Postgame Quotes
9/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
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WAKE FOREST 41, ELON 3
September 3, 2015
Postgame Quotes
Wake Forest Head Coach Dave Clawson
Opening statement...
"Thanks for coming out and staying out late. It's always good to start out the year with a win. In a game like this, I think you expect to win but you also want to execute at a high level, and that to me is what's encouraging about the game. On defense, we executed at a high level. On offense, we made explosive plays, which was one of the things that had to happen. We have some things to clean up in the kicking game, with the kick returns and punt returns. We have some things we need to get better at, but overall, it was a good opening night. It was awesome to have a great student section out there to start the game. To see that place packed, I really appreciate our students getting out there. I would bet over half of our student body was there, which I don't know if that happens anywhere in the country. Overall, it was a good win. It was exciting to see a lot of our freshman skill guys get involved. I think that all four freshman receivers caught balls. I thought the backs all had moments where they looked really good. It's one game, but it's nice to be 1-0, and now we have to get better before next week when we go on the road in the ACC."
On the effectiveness of the run game...
"We made a concerted effort to run the football tonight. You could probably tell that. We want to run the football. A lot of times, that doesn't take effect until late in the second quarter or the third quarter. When you start out a game, very rarely do you just control the line of scrimmage. They were mixing up some different pressures and doing some things a little bit differently than they did a year ago. They caught us off guard a little bit. But we settled in and ran the ball well. I thought that Matt Colburn ran with a really nice pad level down on the goal line, to see him lower his pads and power through there. Again, a lot of positive things, but we'll watch the film. I'm sure there's a lot of things we need to clean up as well."
On the explosiveness of the offense...
"The counter play with Tyler Bell was exciting, so was Cortez [Lewis's] long catch down the sidelines. Chuck Wade made a few plays in space, and watching Tabari [Hines] on the punt return. How about [John] Wolford's run? I don't think anybody would have expected him a year ago to ever make a run like that. I've said time and time again that he's in better shape, he's moving better, and he's more athletic than people give him credit for. He showed that tonight, and obviously Kendall [Hinton] can run too. Again, there are a lot of positive things, and a game like this is good."
On offensive improvement around sophomore QB John Wolford...
"He had time. We gave up more sacks than I would have liked. You have to be able to surround the quarterback with good players, and the protection was better. Guys were making plays after the catch. How many of those swing passes that we threw today that became 10 or 12 yard plays were two-yard plays a year ago? That makes it a lot easier to execute the offense, when you stay on schedule, and you're not behind in the count. John is a good player, he's improved, but we've improved around him. I think that we showed that tonight."
Elon Head Coach Rich Skrosky
Opening statement...
"I really felt coming into this game we prepared well. We looked good. I was pleased with our practice. Unfortunately, I was maybe worried about how much we had, and it showed. We just didn't have a lot of composure about us, and that was evident with the penalties we committed. And you look back at us last year, and...I think we were the least penalized team in the CAA and one of the least penalized in the country. Certainly, when you play like that and then you add on the penalties, it was preventing us from getting anything going, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. I think we hung in there on defense, but when you're out on the field that long as the offense continues to struggle in producing first downs, you know it's going to be a tough time for the defense."
On the future at the quarterback position...
"Without seeing the tape, I'm not sure if anything really was decided today. We feel like everything that takes place on the offense is on the quarterback, but when you look at it, you're going to see a lot of mistakes in a lot of positions. The penalties hurt us, so there was never really an ability for either guy to get into a rhythm or get a play and a series going. So we'll learn from it. I was pleased with what both guys did."
Wake Forest Redshirt Sophomore Tight End Cam Serigne
On training camp...
"It made me feel great. We've been working hard to get to this point, and the season is finally here. All that work we've put in during the spring and the winter is finally able to take place, and I think it showed in our first game. Now it's just time to build on that."
On improving throughout the game after slow start...
"For us, it was really just having to get going. We had to realize it's game time to get into that mindset that we got to really pick things up. I think once we realized that, it was full speed ahead for us."
Wake Forest Sophomore Quarterback John Wolford
On his second year as the starter...
"As a whole, just being in the system an extra year, the timing gets better with the receivers, you see the coverages better and you get an extra spring of seeing defenses. In all of that, the decision making is half seconds quicker and that makes the biggest difference."
On winning as a team...
"The receivers did a great job. The O-line did a great job. You work so hard in the off-season and everyone commented last year about being how bad we were statistically. I think this shows how hard we worked, but it's one game. It's a one-week season as coach always says, so now our focus is to Syracuse."
Wake Forest Senior Linebacker Brandon Chubb
On the game...
"The experience was great ... starting off with just the stadium atmosphere, with all of the fans there. And then after the offense put 17 and 24 on the board, it was a great feeling. The morale was high and that's what we need every week."
On the rotation...
"Tell a 19 or 20-year-old that you're going to start, but you're getting rotated out, and the first reaction is I don't want to come out of the game. But when you experience the system, you see how it helps. The system works. It's a recipe for success."
Wake Forest Grad Defensive Back Devin Gaulden
On perseverance...
"Perseverance is big for me. I'm a man of faith. Perseverance has helped me get through the dark days, especially being away from home and with the surgeries I've been through. It makes it all feel so good now. This was my expectation coming into college. We had some road bumps along the way, but we're finally here."
On the energy from the crowd...
"There was a good vibe from the start. Coming out and seeing the student section being vibrant and very into it was very good. The more we win, the more they'll come out."
