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Quotes: Wake Forest 24, Duke 23
10/22/2011 5:10:00 PM | Football
Duke Head Coach David Cutcliffe
Opening Statement:
"I was really proud of our players' effort the second half, playing team football in all phases. The second half was pretty incredible. The kicking game was clicking, for the most part, and certainly defensively it was a display. Offensively we became physical, won the physical battle - all of those things very encouraging after seeing the mood in the locker room at halftime. As it ended up, we didn't make the plays. We had to congratulate our players on putting themselves in a position to win the game. That's what they did. We couldn't overcome one of the worst halves that was played since we've been here, in a lot of areas. But bottom line on those ... I got outcoached badly and really did a very poor job. Every area of a head coach's responsibility was displayed poorly in the first half and I told our team that, and we couldn't overcome that. It was enough to try to overcome Wake Forest, and so these things hurt. When you do these things, you hurt, but it's time to take deep looks and evaluations of what you're getting done."
On the play of Anthony Boone:
"He did a nice job. I would have liked to see us block those circumstances better than we did. But as good as what we were in some of the other things we were doing, we probably hadn't practiced that much, which again is on me. But I thought for the most part our offense up front was good. I was pleased with Anthony. Anthony is poised and he's a competitor, so I'm very pleased with what he has done. He's coming off of being pretty banged up and he was physical out there."
On Wake Forest's offensive output:
"It just is simple. It looked like we were a little afraid of [Chris Givens] at corner and [we gave him] way too big a cushion. When the guy's running that kind of route, you want it to be bang-bang. If he catches one on you in front of you, he needs to be hit. It's just, again, one of those circumstances of me not getting it done like it could be."
On what the team can learn from the loss:
"I'm real proud, as I said, of the second half effort and the energy. I'm real proud of our guys that weren't playing in the game. I thought our sideline was focused and enthused, much more than we've been. And we accepted the challenge all the way around. But as I said, we've got a lot of evaluation - all of us. And we'll look very strongly at what we need to do."
Duke Junior WR Conner Vernon
On the disappointing loss:
"It is a really disappointing loss. This makes 12 years in a row now. It is just something we let get away from us today."
On 4th and 7 last play:
"It is our normal take-off. It is a crossing route. We tried to get Donovan [Varner] the ball. It was well covered. It was good play and hats off to them. It was a good coverage on their part, and we just couldn't make it."
On what he will tell the younger players coming out of this game:
"Just keep your head up. It is time to go back to work tomorrow. Now they know how big this rivalry is getting and what it is now. What it means to this program. The younger guys will be a part of it next year."
On fighting through this game:
"We definitely saw a lot of fight. It is something that Duke has lacked in the past. Going into halftime today, we were able to come out with fight. This is two weeks in a row now that we weren't able to come out and play like we know how to play like Duke football. We have to learn how to play for four quarters and not just two. We just have to learn how to come out at the start of the game. Hopefully we can figure it out next week."
Duke Redshirt Senior NG Charlie Hatcher
On coming out in the second half but not pulling the win off in the end:
"I am really proud of how we played today in the second half. We had every series but one at 3-0. We have to build on that for next week."
On important things to take from this game into next week against Virginia Tech:
"We got some pressure. We had four or five sacks which is really good. The 3-and-outs, we have to keep those up. It shows us that if we can do that for a whole half, we can do that for a whole game. We just have to learn to put those together which we will learn to do this week."
On being a leader on the team with five games left:
"Right now our goals are to go 1-0 each week, and view each week as its own season. We have to wake back up tomorrow and get back to work."
Duke Redshirt Freshman QB Anthony Boone
On his contribution in the end zone:
"I just got behind my pads and linemen and kept pushing and kept my feet moving."
On being a younger player moving forward:
"I haven't developed myself as a vocal leader on the field or locker room yet. I am just going to go out there and keep grinding in practice. I am going to keep showing a lot of energy and hope that will be an example for everyone else. As time goes, hopefully it will build."
