Transcript: Petrino, players talk Wake win
Bobby Petrino's Louisville football team is 4-1 at the end of September, a mark that includes Saturday's 20-10 slogfest victory over Wake Forest.
Here's what the Cardinals' head coach had to say, plus players Lorenzo Mauldin, Brandon Radcliff and Reggie Bonnafon:
BOBBY PETRINO
Opening statement:
We'll take it. It was a struggle. We had to battle really hard. I'm very proud of our defense. Our defense is playing at a very high level and was able to make a lot of big plays. We sacked the quarterback a bunch and stopped the run. Anytime you're able to stop the run and put them behind the sticks we have a very good advantage because we have some guys who can really rush the passer. It was great to see them do that. Offensively, we just kept killing ourselves. We turned the ball over and a couple of them were just on simple exchanges between the quarterback and the running back that really hurt us. We had some bad penalties that backed us up and put us behind the sticks. We did find a way to move the ball and win the game.
It was great to see Brandon Radcliff come in and gave us a big burst. He gave us a lot of energy. He was faster than the other guys out there. I thought Reggie (Bonnafon) showed a lot of poise and a great, competitive spirit. He certainly had his share of mistakes out there. To play well at quarterback we need all 10 other guys around him to do their job really well and we're not there yet. Statistically we got a little bit better, but when you have penalties and turnovers, it really hurts you."
On figuring out offensive mistakes:
I would hope, but we're kind of a new team every week now. We've been battling some injuries and we're still a work in progress. Thank God we have a great defense, because it's allowing us to work at getting better offensively. I was disappointed in special teams tonight. Our specialists are guys we've really been able to count on, and that hurt us tonight.
On improving over the length of the season:
When you can win games and not play very well, that helps a lot. What we're trying to do is get better right now, immediately. We do have a tough schedule towards the end of the season, so it's going to be important that we do improve and get better and learn how to execute without hurting ourselves. I always go back to the first thing you have to do to win a game is not beat yourself. We did some things today that could've beaten ourselves.
On the one thing the team can do to improve from this week to next:
I think if we get rid of the turnovers and take care of the football, get better technically. I like the way we ran the ball late in the game. We did a great job of picking it up and running the ball better. But we have a lot more than just one thing to do. That's the problem.
The third and 13 play on go-ahead drive, was it a designed play?
It was. It was a speed option. They were substituting their dime package in and they've been very good in that package throughout the season. We hit it one time earlier with a run to Radcliff for a touchdown. What they did is, they took their safety and roll him down to our tight end side. So I made the call from the sideline to run a speed option away from it. We haven't shown any speed option but we've been working on it and Reggie is good at it. He really showed his competitiveness to go get that first down."
About Will Gardner's status:
Well, he had a good week; he got better as the week went on. They just said he wasn't ready to play yet, so they wanted to see how the weekend went. He had a lot of rehab today. We brought him to the hotel. He had a lot of rehab at the hotel last night, but I don't really know any more than that.
About Reggie Bonnafon handling in-game situations:
He's very calm. He's pretty calm, easy to communicate with. I thought he did a good job of really listening; being able to picture what either Garrick (McGee) or I am telling him, and then going out and trying to do it. I liked the way he handled himself on the sideline and out on the field.
About possibly being surprised about how Radcliff played:
No, you should see him working in practice. He really works hard every time he touches the ball in practice; he sprints down the field and puts it in the end zone. I probably should have got him in there a little earlier, because he's really shown the speed and the toughness in practice. But it was great that it showed up today, because we really needed it.
Lorenzo Mauldin's injury:
I think he got like a stinger. I saw him holding his shoulder like that and Kyle (Johnston) came over and told me he should be back in a little bit. He didn't tell me what the injury was, he just said he'd be back in just a little bit, but he also told me he got three sacks after the injury, so I'm thinking it's probably not that bad.
On Dominique Brown getting limited carries and RB situation:
He's (Brown) OK. It's hard on him when he turns the ball over and I take him out. You know that's hard on him. We're going to need him throughout the year. We're going to need him to get his confidence back and come back and really help us win games like he has early in the year.
