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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 26, 2011

David Cutcliffe

DAVID CUTLIFFE: Well, I think Virginia Tech is worthy of any high ranking. They're really playing well. I think all of their weapons are coming into play on offense, very difficult to defend. They're a difficult match-up for us. And they're right in stride defensively, playing the way that you expect Virginia Tech has come to grow and expect them to play. So another great Virginia Tech team and another huge, huge challenge for us this weekend at Wallace Wade.

Q. I meant to ask you yesterday, obviously at the end of the game you had a situation where you could have attempted a 58-yard field goal. With Will coming off the ankle injury, how far would you be willing to go with him in a situation now?
DAVID CUTLIFFE: If we would have had wind, w-i-n-d, wind, at that point, I would have tried it right there. He's certainly well enough to do that. We had what had turned into a decent little breeze in our face. Obviously it was on my mind after second down even. Any gain there, we had Sean miss -- Cooper Helfet on third down and just catch it or throw it better there, and we got a real shot at it. And it didn't happen.
He's a guy that can do it with a little aided wind, you feel good about a 60-yarder. He's got a big, big leg.

Q. I trust your evaluation of quarterbacks, and in the preseason I was reading all this stuff about Logan Thomas, comparing him to Cam Newton. I think it made a lot of people roll their eyes, I thought maybe because of his size, but now I see the guy out there making difficult throws, he's not trying to run away from people, he's trying to run over people, use his size. Is that so far fetched now, or what are your thoughts on Logan Thomas?
DAVID CUTLIFFE: Well, number one, he's not trying to run over people, he is running over people. There's a significant difference in the two. He's hard to tackle. It's not silly at all. I think the reason people would roll their eyes, and I try not to compare any quarterback that hasn't started a ballgame or a season even with any great, great football player. I think that's unfair to both.
His skill level is very similar to Cam Newton. He's fast, he's big, he's strong. Mik O'Cain has done a tremendous job with his release and his pocket awareness. Unfortunately for us he's hit stride right now. He's playing really well.

Q. And also, the David Wilson kid, he's one of the nation's leading rushers, and it just looks like the guy doesn't run out of energy. What challenges will you face in him?
DAVID CUTLIFFE: Tackling him. But he's a guy that -- I said this yesterday, he gets better the more physical, the more intense a game gets, he seems to like that. If I were a pro scout, I would be locking in on that. He's a guy, always look at backs when they get into the red zone. He's a guy that starts smelling it, and you can sense it and see it.
We're playing them this week. I enjoy watching him play. I think he's a heck of a player.

Q. I know when Virginia Tech comes and plays at your place, they bring a lot of fans. Your thought on that invasion of the Hokie Nation at your place?
DAVID CUTLIFFE: Well, Frank and I have talked about that. They're proud that their people travel with them. Where I come from, I'm used to that. That's what people do. And they certainly come -- we're not very far apart, and they certainly come in droves. I don't begrudge them that fact. Again, I've been a part of that in my past, where 25,000 people, if they can get tickets travel. That happened when we played Vanderbilt at Tennessee, we might have 40,000 in the stadium.
So hats off to them. That's the way it's supposed to be done. That's about all I can say about that.

Q. It's almost unbelievable the number of close agonizing losses you guys have had to Wake Forest over the years and during your tenure --
DAVID CUTLIFFE: I needed that. I'm just kidding.

Q. Do you have any rational explanation for it? And more importantly, do you worry at all about hangover from that game going into the next one?
DAVID CUTLIFFE: Well, I think you always worry about hangover when you come out of games that hurt so badly. I don't have any rational explanation other than I don't think I've coached very well. It just bothers me. I mean, I'm not just saying that. It sincerely bothers me, but I can't do anything about it right now other than try to be the best I can be. But it's a very difficult thing to deal with as a coach, and certainly our players have had a difficult time with it.
But no indication of a hangover today. We don't have that excuse or a reason. I mean, we know what we have dead in front of us, and that's a great football team, so we'd best prepare. And they did a good job of doing that today. I was very pleased with our practice today.

Q. You mentioned you don't think you've coached very well. Is there anything, when you look back on the most recent one, that you second-guess yourself on a particular decision or anything?
DAVID CUTLIFFE: No, it's not those kinds of things. When we played like we played the first half, we have discipline issues, way too many penalties, our execution suffers, we have some assignment issues. As a coach your job is to put a team out there prepared. And then the last part in the fourth quarter when you don't finish a game like you know you're capable of finishing it, we had a cluster of bad plays. We missed an opportunity to score a touchdown to go up ten, instead had to kick a field goal. And then we kicked off and didn't cover it very well, and then they scored on one play 66 yards. Then they kicked it to us and we didn't return it very well. And then we went three-and-out on offense when you have to answer. That's all 100 percent my responsibility. Teams don't cluster those kinds of mistakes that are well-coached football teams. Just being real honest with you, it really bothers me. You have to take a look at yourself and what you're getting done.

Q. I was just looking at the ACC stats and see Matt Daniels is third in the ACC in tackles. Is it a bad sign when a safety is that high in the tackle stats, or is it a function of the way you're playing defense?
DAVID CUTLIFFE: Well, a big part of it is the function of our defensive system. That position should be close to leading you in tackles every year. I would love to see a few more tackles for losses up front, and the people that play in front of him because that's a good indicator, too, which is still a tackle or two. But we try to fit our safety in a lot of places and give him chances, but again, the only thing you'd like to deter that would be a few more tackles for losses up front, which can occur, too, which we have hopefully the design of and we'll get better at that. But I'm very proud of Matt. I think Matt Daniels is having an All-American year. I think he's a really, really great football player.

Q. He's always been strong against the run. This year he's also second in the league in pass breakups. Is that an area he's really improved his game?
DAVID CUTLIFFE: Yes, he worked very hard on that area this summer, and Coach Knowles worked hard with him during camp. To become that complete football player, and he's accomplished that. He's a real fine player.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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