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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 29, 2018

Dino Babers

Greensboro, North Carolina

THE MODERATOR: Now we'd like to welcome Syracuse head coach Dino Babers.

Coach, if you could make an opening statement, then we'll open it up for questions.

DINO BABERS: We're just excited to finally be playing a first game. We get an opportunity to go play a fine Western Michigan football team, a team that knows a lot about us, a lot of history between the coaches that used to coach there, used to coach here, coaching there now. Our players know them, their players know us. I think we have two or three transfers on their squad that know a lot about us that are playing for them, as well. We're looking forward to the contest.

I'm ready for questions now.

Q. Some thoughts on Antwan Cordy battle back while you've been at Syracuse, he's gone through unfortunate injuries. What can you say about what he means to the team?
DINO BABERS: First of all, Antwan Cordy is one of the leaders on our football team. Unfortunate the last few years he hasn't played that much football for us. If people would get to see the things that I see in practice and in the summertime, the things that he's done on the football field, he's one of our best players, but we just can't prove it because we don't have enough game tape.

Hopefully after this season is over, everybody else out there will know what I know: he's one of the best football players in our conference.

Q. Offensive line, what can you say about the evolution of that line, if there's true depth that's been built there?
DINO BABERS: I think it's the best O-line that we've had in the three years that I've been here. We have a little bit of depth. I wouldn't say that -- I'll say with a little bit of pride, not a great deal of pride, we have depth. You put our first seven, eight guys out there, they look and play the way that you're supposed to in the ACC.

Q. If I could test your memory, I'm doing a story on Edwin Mulitalo, a rookie college head coach. Could you think back to when you were together at Arizona 20 years ago, what you remember about him when he was a player.
DINO BABERS: Edwin, that brings nothing but smiles back to me, smiles. Fantastic person, family man. If I got my wires right, I want to say he was married in college, went on to play for the Baltimore Ravens. Just a fantastic college player.

I remember a continuing play where we were playing USC on national TV. The quarterback took off and was on an 80-yard run. The quarterback was about 10, 15 yards from scoring a touchdown. There is Edwin Mutitalo running right next to him. That's how athletic he was, waving his arms and excited we were going to score a touchdown against the Trojans.

He's a motivator, loves kids. Coaching is definitely the best profession for him. I would imagine he's going to have not only a fabulous career, but he's going to do outstanding things, as well.

Q. Hopefully this day isn't for a long time, but when you finally choose to hang up the whistle for the last time n one sentence, what do you hope your legacy is as a coach and person?
DINO BABERS: Golly, I haven't even thought about something like that. I don't want to hang up my whistle. I just got started.

I'll tell you what, I really have no thoughts of that. I haven't put any thoughts to that at all.

Q. With the new NCAA rule regarding redshirts, do you have what you would describe as a concrete plan of how you want to use that, what guys you want to play, or is it more fluid as you adjust to the rule?
DINO BABERS: I think we're going to take a Heartbreak Ridge type attitude about this. We're going to keep our knees bent, adjust and improvise as we go along.

I think it's hard to have a concrete rule of something like that. I think you want to be flexible. If you're flexible on it, you may be able to enhance and help your team throughout the season.

I think I'm going to hold back and be a little bit more flexible. I don't want a hard-cut rule on the four-game rule.

Q. For guys who maybe aren't ready to play for you right now but might be at the end of the season, does the opportunity to possibly play in a bowl game or a late game maybe help keep some young guys engaged a little better?
DINO BABERS: Oh, I think so, for sure. Everybody wants to play, even when it's your redshirt year you want to play. Now, the interesting thing is everyone assumes just because everyone has four games to play, everybody is going to get in.

The score has to be where you can get into the game. So I don't think that rule is going to affect as many people as they think it's going to affect, but I think it can help some football teams like my football team when you have some depth issues, if you have some fabulous players that are redshirting, you come down the stretch with injuries, you may be able to plug a couple of holes with some really good young men and not give up their redshirt year.

Q. Talk about your offensive line, how is the development this year during camp?
DINO BABERS: I think that our line has greatly improved. I think that is probably the best line we've had in three years here. I think they're stronger, they played with each other. We have one transfer that's transferred in, Koda Martin. Outside of that, the other four young men have played next to each other for almost an entire year. Then with Sam Heckel, another experienced guy for us that had a lot of experience last year. I think we have a rotation of the top six, seven, eight guys that's really, really strong that can help us win football games.

Q. Also looking at your roster, Butler, how is going to be as a wide receiver for Eric this year?
DINO BABERS: Devin is going to have an opportunity. Probably right now he is our bell cow at that position. He has played the most games, has the most knowledge. A lot of the young guys are looking to him for leadership. I expect him not to be only a leader off the football field by on the football field by making a bunch of plays for us.

THE MODERATOR: Coach, thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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