Sept. 27, 2004
Columbia, Mo. -
Missouri Head Coach Gary Pinkel
Opening statement...
"The players have off today, as we do every Monday. Last week we got a lot of things accomplished as far as what you want to get done during bye weeks. You want to rest, jump ahead academically or get caught up, heal some injuries, get better as a football team and prepare for your next opponent. We did a combination of all those things, and we're excited about the opportunity to play a very good football team."
On the importance of winning the Big XII opener...
"Every game is important. Any coach wouldn't be truthful if they said the first conference game wasn't important. Everybody wants to win their first conference game, it's like the first game of the season. You want to start off in a positive way. There are a lot of big games, and Colorado has been one of the top teams in the division since I've been here. It's a really important game, and it's a game we're excited about playing."
On Colorado entering the game with a 3-0 record...
"(Gary Barnett) is a good football coach. Only he knows about the inside dynamics of that team, and he's said all along that he thought they were growing closer as a team. They have a returning starting quarterback, and that's always a very positive thing. I'm not surprised at all because (Barnett) is a good football coach."
On whether Missouri's non-conference schedule has prepared them for conference play...
"I never really look at it like that. I've never set a schedule to prepare us for conference play."
On sophomore linebacker Marcus Bacon...
"Marcus has been playing quite a bit, and he's very competitive. Obviously, this week is going to be his first start. Our defensive scheme, whether we get in a base defense, nickel defense or dime defense, allows us to adjust people. I'm sure he's excited about the opportunity, and he's very athletic. It's going to be a task, because we're playing a really good running back, but I'm sure he's excited."
On senior linebacker Henry Sweat moving to outside linebacker...
"You always try to prepare your most experienced guys to be able to move and learn. Generally, the most experienced can play several spots. He's a player who could probably play all three spots. He's studied and prepared for that, so we'll see how it goes."
On the reason that senior wide receiver Thomson Omboga has been returning punts...
"We just felt that he was doing a little bit better in practice. He was more consistent, and because of that we decided to try him there and move him up to that spot."
On what he looks for from a punt returner...
"Number one you have to be able to catch it, because if you don't do that you've got problems. Number two, you obviously want an impact player there, a guy who can make plays. I think (Shirdonya Mitchell) will return some punts eventually. The number one priority anytime a coach puts a punt returner back there is catching the ball."
On Colorado running back Bobby Purify...
"He's a good athlete who can run, and he's got size. He's just a very talented player, and he was before he got hurt. He's a very impressive guy."
On Colorado's wide receivers...
"They're just inexperienced players as far as numbers of games played, but they're really good athletes. (The coaching staff) does a really great job recruiting. They did a great job against North Texas. Their offensive line is big and strong, like all Colorado lines are. They like to get the running game going and play action out to hit tight ends and receivers. Just because you don't have returning starters, it doesn't mean you don't have good football players."
On stopping the run against Colorado...
"You constantly work on everything. Sometimes you have a problem one game and don't have it the next. We constantly focus on trying to become a better run defense, a better pass defense, to put more pressure on the quarterback, to run the ball better and to throw the ball better. It's a constant attitude of trying to improve."
On Colorado quarterback Joel Klatt...
"We played against him last year, and he's a good player. He's a quick athlete, he's got a good arm and he's very athletic. He's an experienced player, and you would always prefer to have a team that doesn't have an experienced quarterback coming in. The offense has a lot of confidence in him."
On junior wide receiver Sean Coffey...
"If you looked at Sean last year, as a sophomore, you saw a player who made some plays, like in the Nebraska game, then not even resemble the same player. You see a player now that is maturing, and a player that worked hard in the off-season. He understood that consistency is critical for him. He has great big play potential, and we've all see that, with his size. We're seeing a much more consistent football player."
MISSOURI PLAYER QUOTES
On the upcoming game vs. Colorado:
"We know that they are 3-0 right now. They're a good football team. We've just got to go out there and play our game."
On the upcoming game having any revenge factor to it:
"I don't look at it as a revenge game. I look at it as another step we've got to take. Every Big 12 game is a big game, so we're just going to look at it as another game we've got to play in order to achieve our goals, and Colorado is the team right now that we've got to beat."
On the bye-week:
"On the bye-week you've just got to look at it as a way to go out there and practice and get better. We don't need to look at it like we need to play a game every week because every practice makes us better. You get anxious and want to go out there and play, but it is just part of our schedule, so we use the practice to get better."
Nino Williams II
On how Missouri's defense has been playing:
"We are playing pretty well, and pretty consistent. I think that we can make a mistake of dwelling on that. We need to take steps forward and not look back. Enjoy it, but just keep getting better."
On the areas that the defense needs to get better in:
"Every area. I don't think we're doing any area well enough, in particular, where we can just quit working on it. We just have to stay with the fundamentals; tackling, playing aggressive, and being emotional. If we can do that then everything else will take care of itself."
On how big of a game this is:
"It's real big. We hurt ourselves with the loss against Troy, but now we've got a chance to rebound against a good football team, and also get the bad taste out of our mouths. We did that a little bit last time, but this week coming up will be a big week."
On Colorado's running back:
"For me, this is like my third time facing him. He's a good running back. He's got a lot of aggression. He's back, and he's a good running back. He runs hard, he's quick, and he's experienced."
On Marcus Bacon filling in for David Richard this week:
"It's going to be the same game being played. That's why you've got back-ups. Bacon's been doing a good job anyways, and he's going to get some time. It's a three-man rotation. David Richard comes in his spot, and then Bacon, or Simpson, and sometimes David Overstreet. It's been the same all year."
On getting comfortable at the corner position:
"I got real comfortable last spring, and I'm still trying to get more comfortable at it. As I continue to play more and work hard, I think I'll be a lot more comfortable."
On anything from the offensive side carrying over to the defensive side:
"I've never really thought about that. I think I'll have a better chance at catching the ball."
On being a physical player:
"I'm trying to be physical. Our coach really emphasizes on being physical. On defense you've got to be physical period. I'm just trying to make plays, and of course I'm trying to be physical. I'm feeling pretty confident."
On Missouri's receiving team this year:
"Our receivers have always been good, and they're always going to make plays. We're just more on the same page this year and know what to look for, we need to take advantage of that."
On how much better a player he can be:
"I can be a lot better. I see it everyday, I see things, and I'm learning. There are things that I didn't know that could be done that I can do now, and that we can do as a team."
On being more comfortable making the decision to pass the ball or run:
"I think I am. These last three games and over the spring and fall have helped. Just being in certain positions where I can see that and get a feel for it. It's a tough thing to balance between those two, but you just have to get a feel for it. I think I feel more comfortable now."
On Colorado being a big game:
"Any Big 12 game is a big game. It's just a different feel. We're going against different players, and I'm a different kind of guy so it's big. You get pumped up in a different kind of way, not more, but it is important."