Opening statement…
Really very impressed with William & Mary, not only from a talent standpoint, but an experience standpoint. I’m not sure, have you all counted how many seniors they have starting for them? But they have a bunch, offense, defense. They’ve got a bunch. I think defensively they were eighth in the country in total defense last year. Their center Jones, I mean a really, really good player. I’m impressed with their running backs. (Tre) McBryde is a big receiver, a big-time player. I mean really a big-time player. Again, they are talented enough and they certainly have our respect. I think when you look what happened at West Virginia last year, it’s tied up going late into the ballgame. North Carolina a couple year’s back, close ballgame. They play these games a lot, they play well in them. They certainly have our attention and our respect, so we need to get ready and see where we are. I’m always saying you don’t really know where you are, and certainly this year with as many new faces as we’ll be playing. We’ve got to find where we are, our identity so to speak so it’s a big game for us. Big, big game for us.
On the running back situation…
Trey has got to work his way back into totally full speed. He’s worked hard and he’s the greatest kid ever, great for the football team. He just had a tough, tough injury and as hard as he’s worked, I don’t just see the quickness. He got about four carries there Friday and I just wanted him to break a tackle or make a guy miss, he’s just got to work his way back. Until then, and he’s going to get some reps. And I’ll probably have him on kickoff coverage, just to get him back involved in the ballgame and get him to keep on running and so forth. I think that’s the best way for him to stay active and to keep on getting better. J.C. Coleman will start for us. (Shai) McKenzie will be in there. And Joel Caleb will have a role there. And that’s how we plan to start out there.
On JMU, overlooking an FCS team…
It’s just a fact. Even though there are different levels of football, they have a lot of good players, a lot of veteran football players. We’re starting a lot of new guys. Every game is a little different. You got to go out and play. They are certainly capable, but we got to be ready to go.
On his relationship with William & Mary head coach Jimmye Laycock…
We usually go with another friend to Augusta and play down there every year. We didn’t do that this year, but it wasn’t because we were getting ready to play each other, it was just because our schedules didn’t match up. Jimmye is a big buddy, we were close down at The Citadel. I’ve always thought he’s an excellent coach. You look at his teams, they play hard, they play smart. They don’t give you stuff. They are very, very well disciplined. They certainly have our attention. And then you think about Kevin Rogers. Kevin is there with them now and he was here. Kevin Lewis is there. He got a break and it’s great to see him get into college coaching. They got some guys that know us a little bit. We won’t be friends Saturday, but right after that we’ll get back to friendship.
On the starting QB decision and how Mark Leal handled it…
We met with them before that release (Saturday), each of them. Mark I think handled it great. I think [we] emphasized that we’re going to need him. This football team is going to need him. He’s always been a great teammate, and he’s the same now. I think he got in a habit, he didn’t have a great bowl game, but I don’t know if he was ready to play that game. He watched Logan (Thomas) so many times and never got in the game, and then all of a sudden here is Logan out and he’s in. Keep your preparation and be ready to go, because you never know in this business. You never know when it’s your time and you have to be ready for that time.
On what needs to be sorted out on offense…
When you got new people at a lot of positions… when the stadium is packed and the clock is running for real and all that. I think we’re going to find out a lot about our football team come Saturday.
On getting second-string players reps…
I’m worried about winning a ballgame right now and having the guys in there that give us the best chance to win. That’s how we will approach this. I’ll tell you this, West Virginia didn’t get the chance to get their reserves in the game last year, nor did North Carolina. You’re in a dogfight, get ready for it.
On Michael Santamaria being named No. 1 place kicker…
It was extremely close. Carson Wise is right there. He is right there. (Joey) Slye, I think he will be our long field goal kicker, maybe our kickoff guy. But there are three really good kickers right now, I mean really good kickers. But Santamaria has got the personality for this, I think he wants it very much, he just can’t want it too much. Just get in there and do his thing, and his thing is plenty good enough. He’s a plenty good kicker. But I tell you what, I give Carson Wise a lot of credit, he’s right there close.
On 50 years of Lane Stadium…
Lot of great moments, lot of great players. I realize how fortunate I’ve been to have been associated with Virginia Tech. Was William & Mary the first game? Yeah. And it’s kind of neat 50 years later that they are our opening game. I actually played, but you couldn’t call it played. I actually stood on the sideline for the first game ever at Lane Stadium. It was back when they played JV football when the freshman couldn’t play on the varsity side. They brought in five quarterbacks and I was a quarterback in high school. So we played Maryland’s freshman out there, I think Ralph Friedgen was on the other side. And I stood over and I stayed loose, I was ready to go in at any moment when my name was called. The only problem is my name was never called. So now I stood on the sideline for the first game ever at Lane Stadium and questioned if I made the right decision coming to Virginia Tech. And now 50 years later, how many years later, yeah, I made the right decision.
Lack of depth at offensive tackle….
The next tackle in is going to be (Wade) Hansen. He moved over from defense, he’s athletic. He hasn’t played there very much, but he wants to and he’s got good ability for that tackle position. He’ll be that next guy at that tackle position for us.
On Logan Thomas with the Arizona Cardinals…
In talking with him, he’s a guy that doesn’t have to play this year and he can learn and develop. I think he’s with a good team. I think the quarterback coach, he and Shane (Beamer) coached together at Mississippi State. And of course Bruce (Arians) is there, but I think it’s a great spot for him just to sit there and learn and then to use his talent down the road. I feel very good about where he is and who he’s there with and his ability to end up having a great pro career.
On Wyatt Teller’s potential playing time…
He’s going to get in there. He’s still learning, but he looks the part. We have several offensive linemen that look exactly like what you want an offensive lineman to look like. Now we just have to get them playing like you want an offensive lineman to play like. And he’s one of them. He’s working hard though, and I think before it’s over he’s going to be very, very good.
On young WRs and who Isaiah Ford reminds him of…
Maybe an Antonio Freeman? He makes plays. He’s got some height to him. He’s going to play basketball here later on. I said when I went down to watch him play basketball, I said at the time, there have been a lot of football guys that wanted to play basketball, but he’s the first one I ever thought that actually could play basketball too. He’s just a gifted athlete, he’s got a great head on his shoulders, he’s smart, he keeps everything in perspective. I think he’s the real deal.
In conclusion…
I don’t know if I said it earlier, but McKenzie and Marshawn Williams will both end up playing.
On if Travon McMillian will play…
The verdict’s still out. He probably will dress and maybe not play. One injury to say a JC Coleman and he’d be right back in the thing. It’s a hard thing because you sure don’t know how injuries are going to go, but you have to be able to project guys five games from now. He’s a talent. He’s a fast guy and a talent, but I’m not sure about his participation yet.
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