Everything Bill O'Brien Said During Tuesday's Press Conference

"Yeah. All these games are close. We have to play 60 minutes. These guys practice hard, they put a lot into it. They're close games. We've come out on the wrong side of them a few times lately, so that's one of the things we're definitely emphasizing. Playing one play at a time for the 60 minutes."

On the BC-Syracuse rivalry and what it meant in the 80's & 90's

"It's a great rivalry, which is what college football is all about, these regional rivalries. With conference expansion it's kind of changed it a lot, but there's still these regional rivalries. Syracuse is a hell of a team. They're 6-2. Coach Brown does a great job there. They're on a path...they obviously qualified for a bowl, so they're on a path to having a very good season. We know it's going to be a very challenging game, but the rivalry...I've been involved with Georgia-Georgia Tech, Auburn-Alabama, Duke-North Carolina...I've been involved with a lot of rivalries. Maryland-Virginia and this is one of those types of games. It's just two tough football teams going against each other."

On if a 2nd bye week close to the previous one is treated differently or there's still a lot of self assessment

"Definitely self assess. Definitely take a look at the self scout, see what we can do better individually, unit wise, team wise, and then obviously start to prepare for Syracuse on Sunday. But, last week was all about BC and trying to get better and trying to get some guys healed up. That's another thing, is trying to get some guys back healthy ready to go. I think it's been a good few, couple of weeks here. We've just got to finish this week strong and be ready to go on Saturday."

On what it's like prepping for a QB (McCord) who throws 60 times per game

"Yeah he's good, he's good. McCord's very smart, very accurate, stands in there and delivers the ball. He's one of the reasons why they're 6-2. A lot of good players on their team. Good running backs, good wide receivers, good tight ends and he runs the show back there. He's done a really good job."

On if he's reminded guys that while losing games, they've been close to going the other way

"Yeah. It's one play here, it's one play there, it's momentum, it's not riding the wave and understand that we have to answer some drives. If the opposing team's offense goes down and scores, we need to answer that with a score. We can't let it snowball. We have to play better field position. Obviously, we've talked about punting incessantly this year. We've got to punt better. There's a lot of those things we can do better. But, these kids fight. They're fighting. There's no quit. There's no lack of effort. No loafs. There's not anything like that. It's just, when the plays are there to be made, they need to make the play and play 60 minutes."

On 'Cuse having 4 receivers with 35 or more catches

"Very tough. Very athletic. Very good. All of them are good. Pena does a great job. Great rout-runners. Good hands. We've got a challenge. We've got to play one play at a time. They're going to make plays...we have to do a good job of tackling. We have to be sound fundamentally. We've gotta communicate well. They do a lot on offense. So, they're a very versatile offense. We just have to have great communication."

On Kam Arnold's status

"He's doing okay. It's day-to-day, I would say later in the week we'd know more."

On the team's health in general

"Okay. Yeah, okay....you know, I think one of the things - on that note - this '105 Rule,' (rosters) going to 105, I think that's a brutal decision for college football. I think that's terrible. I think that eliminates walk-on's that are heart-and-soul players. It really tests your ability to deal with injuries. If you're at 105 and you have 20 guys that are banged up in November...15-20 guys that are banged up, you do the math on that. It's hard to practice. I think it just takes opportunities away from some great kids. That'll be next year (105), but...that's just my opinion. Hopefully, maybe the powers that be...I heard Coach George O'Leary - who was one of my mentors I worked for for eight, nine years - he talked about having a commissioner for football. I think that's a good idea. Having an unbelievable retired football coach be the commissioner that helps make the rules because the 105 roster limit, I think it's awful for college football. That's just my opinion."

On if the 105 rule hurts recruiting

"Our recruiting is going well. I would tell you...I can't talk specifically on it, but I really like the way we recruit. I like this staff and the way they recruit. I like the guys that are committed to us. Clearly, they have to sign on the dotted line before we have them, but. very happy with recruiting. I don't think it effects it that much, it's more about...there's a lot of guys, like when I was at Penn Sate, the walk-on's were the heart-and-soul of the program. Then, here, the walk-on's are heart-and-soul players. Joe Marinaro is a walk-on. He's a captain. We gave him a scholarship this year, but he's a walk-on. Heart-and-soul player whose dad played here. There's going to be less and less of those with 105. Why not give kids that want to play that can get into school here, potentially sons of guys that played here, why not give them a chance to come out and play some football? To me, I think you have to think about having a practice squad. So, when you do suffer...every year is different, you do suffer a lot of injuries...to me, you should be able to replenish your 105 with the practice squad. The 'JV' team so to speak, like similar to freshman football or Ivy League JV teams back in the day. That's just my two cents. I'll probably get in trouble, but it is what it is."

On if the 'SAM' linebacker has been phased out of college football

"I think there's a couple ways to look at that. I don't think it's been phased out because you look at guys like Q Hutchins for us...he's somewhat of a SAM linebacker. He can play a 3-4 SAM. He can play a 4-3 defensive end and he can play at the second level off the ball as. SAM linebacker inn a 4-3 SAM. So, I don't think it's been phased out, but it's a more versatile player now. Back in the day, you look at some of the guys that played on some of the great defenses over the years...Carl Banks and Lawrence Taylor. They were outside linebackers that became defensive ends in four-down schemes. Willie McGinest. Mike Vrabel. They were outside linebackers that became defensive ends in four-down schemes and things like that. It's similar to that, it's just more versatility."

On being 4-4 & the mindset he wants the team to have the final four games

"Attack. Attack. These guys are in a great frame of mind. They showed up to practice last week, this week, great bunch of kids. Like I've always said, I love coaching them. We're close. I realize close doesn't count. But, we're making progress. I think these guys put a lot into it. So, we want to go out there and do the best we can, play as hard as we can and see what happens on Saturday."

On what the team has tried to hone in on the last two weeks

"I think we looked at ourselves last week and tried to improve in different areas. Whether it was obviously punting, passing game, stopping the run, different things we could do to help the players out as coaches. Different things the players could do to help themselves get better individually and as a unit. This week, starting Sunday it was all about Syracuse and getting ready for a very, very good Syracuse team."