University of Connecticut Athletics
Randy Edsall Tuesday Press Conference Quotes
12/1/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 1, 2009
Edsall's Opening Statement
"South Florida presents some unique challenges for us. B.J. Daniels is an outstanding quarterback, very athletic, makes a lot of play for them offensively. They are a team that will spread you out, two, three, four, five wide receivers in their package. So it is something that we are going to have to be ready for. The got some really hard nosed runners and then defensively, their two bookends of defensive ends, Jason Pierre-Paul and George Selvie are as good as what will see all year. Again very fast, very athletic defense that were going to have to make sure that we stay on blocks and we maintain our blocks."
"We need to make sure that we do a much better job this year, Dontavia Bogan, in terms of returns. Last year, he really hurt us from kick-off return standpoint. We have to have a good week to prepare and get ready for this very athletic and fast team on Saturday night."
In reference to the forecast
"Sounds good to me. I told our guys this morning that the weather is not going win the game for us. We're still going to have to go out and play and execute and do the things that we are capable of doing to move the ball offensively and shut them down defensively. To not give up big plays in the kicking game, so that is going to be the focus and the mindset as we prepare."
Have they changed things?
"They really haven't changed things, its really the same offense that they had. They're both pretty similar and if it is not to their liking they can move around, scramble and take off and run with the football. You need to have discipline when they're moving around back there and you cannot come out of coverage. Last week, we came out of coverage a couple of times, as [Greg] Paulus to get closer to the line of scrimmage. We have to be disciplined in our drops and stay back and not come up until that quarterback crosses the line because when you do come up you subject yourself to a bigger play where they can hit the ball behind you. That is going to be very, very critical to our success on Saturday."
"I just know that they are a dangerous team. I just have a lot of respect for Jim and his staff, in terms of their coaching ability and the tremendous amount of athletic ability that they have on their team. I just look at their team and their athleticism and their speed, and know that they present problems for you."
On mentioning the bowl
"As I mentioned to the team this morning, I think our whole focus is to get win number seven and to finish with the three game winning streak. Most especially, I think it's important for these seniors. It is the last time they are going to play in Rentschler Field. Again, this senior class has set a milestone in terms part of three-consecutive bowl games, which nobody else has done since we've started. Knowing what those guys have been through and how much they have put into the program, it would just be fitting to have that happen. Also to end with the three game winning streak, I think that says a lot in terms of the direction that we're going. It means we are improving from week-to-week, so that would be huge. I told everybody that they need to play a little bit harder, and they have been playing hard, but to give a little bit more during the week in preparation and in practice and then during the game so that the seniors can go out with a victory."
"I'm not part of the bowl conversation in terms of who is looking at who, or any of those things. I think any bowl is a good bowl to get to. There are issues in terms of exams, but again, that is why Jeff [Hathaway] gets paid the money he gets paid to deal with that. I'm just really concerned about getting this team prepared for South Florida and that is the only control I have. I do not have control over those other issues. I just know that we are going to be going to one and all the bowls that this program has been to we have had a good time and a good experience at each and every one. I think we will have a good time and a good experience with whichever one we go to this year."
"I think it might have been one day last week, I got frustrated with them. I talked more about getting enough wins that you had to do that. I think there was one time last week, I just said that, not that I was frustrated, but there was something going on the field that I didn't like at the end of the practice. I said, if you want to get to a bowl then you want to get out and win this game. I think that was really the first time I mentioned it, I always just talk about getting to the magic number. The number of wins that you need."
On Mathieu Olivier being honored on Senior Day
"He was tired of being interviewed and didn't want to deal with the media, so I figured if he could sneak out without having to do any of that. He came to me a few weeks ago and he wasn't playing at that time and he told me that he wanted to graduate and go to a lower level and go to grad school and play. Because if you graduate then you can go to lower level, IAA, Division II and play because he's graduated. He had some, wanted to try to get back closer to home, and some personal family issues that he was concerned about and said that is what he would like to do. I just said that if that is what he would like to do then fine. Now I hadn't had a conversation in the last two weeks since he's played, but he hasn't come to me and said Coach, remember what I told you before, I'm not going to come back. He has some personal, family issues that he would like to be closer to home and be around his family with. He'll be graduating so he will be able to do that. Where? He hasn't discussed that or we haven't talked about what school he would think about going to."
"Well, Matt [Edwards]'ll start this week because Eric [Sawicki] is still, he's full, but he's hobbling a little bit. Matt'll start this week."
On the senior class
"There are, but the one guy that stands out, and they all stand out, I'm just going to talk about one, they all stand out to me because they have all contributed. The one guy that really stands out to me is Andre [Dixon]. I am just so happy, thrilled, for him because where Andre came from when he got here to where he is today, this is why you coach, this why you help young people. He's going to graduate in December, he is going to have an opportunity to play at the next level. He is going to be playing in one of the all-star games. Just to see how far he has come and how much he has matured, to understand that there is a place when you know what's inside of a person, you work with them to give them a second or third chance to right they ship, so to speak. I just couldn't be anymore proud of what he has accomplished here in his career and how he's handled everything. It hasn't been easy, it hasn't been easy for him, but again the issues that happened were self inflicted. I think if any of our young kids, and believe me he has been a tremendous leader this year, he has been unbelievable, even though he is not a captain. I would just hope that these freshmen, sophomores and red-shirt freshmen have really watched Andre this year and understand this is how you go about your business. This is how you should be; you talk about being a pro. Andre Dixon is a true pro. In terms of how he has been able to conduct himself and what he has been able to do. I'm just so proud because I know that there were a lot of people that wanted to give up on him, and thought that I would have given up on him. I knew deep down the young man he was and what he had inside of him, some of the issues that came about weren't in a malicious intent, just poor decisions and now you see this has all paid off for him and paid off for our program. He's given us so much."
"Another guy that I think is, he didn't turn out this year in terms of the way he would've liked, but Alex LaMagdelaine. He is a guy that was a starter for us before and he could've graduated last year, but he decided to come back because, he's been hurt off and on, but he came back this year and he didn't get to play. It just shows to me and to his teammates, what this game, this University, this team meant to him. He had one more shot this year, to get on the field and play. He did all the things could possible do to try and make that happen and it just so happen that he was a position where there were guys that were just better than him. He went out there everyday and just worked to be better and did all the things that he was asked to do. Again he is going to be a tremendous success when he leaves here, just like all of them."
"Brad Kanuch, some of the hard luck that he went though in terms of the injuries and to see him bounce back this year and have the productivity that he is having this year is special to see. And what he has done academically and the awards he has gotten from an academic stand point, shows that they are all student-athletes, but he really took it to another level in terms of what he was doing. All of them have their unique stories and those are just a few that I thought I'd share with you."
Players Mentioned
