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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCESeptember 3, 2014Mike LondonCOACH LONDON: Yes, an opportunity, once again, to play University of Richmond, obviously, my alma mater and the history that I have with Richmond and the respect that I have for Danny Rocco and the program, the kids. So it's a homecoming or home going, however you want to talk about it, but it's something where a lot of relationships have been forged on the side of the stadium there. But it's good to play. It's an opportunity for us to play again coming off tough games against UCLA and playing the game at home at Scott Stadium, so our guys are looking forward to it. Q. Mike, just wondering if there is any clarity on your starting quarterback situation yet? COACH LONDON: No, that won't be made until game time. Both guys had really good practices. They've taken all the reps with the ones and the twos and behind both centers. It's just been really good, very competitive for those guys. We're looking for them to be very productive. Q. I'm wondering. Obviously, many factors, what are some of the primary factors that you look at beyond what each was able to do this Saturday throughout this week and going back to the summer and spring camp. COACH LONDON: We talked about it (Indiscernible) in the very begin against a very competitive team. Really succeeded in showing that he could handle and produce and execute. And that doesn't preclude the other quarterback Greyson Lambert from stopping growing or getting better. But like I said, the practices thus far have been very competitive and very good. It's interesting when battling players whether it's left tackle or secondary, it's competition. When you have quarterbacks battling, they call it controversy. So guys are competing in practice, and that's what we've always said, and we've said that from day one and we'll continue to keep doing that. They've embraced it, and now our focus is to keep getting ready for a very good Richmond team. Q. Lot of comments coming out of UCLA about how your defense continues their offensive line and that sort of thing. Did you guys see anything specific that you designed for them or was that just Tenuta doing his thing? COACH LONDON: Well, it goes back to we've talked about you have continuity and you have the language, terminology and the players understanding what's being asked. We know John does a great job in attacking team's protections. Of course you have to have some guys executing that with their performance. Just in this game, the production of that kind of showing the fact that our guys are prepared, and they did what they were asked to do, and they did it with being fast, playing fast, and they did it with confidence. That is kind of the whole thing in building up all three facets of our team, offense, defense, and special teams, and we want those type of productive performances. Q. Like to get your impression of a Richmond player from down our way, Stephen Barnette, wide receiver? COACH LONDON: Well, as I said, when you look at Richmond and you look at their team, they're an older team, an experienced team. They have Michael Strauss and Michael Rocco who have done a really good job in distributing the ball, getting the ball to those players. It's a great story, hometown Richmond guy playing well. We have a lot of Richmond guys on our team as well. When you look at him play and you look at them play, they play with a lot of energy. Coach Rocco has them playing with a lot of confidence, and rightfully so. So I know he's going to be excited about playing up here in Charlottesville. He knows a lot of guys on our team and vice versa. He's a very, very good player, and you just watch him on tape, and he does, whether it's catching, blocking, he does a lot of things well and he does a lot of things right. Q. That first game against UCLA, despite the loss, which was a close game for you 28‑20, what were the biggest things you can take from that game and learn from that game that you're going to bring not only into this week but the rest of the season? COACH LONDON: Well, it's important for us to know the common denominator during spring practice and the summer and into August camp was executing the schemes and the systems performing those tasks and assignments and techniques is an opportunity that can put us in position to win. And holding everybody accountable for the production of that. There are a lot of great things that went on during that game. The fact that they had three scoring opportunities off of turnovers is something you definitely don't want. But you look at a lot of effort, and a lot of guys played well. You take that and use it as kind of a spark to continue the flame in the fire. We haven't won a game in a while. It's not about Richmond so to speak, it's about us playing, performing and producing and having an opportunity to win a football game. That is the thing that's driving this team. That's what's been different than in the past. Q. Doni Dowling wasn't a guy that was actually offered by Richmond. He obviously didn't have a lot of play coming out of high school, and yet he comes in as a true freshman, had a good camp, and five catches in the first game against the number 7 team in the country. Did that surprise you to see how he played that game and how much he got open just in his first game versus that caliber competition? COACH LONDON: Early in camp, Doni had the benefit of living in Richmond and having a chance to come up and work out with our guys and kind of learning early the terminology. I mean, he had a couple of incoming first years didn't have that type of opportunity. But he was Mr.Utility back there in that Richmond area of football. In high school he did a lot of things. He kicked, he did a lot of things. He was very, very competitive. When he came in here first practice in August, he let it be known that he wanted to play and he was going to hold everybody accountable of the fact that he wanted to play, so they better be doing what they need to do to play. So it's no secret that he is a guy that's very competitive. He's a very, very good football player with good football instincts, and he's going to be a good one. There are a lot of young receivers that are playing now for us. But Doni's something special, and it's great to have him on our team because he brings that attitude as a first‑year player and just kind of permeates around the rest of the team, and it's an older team that embraces that as well. Q. Also a question about Greyson Lambert. There's been some discussion that Greyson did not return in that UCLA game because he was hurt. He may have had a left shoulder or non‑throwing shoulder injury. Any truth to that? COACH LONDON: Yeah, as I said in all the interviews and questions that have been asked, on that game day Saturday Greyson was cleared 100% to play. The decisions to remove him were not based on an injury or physical issue that he had. So I can tell you now that he's throwing, he's running, he's competing with Matt Johns, and excited about the opportunity for the play. I'd like to be able to play a lot of guys on this football team on this Saturday. As you start playing and getting into the meat of your schedule, you want to have playable depth, and some guys, like a guy like Andrew Brown or who did not play last week will play this week to get them into the college football game. Not only Greyson, but a lot of players on this team are excited about the opportunity to play in Scott Stadium this weekend. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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