Football: Coach Bill Stewart Quotes
October 20, 2009 03:39 PM | General
By MSNsportsNET.com
October 20, 2009
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University football coach Bill Stewart quotes from Tuesday’s news conference.
Opening statements
To honor Jasper Howard, we have decided with our administration, Connecticut’s administration and the BIG EAST, that the Mountaineers will wear Jasper’s No. 6 decal on our helmet. Number two, we will line up on the hash mark prior to the football game for a moment of silent. After that, we will cross the field and shake hands with the Huskies. We will then have the coin toss and play some football.
This is all about Jasper Howard and honoring a fallen brother. I am very proud of the West Virginia and Connecticut administrations for helping us make this happen to honor Jasper.
I want to talk about Scooter Berry, who had an incident in the wee hours of Sunday morning after our victory over Marshall. Scooter broke team policy and has been suspend indefinitely by me. He will remain in that capacity until I deem further. We have certain procedures and policies here about wearing the Old Gold and Blue. We are going to make mistakes in life, and a mistake he made. That will be left for some restitution for myself, the staff, the senior class and the rest of his teammates. At the appropriate time, if he has met that restitution, we will talk about the reinstatement.
Regarding our last ball game, we had a successful win over an in-state opponent. That football game was about state and program pride, and that is enough pride for me, this football staff and this team.
On the status of WVU quarterback Jarrett Brown
We will know more today after practice. We have a full padded practice today so I will know even more tomorrow. A decision will not be made until tomorrow, but if he is just not well today, we may make a decision tonight. However, it will be day-to-day. If he gets through Tuesday well then he has to get through Wednesday. Then, if he gets through Wednesday, then we will talk about him playing a football game, but he will practice today.
I met with him yesterday and today. Being his former (position) coach, we probably have a better relationship than most head coaches do with their quarterback. I just asked him to trust me as I wanted to trust him, and that we needed to be truthful with one another.
I want him to, first and foremost, protect himself at all times. Number two I want him to manage this offense. Number three and most importantly I want him to have a clear head when he is doing this.
On the hit that injured Jarrett Brown
I did not (send in a complaint to the BIG EAST). They have a review of the film and I know that play was talked about. I don’t know the answer, but I do know it was looked into.
That is human judgment and how can you fault someone for human judgment. I can’t fault someone who is out there trying to do the best job they can officiating. I have never coached in a game that I thought the striped shirts took the game from me. Did I think some judgments weren’t like mine? You bet.
The officials could have been blocked. I couldn’t see it. When he (Jarrett Brown) pirouetted around, I thought he should have gone down, but he was off balance. He tried to and they wacked him.
On the celebration rule and call on Noel Devine
It should have been a flag. I even told they guy that threw the flag that it was a great call.
They (players) will be punting the ball out of the stands if you don’t control them.
On the first and second team break downs during practice
What we are doing now is a 5:3 ratio and some periods 6:3. The one’s will go six-straight, then the two’s will go in for three. We never go four and four, or five and five, I will never do that because you never play 50 percent of the game. By ratio you should probably go 7:2, but you will just wear them out.
On Geno Smith
We could not get Geno (Smith) here in the spring because of his transcript. They wouldn’t put a graduation date on it by the time our school started. He is a good student, and he is also very sharp, and had he been here in the spring, then he would have been even sharper. He is a film guy and a gym rat and that is very good.
When I was recruiting Geno, his mother or one of his teammate’s mothers picked the two up everyday. They did their homework and played football on Play Station. Then, they ate and went home. Geno has always been a homebody, a gym rat and a film guy and his coach told me the same thing. Those are the kinds of guys I like to recruit.
I didn’t say one word to Geno (before he went on the field) because I knew coach (Jeff) Mullen had that under wrap. What I said to the staff was that we needed to get into a flow. Then, I watched our defense take control of the game.
On Ryan Clarke’s injury
He could have played (on Saturday) and I was biting my lip. He is going to be a whole lot better today.
On Connecticut’s running game
Andre Dixon was really good even before Donald Brown came on the scene. He was the star. He is going to be tough now.
On the spread offense and the number of quarterbacks getting hurt I don’t know if they are getting hurt when they run the ball. In option football, you learn how to slip that tackle, you are always going forward. When you drop back, that is when guys get hurt. For instance, when (Tim) Tebow got hit, he got hit from the blind side. Jarrett was trying to get down, but he was off balance. He couldn’t get down in time.
On BIG EAST play and his attitude towards the game now
It is round two. We have a good group of young men here that are saddened by a situation, but after that coin toss, the Mountaineers need to be ready to play football. We need to be ready to play football, coach football and go play a football game. Make no mistake, this is a business and our guys know that it is round two.
On Bradley Starks
We have a plan for Bradley (Starks). Remember earlier in the season, we used him in the Wildcat and he ran. He can also throw the ball, not just pass it, but throw the ball. He is a lefty and pretty good.
On Andre Dixon
I saw a guy that could have left, but didn’t. That tells me a lot about him. He is a good football player. He will run over you, around you; he is fast and he is tough. At 202 pounds 6-foot-2, he is a big back. He is a big back and he will hurt you.
On Brandon Hogan’s showing against Marshall
I think he really was in tune for this game. Coach Lockwood has him better and better each and every week. He is breaking on the ball better, he is fielding punts better and he is seeing everything better. I like what he is doing and he is having fun.
