Players Mentioned
Colorado-Colorado State Quotes
September 01, 2013 | Football
Colorado Head Coach Mike MacIntyre
General
"First of all I'm just excited for our seniors to start the season off like this with a great rivalry game. I thought the crowd was phenomenal. I'm not sure about the size of it but the loudness of it. It was a back-and-forth game, what a great game, that's what I told our guys when we messed up another kickoff coverage— and that will get fixed—but I went down there and said, 'wow what a great game guys, they just made a great play now it's time for us to make a great play and enjoy the moment.' They just kept fighting and playing through it, I was really impressed with what they did—their resilience—that's the first time I've been on the field with them and they definitely could have let their heads down and not fought but they fought tremendously. I think our conditioning paid off tremendously, the way we practice, our repetitions, if you come and stay at practice you know what we do, we practice really hard, we don't have picnics, I'll tell you that so I appreciate what our kids do."
On His Fist Pump At The End Of The Game Â
"We won. Just we won, I'm so happy for those kids. I was so excited for them and knew it at the time."
"I was really impressed with Connor today, that's what we've been seeing, I knew he had the ability to do it, I'm very proud of him. Now he has to regroup and do it again Saturday and that's when we'll find out if he can do it back to back, which I believe he can, and I think we'll have a really good quarterback, but for today he was excellent."
"I thought they fought extremely hard. The times that we needed to pin them down there we did, which is good, unfortunately they called a pick call going in the end zone, we would have scored but we ended up kicking a field goal. I thought the defense did a really good job, we had to stop them on two different fourth down plays, and that sealed the game really, so I'm proud of the way our defense played. I thought they tackled well, I thought we tackled and swarmed and leveraged the football well."
"Don't fall down, don't drop it throw it right to him, I thought all of that at once."
"We wanted to pin them down there; he would have kicked a 52 yard field goal, at that time I thought we were playing really well on defense. If Darragh (O'Neill) wasn't so good at what he does, I knew he could put it down there inside the 10, he put one inside the 2. Defensively I thought at that time if we pinned them down there we would have a better chance to go down and score with the better field position. Now there are certain times in the game where we won't do that, pending on momentum and pending on what time it is in the game, that kind of thing."
"We've worked extremely hard on it, there were a couple times where it really worked, I think it also helped with the missed coverage type of thing because you're going so fast and you have to check and look for where number 6 (Paul Richardson) is, and double him and cloud him and all that kind of stuff, and I think it helped us spring him open a couple times."
"Well, he had 11 tackles at halftime, I don't know what he had after that. He's a player, I've always known he was a player since he was a junior in high school. He was up in the hills of California (Palo Cedro, Calif.), nobody looked at him but us (San Jose coaching staff), and I'm glad he's here. He's 6-foot-3 and three-quarters, he's 235 pounds, can run a 4.5 (second 40-yard dash), maybe a 4.4. High school tailback, extremely smart, he's a really, really good player and I was excited about what he did (against CSU). I thought he might pee down his leg the first game, but he didn't. I told him to go to the restroom a couple times before we went out."
"It's just one game. It was great, but we have to keep doing it. What I kept telling (the team) was, and I always do, 'just keep playing, enjoy playing. They're going to make plays on you, they're on scholarship too, but we have to keep making more plays, we have to keep fighting, we have to keep doing all the fundamentals, we have to keep communicating, we have to keep staying pumped up.' I think they did that, and they'll continue to do that. If we can just keep weathering those storms and I think we'll have a good football team. We passed the test today and we have to regroup and pass the test next week. Now, they have to go around and instead of being told how bad they are, they'll be told how good they are for a week. So, we have to reverse that, 'don't eat the cheese', so to speak, 'don't eat the cheese, get ready to play'."
"It's great to see the joy in the players, especially the seniors. The seniors spoke before the game, Gus Handler talked at halftime again, because they've been there and done that and they wanted to do it. I really am happy for them, and our coaches. For our coaches families, it's an emotional deal, the wives, their husbands will be happy for at least a day and then they go back to work again and then they'll be grumpy again."
