Weekly Press Conference Video & Quotes: Sept. 15
9/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeFB)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest head football coach Dave Clawson and sophomore quarterback John Wolford met with the media during the weekly press conference on Sept. 15, wrapping up the Syracuse game and looking forward to Army West Point.
Head Coach Dave Clawson
Opening Statement...
"Looking back at Syracuse, it was just a missed opportunity for our football program. We had a good opportunity for a road win in the ACC, which we haven't done in a long time. If you outgain a team 450-370 and convert 9-of-16 third downs and they convert 1-of-9, you'd expect normally to win the football game. But then, when we flip it, you give up three turnovers that lead to two scores, you give up for four plays for 228 yards, and then, in the fourth quarter, offensively, we just beat ourselves. We've been a pretty discipline, clean operation on offense for seven quarters, and then the last quarter on offense, we broke down. We had a really foolish penalty. We lost our composure. Then, we had some false starts and a delay of game. We just did some things we haven't done all year. In the course of every football season, you're going to face adversity, and we failed our first test. Like every season, you have got to learn from your mistakes and we're going to have to do that this week against Army.
"Right now Army is 0-2 and this is a very proud program. Their head coach, coach (Jeff) Monken, has done a great job everywhere he's been. Their backs are to the wall, and this is certainly a group that's going to come out fighting. It was a great game at our place a year ago that came down to the fourth quarter and was a one-score game. Now we're taking our team up on the road to Michie Stadium, one of the great historic venues in college football, and to play a team that's very hungry for a win. They're an improved team offensively. Their quarterback is really dynamic. They do a lot of different things on offense. With Army, the test is always having one week to prepare for what they're going to do. The cut blocks, the formations, and the option, and now they have a quarterback who is dynamic. I think they started three or four seniors on the offensive line. They've been mixing it up a little bit. Defensively, they're very aggressive. They're going to blitz you and come after you, and they're a team that if you're not assignment perfect, they'll get you for TFL's. It'll be a good challenge for our guys to go up there and try to get a road win, which is something we've not done in a long time."
On lessons from the Syracuse game…
"A year ago, Syracuse really physically beat us up and dominated us. We are better physically, we're better up front, we're more skilled, we're making more plays, we're moving the ball better. Now we're going to be in more games. If we're doing all those little things right, making those critical plays, not making the dumb plays, not getting a dumb penalty, that is going to result in wins or losses."
Sophomore quarterback John Wolford
On the performance of the offense against Syracuse...
"Obviously it's a good ACC defense, and we showed that we could move the ball against them consistently. We controlled the possession…We moved the ball. We had some explosive plays. We did all the things you should do. Obviously we made some strides but any time you give the other team points, especially when they're a young offense like they are, you can't spot those teams points, and that really is what's going to determine the difference between winning and losing."
On Wake Forest's top-25 ranking in total offense…
"I think that's a good start. Those rankings are cool to see, but ultimately it comes down to wins and losses. That's the most important stat, and we've got to continue to win. Obviously we don't accept losing. It's good to see that we're making strides statistically, but we've got to put it on the field and put it together so we can win those games."
On preparing for this week's game at Army…
"Last year they presented some challenges. This year they're doing some new stuff defensively so we're going to have to prepare for that. They're a different front than what we faced. With a young team, our challenge is going to be to get these guys ready in three days, basically. Every team's going to present challenges, and we've just got to prepare for them."
