Louisville-Boston College Football Postgame Quotes
October 14, 2017 | Football
- www.GoCards.com -
Louisville Head Coach Bobby Petrino
(Opening statement)
“It was a tough loss. I did like the way that we prepared throughout the week. We came out in almost the entire first half and played well, but we had an opportunity to get the ball and go score and make it 28-7 at the half and we didn't convert a third down. And then the game turned. We returned a punt, missed some tackles and let them score before half. I'm really disappointed in how we came out offensively in the third quarter. And then defensively we really couldn't stop them in the second half. We did get one big stop that gave us the ball back, and I really thought we would take it and go score and win the game. One of the things I want you to know about Jaylen Smith is he's been working extremely hard every day to come back and get in that game. He's a very courageous young man. He's a great competitor. I feel bad for him fumbling the ball because I know how much work he put into it and how much he gave to just be able to get healthy enough to play in that game. He played as hard as he possibly could. We have a lot of things to work on, a lot of things to fix. This is about as tough a loss as I remember being around.”
(There was a big shift in momentum in the second quarter, you were up 21-7. Did you feel it slipping away, can you put your finger on what went wrong?)
“We were up 21-7 and I felt like we got the ball and we would go score. We had a third and three and I called a run play that I really thought would be there. We didn't get the conversion. And when we punted the ball, we missed some tackles. We had some guys in position and missed the tackles, then they had a great return and scored with 51 seconds to go in the half. We still came back down. I was trying to get a field goal. We got the ball to the 30-yard line and we got a holding penalty and weren't able to score before half. Really the offense has got to come out in the second half and move the ball. In the third quarter, I think we had two 3-and-outs and that just gave them the ball. Then they just ran and pounded it, and we didn't tackle well and didn't cover.”
(What needs to happen to turn it around for the defense right now?)
“We have a lot of things to work on, no question about that. So, we get back in the meeting room, back on the practice field and work as hard as we possibly can.”
(What repercussions will there be for back-to-back weeks of you complaining about the defense?)
“We're a team. You win together, you lose together. We had opportunities to win that game. Everything we do is as a team, so we're just going to continue to work as hard as we can as a team.”
(On coming back to tie the game after being down)
“I thought our guys did a good job of competing. The offense had a lot of energy. We made some really big plays. Lamar made some really good runs, but also we caught the ball and got open and did give us a chance to get right back in it. It's unfortunate that we weren't able to find a way to win it at the end.”
(Were you prepared to see two quarterbacks?)
“We didn't expect him to get injured, but you always kind of understand who their backup is, and we played against him before. He's a very capable young man, he did a good job for them. He really a nice job running their naked game. Both guys were mobile quarterbacks, so it's something that we work on.”
(When you have an area like defense that you really want to address, do you readjust your time? Do you start to spend on defense yourself? How do you approach that?)
“Yeah you do as far as some of the meetings and in the preparation part of it. It's really hard to do during the practice part of it, because you got to move the ball and you've got to go score points, but it's just a situation we've got to all play better.”
(Reggie Bonnafon had a nice touchdown run. Is that something that's going to motivate him to get more carries in the running game or how do you approach this?)
“Yeah, I thought he was doing a good job of running the ball. Even some of the six-seven yard runs that he made, he hit in there, he spun. He had a big third down run there in the fourth quarter. He's a big part of our offense. I really thought he looked fast on the touchdown run. He did a great job of separating and not looking around and going straight ahead.
(What was your strategy as the game went along and the defense was struggling?)
“Some of that was we had too many plays. We couldn't get off the field. Couldn't get third down, get them in third long and get off the field. So we're trying to stay as fresh as we possibly could. Most of the time in football you tackle better when you're fresh. So we were trying to keep them fresh and rotate in there. We played a bunch of guys, but weren't able to get it done.”
(What made Jon Hilliman and their rushing attack so effective?)
“He ran very powerful. We had a hard time tackling him. They did a good job blocking the front and he did a good job of running powerfully through arm tackles and breaking tackles”.
(Is it that you don't see, defensively, progress in practice or is it just not coming out on Saturdays?)
“We're working hard at it. All I can tell you is that we're going to continue to work as hard as we can.”
