Mizzou/Kansas State Post-Game Quotes
11/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 8, 2008
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Post-Game Press Conferences: Pinkel
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MU Players | Kansas State Coach Ron Prince | Kansas State Players
Missouri Head Coach Gary Pinkel
Thoughts on the game:
"It was a great day because we had a victory for Aaron O'Neal and for our seniors. That was the primary goal. We want to keep winning in November, we want to stay in the hunt but it was most important for all those guys. We did a lot of good things and I certainly think our defense played exceptionally well. I'm proud of our football team, we're 8-2 now we want to be 9-2. We'll start practicing for Iowa State tomorrow."
On becoming Big 12 North Champions:
"We just have to focus and continue to try to become a better football team, and we want to play our best football in November. There are a lot of things out there but we just have to continue to take care of business."
On the offense not playing as well tonight:
"I'm not sure what our total numbers are, we're disappointed because we only had 511 yards of total offense. I think we set such a high bar of consistency and execution that when you do it in a sort of way that you are not used to seeing you feel the frustration.
But that's okay because Jeremy Maclin is a warrior and a competitor and we put a lot of things in for him. We put him in the running game tonight. We had a lot of good performances out there tonight."
On defense against Kansas State:
"Our defense played exceptionally well against a good quarterback, and a football team that has done some really good things."
On the Missouri Tiger Senior Class:
"There is a lot of season left but they have done so much for our program. As we continue to build our program, they've set a bar. I'll forever be indebted to them. It took me seven minutes into the first quarter before I got my head together and these kids mean so much to me."
Coach Pinkel | Kansas State Coach Ron Prince | Kansas State Players
MU Player Quotes
Senior QB Chase Daniel
On the Big 12 North:
"A lot of things worked out for us I think Kansas lost that helped, but we have to go to Iowa State take care of business. We cant overlook them and we're going to their house and that's something we definitely have to think about. Their going to be playing their best game."
Sophomore TB Derrick Washington
About the offense:
"We have a lot of real athletes and at any given time we can make a big play. When we first get in there we want to make a first down to start the drive and once we do that everything then clicks and big plays happen."
About Jeremy Maclin:
"Jeremy Maclin's game makes things easier for the running back and for everybody. He's an amazing athlete. He comes out on special teams, he catches the ball on pass plays, he'll run the ball; he does everything."
Sophomore WR/KR/PR Jeremy Maclin
About his 56-yard run:
"I saw the gap. Wes [Kemp] and Tommy [Saunders] did a great job of opening up the gap and when you see the gap you've got to go for it and go full speed with no hesitation."
About Iowa State:
"If we beat Iowa State that's great, but we don't go in there thinking that we can just sit there and play and win the game. We want to win out, that's our goal. We control our own destiny and we're not worried about everyone else, we're just worried about getting our job done."
Senior S William Moore
On the pregame Senior Day ceremony:
"It was tough. I've been with these guys for three years. We've cried together and bleed together. That's my family out there and Tommy [Saunders] is a prime example. He's taught me a lot. At first it was pretty emotional, then we got into a grove and realized what we came here for. Senior night means a lot especially with the win and the way we went out there and played defense. I went out there and wore the [No. 25] jersey with pride or at least I tried to."
About the last home game:
"It was very emotional as far as playing the last game here with the guys and I love them to death. I'm glad I got a rock [from the Rock M]. I've seen a lot of seniors come through and grab a rock and couldn't wait to get mine."
Senior QB Chase Patton
Feelings on the last home game:
"It hit me coming out of the tunnel but once we got into the game I kind of forgot about it because it was time to play."
On throwing his first touchdown pass:
"It was great, but there are so many other important things like being a part of this team and the relationships that were built. But it's definitely something I can hold onto."
