Colorado-UCLA Quotes
vs
Wyoming
Sep 20 (Sat)
8:15 p.m.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders
opening remarks
“Great game by the UCLA Bruins. I adore their head coach, tremendously. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. He’s a great coach. I’m glad we finally got our contest over so I can call him and get advice from time to time. We discussed that before the game and after the game. He’s one of the real ones. He’s one of the good ones and he knows what he’s doing. Today, we played our butts off. I’m proud of the kids. They hung in there as long as they could. Offensively, we got to improve. You can see that. The quarterback is taking a beating. … Special teams, [kicker Alejandro] Mata was terrific. Mata was the highlight of the special teams. Defensively, we fought our butts off. We made some key mistakes. When Shilo [Sanders] went out – he’s one of the key communicators on the back end. That was a tremendous blow for us because he's one of the leaders on the back side of the defense. He’s the enforcer. He’s the dawg back there. I don’t complain about official calls because those guys have the toughest job in the country, to me, because the game is going so fast. … But the [Logan Loya] catch on the sideline and the targeting [call] on Shilo – I’m still questioning those things. If it is what it is, then I think they had a tremendous bearing on the outcome of the game because when you lose a safety of that caliber, the quarterback of the defense, that’s a tremendous blow. And that play on the sideline was on third down, and we would have been off the field [if the call stood as an incomplete catch]. We got to do a lot better not only offensively, defensively, as well as coaching the game. I take full responsibility for that. I got to address those issues that we’re having as well.”
on not being able to resolve offensive line troubles
“Depth. Not only depth, [but] killer instinct, want, desire, will [and] athleticism. The hardest thing to acquire is linemen. So, when you get a good one, you hardly see linemen jump to a different school. I think we have some guys that it’s going to be a good little seasoning, but overall we just don’t have the fight or the passion to do what we want to do. I’m a little bit biased because I’m his father, but I believe we have the best quarterback in the country. I don’t think any other quarterback can put up with ours, standing and [delivering] like ours always do week in and week out and take a beating like he’s taking. We got to address that scheme was [and] functionally with what we have.”
on what he said to Shilo Sanders after being disqualified due to targeting
“He got to keep it low. Just keep it low. When you keep it low, there’s no question. I believe that he was not in fault because he turned his shoulder all the way around. He always does. I told him I’m proud of him. He was having a heck of a game. He was being dominant on the defensive side of the ball. I’m sorry this transpired, but I’m proud of his effort.”
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders
on struggles on offensive for Colorado
“Well, I gotta go back and watch the film, I can’t say off the top of my head, because it could be something but it could be not. I just gotta go back and watch the film to see what the problem was.”
on how frustrating it was to not have the time to get into rhythm
“It was very frustrating because I need to be able to, I just need to get feedback. To know what’s open, what’s not, just quicken up my process. That's all it is, I know that everybody’s doing their best, so it’s not really frustrating because if I miss a throw I wouldn't want everybody to be [frustrated] toward me, so that’s how I am the same with everyone else when it’s not there. We just weren’t on the same page tonight, overall, but we just got to watch the film and get better.”
on how much the offensive struggles were on the inability to run the football
“I can't say because I didn't watch the film. You gotta understand, I only see, all quarterbacks know, when you’re playing a game and whatever side you're reading and stuff like that just depends on the play that progresses and stuff like that. You're not able to see the full picture how you guys are able to see, so that's when you go back on film and understand more on detail what was going on and what's happening.”
on how he’s feeling physically
“Yeah I’m cool, a little banged up right now. That's what happens after games when you’re playing against other opponents, a great defensive rush. That’s just what happens.”
on the first drive and the game plan being to get the ball out of his hands quickly
“It’s nothing they really prevented. They did a good job defensively. Just playing to their strengths, so that's just the only thing. I’ve got to make the lineup faster and get the ball at my hands quicker for the rest of the game.”
