Colorado-Stanford Quotes
vs
Houston
Sep 12 (Fri)
5:30 PM
Colorado Head Coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders
Opening Statements
"The opposition came back and played a heck of a game in the second quarter. They went on to get the victory. I'm truly upset, I'm truly disturbed. I'm gonna try my best to stay composed and do the best of my ability to handle this press conference because you deserve my best. We started out the game wonderfully and finally put it together in the first half like I desired, like we desired, like our players desired, and the fans. Wonderful first half. I believe the score was 29-0, am I correct? You surrender three touchdowns un answered or close to it, which I can't fathom right now. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. Then this thing just kept going. At halftime I talked to them about the old cliche people say how it's 0-0 but that's not true, it's 29-0. I felt complacency going into the second half because we stalled offensively. We come back out and here comes the complacency. I can't stand how in the world that happens to us but it did. We didn't turn it back on until late in the fourth quarter, when we were able to go down and get a score. Then they tied it up and we got to go to overtime, and you don't want to go in overtime because they have nothing to lose. I was surprised they went for the field goal the first time. I thought they were just gonna go for two and try their best to get it over with. But they were resilient. Big win by them, horrible loss by us."
On what you were seeing with the matchup between Travis Hunter and Elic Ayomanor-
"We didn't play well, not just Travis. I think it all started when we gave up the 97-yard touchdown. That was just flat out ridiculous. That's when it all started. That's when all the foolishness, all the complacency started. Our secondary did not play the best game, especially at the cornerback position."
On if you feel there were communication errors with substitutions-
"You have so many different packages that you run and so many different personnel, but you got to understand, we're basing our change of personnel on what they're changing. That kind of happens when they have different personnel groups in which the referee is holding the game up so we get a chance to substitute as well. What was happening is one guy was coming off the field appropriately, and he saw something and he stopped. So that gives us 12. It was things like that that were transpiring which we can't even wrap our head around because we practice this stuff repeatedly."
On pointing fingers-
"Well, if you're going to point the finger, point it at me. If I'm allowing it, it should be on me not him. We go over this stuff and there are times where you know what group is in but you have a lapse of understanding in those crucial moments. Right now, we're not built for the moment. We're not built for the moment. Some of our players aren't built for the moment where they have to make a play. We're not built for the moment right now."
On what has led to the amount of how many of you guys have been accumulating-
"Not being smart. Not being disciplined. Not understanding the moment. That's what that is."
On Woods playing a little closer to the line of scrimmage was a specific game plan for Stanford-
"I love him in that role. I really do. We have some good safeties and Trevor is a team guy that is gonna do whatever he needs to do to help his team. I think he played well. I haven't watched the film yet. But thank God, he's willing to sacrifice what he's accustomed to doing, to help us improve ourselves."
On Travis and his conditioning-
"His conditioning is great. There were some plays he made and some plays he didn't. Just so happens, the plays that he didn't make at the end are magnified. But the plays he made kept us in the game.”
On if there was maybe a miscommunication on that interception at the end of the game
"Yeah, first of all, he should never have thrown the ball. He should have never thrown the ball. I don't know if they played it on replay. I want to see it because I know what happened. Something else transpired on that play. That shouldn't have happened. Just give us another down and let's kick the field goal."
On the kickoff issues
“I don't think we had that problem today. The kickoff that we did have that went out of bounds, was going to be marked at the 20 regardless, so it was a moot point. Other than that, I think that (K) Jace (Feely) did a great job on kickoffs today. We improved in that area today.”
On the decision for the offense to take the field first during overtime
“We have a really good quarterback and I trust him, that's why, and we went right down there and scored.”
On if this upcoming week is a good week for a bye
“No, it’s not a good time for a bye week. If you’re having problems where you're injured and you have quite a few injuries, it’s a good time for a bye week, but when you’re playing like you’re playing, you don't want to bye week, you want to work it out, you want to make it happen. I wish we could play again next week, I really do.”
On the complacency of the offense
“Yes, you're right. Not only did you talk about it, but you said it.”
On whether ILB Juwan Mitchell is still on the team and if he is injured
“Ask him what happened.”
