Monday Media Day Quotes
9/6/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 6, 2010
Head Coach Gary Pinkel
Injury update:
"Jasper Simmons will be out this week and possibly next week. He is getting meniscus surgery tomorrow. Whether it be a week or two weeks we're not sure, but he'll get back as quick as possible. Luke Lambert pulled a hamstring last week in the fourth quarter of the game and he'll be out this week for sure also. De'Vion Moore has a toe sprain. He's doing pretty good and we expect him to be 100 percent."
On Saturday's game against McNeese State:
"We're looking forward to playing in the ZOU and looking forward to playing in front of our fans. We're trying to become a better football team."
On Blaine Gabbert's play against Illinois:
"I thought he started a bit slow and missed a few throws early, but you're not going to be perfect back there. The most disappointing thing in the first half was that sack he took at the end but he'll learn from that. I thought he competed well. He threw for 71 percent completion (rate) and I thought he did a lot of good things and made a couple big plays. He's just got the ability, like an Elway-type guy, arm wise. And the thing right now is he's just so much more accurate than he was when he first got here and that's because of his footwork and balance work with Coach Yost. I'm really pleased with him and the sky is the limit for him."
On linebacker depth and the possibility of freshman Darvin Ruise playing:
"Right now we don't plan on playing him but we're going to get him ready to play the best we can. With the suspension (Will Ebner), with Donovan Bonner (injured) and now with Luke (injured), three of our top six linebackers are out. But you face those things. Donovan we're not going to get back but the other two we will. That's the good news. But preparing Darvin now for the possibility of playing is significant, so we're going to do that and see how it goes as we do with a lot of young players."
WR T.J. Moe
On the Illinois game:
"We're always happy with the win. Obviously there are things we need to work on. There are three or four things I chose to work on this week in practice but coming out with the win, that's the best thing you can ask for."
On if being a former quarterback helps him as a receiver:
"I think it definitely helps. When I was in high school I always had a buddy who could always find the soft spots in the end zone, so I try to be like that. We were down at the seven-yard line so there's not a whole lot of room to maneuver. You go 17 yards and you're out of bounds one way or the other so there's always a spot you have to find.. Some people just have a good feel for where that's at and I like to think I'm one of those people."
On thinking of himself as a wide receiver as opposed to a quarterback:
"I've known I'm not a quarterback for a while now but obviously it's good to come out and have a game like that and play well in front of your hometown. But being a wide receiver, it's a different type of game. You're different, you're out in space, you have to see things from behind. As a quarterback you look at the whole game straight in the face and as a receiver you have to see it from different angles. So it takes time to get used to it."
CB Carl Gettis
On the team's defensive effort against Illinois:
"We just knew coming in the second half the defense we really had to step up and make some plays and create more opportunities for the offense. We just wanted to go in the second half and start it off with a three-and-out. We knew if we did that we would get our offense going and that's what we were able to do."
On the defense deserving more recognition:
"We want to get that recognition but we know with that recognition comes responsibility and you have to earn that. So we are just going to keep working each week and just try to perform on Saturdays."
On the team's forced turnovers against Illinois
"We had four turnovers, which is excellent. I think are number three in the nation right now for turnover margin, which Coach Pinkel always says is a direct correlation to wins. We got the win on Saturday and it was because of turnovers."
On defense being key to last Saturday's win:
"To come out and have a shut out in the second half said a lot about the defense. The secondary was excellent and we had great pressure all day from the defensive line and linebackers and it came together for a pretty good effort."
DE Aldon Smith
On being named the national defensive player of the week
"It was a pretty big honor. I tried to get it last year when we played Colorado and I think somebody from Nebraska beat me so it was pretty good to get it this year."
On taking McNeese State seriously after losses by Kansas and Ole Miss:
"Most definitely. This is college football and anybody can beat anybody. We keep that in mind every time we practice and when we will prepare for McNeese this weekend."
On Carl Gettis' play against Illinois:
"I think he's just on a mission and I think you saw that. He's a heck of an athlete, we saw that on the one-handed catch. He has great body control and great hand-eye coordination to be able to get the ball on the one-yard line and keep the ball there on the sky punt. He was physical and making plays and he really stood out."
