Virginia wide receiver Warren Craft certainly was disappointed with the 37-20 loss to Richmond in his team’s season opener, but he was still pleased to play in his first ever regular season game in college.
Craft, who dons jersey No. 23, redshirted last season as a true freshman. The 6’2″, 195-pound wideout had two receptions for 16 yards in his debut. He also saw action on the punt, punt return, kick, kick return, and onside kick units.
In a postgame interview, the Roanoke native discussed several topics.
Taking the field for the first time as a Virginia Cavalier …
“Being out there just felt great, going out there being able to make plays. We didn’t get the result we wanted, but it felt good.”
Representing Roanoke in his first game at UVA …
“It was just a blessing. Pregame I saw a couple guys that came through here at UVA, guys like Shannon Taylor. He was in the stands. I got to see him. Jermaine Hardy, he came through here. I got to speak to him as well. Those are Roanoke guys. It was an honor and blessing to come out here and put on for my city.”
The messages from former Hoos Taylor and Hardy …
“They just told me to go out there, have fun, stay focused, and get the job done. It was good to have them talking to me, putting those things in my head.”
Catching his first pass …
“It was just a blessing just being out there with my teammates and they trust in me, throw me the ball, and being able to make a play.”
What improvements the receivers can make moving forward …
“Like Coach said, we just have to be more physical in the run game. That will open up the pass and we’ll be able to do both. Being more physical, being more effective with our route running, things like that.”
Assessing his own performance and what he can improve moving forward …
“I felt great getting the first game under my belt, about being out there with my teammates. I feel like I can just go out there and be more physical in the run game, so it opens up the whole field. Overall I feel like I did pretty well.”
QB Kurt Benkert’s presence in the huddle, especially as the game started to slip in the second half …
“He was just like, ‘We have to keep rolling regardless of the outcome, regardless of what the score says. We just have to keep fighting and keep pushing ‘til the end no matter what the clock says until it strikes zero zero.’”
Rebounding from the loss to Richmond …
“We’ve just got to come into practice next week ready to work, learn from our mistakes, watch the film, and just be ready for next week’s big game.”
“Every game’s not going to go like you want it. You just have to come out and stay positive.”
Doni Dowling’s injury (Dowling had a sling on his right arm and did not play in the second half) and leadership …
“I’m not sure what the injury was. I’ll have to get with coach on that one, but he’s just a positive influence regardless of if he’s in a sling or on the field. We heard from him all throughout the game. He just brought a positive impact to the team.”
