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Football: Wednesday quotes
By Jonathan Okanes
Thursday, October 1st, 2009 at 10:29 am in Mid-week.
Here’s a sampling of what was said after Wednesday’s practice
COACH JEFF TEDFORD:
On Wednesday’s practice
Great practice today, real crisp, guys flying around, practicing hard.
On the performance of the offensive line this season
I like our O-line. They’ve done a good job. They work hard. We have a true test this week because we’re playing the best defensive front in the conference.
On the backup quarterback situation
Both (Beau Sweeney) and Brock are splitting the twos. We’ll just evaluate every week and then pick whoever backs up at the end of the week.
On why Sweeney has come on lately
It’s just consistency with the offense and the plays. Throwing the football, he’s been accurate.
On USC’s Taylor Mays
He’s a great player. He has a lot of range. He’s a real good tackler. He’s probably one of the best safeties, if not the best safety, in the country.
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR BOB GREGORY:
On Josh Hill vs. Darian Hagan
Josh will start again. It’s an ongoing competition. I think it’s making Hagan better. Josh did OK. We kind of felt he deserved to start. Right now, if he keeps playing hard, he can hang on to it. Darian has to keep getting better.
On what is giving Hill an edge
He plays with good technique. I think that’s the thing that hurt Darian in the Minnesota game. He wasn’t playing with good technique, and he knows that. And he’s getting better at it. Last week was better, two good days of practice this week, so he’s getting better.
On how Hagan is handling the demotion
He knew. He took it well.
On if it was just the Minnesota game that demoted Hagan
The Minnesota game just kind of exposed him a little bit. He started off camp really well. He had a knee issue that slowed him down. If you can’t go, it’s our job to get the best guys playing. But I think that’s getting better and he’s practicing better.
On USC’s offense
Anytime you’re playing SC and the people they have, it’s a great scheme that they do. You definitely have to be on your game.
On USC’s offensive line
They’re probably the most athletic line we’ll see all year. They can really run.
On Cal’s linebackers
We’re still trying to find out what they can do the best. Devin (Bishop) played his best game since he’s been here. He played very well, great effort, good technique. Hopefully we kind of found a home for him. D.J. (Holt) still will play.
TAILBACK JAHVID BEST:
On USC’s defense
They get new faces every year but they have the same productivity. It’s a typical USC defense.
On USC’s stout run defense
It’s definitely going to be a challenge. It’s going to be a physical game. We just have to be ready for it.
On getting the seniors a win over USC
Those seniors are hungry for a Pac-10 championship. Getting the Pac-10 championship means beating SC. It makes it that much more important.
On what USC did last year to stop Cal’s running game
They just dominated the line of scrimmage and we didn’t execute as an offense, either. That’s basically what it boils down to.
On the team’s confidence right now
We’re real confident. We’ve put last week behind us and we’re ready to go this week.
On whether he’s happy linebacker Brian Cushing is no longer at USC
I will say I’m happy about that.
On USC safety Taylor Mays
Tremendous athlete, how big he is mixed in with how fast he is. He’s somebody to watch out for on the field.
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October 1st, 2009 at 11:16 am
I hope to at some point on Saturday see a foot race between Taylor Mays and Jahvid Best…
Settle the Pac-10 media day meeting in the hall once and for all!
I got my money on Jahvid smoking Mays for a TD
October 1st, 2009 at 2:53 pm
And I got my money on Mays knocking the stuffing out of Best when he catches him. 6’3 230 lbs vs. 5’11 190?
Do the math.
October 1st, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Mays is overrated. He was exposed in the Ohio State game. He’s one dimensional- no picks- hands of stone. Eric Berry- not THAT is a true All-American safety…
October 1st, 2009 at 3:56 pm
I’m hoping Miller lays a crushing block on Mays. That will make Mays think twice about saving his season and getting to the NFL as soon as he can.
October 1st, 2009 at 4:45 pm
I assume you actually read this article? Because YOUR coach calls Mays the best safety in the nation.
But you probably know football better than Jeff Tedford.
October 1st, 2009 at 5:09 pm
JO: Any word an Summers-Gavin playing?
October 1st, 2009 at 8:15 pm
It’s real simple.
Our OL eats alive your DL;
Our DL devours your OL.
Victory to Troy. BTW you will know the name Allen Bradford when this game is over. Expect a big big day from this young man. Watch for CL Gables to use this game to establish his presence again in our talented backfield.
October 1st, 2009 at 8:47 pm
you forgot a few:
Barkley outplays Riley;
Carroll outsmarts Tedford;
the USC band is better than the Cal band;
the USC fans are louder than the Cal fans;
oh, and USC’s charter buses are nicer than Cal’s.
Troy will fall on Saturday.
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:21 am
weird. hope it’s a good game though. MoreNC, what is your call on the score? What is daddy saying about the bears? LOL
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:35 am
And I got my money on Mays knocking the stuffing out of Best when he catches him. 6′3 230 lbs vs. 5′11 190?
Do the math.
Uh, 6’1 210? What math? You can’t hit what you can’t catch!
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:06 am
Daddy. Hah!
October 2nd, 2009 at 7:15 am
Daddy is saying he refuses to buy those expensive licensing seats although someone very close to your program keeps calling.
USC – 27
Cal state – 17
I think your team will start off strong, be motivated by the crowd but then we will control both lines of scrimmage. You haven’t been able to run the ball effectively in 6 straight quarters. How will you do so against us? Pete Carroll is a master defensive strategist. He owns Tedford.
October 2nd, 2009 at 7:44 am
Loving the Cal state thing. The inferiority complex rages on.
Sorry you got the thin envelope all those years ago. Just let go.
October 2nd, 2009 at 11:32 am
Burqalee will lose… AGAIN!
October 2nd, 2009 at 12:53 pm
CAL IS good enough to beat this year’s USC team. Whether or not they will, is up to the coaches.
Another shotty game plan and PC will use this weekend as a launching point for perhaps another pac-1o title. But if Tedford is really worth all the $$$, CAL should be able to rebound and beat SC. Heck I’d even go for a CAL team that could do something offensively against USC. Something Tedford has not been able to do the last 3 years.
How the CAL team comes out and plays this weekend, will say more about Tedford than about the team to me.
October 3rd, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Larry Says:
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:35 am
And I got my money on Mays knocking the stuffing out of Best when he catches him. 6′3 230 lbs vs. 5′11 190?
Do the math.
Uh, 6′1 210? What math? You can’t hit what you can’t catch!
Mays just caught Best. From behind. With a bad knee. And Best had the angle!