College Football Rivalry Talks

Table of Contents

• Rivalry and Competition
• Team Performance and Strategy
• Challenges and Adversity
• Historical Context and Legacy
• Coach and Player Perspectives
• Season Goals and Aspirations
• Game Preparation and Focus
• Team Dynamics and Chemistry
• Acknowledging Opponents
• Fan and Community Impact
• Other

Rivalry and Competition

We know how tough it is in Oregon and we know both of them are very good teams. We don't expect a cakewalk at all. Neither one will be easy.

We were beaten by a good football team today. They're solid on both sides of the ball. My hat's off to Penn State, they're a really great football team.

We just came out to play real hard and let West Virginia know we were here. This was the most we went inside all season. It was wide open every time.

Every time you play Penn, you know it's going to be a hard-fought game. We've gone there three times since I've been here, and every time it has gone down to the last play or last possession. Our kids really love going there.

Tonight, the No. 1 team in the nation is playing the No. 2 team in the nation. The next best team is Penn State. So we ain't playing a dad-gum nobody. We're playing Penn State, No. 3 in the nation. Now if we can hang with those guys, maybe we've got the material to get back on up there where we belong.

This is a big game. West Virginia is probably the best team in the Big East right now. We need to go into their house and pull out a victory.

This is the one game on the schedule we have to win. You can lose every other game, but you better beat Tech.

There's more to this rivalry now. They're a better team and they come ready to play. They're not the West Virginia from four or five years ago that got walked all over. They're going to come to play and we're going to try and make this a great game.

People think of West Virginia in a whole different way now. They know, if you're going to play West Virginia -- football or basketball -- you better be ready.

Penn State is a very good team, a well-balanced team, and they match up real well against us. It's going to be a real struggle for us again.

If we beat West Virginia... Nah, I?m not going to even talk about that right now.

Obviously, it you have an opportunity to beat a team like West Virginia, which is a top-20 team in the country, that's another statement to solidify your chances.

Team Performance and Strategy

It's a lot like the old Virginia Tech teams we played. They're physical and they play pretty intelligently and they go after the offensive boards pretty hard. It'll probably be like the games we played against them a few years ago.

We need to fight hard against a good, patient team like Washington State.

That's why I thought the Penn State win for us was so good because it got us our first road win where we know we can do it now. Hopefully we can carry that win through and carry the momentum we have and keep on moving forward here.

We got back to what I call Virginia Tech football. I don't know where we've been here for a while, but personal fouls, penalties, sloppy play, that is not us. We didn't win all these games being like that.

If we play like Virginia Tech plays, we'll win the football game. Be efficient, hard-nosed, tough, chasing the football, playing aggressively. Now if we get a bunch of penalties like we did in the first half, we're not going to win.

I made this statement many times. If we can just get the best players from the state of Virginia and keep them here at Virginia Tech, then I really believe we'll play for a national championship, and we've been able to do that once and hopefully we can get back to that game.

Washington State is a team that should be ranked and is very good. We had a tough battle with them last year and I expect the same this year. They have a tough No. 1 who is ranked very high nationally and they also have some big hitters down the line-up.

Can we put up those kind of numbers against Oklahoma? That's to be determined.

We really had some opportunities, especially in the first half. Virginia Tech is one of the best teams in the country. When you get opportunities, you have to be able to take advantage of them.

I told them that Virginia is going to press us, they play a lot of man-to-man, and if they shut you down, they'll shut everything else down. They accepted the challenge.

Penn is also a very strong team. But there isn't a big gap in our game. They are more dependent on their post players and play more of a half-court game.

To beat Penn you have to be error-free, execute on special teams and control the ball on offense. If we do that we'll have a chance to win. I saw the scrimmage tape against Andrean, where (Andrean) didn't run the ball past the line of scrimmage. I wanted to turn the tape off.

