Aug. 30, 2008

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Head Coach Joe Paterno Quotes

Q: Did you get everything out of your team today that you wanted to?
A: I'll let you know when I look at the tapes. I thought that in most cases the kids had some poise and did some things really well. I was a little upset with the one drive because we were out of position for a couple things. Not to take anything away from the Coastal Carolina kids because they got a couple good plays with the screen and the open guy. I think so, as much as you can expect in an opening game I guess.

Q: Aaron Maybin rose (isn't listed?) on the depth chart, is that a typo?
A: I hadn't gotten his final grades from the summer. So you have to have a deadline. On Monday, at 12 o`clock last week and I knew he had one grade left. I didn't have it and I told him unless he got something I thought was good enough for him, I might now play him.

Q- Did Maybin play pretty well?
A: He's a good football player. He just has to be a better student, otherwise he'll turn out to be a reporter.

Q: A lot of red shirt and true freshmen played today. How would you evaluate their play?
A: I think most of them did well. Brandon Beachum is a true freshman and we really had talked to him about not playing this year. We really hadn't planned on playing him much. We wanted to play him on specialty teams and what have you, but we didn't. I think there are fine, young players that just need some experience. Obviously, this game gives them some experience, but it's not the kind that they're going to have to have. As for Oregon State, I watched that game the other night till a quarter till one and Oregon State just blew it. They're a good football team. We'll find out this week.

Q: Did you go in with the idea to use Pat Devlin when you did or did you play it by ear when you put him in? Could you evaluate his play today?
A: Both quarterbacks played well. I went into the game just playing it by ear. When I make up my mind, I told Jay Paterno, I said, "Jay, I'll let you know when I want to play the other kid." I think Daryll Clark has earned the job. I'm not going to back away from that, but I think Devlin is very close. Devlin is a good player. If something happens to those two, I'd have confidence in Paul Cianciolo. I know I'm repeating myself, but that's what I believe. Devlin, the second time he went in there for Clark, I told him no more than two passes. When Cianciolo went in there, he threw three and I said no more. I just wanted him to get a good feel of the game. I think it's a good situation for us.

Q: Could you evaluate the play of Stephfon Green in his debut?
A: You guys have a better seat than I have. I thought he did well. I thought the one thing we did today, we were fortunate we didn't get one turnover. I don't think he had a turnover, which is an improvement over last year. I think that was one thing we went into the game with the idea that we weren't going to turn the ball over. That, to me, would be the best thing that we did. I wish we would've gotten another turnover or two on the other side of the football, but that's just the way it goes.

Q: Kick coverage was a concern for you in the preseason. How did you feel about kick coverage today?
A: In all fairness, Kevin Kelly kicked the ball nice and high today and put it down in there where we had a chance. He put it a little bit into the corner where it's a little easier to cover. I thought they did a really good job. It was much more improved. But for one game, you got to be careful to not go overboard on anything yet. We've got a long ways to go.

Q: How pleased are you with Derrick Williams' play today? Do you play on placing any more emphasis in using him in different situations this year?
A: We tried to do that last year. We tried to use him in just about every situation last year. You can do more things when you dominate the line of scrimmage. The first thing you know, they audible and kept moving those outside guys get closer and closer. I think Derrick got a good work out today.

Q: How much did you see out of the offensive play today?
A: There's a lot of stuff in the playbook that you can't possibly get to use all of it anyway. I'm on the guys all the time,"cut it, cut it, cut it." That's both sides of the football, both offense and defense. It takes a while to get where you're precise in what you're doing. We have a lot of other stuff, but that doesn't mean we're going to use it any particular time. There are some things that we're going to scout when looking at Oregon State Sunday. There may be a couple of things that present themselves to us that we might want to use one or two things that we have in the playbook. We showed a lot of stuff today, maybe more than I wanted to, but I wanted to make sure we got a lot of different kids get exposed to different things. But we've got some other things.