On watching Sean Renfree:
"It is a real good learning experience seeing what makes Sean successful and how he goes through direction. Hopefully, it will help me out in the future."
Wake Forest Head Coach Jim Grobe
On the win:
"First of all let me just say a couple things about the game today. I just have to tell you how proud I am of Duke's kids, how hard I thought they played today. That's really a game where nobody deserved to lose. David [Cutcliffe] is doing a great job. It's a great school. I feel their pain. It's so hard to be at academic schools like we are and compete at the highest level week in and week out. You have to play good team every week. That's a football team today where their kids put it on the line. I thought they had a really good plan. I'm sure they at one point thought they had gotten it, and Chris Givens made a big play. I just want to say how impressed I was with their coaching today and the way their kids played. I thought they played their hearts out. I thought our kids played their hearts out. I thought our kids hung in there and made a play when they had to. It's not good for my blood pressure today, but it's good to get a win."
On the offensive production in the second half:
"I would have to say first and foremost their kids did a good job playing us, but we just weren't very sharp. I think Tanner [Price] missed some throws. We dropped a couple balls. We had some opportunities to make first downs. We were just killing our defense. I thought until Chris had the big play we were going to come off talking about how the defense couldn't hold that lead and if you saw the game I think we were 1-of-7 for a long time there without a first down and no time off the clock. I can't say enough about our defensive kids the way they just kept going back and going back and going back. Our defensive coaches hung in there and we made a couple plays when we had to. I think first amount of credit goes to Duke's defense kids for playing really full-speed, hard-nosed football in the second half. I think also we misfired a few times. We were just desperate to get a first down, to give the defense a little bit of a rest and we couldn't do anything. We had the good kickoff return by [Lovell Jackson] and then we had the big play by Chris [Givens]. The good news is we took the lead; the bad news is no time off the clock again so the defense is right back out there. I just can't say enough about our defensive kids and their toughness and all those kind of things you need to play this game they were showing in the fourth quarter."
Opening Statement:
"I was really proud of our players' effort the second half, playing team football in all phases. The second half was pretty incredible. The kicking game was clicking, for the most part, and certainly defensively it was a display. Offensively we became physical, won the physical battle - all of those things very encouraging after seeing the mood in the locker room at halftime. As it ended up, we didn't make the plays. We had to congratulate our players on putting themselves in a position to win the game. That's what they did. We couldn't overcome one of the worst halves that was played since we've been here, in a lot of areas. But bottom line on those ... I got outcoached badly and really did a very poor job. Every area of a head coach's responsibility was displayed poorly in the first half and I told our team that, and we couldn't overcome that. It was enough to try to overcome Wake Forest, and so these things hurt. When you do these things, you hurt, but it's time to take deep looks and evaluations of what you're getting done."
On the play of Anthony Boone:
"He did a nice job. I would have liked to see us block those circumstances better than we did. But as good as what we were in some of the other things we were doing, we probably hadn't practiced that much, which again is on me. But I thought for the most part our offense up front was good. I was pleased with Anthony. Anthony is poised and he's a competitor, so I'm very pleased with what he has done. He's coming off of being pretty banged up and he was physical out there."
On Wake Forest's offensive output:
"It just is simple. It looked like we were a little afraid of [Chris Givens] at corner and [we gave him] way too big a cushion. When the guy's running that kind of route, you want it to be bang-bang. If he catches one on you in front of you, he needs to be hit. It's just, again, one of those circumstances of me not getting it done like it could be."
On what the team can learn from the loss:
"I'm real proud, as I said, of the second half effort and the energy. I'm real proud of our guys that weren't playing in the game. I thought our sideline was focused and enthused, much more than we've been. And we accepted the challenge all the way around. But as I said, we've got a lot of evaluation - all of us. And we'll look very strongly at what we need to do."