(What do you say to the team so that this season at 4-3 doesn't go down the drain? What do you say to save the season?)
“We keep working. We've got to stick together, that's the number one thing we have to do is stick together as a football team. When you don't win games, it challenges your attitude, it challenges your work ethic, it challenges your dedication. Every player on our team, all our coaches have to be dedicated and continue to do things that we've done.
(Coming into the game, did you feel like get them off the field to keep your guys from tiring out?)
“What we wanted to do was get the lead, get ahead. So that drive right before the half really was something that changed things a lot. If you go in 28-7 then they don't have a lot of opportunity to just do that.”
(When you have tackling issues, is it more often a matter of technique or fatigue?)
“It was a combination of everything there. Technique and a combination of not getting enough guys to the ball. A guy out there trying to tackle by himself. We've worked hard on it, we're just not getting it done yet.”
(Peter Sirmon has said that he sees better from in the box but when he was down on the sidelines, was that something that he felt like he needed to be down there to motivate the guys or did you want them to be down there?)
“Yeah, I thought he needed to come down to motivate them and give them spirit and competitiveness. He's the one running the practices on the field. He's very boisterous and I think that they reacted better if he's down there with them.”
(Did you notice guys walking on defense?)
“No.”
(What do you have to say about the boos?)
“That's tough. As a coach and an athlete, that's something that we don't want. We do know that our fans have high expectations, but our coaches and players have high expectations too. We're still going to go out in that stadium and compete as hard as we can.”
Jonathan Greenard, So., LB
(Jonathan what needs to happen to get the defense going?) “We just got to finish, I mean we started off pretty good you know, held them to seven points in the first quarter, I feel like we got complacent a little bit and we just got to finish, that's what coach stresses on.”
(What made him so difficult to tackle?) “I mean he ran hard, he didn't want to go down and when you're playing a guy like that you got to hit him every single play throughout the entire game, like I said we just got to finish.”
(Jonathan what does it take when you guys maybe get behind the eight-ball to kind of keep your energy up and make sure everybody out there is still giving 100%?) “We got to realize that it's a lot of football left and we got arguably the best player in college football. I mean obviously he's the best player and we got to get the ball to him as much as possible, once we realize that and sometimes we just get down because. I mean we're like, nobody likes getting scored on you know, that's kind of a momentum buster so we just got to keep playing and realize that we got to get the ball to the offense as much as possible.”
(Why do you think it's not? Jaire just said in practice it's better, why is it not translating to Saturdays?) “In practice you know we are always making good plays, we're always consistently doing our job and stuff, winning off the ball and stuff like that but in a game you know when something wrong happens it kind of freezes up a little bit. We just got to understand that, they're going to get us sometimes and you got to realize that's football and just got to bounce back and keep playing.”
(Are you guys having trouble with that, bouncing back or is it like a snowball effect with you guys?) “Also you got to think we got a young team too somewhat, we got a lot of freshmen playing in these big positions, so they're still kind of getting used to the game, the speed of the game and also taking some loses some plays. They're used to playing every down where they're winning plays, that's why they are here now. So once they get past this, you now it's a learning thing for all of us, including myself and realize just keep going, there is a lot of football left.”
(Jon, what happened at the end when you got hurt?)
Answer: “I mean my cleat was messed up, the soles came out of them and the bottom of my cleat just completely ripped apart and started to cramp a little bit. I just drank a little Gatorade, and a little salt, but it wasn't anything major.”
(Did you guys feel any different energy with Coach Sirmon on the sidelines?) “Yes. I mean he definitely brought more energy to us and realized, because that's what I was used to and that's what a lot of us are used to with our DC on the field, he brought a lot of energy to the sideline you know, trying to keep us up alive. He did a really good job as far as trying to keep our heads in the game and stay with it.”
(In terms of adjustments and stuff like that, what is the difference between him being up in the box and then on the sideline?) “Really that part didn't change, he really didn't have to change anything, we ran the same stuff, and at that point they just ended up beating us, and at the end they just showed they wanted it more, we just got to finish.”