"I think we'll stay with that. CSU is really good on defense, and were going to play some really stout defenses, defenses that will be top-ten ranked type defenses as the season goes on. The key we have to do is we have to keep taking care of the football—I know all coaches say that, but it's true—and we have to keep causing turnovers which we did. We do that drill every day in practice, 'win-the-edge' drill, where we strip the ball, and I'm yelling at them and we make them scoop it correctly and go score and keep (the ball) high and tight. That exact drill; strip, scoop, score and what a game-changing play that was. I'll tell you about Chidera (Uzo-Diribe). The play before (Uzo-Diribe stripped the ball) he came out of the game with a stinger and (shook it off) and then he just runs back in. Then, with that same arm, he guts it out and sees the ball and strips it. To me, that's a warrior, a team captain, team leader that wanted it. Most times, guys might sit there and say, 'I can't go', but not him. I was really very proud of him making that choice to do that because it really showed some guts."              Â
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"Scheme has something to do with it, there's no doubt, but work ethic, repetition—rep after rep, after rep, after rep—he has thrown those routes a million times, he's made those calls a million times, he's handled it all, he's had bad snaps in practice and had to get that figured out. So, I think it's just the repetitions and (offensive coordinator) Brian Lindgren is a great quarterback coach, not just a good one, a great one. I saw him do it last year, I see him doing it now when I watch every day. Our other quarterbacks are getting better and better. If Connor ever got hurt, we got guys that I think can come in because they get a lot of reps in practice themselves. Our scheme is very good, we know how to attack things and the quarterback knows where to go with the ball. Believe it or not, (Wood) had some reads tonight—when he watches tape he'll go, 'oh gosh'—that he could have hit, and he'll hit those next week and hopefully put up some even bigger numbers."
"I credit them a lot. I don't think we gave up any sacks. We had the one intentional grounding, but we weren't blocking that guy and we were hoping he would dive down but he read it and did a good job. But, I think the offensive did a really good job, they competed the whole night. I thought they did a good job of giving Connor [Wood] time, and I thought they did a good job knocking (CSU players) off the ball at times. Hopefully, we'll bust one of those (runs) eventually. When you get a 200 yard night (rushing), you've got to bust one for 50 or 60 (yards) and we didn't bust one, but hopefully we will do that eventually."
"Again, the repetitions we get in practice. I know I'm over using that, but if you see the same route over and over, and see trips and doubles (receivers) and empties (backfield). And then doing all of their communication with hand signals and talking and looking at each other, that's how you play good in the secondary. All five of them have to be on the same page, because four of them could play great but one breaks down then it's history. We've got to get a little bit better rushing the passer, but we were bound and determined to stop the run and we did. But we'll get better at that also."
Colorado State Head Coach Jim McElwain
(opening statement on the game) "We got beaten by a team today that was opportunistic. They created big plays, which whenever you go in to a first game, you know that's something you've got to worry about. Obviously we didn't do a very good job of keeping our defense off the field and sustaining drives. I though we missed a couple of opportunities here and there, but I want you to know this: we've got a very good football team. I believe in our football team. I believe in their commitment, and I believe in what they've done. We have a ways to go, I get it, I get it. I've got shoulders, and I'll take it all. But I do believe in this football team and I think we have a lot of good things to look forward to.
"Obviously, containment and a couple of busted coverages on their number six (Paul Richardson), you know guys, you can't do that. You can't let somebody who runs that fast just run down the sideline on you. The fumble actually (hurt). They were opportunistic. They had a good strip and took it down in and sealed it. I never thought we were out of it by any stretch of the imagination. When it comes to field position, we've got to get better at that. We had an opportunity to get a first down coming off the goal line and we didn't do it. So there are a lot of things, but we'll learn from this. Give them credit. I thought their quarterback played one heck of a game, I really do. He was accurate, got the ball out of his hand, and we didn't get much pass rush. Give their offensive line a lot of credit there. But you know, I'm disappointed, to be honest with you. I thought we would win the game. I still believe in these guys and I think we're a good football team."
 (on the two busted coverages against Paul Richardson) "On the first one, it was motion and we didn't get the check. The corner thought he had help, and the safety thought he had support. You know what, the guy caught it. I was hoping he was going to drop it. The second one they came out in the cone formation, pistol and there again there was a check we were supposed to make from a cover standpoint, and you know what, we didn't get it done so that's on us."
(on the team's preparedness) "The communication on a couple of those formational things (hurt us). Things they hadn't done before. But there again, you have to be sound. I'm not using that as an excuse at all. I'm making no excuses. Our guys were prepared, they were energized, and they hung in there. We didn't overcome big plays obviously and we left a lot of offense out on the field which is something we've got to get remedied."
