Rich Rodriguez Quotes (95 Quotes)

They don't overanalyze everything like a veteran player can do. They're just trying to get through that day and the next play and that was the case a lot of times this year. They didn't panic because they didn't know any better. I'm hoping they keep that attitude.

Convinced is too strong a word. I'm optimistic. I feel encouraged that he can play that position. The thing with Nate is we've got to make a decision which position will get him on the field quicker. He does enough things from a physical standpoint we think he can play somewhere for us.

He's an explosive player. We've really been on him about making one cut and then running. He did that today and he really made it work.

We'll have to roll guys in there, ... I think we felt his absence a little bit. He'd really played well at nose guard and held the point down for us. That's a key, key position on the defensive front.

Pat just seized the opportunity and made the most of it.

They showed some of their explosiveness. I thought Pat White played extremely well, ran the ball well and made some good decisions. And Steve Slaton, at times, he's got that burst that he can break one at any time.

They have a good scheme and the guys have grown up in it. They have great athletes, ... At every position they have guys that will be playing in the NFL when their college careers are done.

It is a little bit of a grind. I can't remember going eight straight like this. We'll make sure they take care of their bodies and get some rest.

I think we took to heart some of the criticism of our league and the fact that no one was predicting us to win. Basically, we were playing in their home environment, their home state.

Not only were we down, but we didn't really have any signs of hope in those other 3 quarters. It was kind of improbable.

They flew those fighter jets over the stadium and before they'd landed, we were down 10-0. It was ugly.

I've studied this a little bit. The reason they do this is because flying in a 'V' formation creates a draft and that saves 70 percent of their energy. If one or two fall out of formation, others will go down and bring them back in. They can't survive on

They have some other players. With D. J. Shockley's ability to throw the ball down the field, I think they'll still take some deep shots.

I think you're going to have to make some plays in the passing game, whether or not the opportunities are there I don't know. But nobody has been able to run the ball on them,

There has been a lot made of our depth. I think we're OK depth-wise. I don't know if we are overloaded. But I think we can get five or six guys in there pretty good.

Right now, he's blocking better than any wideout we've had. He's really taken to heart all the little things you're supposed to do. He's earned the right to start.

I don't see it unlike a bunch of guys being at a ... convention sitting around trading ideas, helping each other's company.

Would I be surprised if Boston College jumped Are you kidding I think they've been waiting to be asked for a year now, if not longer.

Our tailbacks are going to score a lot when we're running the football and I thought Steve made some nice runs.

I'd rather play a non-conference game first, especially with a young team, ... But it is what it is. ... I just hope we go up there and not panic.

I want our guys to feel good about last year. But any play made last year against Georgia or Louisville won't help us get a first down versus Marshall. The 2006 season is upon us, and we're 0-0.

They'll either be in bed or they'll be back on the plane to Pittsburgh. Nobody wants to be sent home from a bowl game because, one, you want to enjoy a big game and, two, your name is going to be on the bottom of that ESPN ticker thing that goes non-stop across the bottom of the TV screen.

He understands everything we're trying to do. He's invaluable to us, more so for his leadership than anything else.

But Adam and Pat both have earned the right to play. They both are good enough to win with. The nice part is we can run the whole offense with both. They're unselfish and understand their roles.

When you make somebody one-dimensional, your chances of winning the game are pretty good.

Rodriguez said Wofford's wishbone also has elements of a spread offense and often relies on the reverse. Our defensive coaches really have to get a plan together, ... All of our focus to this point was trying to get ready for the unknown at Syracuse.

It's an opponent that's given us some fits over the last couple years.

No question, he's maybe the most valuable player we have on the team, period. Not just from a playing standpoint, but also from a leadership standpoint. We're keeping our fingers crossed.

It was a tough year, ... Anytime you change schemes in all three phases there is an adjustment period. Here, it was the same system for 20 years, so it took a little while.

He's had a really good camp, ... He's a veteran guy who can play slot receiver as well. He's more confident than he's ever been. He's in great shape, and we're excited for him.

Our guys believed the whole season that we could defend our Big East title, and we've played with that dedication and focus on the field. I'm very happy for our seniors and our whole football family.

What makes it tough is they're better for sure than they were two years ago,

When you have two fast guys, and they get a crease they can make things happen. I think it's taken a while for our guys to get comfortable, but I think they are now.

It's like a basketball coach saying he's been to the Final Four. It's nice to have that recognition, but our goal is to be there more than once, and win it.

His options are really limited. I know he'd have to go to a junior college and graduate before getting a chance at another Division I school.

They believe in what they're doing. You can tell by reading articles over the summer and during camp that they're very confident in the new staff and the new schemes. And it obviously helped their confidence when they beat Duke and then battled back against Wake Forest on the road.

Not only were we down, it wasn't even a ball game. They were in control. I told our guys all we need is a spark or two.

We took the approach that we're playing an 11-round championship fight. Right now we've completed seven rounds and we're on round eight. And we also have some lessons to teach from last year when we had a chance and our destiny in our own hands. We stubbe

There weren't a lot of folks that expected us to win 10 games this year. I think the guys in that locker room believed that they could do it, and they did.

Our guys will understand the value of the ball, or they won't play. That's always been the case. We're still making a lot of mistakes.

I wish we would have tackled him better. He's the type of player you see right in front of you, but he makes you miss.

He's calm and composed out there. It's not like he's a freshman at all.

They have definitely given us fits over the last several years, ... They are very talented again.

I think it's a big bonus for us to be able to play four, five running backs because having fresh legs and playing two at a time and doing all the things our running backs have to do, they can get pretty gassed.

Wofford runs a wishbone attack similar to Navy and Air Force. Their offensive linemen aren't as big, but they get on you and cut block a lot, ... They get low and get on your knees.

Hey, we have a lot of guys back. And we can't run guys out of here. They love going to bowl games and getting those gifts. But I am approaching it the same. I am anxious to see how much better our guys can get. Everybody that we played (in the Big East) had a young team last year. We played pretty well, but there are always areas to improve.

You can't make missed assignments and give them cheap ones. They're good enough to beat you without you making mistakes you can't make mistakes mentally and have a chance to do it.

I've been awake all night waiting on it. That's obviously our biggest concern.

That may have been the most electric crowd that I've seen since I've been here and even as a player.

We will certainly miss Pac Man as a player and as a valued member of the Mountaineer football family, but I certainly understand his decision.