Challenges and Adversity

I will put my Butkus (Award) in storage. I will put my Alamo Bowl MVP trophy in storage. Jerseys, anything Penn State, in storage. Wherever Tom Bradley goes, that's the school I will start to put memorabilia up in my home. I'm done. I'm done with Penn State. If they're done with us, I'm done with them.

I felt like we were looking at a team that might, could blow us out; we don't want another Colorado-Texas ballgame. What did you learn? ... We're playing Penn State, No. 3 in the nation. Now if we can hang with those guys, maybe we got the material to get back on up there where we belong.

It's definitely not good for us. All we can do is go out and get a win against West Virginia and hope for a break. It's even bigger now. If we don't win that game, I don't know what's going to happen. We win that game, we give ourselves a chance.

It used to always be West Virginia football around here, ... Now it's West Virginia basketball. It's neat to be a part of it, but I know we'll have a lot of pressure on us. None of what we did means anything.

I'm going to keep hope alive during these next couple games that something turns. Losing three in a row, going to Oklahoma, is not what I envisioned early on.

We played flat and we played down to their level, and that's been one of our problems all year. We had to push it up before they could make a run at us like the Penn State-Illinois game last week.

I'm not going to walk out of here with my head down. I'm not looking for moral victories. I'm just looking for guys who will play with toughness and will compete and I think we did that. Maybe (Penn State) thought we were going to go in the bag, but I was going to keep playing.

We're not very big, so we're just going to have to fight really hard. Penn's not got that one 6-8 guy, but they can go 6-5, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, and that adds up.

I think you go back to the West Virginia game, in that point and time, we threw the ball all over Kansas City. If we turn it over 24 times here, we won't have a chance.

You've got to give Oregon State a lot of credit. They weren't ahead until the final ticks, and you've got to give them credit for hanging in there.

Give Oregon credit, they were prepared to win and they did. But we're inconsistent late into January and that cannot happen.

They're the best team in the Big East right now. They know how to win. It's a huge game. In the Big East, you can't afford too many losses. There are so many tough teams. West Virginia is at the top. That's our goal, so we're going to have to beat them. It's a big game. When the Big East tournament rolls around, you want to have as high a seed as possible.

Historical Context and Legacy

Pitt has a chance to be really good. They have a great facility. They are located in an area that is really good for high school basketball. The hardest part is winning, especially being in such a tough league. But they are winning and scoring a lot of points. People will notice. The men's program has done just that. Pittsburgh is a city that likes winners.

All this does is keep us one ahead of the pack in the NIC. We know we still have three tough ones to play (Penn, Clay, Washington).

You can't relax in this league. Coming up this weekend, we've got Virginia Tech, a team that -- if we play up to our capabilities -- we should sweep them. That's what you have to do to win the league, which is what we want to do.

The day I took the job here, I said if we keep the best players in Virginia at Virginia Tech, we'll have a chance to play for the national championship,

It's kind of neat to see. Maine in general has strong programs. To have five teams from Maine, there's gotta be a lot of pride. Every team is competitive.

It is unfortunate that Idaho has been down for the last 4-5 years. It happens. It's cyclical. Note the glorious Huskies. It's bad enough to have your team lose without having them kicked while they're down with an illogically-written column by a mediocre sportswriter with a chip on his shoulder stuck in Everett. Get a life.

Penn State is going to be our biggest competition this weekend. They beat Michigan earlier this year and Michigan won the World Series last year, so they should be pretty tough.

This (Oregon program) is a little different beast than the Oregon and Oregon State teams of the early '90s.

In those years, Oregon and Oregon State were trying to get bowl-eligible, have a winning record, crack the upper half (in Pac-10). Now, they're in the top half every year. They expect to go to bowls. They're looking at being nationally ranked.

I would put this team on a level with those Oregon City teams (of the 1990s) that were ranked No. 1 nationally. They have tremendous talent and they?re very well-coached.

That's the best Oregon State team I've seen from top to bottom since the early (1990s). They wrestle hard, they wrestle physical and they're very well-balanced. There wasn't a weak link.

