Colorado State University Athletics
Postgame Quotes
9/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
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Head Coach Mike Bobo
Opening Statement …
"It was a great night for our team. First of all, we won the ballgame. And the second thing is that we were able to win it with some adversity and to finish the game. I told the guys in there I wouldn't have wanted it any other way than to have to win the game the way we did, to have to conquer some demons. There in the second half I thought we kept answering as an offense. And then for us to bow our neck defensively when they popped the long run and then to get the ball back to our offense was huge. I don't know if we actually won the turnover battle with that blocked punt. I don't know what that goes down as. We had the one pick and we didn't turn the ball over on offense and that gave us a chance to win the ballgame. It was great to see the guys keep believing and keep fighting and sticking to the plan and to never really have any doubt throughout the game that we were going to get it done. The toughest thing to me in football is to be able to run the ball when [the defense] expects you to run the ball. I think that's the sign of a team being close to where you want it to be and have a chance to compete for championships when you can run it and finish games like we did. Hopefully, that will give us some confidence going into next week."
On whether or not Dalyn Dawkins could have played today …
"I thought he looked pretty good in warmups, but he still was feeling it a little bit when he was running without having having to make anybody miss. He felt pretty good, but you're going to have to pull and strain to get extra yards and we thought we might lose him so he was an emergency back. He kept staying warm the entire game, but Oden wasn't tired. Thirty carries, he did a great job. Izzy [Matthews] did a great job spelling him. The two tight ends stepped up really big, Walker and Cartwright. Guys sucked it up. We had 76 snaps on offense and some guys were playing a ton of snaps and did a nice job (and we were) able to finish there in the fourth quarter."
On the last drive of the game chewing up the clock …
"When you're running the ball and they know you're trying to run it and milk the clock, and they have two timeouts and can stop the clock and get the ball back … for us to punch that ball out and end up taking a knee at the end and finishing the game was good to see. It's the greatest formation in football. We didn't get to run it again because there was a little clock malfunction, but we finished there at the end and it was awesome to see. That's what they wanted to do. They wanted to milk it and grind it out."
On conquering some demons …
"Winning is good for team morale, and sometimes losing isn't good for team morale. Sometimes we all tend to question what we are doing and what we are about. We talked about sticking to the plan and sticking to the process and what we do and who we are. I told them last night that anybody who watches us on TV or comes to a game, there's no doubt that they would see that our kids play hard every single snap. In order to finish a game you have to go out and do the little things that matter in clutch time, and I thought they did that tonight."
Rashard Higgins, (Jr., WR)
On promising his mom two touchdowns this week …
"I tried my hardest to just put out for my state. It felt good just playing in front of my mom. That was her first game that she has ever been able to make. It felt good [to play in front of her] and I just tried my best to get in that endzone for her."
On how exciting it was to have his mother here …
"It was exciting. I can't explain the feeling because this is the first time, but it felt great. Not only that but getting the win as well."
On how important it was to get the win in a close game …
"That was big. Going into conference with a win gives us confidence. It's a big confidence builder."
On what it took to come in and get this win tonight …
"I would say we have to excute better. I missed a lot of blocks and some other guys missed some blocks. On defense we have to wrap up better. We'll get it going into this next week."
Nick Stevens, (So., QB)
On the running game being able to secure the win...
"It shows that we're physical and that we can run the ball, because they knew we were probably going to run the ball. You don't want to throw the ball and get an incompletion and have the clock stop. They were down in there and we were still able to get yards running. We busted a big one on a sweep out there. It was awesome, and it was a big-time performance by our o-line and J.O."
Jasen Oden, Jr. (Sr., RB)
On being able to pull out a tough win on the road...
"I knew they were going to give us everything they've got, with them being 0-3. They were fighting for a win just like we were. When we went up 30-17 I knew they were going to come back strong, they weren't going to lay down. That was kind of the bump we had to get over as a team. We lost some close game and now we're going into conference."
On what it means to get an opportunity to carry the load...
"Coach Bobo…I believe that everything happened for a reason. I believe in God and I believe that God brought Coach Bobo here to help me out and continue to help me be a man, along with Coach Applewhite. Coach Applewhite has been a real father figure to me. He rides me every day because he believes in me. If there's one guy I really give thanks for I just give thanks to Bryan Applewhite. I've gotten better at so many of the little things, the details. Coach Bobo decided to put a lot of trust in me. He knows what I'm capable of and he told me that as long as I have a dream and as long as I'm doing what I'm doing I can accomplish what I've gotten. I'm going to continue to get better and continue to chase my dream."
