Colorado State University Athletics
Postgame Quotes
10/31/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
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Oct. 31, 2015
COLORADO STATE HEAD COACH Mike Bobo
(on turnovers in the game)
"It's the same song, different verse for the season. You can say it's unlikely but it's what teams do that lose ball games: Turn the ball over, missed opportunities and can't stop the run. If you can't run the ball, can't stop the run and turn the ball over that's a recipe for not having success. We were (down) 13-10 at half after all those missed opportunities. I really thought we were playing well defensively, besides that 23-yard run that got out and one of the drives enabled by penalties for a touchdown. Offensively, I felt like we were moving the ball and executing what we were calling. You turn the ball over on the one-yard line for a touchback, whether or not that was a touchdown or not the ball should not have come out. Turn it over right before half, and give them a chance to get three points was not very good execution. Despite all of that down 13-10 at halftime and we are in the game. We got beat 28-7 in the second half, and did not play like a Colorado State football team in the second half. It's embarrassing; embarrassing for a coach, a player, as a fan and supporter. Like I told the guys, what I am going to do, I am going to come back and work. I came here for a reason and I expect everyone in the room to come back to work. It isn't fun when you lose, it is not fun when you get beat 41-17."
(on touchback review)
"I saw what you saw on the field, on the TV board."
(on how the review went into effect)
"Something about a camera angle that could not be seen because of the shadows. I just wanted to make sure it was reviewed and it wasn't at the time. I asked to review it and after five to ten minutes the buzzer went off so I did not have to use a timeout. Sometimes they try to protect the head coach so you don't use a timeout. They ruled it a fumble and at the end of the day that's not how we protect the football when you are on the goal line. You never reach out unless it is fourth down. You don't reach out, that's a rule, that's fundamentals and the little things. We have to protect the ball better."
(on San Diego States' play on second down)
"They were running wide on us with counters and boots. We did not do a good job with containment and we stopped the inside run but the stretch, counters and bootlegs on every second down during that drive was going outside. I always say what my dad said which is if you don't play contain you are pretending to play football. We have to do a better job of containing a runner and a quarterback but that's on me as a coach."
(on the staff's preparation during the week)
"I thought we had a great plan. I thought we had a great plan defensively but I have to look at the tape. The one thing we did not do well was contain. Whether it was quarterbacks getting outside, a bootleg or a bounce, we set our edges sometimes and it hit up inside. I have to look at the tape to see what the corners and safeties were doing, whether they were cracking the cornerbacks. Offensively we had a good handle on their scheme and fitting up, but four turnovers. I don't know what we are going to do with personnel."
(on quarterback decision-making)
"The one deep down the left sideline, they end up bringing a corner and a weakside 'backer and he got confused on the coverage. Usually when someone blitzes from the weak side, you think they are going single high and they actually blitzed the "will" and a corner. He did not see it, and it's one thing they do a lot and sometimes it has to just be film study. It was not the exact look I wanted and was not a really great call at the time. The interception before half, we were trying to sit the tight end down in the middle and I have to go back to the film to see if he had a chance to catch it. I though we rushed it a little bit, and should have let the route develop. It hit our guys' hands, (and) that stung because right before half you gave them a chance to get three points. The pick-six was just a high ball. Pressure inside might have forced him to not be able to step into his throw and … it sailed on him. 23 made a great play and took it to the house."
(on the interception prior to halftime)
"It was a mistake. It was not a good thing that happened when you let them capture momentum right before half and make a 55-yard field goal. I tried to tell the guys at halftime, their guy is averaging 2.5 yards per rush, you gave up one long run that's it, you have turned it over three times in the first half, you have six penalties and it is still 13-10. Talk about working hard all week and earning the right to win, you guys do work hard but you have to go and take the ball game. You got to go execute, offensively and defensively, and if we do that we win the ball game. They executed at a higher level, out-coached us, out-played us and beat us in the second half."
(on possible changes from film review)
"You got to make changes. You evaluate everything win or lose. Every personnel decision, every play call and how you are trying to attack teams. Every week, there is fight in these guys. I have to look at the tape to be honest. I will probably have a better answer for you on Monday of what direction we need to go. We made slight changes offensively and defensively, and have packages for different guys. We tried to get the ball to 82 today, and tried to stop the run. We got beat by a good football team 41-17 because of turnovers."
