest."
On what he's going to do next...
"I'm a sociology major and psychology minor here so what I want to do is go into nonprofit work and go from there. "
Junior quarterback Riley Skinner
On playing Navy for the second time this season...
"It's going to be fun playing them, personally. Every time we watched the film during these last couple of weeks, it makes you want to cringe when you watch it. It's a good thing that we get another shot at them this year. It's going to be fun playing them in the bowl. It's going to take a lot of efficiency on offense in order to score some points. Their defense has been pretty good the last couple of games; I don't think they've allowed a point. We're pretty excited going into it. We're going to try and do some different stuff in the game plan and, hopefully, get them on their heels and get some points on the board."
On preparation for bowl games...
"It's fun. I think the last two bowl games we've played in, you get to put a lot of new stuff in and try a bunch of different things out - you have so many extra practices. And it is fun as a quarterback putting new stuff in because most of the times it's worked for us. Now we have some time to put in some new packages, new formations, motions, shifts and plays so it's been fun practicing those these past couple of weeks."
On how it will be playing with some of his teammates for the final time...
"It's going to be emotional. I think we've had a great time these past couple of weeks just practicing and having fun with those guys. When you're the only people on campus, you spend a lot of time together but it's been a good thing because we're going to miss them a lot. I think they realize how much they've meant to the school and to this program. We're definitely going to miss them but we're trying to make the most of the last remaining days they have here so it's been fun, as well."
On how he sums up this year ...
"I think one of the big things that has been different about this year rather than last year and the year before is those close games that have come down to the end. They're not always going to go your way. It hurts a little bit when you've been in the position to have them go your way and came up a little short but that's football. How you bounce back is going to determine what your team is going to be made up of - what kind of guys - so this will be a good test. But if we can come away with eight wins this season, we'll be happy with that. Obviously, you always want more, but going to a third straight bowl game has been a good goal for us and we're pretty happy about that."
Senior defensive end Matt Robinson
On if tempo has picked up...
"Yeah, it's game week again. We've been putting in a lot of hours up here. We had a two-a-day yesterday and we had meetings this morning. It has picked up; we're back in game week and I think everybody's excited about it."
On atmosphere at practice...
"It's been good. It doesn't really change week to week. We've got a lot of veteran guys and a lot of seniors so everybody's pretty committed when we go out to practice. When we get out there it's time to go to work and make sure we get everything right."
On if the team spends a lot of time together as a unit now that school has dismissed...
"Yeah and that's the fun part right now. We went to the movies last night and we get to hang out a lot and be around each other, and that's great. As a senior, knowing that this is it for me and I'm not going to get another year, you really start to appreciate that a little more. It's been nice to realize that and just hanging out at the locker room and hanging out with everyone knowing this is the last week. It's been fun."
On how badly he wants to win this one...
"Bad. We've got a long time to be at home. We're going to be home for Christmas so the only thing that matters is winning. If you want to have a great Christmas Break, you better go out and win. But you don't just show up on game day and expect that to happen. They've already beaten us once and we know what they're very capable of. We're having good practices right now so we just have to be ready to go. We've got to be ready to play and go play our football game and then I think everything will take care of itself."
Senior defensive back Alphonso Smith
On whether he is excited for his last game...
"I wouldn't say excited. Knowing that this will be my last game at Wake Forest is a kind of sad. Like I've said before, I've grown to love this place and I really don't want to think about this being my final game. So to answer the question, I've kind of tried to block it out."
On whether he's been successful in blocking out that this is his last collegiate game...
"Absolutely not. I've been thinking about it everyday. Looking at those guys in the locker room and knowing that when we lifted weights earlier today, it was probably the final time I lifted with the entire team. Just thinking about that kind of saddens me and it's a feeling that I don't want to have."
On what it's been like being part of the Wake Forest football family the last five years...
"It's been great. Like any family, we've had our ups and downs but with that being said, I've gained a lot of friends and brothers and they are the type of guys that I would let baby sit my kids. It's just been a great ride and its five years that I will never forget. It will be five years that I can tell my kids and grand kids about."
On how badly he wants to win this game...
"I really want to win it. I want to win every game I play. I hope I win every game. I'm sure the feeling will be the same on Saturday. I'm going to be pumped and I know the team will be pumped. You always want to win your last game."
On whether the defense has to do anything different this game against Navy...
"Not really. The first time we played them we made them punt seven times. They probably haven't punted seven times in a game since then. We just have to play as hard as we did that first game and have fun."
On how often he "gets sick" before a game...
"Every game. It's like I can't help it. It's the way I get myself ready. I feel sick, weak and a little fatigued but once I `do my thing', I come back ready and full of fire and ready to get after it."