MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – WVU football coach Bill Stewart quotes from Tuesday’s press conference

Opening Statement
It was a physical football game against Syracuse. I told you guys that after the game and on Sunday and Monday during the teleconference calls. It was a hard hitting game. We were certainly on the disappointing end of that, and I do not like that.

I hope that it serves as a wake up call to our football program so that we can get back on track. We have a big chore awaiting us in Connecticut this Friday night.

The good news about the game is that even though it was hard-hitting, we came out relatively injury free.

I know that the Mountaineers’ hearts and spirits are bruised, and now we have a chance in three days to remedy that situation. It is never fun being on the losing end of any football game.

On Syracuse’s play and putting pressure on the quarterback
They used some blitzes, and they let it all fly. I think if we would have been able to score early, instead of throwing the interception, to go up 21-10, our game plan could have changed a little bit as well.

On WVU’s offense
I see use playing hard. I see us not making a lot of mental mistakes. I see us compete. I see us make plays.

It was good to see Noel (Devine) running again. I saw him get hit in the open field, and it kind of shocked me a little bit. But it was good to see him back and to get over 100 yards.

I thought Ryan Clarke ran hard, and I thought at times we caught the ball well. Our young sophomore quarterback (Geno Smith) struggled. It happens and you just work to get that back on track.

I didn’t like the way we finished. I thought we were going to win at the end of the game, and I thought we had the calls to win. But you have to give the opponents credit. They made some plays and we didn’t.

You make the offense more consistent by finishing and by getting better, and by getting the ball in to play-makers’ hands. It is just hard work. I don’t think there is any magic wand to wave. You block, you tackle, you work and you get better.

On the tight end position
They both (Will Johnson and Tyler Urban) play now. Will Johnson is playing pretty well. That is not to say that Tyler isn’t. When there is an injury and you go down for a couple of games and someone steps in and plays well, I don’t see much reason to change that.

Tyler is going to play more, and we are going to go 50/50 with them. Both are good players.

I think both guys are playing and blocking well. I would like to get the ball to the tight end.

On Geno Smith rebounding
He is steady, even if he didn’t play his best. I don’t think we have to tell the offensive line they didn’t play their best, and the entire offense. But I am not going to let one side of the ball dictate why we lost.

On Connecticut being a good team
They are a BIG EAST team, and anything can happen. We play pretty tough football in this league.

I will go back to what I said when I took this job. You better respect all and fear none. You better play each and every outing like it is your last. And you better enjoy the fruits of your hard work and efforts in practice. Go out, get under the lights and play football. Do not worry about what your opponent does. Worry about what we do.

On taking one game at a time
We are at round No. 3, game No. 3, and when you lose that mindset, you will get beat.

On having another quick turnaround
I wish that we could have played tonight. I can’t wait to get back on the saddle. I want to play, and I want to make amends. We want to get back to Mountaineer winning.

On Terence Garvin and the rest of the defense
He (Terence Garvin) is in a hit position, and he is doing very well.

I told Anthony Leonard how proud I was of him this weekend. He was our player of the game (against Syracuse). He was written off and told that his feet were too slow, that he was club footed and that he was not Reed Williams. He has proven that if you pay your dues and pay attention to details, you will do well.

On playing weeknight games
I like the fact that we (the BIG EAST) get to play in Thursday and Friday night games. It is due to the fact that we play good football.