Wake Forest Athletics
Weekly Football Press Conference Video & Quotes
10/1/2013 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 1, 2013
Head Coach Jim Grobe
On facing NC State on Saturday...
"(They are) very talented. They remind me a lot of Clemson; they are very athletic defensively and they really run the ball well. Offensively they give you a lot of things to look at; a lot of different formations, different plays, some wildcats and some different things. A real challenge for us and (they have) some return guys that are pretty special."
On the rivalry between Wake Forest and NC State...
"I think it's especially a rivalry to the North Carolina kids with kids they've played against and with in some cases, some of the kids on their team. I think anytime you play a team every year, especially when they beat you the year before, I think it gives you a little motivation. I think all the teams in your division that you play every year, you get to know pretty well and so it becomes a rivalry because you play every year."
On the importance of senior leadership...
"It's very important for our seniors not only to take a leadership role but to play well. I think at Clemson last week we traveled right at 25 freshmen. The mix is freshmen and seniors. The seniors really need to play their best football and they got to kind of hang in there with the young guys and hope they play better each week. We need a good senior presence on this team especially with a rough start and some really good teams left."
Senior Free Safety A.J. Marshall
On the team's mindset...
"We're really focused on getting back to doing what we do. In all phases of the game - special teams, offense, defense - we got to get back on the same page and put two good halves of football together."
On whether or not each game from here on out is a must-win...br/> "We just work hard every week and try to beat each opponent. We have seven more games. We can't let a loss to a good Clemson team put us out for the rest of the season. So we're just working hard this week and looking forward to putting together two good halves of football."
On having the home crowd behind the team on Saturday...
"It's a good feeling. I know the crowd will be pretty stoked being that we are coming back home. We need all the energy we can get. It's a great advantage because the last time NC State came here we beat them."
Senior Tight End Spencer Bishop
On how the team can bounce back after Clemson...
"Obviously Clemson didn't turn out the way we wanted it to. So this week in practice we have to - we talked about it yesterday - just focus on yourself and getting better as an individual. If everyone is focusing on getting better as an individual, as a team we will rise up and play, as A.J. said, two better halves against NC State."
On staying focus and continuing to work towards a bowl game...
"There's a lot of football left to be played, and we realize that. You just got to focus every day in practice, do the best you can and get better each day, and we'll worry all that other stuff when it comes. NC State is our main focus right now, and we got to play well this Saturday."
Senior Defensive End Kristopher Redding
On bouncing back from the Clemson loss...
"Obviously it was devastating. You go into every game with the intention to win, and you go into every game preparing to win. With the amount of preparation we put into it and to come away with a loss the way we did was obviously disappointing. The silver lining is that it's not even halfway through the season yet. We have seven more games, and we're just going to approach the rest of them (with the mindset) that we're going to prepare just as hard if not harder - probably harder - so that we don't walk away with the same feeling again."
On the current mentality of the team...
"Push harder - that's our mindset. We have to do what we do. We have to push harder. Yes, right now we're not playing well, but we have a blessing this Saturday to be able to line up again and play. It's still early in the season, so our mentality right now is to push harder and reap the fruit of that."
On NC State's offense...
"They play with a lot of speed. One of the staples of our defense is that we have a lot of speed also, so I think that will play into our hands. NC State plays hard, they play fast, so we have to bring our A-game to take advantage of anything against their offense."
