Al Groh Game Quotations

I would say in the last 12 minutes, we had the opportunity to make some plays and BC had the opportunity to make some plays. The game hinged on their ability to make those plays and the fact that we did not.

I wouldn't say that's what he bases his game on, but he has good athletic ability and good sense of how to use it.

If the coordinator can be the secondary coach also, then he's working with the position that every coordinator should always give the most attention to, ... Plus, most of the (defensive) adjustments that get made during the course of the game are secondary adjustments.

His whole game has progressed. It probably would be unfair to Emmanuel to say that it's one thing or the other, but he's a more confident, more active and certainly more productive player. Amongst the players who are having a very good camp, Emmanuel is very much one of them.

He's a very gentle, compassionate soul off the field. But his game is a tough and tumble game. It's not a finesse game by any means. That's the transition he makes.

He's got real focus, but he's always very calm in terms of game circumstances as well as his own personal circumstances. I think he projects that very well, that sense of purpose and focus but calm at the same time to his teammates also.

Marcus has really matured as a player, ... The way he went about preparing himself for that game last week was very impressive.

We were kind of determined that we weren't going to let the game be played in a phone booth today, ... and it worked out pretty decently.

Winning this game would have done us a lot of good, ... But I'm consistent in my thinking that they're all one. They don't build and they don't subtract. Each week is its own challenge.

We had emphasized all week long that it was everybody's job in this game to find a way to win. What we put into it is for moments like this -- the satisfaction from accomplishment.

We preached all week for our guys to be prepared to go the long haul. We knew this game would be decided well into the game, late in the game. That helped see us through a tough start.

The other thing that we had emphasized all week long was that it was everybody's job in this game to find a way to win. A lot of players had to step up individually and do that. Obviously the heart and the energy ? as well as the production ? that Marques provided us was just a tremendous punctuation point to the career that he's had at Virginia. He's been a special player for us in the things he's been able to do and how he's been able to energize this team.

This year, it's a little bit different circumstance. We are learning in each game how certain players are going to respond in different competitive situations. So it probably has been good for us in these (first) two games.

When you have to make a game plan based on 'will he or won't he,' or 'when will we know,' that's just another thing to add to your list of concerns. ... The list of things that concern me on an ongoing basis is getting quite long.

What happened last game was, Mike forgot about the ball. He was interesting in running the play and wasn't telling himself, 'Hey, I've got the ball.'

Probably one of these wide receivers will have a chance to play in the game in a certain role.

This is a strange one. He got hurt in October, came back and played some in December and now he's worse in March. We want to get Mike into the competition. His game is speed, so we've got to make sure his wheels are in shape.

If the offensive line or secondary is not what the coordinator is coaching, that's something he's always got his eye on, ... Most of the adjustments that are made in a game are in the secondary.

important that the team remain together and not become fragmented internally or externally as the result of a game like this.

I really hesitate to say it because he hasn't played a game yet, but he's really looking like what we're looking for there. For what he's had to learn and do in a short period of time here, he's been impressive. I would expect that he's going to be a good player this year and increasingly better in the future.

It'll be very interesting for us to see the game reaction of some of these players, not just to the competition . . . but how they're able to adjust to things during the course of the game.

Football is the most intense and physical of all games. Because it is so, all of us who have the privilege to participate should have the utmost respect for the game itself and for fellow players and coaches. On Saturday, Brad crossed the line in adhering to that standard, and for that he must take accountability.

Each team is different. Each team is doing different things at a different level, and each week is a different week. I don't make comparisons, and I think it's impossible to do so. But our team is what it is. It's giving the best that it's got. We're going to try to win every game that we can by as much as we can. If we can do that eight more times by one more point than the other guy's got, I think we'll all be quite satisfied with that.

It was certainly not an atypical Virginia game coming down to the end like that. It kinda reflected the last game that we played. I guess that is fitting.

It's a good win for us, but it's important for us to remember that each week is its own week, and each game is its own game, ... We have another challenge coming up next week. If we're not successful with that, then all of a sudden this win will seem very hollow.

We go from day to day. When he's game ready, he's going to play. I'm really being honest when I say months ago I made plans to go on without him. When he comes back it's going to be like picking up a free agent at midseason.