on a shuffling offensive line and if that changes anything
“Well I don’t think the offensive linemen got taken out because they were doing bad, I think it was just because of injuries. That is when guys got to switch positions and play just things they probably aren’t used to or didn’t get a lot of reps at during the week. So it wasn’t planned that everybody was going to be 100 percent in a game so then we thought okay, that’s the starting guys but it wasn’t. We just gotta adjust and we just got to do better.”
on if this game and the game against Oregon were the most frustrated he’s been
“No, just because we took losses that’s not what's frustrating in a game. Some wins feel like Losses, I would say so like I said you gotta go back and watch the film and understand, okay what reads did I miss? What didn’t I hit on, what didn’t I connect, what me and the receivers didn’t see eye to eye on? That's really the main thing. But it’s not just losses that you feel bad about, you feel bad about wins too.”
on how the defense kept them in the game
“They did everything they were supposed to do. That's on them, that's on me. We can’t afford to not put up points like that, especially when the defense is doing their job – doing everything that coach is asking them to do. We’ve just got to take that back to the chin and move on to next week.”
UCLA head coach Chip Kelly
on UCLA’s offense committing turnovers
“It’s the square root of pi – so take the square root of 3.1416, we’re good. Usually you don’t win football games when you have four turnovers and in the first half. It was 7-6 at halftime and we had a one-point lead. But that is how well our defense played tonight. And I thought our defense was outstanding. We knew what a passing attack they had and how dynamic they were, not only at quarterback but at receiver. For our guys to be able to contain Shedeur [Sanders] like that, and no one really has, that’s a credit to them. But I also want to give credit to Shedeur. He’s a tough kid. I mean, he got hit and he kept balling, so it was a good battle. We are glad, we are fortunate that we came out on top. We need to clean up a lot, offensively. I thought that the drive at the beginning of the second half was key – just getting us back into the game and get the momentum back on our side. But we’re never going to apologize when we win a football game.”
on the Bruins’ strong defensive play, and the performance of Laiatu Latu
“Yeah, Latu is special. We knew that when we first got him and how hard he works. And, a credit to him for the rehab that he had to do to come back from the injury that he had. And he seems like he just continues to get better and better. He’s a great teammate and we are very fortunate to have him.”
on UCLA’s defense, the red zone defense, bringing pressure
“I think what you said earlier, the pressure. The ability to disrupt the timing of the plays. I thought our secondary was really close in coverage for most of the day. And then combine that with the type of rush that we had on them, that was the formula that our defensive coaches drew up. Our players on the defensive side really executed today.
on the Bruins trying to correct the turnovers in the second half
“It was just the holidays. I had to remind our kids that this was Halloween, not Christmas. We need to stop giving away gifts. And let’s just make sure that it’s Halloween, so let’s put your scary masks on and go play.”
on how consistent UCLA wide receiver Logan Loya has been
“I thought Logan came up big today. He had some huge plays. I don’t have his final numbers, but he’s been kind of a security blanket, I think, for all the quarterbacks. They know where he is. He’s smart. He’s intelligent. He does a great job of running routes. He understands coverage, and they did a really good job of mixing up coverages and mixing up looks. I thought that Logan adjusted really well today.”
on getting into the backfield and the pass defense for UCLA
“It’s a combination. It’s always what is going on, on that back end, and then the pass rush that you can generate. And I think because our guys did a really good job in coverage, they forced Shedeur [Sanders] to hold onto the ball a little bit more. That lets the rush get home, so it was a combination of both. There wasn’t one more than the other. I think that it was a combination of all 11 that really did it.”
on some fumbles and a couple of vicious hits against Carson Steele
“Yeah, football’s football. I mean, sometimes it’s not always your fault, and it’s a credit to the other side. And I thought that their safeties especially were really physical. They did a nice job. And you look at the first turnover, he cross-gripped, he had two hands on the ball, and they separated the ball from him. Fundamentally, he was doing what we teach him to do. But tip your cap to them. That was a heck of a play on their part.”
