University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt vs. Notre Dame Postgame Quotes
11/15/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 15, 2009
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Pitt Head Coach Dave Wannstedt
“The attitude of our football team to handle the ups and downs during the course of the game was great. We knew what a talented football team Notre Dame is and that they were going to strike and get points.”
“I thought our guys handled the ups and downs well. We knew they would make plays. And when you look at the statistics, the important thing is to not turn the football over. We were able to protect the ball the entire game against a pressure defense.”
“We were clean on penalties in the first half and we had a five yard penalty in the second half. We protected the football and were disciplined enough, even in an atmosphere like this. This was a big emotional game for our kids to play in because of the crowd, Notre Dame and national TV. It would have been very easy for our kids to get caught up in that.”
“It was a game where we knew how talented Notre Dame is. It wasn’t going to be easy and we knew that.”
“I give all the credit to our seniors. Week in and week out they have done a great job of keeping their feet on the ground. That was big for us today, and running the football.”
“On the fourth and one, I probably should have called a timeout. I should have. That was one play we would have liked to have back.”
“When we had to use up clock, our kids responded. It was a great win for the program, a great win for the kids, particularly those who were around here five years ago when we had a bad experience here. It was great to walk out of here tonight with a little better feeling.”
Pitt Running Back Dion Lewis
“We always talk about finishing games and playing all four quarters and we did that today.”
“The next two games are going to be tough and right now we’re just taking things one game at a time. Right now our focus becomes West Virginia and we’ll go from there.”
Pitt Wide Receiver Jonathan Baldwin
(On the touchdown catch)
“I ran a go route and he (Stull) threw it to me. I saw the ball, dove for it and made the catch. When I saw the ball over the middle, I knew it was coming to me and I knew it was big for the team and myself to make the catch and I did.”
(On the atmosphere)
“It was sold out today. The crowd was pumped and we were pumped. We just had a good time out there.”
Defensive End Jabaal Sheard
“I think in the past, I was getting a little bit predictable on my moves. This week I really studied my opponents and with the help of Greg (Romeus) getting a good push, I was able to get some good pressure.”
“I think we can match up against anyone. I don’t doubt us against any offensive line in the country.”
Quarterback Bill Stull
“Every week, Coach Cignetti and the coaches make practice as difficult as possible for us quarterbacks. I think come Saturday, it becomes muscle memory. We develop repetition of certain plays and certain looks.”
“I’ll remember this one…absolutely. I can’t describe how badly I wanted to play in that game last year but I knew I couldn’t. I circled this game on the calendar. This was a great statement game for the players, the coaches and just for Pitt’s tradition. It was awesome to be a part of it.”
“We always strive to finish each game calling the best play in our playbook and that’s the victory formation when we take the knee and run the clock out. That’s obviously what we did today and it was great.”
“He (Jonathan Baldwin) is awesome. You have to have faith and know who you’re throwing to and I knew who I was throwing to with him. We look for the matchups and that’s what we’re trained and taught to do.”
Notre Dame Head Coach Charlie Weis
“We were playing pretty conservative in the first half. It was a 3-3 ball game until Jonathan Baldwin caught that touchdown pass at the end of the first half. We thought coming out of the locker room, we’d get the ball but we didn’t come out how we would have liked to. Pitt responded and we were down by two scores, then three and that forced us to go into a mode that we didn’t want to be in. Mentally, it’s tough to be in that situation, but the team fought back in the fourth quarter and we had a chance to win. That’s a positive.”
“We came out conservative. I call a game differently on the road than when I do at home. When we’re on the road, you have to consider the crowd and the tempo of the game and I thought we were doing pretty well when the score was 3-3.”
“It’s good to get Golden Tate in and make a play. I know that when we get the ball to him he has a chance to make a play and he did by returning that punt for a touchdown. He gave us a shot to win the game.”
“Pitt’s defensive ends gave us a lot of pressure which forced Jimmy Clausen to step up. He was under heat all game long. We called four screens. One was a short gain, one was for a loss, one got knocked down, and the other one was stopped. It didn’t work for us because they were able to get their hands up and that took away from our effectiveness on offense.”
Notre Dame Wide Receiver Golden Tate
“I wanted to make it count on the field and I made a play. I go out and play every game like it’s my last. I can only speak for myself.”
“Coach Weis didn’t say much to us before game time. He told us that we were playing on national television against a ranked opponent with a packed crowd.”
Notre Dame Quarterback Jimmy Clausen
“That’s a tough loss. It felt like we were moving the ball but we ran into some penalties and some miss reads and that fumble in the end. It felt like we were moving the ball but we let it slip away.”
“When I fumbled at the end of the game, I was trying to make the play. I was just looking down the field and I was trying to get the ball to a guy and it was called a fumble.”