On problems on the exchanges:
On the first one, I don't think we really got our arm up. That was the communication I got from the back and the quarterback. The second one, he ran the wrong play.
On Reggie's mental toughness coming back after the passing of his father:
What he was able to do all week long, come in and focus and prepare and concentrate. He missed a whole week of practice when his father passed. I'm really impressed with him. You can't say enough about how much maturity he's shown in the last couple of weeks.
On holding Wake Forest to less than a yard per carry:
Yeah, it's a great job. Sacks help. That's one of the things about college football is the sacks take the rushing yards away … I'm wondering when they're ever going to change that. But no, they dominated the line of scrimmage (our defense), they tackled really well. It was a dominant performance by our defense. Even when they got backed up, they came up with huge plays to not allow them to kick field goals.
MAULDIN
On having three sacks after the shoulder injury in the second quarter: It felt great. At first when I hurt my shoulder I thought I tore my labrum again. They doctored me up, and God said they needed me so I chose to step it up.
On how good the defense has been so far: We're playing marvelous. This is as good of a defense as it was last year. You know they say that we're missing a lot of guys but a lot of guys stepped up and I'm proud of our defense.
On how he has stepped up when the defense needs him: If I'm needed wherever that is what I will do. If they need me to rush on a certain down I'm going to step up and be a leader on the defense.
On how he feels after the game: I am a little sore but I am very happy, the guys on offense came back after halftime and pretty much did what they had to do. The defense played great. I got dinged up but I came back and ended up with three sacks. That was a bit of motivation for me because I told myself that defense needed me and it was my time to step up if I was hurt or not.
On getting sacks: We make it fun on the sidelines, but during the process I am just happy I got back there to the QB.
On the offense: Yeah, we found that out pretty much throughout the beginning of the season, but I have faith in our offense. Our offense is always going to score and that is all we need them to do pretty much. So if the defense can give them the ball back we know we can score.
Was there a mindset, knowing the offense needed you? Thought process going into the game was to stop the run. They can run so we knew that we were going to need to get to the QB. The QB is young so we told ourselves if we get to him the game is over.
RADCLIFF
On being seen as the third string running back and coming in and getting the majority of the carries: You know we all come out here and do our job. We go out and practice and grind everyday. When your number is called, you just have to come out and capitalize on it.
On setting career highs in yards, touches and touchdowns: It's great. I go out and practice everyday to get better and waiting for my number to be called. I was glad I was able to capitalize on it.
On what can be improved on before playing the next opponent: Just coming out more physical, being able to finish and punish the opponent. We have all the tools to come out and become a better player.
Did you expect to have that big of an impact in this game as you did: Every game you expect to do something good, you work hard everyday and expect the team to come out and do the same thing as well.
On whether he knew he was going to start: We talked about it, but I had the first play of the game so you know I was excited. I just came out and put the work in, and study the play books and I was ready.
How soon did you know you were going to get the first play of the game: This week coach told me I had the first play of the game and I was pretty excited for it. Then Tuesday the game plan came in and I knew I had the first play.
Can you talk a little about the way the game played out? I felt that the game was pretty good, and we finished a game that was very important to us."
BONNAFON
On getting the first start and victory: It wasn't as pretty as I thought it would be, but we still got the win so that's all that matters. There are some things we need to do different and some things to clean up we will be fine.
On the atmosphere in Papa John's Stadium: I can't even put it into words. With everything that has happened the past two weeks, you know it's a blessing to be able to get this opportunity along with a win and to know my dad was looking down on me. It feels really good.
On what it felt like to finally get into the game: It felt great. I have been putting in work at practice for a while and to finally come out here and see it pay off felt great.
On what he can take away from this game to prepare for next week: Just the speed of the game and keeping up with the tempo and not coming out and getting nervous. It's hard coming out and being relaxed and staying calm when everything is going so fast and everyone is loud.