Q- Clark got hurt in the bowl game when running. Did you not run him today because it was Coastal Carolina?
A- I prefer, and Jay had said to me that he wanted to just let Clark throw the football for a little while. I said to him that I thought that made sense, but if we got into a jam, if we have to go with the run, then go with the run. First thing, he's got to be a passing quarterback. We know he can run the ball. In fact, Devlin can run. Devlin is a good runner. We've got those wideouts and we have to get people to respect the passing game and then we can go from there.

Q: Going into the game, did you have any thoughts about tying Bobby Bowden in career wins?
A: You guys should just let me enjoy the game. I haven't even thought about it and I'm not going to. I can only say it so many times. It's not a big deal to me. I just can't seem to get that across.

Q: You watched the Oregon State game. Did you see anything in particular in their game?
A: That Oregon State kid is a good quarterback. That kid got banged around and had a couple interceptions. They've got good wideouts and they put that freshman back in their that can run. I think the defense is good. That number 90 is one heck of a defensive football player. Again, let's talk about this when I get a chance to look at the tapes and not when I'm watching a television. I can't run it back. I don't know how to rewind that. I thought the wideouts were big kids and really good. I thought that one offensive tackle looked good. Number 90 stood out. He made some big time plays.

Q: Josh Gaines got playing time at defensive tackle. Any thought for the rest of the season?
A: He's big enough to play in there. We've got some young kids who are probably better off at defensive end and if we've got someone banged up inside, I don't know if we have enough depth inside right now. We've got a couple of kids that will be pretty good eventually, but both of them have never been in the game. Jack Crawford is a true freshman and the other kid hasn't ever played. He's a red shirt freshman. So if something happened there and we have to go. We'd have to take Jared Odrick and put him in there and then Gaines. We'd put Odrick inside and Gaines at defensive tackle. We do have some good kids outside. We have some real good defensive ends.

Q: Mike Lucian saw time at guard. Will he see more time there?
A: Lucian started a lot of games last year. Wisniewski can play center. That gives us a little insurance there until guys like Johnnie Troutman and J.B. Walton and a couple kids like that get a little bit more exposure to everything. It's the same way with tackle. I think I made that statement last week that we would do that if something happened to Gerald Cadogan. Dennis Landolt would go over there and one of the other guys would move up. Landolt is good and so is Lucian. We've got to play games like that in order to protect ourselves.

Q: Are you going to try and get Devlin time at quarterback next week?
A: How can I say it more times? We're going to play the game. We'll start Clark and if it looks like we can get Devlin in, we'll get him in. I've said that 50 times. I'm not going to change my mind every three minutes.

Q: How pleased are you with Jordan Norwood's play today?
A: I'll tell you. Williams and Deon Butler get the publicity, and they're good. Norwood has had a great preseason and great strength. He's a really good football player and a tough kid. He can run with the ball, catch the ball, and run back punts. Those three kids, we're very fortunate to have.

Q: Did Norwood exceed your expectation for a State College High School player?
A: I'll take credit for taking Jordan Norwood. I'm serious about that. I saw him play basketball on television and the way he handled himself. He could jump. He had great hands and could see the court. He could change directions with the basketball. I suggested we go after him because he was a great student and a good kid. So we went back after him and it's turned out to be really good. I thought he would be.

Q: You have lots of weapons on offense. What kind of battle is it to spread touches around and make sure everyone is happy?
A: There again, you've got to understand. I think we have to have people that make plays. Every game is so different. The teams that you play are different. Sometimes you get mismatches in certain places. There are certain plays that you want to run and there are certain kids that run them better than other kids. Next week, you may be in a whole different situation where you've involved yourself in the game. That opens up the whole playbook. You get in there and look at tapes and say, "I don't know, can we block that guy? Can we do something to change it up a little bit? And so-and-so does something a little better than the kid last week." It's hard for me to answer that directly. I'm not trying to be evasive. I'll agree with that, we have some kids that have potential. That was the first game I played Chaz Powell. He had about four plays we had him work on. That's how many plays I think we gave him. I told him, "Chaz, I want you to be good at four plays. Nobody knows what they're going to be." He doesn't have to know the whole offense. This week, we'll give him a couple more. It's obvious that if you can give him the ball in the right spot and give him a step, he's a tough kid to catch. It's that kind of thing that we run into all of the time. I keep saying this, but the hardest part of coaching is getting the right kid into the right place doing the right thing at the right time. It's not easy. You run into some problems sometimes. You try to give a kid like Derrick Williams since it's his last year and has high aspirations. I'm going to make sure we give him every chance as opposed to some other kid who may have potential. They're all judgment calls.

