Quotes: Tommy Bowden and Ted Roof |
CLEMSON FOOTBALL QUOTES
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Atmosphere at Duke
"I think all you can go by is history. In the last 25 years, we're 13-0 here at Clemson against Duke and we're 6-4 up there. I think Coach (Danny) Ford took a seventh-ranked, 4-0 team up therein 1989 and lost. Those statistics obviously mean something. It has been a stadium in which we have had trouble over the years.
On replacing Jacoby Ford
"We only have two really fast guys on the team (C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford). Now we only have one. So we're going to have to structure our formations and terminology a little bit. I think the team will move on.
"He's got a great personality. He's pretty lively during practice with keeping an upbeat tempo, and I'm sure we'll miss that as well. If a lineman gets hurt, we've got our third tackle trained and we wouldn't be that far off, but we don't have anybody as fast as Jacoby other than C.J. (Spiller), so we are going to lose something that we can't replace. We have to elevate our level of play to make up for our loss. I think we may move Tyler Grisham to his spot and then move Rendrick Taylor (back into the rotation)."
On motivating the team
"Duke's last conference win was against us (in 2004). So I think you throw that on the table, but again you have to hopefully have your maturity level at a point where you can go up there and play your 'A' game regardless of the environment and regardless of who has been hurt.
" I've been fortunate to have that (go undefeated) happen once in my career where you have the personality, chemistry, and demeanor of a team where they say that it doesn't make a difference who or where you are playing. They know what they have and what the goal is. But obviously, that doesn't happen very often. We talk about our record up there, so hopefully when they walk 150 yards around those pine trees and see 16,000 people, it won't make a difference."
On the team's maturity
"I liked how we played against Central Michigan. We had two weeks to soak in a loss and then we were behind in the game 7-0. Then we threw an interception. Then, we came back and scored 70.
"Against Maryland, it is a tough place to play with a talented team and good coach. We missed our first field goal then they go down and make theirs. Then we rattled off 30 straight points. I like that. It tells me a little bit more about the team every week.
"So now we have an environment that is going to be challenging so we'll see. But I like what has happened the last two weeks with our team's ability to focus and not get distracted."
On wide receiver Tyler Grisham
"He's been a tough guy. He's caught the ball well and been a consistent player. He had some nice skills coming out of high school. He played as a true freshman. He caught three balls versus Miami (FL) as a true freshman. So, I think the most impressive thing is when he had that poor Georgia Tech game, he responded the following week in the Virginia Tech game with 11 catches. That told me the most about him as a person with his toughness, character, and perseverance."
On offensive guard Barry Humphries
"He played well at guard against Maryland. At this stage in his career, I think he feels most comfortable at guard than he does at center. He played about 76 snaps at guard (last weekend against Maryland). He played really well. I hope there was a disappointment (after losing his starting position), because you want guys that want to be first team, not second team.
But, you also want guys to understand their role, and I think Brad Scott (offensive line coach) has done a good of helping him understand his role. But he responded well to the change. We've been pleased with his progress. He understands he is second-team center, but maybe after Saturday, he might be co-starter at guard."
On quarterback Cullen Harper
"Last week, he started out a little slow. I think the wind effected him. His first couple of throws into the wind were not very good, but he responded like you would hope he would. Compared to Matt Ryan (Boston College quarterback), he's ahead of him in many categories, including passing efficiency, completion percentage and touchdown passes. There's a guy that might win the Heisman Trophy, and our guy is ahead of him in almost every offensive statistic, so it's hard to find anything other than a little management problem during the game. There is just not much that he is doing poorly."
DUKE FOOTBALL QUOTES Tuesday, October 30, 2007 Head Coach Ted Roof:
On playing the younger backups on the offensive line
?It takes longer to develop at that position than any other position. I think that?s a sign of progress when you start rolling some linemen through there, which is what we?ve been able to do to this point. They?ve gotten better -- the backups and the starters in that crowd at the guard position are playing about the same amount. It?s good to have competition, it?s good for morale and it?s good in case you get somebody nicked up, as we all know is what can happen in this league.?
On Ronnie Drummer?s condition
?[It?s] not great. I don?t anticipate on having him right now. I hope so [to have him in a couple weeks]. I say that to the best of my knowledge -- obviously I?m not a doctor and rely heavily on our great medical staff, but the injury he has right now is very painful. Any time you start messing with those ribs. Those are painful.?
On Clemson trying to establish their running game even more now that they?ve lost a wide receiver to injury
?They established [the running game] pretty well when they had him. We?re talking about perhaps the best backfield combination in America. They both bring different things to the table -- different styles. They put them in a lot of different places and get the ball to them a lot of different ways. It?s quite a challenge to be able to try to slow that machine down a little bit because this football team is as talented as what we?ve played -- very explosive in every phase. Just like the last two teams we?ve played.?
On what the team needs to get out of the last month of the season
?W?s (Wins). We need to get ?W?s.? That?s we need to get out of the last month of the season. What?s that saying? ?People remember November.? It?s November, or almost. We need to continue to get better and improve and we have during the course of the season and we need to continue to focus on doing that and win.?
On how important it would be to get a win at home and the excitement from Duke fans
?Our fans have been so loyal -- we want them to experience some good times and have reason to celebrate out here. We?re very appreciative of the fact that they?ve hung in there with us and stuck with us. We want to play well at home four our fans.?
On the tough schedule that Duke has played this year (ranked as the fourth-toughest in the nation)
?You look at the strength of our schedule, it?s one of the top 10 toughest in the country. Part of that is because of what?s happened with this league -- this league has grown by leaps and bounds and come so far. Not just the quality of the football but also the physicalness of the play. This has turned into a very physical league. I know we?ve played some good teams -- there?s no question about that.?
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