Duke Junior WR Conner Vernon
On the disappointing loss:
"It is a really disappointing loss. This makes 12 years in a row now. It is just something we let get away from us today."
On 4th and 7 last play:
"It is our normal take-off. It is a crossing route. We tried to get Donovan [Varner] the ball. It was well covered. It was good play and hats off to them. It was a good coverage on their part, and we just couldn't make it."
On what he will tell the younger players coming out of this game:
"Just keep your head up. It is time to go back to work tomorrow. Now they know how big this rivalry is getting and what it is now. What it means to this program. The younger guys will be a part of it next year."
On fighting through this game:
"We definitely saw a lot of fight. It is something that Duke has lacked in the past. Going into halftime today, we were able to come out with fight. This is two weeks in a row now that we weren't able to come out and play like we know how to play like Duke football. We have to learn how to play for four quarters and not just two. We just have to learn how to come out at the start of the game. Hopefully we can figure it out next week."
Duke Redshirt Senior NG Charlie Hatcher
On coming out in the second half but not pulling the win off in the end:
"I am really proud of how we played today in the second half. We had every series but one at 3-0. We have to build on that for next week."
On important things to take from this game into next week against Virginia Tech:
"We got some pressure. We had four or five sacks which is really good. The 3-and-outs, we have to keep those up. It shows us that if we can do that for a whole half, we can do that for a whole game. We just have to learn to put those together which we will learn to do this week."
On being a leader on the team with five games left:
"Right now our goals are to go 1-0 each week, and view each week as its own season. We have to wake back up tomorrow and get back to work."
Duke Redshirt Freshman QB Anthony Boone
On his contribution in the end zone:
"I just got behind my pads and linemen and kept pushing and kept my feet moving."
On being a younger player moving forward:
"I haven't developed myself as a vocal leader on the field or locker room yet. I am just going to go out there and keep grinding in practice. I am going to keep showing a lot of energy and hope that will be an example for everyone else. As time goes, hopefully it will build."
On watching Sean Renfree:
"It is a real good learning experience seeing what makes Sean successful and how he goes through direction. Hopefully, it will help me out in the future."
Wake Forest Head Coach Jim Grobe
On the win:
"First of all let me just say a couple things about the game today. I just have to tell you how proud I am of Duke's kids, how hard I thought they played today. That's really a game where nobody deserved to lose. David [Cutcliffe] is doing a great job. It's a great school. I feel their pain. It's so hard to be at academic schools like we are and compete at the highest level week in and week out. You have to play good team every week. That's a football team today where their kids put it on the line. I thought they had a really good plan. I'm sure they at one point thought they had gotten it, and Chris Givens made a big play. I just want to say how impressed I was with their coaching today and the way their kids played. I thought they played their hearts out. I thought our kids played their hearts out. I thought our kids hung in there and made a play when they had to. It's not good for my blood pressure today, but it's good to get a win."
On the offensive production in the second half:
"I would have to say first and foremost their kids did a good job playing us, but we just weren't very sharp. I think Tanner [Price] missed some throws. We dropped a couple balls. We had some opportunities to make first downs. We were just killing our defense. I thought until Chris had the big play we were going to come off talking about how the defense couldn't hold that lead and if you saw the game I think we were 1-of-7 for a long time there without a first down and no time off the clock. I can't say enough about our defensive kids the way they just kept going back and going back and going back. Our defensive coaches hung in there and we made a couple plays when we had to. I think first amount of credit goes to Duke's defense kids for playing really full-speed, hard-nosed football in the second half. I think also we misfired a few times. We were just desperate to get a first down, to give the defense a little bit of a rest and we couldn't do anything. We had the good kickoff return by [Lovell Jackson] and then we had the big play by Chris [Givens]. The good news is we took the lead; the bad news is no time off the clock again so the defense is right back out there. I just can't say enough about our defensive kids and their toughness and all those kind of things you need to play this game they were showing in the fourth quarter."
Players Mentioned
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QB
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