Wake Forest Athletics
Weekly Football Press Conference Video & Quotes
10/11/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 11, 2011
Head Coach Jim Grobe
On starting 3-0 in the ACC for the first time...
"It seems unbelievable that we haven't done that in 59 years or however long we've been in the Atlantic Coast Conference, but it's a good feeling. Our schedule is so tough that we have to focus on just playing every week and not worrying too much about that stuff. It will be a little better to look back after the season and feel good about it if you win some games."
On the team's performance against Florida State last weekend...
"I really wouldn't call it a dominant performance to be honest with you. The thing that our guys did was play really hard. That's what impressed me the most on both sides of the ball, how hard we played. I thought Florida State's guys played really hard. I thought it was just a great football game. We were very fortunate to win. We had another one go right to the wire, but the thing that's most remarkable right now is that our kids are playing really hard."
On the upcoming game against Virginia Tech...
"Virginia Tech was obviously picked to be really good in the preseason, and here we are getting ready to play them and they are really good. They have a quarterback who is playing good right now and is probably bigger than any of our defensive linemen at 6-6, 254 lbs. or whatever Logan (Thomas) is right now. (They have) one of the best running backs in the country and a corps of receivers that are really talented, a really good offensive line and a defense that continues to play good football. Of course Coach Beamer does a good job with special teams, so we have a big challenge on our hands this Saturday, no question."
On the success of the offense against Florida State...
"Well I don't think that we can look at any opponent and be overly confident. We've had five pretty good football games this year where both sides of the ball played pretty hard. We felt like we were fortunate against Florida State. There were three or four times where we just had great individual plays made when they were playing pretty good defense. That doesn't happen every week. We have to be more consistent rather than relying on one or two plays to be the difference. We're happy with our performance offensively against Florida State, but let me tell you this Virginia Tech defense is a salty group."
On the play of Chris Givens this season...
"Well I think more than anything it's just consistency. He's consistently practicing well and playing well. In every way (he is) just growing up and becoming a guy you can depend on. We tell our guys all the time that the most important ability is dependability, and that is what he's doing for us right now."
Senior Guard Joe Looney
On the confidence after beating Florida State...
"I think it showed our team that we can play with anybody in this conference. It just gives our guys confidence in their games and their abilities. That was a big win against Florida State, but we have another Top 25 team coming into town and that's always exciting to play back-to-back games like that. It definitely gave us a lot of confidence, but we still have a lot to do to get ready for this game against Virginia Tech."
On being able to watch the defense...
"It's awesome. I played a little defense in high school so I have a little defensive mentality in me. It's awesome to see those guys flying and just having fun out there playing the game. When they're getting turnovers and getting sacks their having fun playing the game. They're all being team players, so it's awesome."
On having a quarterback who doesn't turn the ball over...
"It's great. Tanner has been doing a heck of a job protecting the ball. That's one of the things on offense our coaches really stress to us is no turnovers. If there are no turnovers then we have a shot to win the game. He's been doing a great job of that and he's playing really good football right now. I know he's going to continue to play hard and continue to study so he's doing a good job."
Sophomore Quarterback Tanner Price
On your feelings on being 3-0...
"It's an unbelievable feeling. I've kind of been on high all weekend from the game. You can't ask for a better start to this season than being 3-0 in conference. It's really created a buzz around the community and the student body. I'm loving it. Now we have to put that game in the past and move forward and prepare for this week."
On being able to learn from the loss at Syracuse...
"I think it's just a much more confident team. This year after the Syracuse game we realized we had a lot of potential and this was a much different team than last year. We can compete with some of the better teams out there. We didn't want that game to get us down and used it as motivation to kind of spark us for next few games and prove that we could close out games."
On the impact of coaching staff the past few weeks...
"The coaching staff has done a wonderful job the past couple of weeks preparing us for each week. They come up with a great game plan and scheme. They've also done a good job of keeping us motivated and focused. One of our coaches actually came up with the motto `We Believe' and the wrist bands. That's played a big part in team morale."
Sophomore Running Back Josh Harris
On Virginia Tech's strong defense...
"Actually, I haven't really had a chance to see their defense. I'm sure that they are very good, so we just have to keep doing the same things that we've been doing. We have to do everything that we can do, so when we have the opportunity to make plays then we'll be able to make them."
On the team's confidence level after the Florida State upset...
"Our confidence is huge right now. Out at practice last night all of the guys had huge smiles on their faces, and I can see and feel the whole team saying to ourselves that we can compete with anyone. It was a huge win for us."
On watching the defense from the sidelines...
"I'll be over on the sideline actually watching the defense instead of going down with the offense. A coach has to tell me to come down to the offense and sit and listen to them. It's easier now that we have the huge scoreboard. I can actually watch the game out on the field and see it up top."
Junior Linebacker Scott Betros
On the progression of the defense...
"I think the most exciting thing has been the coaches. Our two coordinators are so excited about everything. We start the day off with bags every day. They're at us from the get-go making sure that we're fired up. If we're not, they'll make us keep doing those bags all day, so it keeps up moving pretty quickly."
On facing Virginia Tech's offense...
"Every aspect of their offense is great. They have a great quarterback, great running back and a huge offensive line. They're fast and they're physical, so we definitely have our work cut out for us. We have a lot of guys in the film room right now studying our opponent to see if there are any tendencies that we can work on. They're a very good team that will be coming into town."
On the motivation from the loss to Virginia Tech last season...
"We always say that we're a different team this year, but the fact is that they beat us by 31 last year and we have a lot to prove. We have a chip on our shoulder and we hope to go out there and prove something this week. Hopefully we'll have a much different outcome this season."
