Gaitor: All-SBC Defensive POW

Senior cornerback Anthony Gaitor surely would have preferred getting out of Texas A&M with a win, but he has got a nice parting gift for his two-turnover-causing performance in College Station.

The Sun Belt Conference named Gaitor its defensive player of the week Monday.

More to come after Mario Cristobal’s conference call …

UPDATE:

Transcript of Mario Cristobal's weekly conference call

Opening statement:

“We’re playing some of these BCS opponents really, really tough, and are looking forwarding to putting four quarters of football together, instead of three and three and a half quarters. We’re pretty excited to go up to College Park to play Maryland.

What’s the latest on Ariel Martinez? How about other injuries?

“Ariel suffered a pretty significant knee injury. There definitely is some cartilage and ligament damage, so he will be lost for the season. Pooh Bear Mars is improving, but not fully healed yet. I think there’s a chance we get James Jones this week.”

What are your thoughts about Anthony Gaitor being defensive player of the week?

“Going back to fall camp, he made the commitment. He was challenged by our defensive coaches to be a better football player, and he responded. He had to respond to a demotion during springtime, by having the best summer, the best offseason he’s ever had. He’s playing lights-out football. He really is. Not only physically, but mentally, he’s on-point, he’s coaching up the guys, and we’re using him in a variety of different ways. And he’s possibly a guy we use on punt returns this weekend.”

What did you see out of Wesley Carroll Saturday? He went the distance. Did you have any thoughts of putting in Wayne Younger?

“There were some things that might have presented an opportunity for [Younger]. But we just felt the more reps Wesley gets right now, the better he’s going to get. It was a very tough defense we played against. They threw all kinds of stuff at us, so we felt good about letting him continue and finish the football game, and of course he’s going into this weekend as the starter, as well.”

You mentioned playing a full four quarters. At what point does it become a mental thing?

“It’s about finishing. We have placed ourselves in a position, as a Sun Belt school, to go toe-to-toe with these BCS opponents, and actually have a chance in the fourth quarter to be leading the football and a chance to win. In our case, and where we come from, it actually makes our appetite a little bit stronger, and gets us hungrier to go forward and push the football team and win football games.

“Finish is something you’re going to preach in everything you do, whether it be a set in the weight room, a mental rep through a walk-through, and of course in practice. Finishing is a mentality. Finishing is a way of life, and a way you complete. Everything, schoolwork, football. It’s something you harp upon and preach all the time. We’re getting closer to it. We just have to go do it.”

The rush defense looks like it has taken big steps up from last year. What has been the reason?

“I think a couple of things. We finally have a weight room. This is the first time in the time we’ve been here that we’ve worked out a full offseason with a weight room. Being able to work out our bodies. Second of all, I think our players commit have themselves to being better football players. And Coach Collins, our defensive coordinator, has done a great job of coaching those guys up.”

When you see Maryland giving up eight sacks, is there anything you can take from that?

“Maryland is a very talented football team, and in everything we’ve seen on film so far, they’re very big and they’re very physical. They can run the ball and they have a very athletic quarterback. When he gets hot, he’s really hard to stop. Them giving up those sacks against West Virginia isn’t something you look at and say, ‘Wow, they’re not performing well.’ They are. They’re a good football team and they have performed well. The couple of mistakes weren’t attributed fully to the offensive line. And they’re very correctable. It’s similar to what we had in Game 1. We expect a high-caliber, very explosive Maryland football team.”

Comments

[FIU Fanatic]

Very good and timely post. Thanks for the info, Adam.

[chiaPanther]

Great stuff... and for the first time in a long time MC didnt make a head scratcher comment.... this by far is the best comments of his tenure..

Is it saturday yet!

[roary]

MD does not have the TAMU offense. lets get them panthers, jOBU said so.

[FIU FIU FIU FIU]

Pres. Rosenberg talks FIU Sports on Pete's blog:

http://fiusports.typepad.com/the-prowl/

[PantherFan]

FIU/Maryland watch party and free chicken wings on Saturday at The S Bar:

http://fiusports.typepad.com/the-prowl/

[goldenpanther99]

So obvious Mario is not cluesless when it comes to x’s and o’s, glad he has got good coordinators around him…hope he doesn’t start feeling himself and decide to make personal decisions again

[kevinhall]

Wes Carroll doesn't have it..add him to the list of Harris and Henne..

[FIUFan]

Anybody see Reality? oh Reality...where are you?

I guess it's time for your own REALITY CHECK!

LOL!

[FIU footballer]

Apparently, Maryland O is hurting, according to Pete:

http://fiusports.typepad.com/the-prowl/

[Reality]

FIUFAN

Last I checked FIU is 0-2..Are you looking for a moral victory as usual?

Maryland 28
FIU 6

0-3

[josh]

New Football Commit:

QB/Ath Dylan Warner out of McArthur HS in Oklahoma. Will compete with Cato for the second/third string spot next year. FIU making inroads in Big 12 country, not bad.

[goldenpanther99]

Josh

Colt Anderson came from Nebraska, Mario sold us on him being a big time QB from Big 12 country, so let's take the wait and see approach..

[FIU Fanatic]

Good recruit...an athlete that also plays safety, punts, and return punts and kickoff. Welcome to FIU family, Dylan!

[josh]

golden panther,

I agree, I'm not calling him the next qb here, I still think if cato can duplicate what godfrey is doing at UCF, then we have a steal there in him. Warner is a multi-dimensional athlete and more likely than not he will be utilized as a safety. We still have Medlock here as well.

[josh]

by me saying "next qb" i meant i'm not calling him the definite future, although he will be given every opportunity there first prior to switching to safety. Too much athleticism to keep at QB.

[FIUFan]

Reality...what I'm looking for is for you to admit your an idiot and don't know what the he!! your talking about. Can I at least get that admission from you?

[Reality]

I know this FIU team is winless...am I wrong?..you are the idiot if you think they have some how won a game this year ..who have they beaten..0-3 after Saturday..no offense..

[FIUFan]

Didn't you call for a BLOWOUT against Texas A&M? I love the revisionist history you practice. Get Lost.