Nebraska-Colorado Quotes
November 28, 2009 | Football
Colorado Head Coach Dan Hawkins
On His Postgame Speech to the Players
"First of all, I had to say goodbye to the seniors which is always sad. I am proud of everything that they have been through, and of what they have learned. They are all really good young men. I am excited to see what the future holds for them. For the others guys, I think that they figured out that they could play with anybody. We need to clean up a few things along the way, whether it be fumbles or sacks. They are not quitters, and they never quit. We just have to build a body of confidence in the offseason so that we can have an intensity coming out to start the season. I think it's one of those seasons where if you take away ten plays, you are probably a bowl team."
On the Running Game
"I think those guys are coming together a little bit. The O-line is growing up. I thought Coach Johnson and Coach Kiesau did a good job with our run game. Obviously, Speedy [Rodney Stewart] made some really good runs. We just have to clean a few things up in the off season, and I think we will. They have the confidence that they can do things, and we just have to do them at a higher level."
On Coming Back Next Year
"Mike Bohn and the Chancellor have been really good to me ever since I came here. I think they have a great perspective on the chore that this was. More than anybody, they have an understanding of all the little things that go into this deal. I am obviously very honored that they believe in me and us and in what we are doing. I think we are all on the same page, and want to win more games. We are looking at ways to do that, but we are also understanding our specific nature, and what has gone on, and what needs to go on."
On Improvements for Next Year
"We each have to cinch it up a little bit. In my way of thinking, and I think that is the same with the Chancellor and the A.D., this place was burned to the ground, so your efforts to heal and build are broad based and there are many spokes in that wheel. I think those are the things that we focused on. I think we have to hang in there together. For those who are disappointed, just call Mike Bohn and say, 'What can I do to help?' And then, jump in and help. Whether it's a team, or a university, when everyone rows in the same direction, good things usually happen."
On Goals of the Program
"Obviously we want to win football games and we want to beat our rivals. We want to be in bowl games and win those games. We want to graduate our guys and keep them out of trouble, so they can represent the university in a first class manner."
On Next Season
"I think these guys just have to take the lessons they have learned a little bit and have the young guys that set out this year, and get them injected into it. I think we have some good recruits coming, we just have to continue to build that whole formula."
"Clearly, we didn't win as many games as we would like. I was not disappointed in their effort or their attitude. But clearly, you want to win more games."
On This Season
"I think if you look at the situation, you always want to win more games. We beat a few ranked teams, we battled some teams, and those guys are showing it right there, but we just have to turn the corner. That's the key."
On Nebraska's Last Scoring Drive
"You have to go back to that whole momentum category. I think our defense played so well most of the game. But, I think it's tough when you don't answer on offense, and you lose a little momentum there. They got their horns out and rolled on us a little bit."
Nebraska Head Coach Bo Pelini
General
"Yeah, that was big. We had an interception for a touchdown. We didn't play well today. I'm disappointed in our effort and how we played. I'm happy we won the football game; anytime you win on the road, that's great. I don't like the way our football team played in any phase of the game. We played well on special teams and that's about it."
"I thought the focus was fine, it's just the execution. We didn't execute. You guys saw it; that was not our best football. There's a lot more out there for us, for this football team to do together. I'm happy we won the football game. I thought we took a step back today."
"You've got to execute, you've got to tackle well, and we didn't do that today."
On Team's First Half Play
"I don't think we played good football from start to finish. I don't like the way we played, I don't like the execution. We have got to get better as a football team."
On Niles Paul's Punt Return Touchdown
"That's just an individual guy making a play. We were in punt block [formation], so that's just a guy making a play."
On Play of Rex Burkhead
"I thought Rex Burkhead played outstanding football. He ran hard. That's just who he is. I'm proud of him."
On Heading to Big 12 Championship
"9-3 is great. We have to focus on getting better this week. We have to be ready for Texas."
"We've got to play better than we did. I don't like the way we played today. We didn't execute, we didn't play well. I'm not happy with it, the team's not happy with it. It's a win, that's great. Believe me, trust me, a win is great. But I believe we are a lot more capable."
"We've got to get ready this week. We don't need to be ready now; we have to be ready in Dallas."
"We did that last week [clinch Big 12 North]. We used this week to get better as a football team, and I don't think we did that. We won the football game, that's great, but I have higher standards than what I saw on the field today
On Colorado's Final Touchdown
"It's just a culmination of how we played all day. That's how we played all day. We played sloppy football. We didn't play to our standards in what we showed out there for four quarters today."
