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University of Minnesota Athletics
Player Quotes - Nov. 18 Press Conference
11/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Senior Linebacker Steve Davis
On playing his last home game at Minnesota
“I’ve realized this is the last game I’m going to play here at the University of Minnesota. It’s exciting and sad for me at the same time because there have been a lot of good memories around here and I want to go out on top with a victory for my senior night.”
On initial views of the Dome
“I was happy they had a dome because I heard it was cold. I walked into the dome freshman year and it was an exciting atmosphere. I was coming off a state championship high school game in St. Louis where we played in the St. Louis Rams’ dome. It was exciting over the years to see how loud it could be. The bad part about it is that it was away from campus and not as many students were there. With TCF Bank Stadium, we can expect a lot more fans.”
Senior Tight End Jack Simmons
On the significance of the dome
“It means a lot and I have a lot of great memories there. But football is football and I just wanted to be able to play at Minnesota. I’ll remember the honor I had playing for this University more than anything else.”
On the significance of a potential win over Iowa
“It could set us up for a better bowl game, but I also think it would be a big win for us as far as taking that next step forward. Obviously it’s a rivalry game, so this is going to be a big game for us and we have to prepare well all week.”
Senior Defensive End Willie VanDeSteeg
On how to stop Shonn Greene
“Obviously, Shonn is a powerful back and has some explosive potential. They also have that offensive line. They’re powerful up front and open up a lot of holes but they also make people miss. So it’s a combination of both and it will be tough to stop. But that’s what we’re ready for and we just have to do our jobs. You just have to do your one-eleventh of the job on defense. Everyone has their job and if everyone does theirs, someone is set up to make a play. We just have to make plays when they come to us and we’ll be successful.”
Senior Linebacker Deon Hightower
On the season to this point and a potential win over Iowa
“I think wins are hard to come by in college football. If we got eight wins, that would solidify the change in this program. Seven is great too, but getting to eight would be really significant. Just to break the losing streak, win a big game, and then go to bowl practices would be great. I think if we win this, we have a different attitude going to bowl practices and a winning mentality.”
Sophomore Quarterback Adam Weber
On the significance of the Iowa game
“I think this last game is going to be crucial for us. Obviously this season has been successful from the standpoint of improving from last year. But these past three games have definitely put a damper on how exciting this season could have been. We obviously let a couple games get away from us, but this last game is important for us and the state. If we can come away with a victory in the last game at the Metrodome, we can end the season on a good note.”
On missing the Metrodome
“I don’t think I’ll miss the Metrodome too much at all. I’m sure there will be some people that will when it’s 15 degrees outside. But football is meant to be played outdoors. We’ve been missing out on something very special that college football brings. I think a lot of people should get to experience that. You want to play in games where there are blizzards and they have to shovel snow on the sidelines. You dream about those games because that’s where great memories are made. You play the sport to win, but there are so many memories that you get along the way. Playing in great stadiums is one of those memories. There are a lot of good stadiums in this conference and we’ve waited a long time to get one of our own.”
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