Campus Commuter

   Wofford senior running back Dane Romero came to the media lunch and we kept him around quite a while to talk about a variety of topics.

On initiating contact:
   “I feel like in the fourth quarter, people are tired of hitting me. That’s when I get my yards. That’s when I want the ball. Sometimes I can just feel they aren’t hitting me as hard as they were in the first half. I was a defensive player, recruited as a defensive player by some schools, and I’ve always had the mentality of hitting people.”

On how his body is holding up:
   “I feel good. Mondays are the worst days. Sundays, you kind of feel bad. Mondays are the worst. By Wednesday, I feel great. I’ve lost some weight since the season started and I feel like I’ve gotten quicker. My feet feel a lot better. I feel good.”

On halfback Mike Rucker:
   “He’s been playing at a higher speed the last couple of weeks. He didn’t play a lot last year. It takes a while. You’re thinking so much. But he’s starting to let the game come to him and he’s playing really well. He’s playing so fast. Once he’s hitting the hole, he’s getting another speed that he hasn’t hit. Instead of a 10-yard gain, he’s going 20 or 30."

On freshman fullback Eric Breitenstein:
   “He’s going to be a great football player. He’s already a great football player. He makes a lot of people miss. He’s very strong. He’s very smart. He knew the plays when he came in. But now he has to learn the little things. That’s what I’ve been trying to help him with. Once he learns that stuff, he has a chance to be one of the best backs we’ve ever had here, if not the best, and one of the best backs in the country."

On quarterback Robby Davis playing halfback:
   “I think Robby is going to be very big in the playoffs. He’s coming along very well. He’s out there making moves and making people miss, but you don’t see it until you go back in and look at the film. He’s still running a little high and so is Ruck. Part of the emphasis this week is getting them to bend a little bit. We can’t afford to lose any more backs.”

On backup quarterback Mitch Allen:
   “The thing has been his arm strength. He’s been able to throw the ball a lot better. He’s always been a great runner. He’s doing a lot better at reading the defense. I think he and Robby are going to be pretty potent in the next couple of years."

On the early season injury to halfback Sean Lees:
   “He was going to be great for us. I felt so bad when that happened on his first play. He worked very hard. He looked great. He did the running tests with ease. He was so in shape. I think this is a blessing in disguise for him because he's going to have a bigger role.”

On Wofford’s defense:
   “The guys are starting to believe they can do it. For a while, they were getting to where they needed to be but their eyes were kind of big. But now they are so comfortable. They look like they are having fun again. Since the App game when they lost so much confidence, it looked like they weren’t having fun."

On playing for Coach Ayers:
   “I’ve always liked fiery guys who are passionate. Some people fold when coaches get their face. I’ve always loved it. He cares a lot about winning and this school and he makes sure you’re doing the right thing.”

On not playing quarterback:
   “I came here to play quarterback. I gave up some other places that wanted me to play safety. I wanted to play quarterback. But, you know, the hand was dealt to me and you can’t change anything and you don’t want to. You make the best out of every situation. I want to have fun and play as hard as I can wherever I line up.”

On the possibility of attempting a pass before the end of the season:
   “I hope so. I don’t know. I might just take a handoff and throw it.”