Tuesday Press Conference Quotes and Video
9/22/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 22, 2009
Press Conference Video: Grobe | Dorty | Quarles | Rinfrette
 Jim Grobe  | |
On the team's young defense shaping up...
"I think we're proven. I thought our problem against Baylor was too many big plays, I thought against Stanford we played a really physical offense. It kind of caught us off-balance, we didn't expect them to throw that much but we found a way to play well in the second half. I thought we played really against Elon, a really talented team and a team that's thrown the football a lot of yards against a lot of teams. I think we've improved each week and we'll need a great effort at Boston College."
On playing at Boston College...
"Boston College has been a really tough place for us to play in the past. We've lost our last couple of games up there. We had one basically in the bag and Matt Ryan took them down for a couple of scores. A couple of years ago we went up there and really turned the ball over too many times and we didn't play very well and they got us again. It's a tough place to play. But I think in this league if you're going to compete for bowl games and championships you've got to play well on the road."
"I think we're very similar schools. I think we're both in the same footprint, good academic schools that play football, basketball and all sports really, at a high level. It's a good rivalry for us, it's a school very similar to Wake Forest."
"When you've only got eight games in football in the conference, you've got to find a way to win some games on the road if you are going to have any chance of not only to go to a bowl game, but to have an opportunity to compete for the title, you've got to be able to play well on the road. So it's a really important game for us, no question."
On starting conference season...
"I think most players are aware of what's getting ready to happen. Not just Wake Forest players, all the teams that are starting league play now, realize that this is a little more important than the non-conference games. I think our players are very aware of that too."
On Riley Skinner and the BC defense...
"Number one, they are a really good defensive football team. They are one of the better coached defensive teams we'll face. They are fundamentally sound, they don't beat themselves and they really make you make plays. If you don't take care of the football things get ugly in a hurry. I think Riley realizes that he probably hasn't played his best football against Boston College, but you have to give them some credit because they are a really good defensive football team."
On BC's offense...
"I think they got their eyes opened a little bit down at Clemson. A young quarterback in front of 83,000, it's a tough place to play. We've been there before and I've got a feeling that they will rebound this week and we'll take their best shot on Saturday."
On preparing the defense...
"I think our focus has to be more on us right now, regardless of who we play. We've played three pretty good offensive football teams and I think our defense has grown from that. We know Boston College will be a challenge, but I think for us we've really got to improve our defense and regardless of whether it's Boston College or whoever. The key for us is we've got to tackle better, we've got to cover better, we've got to rush the passer better - there are a lot of things we've got to do better that we've got control over, regardless of who we're playing."
On preparing the team...
"The thing that our guys need to understand is that Boston College is great on defense. They have great special teams. They'll make a lot of improvement between last week and this week. Overall just realizing the tradition that Boston College has, that they've been in the conference championship game the last couple of years. We have to go up there and expect a battle because that's exactly what it's going to be."
"The biggest thing is focus. The thing that you find out really quickly is that all the ACC road games are hard places to play. For one reason or another it's pretty easy to be distracted. That's the problem at Boston College. The fans get on you pretty good the student section gets on you pretty good. The biggest thing is trying to go up there and focus on playing football."
On offensive goals...
"I felt like we really improved against Stanford. I thought Elon did a nice job defensively against us last week. I like where we are offensively and I think as you look at some of the better defenses, and certainly Boston College is one of the best in the ACC, you've got to have a little bit of balance. If you can't run it, you're in trouble. If you can't throw it, you're in trouble. So I think that is going to be a goal for us the whole year."
On ranking teams in the ACC...
"It's really early. We've had some pretty good challenges starting out. The toughness of schedules have varied early in the season. I don't think anybody knows enough about their football team, us included, to have a clue as to what it will be like in two or three weeks. I think in two or three weeks we'll have a pretty good idea of who the stronger teams are and who's having more problems. These next three weeks are going to tell a lot about us and our chances. Halfway through the season I think everyone will have their eyes wide open."
 Rinfrette | |
Fullback
RS-SR
On whether he thinks the team is where they were hoping to be heading into ACC play...
"I think we're coming around. We're just trying to get better each week. I feel like we've done that since week one and we've tried to improve on each game and hopefully we can continue to do that this week."
On the offense starting to gel...
"Yeah, it kind of looks that way but we still have a lot of work to do be ready for this week. We're just trying to work at doing that."
On whether he's excited for the ACC part of the schedule...
"Oh yeah, definitely. The ACC games are always tough games and it's always fun to play in those games."
On the good games between Wake Forest and Boston College recently...
"It's been pretty good since I've been here. Last year, they put it on us pretty good. Hopefully we play a lot better this year than we did last year."
On what the BC defense will bring this week...
"They have a tough defense. They have had a good defense every year since I've been here. It's going to be tough to move the ball against them. We're going to work at it this week and hopefully we can do some good things this Saturday."
On playing at Alumni Stadium...
"They have great fans up there and the student section is right behind our bench. They're always yelling some nice things at us during the game."
 Dorty | |
Defensive end
RS-SO
On how the defense has progressed from week one until now...
"Well, the first game we made some mistakes, being a young defense. I fell like we're getting better week-by-week. We're getting more aggressive and making fewer mental errors so I think we're progressing well."
On watching film of the BC offense...
"We watched some individual film on them. They're a real talented team and very well coached. So we're not overlooking them at all. We're just ready for the challenge of going up to BC and getting a win."
On the BC-Wake Forest rivalry...
"It seems like every year that we play them, there are always conference championship implications. Last year was a heartbreaking loss for us but we learned from it. It's a physical game. Both teams like to play smash mouth football. Line it up and run right at each other. I'm ready to be part of the tradition and rivalry."
On whether he's expecting a defensive battle this week...
"I really don't know what to expect right now. I expect both defenses to come out and play hard and stick to their game plan and go from there."
On the excitement of the ACC season...
"We want to win for all of the seniors. We've been here for the all of the good times and all of the bad times. Basically, we want to go out on a high note."
 Quarles | |
Safety
RS-SO
On how excited the team is to begin conference play...
"We're really excited. We believe in our coaching staff and they have a great plan for us so basically what we want to do is take one game at a time and enter conference play with a great attitude and go out and perform great in practice. It all starts with practice."
On if the defense is where they wanted to be by the fourth game...
"Yes, sir, we are. We had a lot of confidence going into our first three games and going into conference play is going to help us a lot just being able to focus. It's a great conference."
On the improvements already this season...
"Well, we just believe in our coaching staff. A lot of people on our defense are pretty young as far as the class but we've learned from the Chip Vaughns, the Alphonso Smiths, who graduated and went to the NFL. They taught us great lessons on how to be a team player and work hard on the field. [By] us using that - what they've taught us - it has helped us become a better team from the beginning of the season until now."
On Boston College...
"The ACC is a great conference and we can't take anybody for granted. Boston College will come out with a great game plan like always, like every year. We always have problems with Boston College so we're trying to take one game at a time, listen to our coaches, execute our plays, read our keys and just focus, and we'll be alright."
On the matchup...
"Both teams are known for our defense. They're second in takeaway ratio, to us. It's going to be a defensive battle and [about] which offense can execute better. We have a great game plan with Coach Lobo, and Coach Lobo is going to have our offense fired up. I know they're going to be ready to play. And I know Boston College is going to have a great game plan as well so it's going to come down to defense and who can stop each other, and on offense, who can score more."
