Wake Forest Athletics
Weekly Football Press Conference Video & Quotes
9/27/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 27, 2011
Head Coach Jim Grobe
On the strength of schedule coming up...
"Certainly Syracuse was a good football team, I thought NC State was a good football team and Gardner-Webb, at their level, was a good football team. But these next nine are going to be a really tough stretch for the Deacs."
On the team's focus during the bye week...
"I think the biggest focus for us was just to be a better blocking and tackling team, we've worked really hard on fundamentals and we've tried to get some guys healthy. I think we've done that. So I think more than trying to come up with a lot of different plays, we've tried to run the ones that we've got better."
On another tough road matchup this week...
"We've got to play better on the road, and I think our players understand that. We had a great opportunity at Syracuse that we let slip away, so we've got to take a little bit more resolve with us on the road. I think the teams we've had that have been our better teams throughout the years have always been good road teams."
Assess where you guys are right now as a team...
"I think we're a pretty good football team... I wouldn't say in any way that we've arrived right now, but we're better than we were last year and we've got the talent to win some football games. We haven't shown maturity with the lead in a couple of our games, so I think we've got to grow up mentally but I think physically we're capable of going and winning some football games."
On the last ten years of going up against Boston College...
"We've had some great wins and we've had some heartbreakers against these guys. Typically they go to the last possession, so that's what we have to expect up there. [We have to expect] that the game will probably go late, with a chance for either team to win, and whoever makes a play late is probably going to win the game."
Senior wide receiver Danny Dembry
On the offense's progression from this year to last year...
"I believe last year there were a lot of young guys playing. This year older guys are helping the young guys out. Tanner Price feels more comfortable with the offense. So we're just clicking right now and hopefully it continues throughout the season."
On your confidence after having three good games to start the season...
"Actually my confidence built during the spring. Coach Galloway came in and I knew he was going to stay on me because I was a senior. This was my last chance to prove myself. He told me it was going to be my turn. He was going to let me play. He's doing it and I'm just coming through with catches and helping the team out the best way I can."
On what worries you about Boston College's defense...
"Their linebacker. I can't think of his name right now, but he's a great player. Their corners are great too. They have one who is a pre-season All-American, I think. We're just looking forward to going against them.
Junior Kicker Jimmy Newman
On his confidence if called on to kick a game-winning field goal...
"I feel like I have the confidence, but a lot of it is because of our holder and snapper, Alex Wulfeck and Logan Feimster. They always do a good job. Whenever you have people like that who are able to get it there and get it down, it makes the job much easier. Hopefully it won't come down to that, but if it does I'm confident that we'll be able to do it."
On the hunger for a win...
"I think our history against them increases the hunger a bit. It's always a close game, and that just makes it more desirable for us to go out there, do our best and execute everything that we have to."
On kicking on the road...
"Boston College is usually really loud. I remember playing there my freshman year and the students were very loud. Usually I'll just try to go through my middle work, visualize everything and try to get a realistic game-time experience, which will hopefully prepare me for what I'm going to see so it isn't as much of a problem when I actually get there."
Senior Offensive Tackle Doug Weaver
On whether the bye week came at a tough time...
"It was a little tough, because we did have a lot of momentum heading into it, but it always feels good to have a bye week to prepare. We had three really good practices last week, so I feel like we've got a jump start on Boston College. It's been really good trying to get as much knowledge as we can on them."
On ensuring Boston College is not overlooked...
"In the ACC, you can't overlook anybody. It's a great conference. We watched the Boston College-Duke game while we were waiting to play Gardner-Webb, and it was a great game by both sides. Every team is going to go out there and have good players. Boston College has their All-American linebacker Luke Kuechly in there; you definitely have to worry about him every day. Teams can have a rough start, but that doesn't mean anything. Virginia Tech started 0-2 last year and then next thing you know they go on a hot streak. Just because a team starts out rough isn't a determining factor of what they're going to be for the whole season."
On Wake's recent history against Boston College...
"We've had a lot of close games with these guys. They're always a really hard-nosed football team. They have a great running back that comes at you and runs downhill. They've always had big studs out there on defense like B.J. Raji, and they always have a tough team when we play one another. They always seem to find a way to win against us, so hopefully we're able to turn that around this year."