On how this team can go forward after this loss
“You have no choice but to go forward, that’s life. This isn’t the only thing that's going on in life. All of you guys are dealing with something, you’re still moving, you’re still progressing, you’re still going forward. We’ve got to do the same darn thing. We didn't expect that. A lot of things that go on in life are unexpected and this was one of them. We’ve got to knuckle up and let’s go. We can’t sit down and have a pity party. You all don't feel bad for us, you're all ecstatic about what transpired today and I know that, but that's cool. We're gonna take this one like a champ because we deserve it. 29, I've never been in one of these, I don't remember, from youth on I don’t remember being up 29 nothing and losing a football game, I really don't. This is a little tough for me and I'm trying my best and I thank you all for your patience and thank you for your heart because this is really tough for me, but you can see when I'm amping up and I kind of see this stuff coming, you can see why I go at it like I go at it because I could feel my team. I could feel what's about to transpire and here we go.”
On how important the next two days are
“What I just said in the locker room to the team is they’ve got to make up their mind, are they in love with this game or are they in like with it, because when you love something, you give to it unconditionally. You give everything you’ve got to, but when you like it, that’s just the button you push. You like something, that's what they do on social media, so we’ve got to figure out do they love it or do they like it and it's hard for me because I love this. I love it. Without a shadow of a doubt, I am truly 100% in love with this thing and I just want people to match me. Just match my passion, match my heart, match my love, match my consistency, just match my mannerisms, just match every darn thing I give to this game. I love this game. Sadly, I love it so much but the game doesn’t even occupy the ability to love you back. That's a strange love isn’t it?”
On what improvements will be made in the secondary
“Well, you always look at personnel but it is what it is. It is what it is, so that was hard to look at. Defensive backs need to play to make a play or play to stop a play from being made. I like the guys who play to make a play, I really do. We’ve got to get to that point.”
Colorado Players
Shedeur Sanders, Jr, QB
Initial thoughts after this loss:“I feel that with any loss you don't really take it that good. I don't think there are good losses. I feel like our loss feels the same.
On Deion’s message to the locker room:
“I'm not going to lie. I don't really remember because I'll just show a different mindset that you got to get in when you know you are playing four quarters. So, they are just like staying focused, staying in that mode, and carrying that throughout the game.”
On the mindset of the offense in the second half:
“Well, I am not sure I just executed the plays that were called. I didn't really look at it in a big grand scheme of things.”
On the last play and what he saw when he made the interception:
“That was just a dumb play. I just threw it up.”
On what it is like to play with Travis Hunter again:
“It was good. He is an explosive a player and it’s good to have him back out there. We got to work and do some plays and stuff with him to make sure he's always in the right spot. But when the ball gets in his hand, he's explosive.”
How to keep pushing after this tough loss:
“I am not even thinking that far yet. I got to at least feel this first.”
On if Shedeur felt he lost momentum on the sack on the first drive:
“No, it was never loss of momentum. We just got to understand that you can't be too high, you can't be too low., you got to always stay levelheaded with everything. That was the biggest thing. We never had that feeling of dominating in the first half. So then, that's when a lot of people you'll see peak too fast, To everybody don't really understand, we got to be the same way, same approach, same everything. There's a difference with saying that, and there is different from meaning and going about it. Slow starts just always happen when just one or two people mess up on a play.”
On what disappeared for the offense in the second half:
“Attention to detail. That’s it.”
On how it was frustrating that offense could not help the defense:
“It was frustrating, like I say, one or two players away from hitting explosive plays from doing the right things each drive we had. So, when we look at the film and what I noticed on the field is that all players got to do their job and that's it. Because it's the stuff going to catch up when it catches up and today.”
On what he is going to say to the haters:
“I don't really think that's a focus point for me at all. I'm mainly focused on the team and focus on what we need to improve on. The people are going to hate you and love you, so you got to understand is that you can't be happy when everything's good and sound anything's bad, you got to be the same person regardless. So, that's basically where I'll just stay and how I live my life. It’s just levelheaded throughout the whole game, staying the same way, not getting too up not getting too down. Because as you've seen things go left quick and today is a moment to show that live in person.”