Oregon does a lot of traveling, so they make a big deal about coming back east and they also have a number of eastern teams come out and play them. They actually had Hopkins come out and play them in Hawaii and all the girls were like, 'We wanna go to Hawaii.' But they definitely still get a lot of good opponents out there, so it's very similar.

Coach and Player Perspectives

You've got to put it into perspective with Oklahoma's quarterbacks. They went through the same thing. Auburn's quarterback is struggling. I just have to get back to reality. Our guys are young too.

We got back to what I call Virginia Tech football. I don't know where we've been here for a while, but personal fouls, penalties, sloppy play, that is not us. We didn't win all these games being like that.

This is our last opportunity to show we're a good football team. I believe this is one of the best football teams Virginia Tech has ever had. Getting to 11 wins would be something--and so would finishing in the top 10.

We had to give it a lot tonight. We've played a lot of basketball. We're just going to have to get ready and be ready to play Monday night. West Virginia's playing as good as anybody. It's a tremendous test, a tremendous game for us.

I think we're determined. I don't think there's any uncertainty. We got the win last week and everyone is excited. I think we're ready to try to get back to playing Oklahoma football.

It's Oklahoma State's tournament to lose, but they have to be very, very careful in how they compete. There are a couple teams out there who are capable of beating them.

We know we'll have to raise our level of play. Russ (Penn State coach Rose) always has his team prepared. I have a lot of respect for them. If you lose to Penn State, it's not a loss to hang your head.

Boise State is exactly what we are trying to build and want to be which is a great team. When I say that I mean they are a bunch of guys who know how to win, understand what their coaches want and execute under all situations.

Give Virginia Tech a lot of credit. I thought they played really hard, strong and physical. We knew they never give up. They showed a lot of character.

All we're focused on is Virginia Tech. We're going to review our notes from the previous match. Unfortunately, looking ahead is a great mistake that young kids make. They can get a little ahead of themselves. But until we're there, we will not be concerned with anything but Virginia Tech.

West Grand is a tough team. We knew that going in. We don't ever like to lose, but we did a lot of things right tonight. We're 2-1, and we have a big game coming up. The next one is always the biggest.

We've got to get stronger. With the players coming back and the ones coming in, we've got to get stronger. If we do that, we could have one of the best teams ever at Delaware State.

Season Goals and Aspirations

It's more about what our season is this year. Last year is in the past. You don't think about it too much. We're focused more on having lost to Penn State at home and staying in the race for the Big Ten championship.

This is a year of firsts for this Pittsburgh team. Our motto has been all year, 'Why not Pitt?' We came here to win. I talked to my team before the game and used reverse psychology by telling them Pitt had been to the Big East tournament before and Cincinnati, which is new to the conference this year, hadn't been here before. So they thought 'We' had been here before and they were right. 'We' as in 'Pitt' were before.

I want the University of Pittsburgh to experience those things that Connecticut has experienced with conference championships and NCAA titles. We will be a winning program.

(Penn State is) in the same situation we are; it's been a long season and this is a non-conference game. However, potentially for them and for us, it could be (about) seeding for the NCAA Tournament if we both get to go, and that's pretty significant.

You've got to put it into perspective with Oklahoma's quarterbacks, ... They went through the same thing. Auburn's quarterback is struggling. I just have to get back to reality. Our guys are young too.

The day I took the job here, I said if we keep the best players in Virginia at Virginia Tech, we'll have a chance to play for the national championship,

There's a little more to this rivalry now. They're a better team and they're coming ready to play. This isn't West Virginia from four or five years ago that got walked all over. We'll come out to play. They'll come out to play. We're going to try and make this a great game.

There's no question. They're not going to take Penn lightly. They know better than that, and they know they're going to have to play good basketball to be successful.

I think mentally it's nice to know you're guaranteed a winning season, especially for the seniors. It's nothing we focused on, but it feels good to know. Regardless, no way do we want to stop now. We're eager for a big game with Penn, and we'll need to be.

We are a confident group of guys, we definitely think we can go all the way. But it's all about taking it one game at a time. We have West Virginia next and that is our main focus.

