Colorado University Athletics
Colorado State-Colorado Quotes
September 01, 2012 | Football
Colorado Head Coach Jon Embree
General
"Congratulations to coach (Jim) McElwain and Colorado State. They found a way to get it done and win the game and congratulations to them. Obviously we didn't play good enough we had too many turnovers we talked about that. Protecting the ball was going to be key for us in a game like this and we didn't do it and they were able to take advantage of it and we weren't effective running the ball. We better get that fixed. It has been too many games of us not running the ball so we will get that figured out."
On The Punt Before Half
"Special teams had a block. We were supposed to get and fair catch it and obviously we didn't do that. I don't think it deflated our team by any chance, we had a good mindset coming into halftime."
On What To Tell The Team
"We have to go to work on Monday. Nobody is going to feel sorry for you, so we will look at it, we will be critical coaches included. We have to get ready to play another game."
On The Reversed Call At The Goal Line
"We actually thought we scored. We thought the ball broke the plane. We had a fourth down call we liked but we were not able to execute it."
On The Fourth Down Play At The End
"We felt it gave us more options, we had three options. We had a run and two guys to throw it to, and they did a good job of defending it. We felt it was better for us. Tony Jones was out with a shoulder and Malcolm Creer got dinged a little bit on that so, we thought that was our best option."
On Ray Polk's Condition
"I don't know, we will have to wait and find out. I guess tomorrow, I think it is going to be a while regardless with him. Same with Greg Henderson, and a couple other guys with some injuries so we will see where we are at."
On Colorado State's Unfamiliar Coaching
"There was a decent amount that surprised us, but it's going to be like that in any opener. That is not an excuse. If we just handle our business and do our job, communicate. One was just no communication on the touchdown after the muffed punt. Half the guys heard one call, half the guys didn't, so not to take anything away from that play call execution from them. It will be like that every year you play an opener. You are always going to get new wrinkles and things."
On The Young Returners
"Kenneth Crawley mishandled the one but other than that he did good. I thought Crawley did well. I thought Marques Mosley did a decent job of running it up in there on the kick returns. I wasn't overly concerned about those young guys."
On Losing Momentum In The Second Half
"We got out of whack. We had some drops and then a couple "almosts" the quarterback and the receivers never quite got in sync. Early on we had some drops, but that was just nerves I wasn't really concerned about it. Kenneth Crawley had a drop in the first half but then bounced back, as well as Nelson Spruce and Tyler McCulloch. They were clicking well in the second quarter and then for whatever reason we just were not in sync."
On Trouble Running The Ball
"I don't know what it is, and that is a bothersome issue. You have to be able to run the ball, so we need to look at what we are doing and get it figured out."
On The No Huddle Offense
"We will continue to be no huddle as the season goes on. We have a lot of plays we weren't as productive as we need to be. We did not get the production out of it that we need. Part of that was our inability to run the ball; you have to be able to do that in that offense for it to be successful for you. We also have to get faster at it and I think that will happen as we continue to work on it."
On Bowl Game Aspirations
"I am still hoping for one. Why not? Last year our goal was to win on the road. We have eleven games left and we have a lot of work. We have to keep pushing and striving to try and obtain that goal."
On Colorado State's Second Half Defense
"We still had opportunities they did a good job of getting pressure. The ball was a little bit behind or receivers not making a play. It just takes one play when you are throwing it. All of a sudden you get a little bit of momentum and get them on their heels and that helps you. But in our passing game we weren't in good sync."
On Lack Of Communication
"Some things we couldn't really prepare for. When they are doing stuff and you have a certain defense call, but sometimes those guys don't get it communicated all the way across the field."
On Worried About His Youthful Squad
"No we have to play them. We recruited them here for a reason, these guys played well. Kenneth Crawley had a decent punt return and he will get better as he becomes more confident. The young guys played well, with this being their first game. We will just keep feeding them to the fire."
On Jordan Webb's Performance
"I thought Jordan played well. He gave us a chance and the receivers an opportunity to make some plays. He had a real nice pass to Tyler McCulloch for a touchdown. I expect him to continue to play better each week.
Colorado State Head Coach Jim McElwain
General statement
"I can't tell you how proud I am of our guys. You have to invest on a daily basis to get what you want. Those who invested are with this program. I'm really proud of those guys; I'm really proud of the way they hung in there. We did not play a good football game by any stretch of the imagination. Plain and simple we have a long way to go. At the end of the day as good as it is for Colorado State, for our students, our faculty, our fans its great but its one game. As excited as I was for them, they have to realize we have a long, long way to go before I consider us a decent ball squad. My hat is off to the guys we played. They played their tails off. That's what a rivalry should be. Those who weren't here missed a heck of a ball game."
