Oct. 16, 2010
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MISSOURI 30, TEXAS A&M 9
POSTGAME QUOTES
Saturday, October 16, 2010 - Kyle Field - College Station, Texas
MISSOURI POSTGAME QUOTES
HEAD COACH Gary Pinkel
"This was a good win for Missouri. Our players were focused on trying to play their best. I was very pleased. A&M is a very good football team. Kyle Field is always a tough challenge; it's a great opportunity to play in this historic stadium. I couldn't be more proud of our team. I don't know how many superstars we have, we have a lot of good players I guarantee you that. When play well as a football team we're pretty good. Now the games get bigger. We played a really good offensive football team. I thought our execution as a defensive unit was really good."
"I think you earn respect. We did a lot of good things today, I could name a lot of different players at a lot of different times making a lot of different plays. That's kind of what we've been doing. We are a lot better football team now than we were three weeks ago, and we're getting better. Hopefully we continue that."
SENIOR LINEBACKER Andrew Gachkar
"We have a big game next week against Oklahoma; that will be our biggest test of the season. We only focused on A&M this week. Now that it's over we can focus on the big game next week. We are playing well as a defense, and that's what it's all about. We have to keep doing that week to week. With Oklahoma coming up we just have to keep our feet on the gas pedal."
JUNIOR QUARTERBACK Blaine Gabbert
"I felt good today. I worked hard all week to get my body back to what it should be. As a team we executed very well today. I worked hard with the training staff and they got me back to where I need to be. It's mind over matter, when you're focused on a specific goal nothing else matters. We were focused on the W at the end, and we got that. As a team this is the best we've played, overall we executed very well."
TEXAS A&M POSTGAME QUOTES
HEAD COACH MIKE SHERMAN
"Obviously we didn't play very well or coach very well today. I thought Missouri played a heck of a ballgame. We knew from the tape they were a good football team and they would give us everything they possibly could, which they did. I thought they executed offensively the way they wanted to. Defensively, they mixed up coverages, which is what we thought they'd do, and they did a great job of it. We had some 1-on-1 matchups we thought could win, but we didn't. We didn't make the plays we needed to make. In previous games, if we'd make one, two or three more plays we might have won the game. In this game we didn't even make the plays we normally make. That was frustrating. They are good kids. They work hard in practice. But they didn't get it done as players we didn't as coaches. We get back at it Monday and we will fix what needs to get fixed. But I take my hat off to Missouri, and their staff and payers. They played a hell of ballgame and deserved to win in every which way."
On the offensive struggles... "We never could get into a rhythm offensively. We just could never generate anything. If we convert that first third down, maybe that gets us going. You never know which play nails you, that's why it's so important to get it going. We just couldn't get into a rhythm. If you had told me we wouldn't turn the ball over and would we win the game, I'd say yes, we would. But not today. They didn't turn it over either. It was frustrating. They had a nice pressure package which we were aware of. We had some nice shots and took them, but we didn't connect on them."
On Missouri's defensive line and their blitz... "It wasn't always just pressure. They did pressure us and we knew coming in they would give us pressure. That wasn't anything new. But they did catch us a couple of times with that. I thought their d-line played well. Their ends certainly caused us some struggles at the tackle position. I'm not so sure until I watch the tape what the actual problems were. When you're sacked like that, it makes you a little more reluctant to hang out and wait for something to happen down the field. (Jerrod Johnson) was in a no-win situation a couple of times out there."
On the play of Jerrod Johnson... "When you are sacked as many times as he was, I think maybe nine today...maybe one of those was his fault. He was trying to make plays down the field. There were times he made a couple of plays and we didn't respond at the receiver position. There were times he could have made a play if there was better blocking. I'll look at the tape really hard and see where the problems are and see how we can fix those as soon as possible."
On how to rally the team... "We definitely need to get back to work and get ready. If we play like we did today against anyone, it will be difficult to win. It's ironic that we didn't turn the ball over, that's something we were able to do today. But we didn't make plays. On either side of the ball and on special teams we didn't make enough anywhere to be able to match up with a very good Missouri team. I believe in our players, I love our players. I told them I'm still proud of them but I'm not proud of how we played or coached today. And they understand that. They understand what we have to do. It's unfortunate. We had a great crowd and it was a beautiful day. We just came home and laid an egg. I think we played really tough in those two road games and gave a lot of energy. We needed to come home and win a football game on Kyle Field, and we didn't do that today. That's very disappointing for me and I know for our fans."
On the offensive struggles being shocking... "It is for me. I think we should be able to move the ball better than we did today. Take nothing away from Missouri, they did a great job defending us and what we were doing. There were plays to be made out there that we didn't make. Against a team like this, that takes some risks and pressures you and maybe vacates the middle, you have to hit those plays. It's frustrating. I knew going in the offensive line had lost three seniors and it would be a work in progress. But I thought we'd be better than we are at this point in relation to the procedure penalties and sacks that slowed our tempo down. We have to be a lot better there. Coach (Jim) Turner works his butt off out there with those kids and does a heck of a job, but they have to step up and play better."
On what he meant by not coaching better... "It's my responsibility to have the team ready to come out and play the game a certain way. I didn't feel like we did. Ultimately it's my responsibility. If a guy drops a ball, or if a guy didn't make the right read, I feel like I didn't get them ready. Ultimately my job is to get this team ready to play. We didn't execute to the level we needed to execute today. That's on me. I'm in charge of this football team and I take full responsibility. Take nothing away from Missouri, they are a fine football team, but we are capable of playing a lot better. We were not at our best today."