(Was it a tired thing?) “It's a little both, I really feel like we got complacent. We felt like we did our job in the first half and got a little complacent and realized they're not going to kick it up a notch, but I mean playing them in the past last year, and years before, they are not a team that is going to give up. They are always going to fight four quarters.”
(Did you notice guys walking on defense, instead of running on defense?) “I was one of them, I'll take blame for myself too. I know some plays I'm watching. Backside I'm walking and that's not acceptable, those little things like that show up on film and that stuff, it matters. When everybody is flying to the ball good things are going to happen, but if you are going to hope that somebody else makes a play that is what the result was today.”
(How do you change that in game seven, how do you change that seven games into the season?) “At this point it's just got to have to come from within and come from within yourself. Coach can stress about it so much, but at the end of the day it comes down to us, so we can't really do anything, but dig deep and find it and continue to realize that we got a full season to play still, half the season.”
(Is there anything scheme wise between last year and this year that you're having trouble with or what is it?) “Basically it's the same stuff almost, it's just different terminology, like I said at this point we just got to execute and finish that is all it is.”
Jaylen Smith, WR, Jr.
(Jaylen, just talk about the fumble, what happened with that, did you not see the guy coming from behind you? What happened on that play?) “I just fumbled the ball, bad ball control, sloppy with the ball, I just fumbled the ball.”
(Jaylen, this is your first game back, how did you feel out there? 6 catches, 118 yards, it seemed like you played pretty well, you feeling alright?) “I feel fine, I'm out of shape. I need to get back in shape. I feel like I played an okay game, could have been a lot better, especially if I had not fumbled the ball but it is what it is, get better from here hopefully.”
(Jaylen, this feeling you and your team have right now, how do you guys bounce back and try to save or salvage the rest of this season?) “It's a sickening feeling, I could honestly listen to everybody who hates me right now and I could let it dictate how I play the rest of the season or I could do what I always do and stay in my own way and do my thing and shake it off and get back to it. It's easy to get down on yourself, I could blame my wrist or I fumbled the ball because my wrist is messed up or I could blame anybody else for the whole game, but that wouldn't do any good so it's best to just stick together.”
(Is it better that you guys have a big game at Florida State to refocus?) “You could say that, but at the end of the day regardless of who we're playing, it boils down to us because every game we've lost we beat ourselves. Not to take anything away from Clemson, NC State or Boston College, but there's not a team that just comes out and beats us. A lot of times we beat ourselves.”
(Jaylen, will the team have to forget about this one like you did with Clemson?) “Yeah definitely. It is definitely important to, I wouldn't say put it in the past because it's there. You know 4-3 the record shows. It's going to show the rest of the year, but move on. You can't dwell on that. You can't be upset about that for seven days leading up to Florida State because now you're thinking about all the mistakes you made last week and you're trying to compensate for the mistakes you made that week trying not to make the same mistakes this week. Now you're playing stiff and playing slow. It's just one of those things to let go. I don't dwell on stuff too long.”
(Does it get harder to do that?) “No it doesn't get harder. I've been on teams growing up that never won a game three or four years in a row. I know how to lose. I know how to win. It is what it is.”
(Is it a must win against Florida State?) “It is. It is a must win. It's two in a row we've lost, and it's a bad taste in our mouth. It's like I said it's sickening feeling. I kind of just say there will probably be a lot of people who don't sleep much tonight. They'll be thinking over and over about one play or this play or this play. Like Coach P said there is about 30 plays you could be like that play would've won the game, and all 30 of those players that missed that play or made a bad play or a wrong decision on that play are going to think about that, including myself.”
(Is there anyone, outside of the coaches, that stands in front of the team and says let's turn things around?) “Yeah our captains do a pretty good job standing up. Lamar has been a lot more vocal this year of taking over and trying to get the team amped up. He does a great job. I feel like we responded well to him and went down late, like Jon said, the momentum changed, lack of energy and we went down and we scored about four times in a row ending the game so I feel like we got it back.”
Lamar Jackson, QB, Jr.
(On loss) “Every loss is a tough one. No one likes losing especially not me or my team but we put in a lot of work. We bust our behinds and just didn't come out with a win.”
(On speaking to Jaylen after game) “That's my teammate. That's my brother. He was my roommate my freshman year like I always tell you guys. He's a great receiver. Nothing has changed but all of us make mistakes.”