On Jared Roberts
"He did that all spring. He did it in the fall. The reason you're a kicker is your supposed to make it and he did it. One of the things we preach to our guys, just so everyone understands, is do your job. I don't care what your job is; just do it. That's with everyone who touches the organization, whether you're in the academic department, whether your in the training room, whether you're in the equipment room; do your job and be excellent at what you do. That's just a thing that we have."
On the muffed punt at the end of the half
"I tried to screw that up too. There again it goes back to win this play. Whatever you do win this play. Don't worry about anything else. The people who look at the scoreboard are the guys that are getting run over. It's something pretty simple. Don't worry about what happened just win the next play."
On how surprised he was CU didn't attempt a field goal in the fourth quarter
"I wasn't because you have half a yard to go. They're big guys, bigger than we are. I wasn't surprised by the call at all. I was thankful that they reviewed it because the ball was over the plain before it probably crossed the plain. That's what I'm saying. Win that play; our guys won that play.'
On the decision to run the ball on 3-and-10 prior to the Rams' final field goal
"It's one of those deals when we were in that range. Let's face it we weren't throwing the ball well. It's not like Joe Namath was out there slinging it around. Garrett (Grayson) did a great job. He did a great job of managing the game. What we ask our guys to do it let the people around you help you be successful because of how they're playing. We just felt right there our defense was playing pretty darn good. That look in their eyes I felt really comfortable with our defense."
On the team's increased confidence
"That's something that we've been preaching. Let me explain, the investment that these guys have put into what we've been doing and the foundation and through this process is something that I am very proud of. They believe. They believe in each other. Somewhere along the line you're going to stumble but the one thing that is constant is your family is always there to pick you up. These guys have done a great job of taking care of each other. Not caring what their area code is. When they get here they are Rams."
On the enhanced defensive pressure
"Part of getting after some guy is you're going to have to bring pressure from somewhere. I really thought our game plan going in was not only very sound but our guys did a great job of formation recognition and personnel substitution. They were responsible both physically and mentally to know what to anticipate. I thought the way our guys played defensively they were pretty good."
On if he was surprised with CSU's success at stopping the run
"Shocked might be a better statement. We preach gap control. You have to preach trust. To have a great defense you have to know that the defensive lineman is taking care of his responsibility so I can scrape to my responsibility. I thought our guys played very solid gap-control defense."
On Donnell Alexander's 37-yard run in the third quarter
"We knew that they were going to go start corners over and play man because they needed to get back into it. It was a great call by Dave (Baldwin)."
On CSU's young players
"All I heard about was how young the other team was. I never heard about how young we were. I was really proud of our guys because our young guys really stepped up and made some plays."
On penalties
"We had too many penalties. The things we didn't have were unforced errors; the illegal formations, offsides and all that kind of stuff. Obviously, two critical penalties in the special teams. Pass interference is going to happen; we'll take a look at it. If it was, it was. "
On his first win as a head coach
"It's been 27 years. The one thing you learn is it's never about you. I give up myself so others can get better. That's just who I am and how I've always been. I'm disappointed in how we played. I'm disappointed we didn't play crisper and execute how we should. I'm never satisfied that's just how I am. I'm sure 20 years from now when we look up and someone has a picture of the scoreboard I'll think 'that's pretty cool.' Right now I have to get this thing graded because we have a long way to go."
On Grayson
"I thought he got rid of it a little quick, which when they're bearing down on your I used to do the same thing. It'll be interesting to see. It'll be a great learning experience. The scheme they played against today has NFL written all over it. He was calm. I liked his eyes on the sideline. The game was not too big for him."
On the decision to go for it on fourth-and-one
"Stupidest decision ever. My dad was looking down and saying 'boy Jimmy you messed that one up.' The biggest thing is showing faith in your guys. I have faith in them. I told the defense if we don't get it I have trust in you."
On Chris Nwoke's injury
"There's nothing broken or anything like that. The guy has a bad ankle. Someone else has to step up. That hurt us a little bit because he's a good football player. He wanted to be out there."
Colorado Players
QB Jordan Webb
"It was a great atmosphere, you can't ask for better fan support but it didn't turn out well for us and that is what really matters so I'm obviously disappointed."
ON THE FAILED FOURTH-AND-1-"That really hurt, we have to be able to convert there. They put the ball in my hand and I didn't make a play so yeah it definitely hurt."
ON CSU'S DEFENSIVE ADJUSTMENTS-"They changed it quite a bit, they started going way more one high, bringing a little more pressure and we just didn't handle it well and we're just going to have to go back to the drawing board on Monday and get back to work."
ON CU'S OFFENSIVE BALANCE-"That's something we're going to have to work on, establishing the run game. We wanted to be physical, we were physical at times but we're going to keep improving there."
