Missouri Football Press Conference
11/1/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 1, 2004
Head Coach Gary Pinkel
Opening Comments:
"As always we are in preparation. I made an announcement earlier today that Damien Nash was reinstated. He will play (but) to what extent, that will be determined later in the week. I met with him on Sunday."
On the Players Emotional Status:
"You've got anger, you've got frustration, you've got anxiety; you've got all of those things because they prepare hard and they've worked hard. You learn from it and move on, and there's a lot out there. The leadership of the team, myself, the coaches, everybody, we've got to keep our focus and put everything in our preparation for the next game. We don't sit around here and feel sorry for ourselves and do stuff like that. We try to solve problems and get better, and I have been very pleased with our football team, but it does take its toll."
On Missouri's History with Kansas State:
"We have a lot of respect for their program and what they have accomplished over the years with them winning a championship last year. When you lose two or three games like we have there's only one thing that's going to make that better and that's winning. This is also about Missouri trying to get back into the winner's circle."
On Learning From These Last Few Weeks:
"I think you find out about yourself. I think you find out what you are made of as a competitor. It's easy when you're winning. To deal with adversity, to be able to bounce back, all those cliché's you hear about that you talk about athletes that have adversity and bounce back and achieve great things, it's true. We're finding out, the jury is still out. You just have to keep your persistence."
On the Parallel between Darren Sproles and Brad Smith:
"It wouldn't be fair to make a parallel there. I am not sure what Sproles' problems were. I understand he was going through some adversity, which all athletes do. A lot of things Brad is going through are out of his control, people defend him. Since the spring, people said they were going to do things to defend him. What we have to do is execute in areas a lot better than what we're doing."
On Brad Smith Trying to Become a Balanced Quarterback:
"Since last March, I have talked about him (Brad) becoming a better passer. I anticipated these things happen. It was going to be important for us to throw the football better, and that's the reason I did it. I think we have thrown the football well, but we have to throw more efficiently, and certainly we have to run the football. It's a combination of all those things."
On Getting Inside the Opponent's 30-Yard Line:
"I think that the field gets much shorter, and it's easier to defend. So what happens is if you can run the ball better, it helps your efficiency. You can't spread people out pass wise like you can on other parts of the field. I think our numbers were up there the first few games, and the last couple, we haven't done as well. Certainly, it wasn't good enough."
On the Nebraska Game:
"My biggest disappointment on Saturday's game was to think that I would coach a football team that would give up fourteen points in their punting game. You talk about embarrassing; you talk about indictment against me as a head football coach of a program that builds itself and takes pride. You're not going to win any games doing that; you don't have a chance! I think our offense was a lot more productive than there's was, but they didn't hand us fourteen points."
On Matching Up Against Kansas State:
"They have the two quarterbacks, and both have done a good job. I am not sure who's going to play, but we'll be prepared for both. (Darren) Sproles, he murdered us last year, he just dominated our football team. We have a lot of respect for him, and the great player that he is. Kansas State is a very well coached football team; Coach Snyder and what he's done, he has just done a great job, and we haven't beat him. The only way we're going to feel better is by getting a victory. They do some different things with each quarterback, but not drastic things. They're a typical K-State defense. They run well, they're a very physical football team. It's going to be a challenge, especially the way we have struggled."
Sean Coffey
On having a three-game losing streak:
"It's real frustrating. It feels like we're not holding up our end for the defense. They have been playing some good football for the last couple of weeks. We've just got to work on that. Once we get our game plan going, we'll just have to focus and get as close to perfect as we can."
On what it is going to take to spark the offense:
"We need the guys that can make plays to make plays. That is something that we all know and we've just got to do."
On Kansas State's defense:
"The Kansas State defense has been the same every year that I've been here. We've just got to study them and be prepared to play."
On all the Missouri players never beating Kansas State in their careers:
"That's got to be something to think about. Who wants to have a record of just not being able to beat somebody, so everybody's aware of that. Things like that, you take kind of personal. It should be a good motivator for us."
Scott Paffrath
On Brad Smith not running the ball as much:
"If I knew, I would probably be somewhere else than right here. I don't know, but it's the same way with the running backs. We haven't broken a lot of long runs this year, and that's our problem up front. We have too many breakdowns up front. As one of the leaders up front, that's my fault, too. I've got to have the guys in order. We've just got to work that much harder."
Brad Smith
On being more hesitant than he used to be:
"I don't think I've changed anything in the way I think or play. Overall, I just try to make plays and lead the team."
On people's expectations of his performance:
"People talk and make their opinions. All I can control is what I do on the field, and how it can improve from week to week. That's where my focus is at."
On having three running backs now that Damien Nash is back:
"That's up to Coach Pinkel and what the assistant coaches want to do. We're going to do whatever we can to help out the team. Whoever can get the job done will play."
On how he feels after his injury:
"I feel good. I definitely feel a lot better than when I hurt it. I'm just going day by day, trying to get better. I just rolled it. That's all, nothing too big."
On his first game against Nebraska:
"I'm happy I had the opportunity to play. It was my first college game. I'd been looking forward to it since my senior year. I was just glad to be out there."