On Team Overlooking Colorado
"I hope not. You can't look past anybody. We were a couple missed field goals away from losing the football game. We're a lot better than what we showed out there today."
On End of Game Discussion With Referee
"That's between me and the referee. I won't discuss that with the media."
On Play of Defense
"Well, like I said, in a lot of phases we did some good things. But we played inconsistent, sloppy football. I don't think defensively we played well, I don't think offensively we played well. But I thought we played well on special teams."
Colorado Players
FB Jake Behrens
ON TOUCHDOWN RECEPTION-"It was great. We got down there, and I got my play called, and I got pretty excited. I ended up being open and Tyler [Hansen] put it on me. It was pretty exciting, especially being my first touchdown of the year. I will remember that forever."
ON DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWN AND PUNT RETURN-"It was a lot closer than it looked. We had a lot of missed opportunities out there. It's going to be hard looking back, even though everybody played hard. We played through the mistakes. No one ever gave up and we played until there were zero seconds left on the clock."
ON INABILITY TO FINSIH DRIVES-"It was tough. Penalties killed us; they have been killing us all year. It's just stupid stuff. It's not them doing anything special, we just shoot ourselves in the foot. The good news is, we have talent, and these guys can turn that around."
CB Cha'pelle Brown
ON CU CAREER-"I have just enjoyed the whole thing. We competed and when I came in, in my recruiting class, they told me I was not going to play. 'You are too little.' I just went after it. I just enjoy playing every day; going out there and having fun. That is what I do, I just compete, and I have fun."
ON GOOD PERFORMANCE TONIGHT-"The thing about it is, Coach [Hawkins] tells you sometimes, that this might be your last game. And truly, this might be my last game. I was going to go out there, have fun, make plays, and be remembered when I am gone. So that is the only thing I tried to do when I went out there and played today."
ON NEXT YEAR-"The biggest thing for them coming out next year, is to just not listen to what is going on, and to just play, and try to stay together as a team. If you play for your family and your team, you are going to get somewhere. So they just have to go out there and show they can do it, and get it done."
LB Marcus Burton
ON THE SEASON-"It was definitely tough. There was a learning curve for a lot of guys. There were a lot of young guys playing. But there is no excuse that we didn't get out there and win games. Hopefully next year is different."
ON NEBRASKA'S 6:52 MINUTE DRIVE-"That is their game plan. They keep running and running until the defense wears. Then, they start to hit gaps. Guys start getting out of their assignment. They did a good job with that offensively."
ON NEXT YEAR-"I think there is going to be some exciting football played here. We have a lot of talent, and a lot of depth. Hopefully the W's start coming in, and I think they will."
DT Taj Kaynor
ON PLAYING FOR COLORADO-"Ever since I was young, being a Buff was one of my dreams. To be able to do that, was really great. I put a lot of pride and hard work into my stay here. It's really hard to see it go."
ON NEBRASKA RIVALRY-"This rivalry is big. For example, the season we had was a rough one, there were a lot of miscues, but you saw in the stadium, there were still so many people there. It's a very big deal, and I just wish we could have giving a better showing. If we could have played a little differently, I think the outcome would have been different."
LB B.J. Beatty
ON NEBRASKA'S KEY PLAYS-"Like Coach Collins always tells us, 'We have a small margin of error.' You go back and look at the game, and it could have been three or four plays. We couldn't get them on the punt or the interception. It just comes to here and there, and it's the little things that killed us."
ON NEBRASKA'S 6:52 MINUTE DRIVE-"They dug in, and did a good job on offense. They really came after it, and got after the ball. Just like Coach Collins was saying throughout the week, 'If you don't get in your gap, or do your assignment, they are going to bust it for a gain.'"
ON UPCOMING SENIOR YEAR-"We try to start that today. It's just too bad we couldn't get this win. Starting Monday, we are going to have to take advantage of working out and using the time we have off to improve."
QB Tyler Hansen
ON NEBRASKA RIVALRY-"This is the first time since I have been here that I truly feel like a Buff. Coming in here, I didn't really know about the Buff tradition, but after this week, I learned this is what Colorado is about. I can really get going. I don't know why it took so long, I just got goose bumps. It was unbelievable."
Nebraska Players
QB Zac Lee
ON HIS INJURED ANKLE-"I just got twisted up on, I had a few bodies laying on top of me and I went a different direction."