ON HIS CONCERN FOR THE TEAM-"Being one of the older guys on the team I just have to make sure the freshmen keep their heads, we have a lot of good freshman and underclassmen and we need them to keep their heads if they're going to be playmakers for us."
LB Doug Rippy
ON CSU'S SECOND TOUCHDOWN-"They ran a screen that I was supposed to look out for but I made the wrong read and had to chase him down and he got in the end zone."
ON CU'S PREPARATION-"No they didn't do anything that surprised us, we prepared for just about everything but at the same time it was hard for me and some other guys out there to make adjustments it was kind of confusing at times but like I said we'll look at it on tape Monday and go from there."
ON CSU'S RUNNING GAME-"They were running a lot of different plays and using a lot of different formations so we missed some gaps but I can't tell you exactly what went on. I need to look at the film."
ON THE DEFENSES CONSISTENCY-"We need to be more consistent, just everybody getting lined up and on our assignments a couple times we blew assignments."
ON HIS KNEE-"It felt great, it feels good to be out there running again, it held up real good."
OL David Bakhtiari
ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE STRUGGLES-"When we were clicking we were clicking and when things weren't going well they really didn't go well. We made plays but we also made some errors so we'll look back at the tape and see what happens."
ON THE LOSS-"To the team as a whole, yeah, it's a big loss but to me I've always been the guy who's been like a loss is a loss and every single loss I've been through with this program I've taken it with a grain of salt because I know that now it's in the past and the only thing I'm looking forward to is the next game coming up."
CB Kenneth Crawley
ON HIS MUFFED PUNT-"I was getting the jitters, I was kind of nervous at first but I was able to get that out of the way in the first back and come back strong."
ON HIS FIRST START AT CU-"I feel like I could have done better but I think I played well there were just a couple mistakes we made as a team as a whole unit but I think we did alright."
ON WHAT HE LEARNED FROM THE GAME-"Just that we have to take this back to practice and do what we need to do and perform better the next game."
ON MISCOMMUNICATION ON CSU'S FIRST TOUCHDOWN-"We adjusted to two different plays and guys got mixed up because of a lack of communication."
ON HIS NERVES-"I was nervous, I was really nervous but after that first punt I got comfortable back there and was good."
ON MOVING ON FROM HIS MUFFED PUNT-"My coaches they told me just calm down catch the ball out there, catch the ball first and they know what I can do if I catch it."
ON THE FRESHMEN-"The nervousness is out the window so now we just need to step up and be leaders and just keep our team going."
TB D.D. Goodson
ON SPECIAL TEAMS–"We just have to get better mentally. Get out all the jitters and we had to execute more."
ON THE FRESHMEN–"I thought the freshmen played a good game. They took it upon themselves to show what they could do when they got their reps. I think most of them just had fun."
ON THE FUMBLE–"I was back there—it was punt safe. I was supposed to secure it, look it in—make sure that I caught it. Instead, I tried to catch it and run."
ON BEING DISPOINTED ABOUT THE FUMBLE–"It's really disappointing because you know it is a mistake mentally. You could have avoided it."
WR Gerald Thomas
ON HIS FIRST COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME-"It was real nerve-racking. Just all the people, the fans and family in the stands—I was nervous at first playing in front of all of those people. I kind of settled down as the game went on."
ON HIS JUGGLING CATCH-"The corner was playing tight and I wasn't sure if he was still on me. I picked up on him early instead of focusing on the catch. The ball got away from me, but I was able to then concentrate on it and make the catch."
ON HOW HE FELT THE GAME WENT-"I feel like I could have been better. I feel like I could have made plays instead of bobbling the ball. I was just real nervous with it being my first game and I knew how much the game meant to everybody. Next week, come practice, I'll be more focused for the next game."
ON THE LOSS AFFECTING THE UPPERCLASSMEN-"I could really tell. We only have a handful of seniors and it meant a lot to them to win this game. I could really tell that it affected them. We just have to come back to work next week and not sit on this loss—come back ready to work."
ON THE FRESHMEN HAVING FINALLY PLAYED IN A GAME-"I think we will all do better. I think this game was one of the largest crowds that we will play in front of. This game really helped us settle in and get ready for college football. I feel as the season goes on, we will get better each week."
WR Nelson Spruce
ON HAVING A GOOD DAY "This being my first game, I was able to see what the rivalry was like in action. It was nice having a good game I guess, but the ultimate goal is a win and we didn't get that. We have to go back and start working again."
ON THE FAILED FOURTH-AND-ONE ON THE GOAL LINE-"We were down two there. We needed the points to get the lead back. It was a big play and they stepped up to the plate and held us."
