Washington at Syracuse
Carrier Dome
Syracuse, N.Y.
August 31, 2007
Coach Tyrone Willingham:
“Obviously, there are a lot of smiles, but this was a first game and there are some things we need to work on. Jake (Locker) was so-so. He can do better. I think Louis (Rankin) can do better, too.”
On the early offensive problems:
“We had told Jake that every quarterback is going to make mistake. We knew he would settle down after the slow start.”
“We expected to do what we did. That is our expectation in every game. It was a big play when Louis (Rankin) turned what looked like it was going to be a loss into a big gainer. Good players step up and make plays, and he did.”
“That is the most speed we’ve had on the field in three years, and it showed in a lot of positions. There was one play where Louis (Rankin) didn’t look like he had the corner, and then the next thing you know, he’s going in for the TD.”
“Our guys gave a great effort. When they do that, we have a chance to win any game.”
LB Dan Howell:
“We came out to play. They weren’t ready for what we had to throw at them. We played a little harder than them in the first half and eventually we turned the game.”
“We settled down after their first drive. They threw a few things at us formation-wise, and then we understood what they were trying to do. In the second half, we could see that they were losing their drive.”