Penn State Player and Coach Quotes

#64 Ohmberger, Rich
Senior, Guard

Q: What do you try and get out of with a game like this?
A: You come out and you don't look at them like a Division I AA team, you play them as hard as you play a Michigan or an Ohio State, and that is what we did. You work on your plays, you work on your offense, and you get different looks from teams out of conference. It is good work on the mental aspect as well.

Q: How would you evaluate the performance of the Offensive line?
A: I think we all did a good job. We had a rotation at guard a little bit, getting Mike Lucian in there for me and Wisniewski. We had a couple long series in there and everyone hung in there pretty tough. It was a hot day, pretty humid and I think all and all we did a good job as a unit.

Q: Is it easy to get carried away with the way you guys played today?
A: You don't ever want to temper your enthusiasm; you want to play like that every game. We want to use this as a stepping stone like we will use every game after this. You learn from your mistakes, you keep doing the things you have been doing well and hopefully in weeks to come we get better as a unit.

#24 Norwood, Jordan
Graduate/Senior, Wide Receiver

Q: Joe Paterno talked about how Deon Butler and Derrick Williams get more attention then you do, do you feel you fly under the radar sometimes?
A: I don't really know about that. I try not to pay attention to whom gets paid attention to. I just enjoy my position and my roll on the team and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Q: How much of the offense did we see today?
A: Not very much at all. We will see what happens. We go week by week planning. I would say it was very basic.

Q: Have you played on a team with this many weapons before?
A: Definitely not. I mean, we have tons of depth at every position. We didn't get a chance to see all of our running backs. I feel like we have a lot of depth and that helped us today and it will help us in the future.

#2 Williams, Derrick
Senior, Wide Receiver

Q: Is there a little relief, when you get over this win, because everyone expects you to win by 60?
A: Yes. You know when the expectation is up like that, you just want to go out there and perform, and that is what we wanted to do today, and I think we did a good job.

Q: Making that big kick return how exciting is that for you this early in the season?
A: It is very exciting. You know I think we have a great season to come and we have a lot of guys that can do a lot of special things.

Q: Have you played on a team with this many weapons before?
A: No. It is crazy right now. It is unbelievable how many guys can do special things. I am just so excited to see what the season has for us. There are definitely a lot of guys that can create plays.

Q: How much of the playbook did we see today?
A: Very limited. I think we have a lot going on and it is going to be a great season. We have a lot of different plays that can make the game wide open.

Q: How did it feel to step out on the field as a first time as a captain?
A: It was unbelievable. It is something that everyone that goes here wants to do, to try hard, and try to set examples so they can achieve this accomplishment.

#57 A.Q. Shipley
Sr./Sr., Center

Q: How did you think today went overall for the your position?
A: It's always tough the first game of the year to try to get things working out. But we were able to get the looks we wanted and went over in practice. It didn't matter who was in there; we were able to run the ball.

Q: The coaches rotated Mike Lucian and Rich Ohrnberger at left guard and that seemed to go well.
A: It was smooth. There were a couple shares where he (Mike Lucian) went in for Rich (Ohrnberger) and once where I believe he went in for (Stefen) Wisniewski. Obviously he (Lucian) is the first guy in if someone else goes down. They wanted to get him (Lucian) comfortable with both sides. He was able to pick it up and did well.

