Weekly Press Conference Video & Quotes: Sept. 1
9/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeFB)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – With game day just two days away, Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson, defensive back Ryan Janvion and offensive lineman Dylan Intemann met with the media to preview Thursday's opener against Elon.
Head Coach Dave Clawson
Opening Statement...
"Welcome back and thanks to everybody for coming out. As a program, we're certainly looking forward to Thursday night. If you go through spring football and camp, it's basically 42 practices our guys have practiced against each other and hit each other. I know they're anxious to get it kicked off and play another football team. Overall I feel we've had a good camp. We've certainly faced some adversity in it, getting flu and some injuries, but I think overall that probably helped us develop depth and allowed us to get a lot of young guys in to get more reps, and I think over the long haul of the season that will prove very beneficial.
In terms of Elon, certainly have great respect for their head coach, Rich Skrosky. I've known him for probably 25 years, back to when he was the head coach at Ramapo. Rich as done a great job wherever he's been. They play in the best FCS conference in the country in the CAA. I was the head coach at Richmond for four years and it's very good football. I think they're trying to do at Elon what we're trying to do at Wake Forest, which is build the program back up to where it was. They've recruited well and they're extremely well-coached. It's a very veteran staff with guys that have been at the BCS level and they're going to do a great job there. They've got 16 returning starters. On defense, basically their entire secondary is back. The linebacker, [John] Silas, is a very productive football player. They've got some big guys inside the tackle and they know their system well. They force you to execute. They're a little bit of a bend but don't break. They keep things in front of them and force you to execute at a high level. Offensively, they have seven back on that side of the ball as well with three starters on the line. They have a big back, [B.J.] Bennett, that can get moving and they've got good skill. They've recruited very well."
Redshirt junior safety Ryan Janvion
On the return of the season...
"It's extremely exciting. You can definitely tell with the buzz around the locker room, getting a chance to go out there and step on our field once again and play someone else instead of hitting each other over and over. We're kind of tired of that."
On being a leader for this year's team...
"I was challenged by my coaches, especially Coach Clawson, to step up and be a leader and not worry about people's opinions of me. I'm just doing what's best for the team, and that's what I've really been trying to focus on this year. Being the veteran back there, I'm teaching guys and making them understand what it takes to succeed in the ACC. I'm teaching them the work that you have to put in and the extra stuff that you have to do to get prepared and ready for games."
On approaching this week's game against Elon...
"We're preparing for it the exact same way we would be prepared for any other game. We are only focused on this game. It's a one-week season and right now our season is focused on beating Elon, and that's exactly what we're going to do. Se we're going to come out there and we're going to be assignment-sound, and we're going to focus on giving 100-percent regardless of who we line up against."
Redshirt senior offensive lineman Dylan Intemann
On the excitement leading up to this season…
"You get one go-around for your senior season and you've got to make it amazing. All the seniors are just so excited. We've been working so hard in the offseason. We've been putting in time with all the coaches, watching film, practicing, so we're just ready to go."
On the chemistry of the offense…
"With our first year, it was definitely a learning system. Even when we were going into the season, we were still trying to grasp the system and kind of just wrangle that. So with our second year, everyone's had the spring to kind of develop into a better player and use the better techniques we have. The offense has kind of meshed together, and the offensive line, the quarterbacks, the receivers, the running backs—everyone's gotten better in their position, which has just increased our level on the offense. It's going up and up."
On the depth at the running back position…
"We just want the best back for the situation. I think all those backs bring something different to the table. Some are bigger, some are faster, some are stronger. They're doing real well, so we're going to see a big change. We have I think five or six now that are getting reps in practice. Everyone's going to get an opportunity to touch the field."
