Larry Smith's Press Luncheon Quotes
9/5/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
On preparing for Clemson:
"All preparation and focus right now is on beating Clemson."
"It's not a matter of fear, it's a matter of us going in there and playing our game, maintaining our poise, handling a hostile crowd, and it's going to be a real test."
"We go in with nothing to lose. We have to go in and play out butt's off and keep out head above the water."
On Clemson in general:
"Clemson could be the most experienced team we play all year. They're an explosive football team, very well balanced. They have excellent receivers, very fine tailbacks and an experienced offensive line. They have the full package."
On 1996 win against Clemson:
"That was a break-through game for us. It really came down to that was when our team started to come together. Our defense played extremely well and we pretty much shut down the running game. It was a big game for us."
On similarities and differences of the two teams:
"We both use a lot of formations. We probably se a lot more tight ends then they do. They use more receiver formations. They use their quarterback probably pretty equal on the run. We don't run our quarterback much unless it's a scramble. They have designed quarterback plays."
On the progress of the team in the next month:
"We're going to find out what kind of composure we have, how we can operate under stressful situations. But I think the big thing is to find out how well we can focus."
On Darius Outlaw:
"I thought he did pretty well, except for throwing that interception. Every other part he was pretty decent, he made some good choices moved around a lot, but for the most part it seemed to be a pretty good outing. He didn't seem as nervous."
On Justin Gage:
"He's a gym rat. He hangs around the gym a lot. He's athletically involved and that's just Justin's mentality. He's always into it and he faces pressure very well."
On special teams:
"We get the very best athletes on our team on special teams. We're trying to involve as many receivers, defensive backs, linebackers that can run and hit."
On running game against WIU:
"We were all pretty disappointed in the running game production this last game. That's one of the things we put up on the board that we have to improve on for this game. We really didn't feel like we dominated, and you have to dominate. I don't feel that it balanced our passing game."
On secondary in WIU game:
"I think Julian Jones played very well. Clarence Jones played exceptionally well. I thought Hollinquest played better. I felt that Antoine Duncan took a step up. I think the whole key back there is for [Gary] Anthony and [Terrence] Curry to step it up.
On Sean Ain:
"Sean Ain was a real pleasant surprise. On the punt he gets down [low], he's a linebacker, and he really helps our [punt] coverage."