on how it seems that this defense is an elite defense and how you can’t take anything for granted
“I think you just answered the question. That’s a hell of a job by you. Outstanding – you asked and answered the same question. So I’d say, what you said, ditto”
on Bruins’ running back TJ Harden
“Yeah, TJ is a really special player. He was special last year as a true freshman for us. We feel like we have a couple kids back there and I think it’s a great mix. And Coach Foster, DeShaun, does an unbelievable job of rotating those guys. Play-call wise, we don’t change anything. So we don’t have to say, ‘Hey, he’s in the game, so we can only do this.’ They all can run what we call, and to have multiple guys at that position is a big deal for us.”
on UCLA quarterback Collin Schlee’s performance, bouncing back from an injury
“It was fortunate that we got Collin back. I think he’s a dynamic player. We’ve got to, because of the injuries, he was banged up earlier in the year and missed part of camp and then contributed for us, we know what a jump-start he gave us a little bit in that Oregon State game and then got hurt. He sat out. But when he got cleared to play again, we knew that there certain things that we could do with him and we’ll continue to expand that with him.”
on some disguises by Colorado’s defensive coverages
“Ethan [Garbers] is a really resilient kid. And it’s a great quality to have. You cannot dwell on it. You’ve got to give Travis Hunter credit on that. That was a tremendous play by him. And it wasn’t a disguise. They did not disguise coverage at all. He’s a special football player and made a tremendous football play, and that is when you just go, ‘That kid’s really good, so let’s maybe not throw near him.’”
on this being a large enough sample size to decide on the quarterback position, moving forward
“Yeah, we analyze everything during the week. And we don’t make anything rash after a game and say, ‘Hey this is what tomorrow is going to be like, or what Wednesday is going to be like.’ Ben’s great at depth charts and questions about depth charts during the week. But we won’t finalize anything until we get to the game day next week. And we play at like midnight, so we have a lot of time all day on Saturday to figure out who our quarterback is going to be.”
on a field goal that was not successful
“Yeah, it clunked. It hit the upright. I’ve got to look at the film to see was it the play or was it the hold. I don’t know. But that, in critical games like that, that is points that we need to get out of our drives in the red zone and that is an area that we need to address.”
on the large crowd at the Rose Bowl and so many people out there wearing blue
“It was awesome. And I think the combination of that and I think that the people that were around yesterday and knew what happened when they put up Coach Donahue’s statue. I think it was fitting and, you know, I think that Terry was watching today, and Terry was the ultimate gutty little Bruin and I think that’s what our players did today. And Terry had a big stamp on this win today.”
UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers
on bouncing back after the first-quarter interception
“That first interception – hats off to [Colorado’s Travis Hunter]. He made a really good play on that. It was something we weren’t really expecting. He made a good play. In my head, I just kept saying, ‘One play at a time. One snap at a time. Just let the game flow.’”
on adjustments at halftime after the four first-half turnovers
“Those turnovers were just mistakes and mistakes can be fixed. We came in at halftime and we said, ‘Hey, we our letting our defense down a little bit and got to pick it up.’ We came out [on] a two-play drive in the second half and scored. This offense has a bunch of resiliency. We know how to bounce back [and] when to bounce back. I’m just so proud of the guys.”
on having Collin Schlee enter the game with his running packages
“I think it’s great, honestly. Getting the quarterback involved in the running game and having him do zone read and pull it – it causes a lot of problems for the defense. It’s really good and it’s really good schematically for us.”
on UCLA’s defense helping the offense
“Our defense is the best I’ve ever seen. The best I’ve ever gone against in practice. Those guys get after the quarterback and they’re great in the back end. Coach [D’Anton] Lynn does a great job with the scheme. I’m just so proud of those guys, proud of the offense and proud of the whole team.”
on getting into a flow when subbed out for another quarterback
“Yes and no. It is what it is. I’m just focused on what I can do to help the team win pretty much. It’s really not that big of a deal to me.”
on how the large UCLA crowd made him feel
“Looking up at all those fans, it’s great. That’s how college football should be. With the stadium packed and everyone on their feet. It’s great to see. We hope we can do it again.”
on touching the new Terry Donahue Memorial Statue
“Right when you walk into our facility at UCLA, directly to your right on our wall is a ‘TD42’ [emblem]. We are paying tribute to the people before us. Jackie Robinson and Terry Donahue. It’s really special we got to wear these jerseys tonight and honor all those players. That Bruin brotherhood is something special and not something to take lightly. We are grateful and very passionate about those who played before us.”
