Highlights From Tommy Bowden's Tuesday Press Conference

by Dan Scott - Correspondent - Tue Sep 05 11:39:01 GMT-04:00 2006

Press Conference Audio from Tommy Bowden: Windows Media

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Highlights from Coach Bowden's Tuesday Press Conference:

- Last year they had all 5 starting line back, kept our offense off the field. Defense held us to 0-11 on third downs. They had 10 more minutes possession times. Some simple things that determined the outcome.

- Waters. No concrete plan yet, and when I do I'm not going to expand on it anyway.

- Emotion of his loss - Three guys on defense that possess big play potential. We've lost two of the three. There will be some mental adjustment. Other teams experiencing same thing. It's the teams that rise above the occasion and become great that can account for the strengths the leader had.

- What you hope happens, the guy who replaces him steps up his level. Gaines or someone says I'll make up for one of his tackle for loss. Offense says we'll make two more first downs to keep the defense off the field...Hopefully we'll respond that way, where the effort and the intensity of the whole team is elevated.

Doom and Gloom? If leadership is pretty good they'll see how good teams respond. Teams that aren't successful respond with doom and gloom. Hopefully we'll see we can still have success.

- As you get into conference play it's all about winning the conference. You're not going to win the conference by beating Florida Atlantic, or South Carolina for that matter. Or Temple or La. Tech... You wish the conference opener would come at home, but this is the had we're dealt.

- Won't be real familiar with BC setting. Don't know how loud it will be. Won't be as loud as it is here. Won't be as many people as we have here. Doesn't really matter when ball is kicked off.

- This year we have all five starters back on the offensive line. Can we go to their place and do to them what they did to us last year?

- Our offense is predicated on trying to move the chains and score touchdowns. Quality of opponent dictates how successful you are. Their defense stopped us. They were better than we were. We got beat by a better team.

- We anticipate BC having a higher level of intensity against us than against Central Michigan.

- Can't fully evaluate punt protection until you do it in a game.

- They're just very fundamentally sound. They don't turn the ball over. They're a solid, well-coached football team.

- So many young players in the game, very impressed with them. At some point in time they'll have to be counted on in critical situations. We'll have to take our lumps early, because 18-20 are going to play again at BC.

- First ACC road game for Will Proctor, last week's game should really help him. Just playing. Being a fifth-year senior, getting the first game under his belt, I think that will help that uneasiness. Then the question is down three late in the game, can he make the plays to put the team in position to win the game? We won't know until he gets in that situation.

- Excited about going to the city of Boston because of the history. There will be some nervousness, but not too much.

- Fifth anniversary of 9/11 - It seemed like a death in the family. Football went on the backburner. In the office early, getting ready to play Duke. Then it happened and football's off the table, just like that.

- Ray Ray situation: Several players wanting to know if they can take donations or buy him things. Sticky situation. Have to take it up with compliance.