Missouri-Colorado Quotes
October 25, 2008 | Football
Colorado Head Coach Dan Hawkins
On his reaction to the loss:
"We got blistered. It was a good, good team. We got outplayed and outcoached in a big way. You always do [feel prepared], but at the same time we're kind of fragile in a sense. Certainly when they got up big early that hurt our confidence."
On the fumbled first-quarter punt:
"We were trying to get Tommy [Suazo] in there. He's been punting the ball well, and we were trying to give him a chance, but all those things add up. It's tough. They're a surgical team, they're going to get after you... so that's on me."
On whether he was pleased with any offensive players:
"Well, we got shut out... so I don't think anybody on offense had a great game. [Missouri] was just good. They were good up front and they got pressure on us, and we had a hard time protecting, so that was a lot of it. We had a hard time getting consistency running the football, and had a hard time protecting."
On whether Missouri ran up the score with a fourth-down touchdown:
"No, you know, they're playing. They're a high-octane group. I don't blame them for that at all. They're playing, and the other team's got to show up. I'm not like that at all."
On why Colorado did not attempt a field goal on a third quarter fourth-down:
"At that time, you need to go for it. We were trying to get some continuity, and get some things going and establish some things. At that point, it would have made it 38-3. You're not going to kick a field goal there... you've got to try to establish some stuff."
On the Missouri offense:
"They're great. They are. And I think the thing that obviously helped them was that they got back to running the football, and running the football well and that gave us some problems. Then Chase was his usual lights-out self, making little or no mistakes. They've been very electric for the last three years... all three years we've played them. They're a great football team."
On what his offense needs to do to improve:
"We've just got to keep going... and like I've said, everything starts up front with the running game and being able to protect. Get guys, make throws, catch them... it's all those things. We're up against great teams, and there are going to be more of them coming, so there's no rest for the weary. We've just got to keep going."
Missouri Head Coach Gary Pinkel
Opening Statement:
"I think my football team responded to the challenge of getting refocused and I'm very pleased with that. It's been a couple tough weeks. I have a bunch of great competitors, good kids. I thought overall it was a good win. All sides of the ball, the kicking game was sound. I'm pleased we got back in the winner circle. It's a fun business as long as you win football games."
On if the team had something to prove to the country:
"After our game last Saturday and two weeks in a row. Our whole thing as a staff was to go 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, forget about everything in the world except what we had to do to get our team finally focused, and that's what we did. We prepared like that, we played like that. I told our team there's a time for everybody when your pride gets hurt a little bit by how you play and you want to get that back. Senior leadership was good, you know we are always tested through adversity. That was our best focus as far as preparation and everything the entire year. That was better than anything we've done this year, and it would be wise if we do the same thing next week."
On the shutout victory:
"I think for our defense it was (big). They've been getting beat up a little bit. I think that was real important to them. We put our backups in for a while and I told Matty [defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus] once we got across the thirty-five to put the veterans in just to be able to do such. It's very special in this day and age, with all the points being scored across the county every Saturday afternoon. It's just very unusual to be able to and I'm real glad they got a chance to preserve that."
On Colorado not attempting a field goal in last few minutes:
"I think everybody has got to weigh that for what they want. I think his thing was that `heck we're going to score a touchdown it's ridiculous to score a field goal in a situation like this and I don't know if I would have done the same thing."
On the difference between today's win and the last two loses:
"I just felt the two previous games, you play at a high level of football because of how you think. Your intensity level, how crisp, how sharp and that allows you to play as good as you can play. We call that the final 48 hours and I thought that the last couple of weeks we got our rear-ends kicked in the last 48 hours and I think this week we were zoned in as a team that doesn't mean you're going to win those games either. Doesn't mean if we would have done that against Oklahoma State or Texas we would have won it. It mean you're going to play your best and have a chance to win."
Colorado Players
Senior FS Ryan Walters
ON THE SLOW START-"We came out flat right from the get-go and on the opposite side they came out very intensified and they wanted it more than we did and they just made more plays than us. Everything we watched on film, just like they did, and they just were executing and we weren't."
ON WHAT WENT WRONG-"I don't know, we're going to go back to the drawing board, we as a team have got to dig deep, but this is embarrassing. My mind's a little tired because of the loss and everything, but we've just got to sleep on it and come back tomorrow and look at the film."
