Sept. 18, 2006
Head Coach Gary Pinkel
Opening Statement
"We're preparing for Ohio University now. We're very impressed with them on film. Defensively, they have nine starters back, they have size and speed, and they've played very well this year. Offensively, they do some of the things we do on offense in terms of the spread offense. They also have some power offense which is parallel to what Coach (Frank) Solich had done when he was at Nebraska. I have tremendous respect for him. I always have and I always will as a colleague and as a very well coached football team that he has. Certainly we expect that to be a great challenge for us."
On overcoming mistakes as a team:
"I felt the preparation (for Missouri's game against New Mexico) was exceptional. We just made some mistakes and unfortunately some of the mistakes we made were very significant mistakes. That's the responsibility the quarterback, receivers, tight ends and running backs have with the football. It comes with the position. We're going to make some, but you have to overcome those mistakes as a football team. When you throw an interception for a touchdown, fumble going into the end zone and when you go for fourth and one inside the 10 yard line, that's a 21 point swing in a football game. Emotionally, that obviously had significance. But you're going to make some (mistakes), hopefully we'll reduce those. We'll do a better job coaching, the players will do a better job focusing, and when we do make them (mistakes), hopefully we can deal with them in the right way. I felt, for the most part, we dealt with those blows as they occurred."
On defensive end Brian Smith earning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week:
"Smitty played a great game. I'm very pleased with his efforts. He was all over the field as you all saw. What has to happen for anybody to make Big 12 Player of the Week is: No. 1, your team has to do well. No. 2, the side of the ball you are on has to do well and then your outstanding performance can be recognized."
On kicker Jeff Wolfert:
"With Jeff being a diver, an individual sport, where you have the focus on you, it certainly has to help him when he gets in a stadium in front of thousands of people to be able to perform in that type of pressure. I think that probably assisted him in his ability to be able to do it (kick field goals). Thus far, we're pleased with him, but once he gets outside a particular point on the field, he doesn't kick that consistent, and I just think we have to work with him more because he's got a good enough leg to move him out further. I think he's done a lot good things and we're pleased with his efforts."
On defensive end Xzavie Jackson:
"I'm very pleased with his performance, his work ethic, attitude, everything. He's been doing a great job. The second he came back into the program, he was embraced as we do all our players. We're very pleased with how far he's worked, his attitude and his play."
On getting Ohio's best shot:
"They [Ohio] look at the opportunity as a moment to prove themselves, that `We're pretty darn good too.' We saw it happen last Friday night, and we saw it happen to us in 2001 and 2002. We will get their best performance, but it still boils down to us focusing on Missouri getting better and respecting who we're playing. I think in order for us to achieve our goals as a team, we're going to have to continue to improve. We have to do a lot better this week than we did in week one. Good teams can do that, and good teams do that, they get a lot better. And that's something I think is real important."
Missouri Player Quotes
On last Saturday's performance:
"We started off slow, and the in between quarters weren't good at all. But, I was real proud of our team handling the diversity. Our defense stepped it up as well and were always there to pick us up."
On having two tight ends (Chase Coffman and Martin Rucker):
"Any quarterback with those two kinds of playmakers would love that. They do a really good job and they are almost incredible in my mind. They just need to keep on working to get better for the team."
On how the running game relieves some personal pressure:
"(Tony) Temple's been running real well and so has (Marcus) Woods, (Earl) Goldsmith, and Jimmy (Jackson). All of them are aggressive. All of them are getting their touches and making the most out of it. It's really good to have the running game come along, and that will only help the passing game throughout the year."
On why he is so good at a young age:
"It comes from my high school days. Spending all that time with Coach (Todd) Hodge who has been teaching me to be a quarterback since eighth grade. I've been working at quarterback ever since. This offense; I've been around my whole life. I know the reads; I know the throws, so I just have to make them."
On the injury of Ziggy Hood:
"It was kind of a bad thing to see for him. He's a strong guy and I know he's going to bounce back. It saddened me more because he knew the kind of season he was having so far and it's going to be cut a little bit short. He is strong though, because the next day he was in his room playing `Halo,'so he'll bounce back fine."
On if a teammates injury ever affects the mind set of the team while on the field:
"No, because if you think about getting injured, then it is going to happen. When you're out on the field of battle you don't think about it."
On battling positions and how it affects personal relationships :
"I'm like the number four guy on the line and I'm always fighting for a spot. Once you get off the football field, those guys become my family. The guys on the defensive line are the ones I always hang out with. They are always going to be my brothers, but we do compete when we step on that field."
On what the team can accomplish this season:
"We've always wanted to take the (Big 12) North title, and I've always thought we could. We can become the favorites to take the North and I think that would be great for the program and excellent for the confidence of all the guys."
On the team being 3-0:
"We have to focus on the games one at a time. I know that's been said to where it's become a cliché. That's how it's got to be; focusing on the now, instead of dwelling on the past where you can't do anything about it."
On sometimes forgetting how young Chase Daniel is...
"A lot of times I do think that, but he's been doing this offense for how long? He's going on a lot of years of experience with this offense. We know that he knows how to do it."
On Mizzou receiving Big 12 Player of the Week recognition for the third consecutive week:
"Oh wow. Everyone's out there playing real hard, and you really can't put a label on that."
On if Mizzou could win another player of the week for the fourth time in a row making it the first time ever:
"There's a first time for everything, and right now...it's looking pretty good. The way everyone has been playing so hard on the field, I would not be surprised if one of us did get it again."
On if the team believes it has taken the Big 12 Conference by surprise:
"Sure, we've surprised a lot of people with what we have done. It's definitely a lot better than what people thought of us without Brad Smith. As far as the conference, at the Big 12 convention; a lot of the coaches were giving us props. So, I don't know if we've taken the conference by surprise, but I know we're going to do a lot better than people thought."