UCLA wide receiver Logan Loya
on his toe-drag reception
“I knew I dragged the toe. I was just trying to figure out where it was because I did feel like I was far out of bounds. I was like, ‘Ah, just reach, reach.’ And it happened and the toe was in.”
on his journey as a student-athlete at UCLA
“I’ve just been working hard ever since high school [and] before high school just to get to this point. I’ve been presented an opportunity to help the team and I’ve been trying to take full advantage of it. Never stop working. That’s all it is because you never know when it will pay off.”
on how the large UCLA crowd made him feel
“Amazing. Lights are on. Everyone is here. It’s a primetime game and it’s all the home fans. It’s a majority blue. Loved the jerseys tonight, that powder blue. It makes you smile, looking up and everyone is cheering for you when you make a play. There’s nothing better than that.”
UCLA defensive lineman Carl Jones Jr.
on the defense’s pressuring the quarterback
“Our whole goal was to get after [Shadeur Sanders] and get after their O-line. It was just a good unit effort to get as many hits as we possibly can on [Sanders]. That’s what we did. That was our gameplan and we stuck to it.”
on how the defense was so dominant
“I would say we play with a lot of resiliency. There were four turnovers. We led them to field goal after field goal. That’s just another testament to the defense that we don’t flinch when adversity hits. We’re our brothers’ keep. And on the offensive side, if they can’t get it shaking, we are going to make sure we keep it held down for them.”
UCLA defensive lineman Gary Smith III
on how the defense was so dominant
“I feel like we were together tonight. We were all on one accord on the defensive side of the ball, just trying to get after [Sanders]. I would also say we won our one-on-ones. The person who had the one-on-one, they won it and then we affected the quarterback.”
opening remarks
“Great game by the UCLA Bruins. I adore their head coach, tremendously. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. He’s a great coach. I’m glad we finally got our contest over so I can call him and get advice from time to time. We discussed that before the game and after the game. He’s one of the real ones. He’s one of the good ones and he knows what he’s doing. Today, we played our butts off. I’m proud of the kids. They hung in there as long as they could. Offensively, we got to improve. You can see that. The quarterback is taking a beating. … Special teams, [kicker Alejandro] Mata was terrific. Mata was the highlight of the special teams. Defensively, we fought our butts off. We made some key mistakes. When Shilo [Sanders] went out – he’s one of the key communicators on the back end. That was a tremendous blow for us because he's one of the leaders on the back side of the defense. He’s the enforcer. He’s the dawg back there. I don’t complain about official calls because those guys have the toughest job in the country, to me, because the game is going so fast. … But the [Logan Loya] catch on the sideline and the targeting [call] on Shilo – I’m still questioning those things. If it is what it is, then I think they had a tremendous bearing on the outcome of the game because when you lose a safety of that caliber, the quarterback of the defense, that’s a tremendous blow. And that play on the sideline was on third down, and we would have been off the field [if the call stood as an incomplete catch]. We got to do a lot better not only offensively, defensively, as well as coaching the game. I take full responsibility for that. I got to address those issues that we’re having as well.”
on not being able to resolve offensive line troubles
“Depth. Not only depth, [but] killer instinct, want, desire, will [and] athleticism. The hardest thing to acquire is linemen. So, when you get a good one, you hardly see linemen jump to a different school. I think we have some guys that it’s going to be a good little seasoning, but overall we just don’t have the fight or the passion to do what we want to do. I’m a little bit biased because I’m his father, but I believe we have the best quarterback in the country. I don’t think any other quarterback can put up with ours, standing and [delivering] like ours always do week in and week out and take a beating like he’s taking. We got to address that scheme was [and] functionally with what we have.”
on what he said to Shilo Sanders after being disqualified due to targeting
“He got to keep it low. Just keep it low. When you keep it low, there’s no question. I believe that he was not in fault because he turned his shoulder all the way around. He always does. I told him I’m proud of him. He was having a heck of a game. He was being dominant on the defensive side of the ball. I’m sorry this transpired, but I’m proud of his effort.”
