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University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Gameday Preview Quotes
8/22/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Minnesota Head Coach Tim Brewster
Opening Statement:
“I’d like to begin by saying what a spectacular stadium this is. I couldn’t have been more pleased with the environment and the experience that our players got today in front of this crowd in our brand new home. Obviously we’ve got some things to clean up and some things to work on, but overall I was pleased with the effort and how the scrimmage went.”
On how the scrimmage helps in preparation for the season:
“This scrimmage will help us with Syracuse. It was like a preseason game for us. It was a tremendous opportunity to get in front of fans and experience a game-like atmosphere. Obviously it wasn’t exactly like a game, we didn’t want it to be exactly like a game. The key was that the players got a good taste of what it’s going to be like on gameday. All our focus is on Syracuse, but it was great to get in the scrimmage and a some practices at the new stadium. It feels like home and it feels good.”
On Michael Carter’s performance:
“Michael Carter has been an outstanding player this whole training camp. He’s a very mature young guy, runs very well, has great instincts and confidence as a corner. He’s made plays from the beginning of camp, and he obviously made a couple of nice plays today. It’s something we’ve been seeing quite regularly from him.”
On the running game’s progression:
“We weren’t getting it done like we wanted at first, we weren’t seeing the efficiency in the running game that we were looking for. I thought the guys came back in the second half and got it going a bit, finding their groove. We were extremely vanilla in what we did but I felt like we progressed well toward the end. I really like our personnel in the running game, we have solid players from tackle to tackle. “
On first-team defense’s performance:
“I thought they did some good things today. We only ran two fronts and two coverages today. We didn’t blitz at all and we were just playing good technique defense. I think for the most part, considering they were behind the eight ball in not being able to do much, I thought they performed well. You can see the speed and athleticism on the defense, I like that group of guys.”
On Eric Decker’s improvement this offseason:
“I think he has done a much better job defining his routes. He’s doing a great job getting into the break and being faster out of the break. We talk about separation and I think he’s really doing a nice job running routes. He’s got excellent speed and size and when you look at the combo of that plus his technique, you see why he is thought of so highly across the country.”
Senior Linebacker Lee Campbell
On the gameday atmosphere:
“This atmosphere, it is definitely more exciting than at the Metrodome because it is something to look forward for in three weeks. You try to stay focused about the game, but all I could do was smile about what was going around. I was shocked to see all the support we had, especially to have 15,000 people come to a scrimmage. It really shows how much the stadium brings out fan support.”
On the first team defense:
“I thought we played well, but we didn’t want to show too much. We were competitive and showed good technique. I thought we showcased our skills pretty well. “
On the young defensive players
“I think the young guys are working hard. They definitely showed that we have a lot of talent on this team.”
Junior Quarterback Adam Weber
On the game atmosphere:
“It was much different than how the Metrodome feels. I was really surprised to see how many fans showed up today. All around, you could feel an excitement around the stadium and you could feel that extra amount of excitement the fans had for the game.”
On losing focus before facing Syracuse:
“That’s definitely something we’ll have to talk about before the first game. Before the start of the season there was a lot of talk about the Air Force game, but as a team we have to remember that the Syracuse game is first. So much has been talked about the stadium and rightfully so, but when that kickoff starts we need to focus on the game.”
Senior Wide Receiver Eric Decker
On the gameday atmosphere:
“The victory walk was pretty cool, walking the three blocks with fans all around. I think now we have a place that we can call home with the stadium being back on campus.”
On the turf at the stadium:
“The grass at the stadium is nice. It’s definitely different than at the Metrodome. The turf is easier on your body. We’re still in the process of breaking the field in, and after we achieve that I think it will be one of the nicest fields I’ve ever played on.”
Sophomore Runningback Duane Bennett
On how he felt coming back from injury:
“It felt great to get into a game situation. To see the fans in the stadium, it was very reaffirming. I felt really great coming out and I feel 100 percent.”
On the offense adjusting to a new scheme:
“I think we adjusted pretty well. I think there are some things we need to tweak like running the ball a little better and pass block better. Everyone is working hard and re-establishing themselves in the offensive scheme. Once we take ownership of the offense I think we will be a great offense.”