(How difficult is it to be on offense when the defense cannot stop anybody?) “Well, we just have to do our job and just keep scoring consistently, that's all.”
(On touchdowns made by Lamar in the fourth quarter) “I see we were down and I just had to do what I had to do. I hate losing; my teammates do too. Our line did a great job and I just did the rest.”
(At one point during the second quarter, you were up by 14, things were going pretty well. What changed? How did it slip away from you?) “I can't tell you. That's how football goes. Either or.”
(Lamar, how quickly do you guys put this behind you because you do have a big game on the road at Florida State and get ready for that) “Soon as we practice. We'll put it behind us right now, actually. It's over with. Can't go back and play that game. It's over. Got to get ready for Florida State now.”
(Lamar, as the leader of this team, do you think about standing up and talking to the guys the week before the Florida State game to make sure the season doesn't go any worse?) “Any game is important. We just loss today to Boston College. People probably never would've expected that but things happen. My team got to be focused regardless, no matter who we're playing.”
(On if Boston College was overlooked) “We don't overlook any teams, no matter who we are playing.”
(On the mood in the locker room) “Everyone is down. We just lost, everyone is down and we just have to pick them back up, we're the leaders.”
(On getting back into the game in the fourth quarter) “We need to do that throughout the whole game. I feel that we did it a little too late, but at the same time we have to finish, like coach says, 'Finish'. That's all that we have to do.”
(On what Coach Petrino said in the locker room) “It was a team loss. That's what it was. It was a team loss, not just one person.”
(On how he feels for Jaylen Smith after the fumble) “I overlook that. Everyone makes mistakes, everyone is not perfect. If he would have scored everyone would have been with him. He fumbled and now people feel like whatever, whatever. Jaylen is a great player. That's my brother.”
(On how the team keeps each other focused) “Personally, we'll get the offense together and let them know that's not the last game. We have a lot more games left this season. We have to finish off for our fans and each other.”
Reggie Bonnafon, RB, Sr.
(On what was going right at running back) “It was the offensive line. Trusting them every day in practice, we had a good week in practice, executing what the coaches called. I was just in a position to make a play and that's what I did. It was a group effort, all 11 players have to be in sync for a play to work.”
(On if Boston College was overlooked) “No.”
(On how they avoid giving up the remainder of the season) “We put in too much work to ever think about doing that. We have been in worse situation than this, starting off a season 0-3. Things like that. You have to work, adversity comes but it's a decision you have to make personally and as a team to keep going and keep pushing, so that's what we are going to do.”
(On how it feels to hear fans booing) “That's what they do. We love each other. We play for each other. It really didn't bother us too much and we're just going to keep chipping away.”
Jaire Alexander, CB, Jr.
(On the challenges the defense faced) “We faced a good back, a good offense. We missed a lot of tackles. He was running hard and we missed a bunch of tackles and that really hurt us.”
(On why AJ Dillon was difficult to tackle) “I'm not really sure. We just were not tackling that well.”
(On if the defense is playing better in practice) “Yeah, we're seeing better defensive play in practice. We have high expectations for our defense, as well as the fans. We have to come out and do better than that.”
Boston College Head Coach Steve Addazio
(Opening Statement)
“Alright guys it was a great team win today, on the road. We beat a really good football team. A team that has a lot of ability, a Heisman trophy winner, well-coached, a tough environment to come in here and win on the road. I thought we did it as a team. We did it in all three phases. Proud of the way our guys had great resolve down 21-7 at the half. Came back ripped off three scores in a row. We rushed the ball for over 360 and something yards. AJ Dillon himself had over 270 yards. And you know we scored 45 points, so there's a lot of positives. Darius (Wade) did a heck of a job coming in when Anthony (Brown) hurt his shoulder. I just think it showed the resolve. Mehdi El Attrach had to come in when Will Harris was cramping and I just think that there were so many guys that pitched in to this win, we had to dig deep and win as a team with grit, with determination, physicality and with a lot of hard work. And it was great program win for us on the road for us to get this win and I'm proud of our players, very, very, proud of our kids.”
