Virginia Head Coach Al Groh Quotes

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Opening statement:
“That was a magnificent effort by our players. They dealt with everything that we encountered today, whether it was guys having to step up, circumstances within the ballgame, they refused to be distracted by any issues. We had a target for what the mission was today. They took that aim on the target, they weren’t going to be distracted by anything. As a result, they did something they can be very proud of.”

On the defensive effort:
“They really, really played. I have nothing but the highest level of admiration for what these kids gave tonight and how they’ve stuck together and kept believing and been unified. As a result, we’ve got a little something going now”

On Marc Verica stepping in late:
“He did a very nice job with it. Marc’s been out there before, he was our man for October last year, and so he’s been in a number of these games. He conducted himself like a veteran, and did a real good job and brought his team home a winner.”

On forcing turnovers:
“We thought there were some opportunities in the turnover area tonight, and they were certainly as big a factor as anything. They stopped some drives, and they gave us some field position. We’ve been pretty good in that ratio in the last three weeks, and it would certainly be incumbent upon us to do so.

On trying to force fumbles in the rain:
“We went into the game with a big emphasis on that even if the sun had been shining, but we did emphasize that the elements might increase our opportunities to do so. The guys were on it, and they get all the credit for doing it.”