Pitt vs. West Virginia Postgame Quotes
11/28/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 28, 2008
Recap | Box Score | Notes
PITTSBURGH -
Pitt Head Coach Dave Wannstedt
“What makes this win so special for this team is that this is the fifth time this year we came from behind in the fourth quarter and found a way to win the game.”
“When we walked off at halftime we felt that we shot ourselves in the foot several times and our players could have been despondent. In the second half we regrouped and found a way to make more plays than they did.”
“We played defense against a very good offense and a great quarterback. Pat White is the best spread option quarterback in the country.”
“LeSean McCoy came through today and had his career high of 187 yards rushing. I think that was obviously the difference in the game today when we were struggling throwing the ball. Billy [Stull] was struggling a little bit. Our only chance to win was to play defense and run the ball.”
“It was great for us to score going toward our student section during the end of the game. Our home crowd definitely played a part in keeping our players into the game, particularly down the stretch.”
“Our final drive started with the punt return of T.J. Porter. That was our longest punt return of the year. He broke free and we got the ball around the 40 yard line.”
“The players did a good job of blocking. We had confidence that we could run the ball on these guys.”
“Our offensive line, tight ends and Conredge Collins at fullback have done a great job and have gotten better every year.”
“Jovani Chappel had been benched for a couple of games and we started Ricky Gary today and yet Jovani came up with a big interception.”
“This was a great game for our seniors, a game they will remember the rest of their lives. You love to have this happen for such a great group of seniors. They really put everything into this program.”
Pitt Linebacker Scott McKillop
“There were some times where we could of shut it down and put it in the tank but I think everyone on our team -- offensively, defensively and special teams -- we pushed through it. We had some people come up and make big plays.”
“You have to keep him (Pat White) contained. We didn’t do it the one time and he really hurt us. He hasn’t become the NCAA’s leader rusher as a quarterback for nothing. Pat had a good game today but we stopped him when we needed to.”
“We kept together as a team throughout the game. We weren’t sitting there on the sideline screaming at the offense, we just did what we needed to do and that was go out there and take care of business on defense. I have faith in our offense and they came through today.”
Pitt Cornerback Jovani Chappel
“The interception was just preparation. Coach Bennett and Coach Hafley just did a tremendous job. They prepared us really well. We were in cover two, the guy stopped on the route and I sat on it and intercepted the ball. I tried to take it all the way back but they got me.”
Pitt Defensive End Greg Romeus
“Coach kept stressing to us that containing them was the biggest thing. If you give them the outside, they’re going to run for a bunch of yards. That was our responsibility today out there, to make sure we didn’t give up the big plays.”
“You try and do your best against Pat White. We know what kind of player he is. Anytime you can contain him, it’s going to be big.”
“Last year we won the game because we tackled and I think we won this year because we did the same thing.”
Pitt Quarterback Bill Stull
“On the interception, I didn’t expect them to come up and play what they did. I was just trying to get the ball to the back pylon but it was a bad throw. I left it short and I probably should have thrown it to the other side because their guy (Quinton Andrews) read the play and went straight for Jonathan Baldwin and came up with the ball.”
“It’s a team game. The other 10 guys came up for me when I played poorly. They just told me not to worry about things and that we’ll get them next series. We ran the ball every play the last series and when it came down to it, our guys up front on the offense and our defense won us the game.”
Pitt Running Back LeSean McCoy
“When we didn’t score in the second quarter, it was frustrating but our defense came up big throughout the game and they helped us win the game.”
“We still have a lot to accomplish here. I want to help get Pitt back to the powerhouse Pitt used to be. Coach Wannstedt is getting great recruits.”
West Virginia Head Coach Bill Stewart
“I want to compliment Coach Wannstedt and Pitt. That was a tremendous football game that was played this afternoon, with a ton of effort on both sides. I have a very emotionally hurt locker room right now, and I think that’s a reflection of how hard we competed. A game like that is what college football is all about.”
“I thought we punted the ball well and was very pleased with our special teams play. Our defense battled for the entire time, too. We just couldn’t get a stop there at the end when we needed to in order to preserve the win.”
“Pat White played a heck of a game. He ran well and I thought he did a really good job throwing the ball too. The mistakes in the passing game can be attributed to bad reads. The interception in the fourth quarter was a mental error and no one feels worse about it than Pat. I have a very disappointed quarterback right now.”
“I think sometimes an injury can be a blessing in disguise because it gives another guy an opportunity to make some plays. It would have been nice to rotate some more guys onto the defensive line, but you have to play who you have.”
“LeSean McCoy is a great back. He runs so hard and I was really impressed with the balance he showed.”
West Virginia Safety Quentin Andrews
“Every time we go onto the field we know it’s going to be a battle. This game was no different. We just couldn’t make the plays at the end to pull it out.”
“I thought [the interception in their end zone] gave us some momentum heading into halftime. It was a big stop in that situation and I thought we came out strong to start the third quarter. It really hurts to lose a game like this.”
West Virginia Cornerback Ellis Lankster
“There offensive line was really tough. They never stopped fighting the whole game. They just kept coming and making cracks in our defense, and they have a talented back who was able to exploit that.”
West Virginia Linebacker Pat Lazear
“We felt confident throughout stopping the run, but LeSean McCoy is a very talented back. We stopped him a couple times but he just kept coming and managed to break a couple. Every time you have a missed assignment he makes you pay.”
