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RUTGERS UNIVERSITY MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 24, 2011

Greg Schiano

COACH SCHIANO: In terms of the game Friday night, actually got a chance to do a little bit on West Virginia last night, a little head start. Players have off today and then we'll get started tomorrow.

Q. Do you have any explanation for their dominance in this series? This is the fourth different coach and you've been through it. This is your 11th time. You've seen it all different teams. Anything?
COACH SCHIANO: No, other than they beat us.

Q. Is it more physical, talent? They've been very good, obviously. Is any of it mental?
COACH SCHIANO: Yeah, you don't know. I don't know. I mean, they've been one of the best teams in the league throughout that time, at least in the new Big East, so -- but I don't know why.

Q. How much better equipped is this defense --
COACH SCHIANO: We're going to find out. This is by far the best skill we've faced. Not even close. They have four wide receivers that are as good as we've played. Geno, the quarterback, is playing at a very, very high level. Offensive line is experienced. This will be a big test.

Q. Obviously this game has been billed as a pretty big game for a couple weeks, both teams coming off a loss. Does that have any effect? Is it easier to get your players focused or more distractions off a loss type of thing?
COACH SCHIANO: I don't know if it matters. It's a big football game, again, in the Big East Conference. Every game is a championship game since we don't have one at the end of the year. I don't know if it really matters whether they're coming off wins or losses. It's a big game for us, I know that.

Q. How is Manny?
COACH SCHIANO: I think Manny will be okay. He'll have to wear something on it, I'm sure.

Q. Is there anyone else coming out of the game that you're concerned about right now?
COACH SCHIANO: Not right now. I mean, we're bumped up, but that's normal, you know, Sunday after a game. By the end of the week hopefully we're ready to go.

Q. Obviously your defense has always been ostensibly built on speed, but having so many teams in the league, running a spread, is that a big portion of why you decided to move guys down a level?
COACH SCHIANO: Well, yeah, that was part of the reason, but you said it first; that's kind of the philosophy that I've adopted as a defensive coach is that you build it on speed. You'd like to have speed that has size, but until you can get the size with the speed, then we choose speed. We're getting bigger and remaining fast. We moved some guys down, which I think has made us faster. But the wide outs we're playing against Saturday, they're fast. Fast-fast. So the challenge is there.

Q. Have you spoken to San San?
COACH SCHIANO: Sure.

Q. Do you have any theories on what's been amiss?
COACH SCHIANO: It's technical. You know, he needs to go back to basics, which he did last night. He'll be fine. San San is a good kicker. Unfortunately he's missed a few here, but he'll be back.

Q. You've used the same offensive line two weeks in a row. At least starting-wise is that the best five do you think?
COACH SCHIANO: I don't know. As you see, we've played -- the team played more plays than Art at the end of the day, but I'm not opposed to doing that. Desmond Stapleton got in there. I thought he did a good job when he got his reps. So we'll keep playing around with it.

Q. Do you feel like you're getting closer and seeing improvement, though?
COACH SCHIANO: Yeah, we're getting better. Not fast enough, but we're getting better. Again, this will be a challenge. 21st ranked defense in the country last week. I think it was the 16th or whatever, two good defenses in a row we've got to go against. Certainly 14 points is not enough, so we need to improve.

Q. (Indiscernible.)
COACH SCHIANO: I'm sure he's mad, like most of us. But you can't do anything about that one. You've got to go to this one. He's already begun preparation like the rest of the team, and I think he's locked in, as is Chas, to do the best we can against their defense.

Q. How much has Geno Smith developed as a quarterback? Looks like he's become such a polished passer now.
COACH SCHIANO: He really is. Yeah, he makes every throw with ease. He throws the field comeback as good as anybody I've seen in a long time. That's a hard throw. Throws the deep ball well. He's got guys that will go up and compete for it, too. Their receiving corps, 3 and 5, tremendous ball skills down the field, No. 1, great underneath, bubble screens, under routes, really fast four, and then the kid that was their tight end, 89 I think it is, he's playing in there as an inside slot, as well, and doing a good job. He's a good athlete.
They don't lack depth at the skill positions, that's for sure.

