Mizzou / Arkansas Post-Game Quotes
Mizzou Head Coach Barry Odom
Opening Statement:
“We were close in the first half. The first play of the game we let the emotions of Senior Day get in the way a little bit. We didn’t put it past us and didn’t play very smart on that first play, and that really hurt us. Guys settled down, they prepared, we made a couple of adjustments at halftime, but more than anything they played together. They played hard, smart and tough and offensively we got going. We were close in the first half offensively and just came up short and were able to connect those in the second half. And then we got a couple takeaways defensively in the second half that obviously changed the game.”
On not giving up:
“There are times in life that you’re going to hit adversity. You’re going to hit hard times and sports can put you in that position to help you prepare for things down the road. We continue to talk about that all the time in our program. For me academically, socially and then on the football field, trying to do everything to prepare these guys for life.”
On the fake punt:
“I thought it was important. We tried to gain some momentum there. We carry two or three fake punts into every game with us each week and wanted to line up and see if they gave us a look that we wanted and they did. Our guys did a great job executing it.”
On the defense’s goal line stands:
“Those guys decided, it was awesome to listen and I wish I could have recorded it just listening to them on the timeouts, communicating all the positive messages, the things that you relay to them. And then they did a great job executing. We made some plays down in the end zone, jump balls that we haven’t made the last couple of weeks. It is awesome for them to come through and make the play and execute down the stretch.”
On sending the seniors out with a win:
“I am so proud for our seniors, all 17 of them. Some of them have been here a year, some of them two years, some of them five. They’ve all got different stories on their background, where they’re from and who they are and forever they’ll be Missouri Tigers. I’m in their life forever. We’ve invested a lot of time and sweat together and I care about them deeply and want them to be successful, and they will be in life.”
On the future:
“Winning is contagious and the process of getting to this point is also contagious. I am excited about what we’ve got moving forward.”
Missouri Player Quotes
Mizzou DL Charles Harris
On getting the win:
“It felt great to get the win for the seniors. We definitely played for them. The look on their face made it all worth it to win the last game.”
On adjustments at halftime:
“It was really only one adjustment. It was a matter of coming together and saying that we would come back. We were going to win this game. The adjustment was more so mentally on the players than physically in the game. At halftime I told the guys that 20 years from now, no one wants to look back and think of everything they should have done. I told them to buckle down and get the win.”
On not participating in senior day:
“I made the decision when Coach Odom offered it to me. I told him that it is not my senior year and I’m considering coming back next year so that is why I didn’t want to do it.”
On goals in offseason:
“I really want to get my strength up. I want to continue to improve my craft. I’ll probably make the decision before school is out.”
Mizzou DL Marcell Frazier
On Newsom wearing number 30:
“I had no idea that he was going to wear it but I was happy for him and Scherer. They have a close relationship.”
Mizzou LB Donavin Newsom
On halftime in the locker room:
“We all came together and we had a little more to give. Charles said a lot of motivational things.”
Mizzou WR Johnathan Johnson
On performance today:
“We just continued to work out the kinks and make sure that we are on the same page. Those touchdowns felt really good but I was mostly concerned about getting the win.”
On motivation for game:
“We had nothing to prove. We just wanted to win the Battle Line Trophy for our seniors.”
On positivity during the season:
“It is easy to stay positive because the coaches stay on us to make sure that we go hard at our drills and in practice.”
Arkansas Head Coach Bret Bielema
Opening Statement:
“Well, obviously very disappointing. I think the thing that was very, very obvious was the tale of two halves. We didn’t match the intensity that we needed to in the second half to get this win. And anytime this happens in this league, I don’t care what the records are, it’s about who executes. I give credit to Missouri, obviously they responded well in the second half. They took advantage and got the momentum on their side and never let go of it. I think offensively and defensively, we did too many things to destroy ourselves. Defensively, obviously the big fast plays hit us a little bit. Actually, not a little bit, they hit us big. We jumped offside. Offensively, obviously we didn’t capitalize on any point opportunities in the second half. On the red zone interceptions, obviously it was a fourth down, which I get, we were just trying to force it in there. The other one was a third down and we need to survive and play another day. Down the stretch we were just not able to convert. We had some penalties and a couple holding penalties to go against us that really hurt. Our guys are hurting, they should. We have to learn from this, for this day to move forward. There is no doubt in my in that our guys will own it, embrace it, and make the best of a bad situation.”
On the loss:
“Eight wins sounds a heck of a lot better than seven, but we still have an opportunity to get to eight. But we were not able to close out. What I believe in is finishing, finishing the season, finishing the game, finishing the drive, finishing the series, and finishing the play. And we weren’t able to do that today and that’s really frustrating.”
On if this loss particularly stung:
“They are all tough. When you are in this profession, they all suck, and they are all very, very hard to swallow. And that’s why the wins are so sweet. But, in this league especially, it just goes to show, if you don’t play a four quarter game, every game in this league, anybody can win.”
RB Rawleigh Williams III
On how tough the loss against Mizzou felt:
“Hurts. We gave the game away. It is going to hurt for awhile.“
On the second half:
“We just didn’t execute like we should have. Coach made a game plan and we didn’t execute it the way we should have. This is how it ends up.“
On what play he felt he would take back if he could have:
“The whole second half. If we had come out and executed like we should have, we just didn’t play our game in the second half and it hurt.“
On what Coach Bielema told the team in the locker room :
“We gave that game away. We had it. It is a four quarter game and we didn’t play four quarters.“
FS Josh Liddell
On the difference between Mizzou’s two halves:
“They just made more plays than we did in the second half. They came out with a lot of energy and they were fired up with their senior day. First half we were playing well, we started fast. I give those guys credit, they made the deep balls, it worked for them.”
On losing the Battle Line Rivalry trophy and what it will take to get them back:
“We have to come back harder. It’s awfully tough to lose that trophy. So next year we will be ready, ready to fight for it and bring it back home.”
On how the team felt about Mizzou going into this game:
“We thought they were pretty good. We knew they would come out fast with tempo and big plays. In the first half we did a pretty good job stopping them but tempo was really a factor. They were making big plays and that was the difference.”
On what impressed him most about Drew Lock:
“His composure. He got down in the first half and we got after him. But he came back, stayed in there and made the big throws.“
On the disappointment of the loss:
“For me personally, this is the most disappointing loss of my career. The way we played the first half and the way we were in control of the game. In the second half, those big plays were really what made a difference in the game. It’s tough. We will look at the film, well be ready for the bowl game.“
