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Virginia vs. Miami
Oct. 30, 2010
Virginia Head Coach Mike London Quotes

On recording the team’s first ACC win:
“I have to talk about this team being resilient regardless of what people say. In that locker room right there is a group of proud football players and coaches. We always knew there was something about this team, that we can be a good enough team to compete with people. It was disappointing with Florida State and the North Carolina loss, but we were the USC kind of team today, the team that had a chance to finish off the game. We are just trying to find that identity of where we are and who we are. When you have a group of young men who hear ‘you guys are only going to win three games’ and ‘you’re no good,’ those that are in the room keep hearing the message ‘you’re not fast enough, you’re not good enough.’ They refuse to listen to those things. We are what we are and we play a style that’s conducive to who we are. Today we played a style that was good enough to hold on and beat a very good team, a fast team, an athletic team regardless of who is in the game. It’s unfortunate for Jacory [Harris] to go down, but I’m playing without Joe Torchia. I’m playing without Tim Smith. Ras-I Dowling didn’t play today. That’s the nature of football. You play with who you have and I’m proud of the way our players and coaches responded.”

On the choice to go for it on fourth and three early in the game:
“We wanted to send the message that we are going to call plays to win the game. When you have a team that has taken its lumps, the only way to bring them out of that mindset is to say ‘I have enough faith in you that we are going to go for it and we are going to get it.’ That’s the only way you create the mindset that you want to be physical and you want to compete. Why not?”

On post-game emotion:
“I’m very thankful and I’m very humble and I am very blessed to be in the position I am right now to be involved with the young men who go to this university, to be involved with this community and have an opportunity to recruit some of the best student-athletes in the country and definitely some of the best in the state. When you have an opportunity like that, with the game going back and forth and you see that this time your guys pulled it out. It’s emotional. I like to be an active participant in the game, just ask the referees and the side judges. It’s one of those things where you share in the success of a lot of people in that room next door. I can’t wait to finish up, hug them up, and share it again.”

On the play of quarterback Marc Verica:
“Marc [Verica] is a poised guy who can manage a game. He had one errant pass for an interception, but there were a couple that he had right on the money. You can argue whether or not people were draping over our receivers, but managing the clock, seeing the blitzes, seeing how they were setting up in the middle of the field, knowing how our tight ends were breaking – that’s what an experienced guy does. That’s what he did. A lot of credit to him. This is hopefully a signature game for him. He directed the offense, particularly in the first half, in a way that we need.”

On the decision to stay on the field after the game:
“After we got beat by North Carolina I wanted them to feel what that feels like. It’s the same thing with students and people standing around. I want them to feel what that feels like. I don’t know how many other opportunities we are going to have to feel that before the season ends, but you have to start somewhere and you have to start a mindset of ‘this is what’s going to happen around here for a long time.’ Being out there and sharing the moment with them and the students was a signature moment for them. Then we came back into the locker room and celebrated again. They’re probably in there celebrating right now. When we finish I’m going to go back in there and celebrate with them.”

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