Q:What is the difference going into this season with all the experience you all have on the line?
A: It's great. It is way better than last year where we were trying to work things out and get our bearings. This year, we are great friends on and off the field. We are able to work well on the field in the spring and all summer. During preseason camp, we didn't miss a beat.

Q: Joe always says that his team makes the biggest improvement during the first and second game. What would you like to see happen this week?
A: No disrespect to Coastal Carolina, but it is going to be a lot tougher opponent in Oregon State. The Pac 10, a good team; they should have won that game against Stanford the other day. It will be a tough test. They have a great front seven, so we will see what we are made of this week.

Tom Bradley
Defensive Coordinator

Q: What can you take from today's game defensively?
A: There were a lot of things going on...some reactions to some things that happened. Coastal Carolina went no-huddle the whole game, and that was good for us to see because we haven't seen that in a long time. We had some difficulty get our front set up right because of they were moving around all over the place. We always think about how we are fundamentally and can correct some of our mistakes and get ready for next week.

Q: When a game gets out of hand like that, is it hard to keep the intensity up on the defense?
A: It is because what happens is you get guys in there that haven't played. Ever. You do more coaching then than probably ever because they are in there and a couple guys go deep on them. At the end of the day, you are just trying to get them in the game because they work hard all week and they deserve a chance to get in there and play. They are playing different positions and you can't stutter and do anything because they haven't done it. You are limited on what you can call in those situations.

Q: How would you rate your linebackers?
A: I really have a hard time rating and doing that until I look at film and study. They did what we asked them to do today. Obviously there is tons of room for improvement and getting better. It was the first game, and this kind of just tells you the position you are at right now, and what you can work on for next game.

Q: Is it hard to evaluate when you are playing a team in a different conference?
A: They are a good football team in their conference. You give the opponent all the credit. They came out and fought hard and did some nice things against us. We outmanned them in a couple of places, so things will be a little different as we progress through the season. But I thought they did a really good job against us offensively.

#21 Stephfon Green
So./Jr., Runningback

Q: Did you meet the goals you set for yourself during your debut?
A: Definitely. I always told myself to set goals. My goal was to get three (touchdowns) and I got two. I tried to catch up with (Evan) Royster when he got three. Two was my real goal, and I got that. I just wanted to help my team in any way I could, and I was itching to get in the game in the beginning. When they put me in, I made sure I didn't disappoint.

Q: Is the competition between you and Evan Royster friendly?
A: Oh yeah, as well as Brent Carter. He was out there shining too. It is a friendly competition between all three of us. We keep pushing each other to be the best, so when one goes down, the other can step up and be number one. So it is not just me a Royster; it's all three of us. We are pushing each other to be the best we can be.

Q:What were your emotions crossing the goal line for the first time as a Nittany Lion?
A: A lot of different emotions, not just one. I was just happy that I finally got to score as a Nittany Lion. I actually tried to get the ball from the referee and he said, "no." That was a little depressing, but I did get the touchdown. Then when I got my second one, I asked the same referee, "Can I have the ball?" And he said, "no." I thought that he may have forgotten that I scored the first time.

Q: You said you wanted to beat Dean Butler's 40 time. How is that going?
A: I really haven't worked on anything speed-wise yet. I think that will come next season when we get the winter workouts and such. Right now we are focused on Oregon State next week. We got our win today, we will celebrate tonight and keep each other out of trouble, and then we have Oregon State next week.

#17 Daryll Clark
Sr., Sr. Quarterback

Q: How was it playing against an opponent and not your teammates?
A: It was very exciting. It was the first day, and we wanted everything to go right. We got a lot of plays and executed a lot. It was great, I don't think I got tested though. We just put points on the board.

Q: You could have thrown the ball around a little more if the coaches let you?
A: I guess it kind of got out of hand a little quickly. What happened happened, and I'm glad we got the win.

Q: Were you anxious to show that you can throw the ball?
A: I was very anxious to show that I can throw the ball. It's so good to finally be back. I waited my turn. I know I have room for improvement.