(on teams' statistical performance through three quarters)
"We still got a chance, and we did not want to panic too early and get away from the run game. I thought we were running it extremely well and controlling the line of scrimmage. We have a hard time right now of creating explosive plays on offense. Whether it is through the air or on the ground. Explosive play does not just have to be a pass we have seen that all year on the other side of the ball. We don't create enough explosive plays and we give up way to many. Another recipe for disaster, and then we hand them points. They had 10 points off of turnovers, and I would like to see us not turn the ball over for one game. That's me, and I have to figure out how to do that. I have to see what kind of chance that gives us to win a ball game."
(on whether this game was a step backwards for the team)
"Anytime you lose it is a step back. You put in work every week and in the end you have to feel confident in the plan, your players feel confident in the plan, and when you don't compete and execute the way you coached it or the way we thought it was supposed to go, it's a step back. You have to look yourself in the mirror as a coach and figure out how to get guys to do what we are asking of them. Is it a question of if we are talented enough, do we need to reevaluate and make some personnel changes? Is it the coaching staff, are we not doing a good job of communicating, are we communicating to the position group. I do feel like we end up at a good place every week, having good practices, but we are self-destructing with the worst turnover ratio in the country."
(on Izzy Matthews' performance)
"I like Izzy (Matthews). He is a heavy runner, he has an extra gear and he was really close to having a big run that broke for a touchdown. I think two times he had runs that broke out. Izzy was a little banged up after last week with an injury but he played through it. We said coming into the game that Izzy would play more, we were a little more two back and two tight ends. We tried to balance them up and we could not do that the entire game. It got out of hand because of turnovers and we got out of our game plan in the third to fourth quarters.
(on the package designed for Craig Leonard)
"We had to practice that. We are trying to create something different and trying to give guys something to work on. He is a big kid, he runs pretty well and we thought we could get some positive yards. Which he did. We had a package for Danny Nwosu and he was out there more today. Jordan Vaden we had some things for and of course (Rashard) Higgins as well.
(on what needs to be done for the rest of the season)
"You can't look at the last four games, we have to see it as the next game. I told them why I was here and what I expect from my football team and what I am going to do. I believe we are all in, we have good kids and we are going to go back to work. I know how to coach football and there is no doubt that we can get it done here. It is frustrating but that's life and that's what happen sometimes. We can't hand them games and they are a good team. They forced turnovers but it is too hard to win already so you can't give it to teams.
COLORADO STATE PLAYERS
QB Nick Stevens
"I thought we played hard, came out fast, we just had too many mistakes on offense. We had four turnovers that were critical turnovers, we had a lot of penalties on both sides of the ball. It's hard to win with four turnovers and a lot of penalties, we just need to come out, be more sound, more consistent, and execute a little bit better."
(on their performance in the 2nd half)
"I know we started to move the ball a little less in the second half coming out, and then they popped a couple big runs that just kind of got their momentum going on offense. I'm not sure exactly what that was due to, but it happened and they increased that gap. Like I said, we've just got to be more sound."
(on not capitalizing on having had two weeks after a winning)
"We felt like we were really prepared for this game. We still thought that we had a chance and we were going to play well. I think for the most part we played well, we just had those critical mistakes on offense, and then those penalties really killed us – it's hard to get anything going on offense and hard to stop them on defense when we do have those penalties."
"We've got to do what we've got to do to execute. At the end of the day, we just straight up lost."
(on having four catches at halftime and one in the second half)
"When the ball's not coming my way it's not frustrating at all, but when I do have the ball in my hands I can be a playmaker at times. It could be frustrating, but then again, I know my role."
"I had a cop route and Nick [Stevens] just threw it up. I've told Nick before, just put it in my vicinity, and I'm going to come down with it, and he did it and it showed."
(on why there were issues on offense)
"(Not) making the right reads, for us, linemen not getting to a certain person, our blocks not getting to their blocks, I don't know what it is."
RB JASEN ODEN
(on the level of play after the bye week)
"We came out strong, I believe we came out strong. We came out with a good drive on offense but unfortunately I let the ball go. I can't do that. We can't have turnovers against a good team like this, especially like that, going down on a drive. We could've changed the momentum of the game, it could've been 14-7 instead of 7-7, but we came back down and scored."
"We came into halftime down 13-10 but we were still in the game, we've just got to make sure to do a better job of continuing to play and playing for all 60 minutes, all four quarters."
