FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. ----- The morning press conferences just wrapped up, which featured six players from the Georgia Tech defense, six from the Iowa offense and both coordinators.
Some noteworthy quotes and information (with a more detailed post coming later, pictures included):
Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Dave Wommack said the biggest concern facing his squad in the Orange Bowl is the matchup between Iowa's offensive line and Tech's D-line. When asked about Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi, Wommack said: "When Ricky Stanzi's been in there, they've won football games."
The members of the Georgia Tech defense all had respect for Stanzi, with the words "great quarterback," "very, very poised" and "accurate" being commonly thrown around.
One of the big focuses when Iowa is on offense will be Georgia Tech defensive end Derrick Morgan. As Hawkeyes offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe said: "Morgan can be a one-man wrecking crew." That sentiment was echoed by the Iowa players.
O'Keefe also said that the team is itching to get on the field against the Yellow Jackets, saying that it's a similar feeling to the preseason, where "everybody is sick of looking at each other."
The big news of the morning comes from Bryan Bulaga, Iowa's left tackle. Bulaga still hasn't said whether he'll be coming back or not for his senior season, but some of the subjects he talked about this morning could be fairly enlightening as to what his mindset is. Bulaga talked about Sam Bradford, the Oklahoma quarterback who bypassed the draft despite being a sure first-rounder and was injured in the Sooners' first game this year, likely dropping his draft stock. As another member of the media said, Bradford is the poster child for making such a decision.
Bulaga's silence on his future could be setting him up for a postgame announcement, and talking about Bradford's mistake adds fuel to that possibility. Don't expect any official word until Tuesday night at the earliest.
Stay tuned for more this afternoon, after both teams' practices and pictures get uploaded.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Give us some insight into what the experience is like, please. How many reporters were at the press conference? How did they behave? How focused are they and how much are they partying in Florida? Just curious--and you know me, I'm more interested in your impression of the trip and the experience than the "news" about the Hawkeyes. Georgia Tech? Do any of them know the "heck of an engineer" son?
ReplyDelete