Oct. 8, 2002
Lafayette head coach Frank Tavani
On loss to Duquesne: "I'm proud of the way our team goes out and the effort they give. They play hard to the bitter end. That game came down to one second on the clock, and believe it or not we had a chance at that field goal. Marty stroked the ball and it was right down dead-center, not that far off. That was obviously a tough day."
On playing Columbia: "This football team is resilient. They'll continue to fight and play hard. We're looking forward to going out to Columbia and a little bit different surface, but we don't seem to worry about that. We have to go up and play better football. Not turn the ball over, and take advantage of opportunities when they're there. It's a game of field position and momentum. The big thing now is that we have to take away more than we give away."
Freshman defensive back/kick returner Larry Johnson
On playing time: "I'm very grateful. It's kind of hard to come in and play as a freshman, but I feel that Coach Tavani has a lot of trust in me that I can play at the Division I level. I'm just happy that he's giving me the opportunity to play."
On mentoring by upperclassmen: "I've been here since the summer working with the guys lifting weights and running. The guys really just took me under their wing, taught me the ropes. They showed me how to be successful not only the field, but also academically. Guys like Herb Kennedy and Matt Van Doren, who are our starting corners, they have a lot of experience. I've been able to learn from them. I can just look at them and see what they do. It helps make me better as a player."
Freshman punt returner Brandon Stanford
On punt return: "I get really nervous at times because it's such a hard job. You have all those people streaking down field wanting to tackle you and you're one of the smallest guys. But, it's a chance for me to be on the field and make a big play for the team, so I really like it a lot. I have confidence in myself to catch the ball."
On his coaching mentor: "My high school coach was a tremendous punter and special teams coach. He would harp on me day in and day out about catching punts. I loved it because it was such a hard job. Once you find something that's hard, you want to get good at it."
On breaking a punt: "I've been close a couple of times. It's a pain because it's been one little step or one foot that got you and tripped you up. I'm hoping pretty soon I'll break one and give the team a boost."
Columbia head coach Ray Tellier
On quarterback Steve Hunsberger: "He can throw the football well and he can run the football, which always presents problems. He's as tough as they come. He does a lot of things for us. He's only going to get better and better. We kind of go offensively as he goes. When he makes plays with his feet or his arm, we can move the football and score some points. Hopefully the game experience he's gotten will help him over the season."
On similarities between Lafayette and Columbia: "When we were down there in Easton last year, they cut us up and carved us up. They played hard and played with precision and just kicked our butts down there. They were a young team, but now they're a little bit older and a little more experienced. I think there are a lot of similarities. We both know we have to play hard and fight like heck to have a chance to win the game at the end every week."