Coach Pinkel | MU Players | Kansas State Players
Kansas State Head Coach Ron Prince
Opening Statement:
"It was a good team tonight. I thought our players gave a terrific effort all night. I thought in the first quarter, defensively, we played a pretty solid game. For three years we've played pretty solidly in the first half defensively against these guys. They just have too many playmakers. They have a great team .The winningest class that's been through this program. It wasn't that long ago that they were a .500 team and had some questions and doubts and their coaches and their players pulled through. I told our players tonight that will be their obligation...to do that for Kansas State here in the coming years. I'm really pleased with how the kids continued to battle all through the game. Our kids played hard. We just played against a really good team, and there's no shame in that."
On This Week's Preparation:
"It hasn't been difficult at all. We've stayed on our normal practice schedule. The kids' focus has been terrific. We prepare some of these game plans in the off-season. We had some ideas on how we wanted to deal with Missouri's offense. It's so unique. There may be one or two teams in the nation that do some of the things conceptually that they do so you don't see it week in and week out. You have to prepare for it in spring ball and in training camp. From a preparation standpoint, our coaches and players did a good job. There was no lack in preparation."
On Missouri's Defense:
"I think they're terrific. I think they are very underrated on their defensive front. A lot of really mature bodies. Number 94 (Ziggy Hood) is a terrific player but they've got the big safety so if you do get the ball that may go through for a three or four yard gain, but that's it. And the safeties come down, and they put an end to it right there. They don't miss tackles. You're constantly chasing points because of how good they are offensively. We were attempting to run. We just didn't run for enough of an average early to really be able to run and convert on third down, so it was just too little, too late."
On Kansas State's Fake Field-Goal Attempt:
"They've been a very consistent middle rush team on field goal blocks for a number of years now. It was an excellent job by them because the player we had in conflict, he passed off the first receiver and came and covered the other guy. We have not seen them do that, so that was a good play by them. We thought there was an opportunity there, and then we also wanted to make sure that we could go and try to get a lead in the game by being aggressive early, and that's what we were going to attempt to do."
Coach Pinkel | MU Players | Kansas State Coach Ron Prince
Kansas State Player Quotes
Sophomore CB Joshua Moore
On Ron Prince's termination as head coach:
"You know I can't really talk about that right now. I'm just really focused on playing Nebraska this week. I just went out there and wanted to get this win and hopefully get the next two. That's all I was thinking about, just getting this win."
On the team's focus this week:
"I just feel that the team will have to come together now and focus on getting to a bowl game. We can still be bowl eligible if we win these next two. So I think the team is more focused on that.
On the team's unity:
"We came together a little. We just have to come out every time and just keep fighting, fighting if we're down, fighting if we're up. We just need to come out every week and I hope we get a win on Saturday."
On containing Missouri's offense:
"Every offense you play in the Big 12 is going to have a lot of weapons. We knew coming into this game that Chase Daniel was going to be a factor, Maclin was going to be a factor. We just had to go out and execute. We didn't do that. As a defense I feel like we let them down."
Junior CB Blair Irvin
On Missouri as a team:
"They have good players. They have good talent on their team. If you don't play every down with them they're liable to make plays. I wish I could have done better but we're going to work harder and get ready for Nebraska. They are a very good team, they have talent everywhere. Coach (Prince) tried to put us in the best position to make plays and we just tried to do our best. Maclin and the other guys on the team are very good athletes."
On Coach Prince's termination:
"I think its best not even to speak about it right now. We are so focused on these next two games, its hard to think about anything else. We love football, we want to play, we want to win and we're going to keep doing what it takes to win. As far as everything else, we can't control anything. All we can do is play ball and get to a bowl game."
On his interception:
"It felt really good. We prepared all week. We knew he was a very good quarterback, as you can see. I just made the play, broke on the ball and that was it."
Junior TE Jeron Mastrud
On the game as a whole:
"We just failed to execute on some big plays. It was just a lack of execution offensively for us."
On Coach Prince's termination:
"We're playing for Coach Prince. Everyone's for the coach, everyone's playing for the team and for each other out there. It's not about that. It's about us coming out to win games. It's not about `we don't think he can coach.' Whatever the game plans is, we're going to come out and run it."
On Kansas State's reserve players:
"We had some different guys come in the game that stepped up and played well for us. Granted, we did have a turnover when we were in there still at the end but we came out and ran the offense we prepared for."