(on the four turnovers)
"Especially a good team like that, they're undefeated in the Mountain West, they're at the top of all of the Mountain West, so when you're playing a good team like that you've got to make sure you limit your turnovers, limit the penalties. They were key penalties, and we've got to be able to stay on top of the game, even when we think the game is out of reach, even when the game was out of reach by 17 points we were still in the game, we still had the rest of the third quarter left and the whole fourth quarter."
(on being a key part of defense by starting today's game)
"Honestly I really don't even look at it like that. We have a very deep linebacker group, a very big linebacker room so I feel like if we plugged anybody in they'll produce and do what they're supposed to do."
(on stopping SDSU's line today)
"I feel like we did a pretty good job in the first half. In the third quarter I just felt we let too many big, explosive runs happen, even if it was just two or three or whatever it was, I just felt like it was way too many, and we can't let that happen if we want to be a good defense."
(on what let the big runs happen and the score to get out of hand)
"Just getting really lackadaisical and missing assignments and stuff like that. You can't do that against a good football team, a good running football team for that matter. And I feel like as a defense we had the opportunities to make plays and we just have to make our plays."
(on where they go from here)
"We just go back and we go back to the lab, go back and work. Growing up I've never been the guy to quit, never been the guy to let down. Tomorrow we'll be back at it, watching film, correcting what we did wrong."
(on overall performance)
"Honestly I think if we just would've executed, we would've honed in on the explosive plays and there wouldn't have been as many."
(on improvements needed to be made)
"We just have to go back to work. We have to keep pushing and see it through. No matter what's going on you have to go back to work the next day. You can't put your head down, you can't give up, you can't quit and that's not what this team is. That's not what this defense is."
(on turnovers toward the end of the game)
"Turnovers in any game is a big critical error. I feel like, as a defense, we have to get takeaways, we have to execute and respond for our offense. We have to have our offense's back. I feel that as a defense that's what we're really going to hone in on these next couple of weeks is making a statement to get takeaways and turnovers."
WR Joe Hansley
"You can't win games with turnovers, we showed it right there. All the credit to San Diego State, but at times it seems like you hand them the game when you're giving them turnovers like that. I give them all the credit in the world, but at the same time we're going to go back and watch film and we're going to see that we made the mistakes and it was all about us, it wasn't about them."
(on this game coming off of a bye week)
"Obviously you don't want it after any week, regardless of the bye week we didn't play the way we needed to to win, we didn't make the plays we needed to, and at the end of the day we just simply didn't do what we needed to do."
"We've got to go back to work on Monday, we've still got some stuff to play for, we can still play for a bowl game… I'm confident in the team that we'll come ready to work on Monday."
SAN DIEGO STATE HEAD COACH ROCKY LONG
(on halftime adjustments)
"I don't know if it went perfectly or not, but I thought we played with a lot more energy, a lot more enthusiasm, and played a little more physical in the second half compared to the first. I don't know what we did at halftime, but it worked."
"I think going into halftime with momentum really helps especially because I think that they did a better job than we did playing physical football. We play a very similar type of football. They had some really good scheme things going because they had two weeks to work against us. We did make an adjustment or two before the second half that turned out to be OK, but I thought they were playing more physical at the line of scrimmage in the first half and I didn't think that the second half."
(on defensive performance)
"They just count the guys we have in there. It's a very simple offense; if you have too many guys in there they throw it, if you don't have enough guys in there they run it. If they're running it then you have to have somebody get off the block and make a tackle which we weren't doing in the first half. Then we had some coverage issues where we had a guy double covered and he goes up to get the ball, that shouldn't happen."
(on offensive performance specifically for running back position)
"I think that's what happens when you play a good football team and it's a tied game. You just keep after it, keep pounding and hopefully you'll make some hay sooner or later and that's what happened. We just kept doing what we were doing and eventually we got big enough holes and DJ (Donnel Pumphrey) made a couple guys miss to get his yardage."
"We have a couple of really good running backs and the last five weeks our offensive line has played well. I don't think we're dominant by any means whatsoever."
"We had that in our hip pocket the first four weeks of the season and we weren't having the same success as we are now so I think it all goes together. The offensive line is playing much better so all of sudden you see how good our running backs are. In the first three or four weeks of the season you didn't see how good our running backs were, I even had questions about what was wrong with Pumphrey. There's nothing wrong with Pumphrey, he just wasn't getting any holes."
"I think the two running backs complement each other very well. DJ and Chase Price really complement each other very well. Chase Price would be a starter on most teams, he just happens to be behind DJ Pumphrey."
