April 15, 2007

Head Coach Mark Mangino<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>

On the Spring Game:

“Overall I liked what I saw here today. I liked the way our blue team executed on offense. What we expected them to do they did do. We had an opportunity to put our quarterbacks in good situations. We rotated them every other series to turn up the heat, so they had to have two consecutive series out on the field without any breaks. I think they responded well and that position did a good job today. I like the way we are running to the ball on defense. We are getting better at playing some pass routes, squeezing some zones and driving the linebackers into zone coverage. Overall we got a lot of work done, we wanted to get over 100 snaps and we did. We felt like that would be adequate today considering this is our third consecutive day of practice. We have a lot of work to do, but I like the direction we are going and I like how we are doing it.”

On the no-touch policy on the quarterback in the second half:

“The majority of the work we wanted to get from them we accomplished. We’ve been using them without red-shirts for every major scrimmage of the spring. We want them to know that they are going to get hit. We want to see how they are going to maintain their poise when the defense gets after him. There is always the risk of injury, but that wouldn’t be anything weird at the quarterback position so we figured let’s fine out how durable they are now and they are holding up pretty good.”

On the quarterback situation:

“It is a good heated competition. They (Kerry Meier and Todd Reesing) both did some good things today. They both had a few mistakes here and there. I like it; I think our coaching staff likes it. Those guys are competing intensely in a friendly way for that position.”

Kerry Meier, Sophomore, Quarterback

On the team’s performance:

“I think I accomplished many things. A lot of guys accomplished their identities and came out and proved that come Fall they are going to want to come see the field.”

On wearing a red jersey in the second half only:

“I think it is very beneficial for us and the team with us being live out there, it feels more like a game situation. It prepares us for when a real game does come.”

On the quarterback competition:

“It’s been solid so far with Todd (Reesing) or I in there. Even with Todd there right now he is going to push us all summer with whoever is going to be there, the team will be comfortable and confident in what we do.”

Todd Reesing, Sophomore, Quarterback

On his long passes and the receivers:

“It feels good to get a big play under your belt at the beginning of the game. Marcus Henry made a bunch of big plays and he’s looked good like that all spring and that’s really encouraging. We have a lot of guys out there that can make a bunch of plays for us.”

About his development as a quarterback:

“Every year you get experience and it has helped me to get used to the speed of the game. Knowing that I can make plays at this level and I felt a lot more confident and was able to relax more when I played and not be so tight.”

Jake Sharp, Sophomore, Running Back

On where he has improved from last year:

“I think I have made strides in my blocking on the edge, little things to make me a more complete football player. I am just trying to help this team get where it needs to be by the Fall.”

On how he feels entering his second season of college football:

“I am very comfortable and I think I have come into my own and found out who I am as a football player. This spring I have gone through every possible scenario there can be and I feel very comfortable.”

On having to pick up where Jon Cornish left off last year:

“Jon was a great guy and he will be hard to replace, but we have a lot of good running backs in camp this year. We will have many different combinations we can use to get this team where it needs to be.”

Aqib Talib, Junior, Cornerback

On how much he expects to play offense:

“That is really up to coach Mangino, but whenever I am fresh I hope to get the opportunity to play.”

On the strength of the defense:

“I felt confident about it last year and I feel confident this year to see how it carries over to the games. We have more experience this year. I feel like the more experience you have in game situations the better you will be in the long run.”

On cornerback Kendrick Harper:

“He’s a really physical corner and he isn’t going to miss a lot of tackles. That’s probably what we were missing last year, a real physical cornerback. We both are physical players as far as tackling so this year we will have two physical corners.”

On where the team stands at this point in the spring season:

“I feel like we are a couple of steps ahead on offense. We looked a lot better getting the ball down the field today and making big plays.”

On Wide Receiver Marcus Henry:

“In an interview a few weeks ago I told them that Marcus was going to be our go-to guy and he backed me up today. He is going to be a beast this year. I really think he is going to have a breakout season.”