Oct. 5, 2004
EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) -
Head coach Frank Tavani
on this week's match-up at Columbia:
We know that Columbia is certainly a very good football team, they've played some very tough football games particularly this past weekend and that's what's most important, how you come off your previous week that has a lot to do with the next week. To be in overtime at home on homecoming is very difficult, and we're going to run into a very hostile group that will be very hungry for a win. It's a very senior-laden group, I count as many as 15 seniors that play for them and that will be a major factor. It's a tough football game and we usually seem to go into that stadium and not play our best so we're going to have to play very well.
on playing the final non-conference game before resuming Patriot League action:
You're always looking to gain momentum so you'd like to come out of it playing very well, to get a win and get some momentum going into the Patriot League run. It's goal number six and important to get a win regardless of what the situation is. We've been through it all already, and no matter what you have to come out and play better than you did the week before. This past week we gave a great effort against a very good football team and came up short. Despite looking at times that we couldn't slow them down at all, we missed four of five opportunities in there that could have made a difference in the ball game. You go back to the drawing board and look to have a great week of practice, and go into the next week and rebound, and hopefully springboard yourself with a win.
on last week's game against Harvard:
You've got to change it up against somebody like that (quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick). He's got great escapability, he's a senior, he's ad-libbing out there, and we were just this close sometimes on some blitzes, and you have him and then you miss him, and he scrambles or throws the ball around. We had some missed opportunities but certainly when you talk with people he's the best in the Ivy League and a very tough competitor. Then he's got a big-time tailback behind him to hand the ball to while he catches a couple breaths. Despite all of that, we had a 22-play drive and came up with zero, and another drive when we throw an interception in the end zone, but our guys battled. They continued to play and gave great effort, and that's how it is.
on Columbia's running backs:
They're tough (Rashad Biggers and Ayo Oluwole) and on turf they have that cutback ability and those kinds of things, and they're both good-sized kids who have the ability to pound you so you have to slow them down before they get going. They rushed the ball for over 200 yards against a pretty stout Princeton defense so we're watching all of that on film and we're very well aware that we'll have to deal with that. I don't think it's the same offensive line that we just faced (against Harvard), but they're a group that's coming on and will be hungry for a win, and certainly they're looking at us saying `we can beat these guys, we watched Princeton torch these guys' and that's what they're looking at, as well they should.
on the offensive backfield if sophomore Jonathan Hurt is unable to play:
We've got both fullbacks back after not having them. We've got Brendon Green and David Nelson, they'll both have the opportunity to do something. We'll continue to look at Alfred Belton and Chris Williams as well. We'll have to utilize all of the weapons and personnel changes that we're able to, and still use Joe McCourt in both places and put guys in a position to make plays.
on the play of quarterbacks Brad Maurer and Pat Davis:
They've both taken some hits out there and done a great job, and we'll keep going with the flow and use it as is without any set formula as to how or when to change it.