We've got a lot of girls coming back so hopefully we can do well next year. Penn State won the Big Ten championship this year and our goal is to win it next fall. I'm having a lot of fun playing at Madison. So far it's been a great experience.

That first road win would really boost our confidence. It will help prepare us for the other three conference games we have on the road. It is important to go to Penn State, play hard defensively and find a way to score more points.

Game Preparation and Focus

That was clearly shown in the Virginia Tech game. This game is going to come down to execution. When you have three weeks to prepare for a team, they're going to be ready for you and we're going to be ready for them.

We don't see that with Oregon. Oregon's come here with a great attitude. When Hayden Fry came in here with Iowa, he always said their goal was to go to the Rose Bowl first, but if they couldn't, he preferred coming to the Holiday. I think the Pac-10 and Big 12 feel that way now. I don't see it as a problem.

It's going to be really important for us to finish strong and keep the momentum rolling. So far, we've been pretty solid on the road, but historically, Oregon hasn't been too kind to us. We want to go up there and play our game and do our thing and come back with three wins.

There are so many things going on this week, ... It's great for Virginia Tech.

I know we'll be walking into a hotbed. They have a lot to gain by a win over West Virginia. But we're going in there with a lot to gain as well, in terms of momentum going into the Big East Tournament.

There is not a lot of cooperation between members of the Maine team, ... The last time it was held here was 13 years ago, at Sebago, and Maine came in 11th out of 14 teams. Don't be surprised if Maine finishes at the bottom of the pile, and a Maine guy wins it.

Time to get ready for West Virginia. We won't focus on this one too much. We have to get ready for them.

It's time to move past this one and get ready for West Virginia.

Washington and Washington State are tough teams to go to. It's a hostile environment and they have good players. It will be a good test for us, especially Washington.

Around here you never underestimate a match with a Virginia Tech team in anything. There's a very positive and strong rivalry there. We know they're going to bring their very best. We're not looking beyond them at all and we know that we'll have to play very well to win.

My comparison would be, if a team like team Virginia had to play without Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds, what would their answers be? That's where we sat tonight going into this game.

Just beat Oregon, that was what was on my mind.

Team Dynamics and Chemistry

It's more of what our season this year had. I think last year is in the past. You don't really think about it too much. I think we're more focused on (The fact) we lost to Penn State at home. We're more focused on coming off a loss and coming off a bye week and just staying in the race for the Big Ten championship.

Pitt is a good basketball team. They have talented players, who play at a high level, and are deserving of playing in the next tournament (the NCAA).

A chance to redeem ourselves. We just weren't ourselves in the Villanova game. They took us out of our offense and defense and in the second half we didn't get out on shooters as much as we could. If we do the same thing against West Virginia, it's going to be the same thing because they're a great three-point shooting team as well.

We are all just competing real hard right now to backup Troy. We all know Troy is the main man right now. We are just here to push him and just compete.

We went toe-to-toe with Oklahoma, and we figure they're probably top three in the conference,. Now we're figuring on our schedule, we should be able to beat anyone. Guys don't have their heads down; we realize we should have won that game.

All we're focused on right now is Western Mennonite. This is probably one of the biggest teams in the state.

I couldn't answer that. They're both very good, but they play different styles. Penn's very methodical, not too emotional, while Memorial's got a lot of moxie and, at least the last few games, has shot the ball quickly.

We're not intimidated coming in. We're not playing against Oklahoma and their tradition. We're playing against the Oklahoma team in 2005, and we're ready to get the job done.

We still have a couple big games against Alma and Portland. But we are in the best possible position.

I expect to see Oregon play as hard as they would against USC, ... They have a little something on their shoulder because they lost their home opener last year.

Coeur d'Alene is the defending state champion (on the girls side) and on paper they're still pretty good, but I don't see them contending with us or Boise,

We have to get back to playing Pitt basketball.

