Virginia at Pitt - Postgame Quotes
Story Links
Oct. 10, 2015
Recap | Box Score | Notes | USATSI Photo Gallery | Photo Gallery
Mike London
Pitt vs. Virginia
October 10, 2015
On getting to the 10 yard line and setting up for field goals:
“We have to have the ‘no red zone errors.’ We had the opportunity to score a touchdown, we had two back- to- back penalties that really cost us. We had to settle for a goal instead of a touchdown. Those are opportunities to get points and we have to capitalize on those situations. The first quarter, we couldn’t stop them defensively, they had almost 200 yards. After that point on, they only had 149 yards, less than 50 years per quarter. We did an excellent job of defending them. Offensively, we picked it up a little bit. As I said coming out of that third quarter, we had the drive going, getting ready to score and then we have a sudden turnover. We battled today but not good enough to win a football game. Pitt is a good football team and you have to be able to capitalize and minimize your mistakes.
On quarterback Matt John’s performance:
“I thought Matt made some good throws and did some good things but obviously you saw there were a couple times that TJ got behind the defenders which is the difference between catching the ball or not. The ball was off the finger tips or overthrown and that is obviously not what you want. Matt is a fighter and one of our leaders. There are some things that he had done that gives us faith. When it was fourth and whatever and he converted. There are some positive things but obviously you want the positive things to really matter on the field with the W. That is the most disappointing thing. The W is what we are after, we have to be obsessed with it. The guys have to want it and we will continue to keep working to get that done.”
On the last drive of the game:
They are going to pressure you but as you said, the key word was incompletions. If those balls are completed then guys are still running and the chains are still moving. That is the difference between the turnovers on downs. It’s the opportunity to whether you’re running the ball, getting the first down, or the completions. We obviously didn’t utilize the situation.”
On if there was a specific adjustment made:
Yes, a specific adjustment that required perhaps different personal and what they’re doing and how they’re doing it. The first couple shots you saw there was a guy in proximity but not close enough. As the game went on, we took those opportunities away and that’s part of the adjustment. It was part of the first quarter that really got thinned up on us.”