Here you walk in, say you have 19 minutes (in the locker room). Nineteen minutes? You can talk to your coaches, talk to the team, write openers (plays to be used early in the second half), come back and talk to your team again, then go out. |
Here's my feeling. If he wins the Heisman Trophy, that probably means we win the national championship. So sign me up. |
His goal every game starts with being able to dominate on the line of scrimmage as a blocker because a tight end's job is to be an extension of the offensive line. This offense is not one where the tight end is detached all over the place and just running routes as a receiver. It all starts with a run-pass threat, and I think Anthony has been one of our most consistent players the entire season. |
Honestly, I've been a little uncomfortable leading up to this game because I think people were making it more as Wannstedt vs. Weis than Notre Dame vs. Pitt. I'm the happiest for our players, ... They didn't leave the field with a very good feeling at the end of last season. |
I basically told them you are already down 31, let's see where we can go from there. Let's see if we can close the gap a little bit. You start off embarrassing them. Then for the rest of the time all you do is try to build up their confidence. |
I build up the game every week, ... But you have to keep them loose because the players get too tight and get so wound up and before you know it, they're just making mistakes because they're so wound up. There is a fine line between getting them excited and having them too tight. |
I can tell you as of last night, everyone was already here and accounted for. That is one less problem I have to deal with. |
I can't even believe you'd ask that question. |
I can't let them feel too good about themselves because we play Saturday against a team that's definitely gotten the best of this rivalry the past bunch of years. |
I can't tell you how many times you sit in a draft room and people say 'what kind of tight end is he?' because there are very few guys that can block and catch. You can count them on one hand. |
I didn't want to short change myself and leave myself a man shy at the tight end position. |
I disagreed with it, but I'm prejudiced. I wanted it to be the other way. I hope that guy is right because that changed the whole complexion of the game. |
I disagreed. I wanted it to be the other way. What I said to the officials on the field was, 'I hope your guy upstairs is right' because that changed the whole complexion of the game. |
I don't get into, 'This is our house,' and all those commercials and everything like that. But you need to develop a temperament that you're not going to lose when you're playing at home, ... I don't think that temperament exists at this point. |
I don't remember all the games, but it seemed like every time somebody No. 1 was coming in here, they were going out losing. I understand we're an underdog in this game, but it would be pretty cool to win, don't you think? To be part of that history. |