Mizzou/Iowa State Post-Game Quotes
11/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 21, 2009
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MU Players | Iowa State Coach Paul Rhoads
Missouri Head Coach Gary Pinkel
Opening Statement:
"First of all, congratulations to Iowa State. They really had a good year. He (Iowa State's Head Coach Paul Rhoads) just did an outstanding job with their program and all that they have been through the past few years. I'm very proud of our football team. For our seniors and me it was a really emotional day, as it always is. I really feel good that they can come out of The Zou with their last game here, with a victory. It means a lot to me personally and a lot to the players. It was a great fourth quarter win. You don't want to be in the final quarter and have to win football games, but those kinds of wins help you the rest of this year and next. A lot of players did a lot of good things today and we did a lot of things in the fourth quarter today to win the football game."
Derrick Washington's status:
"He definitely has a concussion. The medical staff will evaluate him and see where he stands. I'm hoping he will be OK and be ready soon for us. We believe he was injured on his last carry in the game but we aren't positive on that still."
On the senior class:
"It's very hard to win 10-plus games in a season. We have a tough game next week with Kansas and we hope to end the season strong. I believe this class has the most wins in a four-year span. Also, with a win, this class will be the winningest class in school history. This group has put so much into this team and the program as a whole."
On finishing the season strong:
"I really want to finish this off. We really want to finish the season strong. The Kansas game is very big for us. Fourth-quarter victories like today are huge for our team's success and improvement."
Coach Pinkel | Iowa State Coach Paul Rhoads
MU Player Quotes
Junior LB Andrew Gachkar
On trick plays:
"The trick plays show how bad the team wanted it. They obviously wanted to come in here and win so they did some trick plays and caught us off guard, but we bounced back and had a good second half. It definitely shows how good we played today."
On second-half struggles:
"I don't know why [we struggled] but if I did, I think we would have corrected it pretty fast. I think we have done a good job with whatever it is. I think we are just coming out in the second half knowing that we have a whole second half to do what we want to do. We came out hard and we were losing at the time, so that gave us extra incentive to do it harder."
On players stepping up for Senior Day:
"That's Spoon (Sean Weatherspoon). Every day, he is our guy. I can say for myself I want to go out and play for him, especially today. I wanted to play as hard as I could for him."
Junior TB Derrick Washington
On the halftime score:
"It's always 0-0 coming into the second half, but guys fought hard. We did it for the seniors. It was their last time here and we were going for a win."
On Danario Alexander's performance:
"He is just a tremendous athlete. He is doing something different every week. It is always a big play to get us all going. That is what he is there for."
Sophomore QB Blaine Gabbert
On Jerrell Jackson after the first half:
"Yeah he had a great game today. He really bounced back after the fumble, which led to a touchdown at the end of the first half. I can't say enough about our receivers. They really bounce back after that lost of JP (Jared Perry) all week. They really stepped up, and JP has really helped them out on the mental side of things, he is watching every play and every snap, and just telling them what he sees so they can make adjustments of their own."
On making Danario Alexander a decoy:
"The running game was wide open and D-wash (Derek Washington) ran hard the entire first half, and all our running backs really kind of running back by committee in the second half. The offensive line has been doing its job all day, the passing and the running."
On coverage:
"They were dropping a lot of people deep and double teaming Danario, triple teaming him at times, but all the other receivers really stepped up."
On Jackson's deep ball:
"They ran a combo coverage and double teamed Danario (Alexander), he burnt the corners and ran scott-free to the sideline."
Iowa State Head Coach Paul Rhoads
Opening Statement:
"Over the course of 12 games we've been very good about not giving up big plays. In the second half, uncharacteristically, we go out and give up two large plays, both touchdowns, and fall behind, 24-17. So we have to fight back and put ourselves in a tied ball game again. We failed to produce after that on offense having three, three and outs in the second half. When the game is becoming a little bit of a shooting match you have to be able to match them and at least gain back field position, but you also have to put points on the scoreboard and we didn't get that done the second 30 minutes of football."
On Junior RB Alexander Robinson:
"First of all, he is so smart. He is so serious and intent about the game. When you have a leader like that, that is also productive in a key position, asks the right questions and is so serious about his approach to practice, everybody can't help but fall in line. He brings that to our football team first. He is productive, he has great vision, he gains positive yards in the running game and the passing game. His protection is excellent. And then his physical toughness, he's got a lingering stinger problem and he fights through that almost every game. The groin is no longer a problem and obviously he shows that with his speed."
On whether not Iowa State deserves to be in a bowl game:
"We absolutely deserve to go to a bowl game. If you would have polled people across the country at the beginning of the year on if Iowa State would have six wins, I don't think many people would be on the `yes' side of that. This football team has shown great determination, great production and had the ability to win the close games. They've come to play every single week. Absolutely we deserve to go to a bowl game."
On Iowa State's offense:
"It's up-and-down. At times they were productive and executed with great precision and moved the ball down the field. Twenty four points is a good output but it wasn't enough against this football team that was obviously going to put points on the board."
On taking a chance with the fake field goal at the end of the first half:
"That scenario right there, we usually operate every Wednesday when we go against ourselves in a two-minute drill. You never work with a long clock, you work with that clock. From a conditioning standpoint, we thought we were in good shape. They might have been a little bit tired and I think it did show on that drive. We were able to maneuver the ball down the field. I don't think that the fake field goal was a gamble at all. It was a long field goal, we weren't going to punt. I thought we had an equal chance at converting on the fake based on what we've seen. As opposed to running an offensive play where they line up the defense that they desire to be in. I thought it gave us the best opportunity."
