Oct. 31, 2001

Listen to Coach Grobe from the ACC Teleconference

Head coach Jim Grobe

On current situation:

"We had another disappointing lost this weekend to Clemson. The kids are playing hard but we just haven't been able to get over the hump. We have played some pretty good teams, hopefully we can improve. We are real close to doing some things but just not enough good things to get a win."

On Virginia:

"My memories are a little bit different than what we are going to see Saturday. I haven't seen the new stadium. I'm looking forward to coming back and seeing how things have changed. I coached over at Liberty High School and that was really my first coaching job. I have great feelings on the times I spent in Virginia."

On losing streak:

"You can't avoid it, all the press people talk about it all the time. We had press day yesterday and a lot of the players were reminded of that. I had no idea we had lost to them 17 games in a row. I just told the players that it was a little shocking to me that we had been dominated for 17 years by Virginia. I would like to say it was all Wake Forest but Virginia had a lot to do with it. They have done great things with their football program and certainly earned those 17 wins. We would like to get off this string , I don't know when it is going to happen and we would certainly like to play well this weekend."

On Outside Linebacker Mike Hamlar:

"He hurt his knee earlier in the season. He was starting at outside linebacker for us and playing really well until he hurt his knee. It is not enough to have surgery. Don't know if he is at full speed but he is close to getting back and he can play some at this game at Virginia. He is a young guy that we expect to play a lot of football for us."

On Running Back Tarence Williams:

"He came out yesterday and tried to run around a little bit but still has a lot of pain and is having problems planting and pushing off. He is a guy that you don't have to worry about, he will be ready if at all possible. He hates to be in the training room. He is dying to practice right now. If there is anybody on our football team that could play with that injury it would be Tarence. But right now in my mind he is a doubtful guy. We will see a little more today. He has a heart of a lion and if there is anyway to get out there he will be.

On Quarterback Anthony Young:

"I think Anthony is even more doubtful than Tarence. He hasn't been able to do anything at all. It has been about three weeks now and even if he would get healthy by the end of the week, I'm not sure if we would feel comfortable putting him in a football game because he hasn't been able to practice."

On Nick Burney as back up running back:

"Nick has been traveling with us. We've always had three tailbacks and he has gotten a ton of reps. I'm a little bit surprised it has taken us this long to get one of our tailbacks dinged. We feel very good about Nick. Nick's problem is that he has plenty of ability he just hasn't had the game experience. I imagined Nick will get some snaps on Saturday."

On needing a victory:

"We are 3-4 and honestly I can't tell any difference in the way our kids are preparing in practice. From the times we have won from the times we've lost. Every time the kids come out and work pretty hard and give us a good days effort. I haven't seen any effort in the way they prepare physically. Mentally, maybe it's a different story. I would like to think that our guys, win or lose, are mentally preparing to win the next week. You really don't know until you get out there on Saturday. My best guess is in both cases you are going to find two teams that both need a win."