University of Georgia Athletics
Western Kentucky Press Conference Quotes
August 29, 2006 | Football
Coach Richt Press Conference Quotes, 8-28
(On the Dawg Walk)
“I want to make mention of our first Dawg Walk of the year at 10:45 a.m. We are always shooting for and hour and 45 minutes before kickoff just to let our fans know when to be there. We really appreciate it, it means so much to our players and coaches to have our fans there. Historically I have gone to the first one because we are undefeated and everyone is in a good mood. It is an emotional thing for our players and I think it means a lot to our fans as well.”
(On the Western Kentucky game)
“I feel like our players have done an outstanding job of working really hard and doing the types of things they need to do to be prepared for this game. I think our coaches have done an excellent job in preparation for the season. We know we have a very good challenge here. We are playing a team that not long ago won a National Championship at the I-AA level, they are a team that is used to winning. I have said many times, I would rather play I-A team that doesn’t know how to win than a I-AA opponent that does. Winners are tough to beat and the Hilltoppers are that kind of team. Coach Elson has done a fine job of putting this team together.
(On the Western Kentucky offense)
“Offensively they are not a lot different than us as far as how they line up. They play a lot of I-formation football, some three receiver sets with a tight end and a back. They love to run isolation, they will run a power at you and they will run some option game in there. They have great play-action pass when their running game is going well and they are committed to running the ball. Yardage-wise, they probably get 60-70 percent of their production from the running game. They have a quarterback who has started something like 36 games in a row, he has been a starter ever since he got there. He is a tough kid, he runs well, makes plays on the move and reminds us a little bit of D.J. Shockley. Their running back, Lerron Moore, has already rushed for over 3000 yards in his career, he’s done a fine job. He is a possible All-American back at the I-AA level.”
(On the WKU defense)
“They are a team that will run base out of a three-down lineman scheme with four linebackers and four DB’s, and they are very versatile in that. They will stem their linemen, which means they will line up one way then shift at the last second, and that is something that takes a lot of time and care and practice to get good at. Just about every guy out there has played an awful lot of football. The only real newcomer would be Travis Waters at one of their corners. At the other corner, Dennis Mitchell, from what we hear, is a legitimate pro player. He is extremely fast and doubles as a return man, and is probably an All-American candidate in both positions. Andre Lewis, one of their linebackers, is very physical. We have a lot of respect for those guys.
(On the WKU special teams)
“Chris James, their placekicker, is a preseason All-American. He has a tremendous kicking percentage and has a big leg. Their punters are returning and snappers are returning. Again, Mitchell is a great return man as well.
(On Joe Tereshinski, III in the starting role)
“I have not seen any change in him since we announced him as the starter. He has prepared very well. I told him to just keep on doing what he has been doing. He really understands what we’re doing. I tell all of the quarterbacks, if you do what we tell you to you are going to go to the right guy most of the time. I don’t think any system is perfect, but if you read your keys and do what we ask, you will go to the right guy. And if you progress properly, now what your adjustments and blitz pickups are, you are going to have a pretty darn good career if you can hit your target. But, sometimes things break down or the coverage is very good, so then you have to figure out how to handle that. He’s done a really nice job of not turning a bad situation into a catastrophe.”
Georgia Player Press Conference Quotes
Quentin Moses, senior defensive end, on Georgia's first game of the season arriving: "We finally get an opportunity to put everything to use and to execute everything we have worked on during the offseason. In Athens, it doesn't matter who we play because so many people are here and excited for this first game and it's a wonderful feeling to be a part of it."
On Western Kentucky:
"They play one Division I-A school a year so you know they're going to bring their full arsenal. After watching film on Western Kentucky, you can see they're a good program but like last year's game against LSU when we came out on fire, we'll be trying to do the same thing on Saturday."
On Georgia's interior defensive linemen:
"Kade (Weston) has been pretty consistent since the preseason started for us. Geno Atkins has learned so much so fast and he has made amazing strides since starting practice. He hasn't arrived by any means, but we've been glad to see someone catch on that quickly."
Tra Battle, senior rover, on how ready he is for the first game of the season: "As soon as we got in the locker room on Monday (Aug. 28), everyone starting looking around and saying, 'Hey, it's game week.' We are tired of hitting the same people for over a month and ready for someone else to be across the line from us."
On the productivity of the defensive backfield during the preseason:
"We got a lot more picks this preseason and hopefully that will correlate to the season. One thing about replacing leaders like Greg Blue is that if the group before us were good leaders, then the younger guys will step up. I think we will step up and that there won't be a drop-off from last season."
On one of the defining traits of this team:
"One of the benchmarks of this team is that guys are not only willing but are ready to compete when their name is called."
Mohamed Massaquoi, sophomore wide receiver, on being a leader within the receiving corps: "I put pressure on myself to exceed my performance last season and be more comfortable when I'm out there."
On how the receivers are helping each other:
"The experienced group of running backs that we have help us out a lot. All of the receivers are young, but we all have big-play capability and we all try to feed off each other."
Kelin Johnson, junior safety, on getting the chance to be one of the regular starters on the Bulldog defense: "This is a big-time opportunity and it has been a life-long dream for me to start at a major university like Georgia."
On how his experience with special teams will pay off this season:
"Being on special teams help improve my awareness of the ball. Coach (Jon) Fabris makes sure you know where you need to be and it's the same at safety. Now Coach (Willie) Martinez tells us to take care of your responsibility and everything will be all right."
Thomas Brown, junior tailback, on starting the season: “It’s really exciting. We’ve been grinding since the spring. It’s about time we see someone else (other than each other).”
On the depth at the running back position:
“We’re a very experienced group. We’ve been working together for three years and have great camaraderie. We’re one of the most mature parts of this team.”
Paul Oliver, junior cornerback, on the secondary as a unit: “It is day by day. We’re making sure every one (on the secondary) is preparing to help us as a unit.”
On Western Kentucky:
“They are a good team with a dangerous offense. They’ve got some good athletes and a good system.”
Joe Tereshinski III, senior quarterback, on preparing for Western Kentucky knowing he was the starter: “It helped me mentally. Knowing you are No.1, you are going to put a lot more pressure on yourself and get a lot more reps.”
On sliding rather than taking a hit from his quarterback position:
"I don't think I have ever slid before. I maybe have run out of bounds to stop the clock, but I will have to slide this season to keep my body healthy for the whole season. The first slide I do will probably be pretty ugly."
Danny Verdun Wheeler, senior linebacker, on starting the season: “I’m excited to be back. I feel like camp went so fast and now it has started to slow down. Since it’s game week, I am pumped up.”
On his personal goals:
“I just want to go out there and do the best I can. I know what I can do, and the coaches know what I can do.”
On the experience of the linebackers:
“We’re very experienced. We might just look at each other and know what we need to do. It’s just understood. That’s really good.”
