Boston College Athletics
Boston College Football Head Coach Tom O'Brien
September 03, 2001 | Football
Did Will (Green) come back today?
"Yes."
How was he received?
"He was fine."
What will be his status this week against Rutgers?
"He will be the starting running back."
Did you get a chance to talk to him today?"
"I said 'Hi' to him and he said 'Hi' to me and that was it."
He didn't express any other feelings?
"No, we don't have to talk."
You think he served enough punishment sitting out that game?
"I believe he did."
Do you think he needs to prove anything to his teammates after sitting out that big game?
"I don't think he needs to prove anything to me. Now if they think he does to them, that's something they would have to tell you. He served his suspension and it's over and he's back, as far as I'm concerned, with the football team."
How would you characterize your relationship with him right now?
"Good. It's fine."
You have a understanding of what took place?
"Absolutely. It was clear up from the day I suspended him. We talked at various times last week about it. We're on the same page."
How did the team come out of the game injury wise?
"We're banged up, but I think we're going to be fine. Colombo will not make it and Garay, I would say right now, is definitely out. And than, other than that, we had some banged up guys, but I think they'll make it this week."
If ever there was a let down likely, this would be it. How will you help them guard against that with Rutgers?
"We started right after the game yesterday. Even as hard it was, and it's still hard for a lot of us the way the game ended, that we can't let Miami beat us twice. We were guaranteed that we were going to play 11 games this year. This is the number 10 game this year. We've been able to focus all year. We've been able to get better each week in practice. I think one think that will help us is that we'll have 20-25 kids from Jersey and New York City, Long Island, the local area, they always get excited to go down there and play. I think that will help. I think we'll have some great senior leadership. We still have a lot to play for. We aren't guaranteed a bowl. We're just bowl eligible. Seven (wins) is much better than six (wins) when it comes to being selected and who knows the way it plays out. We could be alive to second place in the conference which is something BC's never done since it's been in this conference. We lost out shot at first place. We most certainly, by beating Rutgers, could keep our goal alive of playing for second place. There's a lot left for this football team to play for. As I explained to someone today, after the Notre Dame game how absolutely euphoric we were. Well, now we're at the other end of the spectrum and he have to come back and play. We've experienced a lot in our last two games, but there' no reason we can't play. And they understand that nationally, a lot of people pooh-pahed Boston College and it was more of case of Miami not playing well and not the fact that we gave the effort that we gave. So we still have a lot to prove with this football team. A lot of respect to gain. If we want be the football team we want to be, we will go play well on Saturday."
You did pick up some respect in the voting when you gained votes in the polls.
"I didn't look at that. Last night some of the commentators, and I saw one thing on-line on ESPN today when I was looking at the scores, that was like 'Lowly BC hangs in there with Miami'." Can you comment on how the schedule has fallen for you with Notre Dame, Miami, and now Rutgers? "I think we'll be alright by Tuesday. That's the one thing about kids, they bounce back a lot better than us old guys do. The thing they have to guard against now is the poison they're listening to now. If they swallow this stuff that Rutgers isn't any good, then we're going to have problems. Syracuse went down there a couple of years ago - or three years ago, whenever that was - and ended up getting beat in overtime. They struggled against them again this year. In college football today, you have to show up every week and play. Last night, you look at Oregon State just destroyed Washington. Who's going to guess something like that? You have to play. I'm sure this is a huge game for Rutgers. They wanted this at the end of the year, probably on their schedule to have us, except for the September 11 deal. So it's going to be a big game for us."
Do you think it will be just as big a game for Green, that he'll have the game of his life just like Notre Dame?
"I don't know that. I hope. It would be nice."
As far as difficult losses go, is that at the top for you?
"I can't think of any one that would be second to that one because of the nature of the opponent. I've had some tough Army-Navy losses that I've played in. A loss to Texas on a 50-yard field goal into the wind in the last second of the game. I think a couple of those would come to mind right away, but none with the significance of the way the team fought yesterday."
None of the fight went unnoticed by the people who witnessed the game, so if you had beaten them it wouldn't have been a surprise.
"No, but I think nationally it was. It's still our perception is that we're an average football team and we have a lot to prove that we're not. Because that certainly wasn't an average effort yesterday."