(About what he said to Colton Lichtenberg) “No words, just said we're going to go kick it. We're going to drain the clock and we're going to kick it and that's the way it is. The only thing I wanted to remind those guys of was that they couldn't ice us. They didn't have a time out and I had one left in case I needed it for some operational issue or something, you know, I could use it. I just reminded him that he could not be iced and to get his mind right.”
(About dealing with Louisville in the fourth quarter when they were in position to drive for a game winning score, and the BC) “Yeah, I mean you know it was just one of those games. We were up. They were up. We were up. We were up. They were up and players in college football. He was voted the most dominant player in college football a year ago. He's every bit as dominant now. And we had to come on the road and do that. That's just not easy. So, I am proud of our kids. You know we've been playing really good football all year now guys you know, I don't say it a lot but we're here for this game we're down seven starters Harold (Landry) was nowhere close to himself today. Korab Idrizi was out today. So that's eight starters and we've played a lot of good football teams. We have played nothing but good football teams and our issue has been that we have had a hard time closing out because we get gassed coming down the end run because we don't have the depth. And the (lack of) depth that has dribbled into our special team now. So, for us to finish, to stand and finish today—I'm so proud of our kids for finding a way to get that done. Our physicality up front on the offensive line was something, remarkable -- 369 yards rushing the football—I mean it was remarkable. I just think, as a program, we just—all year long, we've just been battling. People say, 'How are the kids' attitude?' The kids' attitude is great. They're anxious to get to practice every week, get a little better, and take the next step. We've gone toe-to-toe with people, but we haven't taken the next step. We had to take the next step, and we've got a lot of people in there doing that right now. Young guys, like AJ Dillon. You see what he did today? I've been around a long time. He was a beast. I mean, that was an unbelievable, unbelievable performance, and Jon Hilliman had a great performance today. He had critical key plays. So, those guys dug real deep. This is an ego-less team, that's just scrapping to find a way to win.”
(On Wyatt Ray's interception of Lamar Jackson) “That was a heck of play right there, you know. We needed it. We needed to make a play. It's funny, you know, you saw the last drive when we had Kobay (White) open in the second-to-last drive, he was wide open for a walk-in touchdown. We just misfired on it, and everybody just kept going. It wasn't like everybody crying in their milk. We just said nothing, 'We'll get it next time. We'll go. We'll get it the next time.' That's the mindset, just a resilient mindset.”
(On status of quarterback Anthony Brown) “No. He's had this injury. He hurt himself against Clemson. He wasn't the same the next week. He wasn't the same the week after. He started practicing more last week, and he looked like he was coming back into his own. He didn't just re-injure it, I think he injured something different. So, I've got to wait and see what the details are going to be here. We have this mindset as a program right now like, 'okay,' and just keep rolling. We can't control that. There's nothing we can do about all this stuff right now, but just keep swinging. That's why I'm so proud of these kids today. I mean, you witnessed it out there. That was a physical game, okay, and there was a will, and an unbreakable will by our football team today—and theirs, and theirs. That's a hell of a football team now.”
(On game plan against Louisville's defense) “We felt like we needed to be able to run the football—our tempo. We felt like if we could stay on the field and convert first downs and keep them on the field, we would get them into their depth on defense, and we wanted to get them in there. It's what people want to do to us right now. It's really a mirror. We have no depth on defense right now. We lost our three starting linebackers. Then, with Harold (Landry), Harold was down all week this week. This was a game-time decision today. And he wasn't even a quarter of himself—I don't even want to say a half -- he wasn't even a quarter of himself. But, he dug in there with everything he had. Zach Allen got hurt, he dug in there with everything he had. It's kind of that kind of game.”
(About the fumble with Louisville) “We're on this rollercoaster all year long. It's been a rollercoaster all year long and sometimes you have to keep your faith about you, your core and your faith, I mean that wholeheartedly. Our team knows that, you have to believe you have to have faith. You have to keep grinding, that's our message, honesty and truthfully, that's our message. Control the controllables, and don't worry about the stuff you can't control, just keep swinging.”
