University of Connecticut Athletics
Randy Edsall Quotes
11/5/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 5, 2009
Head Coach Randy Edsall
Opening Statement:
"It's a tough challenge this week at Nippert Stadium for us on ABC during primetime. It's pretty big for the program from that perspective, and the fact that we're going against the number four team in the country. We're going against an offense that's very prolific, that scores points, and that really ups your tempo."… "Defensively they're doing very well, giving up about 12 points a game. They're very sound fundamentally so it's going to be a challenge, but we're looking forward playing and preparing this week."
On the team's motivation after everything that's happened this season:
"I think it's very high. We practiced on Sunday and the kids went out there and worked hard without us having to yell and holler at them. They know, as I told them at the beginning of the season and on Sunday: we're good enough to beat any team on our schedule, and the first eight games proved that. We're also good enough to beat any of the rest of the teams on our schedule, but we have to go out and execute. We can't squander opportunities or not execute at our highest level, because we don't have that margin for error. The kids are hungry to win, I've seen them lifting and playing catch on there own the past couple of days because they want to win."
Was it ever a discussion of whether to bring in the true freshman QB Michael Box while Zach Frazer was struggling?
"No, it really wasn't. We're eight games into the season and we have a freshman who we think is a talented young man, but at this point in the season we're not going to go and put him in, especially as a backup quarterback when you might not even need him. We've seen Johnny (McEntee) do things and we feel that if something were to happen to Zach, that Johnny could go in and do a really good job. You have to always look at what's best for the program, not for today but for the longterm as well. Right now Johnny's the backup and Casey Turner is the third guy."
On what the team is taking from the multiple close losses:
"I don't like that we're not winning close games, but I know that there are young kids out there who are getting better. There's nobody out there purposely making mistakes. Play sixty the other day where (Rutgers) scored was the same play as play forty-six, but on play sixty we didn't execute as well and we gave up that big play. They just have to understand that every play is just as important as the others. It's all woulda-shoulda-coulda, but we are what we are. We may not have won as many games as we would have liked to, but I can tell you this-they're winning at the game of life, and that tells you a lot about their character."
On the importance of the game being nationally televised in prime time:
"Look at the free advertisement the university is going to get, which may even attract students to come here. The exposure you can't put in dollars-imagine what it would cost you to run a three-hour ad for three hours on a Saturday night. From a school standpoint, from a state standpoint, it benefits everybody. For us, it gets us out in front of more recruits nationwide, and that exposure is what we're looking for."
Players Mentioned
