Watch Tuesay's Football Press Conference
Oct. 21, 2008
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Miami Football Press Conference 10/21/08
Head Coach Randy Shannon
We are playing a team [Wake Forest] that is a very veteran team. Coach [Jim] Grobe has a good job at Wake Forest of keeping those guys in the program and developing them over the years. They have some phenomenal players on defense. Offensively, they do the things that can put you in a bad position. Offensively, we have to be able to attack parts of their defense. They have a very veteran defense.
On Wake Forest kicker Sam Swank…
The last couple of weeks he has been injured. He is very vital to their success in kicking field goals. Just like anything, you can get a couple of points ahead by kicking field goals, because he can kick a 52-yard field goal like it’s not anything and they are not able to do that now. He has always had a tremendous leg. I don’t know if he will be back this week; but if he is, it will be a key factor in field position.
On CB Alphonso Smith…
Watching him over the years in the ACC, I have seen that he is a tremendous athlete. He does a great job of playing the game. He’s really a true cover corner who does a great job of covering guys. He takes chances and knows how to play the ball well. It will be a good challenge for the younger guys on the team, especially Travis [Benjamin] who is from that area and knows him. They have a lot of players on their team from Florida.
On DB Ryan Hill…
He has done a good job in transition from receiver. Coach [Wesley] McGriff has done a tremendous job of coaching him and getting him to understand what we want him to do on defense. He has a great role. We don’t play him all of the snaps in the game, he plays about 40 snaps in the game and he has been tremendous at learning. Also, he is a fast guy. He gives us more speed in the secondary. His covering ability also helps us out.
On Wake Forest WR D.J. Boldin…
He does a great job at receiver. He does a tremendous job of catching the football. I think he is the leading receiver in the league. He is their go-to-guy. When they run trick plays, he’s going to be involved. When they run reverses, he is going to be involved in it. He is going to touch the ball some way form or fashion 8-to-10 times a game.
On Wake Forest QB Riley Skinner…
He doesn’t turn the ball over very much. Defensively, they lead the conference in creating turnovers. Offensively, they are very good as far as protecting the team and not creating turnovers. That is one thing he doesn’t do. He doesn’t turn the ball over very much. If they do, you have an opportunity to really capitalize on them. That is what he presents. He knows how to manage the game really well.
On Miami freshmen scoring touchdowns…
Five freshmen in one game scored touchdowns. That’s probably unheard of at the University of Miami. The coaches are preparing these guys for the long haul. If you look at our football team offensively, each week we have someone else stepping up. There is not a go-to-guy on this team. There is a go to guy in certain games, and that is what you will see. If you go back to each game, you will see who the go-to-guy was at that point in time, because that guy was making plays. When we spread the ball around on offense, we are probably going to win the game. I think that is the one thing we have to do consistently.
On WR Aldarius Johnson…
In the last three weeks, he’s stepped up the way he’s been playing. He and Laron Byrd both have. In practice, the last two weeks have been phenomenal for those two guys. You see them making clutch catches, third down plays, the fade routes in the end zone, catches across the middle. That’s what you are going to see from those guys. When you need a pass caught in a tough situation, you will see those guys. A lot of people will look at Thearon Collier, Travis [Benjamin], and D.J. [Davon Johnson] because they are smaller and there is big play ability out of those guys. But, I think those other two guys make catches when you really need to move the sticks in tough situations. Aldarius has shown that he can do that in tough times.
On red zone defense…
When practice first begins, we work on red zone defense and the offense and defense go at it. Each day we work on it heavily. We try to score touchdown and try to prevent touchdowns. We just have to keep stressing it and working on it. We still are not going to stop working on third downs. Last week, we did pretty well on third down, but we have to keep stressing that because those are the things that move the sticks. I think the thing that got us in great situations on third down [against Duke] was that we did not take negative yards on first or second down.
On confidence of team after winning streak…
It wasn’t like wow we just won one game. It was like we can win, we feel good about winning and it’s a great feeling. They were very attentive when we were watching film. They were pointing out their mistakes. They understand that that was just two games. We need to stay focused like we did for the last two games. I think that is the thing about this team, they stay focused. Even though they are young, they really understand what we are trying to get done.
On overcoming adversity…
We were down at halftime, came back out and threw an interception. Usually teams will say, ‘Oh we are in trouble’, but we came back and kept going. I think that’s what has started to change for these guys mentality wise.
On seconday getting in sync …
I think they are starting to. You take Ryan [Hill]. Ryan is junior by class, but a freshman by position. He is starting to get comfortable now. [Anthony] Reddick is starting to get into that mode where he doesn’t have to make all of the plays anymore. You can look at how Brandon [Harris] has matured from Florida State. You see how Bruce [Johnson] is starting to come back and be aggressive. [DeMarcus] Van Dyke was having a phenomenal game until he got nicked up. All of those guys are starting to come back to where they are playing with a lot of confidence. They are feeling comfortable with each other, and they know what each other can do now. That has changed our pass defense and what we are doing in the secondary. I think that helps out a lot.
On RB Javarris James’s return helping the team…
It helps a lot. I think he popped one in there for six and another one for about seven or eight yards. Then he came out because he said his foot got numb. I thought it was the cold weather, but he said the tape was too tight, but he is fine.
Quarterback Robert Marve
On confidence after coming out of the game…
I was excited the team did well overall, and that is pretty much where I stood. I didn’t really look at it any other way. I thought I did everything the caoches asked me to do. I had one bonehead play, but besides that I thought I played great.
On reason for mistakes…
I think it is a little bit of everything. I guess during the Duke game I thought I could not do wrong at the time. I tried to get more on the ball and it did not turn out as I wanted it to. I was happy besides that.
On worrying about being taken out for making mistakes…
They [take me out] for whatever reason they have, even when I am playing well. That is just a part of how we are running it. So no, I don’t worry.
On how he feels about what people say…
I talk to my high school coach, my dad, my mom, and some people that I feel are very close to me, and that is where I stay. I honestly don’t see it. You can’t help people’s opinions about things. It is a lot different for a person on the outside looking in, then from a person inside looking out. Everyone has a different opinion, and I guess I can see where people are coming from. What you and I see might be the same thing, but we see it different ways.
On challenge of Wake Forest defense…
Wake Forest has a great defense. When you talk about leadership skills and all of that stuff, they have all of that. They don’t really bust assignments at all. They seem to know what they do really well. We have to be very disciplined on our half, and be ready to attack, but at the same time knowing what we are doing. It is going to be a great challenge for us. They are a very good defense.