ON MISSOURI'S EARLY MOMENTUM-"Obviously momentum is a big part of college football and they came out and scored in four plays and then we had the bobbled punt and then they scored again, so obviously the momentum was on their side from the jump."
Senior DT George Hypolite
ON THE GAME- "I'd have to watch the film, I don't want to take anything away from Missouri, they played a great football game, they put a lot of points on the board and they took advantage of the opportunity."
ON LOSING 58-0-"I've been beat worse than this, now mind you, the team that beat us worse than this was probably one of the best college football teams ever to play, but, we've been beat worse than this. I mean, it's not the end of the world, we've still got four games against four good opponents and we still have an opportunity to win all four games. So, you know, after tomorrow we'll watch the film, improve, flush it and then focus on Texas A&M."
Sophomore QB Cody Hawkins:
ON WHAT WENT WRONG- "Obviously a thing we need look at though today was there were a lot of plays that we could've made and there were some small breakdowns, so coaches are always going to try and take the blame because they care about us as players and as people but I really think it's an entire team, we didn't play."
ON MISSOURI-"We came in and we thought it would be a good stage to kind of go out and play, but we just couldn't get anything quick in and I give a lot of credit to Missouri though, I mean, they were the number three team in the country and they were playing on fire and then they hit a couple of bumps in the road, but you could definitely tell that on offense, defense, and special teams. They played with their hair on fire tonight, so you know credit those guys and we've just got to do a better job."
Senior QB Chase Daniel
ON THE ATMOSPHERE AND MINDSET OF PLAYERS THIS WEEK-"I think it started this whole week in practice. Our main focus was 5:30 this Saturday night. And it (Saturday) showed up and we played well. Going through our 48-hour preparation from Thursday night on, everything was so much more focused and it was a business-night atmosphere and we just knew `hey we have to and it's a game we have to win.' We wanted to go out there and try to make a statement."
ON PROVING SOMETHING TO THE COUNTRY-"I think we have to prove something to ourselves that we can bounce back...Get everything going and get everything right. We don't have practice tomorrow, so it's good to celebrate. It's a good feeling to get back to winning."
ON THE DEFENSE PROTECTING THE SHUTOUT-"It was awesome. Everyone was out there, everyone was yelling. So, we wanted the shutout definitely. Colorado's a great team. We have to give them credit. The stars tonight were definitely our defense. They are playing at a better level now, hopefully they can keep it going."
ON CHASE COFFMAN'S TOUCHDOWN CATCH-"We were working on that play for five or six weeks now. We finally got the call. It looked good in practice and a guy like [Coffman] just makes things work. It was a little Tim Tebow action. I try to be like him as much as I can."
Sophomore WR/KR/PR Jeremy Maclin
ON HAVING SOMETHING TO PROVE-"We just wanted it to be one of those statements we make. Our defense played well. We had something to prove to ourselves. It was more so us getting back on track. We wanted to prove to each other that we are there for each other. The season is not over."
ON GETTING CONFIDENCE BACK-"Like I said, it was definitely a game that we wanted to go out there and prove something. I think we are back on track."
Junior DL Jaron Baston
ON MOTIVATION FOR TONIGHT'S GAME-"We kept talking about what we wanted to do. We kept saying we wanted to do this and do that, we basically just got tired of it. I got the defense together before the game and said `Let's just have fun. No matter what happens, we're a family.'"
ON THE SHUTOUT-"I mean it's a great feeling. We were all on the sideline getting upset, it would have almost been like losing again [if let up shutout]."
ON THE DEFENSE REGROUPING FOR CU-"It was nothing big that we tried to do. It was basically stop the talking. Just have fun, enjoy the game and go out there and try to dominate the opponent. For the defense it was personal. We had to get our pride back."
Sophomore LB Derrick Washington
ON HAVING SOMETHING TO PROVE-"Yes I think we did after Texas and Oklahoma State beat us. I think everybody watched that game, and realized we were looking forward to being number one. But now, like we said before, we are focused on one game at a time."
ON HIS PERFORMANCE-"I think I played pretty well, but the line did a great job up front. I did my job."
ON HOW MUCH THE DEFENSE NEEDED THE SHUTOUT-"I thought we were going to be down, but we came out with great emotion. We were really excited for this game and it's the homecoming game. We got a packed stadium and the fans supported us."