ON OVERALL PERFORMANCE-"I don't think we will ever be upset with a win, especially on the road at a place like this. It just wasn't our best football in any phase of the game. We have some room to get better, we just have to keep improving."
ON THEIR FOURTH QUARTER RUSHING ATTACK-"The big guys did a great job on that drive. Roy (Helu Jr.) and Rex (Burkhead) did a great job running the ball and holding on to it. They did a phenomenal job running the ball and holding onto it at that point. Then Niles (Paul) came up with a big catch on that third down when we needed to convert to keep going."
ON RB REX BURKHEAD-"We always knew the type of player Rex is, he gives us great versatility and gave us a chance to rest Roy and keep him fresh. Rex is a heck of a runner."
DT Ndamukong Suh
ON TEAM EFFORT-"I felt like it was an average effort, there were times when we had great effort. We were getting three-and-outs and everything but there was a point when they were moving the ball. There were simple things that we should have covered, we should have batted down some balls-we just didn't make plays."
ON BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME-"I don't think (the effort) should be a problem. We will go look at film and get ready for Texas. We are still a great team, especially a great offense and a great defense. Our special teams have picked up, obviously they scored a touchdown today. We're all going to pick each other up and keep working as we go."
ON PRESSURING CU QB TYLER HANSEN-"He's an elusive quarterback and he helps his offensive line when someone does get back there. He does his thing, and we talked about that. He's a bit more elusive than other quarterbacks that we have seen. We still got back there, we just needed to make sure we got good shots on him."
ON COLORADO'S OFFENSIVE PERSONEL-"I really don't think they can exploit us. I think we have great talent, whatever we have to play: base, nickel or dime. No matter what you're going to throw at us, we're going to have great people to come out here and play against any formation. They had some shifting out there that forced us out of some calls and into some calls that maybe we didn't want to be in, but we could handle it. Any call that we're in, in this defense, as long as we're on the same page we will be in the right spot to make the play."
RB Rex Burkhead
ON HIS PERFORMANCE- "When the offensive line is doing such a great job up front, it makes it a lot easier for me."
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAYING LAST WEEK- "It was real important to be able to get back on the field and get comfortable again."
ON NEBRASKA'S 4TH QUARTER SCORING DRIVE- "It was a confidence booster for the coaches to keep calling my number. They had confidence in me to keep the drive alive."
WR Niles Paul
ON HIS PUNT RETURN TOUCHDOWN- "I had to set up their guys and they did what I thought they were going to do. Our defense blocked great for me and allowed me to score. We've always felt we were a block or two from breaking one, and we finally got one today."
ON TEXAS NEXT WEEK- "We're not ready yet, but we'll start working tomorrow and get ready."
ON SPECIAL TEAMS- "Our coaches always stress special teams. Special teams is probably one of the most important parts of the game. We have won most of our games because of our special teams performers."
ON HAVING NINE WINS- "It's a great thing, but there are two more games left and we cannot wait to play those."
ON THE WIN- "We're pleased we won, but we did not play our best game. We made mistakes and left plays out there."
CB Dejon Gomes
GENERAL- "I feel we played ok. There were a lot of mistakes we need to correct, then we have to go prepare for Texas."
ON HIS INTERCEPTION- "My guy ran an end route, we got pressure on them and their quarterback threw a bad pass."
LB Phillip Dillard
ON COLORADO'S OFFENSE- "Our film showed they used a lot of different formations, 30 different formations, so we adjusted to it on the sideline, played our roles and took it from there."
ON PLAYING TEXAS- "I think we're ready. We have a good, long week to get ready. We will need to get them off the field early. It wouldn't be fun if it wasn't a challenge. We have to come in with high intensity, but can't make mistakes."
ON THE FANS- "The fans have been great, it really hasn't felt like we've played a road game yet. They cheer us on whether we're ahead or behind. We feed off their energy."
S Matt O'Hanlon
GENERAL- "We didn't play our best today. There is a lot we have to improve on, but we have some time. There is a great task ahead of us. Defensively, we left a lot of receivers open."
ON SCORING IN ALL THREE PHASES- "We had guys step up. The defense had three picks. Anytime you score in three different phases, it obviously helps you out."
PK Alex Henery
ON IMPACT OF PUNTING- "I was pretty happy. I felt like I was hitting the ball really well today. I don't know the numbers yet, but I was pretty happy."