Q: Do you expect things to change next week and in the future about the way the quarterback position is decided?
A: I'm really not sure. They made sure this week that we got a lot of reps, and I did. I don't really know the mentality of what is going to happen next week of when we move into the Big Ten season. They made it for certain that this week, we would both play.

Q: I know you and Pat Devlin roomed together last night. Did you have a heart-to-heart?
A: We didn't really have a heart-to-heart. I'm the starter, he's the back-up, and we roomed together. At first, I didn't know what was going to happen. But we talked coverages, blitzes, and what we expected today. We just talked football for the most part. It went really well, and I don't really see any commotion going on with that. Before everything happened, and now, we are friends, and that will continue.

Jay Paterno
Quarterbacks Coach

Q: Can you talk about Darryl (Clark)?
A: I thought he came out really well, really sharp, threw it really, really with some authority. Ya know, took the ball and just drove a couple of passes in there that he needed to. But again, we've got to find out some other things that he can do next week. It's going to be a little bit of a different challenge.

Q: Is one of those running the ball a little bit?
A: Ah, maybe... We can't tell ya that or I'm gonna have to kili' ya. (Laughing)

Q: How much of the offense did we see today?
A: The stuff we came in with, we used. We wanted to get these guys comfortable, get 'em going and it worked out all right.

Q: How'd Pat (Delvin) play?
A: I thought Pat played really, really well. I thought they both played well. Paul (Cianciolo) played well, too, when he was in there in that situation. It's hard to argue with any of them. The one throw that they (Coastal Carolina) got their hands on, we just didn't run the route exactly like we were supposed to, we were supposed to bend it in a little bit more. I don't want to put that on Darryl, it's more on the receiver then on him, but we'll work that out.

Q: How do you evaluate a game like this? Do you temper your enthusiasm a little bit because it's not like an Ohio State or a Wisconsin?
A: Yeah, you have to. I think one of the things is they got tired in the second half you could see a little bit. Both sides of the ball they got a little tired, so you have to guard against getting a little over confident about what you can do. Because like I said, there will be bigger challenges.

Q: Were you worried about Pat (Devlin) when he didn't get the starting job about his motivation or with him being disappointed?
A: No, he's a competitor. We talked on Wednesday morning, had him in. We talked to him again on Friday morning just to make sure that his head was in the right place and it was. He had a great practice Wednesday, had a great practice Thursday and he's really going after this thing and doing a good job, so I don't think we have to worry about it.

Chaz Powell
Redshirt-freshman Wide Reciever

Q: So you have a touchdown under your belt. How does that feel?
A: It feels great. I want to give all of the credit to the offensive lineman. I came around the corner and I saw my block from the receiver. Graham Zug laid a great block out there on the corner. Once I saw that, after that I saw the green, and I saw a touchdown. It was like 'I gotta get there.'

Q: Were you worried you might get tripped up at the end there?
A: Yea, I saw the guy comin' off from the left, so I was like 'oh, I just gotta keep pushin.' So I just kept on going.

Q: A month ago, you were a defensive player. Now you're an offensive player and you score a touchdown in your first game as an offensive player. That's got to be even bigger then you could've imagined?
A: Oh yea, I'm workin' hard each and every day. Still learning my plays and just focused on everything I have to do. Just out there competing everyday.

Q: Do you really only know four plays?
A: No, I know more then that, but I'm still in my playbook everyday learning what I've got to do. Then, whenever they want to put me in there, I'm just going to do the job.

Jared Odrick
Junior Defensive Tackle

Q: How did it feel to be back on the field after your injury?
A: It felt good. It felt good. I got to play in the spring, but then I was just trying to feel it out more then anything. I feel fine. I feel 100 percent. I hope I look it 'cause I really do feel it.

Q: How did it feel to come out in the first game and have a sack?
A: It felt good because last year it took a little while... about five or six games until I got my sack. It feels almost like a relief, but it's not really a relief because the season just started. There's plenty more to come for the whole D-line.