(About Darius Wade) “I thought he came in and he did a great job, he was cool and he had a great look about him and I'm proud of what he did here today. The lesson doesn't always go the way everybody plans it to go, but you be unselfish and you be there to help your team any way you can, and when your number is called hopefully you can do something to help your team. That's the mindset that Darius has and what this team has. So he went in and did a great job today. He came off the bench and we went to a power attack. We played power football today, we just turned into a power game. At halftime, we made that decision, we said we're going to turn this into a power game. It's time to impose our will, we're going to go out here and run the football and get this thing going. We're going to pick our play actions, our nakeds and we did that, I thought, really effectively. Early on we took some shots and emptied some specials. We went on some critical fourth down calls. We threw the ball on some critical fourth down calls. We did everything we felt like we had to do to find a way to go win a game on the road. That's why I'm so proud of staff and our players. No flinch.”
(About postgame talk) “Let's get to 4-4, let's go to Virginia. I think this is a springboard game for us. I'm going to enjoy the great victory with my team right now, but I know I'll be confronted with who's got this and who's dinged up and who's banged up, that'll come soon enough. I told the team that, in life, you have to stick together, and we all have each other's back in that locker room. Players got the coaches back, coaches got the players' back. We love each other, there's a genuine love for each other in there and we got each other's back. I said no one can break that, just keep swinging, all we have to do is keep swinging. What I really talked about was just stand. We watched a motivational video last night and it was unbelievable. It talked about in the face of tremendous adversity, just stand. That's what we did today, we stood, and I'm very proud of them. We're teachers, guys, coaches are teachers and when you start to see a young team like this they're going to ride the rollercoaster. I said it from the beginning and I'm still saying it. You can see the future in the young players that we have and we're molding. Even overcoming the odds of all the guys we've lost, we've lost three out of four captains, we're molding. I'm not going to get caught up in all that other nonsense, it's all about taking steps. There will be more rollercoaster rides. It's just a fact of life right now, but in that room, is the makings of a really good football team, that'll happen. And this was a nice way to take a step today.
(On the focus on defense to try to contain Louisville run, try to contain Lamar from running and make him beat you with the pass?) “Yes, but how do you contain Lamar Jackson? I mean, yes, that honestly absolutely was the plan, but I mean the guy is incredible. I feel like I've been around some real freaky quarterback athletes, this guy right here is special. That was our focus, but yet he still made a bunch of plays. We were trying to contain, squeeze, rush him, and he's still every once and a while popping out. You can't tackle the guy, and he's got a rocket arm. I think he's sensational. I'm just telling you that's what I feel. I'm glad that that game's behind us. That's all I can tell you. We found a way to win it, and it's behind us. We've been through a gauntlet now. We've been through a gauntlet, and we've got more to come. We've been through a gauntlet. Our side of the division is brutal. In addition to that, we've had to play Notre Dame. When we played them all, every quarterback was healthy. Notre Dame, Clemson, all of them. Then the two MAC teams we played, Northern Illinois beat Nebraska, they're a hell of a team, and Central Michigan is considered a hell of a team in the MAC. That's what we've played today, so we've been in a meat grinder with no break. We're going to go to week eight right now, no break. We're going to go on the road and play what I think is a really good, improving, strong Virginia team. Then when we're done with that we got a chance to come back and for good measure play Florida State. So, we've just got to go one at a time, hang together, find a way to win. Sometimes the chemistry of the thing is more important than anything else, and I think we took a step there. We took a step.”
Boston College running back AJ Dillon
(Did you know the team was capable of this today?)
“Our coaches keep inspiring us every day to just keep standing and I feel like that is something that we do really well. We have been focusing on really having each other's backs and having the ability, when we face adversity, when we face something that doesn't go right, to just keep standing. I feel like we exemplified that today.”
(Coach put it on you, Jon Hilliman and the offensive line.)
“Talking about the offensive line, they did a great job today. Those are like my brothers out there. Sometimes I run over to them and I say I'm a lineman, too. They really put it all out there on the line for Jon, Travis and I today. I cannot thank them enough.”
(Did you think a game like this was possible this early in your career?)
