Missouri-Kansas Quotes
10/26/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 26, 2002
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Missouri Quotes
Missouri Head Coach Gary Pinkel
On the victory:
"We're pleased. When you become head coach, a quarterback, or your any member of this football team, you have a responsibility for this game. The day I got here I found that out. You do this not just for your football team. You do this for every player that ever wore a uniform, the alumni, and everybody else out there because it's so very important to all of them. This is a very good win."
On how the team played:
"We struggled at the beginning a little bit in the first half. Our defense kept them out of the end zone most of the time. Offensively, we were really struggling. We decided in the second half to crank up the run. When you have problems with one thing, you fall back on the other. Hopefully, we'll be able to sort all those things out. We had some kicking plays in the second half that I'm used to seeing. Trust me. We're not there yet, by any means. When you get field position, it certainly helps. "
On the running game:
"I thought T.J. (Leon) and Tyrone (Roberson) did a good job. They definitely stood up and were accounted for. When you look at T.J., he's a guy we moved from fullback to tight end/R-back at one time. He's a guy that kind of floated in the program since I've been here. I decided going into two-a-days that if he was going to help this football team, running back would be the spot. He certainly was going to help us in goal line and short yardage situations, but with injuries, that's where he is right now. He did some good things."
On Kansas Quarterback Bill Whittemore:
"What a tough kid. I'd coach him in a minute. My hat's off to him. I hope he's okay. You talk about tough. He got hit a lot prior to his injury. I pray he's okay."
On what's going through his head right now:
"I'm really going to enjoy this, but we've got a huge game against Iowa State next weekend. I was on the sideline with about five or six minutes left, and I was thinking about what we're going to have to do to have a good chance to win that game. We're going to play a real good football team."
Missouri senior cornerback R.J. Jones
On the post-game celebration:
"We really don't like Kansas. We wanted the fans to run out on the field, but I guess they needed some motivation so we ran towards the goalpost first, and then they came."
Missouri senior linebacker Sean Doyle
On Kansas quarterbacks Whittemore and Weatherbie:
"That (forcing Whittemore out of the game) really helped us. We'd been trying to get to him all game, and we finally did. His backup seemed to be a little nervous, so we kept pressure on and that seemed to affect him as well."
Missouri senior wide receiver Justin Gage
On his 62-yard touchdown reception:
"It was a screen pass. The line did a great job of opening some holes and making some defenders shrink. It was an open hole so I hit it and took it too the house."
Missouri freshman quarterback Brad Smith
On his 75-yard touchdown run:
"It's a pretty good play. It kind of worked well today. I was just thinking run. I didn't want to get caught by the defense or by Gage who was right behind me."
Missouri senior tailback T.J. Leon
On Missouri's second half control:
"I felt like we were in better condition at times. It was a lot of fun to get out there, and I felt like we did take control of the game in the third quarter."