Q: Coastal Carolina seemed to have some success on their short-pass game, how do you expect to counter that in the future?
A: They had some success with that. We kind of scrambled around a little bit because they went no-huddle the whole game, and we were prepared for that but a few times we slipped up. That's what that touchdown came from. It was just communication with us and that's one of the things we need to improve on. I think we'll be able to handle that in the future.

Q: How is this game a good indicator for the season?
A: I think it really showed a lot of our assets and a lot of things that we do very well with our offense and defense. The D-line got after it. I'm just speaking from what I know and being with them everyday at practice. We had set goals, some of which we achieved today, some of which we didn't, but I mean something you'll see for the whole season is constant pressure from the whole D-line.

#7 Pat Devlin
So., quarterback

Q: What is the advantage you guys have when Oregon State has to travel here cross-country? What kind of things do you guys do as a team Friday at home compared to on the road that helps you guys? A: I mean I don't know. Coach focuses on playing four quarters of football no matter what so we're going to just keep playing.

Q: Are you getting more comfortable with what you're doing with the offense?
A: I think I'm getting more comfortable with the offense now. I think I've reached a point where it's just a whole timing issue. The timing with the wideouts, learning all of their routes and that kind of stuff.

Q: How was the design of your first throw? Were you supposed to throw deep on that play?
A: Yeah, that was the design of the play.

Q: Is this kind of what to expect from now on - a high-powered offense?
A: I hope so. That would be awesome. It'd be awesome to put up 60 points a game. In reality, some of the defenses we play against, especially Oregon State, it will be tough against.

Q: Is there any indication if you're going to see time against Oregon State?
A: No, [head coach Joe Paterno] hasn't said anything. We're worrying about this game, for now.

Q: How was it to get some reps out there?
A: It was great, and I had a fun time playing.

Q: What did you see there in the 40-yard pass to Norwood?
A: Jordan ran wide open. Nothing better than Jordan wide open. So it was good.

Q: What's it like with so many offensive weapons?
A: It's unreal. Each one brings something new to the table. Royster is just great all around. He holds onto the balls and does everything right. And you got guys like Beachum, who just run over everybody. And Green, who has great speed.

#47 Josh Gaines
Sr., defensive end

Q: You hear all the time about how the offense how you're not supposed to show too much. What about defense? Do you show everything you got in a game like this to prepare?
A: See the thing about Scrap is you that you might get some things or not. You know me, personally, I feel the defense should just show everything out it. It's defense. It's relentless. I feel you should just go all out. Run everything you got. But Scrap, he let some things out. He's the genius of the defense, so whatever he's doing, we run.

Q: Josh, I have a question when they scored on you. Were some guys out of position?
A: Definitely. Definitely. We weren't set up front. The linebackers, they didn't get the play in enough. [Coastal Carolina] runs that no-huddle offense, so that kind of hurt us. A few breakdowns on some series. We'll definitely fix that.

Q: How does it feel to hit someone besides your own teammates?
A: Yeah. Definitely. The first series, I came out to the sideline. Obviously, it feels good. There's an understanding across the board. It's just a good feeling to come out of camp and hit somebody hard no matter who it is. Next week, we have Oregon State so I'm looking forward to that.

Q: Talk about Oregon State. They obviously run a spread, and you talk about that speed unit and that may come in handy next week with faster defensive players on the field with them spreading it out.
A: Definitely. You can definitely get a chance for Aaron [Maybin] to do what he does. You saw him get two sacks. You saw him in the quarterback's face the whole game. He's a very talented guy. It gives him a chance to let loose. Me and Aaron creates a mismatch in there with the guard. I'm a little faster guy coming in. I'm a little heavier this year so I'm able to do that.

