Oct. 18, 2005 Head Coach Ralph Friedgen
On the game:
We've had a good week of practice. We're ready to play and looking forward to Thursday night. It should be an exciting event here at Byrd Stadium and the University of Maryland.
On the Hokie offense:
They really haven't had any dropoff. Marcus Vick has come in and done many of the same things that [Bryan] Randall did. He's a good thrower and runner. He's very athletic and presents a lot of problems.
On the atmosphere:
I'm hoping our fans really come out because we're going to need them. I'm really counting on all the Terrapin fans to come out here and be very vocal. I think that's critical to having home field advantage. Virginia Tech travels very well.
On his relationship with Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer:
Frank and I don't talk about football a whole lot, even more now that he's in the league. I saw Frank this summer. He made a special effort to come to my Fourth of July party. I think both of us understand the situation, and we probably don't enjoy playing each other. It's a business thing. Before and after the game we'll still be friends, and then we'll compete hard during the game.
On the significance of the game for the program:
Anytime you play on national TV, you have a tremendous chance to show your program off. It's an opportunity anytime you play a top-10 team. That's really a benchmark for your program, and it gives you confidence. I'm hoping that this team can continue to gain confidence, because we're going to play a lot more teams in the top 10 as we go through the season.