On how to move on from a game like this:
“We got to accept this one first. It's a different level of focus, attitude, and level of seriousness. This is because the trivial things like when we scored touchdowns, we still busted routes and we just can't afford to do that. Because it is going to catch up when it catches up. So that's the main thing. I understand when one guy is busting routes, when I'm not making the right read with the ball in my hand, or doing the right thing. There has to be punishment for you to grow from it and not keep making the same mistakes.”
On if there is the separation from people who like and love the game:
“I'm not going point fingers, that's not what I'm here for. I let the coaches do as that's what they're here for . They're here to guide us. So, I can't really say that I will throw a teammate under the bus because that's not the type of player I am. The guys know that know, know. And that’s it, but I'll never put a teammate down and say he's not fully in if he probably is.”
On if there is a vibe for some players who don’t love the game:
“Possibly. It could be that everywhere in a country. We possibly can have it too. So that's not up for me to decide. I'm just out to decide to make the right reads when games get the ball in my hands and just push the team.”
Stanford Head Coach Troy Taylor
On what he said at halftime that changed the scope of the game
“Nothing that I said at halftime changed anything, though, I’ll give you the message, it was that we didn't play very well in the first half but then wait to see how you compete in the second half - and that was that, they went out and got it done.”
When asked if sticking with one quarterback brought a rhythm to the game
“Yeah, Justin came in and had some big plays. It was good. It was huge. He stayed in it and still contributed. But yeah, you know, Ash got hot obviously, and you know, confidence is so much of this game and so much of life, so when you start believing in yourself, amazing things happen. So we saw how Elic Ayomanor really discovered that he can be a great player at this level, and we knew it all along. It's most important for the individual and he was pretty spectacular.”
On how big of a win this is for the program
“I mean, I'm really happy for our guys, they’ve been through a lot. Early in the year, we had a couple of tough games and we had a couple of losses where we could have won easily. I was really worried about how demoralized it gets, so I spent a lot of time meeting and talking with them, but after about three or four weeks, I realized that these guys are never going to quit. They're never going to stop preparing and competing. You know, we talked about how close we were to winning games. So I think to answer your question, yeah, it's a big win. However, we're mindful of moving on to the next game. We'll enjoy this one, they're all big games, but, it's a special game for these guys to be down 29-0 against a really good football team and to just not quit and continue to make plays. Colorado went right down and scored when we closed it and we came back and scored, the overtime periods easily, easily guys could have kind of given up a little bit, but they have never done that since I've been here and just really proud. I tell them they inspire me. This is an inspiring group - young men that I've never been around this quality of a group of men that just give everything they got regardless of what they're going against.”
On what Elic Ayomanor brought to the team
“He’s always had a lot of ability - he just overcame a late injury that he lost last season, but we saw him in the summer and he continued to get better. Once the knee brace came off, he continued to play faster and made some good plays during the year. You just really saw his confidence come alive after that first touchdown. The thing that people aren’t going to remember is that he had a 70 yarder in his hands, and a lot of people could go into the tank and that would be it - but he didn’t do that. We had a brief conversation afterwards and he responded. I could see it in his eyes that he was totally engaged and ready to continue to compete. He put together a really epic performance.”
On what they were able to do defensively & sacks on Shedeur Sanders
“Yeah, well, he’s a hard guy to get on the ground. There were times where we had shots at him and opportunities, but he’s a magician. He gets out of it, he makes plays, it can be really frustrating. I’ve watched all of his games, you know, at some respect, and just how tough he is and how resilient he is while bringing his team back consistently over and over again. We knew it would take four quarters, but it ended up taking a lot more than four quarters. Our defensive staff did a great job, and the players obviously stepped up, the big interception at the end of the game was incredible.”
On offense and what changed in the second half
“We made some big plays. You know, they were playing a lot of man coverage, which we expected coming in. We thought they would play. They've been playing more man coverage as the near the end of the last few games, and they've been successful and they have talented athletes, and so they did a good job. We just didn't create much space at the wide receiver in the first half. We were winning the one on one matchups and we had a total turnaround. In the second half, we won those matchups, created big plays and then once you get it rolling, you got an opportunity to score some points, which we did.”