On being able to run out the clock running the ball...
"We practice that well. We have a period in practice called the four-minute drill; trying to stay in bounds, trying to get time off the clock and trying to get first downs. We do a good job at it. That's one of those period where I'm always in, so when I looked up and I saw five minutes and something left and I saw the signal, I knew what time it was I was just going to have to suck it up and just put an 'S' on my chest like Coach Applewhite says and get the 3 or 4 yards. But I saw a play where a crease was and I hit the crease and tried to stay in bounds."
On what this win can do for the team...
"We knew they were going to give us their best shot and we had to fight. We knew we had to take the win, that the win wouldn't be given to us, that's going to make us better as a team. We have to still continue to get better at closing out game and get better in the second half, just continue to attack, attack, attack."
UTSA QUOTES:
LARRY COKER: Well, not much to say. Heck of a football game, especially if you didn't care who won, but we cared who won. We had our opportunities, and again, our kids played extremely hard, and the thing we talked about going into the game, we really self-destructed the last couple games. We have to try to limit the turnovers and eliminate some of the foolish penalties, and I think we did both of those things. Again, they had the one toss to -- obviously we were down in the red zone and they made a nice play. They're a good football team. We knew that coming in. They're very physical up front. You could see that as the game wore on. They had about 80 plays, we ran 50, so they're a good team. Give them credit. They've lost two games in overtimes to Power Five teams. So again, I'm just proud of the effort we gave. We've got to get better, and we've got to win. Just got to get a win.
And again, you talk about, well, in the conference next week we're 0-0. Well, that's true, but that doesn't do anything for us unless we take care of our act, and that's what we've got to do, and I think we've really worked hard to do that this past week. Got to continue to move in that direction.
Q. The running game, how pleased are you with what happened there tonight?
LARRY COKER: Well, very pleased. I feel much better with the offensive line. I guess that kind of shows. I think that's key. They're a really good defensive front. They are. And also I think Jarveon Williams is a really good running back. They knew that at Judson High School and all that here in the city, and we know it, also.
Q. Brett Winnegan had some really good returns. What did you see out of him?
LARRY COKER: Well, he's a good football player. He returned one for a touchdown which would have won the Arizona game for us but it got called back because of penalty, but he's a good football player. We had a lot of really young football players out there tonight that did a good job, and I think that's kind of encouraging. And Brett is definitely one of those. The thing is to me that was a big mismatch was their kickoff returns and our kickoff returns. We're starting on the 20, 25, they're starting on the 35, 40. Too much yardage on the returns.
Q. There was about five and a half minutes left in the game and y'all took the time-out on the 4th down. Can you take us through that real quick?
LARRY COKER: Yeah, I can because if we'd have had five more yards, probably -- we were out of range. Ours was 4th and long, and we weren't -- I felt like -- we actually pinned them deep in the territory andcouldn't stop them, and those are things that you have to do to have a chance to win a game like that. I was hoping we'd get in a position to -- I told Daniel, I said, you're going to win this game for us on a field goal for us, and then I thought we'd have an opportunity, but not at that distance. That was out of his range.
Q. I wanted to ask about Dalton Sturm. He came in and gave some really tough rushing yards for you guys, throwing so much. Was the plan to get the run game going?
LARRY COKER: Yes, Dalton is a good football player. He can throw the football, trust me. He's very accurate, got very good feet. He just doesn't have the experience, but I think we'll go ahead and bring him along. I think Blake played awfully well today, and Dalton came in and contributed to us, and we'll give him some more of the package.
Q. Back to that 4th down, I know you said the field goal was out of range, but did you call a time-out because you were considering going for it at that point?
LARRY COKER: Well, yeah, we needed to make a decision, yes. We needed to make a decision. You're in almost no-man's land, but what can we do to give us an opportunity? It's 4th down and long, and the fake would not do any good, but again, it's a situation where we did the right thing. We punted the ball, punted it deep in their territory, and they did a good job in the four-minute offense of getting it down the hole.
Q. Can you talk about Bogenschutz' interception there in the red zone? What did you see on that
play and just how it affected the game?