On Saturday's game at Kansas being a critical one... "We'll be able to bounce back. I'm not worried about them. They are a bunch of smart kids. They care and have invested a lot in what they're doing. They are a strong-character group. They feel terrible about the outcome of this ballgame. They want to get it right. If I didn't feel confident about that then yeah, maybe I'd have more apprehension. This group will bounce back and play to the level they are capable of. If they weren't honest and accountable I'd be worried, but every guy in that group is blaming himself and wondering what they could have done better today. When you have a group like that you can get it fixed."
SENIOR QB JERROD JOHNSON
On the offensive struggles... "It was just a lack of executing. We'll go back and watch the film and find out why. There were a lot of plays that guys normally make across the board, me included, that we didn't today. We have to try and figure out why that happened."
On the frustration of the offense's struggles... "It's a tough egg to swallow. You put so much work in all summer and every week. We've had great weeks of practice, and for whatever reason in these games we haven't executed. Every guy has had lapses in certain circumstances. It's uncharacteristic. It's not anything extra practice can fix, it's just a matter of making plays when the moment is right. We haven't done that. it's extremely frustrating."
On maybe trying too hard and pressing... "No, I don't think we're trying too hard. I wish I could tell you what's going on. I can't really tell you. We have great players and a great scheme, it's just a matter of executing. We've yet to do that."
On moving the ball in the fourth quarter... "We went to a lot quicker game, our bread and butter plays. We just executed a little better. We kept one personnel group out there and we were able to pick up the tempo. Last year I think we were so successful because we were able to keep up our tempo and keep teams on their heels. For whatever reason this year, we get that tempo and then we stop. We are a high-tempo offense and not moving at that speed really affects us."
JUNIOR WR JEFF FULLER
On the general offensive struggles... "370 yards is great and all, but we have to get it when it counts. We had a few opportunities that we didn't capitalize on, and Missouri just came out and played better than us."
On penalties... "I made a few penalties, that holding call, it was a dumb decision by me. Then working with the snap count, as a wide out you have to keep your head up and look at the ball. I tried to time it in my head, and I jumped."
On losing at home... "You want to win them all, especially out here. Bouncing back from the Arkansas game and trying to gain respect, not only from the 12th Man, but from your teammates too. It's tough coming out here and taking a loss like that."
SOPHOMORE WR RYAN SWOPE
On the general struggles of the offense... "It was just real frustrating. We had a lack of executing out there. We're going to take things one day at a time, we have next week to rebuild, we're going to take a look at the film and work on the little things."
On the shocking nature of the loss... "We definitely did not expect to come out here and have a lack of execution, more of a shock than anything. But I can tell you this team is hungry, we're going to come back and practice hard. This team is hungry to go into next week and get a win."
On opposing defensive backs shutting down Fuller and other WRs... "Jeff's done a great job of getting open, his size and going to get the ball. We just have to go in, look at it, take a look at the film. I feel like we're getting open, but Jerrod sees the field the best."
On things wide receivers can improve... "The little things, blocking for the running backs downfield, being crisp on our routes, looking at the ball every time it's thrown, looking at those things, fix those up, we have a great corps of receivers and I believe we can do great things."
On the offense being out of sync... "When we're not in sync, we just have to come back and be positive. We have to use each other, get back on the same page, go out there and make big plays. I'll admit, Jeff will admit, we have to capitalize on the big plays we make."
JUNIOR LB GARRICK WILLIAMS
On Gabbert and the problems he presented... "I don't think it was a particular problem. There were some deep throws, that was our problem, and sometimes we had missed coverages. This was a third game that I think we shouldn't have lost, but we'll clean those things up."
On offensive struggles... "We can't really control what the offense does, sometimes we just have to fight back. We've been in this situation plenty of times. The defense's job is to stop the offense. There is no excuse for them getting 30 points on us."
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR TIM DeRUYTER
On Gabbert's play... "Early in the game, I thought we did a decent job matching up. Quite frankly, we busted a couple of coverages. Gabbert made some nice throws. We probably should have played some more man against them. We have to execute the defense better and I have to coach and teach it better."
On whether the defense was frustrated in the second half... "There were a couple of times when we had some busted coverages, and there was some frustration that way. I think that happens when you have some busts; ten guys are doing something right, one guy is doing something wrong. We're not having eleven guys executing the defense."
On Gabbert finding holes in the coverage... "He played well today, I think they had a good plan trying to drop it in those areas. They do a nice job with the quick game, getting the ball in there. He had some nice touch throws in there. Depending on our call, there will be some soft spots in the defense, and we have to get better at that. And we will."
On Steven Campbell's play... "I saw a few plays that he made, and he played very very well. He has a really big upside, that's why he started today. Once he gets our defense, he'll do very well. I thought He can be a real physical player for us, once he gets some more reps in, he'll be a good football player."
On Von Miller being rotated out of play... "We have a rotation for those guys, we want to keep them fresh. In the second half, we did a better job. We need Von to be in there on critical downs, and in the red zone. We weren't very good in the red zone today. I thought Von came on the second half when he was fresher and played better."
On Mizzou running the ball... "I don't know if they ran it effectively, not to discount what they do. What they do in their scheme, which is effective, is they spread you out, sideline to sideline. They ran hard, you have to give them credit. We have to get better with tackling. I have to do a better job coaching our guys."