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders
on struggles on offensive for Colorado
“Well, I gotta go back and watch the film, I can’t say off the top of my head, because it could be something but it could be not. I just gotta go back and watch the film to see what the problem was.”
on how frustrating it was to not have the time to get into rhythm
“It was very frustrating because I need to be able to, I just need to get feedback. To know what’s open, what’s not, just quicken up my process. That's all it is, I know that everybody’s doing their best, so it’s not really frustrating because if I miss a throw I wouldn't want everybody to be [frustrated] toward me, so that’s how I am the same with everyone else when it’s not there. We just weren’t on the same page tonight, overall, but we just got to watch the film and get better.”
on how much the offensive struggles were on the inability to run the football
“I can't say because I didn't watch the film. You gotta understand, I only see, all quarterbacks know, when you’re playing a game and whatever side you're reading and stuff like that just depends on the play that progresses and stuff like that. You're not able to see the full picture how you guys are able to see, so that's when you go back on film and understand more on detail what was going on and what's happening.”
on how he’s feeling physically
“Yeah I’m cool, a little banged up right now. That's what happens after games when you’re playing against other opponents, a great defensive rush. That’s just what happens.”
on the first drive and the game plan being to get the ball out of his hands quickly
“It’s nothing they really prevented. They did a good job defensively. Just playing to their strengths, so that's just the only thing. I’ve got to make the lineup faster and get the ball at my hands quicker for the rest of the game.”
on a shuffling offensive line and if that changes anything
“Well I don’t think the offensive linemen got taken out because they were doing bad, I think it was just because of injuries. That is when guys got to switch positions and play just things they probably aren’t used to or didn’t get a lot of reps at during the week. So it wasn’t planned that everybody was going to be 100 percent in a game so then we thought okay, that’s the starting guys but it wasn’t. We just gotta adjust and we just got to do better.”
on if this game and the game against Oregon were the most frustrated he’s been
“No, just because we took losses that’s not what's frustrating in a game. Some wins feel like Losses, I would say so like I said you gotta go back and watch the film and understand, okay what reads did I miss? What didn’t I hit on, what didn’t I connect, what me and the receivers didn’t see eye to eye on? That's really the main thing. But it’s not just losses that you feel bad about, you feel bad about wins too.”
on how the defense kept them in the game
“They did everything they were supposed to do. That's on them, that's on me. We can’t afford to not put up points like that, especially when the defense is doing their job – doing everything that coach is asking them to do. We’ve just got to take that back to the chin and move on to next week.”
UCLA head coach Chip Kelly
on UCLA’s offense committing turnovers
“It’s the square root of pi – so take the square root of 3.1416, we’re good. Usually you don’t win football games when you have four turnovers and in the first half. It was 7-6 at halftime and we had a one-point lead. But that is how well our defense played tonight. And I thought our defense was outstanding. We knew what a passing attack they had and how dynamic they were, not only at quarterback but at receiver. For our guys to be able to contain Shedeur [Sanders] like that, and no one really has, that’s a credit to them. But I also want to give credit to Shedeur. He’s a tough kid. I mean, he got hit and he kept balling, so it was a good battle. We are glad, we are fortunate that we came out on top. We need to clean up a lot, offensively. I thought that the drive at the beginning of the second half was key – just getting us back into the game and get the momentum back on our side. But we’re never going to apologize when we win a football game.”
on the Bruins’ strong defensive play, and the performance of Laiatu Latu
“Yeah, Latu is special. We knew that when we first got him and how hard he works. And, a credit to him for the rehab that he had to do to come back from the injury that he had. And he seems like he just continues to get better and better. He’s a great teammate and we are very fortunate to have him.”
