Head Football Coach- Skip Holtz

On game versus Miami

"To recap last week, a lot of positives, a lot of emotions, a lot of excitement, energy, enthusiasm; You look at it first and kind of what was riding on the table. Your no long playing in the conference, you have an opportunity to step out of the seven game series (conference play), and getting into something that has a little different meaning to it. It wasn't about conference play; a lot of people say what does this team play for now that they're out of conference play. We talked about everything that was riding on this game; in state recruiting, image, all the things that we're trying to do, I think this is really a big step and helps catapult us forward with where we want to go. Now what does it do for us? It helps us a little bit, but I still think that we're going to have to turn around and represent the Big East, before we can sit down and really (say) year in and year out that we can be in that conversation. We have to get to the point where we can compete and represent the Big East in a BCS game. Even though it was a great win, a lot of positives to it we still have a long way to go. A lot of guys stepped up in that game. You start off defensively, with Mistral Raymond and Kayvon Webster both out for the game. You see Ricardo Dixon, you see George Baker, you see guys that have not played very much for us, great challenge, but they really stepped up, came in and I thought they really did a nice job. Same thing on offense, when Sampson Genus goes down and all of a sudden McCaskill goes in at center, and I thought he did a fantastic job. He did a great job the snaps were clean, I really thought he played really well up inside. Then obviously the big story, Bobby Eveld, coming in when B.J's leg kind of stiffened up a little bit, we made the decision to go with Bobby Eveld. I thought he stepped in, I thought he showed poise, promise, I thought he lead this team, and you can see as the game went on just the way he handled himself. I thought he did a great job."

 On seniors versus Miami

"Seniors again are playing fantastic; Mo Plancher, Jacob Sims, Bass, Dontavia Bogan came up huge on a couple drives, some really big catches. (Quenton) Q- Washington played a great game, Jacquian Williams played a great game. I thought Terrell McClain played a great game inside, I thought he was all over the place, a one man wrecking crew early. Jerrell Young at safety, it was great to get him back, he's had that bum ankle a little bit, he was able to step in and really play well. So many of the seniors just really stepped up and played well for us. We say all the time in order for us to be a great football team are seniors have to play the best football of their career, and you could argue that are seniors are really playing well right now. Really happy for them a lot of emotions in the locker room; really big win, but that ones over. We put it in the books Sunday night, watched it, put it to bed. Now we're onto Connecticut this week. We've got a huge challenge in a conference game this week. I think Connecticut is a really good football team. They've won four in a row. You look at three of our losses, Pitt, Syracuse, and West Virginia; they've beaten all three of those in the last four weeks. Their playing really solid football right now with what they're doing. They've got the number two running back in the entire country with Todman. He's rushing for 145 yards a game; he's doing a great job. Zach Frazier does a very nice job of managing the game; they don't turn the ball over much. Their number one in the conference in the turnover ratio at plus 11, they do a really nice job. Their offensive line is very athletic, and they know how to run the ball. They are what they are and really good at what they do. On the defensive side of the ball, I think it starts with Wilson and Moore their two linebackers inside, with a 103 tackles and 89 tackles I believe it is; very active linebackers. On the second level their physical. They're not very risky at what they do. They sit back; keep the ball in front of them, they break on it; they create a lot of turnovers. On third down it's a totally different animal; they come from everywhere. It's almost like you have to put two game plans together; one for first and second down and one for third down, but their very good. They know what they want to do, they are what they are, and they execute their game plan very well. I think Randy's done a great job with this team, and it's going to be a heck of a challenge. Eight o'clock, Saturday night, looking forward to a great atmosphere with the last home game of the year, and the opportunity to really send these seniors off the right way for all the great things they've accomplished for this program over the last four and five years."

On Bobby Eveld's Development as a Quarterback

"I think he impressed everybody, and I'm not just talking about coaches, but everybody on this team. He's very smart, he's very intelligent, he knows the offense, he's picked it up that quick, he's very poised, he sits in the pocket, he has different qualities and characteristics of B.J, but he is very developed for a true freshman. He's 6'5, you can't' coach that, he can see over the line. He throws the ball very accurately, he has a good arm, and he's really done a great job. The thing you don't know as a coach; you watch him do it (be successful) and you get encouraged, and say Bobby's really going to be good one day, you just don't know how he's going to respond when he's thrown into that pressure cooker. Not everybody responds the same way  when those lights turn on, but as I said if a dog is going to bite you, he'll do it as a pup, and if a guy is going to handle and step up into that atmosphere, he's going to do it when he's young. We all knew what Bobby could do, and if you ask every member of this team, they're not surprised by what Bobby did. Everyday he goes up against the first defense and runs the two minute offense, and takes them down the field. I don't think anybody's shocked, but I think everybody's really proud of the way he handled himself in a very difficult situation; half time, cold, thrown in there at Miami, big game for the program, and twice he had to lead drives when we were loosing. When it was 17-10 he had to go down and tie it up, and then it was 3-0 in the overtime and then he takes them (USF) down for a touchdown. He did a great job, I'm really proud of him. There's not a nicer young man on the planet, I love the guy."

On team and seniors buying into the system

"These guys they've been incredible. As I told them, I would give them this football team, from a leadership standpoint. I'd also hold them to a much higher standard than I hold everybody else in our program, if I'm going to turn and put them into a leadership position. I would hold them to a higher standard about being on time, missing a meeting, being late for practice. All those little things you can't do if you're going to be a leader of this program. I said if you all (seniors) don't want to lead it we'll take it as coaches, but I'm going to give it to you, and if you all turn and take the ball and run with it, I think we can be a much better program, than we can be if we lead it as coaches. I think they have really bought into it. I could sit hear and talk about Bedford, and Marshall, and the jobs they've done, the years they've had, and Terrell McClain and Sabbath Joseph at linebacker, and Jacquian Williams and Donte Spires, and Mistral Raymond, and everyone of those guys are playing great football for us right now. Same thing on the offensive side of the ball when you talk about Sampson Genus, and Bass, and Sims, and you look at the way Gidrey, and Kelly are playing, and even Andrew Ketchel. Bogan is arguably having the best year that he's ever had as a college player. Mo Plancher has just been a rock; week in and week out, he's solid, dependable, reliable, and everything he does. I think these guys are setting a great foundation of how you build a program."