HEAD COACH, Gary Pinkel
Opening statement...
"Good afternoon. I appreciate everyone being here. As we speak, we're preparing for the Kentucky game. It's a big football game. We're in November and we know the importance of that. They're a really good football team and playing really well. Their quarterback (Patrick Towles) is very impressive and does a lot of great things. This is a big game at Mizzou. I'd like to thank all the fans, students and alumni last week with the `Tiger Stripe'. It was very impressive."
On quarterback Maty Mauk's play against Vanderbilt...
"I think her certainly did some good things throughout the game. He could've thrown five or six more completions easily, but there were some mis-routes, drops, a bad throw, or protection issues. That's all about execution. He made some big plays like in the past. He made a great big time throw (25-yard TD pass to Bud Sasser in 4th Quarter). That ball could only be in one spot for a chance to catch it and Bud Sasser makes a great catch."
On Mauk's ability to make plays with his feet...
"That's natural. He does it quite a bit. I thought he did a really good job stepping up in to the pocket a few times too. We're making progress there. That puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the defense. Big plays ignite players on both offense and defense. It provides tremendous momentum."
On safety Braylon Webb's jump in production the past weeks...
"Braylon's like a coach back there (on defense). He's always accountable and reliable. He's a really good athlete, makes plays and is a good leader. It's nice to see him make plays."
On the offensive game plan week by week...
"We're going to have to look at it game by game. I think the offensive staff's plan going in was to try to run the ball a little bit more (against Vanderbilt). We wanted to establish that and get in more short third down situations. We like to throw the ball downfield and be vertical. You adjust accordingly to how you're playing. To have two players rush over 80 yards (Marcus Murphy and Russell Hansbrough) is pretty good. That really helped us."
On the improvement of linebacker Donavin Newsom on the field...
"I think he's competing and getting better. He's a tremendous athlete. He's as athletic of a linebacker that we've ever had around here. We have a real high expectation level for him and he's got a tremendous upside. We encourage him to compete."
On defensive tackle Matt Hoch's play against Vanderbilt...
"I think he did a lot of good things. He had one of his most productive games and did really well inside. It's neat to see that. He has also worked very hard here. I think he has started to play with more confidence and consistency on the field."
On Kentucky's program turnaround this season...
"They've really improved defensively. They've got good skill players and their quarterback is playing well. You have to watch him (Towles) as he can run pretty well. That's what generally happens. If your defense starts playing better and a quarterback that is producing then you're going to play better. Head Coach Mark Stoops has done a really good job."
Sophomore Quarterback, Maty Mauk
On the offense turning things around last week vs. Vanderbilt...
"It was really a great week of practice (heading into the game). We're back to doing what we do well and we've got to keep getting better."
On the importance of the 4th quarter drive to seal the win over Vanderbilt...
"That was big for us. Our coaches put us in a good situation to get those third downs and keep the ball moving. You have to look at what our running game did all day. When you have Russell (Hansbrough) and Marcus (Murphy) back there, you've got to get those guys the ball. They can make things happen and we relied on them."
Junior Center, Evan Boehm
On the team's importance of winning football games in November...
"This is the most important time. He (Head Coach Gary Pinkel) always says we have to finish in November. He has this saying that `those who win in November will be remembered'. That's what we're going to live by here at Mizzou. It starts by getting better at practice."
On the recent trend of running the ball more on offense...
"We're more comfortable as an offensive line running the ball, but we're also comfortable with protecting Maty (Mauk) and having him throw the ball down the field. It's whatever Coach (Josh) Henson feels like."
Senior Tailback, Marcus Murphy
On facing Kentucky this Saturday...
"We have to go in to the film room, and look at the things they've done this year. Things like their defense and how they line up. They're looking good. They're pretty physical on defense, they're big and they bring a lot of different blitzes. We have to focus and familiarize ourselves with their defense."
Senior Defensive End, Markus Golden
On what he has seen from Kentucky quarterback, Patrick Towles...
"I've seen him a little bit. I'm going to start watching film on him tomorrow. He's a pretty good player. He's a big quarterback with a good arm. He's mobile and can run too. He's going to be a handful, but we're going to go out there and handle it."