(on whether the team was ineffective on third downs) "That's an understatement. But I know this: We've done some good things. We've got to get better in a lot of phases. I didn't think we ran the ball as much as we should have as far as controlling the line of scrimmage. I'll be honest there. Certainly we've got to step back and evaluate that a little bit because we were just on the edge of getting some big runs too which would have kept our defense off the field a little bit."
(on the play of QB Garrett Grayson) "He would like to have a couple of the plays back, but I thought he managed it pretty well. I really did. He made a couple of plays with his feet, but we didn't probably push the ball down the field enough to be honest. There were some things in there that we didn't take advantage of. Everything was horizontal today, so that's something we need to look at. He did alright."
(on why Grayson was selected as the starter) "We felt based off of his preparation and how he took control of our 1-reel, we felt he was ready. I'm not putting this loss on Garrett by any stretch of the imagination."
(on the play of running back Kapri Bibbs after Donnell Alexander's injury) "He had a little juice; I would have liked to have seen him keep his feet. I thought he could have hit a couple of home runs actually keeping his feet. But we put one on the ground and you can't do that and play successful football. He did come in and energize us a little bit. As far as Donnell, we'll have to look at that hand and see what's going to happen there."
(on whether he knew ahead of time who the starting QB would be) "We took it up to the last second."
(on whether Grayson will start against Tulsa) "We will look at the video. As of right now, without (seeing the video) I would probably say yes."
(on who was listed as the number two starter at quarterback) "He (Nick Stevens) was prepared to go in as the number two."
(on the Rams' special teams play) "I thought our kickoff coverage was much better. I thought we obviously made some explosive plays in the special teams. We worked hard on it, and it's one of the phases of the game that you have to be good at. I thought we did some pretty good things. Really, it's what got us into the game and it was good."
(on dropped passes by receivers) "Rashard (Higgins) had one that was pretty big there on third down, and he did a couple of (good) things and he'll learn from this game. I think Joe (Hansley) might have spit one out. Obviously, the running backs dropped a couple in some check downs. I don't think they were trying to miss it; we'll come back and work on it.
(on whether youth was a factor in receivers dropping passes) "I guess you could use that as an excuse, but I don't think so. We have just got to make plays and we have to force ourselves offensively to make plays. As far as inexperience goes, they've been through camp and they need to be ready to go."
(on the play of WR Joe Hansley) "He tweaked his ankle there a little bit at the end, we'll have to see if he's ready to go next week, but he showed up big. He showed up like the Colorado Gatorade player of the year like he was. I'm proud of him because he came and really competed."
(on the new targeting rule) "It's something that us as stewards of the game need to teach the proper way of tackling. Don't hit defenseless players. They did a good job today on the one they called today on Cory (James). They reviewed it, and that's part of the rule. He put his head sideways, and wrapped up just like you're supposed to. They called it but, the official didn't have anything to do with this game and I think as long as we all teach it, it will be good for the game."
(on moving forward) "It's tough to move on, especially with a rivalry game, but our guys have been through a lot. They've come together. The beauty of athletics and sport is there is going to be a winner and there is going to be a loser. The life lessons that you learn and how you pick yourself up and go forward (is what matters). I think we will have some resolve, I really do. You know, it hurts guys and I still think we should win the game. I'm gonna tell you I think we should win the game next year. So go ahead and put it in their locker room now. That's what I believe. I do, and I'm good with that because I know they've got my back and I've got their back and that's something that is really comforting as a coach."
(on the lack of pass rush) "I was pretty impressed with their offensive line. We did not get home at all. I felt that would be a big part of our game, but give their offensive line credit. They stoned us pretty good at the line of scrimmage and we didn't get much done."
(on how much he thought CU's defense would be improved) "I knew they would be better. They are still recruiting Pac-12 guys. You can say what you want but I don't believe that we are taking a back seat to any of it. They played good, they played sound, they ruined a couple of our things that you know obviously they did a good job in their summer study. Give them credit. They had their guys prepared, and we had our guys prepared. Like I said, we'll come back."
(on next week's game) "It will be a short week for us. We have to jump on a plane and head to Tulsa. We have to leave early on Friday. We'll get on that plane and we will go out and play our hearts out."
(on getting the tight ends involved) "I don't think we had enough opportunities for them. I would have liked to have had them involved a little bit more and that's something we need to move forward with."