(on Colorado State's turnovers to increase momentum)
"I think the turnover helped us gain momentum of the game because I think the first half they had the momentum. It was a questionable call, I know, but the fumble in the end zone if you look at all the replays he was fumbling before he ever hit the ground so it was a fumble. That is a good break for us and a bad break for them. Then later on, the interceptions really changed the momentum of the game. They had the momentum of the game the first half then we got the momentum."
"That was a nice change around so we went into the locker room with momentum that we wouldn't have had, but they're the ones who were calling timeouts, not us."
SAN DIEGO STATE PLAYERS
RB DONNEL PUMPHREY
(on Colorado State's defense to begin the game)
"They came out in the first half, and they were stacking the box. Their defense got after it, and I give them good credit because they're a great team. They'll go far in the conference."
(on what Coach [Rocky Long] told the team to change at halftime)
"We just had to be more physical from the point of attack. Second half, they came out doing that. And our defense – they were fired up as well. They played great."
(on if he gets frustrated when he's not getting holes to run through)
"With our offense, we run the ball a lot. There's going to be times where nothing's popping off, but at the end of the game, we were able to make a big run happen."
(on his touchdown reception)
"I just give my coach credit, obviously. It was just a seam route. I just had to beat one guy. [QB Maxwell Smith] made a great throw."
(on what he saw on his 64-yard touchdown run)
"It was an opening outside, and there was a great block outside as well. I had to make one guy miss, and I was able to do that. At about the 15-yard line, one of my receivers – I think it was Jemond [Hazely} if I'm not correct – he made a good block and I was able to cut it back. Scored a touchdown."
(on his potential to catch Marshall Faulk and become No. 1 on the SDSU rushing list if he stays for his senior season)
"Oh, I'll be here next year."
(on his patience)
"You have to be real patient to be a running back in general. As you could see at the beginning, they were stopping our run. That second half, we were able to make adjustments and were able to open up holes."
(on if his speed at running back is the most dominant force in the conference)
"Honestly, I would say yeah. That makes me a better running back. It helps the O-line, and it helps our offense as well."
(on how fast he runs)
"I haven't run a 40 [yard dash] since my senior year of high school, and I ran 4.38."
(on if he can still run a 4.38)
"I'm sure I can."
QB MAXWELL SMITH
(on if SDSU's performance was what they wanted to do)
"Absolutely. We started really slow, obviously, in the first half, both offensively and defensively. We were lucky to be in the lead in the first half. We turned into ourselves in the second half and were able to finally move the ball. We played Aztec football and it was awesome."
(on how his role is not a flashy one, especially in today's game)
"I mean, it was great. We just executed, is what it came down to. They were able to plan for us for two weeks. I thought we played tremendous football in the second half."
(on if this was how SDSU wanted to go into the bye week)
"Absolutely. 5-0 in conference play is something that no other Aztec team has ever done before, so that feels pretty good. Now we're able to rest. Nine straight weeks of football takes a toll on your team, and to be able to get some rest now is crucial for sure."
(on if he's feeling more comfortable with his passes compared to earlier in the season)
"Absolutely. I'm feeling more comfortable with everything. Getting more snaps, understanding what Coach (Blane) Morgan and Coach (Jeff) Horton want to call and stuff like that. Obviously the O-line is playing the tremendous football. It all helps. It all correlates."
(on SDSU's offensive style)
"I've done play-action, but not this much. I've been a play-action quarterback with other OCs, but obviously not this much. It's something I'm getting better at each week with Coach Morgan's help, for sure."
DB DEMONTAE KAZEE
(on their play at the beginning of the game)
"We came out flat. You know, we really don't do that. I don't want to make any excuses, saying we had an early game, but those interceptions did come in handy. We needed some turnovers at the end of the day."
(on his interception)
"I was just trying to get to the touchdown, man. As soon as I got the interception, just trying to score."
(on if CSU came out stronger than expected)
"We didn't underestimate them or anything. We knew it was a hard team coming into the game. We really weren't ready to play this early or anything, but I don't want to put any excuses on our team."
(on if turnovers prevented things from spiraling out of SDSU's control)
"Definitely. Teams with less turnovers at the end of the day will always win the game. At the end of the day, we won. We're in the right spot at the right time. We're not planning any of these or anything. I don't know how we're getting all these interceptions. But it's lovely, though."