#3 Deon Butler
Sr., wide receiver

Q: Was there any difference in those two when they came out and split the first couple series? Daryll [Clark] came and got a couple passes under his belt, got rid of any nerves. Obviously, you were on the receiving end of both of those throws.
A: Like I said, he did a great job of just being calm. He didn't throw it too hard. He didn't throw it over anyone's head. He wasn't really nervous or jittery or anything like that. He threw nice, smooth, calm and easy passes. He spread it out real good. It wasn't like anyone had all the catches and other guys had one down the line. It was just an array of players. Every time I turn around to look back to see a pass someone else was catching the ball. He spread it out good. Pat came in and did the same thing as well. So both of those guys did good. And I'm looking forward to the season.

Q: From an adjustment standpoint, how important will next week be with a different kind of opponent and someone from a power conference as opposed to an I-AA team? Does your role change week to week?
A: Our offensive scheme will take care of that. The positions were playing, there's going to be a mismatch somewhere. Our offensive scheme will take care of that. It's one of the luxuries we have. We could take a guy if he has a mismatch and move him into a different slot. We won't have to move guys around, but just create mismatches on our own. Just as far as next week, a team from a power conference. We're a senior-laden group. We've been there. We've played some power conference teams obviously. So there's nothing new to us now. It'll be just a different team. Same work ethic.

Coastal Carolina Head Coach David Bennett

Q: What did you take away from this game?
A: You take a loss. But hopefully we are healthy. Hopefully we learned what big time football was all about. You can slouch on training in the weight room, running, and doing the things you need to do. If you want to make it to the next level, you have to play with that level that we played with today. So, it's a humbling experience. We knew coming in that we had to win battles. In the fourth quarter, we were walking the sidelines and saying, "We still have some battles to win. It's not over." We were proud of our guys; they had had a few drives, and got a good one at the end of the game. We got a field. We can't quit. Sometimes things don't go your way. But you cant ever quit.

Q: Can you talk about the lengthy conversation you had with Joe Paterno before the game?
A: I told him, "I hope you coach as long as you want to coach. You deserve it." He is an American hero. He gave back millions of dollars to the University for the library. Joe Paterno is a no-nonsense guy. I still love him. We met him back in 1996-97 when we spent three days but here. I don't think he has changed a bit.

Q: Was this experience what you thought it would be?
A: Yea. I didn't want to get embarrassed. We didn't do as well as we should have, but we were outmanned. Nine starters on offense, seven on defense. They are a good football team. They are one of the best in the country. I think they will be top ten in the country.

Q: How about the conversation you had with Paterno after the game?
A: I told him, "Coach for as long as you want. I hope you coach until you're 90." I told him best of luck and I hope he wins the Big Ten. He said, "Ah we will be alright." I said, "That scoreboard doesn't look like that to me (laughter)." He is a class act though. We had some kids do some nice things. We just want more of it. We all want more than we have.

Q: Can you talk about the quarterbacks in Will Richardson and Zach MacDowell?
A: They both did good things. They both forced some things. But again, when you are trying to block those defensive ends, it's tough because they get in there quick. So sometimes they had time sometimes they didn't. They both did great things. They will continue to compete. Will we play a team that good for the rest of the season? I don't think so.

Q: Can you talk about the running backs of Penn State?
A: One time they had a sweep play and I thought we had him. He ran around down the sideline and we couldn't catch him. I don't even know if he was a third or fourth stringer. But when you get a program like this, and when they have 85 scholarships, and an unlimited budget, things are good. Before the game, I saw something on the scoreboard that said "The Greatest Show in College Football." What an atmosphere. My wife after the game told me, "Man these fans are great fans." They have been doing it for a while. It's an unbelievable environment. I want to see a really good team to come in and try to beat Penn State because I think it would be difficult. Maybe Ohio State. They have been one of the best in the country. I think Penn State could play with them though.

Q: When you brought the team into the stadium yesterday, did you notice any differences within the stadium?
A: Well I was here around 1996-97, and it wasn't as big then. I noticed they added an upper deck in one of the end zones. It's a big time college environment. It's a great experience for our young men to play in there. I knew that it looks basic on the outside, but I knew once it gets full, it would be different. Imagine playing a six or seven o'clock game here. This place would be rocking then because all of the students would be out of bed. They started loading in there a little bit towards the end of the first quarter. They were probably confused when they saw the scoreboard seeing that the score was 14-7. But it didn't stay like that for long.

