Interim head coach Bill Lynch met with the media on Sept. 19. |
Interim Head Coach Bill Lynch's Press Conference
Sept. 19, 2006
Interim head coach Bill Lynch met with the media on Sept. 19 for the weekly press conference. Coach Lynch was joined by senior defensive back Troy Grosfield and senior wide receiver/return man Lance Bennett.
Interim Head Coach Bill Lynch
Opening Statement
"It's Tuesday of game week, and we have a good UConn team coming in. I'm anxious to get back out on the field. We had our meetings and practice on Sunday, and as a staff, you spend all day Sunday and until noon today getting the game plan ready. I'm ready to get the team back out there and start anew with Connecticut.
On Coach Terry Hoeppner:
"I wish Coach Hep was sitting here right now. I think he's getting closer everyday. Everyday, he is more and more chomping at the bit to get back. He is fully in tune with what we are doing. From a football standpoint, he is not sitting here, but he knows the game plan."
On the Southern Illinois game:
"When you look at the tape, we didn't do enough offensively to keep their offense off the field. We didn't score enough points. That sounds very obvious, but there is a lot of truth to that. I'd say from a defensive standpoint, we needed to tackle better. That sounds simple as well. We needed to get them off the field in critical situations. They made some big third down plays. Offensively, we didn't make some third down plays ourselves to keep them off the field and put us in position to score."
On quarterback Kellen Lewis' first start:
"I thought he played very well at times. It was a different kind of game, much like the week before where there were a lot of momentum changes. He started off very well and made quite a few plays that led to scores. We talked as a team Friday night about not turning the ball over. We had some critical turnovers that ultimately cost us the game. All and all, I thought Kellen played well. He made some big plays. It was a team loss. The plays he didn't make, there are some guys that needed to step up. For the most part, he played pretty solid."
On the wide receivers against Southern Illinois:
"Catching the ball is fundamental. We assume those fundamental things are going to take place. You have to do it. You can talk about it and assume all you want, but you have to go out and execute. That's what we didn't do. It's so often the fundamental things that dictate a football game. We can't point the finger at any particular group. That was a team loss. We all have to take responsibility."
On the leadership of the team:
"It's a good group. We have guys that have been through a lot, care about this program and work hard. We need to get back to work today and get back to the basics. We need to get the enthusiasm back. It's a great challenge this week. UConn is a very good, physical football team, and we need to get back to that mindset of playing good football. We need to go and win a football game and can't assume anything is going to happen. You talk about leadership, that is the mindset you need to have that we have to get back to building this football team. We are expecting a very difficult opponent, and we need to rise to the challenge."
On Connecticut:
"Connecticut is real physical. They are big upfront. They have two big inside tackles. Their linebackers are what we call downhill linebackers. They are going to hit you. Their defense looks like a tradition Big Ten defense. It's a great game leading up to the Big Ten. Their secondary runs well. They are certainly the best cover guys we have played against. They are always in the right position. They don't give up a lot of big plays. They are very well coached and will be good preparation for what we are going to see in the Big Ten. Their tailbacks are good, have played a lot of football and have won a lot of games. We have got to be prepared for a football team that is going to come at us. An emphasis has to be on stopping the run, but they are balanced."
On last week to this week:
"I think it's critical that we improve as a football team this week. Our focus has to be on getting better. We need to get better today. We need to get last Saturday out of our system. Today, we need to get more physical, more tough and ready for a tough game. With each day you develop confidence, and we need to play our best football game to win on Saturday."
On if there is a sense of urgency this week:
"I hope there is a sense of urgency. Any football team that is coming off a loss should have a sense of urgency. We need to play better. We didn't play well enough to win that game. I don't think there is a make-or-break, must-win game with nine games left, but you want to win every game. In that sense, they are all really important. In the big picture, its important we get better and play a great game Saturday."
On if there will be any changes in preparation for this weekend:
"We aren't going to dramatically change what we do in practice. We believe in what we do and believe in the consistency we have developed. We need a new focus. To play against this kind of an opponent, we need to have mindset that we need to be at the top of our game."
Senior defensive back Troy Grosfield
On the absence of Coach Hoeppner:
"It's terrible that all of that went down with Coach, but we can't use that as an excuse. You have to come out every week and play our game regardless of the obstacles."
On having played one game under Coach Bill Lynch:
"Coach Lynch is a great coach. We are very fortunate to have someone like him on our staff that can step in like he has. He has a lot of head coaching experience. We want Coach Hep back as soon as possible, but having Coach Lynch step in without us missing a beat is important to this team."
On contact the team has had with Hoeppner:
"He had the big message for us on the screen before the game, but we haven't talked to him personally. We have had indirect contact through some of the team doctors and other coaches. They all say he is doing great and progressing well, which is great news."
On the defense's play last Saturday:
"Defensively, we all need to start tackling a little better. We didn't have a very good game. As a whole team, we need to step up. If the offense puts up three points, the defense should be able to stop them and those three points should be enough for the win. We have to hold our opponents from scoring to win."
Senior wide receiver/return man Lance Bennett
On Connecticut being preparation for Big Ten opponents:
"I think it's a good fit in terms of being a good non-conference team to play before we enter the Big Ten season. They have the speed and the defense of a team we would face in the Big Ten. They are balanced. Their defense was the seventh-best in the country last season. They have six in the box to stop the run and five outside the box to defend the pass."
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