BlueWhiteIllustrated.com - Complete Paterno press conference transcript

September 28, 2008

Penn State Sports Information

Penn State head coach Joe Paterno sat down to talk to the media following his Nittany Lions' 38-24 win against Illinois last night. In this post-game press conference transcript, Paterno talks about Williams' performance, overcoming adversity, and more!

*** Transcript ***

You saw some adversity really for the first time this season in the first quarter, how do you think your team handled it?

I thought they did a really good job. They went down and then they came back and then went down. They hung in there and didn't lose their poise. I thought we played a good football game against a good football team. Obviously, it's a good win for us.

Did you come into the second half thinking you had to give Evan Royster some more touches?

No. We just called what we thought would work at different times.

Do you think this was Derrick Williams' best game at Penn State thus far?

This is really the first chance that he has had to break out. We had to go without Norwood; Jordan aggravated a hamstring on Tuesday and we thought he would be okay until Thursday. So, we went into the game with the idea that Derrick would have to play a little bit more. Not that Zug and the other guys couldn't do a good job, but Derrick has been in tough games and made big plays. In fact, I told him the other day that it's about time that he break out and have a real big game. He had a big day. He is a heck of an athlete and he is a heck of a competitor.

How important is it for a team to get off to a 1-0 start in the Big Ten?

Oh, sure. It's better than being 0-5. I have been saying all along that I wouldn't know how good we were until we got into a tough football game; one with a little back and forth to it and that we couldn't do everything we wanted to. And, today, we had that kind of ball game. That is as important as the record because I think we can now play with a little more assurance.

Coming into this game, did you think the biggest question about your team was how it would react to adversity?

You just never know for sure until you go into a game and some things happen to them. And we didn't have Norwood, so that bothered me. He is the third guy in there and gives you a lot of plays. But I have been worried about that. I will worry about it until we win another tough one.

How serious is Norwood's injury?

I think he will alright this week.

What did you to slow down Illinois' offense after it scored on the first couple of drives?

The crowd was so loud some of the kids couldn't hear the line up signals. So we changed things on the line, depending on how they line up, which most people do. We really had not had that problem yet this year, so that was part of it. And getting ready for the tempo. It's hard to get ready for the tempo. They are some awfully good athletes. That quarterback is a great athlete and a tough kid. And a couple of those guys can run. I think that was the hardest part; getting adjusted to that.

How do you think Daryll Clark performed today in his first real test?

I thought he played very, very well.

You have had some problems with fumbles recently, how did you feel about what happened in today's game related to that?

That bothers me. I thought there was some pretty tough hitting out there and Illinois does a good job of stripping the ball. In fact, against the Louisiana team, their linebacker, No. 44, stripped the ball and ran it for a touchdown. We had talked about it all week, but we have to protect the ball and can't put it on the ground so many times.

Could you talk about the kickoff return by Derrick Williams and how important that was?

I think that was a big, big play. That put us up by two scores. I was kicking myself in the back side for not trying for the field goal at the end of the half, but I wasn't comfortable that it was worth the try. So when they went in and scored the touchdown, I was kicking myself more. But then we ran the kickoff back.

How do you think Maurice Evans and Abe Koroma played after not playing for three games?

I couldn't tell you. I would have to look at the tapes.

Could you talk about what it mean to survive a game like this on a weekend when six teams in the top 25 fell?

That is a problem you face all of the time, particularly when things have been easy for you and that was a little bit in the back of my head. We talk, talk, talk all of the time but sometimes it doesn't sink in. This is a good group of kids. I have said that many times. I really like this squad. I think they listen and they understand what it will be like and that it will not be easy. I think we are making good progress. I don't want to go overboard but we are getting close to being a really good football team.

What does Andrew Quarless add to your offense?

Quarless, when he concentrates, is a good football player. I think he had a pretty good game today. In all fairness, Mickey Shuler was hurt most of the week with a pulled hamstring and an ankle problem that he got in the game a week ago. He hadn't really done anything until Thursday. Either one of those kids are good tight ends and both of them can help us.

How were the two overturned replays explained to you?

I head the same thing you guys heard. The guy upstairs felt we wanted to get the proper ruling and the proper call. I have been the guy pushing for instant replay for 10 years, so I can't exactly gripe when they go to it. I obviously haven't seen the replay. I try not to look up at the scoreboard except to watch for the time. I couldn't tell you if the kid caught the ball in bounds. That's all part of the game.

What do you like about this team?

They are a good bunch of kids to coach. They seem to have a good feeling for each other. I can clown around with them and have some fun with them and they don't go overboard. They listen. They are trying to make sure no one gets in trouble. It's good to see a bunch of kids have success with all of the junk going on around them.

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