ON THE FRESHMEN-"I thought all the young guys were really comfortable. Gerald [Thomas] I know on offense being split out with me, he was calm the whole time. You saw him make some plays. I thought all of them (the freshmen) were calm. We'll just have to watch the film and see what our downfall was."
ON COMFORT LEVEL WITH QB JORDAN WEBB-"I think off the bat, right when he came in, he developed a great chemistry with all the receivers. As the season goes on, we'll get more and more comfortable and we'll be able to put it together for four quarters."
DL Chidera Uzo-Diribe
ON THE GAME-"We put in a lot of work this offseason. It hurts to come out here and lose this one. We'll be ready to rebound. We've got to be on the same page."
ON ISSUES ON DEFENSE-"I think it is just the miscommunication on both parts. The back half was playing a different defense than the front. It's just trying to get both on the same page."
ON MOMENTUM SHIFT LATE IN FIRST HALF-"It definitely hurt us. It was a little bit of a momentum swing for them and it got them going into the second half. That was just part of the game."
ON OPENING THE SEASON WITH A LOSS-"It would have been better if we would have gotten the win. We just have to keep improving. This is only week one. We still have more weeks to play football."
WR Tyler McCulloch
ON THE GAME-"The first half, we were making some big plays down the field, so it obviously started out well. We just didn't finish."
ON THE SECOND HALF-"I've got to give all the credit to CSU. They came out and they played a great game. Defensively, they caught us by surprise a few times and we just didn't execute."
ON THE OFFENSE-"It's obviously frustrating. We need to work out the kinks in the offense. We just need to move forward with it."
Colorado State Players
QB GARRETT GRAYSON
On the call to go for it on fourth down-"I was excited about it.? We figured when we were going empty they were going coverage zero, every time we went empty."
On WR Joe Hansley-"What you guys saw today is what he's been doing all camp. We're going to use him in all different ways. We're all excited about him and he has a bright future here."
Onthe win and Coach McElwain-"It is a huge win. And it's a huge win for Coach Mac. First coach in CSU history that's ever beat CU in their first game. Knowing that, that brings more confidence out in us that we've got this coach here and he's with us. He's been coaching for 27 years and this is his first head coaching job so to have him be with us, we're behind him."
On his confidence-"I'm more confident than I ever have been before. I told everyone before the game that I've been playing football since I was four and I've never felt like I've had these brothers. And I go out there and I play for them and they play for me and I'm confident in them 100 percent."
LB SHAQUIL BARRETT
On finishing the game strong-"That's what we've been working on a lot this spring, and this fall, and the summer too. Just finishing the fourth quarter. At halftime they said, we're gonna win this game in the fourth quarter. The coaches said, as long as we believe in each other and they believe in us, we're gonna pull it out.
On the change of culture because of this win-"It's a big step forward. I know everybody, like, we had like some incidents off field last spring, and we probably lost a couple fans that week, but Coach Mac has been instilling "do what's right" and we've been working on that since he's been here. That was the first thing he told us, to do what's right. On the field, off the field, go to class, do what's right.? It's general, but it's specific too. You want to sleep in, but that's not doing what's right and Coach Mac's going to find out and you're going to get in trouble. Just do what's right."
On the difference between the feeling of last year's loss and this year's win-"It's a great feeling. I don't remember the last time I had this feeling because we went on a losing streak last year and it's been awhile. The emotions in the locker room were great, everybody had high energy, the scouts gave us a great look in practice, they did a real good job. Everybody's just real happy right now."
CB Momo Thomas
On what CSU did better in the second half to slow down CU's pass game-"We just came in at halftime and the coaches made some adjustments. We just played faster and harder and we were able to slow it down a little bit."
On the muffed punt before halftime-"It was a big momentum changer. Coach Mac just preached 'keep pushing, keep pushing' and we're going to fight through adversity. We did that a lot better today and we came away with the victory."
On winning the showdown-"It means a lot. The last four years we haven't won at (Sports Authority). It's just a great feeling. It means a lot to come out here and beat CU."
On the attitude of the locker room-"Everyone is really excited to get this first win and start 1-0. Coach said we have seven hours to enjoy it and we have to come back and play a really good team next week in the (D1-AA) national champions.)
C Weston Richburg
On what didn't work in the running game-"We have to stay on blocks longer. We'll be fine. Donnell (Alexander) did a great job today. He came in and really played well. Once we get more reps and get more game experience we will be fine."
On Donnell Alexander-"We saw him in the scrimmages over fall came and that guy can do it. He and Chris (Nwoke) can do it. I think we'll be fine."
On Garrett Grayson-"He's always poised. That guy isn't going to show any emotion or anything. He did at the end of the game but that is just because we were really excited. He's a cool customer in the huddle."