Q. You guys were playing at the same time, but have you gotten a chance to see the West Virginia game? What did Syracuse do that took West Virginia out of their game plan?
COACH SCHIANO: They effectively put pressure on Smith. They hit him a lot. They still made plays. I think the biggest thing they did is they scored 49 points or whatever the score was. I mean, their offense did very well. Kickoff return for a touch. You know, game is tight, they answer the bell. I guess, what did they cut it to five-point lead, West Virginia does, and then Syracuse hits one back for a touch on a kickoff return. You know, huge answering the bell there.
You know how it is. We've been there, right? You get in that dome and things get rocking, it's not an easy place. If you're not totally dialed in, it can be tough.

Q. How important do you think a fast start is? They've struggled in the first half of a couple games, at least two, maybe three. Is that something you put a little more emphasis on this week because maybe it's something you can take advantage of?
COACH SCHIANO: I've got a feeling both teams are going to come out of the gate pretty hot. Just my experience. Two teams that are -- didn't expect to be entering the game the way they were, I'm sure there's going to be a very, very locked-in two teams on that field. Now, maybe that'll lead to some anxiousness, I don't know, we'll see. I hope not, at least not on our part.

Q. Do you see Huggins as getting more confident? It seemed like he ran the ball better.
COACH SCHIANO: I think so. I do. I think every time he has a little more success, hey, this isn't that much different, good, let's go. I thought Jamison continues to do some things with his feet that are just incredible. We've just got to keep mixing it and Jeremy has got to keep getting his touches. Got to keep moving it around.
But again, not where we need to be, but we're getting closer.

Q. D.C., what is he doing better?
COACH SCHIANO: I think D.C. is improving each week. Brian Angelichio is doing a great job there developing him. D.C. is learning to play in the moment and kind of put the result off to the side and just do your job. All of a sudden you get some catches, some better blocks. He's an incredibly explosive guy in the blocking game. If he can just do his job correctly as he's coached, he can be really, really good. And then, you know, when you start doing that, everything kind of fits together.
So I'm hoping that this is going to be a big second-half push for him. We need it to be. He's made some good catches the last two games. He's blocked well. We need him to be consistent.

Q. Has Mark Harrison bounced back?
COACH SCHIANO: I think Mark is going to be fine. I know he is. It's unfortunate. He's had some drops this year that probably could have had big impacts in the football game, but he's made a lot of those catches, too. Mark can do it. As a receiving corps we've dropped too many this year, but I do think they're going to bounce back as a group. Coach Fleck does a great job with those guys, and I think you'll see a group with better results going forward.

Q. Have you spoken to the team at all about Anthony Conner?
COACH SCHIANO: I spoke to them right on the field. I told them, and then we prayed for him. But I talked to Charlie, and the kid is going to have a little tough road to hoe, but he's moving and everything is going to be okay, as far as living a normal life, which thank God.

Q. Is Sanu having as good a season -- obviously you've had Kenny, had some great wide outs, as good a season in terms of consistency as any guy you've ever had?
COACH SCHIANO: Yeah, I think consistency. Not the big plays yet, and that's where Kenny set himself apart. Kenny was a home run hitter. But Mohamed is certainly performing at a high level. But we have not hit the home run, period, very much. That's something we're lacking as an offense, and I think that's why we're not scoring enough points. It's very hard to nickel and dime it all the way down the field. We need to hit some of those shots. The shots are there; we've either dropped them, we've underthrown them, we've overthrown them, all different reasons, but we've got to hit them. That's what big-time teams do. We haven't done it.

Q. Is that why you tried Schuler?
COACH SCHIANO: One of the reasons, yeah. Miles is getting better. It's not just a one-trick pony. He can do a lot of different things, Miles. He's just got to keep getting better, keep getting better. You've got to remember he was not a wide out in high school, so learning to be a wide out takes time if that's not what you've done. If you don't catch balls every day, it takes a little time.

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