On Ashton Daniel’s performance
“He was great, and it's great because he wasn't perfect, but he continued again, that resiliency word that I kept bringing up. He would make plays when he needed to. And it's a man, it's a long game and you have to be able to just play through the ups and downs - they're always going to happen. We had a lot of downs in the first half that we were able to turn around and a big part of it was just, you know, his focus, even when he would miss a pass or miss a read and I would talk to him about it - he would say ‘I got you coach, I got you.’ I could tell that he was seeing it well and he was confident in his teammates, and that was the big difference in the game.”
On if the program needed a win like this to keep the fan base going
“Yeah, I mean, you know, when you put so much into it, everybody wants to win, right? I think it's great for everybody. We're very connected with the university and Stanford in terms of the alumni and all those things and the people involved - they care so much about Stanford athletics and Stanford football. So, absolutely, it's a great win for Stanford University and our alumni because we have a great alumni and we want to make them proud and, you know, we're gonna get it done here - there's no question. I think we got a chance to see a little bit of what we can do here. We have a long way to go, there's no question about that. The things that are really important: the resolve, the tenacity, the courage, the willingness, and the need to be great at something we have, we have all that now. We just have to continue to improve and get better.”
Stanford Players
Ashton Daniels, So., QB
On Kick going through –
“We put in so much hard work during the offseason and the season, and it's finally paid off. We've had a few chances in the past couple of games but haven't finished yet. And we did tonight, and now that we know what we can do and are capable of, I'm really looking forward to the rest of the season.”
On WR Elic Ayomanor –
“I think it was long overdue. Elic has been through a lot since he got here. He went through ACL surgery and all that kind of stuff. I haven't seen anyone work as hard as he has. And I'm glad to see that it's starting to pay off. I knew I meant I could count on him. I told him earlier. When I missed that post, I told him I came back to him and said, we're going to keep coming to you. Just be ready, flush it. And let's work, and he did. And I'm extremely proud of him. And I know I have an extremely reliable guy I can count on.”
On Half-time Conversation –
“I think we knew that that we were right there. We were driving the ball. We just couldn't finish in the endzone. And we knew that we weren't putting points on the board like we should be. And then, coming out, we just knew that we just had to stick to what we know and do. And it'll end up falling our way. A couple of guys, you know, gave some speeches in the locker room and fired us up. And I think we came out with a lot of energy. I'd like to see us play like that from the jump, but I'm extremely proud of how resilient we were in how we came out firing away, and we never stopped fighting until the very end.”
On Overtime Plays –
From the jump one out to Coach Taylor's principles is just at the quarterback position. If we give our receivers a chance, they're going to go up and make plays we have extremely talented guys that, no matter how crazy the catches, I trust him and that they're going to go up and make the plays. I saw Elic on one in the boundary, and I knew the safety when getting over the top. So I just thought, why not like we just give him a chance, and he went up and made probably the craziest play I've seen or been a part of.”
Elic Ayomanor, So., WR
On Record-Setting Performance –“I was never thinking about the past stats or what the future stats would be. I think I was just trying to take it play-by-play. And I think I realized I need to get in a lot better shape as the game goes on. I'm like really like huffing and puffing. I'm on the oxygen, really trying to like I had to really push through it and like just to think about how Travis Hunter plays both sides of the ball like I really like can see like I have so much respect for him to see that he does every game.”
On the kick going through –
It shows a lot of resilience from Josh Karty as well. Missing the field goal earlier in the game, then coming back when the game is on the line and hitting straight to the pipes. That shows a lot of resilience from him and then not only him but the rest of the team.”
On Making Catches
“I think truthfully you're not thinking about it now. I think you're making plays like that you're really in the zone. The only thing you can think of is the second that you're in, and then when you get to the next second, you think about that second, and I don't think I was ever thinking about anything else that was the moment that I was in at that time.”
On Silencing the Crowd
“I think it's less about silencing the opposing crowd and more about winning with your teammates and your brothers. I think knowing that as a team, you all persevered until the end and kept fighting is a lot more satisfying than silencing the opposing team's crowd.”