CAA Football Teleconference Week 2

Villanova Head Coach Andy Talley

On the Pittsburgh game: It was a tough, tough venue to play in. It was really a very difficult task against probably a top-20 team looking at them on tape from the year before and [having] 18 starters back. They were really very physical, and it was tough to run against them. It was a typical I-A game. We stayed in the game for pretty much a half. We had a miscue at the end of the first half. We were down 7-0, and Zach Bednarczyk took a bad sack, which gave them field position. They were able to get a quick score with a short field. So, that put us down 14-0 at halftime. Then I thought maybe we could fight back in the second half a little bit. We kicked it off and they ran it back for a touchdown, which is a killer for anybody that has had that happen to them. The chances of winning with a kickoff return for a touchdown is almost nil. We dug ourselves a hole. But we competed, we played hard. We gave them a total of 261 yards of offense. We held them to 261, which I thought was really good. Our defense gave us a chance to win the game and compete. Offensively we just struggled. Pitt's defense is probably the best we've ever played against. These guys are really good. So trying to manufacture points against a team like that in hot weather is always rough stuff. But I thought we gave a good account of ourselves. What we take away from the game is we played very, very hard. We competed. I think our defense is going to be very good in our league. Offensively, once we put some of the pieces back together again, I think that we'll be pretty good.

On what he took away from the game: I came away from the game feeling that we have the pieces to compete at a high level in the CAA. The problem with the I-A game is that you never really know, unless you win one, how good your team is going to be. Everything is just bigger, faster, stronger and they are playing a lot of people and you're not. So, it's hard to decide how you are coming out of that game. But I think we are going to be a pretty good team. So, I have to lean on that. We have 10 fifth-year seniors, the most we have ever had. I think there is going to be some good leadership on this team. Unless we get really banged up, I think we have a chance to come out of this thing and make a run at it.

On competing against Pitt's Offensive Line: We went in prepared to stop the run. That's what we really wanted to do. What they really wanted to do was run the ball, and they were pretty stubborn about it. They kept trying to run the ball, and I think we did a really good job. They have some great running backs. They have three guys that could play just about anywhere. I think our defense really gave us a chance to win the game. When I talk to our team, I said we have to try to win the kicking game. Our punter did a great job. I think we punted 6-7 times inside the 20, and that's what held us in the game especially in the first half. But you can't have a kickoff returned for a touchdown, and they had two returns that gave them really good field position. So, it's really tough business to try to win a couple of halves. I thought we won the defensive side of the ball. But we couldn't get enough done offensively and the special teams situation we lost completely. That was really the difference in the game. But make no mistake about it. We were overmatched, and they are a really, really good Pitt team.

On the play of Zach Bednarczyk against Pitt: I think that Zach is going to be one of the better quarterbacks in our league as time goes on. He threw some great passes. He just didn't have a lot of time to throw. It's a lot different when you're practicing in preseason and one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three cuts down to one thousand one-and-a-half. We are still growing some wide receivers. That's probably an area where we need a lot of improvement is at the wide receiver position. So we threw to our tight end quite a bit. He had six catches and did a really good job for us. Our running game, they are tough to run [against]. They stack the box with six people, sometimes seven. So, we really struggled there. Javon White ran really hard - did a good job. Aaron Forbes is going to be a good one for us at tailback as well. We'll get Matt Gudzak back in three games. I feel like this is a Villanova football team that each week is just going to get better and better and better, if we can stay away from the injury bug. Zach Bednarczyk played pretty well under trying conditions.

On the play of Javon White coming off an injury last season: He played really well. One of the things that he did in the past that I didn't like, was that he used to search for a spot to hit a crease, and now he just hits it. He's a bigger kid, and he's got a lot of speed. He did that Saturday. He just drove right up into the hole every time, and when he had to make a cut, he made it at full speed.

On the FBS game and if the team made it without having any injuries: That was the important thing to get out of it without any injuries. Our preseason conditioning and offseason held up for us. We didn't have any freaky breaks here or there. We came out of it sore, but in good health. So we'll be at full strength for Lehigh.

On Zach Bednarczyk being more disciplined at Quarterback : I think that was evident. He looked like he was more in control and that he had played before. That was really good to see. He looked like a veteran quarterback, even though he's just a redshirt sophomore. He had that whole season under his belt last year, and I think that showed up very well.

On this week's game: We have Lehigh, who we have a great deal of respect for. They run the same defense we do, and their offense is very wide open. We have played them before, and we always have a great deal of respect for Andy Coen and the group up there. They are extremely well-coached. They got out of the box a little slow against Monmouth. They have a really fine team. I love their quarterback. He's very good. They have a great wideout, Troy Pelletier, who's excellent. They have always been very good on offense. They have been one of the innovators throwing the football. We have our hands full with them. I'm just glad the game is at Villanova, and I'm glad it's a 6:00 game because it's going to be really hot.