Colorado Players
LB Addison Gillam
ON KNOWING THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS GAME-"The past two weeks coaches have been talking and showing us videos. Seniors and upperclassmen were all talking about it. You could just tell that it was a big game."Â Â
ON THE FEELING THE PRESSURE-"The rivalry game, the big stadium, all the people—everything in one."
ON HOLDING UP THE TROPHY-"It was amazing. That is the best moment of football that I've had. We've been preparing all week. To finally come up with the victory was a great feeling."
ON THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS-"I'm from a small town. It's hard to get exposure up there. People just don't know if there are good teams you are playing against or bad teams that you are playing against."
ON COACH MacINTYRE- "He is real intense in practice, but you know he's coaching you and he knows what's he's doing. It's easy to take the coaching."
WR Paul Richardson
ON THE FIRST QUARTER CATCH FROM Connor Wood-"I was happy that he [Connor Wood] threw it. I peeked back when I wasn't supposed to peek; I saw that he had to step forward. I thought he was going to run. He picked his head and he made a real mature move. He looked down the field and made the play."
ON COMING BACK FROM AN INJURY-"It feels good. I keep saying over and over again how happy I am to be back with my teammates. This was bigger than me having a couple hundred yards. This was for the team. This was for us having to go through our third coaching staff. This is for all the things we've gone through this off season with our facility, with our program, and getting this big win means a lot.  Â
ON THE FIRST TOUCHDOWN-"The corner was crowded on me, so I was anticipating the safety being over top of me. The safety bent on the under route and let me go free."
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WIN-"I think this ranks high in the wins just because it was our first game. As a team, we only got one last year. To come back and start off this season with one means a lot. Since we lost to them last year, it means even more. It is just game one. We have eleven more to go. It ranks high, but at the same time we have to put it behind us and get ready for Central Arkansas--which is a great team."
ON CONNECTING WITH Connor Wood-"It felt great. Coach joked a couple of weeks ago about guys that 'when the going gets tough, they don't the play to come their way', whether that is making a tackle or making a run. My soul was burning for the ball to come my way. I wanted to be the guy that helped us pull away from that team. When the ball came my way, in that moment I ran hard through the goal line even though I was sore and tired. I just embraced all my teammates.
ON THE DEFENSE IMPROVEMENT- "In fall camp, I saw the level of physicality pick up and I was proud of that. What I learned more from them in fall camp was what they displayed tonight. They made some third and short stops and some fourth and short stops. It was when we needed it the most. Yes, they [CSU] made some plays on special teams, it happens. For the defense to make those crucial stops and for us to capitalize right after on offense shows how much we have grown."
ON WORKING WITH Connor Wood- "It started long before spring. It started eleven months ago when I was recovering from my surgery and he wasn't really 'the guy' (so to speak). We would work out. I wasn't supposed to be running around, but I was. I was out there running routes and sometimes I would try to sneak out there without my brace. We started to build our chemistry early. We didn't know if I was going to be the same me. We didn't know if he was going to have this spot, but last year we had free time. We took advantage of that opportunity. We have just been working throughout this winter, winter, summer, and fall camp. Today, it came full circle."
ON BEING A HUNDRED PERCENT- "Today was a good battle test for us as a whole offense and defense. I think it helped me build some confidence. We have eleven games. This is just the beginning."
ON QB Connor Wood'S CONFIDENCE- "He played like a grown man. I was so proud of him. I couldn't even tell you how good he feels. For it to be his first season opener and he did that well—I am proud of him."
ON HOW IT FELT TO WIN- "It meant that the work that we have been putting in has paid off. How much we put in is as much as we will get out. I can't say it enough. I am so proud of my team."
ON THE EXPECTATIONS FOR THE SEASON-"To watch film, critique ourselves and get ready for Central Arkansas."
PK Will Oliver
ON THE AMOUNT OF TACKLES-"You have to be ready for anything. Obviously I am a kicker and I am not supposedly a football player in theory, but when you are out on the field you have to be able to make plays. We worked in camp. We've done form tackling. It's kind of funny when other players see kickers running around tackling. We have just really worked on it. We shuffle and everything. Making tackles in practice so we you are called upon you can be there. If I'm not there, who knows what could've happened in those plays."
