Football

Post game quotes from the loss to James Madison

Nov. 12, 2016

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Villanova, Pa. -

Head Coach Andy Talley's Opening Statement: Well I thought we played great on defense. We had the kind of defensive effort that we needed to win the game and we talked about this game of what would be needed to beat JMU, and we got that kind of effort. Offensively, we turned it over three times and we threw one pick at the end that I don't think meant much, but the two tipped balls were both inside the ten yard line and those were terrible, terrible turnovers for sure. It didn't help our cause. I mean we were in the game I felt. I felt that we could still come back and win it 14-13, but we sort of broke down a little bit and it was just disappointing offensively. We did not play well on the offensive side of the ball and it kind of blew a tremendous defensive effort away, which is what you need to do to beat a team that almost scores 50 points a game, so we had the defense, we just didn't have the offense, which surprised me. I thought we would play better offensively, but we didn't.

On quarterback Zach Bednarcyzk under pressure: Yeah, I think so. Our offensive line did not have a very good game. It was really disappointing that he didn't have the time and sight lanes to throw the ball where he needed to.

On his mindset going to Delaware and regrouping: Well, get them refocused immediately. What I said to them in the locker room real quick was that there's only one thing that I'm interested in right now; we've got to go beat Delaware. We need to throw this thing out the window, we can't dwell on it. They are a really good team, a playoff team and we gave it our best shot. We didn't win, but we've gone to Delaware before having to win that game to go to the playoffs. Delaware is playing great football right now, so we'll find out if were worthy to be in the playoffs.

On today possibly being his last home game: I try not to think too much about it. It's been a long career and you know, I'll be here. I'll be around next year. It's not like I'm leaving. I sort of have mixed emotions about it because I was trying to pull this upset off and get it done being a 9-2 team going to the playoffs, but now we have to lower our goal a little bit and go down to Delaware and try to see if we can win down there. So I didn't have a lot of emotion regarding my last appearance here, maybe I should, but I think most football coaches have real tunnel vision regards to what's available and what's left. So many people have made such a big deal over this being my last year and frankly, it's gotten to the point where I don't want any focus taken off our team. We're a fighting, struggling, tough team trying to be a playoff team.

Running Back Aaron Forbes:

On not able to do anything offensively: It was very frustrating. Their defense is very athletic. They run to the ball very well and we just had to keep tapping, keep tapping at the rock. We tried, but they just happened to come out on top today.

Linebacker Austin Calitro:

On having to regroup after this game: It's not easy, but we have to do it. We've got a big game next week. I told the team after in the huddle that we need to focus on next week. This week is out the window. Our goal coming into the season was to win the CAA and make the playoffs. Unfortunately we didn't get our first goal, but our second goal is still very attainable.



James Madison

Head Coach Mike Houston

Opening Statement: I'm lucky to have the best group of young men in college football. They played their butts off today, and I could not be more proud of them. They faced adversity all throughout the game today, and they stuck together, they fought. They represent what is good about college athletics. They're a good bunch. They work hard on and off the field. They're good students in the classroom. They care about each other, and they're a really good football team. I'm very proud to be their coach.

On the team's performance: That may be the best team performance of the year, just to win a ball game against the team a caliber of Villanova. I told my wife, I told everyone close to me, that I thought that this was our toughest test of the year. I thought that we were going to have a really hard time coming up here to get the win. Then to have the adversity that we had today, and to still win it anyway, I think that this is a really special win. This will be one that I'll never forget in my career.

On Andy Talley's final season: Certainly all of us n the league and across the country have tremendous respect for the job that he's done for 32 years at Villanova. I could only hope to have that career. He's certainly an example for everyone, not only for the success on the field, but also the way he's run the program for such a long period of time and committed to one institution. It's a tremendous honor for me to be able to compete against him today out there. He said 'maybe we'll see you in the playoffs', and I sure hope we don't. He's got a good football team. A great honor. I have a lot of respect for him.

Quarterback Cole Johnson

On coming into the game: I prepared for this. I was kind of ready for it. I didn't think it was going to happen today, but you're always ready for that. I just went in there. It was really fast in the beginning. Everything was moving very fast - first college experience - but I think I kind of settled in and went out there and played ball like I usually do.

Defensive lineman Martez Stone

On what it felt like to get an interception as a lineman during the game: I would like to say that the feeling is great. To get in an interception in a game like this, I will never forget this moment. To make a play like that for us, and to overcome all of these obstacles that we faced during the game and to get the win, it's no better feeling.

Safety Raven Greene

On how the defense has adjusted to the new coaching staff and how that played a role in today's game: I can say that they set a pretty good foundation when they came in the spring, just making sure to emphasize that we know that we needed to play hard and what kind of defense we needed to be. They just follow up with that every week, so we know what they expect from us. We try to give our best effort. Today, everything just came together. I'm proud of the way we performed and competed.

Linebacker Gage Steele

On how the new coaching staff has played a role in the defense: Coach has come in here and laid a good foundation. We had a lot of people that were on the team before, and had been through the years with the coaching changes. We all stuck together through this stuff. We had all faced adversity as a team. The coaches have come in here and really showed that they care about us. It allowed us to buy into this program and what they brought to the table. I just tip my hat off to the coaches and what they have done here. They've obviously changed us as young men, and we're very happy with where we're at. We are going to continue to be hungry, never settle for anything less. I'm just very happy with this team and with the coaching staff we have right now. We're just going to keep on pushing.

Running back Khalid Abdullah

On how he showed patience throughout the entire game when running the ball: Games like that kind of humble you a running back. A lot of running backs expect to hit the big plays all of the time, but I just never really had that mindset. Although that's what I want to do, score touchdowns and hit big plays as much as I can for our team. Sometimes you're going to go into those games where defenses scheme up too, and they practice just like we do. They make plays. Villanova has an amazing defense, one of the most physical defenses we have played all year. I wasn't really surprised. I kind of figured it was going to be that kind of game. We were going to go in there. It was going to be a backyard fight as we like to say. We were going to come out with the win, and as you can see with the trophy right there, we did it, so thank God for that.

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Players Mentioned

Aaron Forbes

#25 Aaron Forbes

RB
5' 9"
Freshman
Austin Calitro

#45 Austin Calitro

LB
6' 0"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Aaron Forbes

#25 Aaron Forbes

5' 9"
Freshman
RB
Austin Calitro

#45 Austin Calitro

6' 0"
Sophomore
LB