Aug. 27, 2007

Head Coach Gary Pinkel
Opening Statement:
"There comes a time when you just want to go out and play. It was fun Saturday to start preparation for Illinois. It was fun getting into game week, and for us, from this point on, it's very typical to what we'll do the rest of the season. What was different this week was we put a couple extra days of preparation in for Illinois."

On injuries:
"From the injury standpoint, as you look at our football team, Hardy Ricks was cleared and we expect him to play. Marcus Woods is cleared. For the most part, we're in pretty good shape. As a football team, we just need to go in and take our time. That's our injury update to this point."

On the atmosphere of this weekend's game in St. Louis:
"Speaking of this game, we're excited to be playing in the (Edward Jones) Dome. We're excited about playing in St. Louis. It's a great atmosphere, and they do a great job in putting on a first class national football game. Certainly with ESPN2 and all that goes with that, there's a great excitement."

On cornerback Darnell Terrell:
"He's got so many tools, he's a big corner. Big corners that can move and are as athletic as he is are hard to find. But certainly, Brock Christopher, Lorenzo Williams, Ziggy Hood, and Stryker Sulak, all these guys have started football games and we expect for us to have good defense. Those guys have to raise their level of play. That allows the younger players to get experience and improve themselves."

On defending Illinois quarterback Juice Williams:
"You have to be able to contain him and know where he is at all times on the field. That's easier said than done. You simulate him the best you can. This guy is definitely a quarterback. He's got a good arm. He's a sophomore and he's going to be a lot better."

On controlling the game clock:
"You have to get more three-and-outs on defense. That will help. We can't turn over the football on offense. But bottom line, is that we have to be better against the run."

Missouri Player Quotes
Tyler Luellen
On the offensive line getting ready for the first game:
"As an offensive line unit, we go out taking a risk in what we do, plus keeping the hits off Chase [Daniel]. I think that gives us more of an incentive to go out and give more than ever. We're playing a good Big Ten team in Illinois, so that gives us more of an adrenaline rush to get going." On getting the ball rolling:
"We've been getting the cobwebs out for the last two weeks, but once we get that ball rolling, it's going to feel so good to be out there with the team. We're finally playing other people, instead of your own teammates, so that gets us all fired up for this weekend." On the offensive line being more competitive:
"We know what we're doing. All of us are veterans of this offense. We don't have any questions about getting it done. We just need to go out there and communicate because we know we can do it, so that's what will happen." Tony Temple
On how much this game matters to the season:
"People need to understand that Illinois is great team. Everyone may not realize it with all the hype, but they are great on defense. We're looking forward to a competitive game." On remembering previous Missouri vs. Illinois games:
"My senior year [in high school] Brad [Smith] was still young. I was just flipping the channels at home and saw it on, and that game was really fun." On what will be a season success:
" A lot of people want to throw numbers out there, but those people forget that our offense has so many weapons. There might be some games that I will only get five to six carries, but I have to make those the best five or six carries that I get. I just need to do what's best for this team, so we can get better to win." Pig Brown
On forcing Illinois to pass:
"When you have to play a team that was number one in the Big Ten and top 10 in the nation, it's going to be a challenge making them throw the ball." On getting tired of facing teammates:
"It's real time. It feels really good to finally get a chance to play someone else." On having Darnell Terrell at cornerback:
"He's very valuable to our team. He's one of the best corners in the Big 12. When you have a guy like that on your team, it takes a lot of pressure off. He's about 6-3 and 210 pounds, which is NFL size, so he's way above the standard." Chase Daniel
On looking back at last season:
"I think you always look back at the season saying I should have done this or done that better, but I think all our focus right now is on Illinois. We're preparing for them and doing everything possible to get ready for them." On the game becoming slower:
"I think that [the game] has slowed down a lot. The more it slows down, the more comfortable you are. That also means there are more plays to be made. My job this year is to definitely get the ball to those eight receivers and sit back and tell them that they did a great job." On Colin Brown:
"He's one of the most tenacious competitors and hitters that we have on this team. I think that's what the coaches like to see, and I think he will only get better because he's such a hard worker. Colin deserved this because he's one of the better players overall on the whole entire team. Looking back at film from what I've seen, Colin's one of the best on this team."