Opening Statement...

"Even though I've been coaching so many years, you're always anticipating that first game to see what's going on and hopefully you've covered everything with your team, offensively, defensively and special teams. It's the unknown in the first game that you get concerned about. You really don't have any film on current opponents and it's a game of where you're fortunate to go in it with a team that has some experience so you can make adjustments. The first game in my experience is always a game of adjustments and it's a lot easier when you don't have to count on any freshmen. ... We do have a lot of good young freshmen and they may see some time before the year's out but they are currently not involved in that first game."

On starting the season on the road...

"We have a young club and they are traveling so a lot of it is new. There are some issues there but when you have some experience and the kids have been on the road before it just really helps. When you go from the south to the north, you're looking at a weather difference in a positive way really. But I think the kids understand what's supposed to happen from a format and itinerary standpoint and you just continue to move on from there."

On the lack of success on the road last year...

"Yeah it hurts but in those games you have to finish. You have to win in the fourth quarter and we didn't do that. When I address the team and say 'we,' football is such a 'we' game and it's so easy to say me or whatever and there are a lot of reasons to why we didn't finish games. When you take six games by the losses of seven points or less, those are games that you have a chance to win and you have to finish the play. So that is something that has been stressed to the players this year about finishing and every play is an important play. The difference in a game when you break it down is about six plays and you don't know when they're going to come. That is the beauty about football, it could be the second play of the game or it could be the 49th play. Again, you have to play every play like it's the last play because it may be. I think there are about six plays and if you can pick out those six plays I think you would be a heck of a coach but it doesn't work that way. I think the kids understand the importance of every game and obviously the first game is one that I don't care how long you've been coaching or playing you always go in with a pit in your stomach. I think that's what should happen. I get concerned about games where our players aren't concerned about it but our players always give respect to everybody and fear none. I think right now they are treating every game like a big game and that's the way it should be."