Nov. 22, 2004
Missouri Head Coach Gary Pinkel
Opening Statement:
"Dan (McCarney) has done a great job this year with the Iowa State football team. They really started of slow... now they have had back-to back-to-back wins, just really playing well. They have a strong defense, very sound defense, their quarterback playing better each and every week. They posted a lot more yards, than what their average is per game. Defensively they are very sound and very aggressive, and playing very good football right now. So that is what we are faced with now and what we are preparing for."
On the importance of the game...
"Well that is what you are faced with so you just deal with it. You created the problem and that is where we are at. Obviously we would like to finish on a positive note, considering the difficulties that we have had."
On recruiting linemen...
Were recruiting... we almost always will recruit a player there if we can find one. Some times you try to get some and it just does not work out. A couple of years ago we got Brissette and Sanchez. Because offensive and defensive line are so hard to find a mature and a lot of times because of attrition and such, but we always look at those areas."
On Iowa State...
"They are playing very good defense and their turnover margin is good they are very opportunistic, and a young Quarterback that has played ... Myers has pretty much taken over. They get a couple of wins in a row and the confidence builds, and you are playing with all cylinders going. They also have a very good defense. The kicking game is sound and you do not turn the ball over and you have a win streak going."
Missouri Player Quotes
On breaking the single-season touchdown reception record...
"It's an honor to be a part of this school's history, but it was a pretty bad mix this weekend so I didn't really celebrate it. I am appreciative of it, and I hope to go after it again next year and break my own record."
On breaking the record...
"I got more opportunities than any of the players in the whole season, but I earned that. I owe a lot of credit to the coaches and everyone else on the team. I am thankful for the opportunities I got that I took advantage of."
On playing Iowa State this weekend...
"It's going to be tough, but this is what we do. We've just got love for the game. I'm still excited to play this weekend because it is another opportunity to play. After this it will be another seven to nine months before I get to play again, besides spring ball, so I am excited about it (the game) more than ever."
On what can get the team pumped up for the upcoming game...
"We've got to do it. It's the competition out there that matters. We're not really playing for anything, but we've got to go out there and be ready to compete, that's it."
On dealing with a tough season...
"It's just something you have to deal with. It makes you hunger more and want more, and it makes the next season come faster."
On William Franklin's performance during the Kansas game...
"I always said that Will was a play-maker. We all knew he was good. When he got out there he showed us. We will see big things out of him, and he showed that in just one game."
On where the team stands after having a tough season...
"I am confident in the program, my teammates, and everyone involved with it. We're definitely disappointed about the way things turned out, but we can look forward to the future."
On the upcoming game against Iowa State...
"We are just competitors and we want to go out and compete and play to win."
On this season...
"We may not have played every team the way we hoped to, but it was a learning experience. We learned a lot about our team and what we're about."