“Coach White, the running backs coach, he just keeps telling me to get better every week. We set a goal to get better and better. It's the same thing with the rest of the team. Once again, it's not just an individual win, it's a team win. I had the opportunities that I had because the o-line did their job, receivers did their job blocking down field and our defense held them. So it was a team win, and I feel like the team just keeps getting better.”
(Louisville had difficulty tackling and containing you guys. What about the play where you looked like you tossed Williams aside?)
“I have been really working on just being a physical runner. Once again, Coach White has really been telling me each week to try to focus on something more. I have been trying to work on my pad level. Coach has been telling me that is something a lot of guys from high school have a lot of trouble with. I just have been working on that, along with the other running backs. I feel like I got the ball and headed to the left side and I got a good block. I couldn't really tell you to be honest, I haven't seen the play. I don't really know. I just saw daylight and ran as fast as I could.”
(Let's talk about what this win does for your team as you look towards Virginia.)
“I feel like this definitely is a big team win and it shows that you can come down and play in a great atmosphere against a great team like Louisville and we can stay together as a team and find ways to get it done. I feel like that's definitely something big, at this point in the season. Once again keep standing, I feel like we did that again today.”
(Did Wade say anything to you guys when he came in for Brown there for the second drive in the third quarter?)
“Once again we're all just like a big family, so obviously we protect Anthony Brown, we made sure he was okay. Anthony was still talking from the sideline and we just kept pushing through all the adversity. There are times when people on our team have gone down and we have to keep battling back and I feel like that's really just a testament to what coach preaches. Once again, standing up and just having each other's backs. So, if someone goes out, obviously that's our brother, but we're there for him and we have to pick up the slack. That might be an extra load for somebody else, but we all trust each other to get it done at the end of the day.”
Boston College kicker Colton Lichtenberg
(Colton, coach said no words needed to be spoken (before the game-winner), he said go out there and kick a field goal. Tell us your mindset going into that play.)
“You said it, just go out there and kick that field goal and that was it. I missed the first one, come out for a chance for redemption and that was it. I was telling the people that were asking me that I got this, this is it, this is going in.”
(What's your mindset like in a situation like that? Are you trying to clear everything around you? What's going through your head when you line up for that?)
“You really don't think about anything. I wasn't looking at anything or anywhere. You really don't talk to a lot of people. I mean that's it, you're just looking up at those uprights and you visualize the ball going through. That's really it, that's all you're thinking about. Putting it up and that's it.”
(On that first attempt to start the second half, did you push it? Was there anything that you did to adjust on the game-winner?)
“Yeah, I missed it left. Misses happen. It is what it is. I didn't really do anything to adjust mentally or physically. Every kick is the same. I wanted to go one-for-one on the last one. That's my shot.”
(When the other team doesn't have any timeouts and you know that you're not going to be iced, does that make it a little bit different for you?)
“To be honest, that's the first time I've been in that situation. If you think about it, that's going to hurt you. You can't think about that. You just have to think about the kick, getting through the ball and visualize it going through the uprights. That's it.”
(Is it that simple on the PATs too?)
“I wouldn't say it's simple, but the mindset is the same. You kick the same ball every time.”
(A win like this over a program like Louisville that came into this season with national championship hopes, what does this do for the Eagles moving forward?)
“It's great for us. It's a great momentum booster. We're going to move forward and try to get to 4-4.”
(In the span of about 30 seconds, you went from running down the field, to your quarterback being hurt, to missing a field goal. About two minutes later the mood was completely different. Talk about how quickly the momentum changed in the third quarter.)
“I love the quick turnarounds. It gives you another shot for redemption. It is what it is. Football things happen like that. You miss sometimes, but you just have to take it one kick at a time, whether it's a PAT or a field goal.”
(Did you ever worry about possibly being replaced? You started off strong, but had some struggles midway through. Have there been any worries?)
“No. If it happens, it happens. That's the way God intended it. I just take it one kick at a time, that's it. Misses are going to happen, that's the life I live. That's what I signed up for. If I worry about being replaced then more misses are going to come.”
(Can you comment on what Dillon did to get you to a 27-yarder on that last kick? It looked like he paid the price getting those guys inside for you.)
“Yeah. The whole offense worked hard. It was a whole team effort. I wouldn't have made it without the offense or the defense. It was a whole team effort.”