on UCLA’s defense, the red zone defense, bringing pressure
“I think what you said earlier, the pressure. The ability to disrupt the timing of the plays. I thought our secondary was really close in coverage for most of the day. And then combine that with the type of rush that we had on them, that was the formula that our defensive coaches drew up. Our players on the defensive side really executed today.
on the Bruins trying to correct the turnovers in the second half
“It was just the holidays. I had to remind our kids that this was Halloween, not Christmas. We need to stop giving away gifts. And let’s just make sure that it’s Halloween, so let’s put your scary masks on and go play.”
on how consistent UCLA wide receiver Logan Loya has been
“I thought Logan came up big today. He had some huge plays. I don’t have his final numbers, but he’s been kind of a security blanket, I think, for all the quarterbacks. They know where he is. He’s smart. He’s intelligent. He does a great job of running routes. He understands coverage, and they did a really good job of mixing up coverages and mixing up looks. I thought that Logan adjusted really well today.”
on getting into the backfield and the pass defense for UCLA
“It’s a combination. It’s always what is going on, on that back end, and then the pass rush that you can generate. And I think because our guys did a really good job in coverage, they forced Shedeur [Sanders] to hold onto the ball a little bit more. That lets the rush get home, so it was a combination of both. There wasn’t one more than the other. I think that it was a combination of all 11 that really did it.”
on some fumbles and a couple of vicious hits against Carson Steele
“Yeah, football’s football. I mean, sometimes it’s not always your fault, and it’s a credit to the other side. And I thought that their safeties especially were really physical. They did a nice job. And you look at the first turnover, he cross-gripped, he had two hands on the ball, and they separated the ball from him. Fundamentally, he was doing what we teach him to do. But tip your cap to them. That was a heck of a play on their part.”
on how it seems that this defense is an elite defense and how you can’t take anything for granted
“I think you just answered the question. That’s a hell of a job by you. Outstanding – you asked and answered the same question. So I’d say, what you said, ditto”
on Bruins’ running back TJ Harden
“Yeah, TJ is a really special player. He was special last year as a true freshman for us. We feel like we have a couple kids back there and I think it’s a great mix. And Coach Foster, DeShaun, does an unbelievable job of rotating those guys. Play-call wise, we don’t change anything. So we don’t have to say, ‘Hey, he’s in the game, so we can only do this.’ They all can run what we call, and to have multiple guys at that position is a big deal for us.”
on UCLA quarterback Collin Schlee’s performance, bouncing back from an injury
“It was fortunate that we got Collin back. I think he’s a dynamic player. We’ve got to, because of the injuries, he was banged up earlier in the year and missed part of camp and then contributed for us, we know what a jump-start he gave us a little bit in that Oregon State game and then got hurt. He sat out. But when he got cleared to play again, we knew that there certain things that we could do with him and we’ll continue to expand that with him.”
on some disguises by Colorado’s defensive coverages
“Ethan [Garbers] is a really resilient kid. And it’s a great quality to have. You cannot dwell on it. You’ve got to give Travis Hunter credit on that. That was a tremendous play by him. And it wasn’t a disguise. They did not disguise coverage at all. He’s a special football player and made a tremendous football play, and that is when you just go, ‘That kid’s really good, so let’s maybe not throw near him.’”
on this being a large enough sample size to decide on the quarterback position, moving forward
“Yeah, we analyze everything during the week. And we don’t make anything rash after a game and say, ‘Hey this is what tomorrow is going to be like, or what Wednesday is going to be like.’ Ben’s great at depth charts and questions about depth charts during the week. But we won’t finalize anything until we get to the game day next week. And we play at like midnight, so we have a lot of time all day on Saturday to figure out who our quarterback is going to be.”
on a field goal that was not successful
“Yeah, it clunked. It hit the upright. I’ve got to look at the film to see was it the play or was it the hold. I don’t know. But that, in critical games like that, that is points that we need to get out of our drives in the red zone and that is an area that we need to address.”
on the large crowd at the Rose Bowl and so many people out there wearing blue
“It was awesome. And I think the combination of that and I think that the people that were around yesterday and knew what happened when they put up Coach Donahue’s statue. I think it was fitting and, you know, I think that Terry was watching today, and Terry was the ultimate gutty little Bruin and I think that’s what our players did today. And Terry had a big stamp on this win today.”
UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers
on bouncing back after the first-quarter interception
“That first interception – hats off to [Colorado’s Travis Hunter]. He made a really good play on that. It was something we weren’t really expecting. He made a good play. In my head, I just kept saying, ‘One play at a time. One snap at a time. Just let the game flow.’”
on adjustments at halftime after the four first-half turnovers
“Those turnovers were just mistakes and mistakes can be fixed. We came in at halftime and we said, ‘Hey, we our letting our defense down a little bit and got to pick it up.’ We came out [on] a two-play drive in the second half and scored. This offense has a bunch of resiliency. We know how to bounce back [and] when to bounce back. I’m just so proud of the guys.”
on having Collin Schlee enter the game with his running packages
“I think it’s great, honestly. Getting the quarterback involved in the running game and having him do zone read and pull it – it causes a lot of problems for the defense. It’s really good and it’s really good schematically for us.”
on UCLA’s defense helping the offense
“Our defense is the best I’ve ever seen. The best I’ve ever gone against in practice. Those guys get after the quarterback and they’re great in the back end. Coach [D’Anton] Lynn does a great job with the scheme. I’m just so proud of those guys, proud of the offense and proud of the whole team.”
on getting into a flow when subbed out for another quarterback
“Yes and no. It is what it is. I’m just focused on what I can do to help the team win pretty much. It’s really not that big of a deal to me.”
on how the large UCLA crowd made him feel
“Looking up at all those fans, it’s great. That’s how college football should be. With the stadium packed and everyone on their feet. It’s great to see. We hope we can do it again.”
on touching the new Terry Donahue Memorial Statue
“Right when you walk into our facility at UCLA, directly to your right on our wall is a ‘TD42’ [emblem]. We are paying tribute to the people before us. Jackie Robinson and Terry Donahue. It’s really special we got to wear these jerseys tonight and honor all those players. That Bruin brotherhood is something special and not something to take lightly. We are grateful and very passionate about those who played before us.”
UCLA wide receiver Logan Loya
on his toe-drag reception
“I knew I dragged the toe. I was just trying to figure out where it was because I did feel like I was far out of bounds. I was like, ‘Ah, just reach, reach.’ And it happened and the toe was in.”
on his journey as a student-athlete at UCLA
“I’ve just been working hard ever since high school [and] before high school just to get to this point. I’ve been presented an opportunity to help the team and I’ve been trying to take full advantage of it. Never stop working. That’s all it is because you never know when it will pay off.”
on how the large UCLA crowd made him feel
“Amazing. Lights are on. Everyone is here. It’s a primetime game and it’s all the home fans. It’s a majority blue. Loved the jerseys tonight, that powder blue. It makes you smile, looking up and everyone is cheering for you when you make a play. There’s nothing better than that.”
UCLA defensive lineman Carl Jones Jr.
on the defense’s pressuring the quarterback
“Our whole goal was to get after [Shadeur Sanders] and get after their O-line. It was just a good unit effort to get as many hits as we possibly can on [Sanders]. That’s what we did. That was our gameplan and we stuck to it.”
on how the defense was so dominant
“I would say we play with a lot of resiliency. There were four turnovers. We led them to field goal after field goal. That’s just another testament to the defense that we don’t flinch when adversity hits. We’re our brothers’ keep. And on the offensive side, if they can’t get it shaking, we are going to make sure we keep it held down for them.”
UCLA defensive lineman Gary Smith III
on how the defense was so dominant
“I feel like we were together tonight. We were all on one accord on the defensive side of the ball, just trying to get after [Sanders]. I would also say we won our one-on-ones. The person who had the one-on-one, they won it and then we affected the quarterback.”