Quotes From Monday's Football Press Conference
November 22, 2004 | Football
Nov. 22, 2004
Audio Clips
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Head coach Bobby Petrino and selected players made themselves available to the media for the weekly football press conference on Monday at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. They discussed U of L's 65-27 road win over Houston last Saturday and the No. 8-ranked Cards' upcoming home finale against Conference USA foe Cincinnati. Kick-off between the Cardinals and Bearcats is set for 2:30 p.m. ET at PJCS and the game will be televised nationally by ESPN2.
Following the Cincinnati game, the Cardinals will close out the regular-season against Tulane on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 2:30 p.m. ET at the Louisiana Superdome.
NOTE: The Cardinals (8-1, 6-0 C-USA) continue to hold the No. 10 position in the latest Bowl Championship Series Standings released on Monday afternoon. U of L is ranked No. 7 in this week's Associated Press Top 25 Poll and eighth in the ESPN/USAToday Coaches Poll. With last week's win at Houston, the Cards clinched at least a share of the 2004 C-USA title and can win the title outright with a victory over the Bearcats this Saturday.
Head Coach Bobby Petrino
On the Houston game:
"It was a good win for us. I knew it was going to be tough. I was nervous about the game going down there and we were lucky we hit dry weather and the turf held up. I though we started the game off every very well offensively, getting the ball into the endzone. They made a good run at us, and gave our defense some fits with some of the unique plays that they run...at halftime it was an 8-point game and we had to go into halftime and make adjustments and talk about what we needed to do to go win the game. Then I liked the way our offense responded when they came back when it was 35-27. I thought Stefon did a real nice job of leading them as well as some of the other players. They had a lot of confidence and went and executed. They went right down and scored and then we got the safety and turnovers and everything went well from there."
On the upcoming game with Cincinnati:
"Cincinnati looks really good on video. Defensively they're very fast. They probably have the best two defensive ends in the conference. Both of them are really good players...they're very quick and very active. They get off the ball really well. They're playing really good defense...and they don't make many mistakes. We're going to have to be able to move the ball and run it at them...we have to be able to protect long enough were we can get the ball off down the field to make some plays."
Offensively, they run the ball very well. They're offensive front is playing extremely well. The whole offense and defense are just about all seniors...they're doing a real good job of coaching them. They know exactly what they want to do. It should be a real hard fought, tough, physical contest."
On the ways Cincinnati has changed after their loss to Army:
"Well their effort picked up and they reduced some of the things that they were doing. They went back to really running the ball...defensively I think they just started playing faster and with more effort."
On Cincinnati quarterback Gino Guidugli:
"He's playing real well. He's in a real good comfort zone. He understands what they're asking him to do. He's making good decisions...they're protecting him really well which is a concern of mine. We've got to be able to get some pressure on him and disrupt some of their routes. Right now he's just real comfortable out there."
On the outgoing senior class:
"They've meant a lot to the program...they've made it real nice on me my first two years here because they've provided a lot of leadership. That group that's going out has made a lot of plays in this stadium. We've got to do a good job of making sure that they go out as a winner."
On quarterback Stefon Lefors:
"Stefon's a winner. He goes out and competes and he's playing extremely well...he's doing a great job."
On the seniors playing defense:
"...most of that are starting, a year ago was they're first time starting...Kerry (Rhodes) has had an excellent year for us...I think he's worked extremely hard over the winter and through spring ball on his toughness and his ability to come to the run...he has great range when the ball is in the air.
On the opportunity to clinch the Conference USA championship:
"This is our championship. We've got to do a great job preparing for it. I think our players will be excited. Physically we've got to do a good job in practice this week. This is the kind of game you want to prepare for and the kind of game you want to play in. It's sold out, it will be loud and it's a lot of the line and it's two good football teams. So it should be a lot of fun."
On who he prefers to play in a bowl game:
"We need to play Cincinnati and beat them."
On the BCS rankings and how his team has handled them:
"I didn't know that two people jumped ahead of us...there's not any reason to worry about on that. Our main concern this week is that this is the conference championship. If we best Cincinnati we have it outright and if we don't then we have to go and win another game. That's really all we can be concerned with."
On what keeps the team so focused:
"I think they're work ethic and maturity from a year ago...most of the same players (from last year) are back. The offensive and defensive lines are a year more experienced."