ON NOT ATTEMPTING THE 52 YARD FIELD GOAL-"I want to be on the field as much as I can. Today, I had eight attempts. Anytime I can be on the field, I want to be there. I was bummed at first, but it was water off my back. The coaches make that decision. We pinned them down there and got great field position. With these coaches we have built a lot of trust. They are going to make the right calls. We need to head down and do exactly what they say. They know what to do and how to win."
ON THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPECIAL TEAMS-"I'm still getting used to it. It's great. I love being able to put the cap on a great play. I run out with those guys and love to be around them when they are that excited after a big play."
DB Greg Henderson
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF DEFENSE TONIGHT-"The coaches always have us do a turn over circuit. Stripping the ball and then scooping it up to score is just routine. All I have to do is pick it up and keep it high and tight to make a big play for my team."
ON BECOMING A PLAYMAKER-"I strive to be a play maker. I missed the interception and I am mad about that. I am trying to cause more turnovers because if you want to be great you have to cause turnovers."Â
ON THE DEFENSE GUARDING Paul Richardson-"It is always going to be tough to guard him. He is a great player and great receiver. He has great speed. It helps in our practice to go against him to get ready for games. We can go against any receiver because we have one the best on our team."
ON ATTACKING MORE FREQUENTLY- "Coach MacIntyre is a DB specialist. He knows everything about defensive position. He believes in us and we always work on our press technique. We get very physical with our receivers."
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAYING WELL- "This is a big game in the state of Colorado. It means a lot to all the players. It meant a lot to the seniors as well. We wanted to play for them. Having been through a losing season, we don't want to do that again. Our main goal this year is to win and get to a bowl game."
QB Connor Wood
ON THE RETURN OF Paul Richardson - "It's Christmas in September. It's nice to have him back."
ON OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR BRIAN LINDGREN-"He has furthered my game tremendously and given me confidence. It's from speaking confidence in your player."
ON FEELING THE NEED TO PROVE HIMSELF TODAY - "Yes, because we hadn't played a game yet. During the pre-season there was a lot of talk and stuff going on especially with having a new coaching staff and athletic director. To go out and do what we did was a good thing for us as a team. We talked a lot in the offseason but it is something else to back it up with a win."
ON HIS CONFIDENCE BEING NAMED STARTER LAST WEEK - "Yes, it gave me confidence last week being named a starter. To hear the coaches say that we believe in you, you're going in. To hear that in a job or wherever that 'we believe in you,' it really brings out the best in them."
ON THINKING ABOUT CSU IN THE OFFSEASON -"Yeah, we've been talking about it all summer. In the summer workouts, as the grind kind of gets going in July we were talking about CSU because it kind of gave us some motivation. So we've been talking about it for a while about this game, but we had a bad taste in our mouths from last year. It's good to be in that position and to see that trophy hoisted."
ON IF THE WIN HAS SOAKED IN YET-"It has a little bit but I'm still in the zone of the game
ON HOW HE VISUALIZED THE GAME TO PLAY OUT AND THE ACTUAL REALITY OF THE GAME-"Well you want to do the best that you can and stick to your reads and I tell you (offensive coordinator Brian) Lindgren made some great calls today and you know, I was hoping that he would have a great game calling and so it's great to see that and always great to get that W."
ON BOUNCING BACK-"I tell you that it was the way we finished today, because there were times when they had some great leads. Especially, in the third and going into the fourth (quarters), some plays that didn't go our way. CSU had some great plays but we didn't blink. That gives us confidence, saying, 'you know what, we will face adversity, even in the fourth quarter, but it's all about finishing."
ON Paul Richardson'S SECOND TD RECEPTION-"We weren't trying to take a shot on the first play, but the way the defense played it, that's how it worked out, Paul [Richardson] was able to go over the top (of the defense). We were going to be conservative, but when the defense shows you something you have to take it and it worked out our way."
ON HIS IMPROVEMENT -"This summer was really huge for me, we did those player run practices three times a week. It was really organized and we got a lot of stuff done doing team drills with all of the offensive lineman. So, throughout the summer we got a ton, a ton of reps. We hit the ground running in training camp and we continue to try to get better throughout the season. Summer really propelled us into training camp." -
ON FEELING LIKE A SAME PLAYER FROM LAST YEARÂ Â Â Â
"Not at all, not at all, it's a new and improved Connor. I give all the credit to the coaches for my speaking confidence in me and my teammates rallying around me. When I was named starter they were all supportive and said, 'we have your back'. We have to pull together as a family."
