Penn State Head Coach Joe Paterno News Conference Comments

Opening statement:
“I have no comment. I have no plans to retire, alright. Can we get that one out of the way and then get on with something positive?”

On the challenge of defending against Florida’s three-quarterback offense:
“You spend a lot of time trying to line up properly. I have said this a couple of times this week; I think Urban Meyer has been on of the most innovative coaches in the last 25 years I’ve seen. I’ve studied a lot of Florida tapes through the last six or seven years to see what kind of pattern. I don’t know what to expect, to be frank with you. It’s the last ballgame with these kids and he’s got three quarterbacks, all of them do different things. So I don’t know what to expect.”

On whether Saturday’s Outback Bowl will be a high or low-scoring affair:
“It depends. It depends on whether somebody drops the ball in different spots, turnovers. The kicking game is a hidden element that nobody really watches, and turnovers. We’re playing a pretty good game against Ohio State and we throw the ball to them twice, two touchdowns on two interceptions. It turns the whole football game around. What I think will happen, I think you’re going to see two teams tomorrow playing really hard. Hopefully it will be the kind of game people can enjoy, whether it’s close or whether it’s high scoring, I don’t know, I really don’t know.”

On having Michael Mauti and other Nittany Lions available to play:
“Obviously it’s going to be hot. The more guys we have ready to play, and that worries me a little bit, the heat. I’m not sure whether the forecasters down here are any more honest than the ones up there. But it’s supposed to be in the 70’s tomorrow, so if it’s that hot obviously we’re going to have to play some people. Particularly at the pace Florida may give us on offense. I would think those kids have to play. I wish Mauti would have had a little more work, but that’s the way it goes.”

On Florida coach Urban Meyer and his innovative offense:
“I think you’ve got to ask Urban some of those questions. My feeling is, I’ve told Urban this and I’ve told a lot of people, I hate to see college coaching lose a man like Urban Meyer. He’s got a lot of class, a lot of poise. He’s got a lovely family. He’s done a great job down here. He’s won two national championships in the last four or five years and he’s done it in a class way. I hate to see him go, but what he wants to do, who am I to judge? I’m not going to do that. He’s a heck of a guy and I like him very much personally and admire him very much for the kind of coach he is.”

On practice preparation for the game:
“I think we’ve practiced pretty well. We were down at Clearwater and got seven practices in down there on the beach. We’ve been up here for game week. We started on Monday, which would be the Monday of game week. I think we’re ready, whether we’re good enough we’ll find out.”

On motivating a team:
“Each team is a little different. That’s one of the biggest problems you have in coaching is to make sure you push the right buttons. You can’t ask kids to do something they’re not ready to do when you start talking about motivation. I used to tell the story about the difference between Franco Harris and Lydell Mitchell. They both came out together and the pros used to come around and say, ‘What’s the difference between Franco Harris and Lydell Mitchell?’ I said they’re both great backs, absolutely great backs. I said If I tell Lydell Mitchell to run through that wall, he’d run through that wall. I said if I tell Franco Harris to run through that wall he’d go over and he’d feel where’s the soft spot.”

On his team’s defense:
“Again, the weather’s going to be a problem. If it’s really hot, those big guys, they wouldn’t be ready. We wouldn’t be ready. We’re playing with 300 pounders playing 10, 12 plays, they sound like newspaper guys, huffing and puffing. We’ve got to be able to get to their quarterback, I don’t think there’s any question about it.”

On Florida’s team speed:
“I don’t think there’s any question that they’re good. That’s going to be the biggest problem we have; make sure we keep them where we’ve got a shot at them, because they can run. The one kid’s a 100 yard dash guy. There’s no question the speed worries me. We’ve tried to emphasize the fact that you’ve got to have good position and don’t underestimate their ability to run away from you and keep everything inside of some people, and then we’ve got to tackle.”

On running back Evan Royster:
“Royster’s been very solid, he’s been durable. He’s not a very vocal kid; he’s not one of those rah-rah guys. We were talking about motivation a little earlier and whether you motivate the same way. Royster’s the kind of guy, tell me what you want me to do and I’ll give it my best shot. He’s been a good, solid football player for us. You wish he had just another step of speed and then he’d be on the verge of being a really great one. He’s a great athlete. He was the best lacrosse player in the state of Virginia when he came out.”

On meeting Roy Halladay and Angelo Dundee in Clearwater:
“We worked out at the Phillies complex. They were great. They did a great job for us, all those guys. Angelo Dundee came over. Angelo just had a hip replaced and came over. The kid that threw the no hitter, boy is he an impressive young man. They tell me he works out every day and lives down there. They’ve got a marvelous facility. They were great to us. Everybody really knocked themselves out to give us our best shot. It’s been a good experience. I just hope we can end up with a good football game for everybody.”