Acknowledging Opponents

I don't think anyone would have picked these four teams. Maybe St. Louis, because Arizona had some injury problems. But it's like an NCAA pool out there. You never know what's going to happen.

Arizona has lost some good people, and they play a tough schedule ? probably the toughest in the (conference). They have to dip. With the rest of the (conference) being a bit better, it's understandable to lose a few more games.

We're looking forward to Virginia Tech right now, they're pretty much dead even with us in rankings and with players. If we can get that win, I think we will be rolling from there into the Big Ten matches.

I don't think we saw this coming. I thought we were ready. But there are not many conferences who can boast a 12 seed as good as West Virginia. We approached this game like we were the underdog having lost to them, but maybe that wasn't the right way to do it.

The biggest concern is they apply so much pressure, in all phases, that if you make a mistake they're going to punish you. Against Virginia Tech, that always concerns you, and it's quadrupled in the first game of the year, because someone is going to make a mistake in the first game. That's just the way it is.

I think going to Pitt and winning and St. Joe's got the ball rolling and as we went along we got confidence.

We just didn't string anything together offensively. There's was no consistency, but I tip my hat to Virginia Tech. They played well.

Got to give Oregon State a lot of credit. Got to give them credit for hanging in there. I was proud of our guys. We played much better than last week (a 38-13 loss at Georgia) -- not good enough to win, but some things to build on.

The fact that we're playing Oklahoma State, that's got our attention. They are a tough team. Very talented, very physical team. We're going to have our work cut out for us.

Who's the favorite or who's the underdog - we have nothing to do with that. We are who we are and Pittsburgh is who they are.

Washington State is a good football team. They do a nice job running to the football, playing hard, pressuring and getting after you. Nevada has their work cut out for them.

Penn has a lot of speed and experience and they are playing really well right now. Our team defense is going to be crucial.

Fan and Community Impact

This was a hard fought game, because both us and West Virginia are fighting for our lives. We are fighting to get enough wins to get into the NCAA Tournament, and West Virginia is fighting to get into the Big East Tournament.

It used to always be West Virginia football around here, ... Now it's West Virginia basketball. It's neat to be a part of it, but I know we'll have a lot of pressure on us. None of what we did means anything.

The Oklahoma basketball program is built on playing hard and tough and competing on every possession. For us to come out here and lose in the first round, that doesn't bode well. We're supposed to win these games.

Same as at Oklahoma. It's just, we win -- no matter how you do it, who's starting. That's my attitude coming in to it. I'm going to work hard on it. I'm going to do what it takes.

It's not a surprise. We've done it often. It's a good look for us. West Virginia is smaller and perimeter-oriented. We've played with it a lot. It worked well tonight.

I think going to Pitt and winning and Saint Joe's got the ball rolling and as we went along we got confidence.

I tell ya what, I feel bad for Oregon State next week.

It gets old; we expect to play West tough. I hope our kids have gotten to the point where they expect to win. They're a very good basketball team, very athletic and they just crushed us on the offensive boards.

The chances of something like that happening . . .. Give credit to Wyoming, but that's a game we need to pull out.

Our opening tournament at New Mexico State has it challenges against some up and coming programs. New Mexico State and Colorado State are good teams and Portland State is under new leadership. UT-San Antonio led the nation in home runs last year. Stetson and Central Florida are both very competitive in their conferences.

Other

If you think of all the publicity about the terrible tragedy of Virginia Tech, we have a Virginia Tech in this country every day. It's just spread across 50 states.

There is no hotter team in our league now than Portland State.

It's one loss. It's nothing more, nothing less. It's not going to stop us from getting ready for West Virginia.

I'm really excited anytime Penn State comes to our place. We know they are a great team, they are No. 1 in the country, but last time we played them we won 2-0 and if anybody in the Big Ten can beat them, it's us at our place,

We beat Harrisburg twice, so all we need is to finish in a tie with them. As I just told our kids, though, the bad thing is that we just gave Beaver a reason to play hard in their last game. They are out of the playoffs, but now they can knock us out by beating us.

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