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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 15, 2010

Ralph Friedgen

THE MODERATOR: We now welcome Maryland head football coach Ralph Friedgen. We'll bring on coach, ask for a brief opening statement, and then go to questions.
Coach.
COACH FRIEDGEN: Well, we've been preparing for a very good football team, working hard. We feel like we've had a couple of good practices. Looking for another good one today.
I'll open it up to questions.

Q. Coach, you have two games in six days, now you get back to sort of a more regular schedule. Is there any adaptation getting back to normalcy?
COACH FRIEDGEN: It's easier than playing two games in six days. But we kind of got back to our regular schedule that we normally do during the week. I've been pleased with practice last two days. Not that I was displeased last week. Last week was a very difficult situation in the fact that you know where you need to be from a game standpoint. But from a body standpoint, it was a little bit different.
I was pleased with the way our kids adapted to it. I think it takes a lot of work on their part to be able to do that and concentrate and come out and play good football.

Q. Ralph, what concerns do you have most in terms of this West Virginia team?
COACH FRIEDGEN: Well, you know, from a defensive standpoint, the quarterback is playing very well. I think the last two drives at Marshall, he was very impressive. But then they have three very, very talented skill players. No. 1, Tavon Austin, Noel Devine, No. 7, and Jock Sanders, No. 9. Defensively about as good a free safety as I've seen. Very solid. Nine returners back on defense. Kicking game is very sound. Very good football team.
Playing on the road is always a challenge up in Morgantown. It will be a very good test for our players. I'm anxious to see how we handle it.

Q. From your sense of what you got from the first two games, how do you feel you're up to those particular challenges?
COACH FRIEDGEN: You know, I think our team is gaining in confidence. I think they've had different challenges each week. I've been very pleased the way they've adapted to them. I think the first week, playing a big game on national TV, after being 2-10 last year with a bunch of young kids, we're still fairly young, but they were able to persevere and win against a good football team. Then come back and play on a short week against a team we should beat, play very well against them, those two tests.
Now we're going to go up and play a nationally ranked team in their territory. I think that's something we have to learn how to do also. So I'm anxious to see, and I think our team is anxious to play, but I'm anxious to see how we can do in that environment. If we can do well, I think it can be a very, very good sign for us, that this team has taken steps to be a very good football team.

Q. Ralph, you're getting a lot of big plays on defense. How does Adrian Moten fit in from what he does and a leadership standpoint?
COACH FRIEDGEN: He's one of the leaders of our team. Last year he was voted captain as a junior. This year I kind of am going to game captains. He's a main spokesman, on my players' council. Adrian is playing as good as he's played here as Maryland. Had a big interception. Thought he played extremely well against Navy. I see him practicing better. Really has matured as a young man. Very proud of Adrian. He's done a good job and has a chance to be very successful in life.

Q. The play he made against Navy, causing the fumble, obviously that's not a technique you coach. Were you as surprised as Navy was when he did that?
COACH FRIEDGEN: Yeah, I was. We hadn't done that in practice. The one thing that Adrian has is tremendous football instincts. He's always thinking. He's graduating in criminal justice, but I think he'd make a heck of a coach.
Kind of did that on his own. He did have a gap to secure, which he did. The fact to hurdle over the line and cause the fumble in a very big situation obviously was a big play in the game.

Q. Ralph, can you recall the game in 2007 where Noel Devine didn't have very many carries but he ripped off a lot of yards against you?
COACH FRIEDGEN: Yeah, the first one he ripped off, 60, 70 yards. I remember how fast he ran by me. I think he was a true freshman at that point in time.
He has tremendous all-out speed. He's been very impressive every time I watched him play. He's a very good runningback.

Q. You probably weren't involved in recruiting Tavon Austin, but do you remember watching him, his high school tapes, the fact that he was a pretty talented runningback?
COACH FRIEDGEN: Yeah, I remember going to one of his games. I was very impressed, as I am right now, with him, how physical a player he was for his size. He has tremendous quickness, change of direction. But he's also a very physical player. He's an excellent football player.

Q. Coach, you mentioned all the weapons that West Virginia has on the offensive side of the ball. They showed two different faces last week against Marshall. One side they struggled to finish off drives; the other was what they showed in the fourth quarter. What kind of team are you preparing this weekend?
COACH FRIEDGEN: I think we'll get everything West Virginia has to offer. That's always been the way. It's kind of a rivalry. I know that being at home, they'll be ready to play.

Q. How do you prepare offensively when you know a key player for West Virginia is going to be out like Brandon Hogan is going to be?
COACH FRIEDGEN: No, we're going to play whoever we got to face. Just prepare for the team.

Q. What did you see from watching that Marshall film that might help you? What did Marshall do that allowed them to hang in there for so long?
COACH FRIEDGEN: It's like anything. It's like what I was concerned about last week. Marshall played very inspired football. They played very well. Obviously West Virginia woke up right at the end. But Marshall had a very good chance, if they didn't fumble the ball, they would have had a chance even if they kicked the football, to win the game.
I think Marshall probably had some insight that Doc Holliday had been there and kind of knew them very well. I thought the Marshall kids played extremely well, especially their quarterback and especially their defense.
I think every time those two play, you know you're going to get the best out of Marshall, and I think that's what happened.

Q. Could you talk about your quarterback situation. Are you going to play both Robinson and O'Brien? After O'Brien's performance against Morgan State, has he earned more playing time?
COACH FRIEDGEN: We will play both. I think that will depend how the game goes and whatnot. But we're not disappointed in Jamarr. I have a quarterback that I think is going to be pretty good. I want to get him experience. That's the one thing he lacks.
I think they complement each other very well. To me, teams have to be prepared for both quarterbacks.
I felt the same way about C.J. Brown. But he got hurt and was out of the game this week. I will play both quarterbacks, though.
THE MODERATOR: Coach, thank you for being with us. Good luck this weekend. We'll talk to you next Wednesday.
COACH FRIEDGEN: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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