ON CSU'S DEFENSE -"They showed a lot of different stuff, they blitzed from everywhere, they brought corner pressure and blitzed down the middle. We had lots of answers for what they were doing, we had an awesome game plan going into this game and we showed it (today)."
Colorado State Players
WR Thomas Coffman
 (On the momentum from his kickoff return) "We have a really good return unit. On punt return and kick return. Everyone did a good job with their assignments and had some big blocks, we just gave up too many big plays."
(On 3rd downs, what is missing) "It all comes down to execution. They out-executed us today, we have to give them that credit."
(How disappointing is this) "Its very disappointing, losing to a good team, all respect goes to them. They worked hard and beat us on big plays."
(More on his kickoff return) "Special teams is huge, it's something we have really worked on. Everyone was making their assessments and executing and that's something we really stepped up with."
(On being prepared) "I really do think this team has come so far, we really have made a huge turnaround from where we were before Coach (McElwain) got here."
(On fellow WR Joe Hansley) "Joe is an explosive guy. He is a game-changer and we need guys like that. We are really proud of him."
WR Joe Hansley
(On his big plays) "Personally I think I did alright, as a team we got some stuff to work on. Its not an individual effort, it's a team effort."
(3rd down) "I think it's just execution issues. Really it's just executing, the coaches put us in a position to win, as a player we just have to execute."
(On Garrett Grayson finding him) "It's the system the coaches put us in. They put me in the right position to make plays today, and Garrett found me on a couple great plays."
(On his 74-yard punt return) "We work on special teams a lot, all the guys did their part with blocks."
"I think we did alright with special teams. It's a positive, some of our work paid off for sure."
"I think special teams has a lot to do with your mind-set. The coaches put us in a good position to make plays, but it's really a mind-set to go out there and give a good effort."
(On Garrett Grayson as a QB) "Garrett did his job. Obviously games aren't going to be perfect everyday. But I think he is a great QB, he finds the right wide receiver and makes the right reads."
(On whether he was surprised by the number of dropped passes) "Yeah I am surprised by the number of dropped passes. As wide receivers we pride ourselves on catching the ball. Drops are going to happen, it's a part of the game, and they made some great plays on the ball."
(On freshman WR Rashard Higgins) "Yeah we where talking to him, he's going to be a baller, he's a good player. I think he did a good job for his first college football game."
S Trent Matthews
(On communication on two  long plays by Colorado) "We just busted those coverages. As a defense we have to learn from it."
(How bad did it hurt to let one go right from the start) "It hurt, but I knew there was a lot of ball game left so as a DB you think about it then play is over so you have to forget about it."
(On Paul Richardson's second touchdown) "He is a good athlete; it was more on us than on him. We left him wide open."
(On how they can build off this effort) "There are a lot of things we can build off of, there was a lot more good than bad. If you minimize those two errors we had a sound game and it would have been us winning."
LB Shaquil Barrett
 (on big plays made by Colorado's offense)"It was frustrating. You just need to be focused and strong when you're tired and bogged down. We need to do more of that this upcoming week."
(on communication between players) "We communicated very well, we just needed to work on translating it to the game. It was decent communication, but not our best. Players were focused on the game and on the formation. They were worrying about their job and not looking at the whole formation as well as not telling everybody else what they see."
QB Garrett Grayson
(on the offense)"It bothers us because we wanted to go out there and set the tone. We wanted to keep our defense off the field and I think we did that more in the second half. We went out there the second half and played better football than in the first half, but can't play well in just one half, it has to be the whole game.
(on crucial third downs)"We have to make the plays. We had guys open, I was missing them, and there weren't a lot of passes that were going through. I have to be more accurate."
(on the loss)"We prepared but we didn't have the best execution. I think we had the best week of practice that we've ever had while I've been here at CSU. It hurts to come out here and not get a win. It will bother us, but we'll come back prepared, fix our mistakes and try to get a win.
"I'm a little upset. I think things would be different if I would've gone out there and executed differently. I'm going to take the blame for it, I'm willing to do that for the team. I don't think anyone should be talking about the defense; I go out there and make plays and take care of the football."
(on the message after the game)"Coach McElwain and Calvin Tonga talked to us. They told us that it was just one game and that we needed to go out and prepare on Tuesday for Tulsa. The game is behind us and we'll just prepare as we always have."