Wake Forest Athletics
Postgame Quotes
9/6/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 6, 2008
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Head Coach Jim Grobe Quotes
On quarterback Riley Skinner's play...
"I thought he was sharper today than he was last week. I was very impressed. It made me feel good knowing that we had Riley Skinner running the offense."
On the last drive...
"D.J. Boldin down the seam was huge. It was a huge play. Josh Adams really prides himself on catching the ball as a running back. When Riley let it go, I thought this kid might run under it. It was good that we got that call, but if they hadn't bothered him right there I think Adams may have had it. When we got it down to the 29-yardline on the interference call, I felt that [Sam Swank] could make it. I think he could have been further back and still made the kick."
On his team's attitude at the end of the game...
"It was really a sense of determination, not a sense of panic. This win gives them a little bit of confidence. I just felt really good going into that last drive. For starting at our own 20-yard line, I had a sense that these guys could do it. I just felt when I saw the guys that we had a chance to do something good."
On the win and the team's bye week...
"We certainly needed this. Some teams try to buy wins and we certainly had to work for two, and I think that just makes us better. Boo Robinson, Alphonso Smith and Ben Wooster are beat up just enough that the time off will be good. We're going to actually give these guys three days off and come back on Wednesday. The coaches go out on the road recruiting on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday, we'll go over the film and hopefully get in three really good practices on Thursday, Friday and Saturday."
On the new Deacon Tower and season opener...
"We're so blessed to be at Wake Forest and see these things happening. If the home-opening crowd wanted a good game, they got it, and I think the guys did a good job of entertaining them."
Holder Ryan McManus
On if there was any sense of urgency on the last drive...
"I knew we had a timeout. If we hadn't of had the timeout, we would have had to hurry up and get it going a little bit more. Since we had the timeout, we were good."
On if he knew the kick was good once Sam Swank kicked it...
"I knew it was good. It started to tail to the left a little bit. When it came off his foot, it was headed straight down the middle. It started to tail at the end."
On how important the game-winning kick was because of the Virginia game last year...
"I think it was huge. I know he put a lot of pressure on himself after the Virginia game last year. For him to come back a year later and kick a game winner is awesome for him. I think it gives him more confidence."
Quarterback Riley Skinner
On the last drive...
"I think the last drive where Ole Miss scored took a lot out of the crowd. It was a big shot to the team's energy. We knew as an offense we could take the ball down in a minute thirty in field goal. Ole Miss just lit us up all day. They brought every blitz you can imagine. They got in the backfield. They're a really, really good defense. We didn't move the ball as well as we wanted to off the bat. D.J.'s (Boldin) catch really sparked our last drive. They ran a two-high safety look and D.J. got behind the linebacker. If I threw a better ball, he probably could have run a little more. We had Josh (Adams) one-on-one, which was huge, and I had a feeling that he'd be able to get by the guy. I tried to buy some time and threw it up. Luckily, we got the pass interference call, which was big. After that, we just tried to work the sidelines and get closer and closer with low-risk throws. We were able to get in field goal range and Sam (Swank) put it through."
On if he was thinking about getting a pass interference call on the play to Josh Adams...
"Me and Josh were talking to each other and I told Josh that if you get one-on-one I'm going to look at you so try to beat him deep. That's one of those where you throw it up and you hope it's going to be a complete pass or get a flag. You're hoping there's not going to be an interception on that throw. You have to have confidence that the receiver will make a play so that doesn't happen."
Placekicker Sam Swank
On Wake Forest calling timeout before the game-winning kick...
"The clock was running down. (Ryan) McManus was on his toes and called timeout, which actually gave me more time to really concentrate on my steps and focus on the wind and see what that was doing. The wind was a huge factor in the game."
On if he is as calm as he appears to be...
"I was going out there and doing my job. I was doing what I know how to do. I wasn't going to try to do something out of the ordinary. I was really focused to do what I've been doing for four and a half years for this program."
Ole Miss Head Coach Houston Nutt
Opening statement...
"I was really proud of our team. I thought they fought and hung in there. I'm disappointed in the gifts that we gave them (Wake Forest). We gave them some gifts. We talked about it all week that you can't give them gift wraps because they're too good of a team to spot them. We were three and out our first series. Our defense did a great job. We had a miscommunication on the punt. We were in punt safe. We had two interceptions where we forced a couple of balls. I thought Jevan (Snead) came back and really competed. I thought he came back and really hit some key passes for us. The only thing I was disappointed in was our running game. There weren't many running lanes for us. What I take from this is that we have some heart. We have some kids that laid it on the line for us. You can't give the other team gifts against a-top 20 team in the ACC. We could easily be in here singing and having a good time. You have to finish those games."
On the third quarter...
"We were ready to go. You saw their effort. We were playing a good team. Good teams cause you to do that. We have to get better and handle our cool and our poise. I thought we came back. These guys had one thing on their mind and that was to win this ballgame."
On Jevan Snead...
"I thought he was awesome. To be able to escape problems, hit receivers and keep the chains moving, I thought he was awesome."
On coming from behind twice...
"We had some real fight. We have some heart. We're going to build off that. We have to eliminate the turnovers and eliminate the mistakes. You have to win."