LARRY COKER: It cost us the game probably. That's how it affected us. We had to hit a field goal there and also a touchdown. But saying that, he didn't cost us the game. He gave us a chance in the game to win, but I think the thing that you see on the interception, I think he threw the ball a little bit behind the receiver. If it had been outside, I think he'd have been fine.
UTSA PLAYERS
Q. Jarveon, even though you guys didn't win the game, the way you played, do you have some
momentum going forward into conference play? What's your takeaway?
JARVEON WILLIAMS: I mean, there's definitely some positives to take away from this game, but like you said, we lost, so obviously we didn't do all the right things that we needed to do to get a win. We have to focus on those things and correct them in practice to take the
next step forward.
Q. Jarveon, in the first quarter came out for a little bit and then (inaudible) rushing history. Did the guys kind of spur you on?
JARVEON WILLIAMS: No. I mean, it was a pretty good hit, multiple times, multiple games, but I didn't really feel like another hit, so I just bounced up and got back in when my number was called.
Q. Eg, can you talk about what you were seeing defensively from them?
MICHAEL EGWUAGU: Yeah, I wanted to come in, the offensive line, they did one heck of a game. The running back, he's one of those backs where you have to bring your feet every time and you have to run your feet, so that's something we're going to definitely try and correct here in practice this week. But hats off to a great run game that they had. We're going to get back
at it this week.
Q. Blake and Jarveon, you guys have been trying to get that going all season. Tonight it was
clicking. Was that something that you guys came in saying we're going to run the football tonight?
BLAKE BOGENSCHUTZ: We knew we had to do better after last week, and I think both sides of the ball we knew we had to be better. But we have to get to where we're a two-dimensional team where it's not one over the other or passing over rushing. There needs to be an equal amount, and I think that's when we're going to be at our best, when we're not necessarily 50/50 on our play calling but 50/50 on how effective we are with it.
Q. Blake, you connected a couple times with Aaron Taylor on some really great plays. You got him 60 yards if I'm right. Have you guys been connecting in practice?
BLAKE BOGENSCHUTZ: It's about next man up. I mean, if somebody goes down and Aaron Taylor needs to step in, he's done a great job. He's one of those guys that's going to work hard. He stays after practice and he runs routes, and he's one of those guys that's just a straight work-hard guy. He's not like the rest of the guys in that he doesn't have blazing speed, but he works hard, and it really does show off. You don't have to have the talent that everybody else does, the speed or anything like that. He's a great route runner and he has great technique and hard worker. Can't say enough about him. He did a great job.
Q. Blake, on your interception, when the play broke down, it looked like Jarveon broke free, but were you rolling back to your left? Was that what happened? Can you run us through that play?
BLAKE BOGENSCHUTZ: Right, yeah. We were looking for Jarveon back side, and we saw that he was covered and I got some pressure and rolled out, and didn't think it was a bad decision but it was a bad throw, and I can't do that.
Q. I wanted to ask about Colorado State's third quarter. Did they do anything different? Did they run any different stuff at you? What was going on out there in the third?
MICHAEL EGWUAGU: I mean, with the third quarter, what we have to do as a defense, we really have to anticipate them coming out on fire in the third quarter. For some reason we have a history of lacking in the third quarter, and so that's what showed tonight. I wouldn't say that they did anything different, but we just have to come in with a different focus after halftime knowing that, okay, they're about to try and get after us right here. It's just more of us. It was on us.
Q. Jarveon, have you ever run 85 yards before?
JARVEON WILLIAMS: In high school.
Q. Can you run us through that play?
JARVEON WILLIAMS: No, it was a tower. We run it a thousand times a week, and the safety kind of took a bad angle, and I just kind of stretched out my pass, and the rest is history.
Q. Obviously it's been a rough four-game stretch, but that's over. Conference play starts. Does that give you guys a new attitude, a new sense of direction, not that those four games weren't for real, but conference play starts?
BLAKE BOGENSCHUTZ: We want to win every game, and we're coming out of this with no moral victories. I say it every time we have a loss; there's nothing good out of this game. Yeah, we can take here and there we had some good plays or whatever. It doesn't matter if we rush for 500 and we lose the ballgame. We have to win, whatever it takes to win. If we have to score 100 or we have to score five, it doesn't matter; we need to win the ballgame, and that's what we're looking to do.