Q: Can you talk about how you prepared for Penn State's two quarterbacks?
A: They did a good job today. Their running back didn't need to run the ball that much either. They say that Clark is a pretty good runner. That is what we have seen on film. He has been a back up his whole career. He has had to wait his term and realize that it's not about I or me and instead it's about we and us. So it is now his time. I think both of those guys could do a good job. They both lead the offense down the field on us.

Q: Did you feel that you guys were focused for this game?
A: I just don't want to give up 60 or 50 points. If it were like a 40-21 game, you would come out of this game feeling pretty good about yourselves. We didn't do as well as we wanted to do, but I think the kids gave a great effort. FCS football is not Bowl Championship football. We are playing a team here that is trying to get back to BCS prominence. It was just great experience for the guys today. We told them that they would never play in front of a crowd that loud or that big again. We are very blessed for this opportunity. We would like to thank Penn State for scheduling Coastal Carolina. We see how it is done first-class up here.

Coastal Carolina Player Quotes

#20 Trent Usher
Sr. WR

Q: Can you talk about your touchdown play? Do you remember the name of the play?
A: Yea, we called it "spot" and we ran it at a ten personel, and unfortunately we caught the linebackers blitzing, and I was spotting right over the ball and I just caught it with no one there, so I kept running.

Q: After that play it looked like you were pointing at something. What were you pointing at?
A: I was pointing up to the sky, to God. Without him, I wouldn't be here.

Q: Can you talk about your journey from South Carolina and changing positions?
A: It has been a long journey, but things happen for a reason, like my daddy and momma always tell me. I just take it one step at a time.

Q: How was the atmosphere here?
A: 110,00 people, you can't beat that.

Q: During the walk through yesterday, how was walking through the stadium for the first time?
A: Historical. We were saying yesterday that there was no way this place can hold 110,000 people. Then we walked out today and we said, wow. Bodies in the seats change everything.

Q: How important is it for you guys as a program to play in an environment like this?
A: It is a great learning experience. None of us on this team get to play in front of 110,000 people. It is a great learning experience, it is Big Ten football, the big, the fast, and the strong.

Q: This has got to be the highlight of your career, scoring a touchdown against Penn State. How did that feel? How did you celebrate?
A: Yes, sir. I tried not to celebrate too much, because if I did that, my daddy would have my head. I wanted to celebrate, but of course it was a great experience.

#9 William Richardson
Sr. QB

Q: When you were talking to some of your teammates, did you have any advice for them?
A: I told them just to play the game. You can't worry about the crowd or the plans. You just have to play the game.

Q: You guys seem to be clicking a little bit in your passing game. What went well for you?
A: We tried to go for some quick things as far as passing-wise to sustain and get the DL running a little bit. I would say that we tried to go down the field a little bit tougher and tried to hold blocks a little bit longer.

Q: Did you feel like you played well? Are you happy with your performance?
A: No, the only way I could be happy with that is if we won the game. I have always been told that it is never as bad as you think it is, and it is never as good as you think it is, so I think probably after looking at the film and going over the game, I might think I played alright. I can always play better.

Q: What do you take out of a game like this, after you have been beaten like this?
A: Just be thankful that you don't have to play against this team every week. Tomorrow we will wake up with some aches and pains, but Monday morning we have to get ready for Colgate next week.

#22 Eric O'Neal
So. RB

Q: It seemed that early-on there were a couple of screen passes that you had big gains on. Was there any kind of weakness that you guys were able to exploit early?
A: We knew that Penn State's D-line likes to get up-field, so that opened up screens for us. It worked well in the beginning, but with coaching they caught on to it.

Q: What are you guys going to take from this game to practice on Monday?
A: It was a great experience for us. We have to go back to the drawing board and work our kinks out. But it made us a better team.