Colorado-Cincinnati Quotes
vs
Wyoming
Sep 20 (Sat)
8:15 p.m.
Postgame Quotes
Cincinnati vs. Colorado, Oct. 26, 2024, Folsom Field, Boulder, Colo.
Colorado Head Coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders
Opening Statement:
“First and foremost, great victory. I'm a little upset, because the way we landed, I like to land a little cleaner, little more smoother. We had a really good game going until the end with all the penalties. I don't like that. We're better than that. We have more structure, that we're more structured than that. We have more discipline than that, and just the back and forth with the substitution. I'm gonna take responsibility to that, but I promise you, you shouldn't see that again. So I'm a little disappointed in how we landed. Mata was phenomenal at the conclusion of the game, doing what he did. Like I always tell them, I don't care how high it go through. They don't give you points for that, as long as it goes through. I'm good with that. Great team. They did not beat themselves. They played soundly. I mean, they weren't going to give up. We increased the lead by margin at one point. They still didn't give in or give up. That's a testament to their coaches and their staff. Played their butts off. We had some guys fighting through pain, fighting through agony and all that. But they stayed out there and gave it their all until they couldn't do it anymore. But overall, level we did running the football. We made a conscious effort in the beginning of the week that we were gonna run the football. Yeah, did a wonderful job Dallan did as as well. And, I mean, you look at stats, sometimes you go in at halftime and you're critical of some things, then you say he's what? He's 22 for what? It don't make sense, because we take it for granted how good this young man is. And I would be saying that even if he wasn't my son, but he just happened to be. Travis was phenomenal. Jimmy, he's very apologetic on the taunting penalty that got called. LaJohntay, we blessed him. He wanted number one when he came here. Number one ain't something you acquired. It's given to you. It's not a number that you choose for yourself. I'm old school, so we presented that he earned it. So I gave it to him tonight, after was going into the bye week. Drelon was tremendous as well. Did the doggone thing at three inside the 20, I think three inside with the five or the 10, something phenomenal, like that. Cam Silmon did his thing. Overall, good game. Just not excited about the way we landed the play. Peggy is fighting COVID Right now, and we wanted to give her love and appreciation and present her with the game ball. So we called her. Rick was gracious enough to call her, and she answered on the first ring in Peggy fashion, with plenty energy and that umph that she has, and we told her that she is going to a bowl. Now we want to make sure she goes to the best possible bowl that she could possibly go to, and that means a lot to us, that really does. And she was so appreciative and thankful, but she means so much to this program, so we're glad that we could honor her in that realm. Now, we just got to get a private plane to make sure she's comfortable on the way there. Yeah, we can put Greg on the regular plane, I promise you that, but I'm thankful that we were able to to do that for her.”
On bowl eligibility and future of team:
“It's cute. It really is, because we really want that. But that's not all we're after. That's one of the hurdles that we're jumping over, that we're going over. That's a tremendous hurdle, that we're happy, we're excited, but that's not the end goal for us. That's the beginning, but we are thankful and appreciative that the hard work is going noticed.”
On end of first half execution:
“It wasn't thinking about those type of things. You're thinking about the usage of your time outs. You thinking about scoring and knowing we getting the ball back in the second half, and you double down on it. You get points and you come back at second half, and you score too. That's tremendous. We're excited with some of the things that we're doing. We really are. We still are a work in progress. And we're happy about some things. We're happy about some of the players and what they're doing. I got to see the film to see what everyone truly did and clean up some of the mistakes we made, tremendous mistakes we made, because we shouldn't have let that game get that close. But we got to dub. That's what counts.”
On Travis Hunter’s performance this week:
“Well we never doubt Travis whatsoever. So him being himself is just what we expect. That's the only thing we expect. We don't expect to see anything else.”
On shutting down Cincinnati’s passing game:
“We got some good DBs too. I mean, that's not taking nothing away from them, but I think we have three to four corners that can start anywhere. So I'm really satisfied with that, and we're improving each week, but the front end compliments the back end and vice versa. I think we're striving. We're making strides to be where we want to be and to do some of the things that we want to do.”
On Shedeur Sanders’ game and record setting:
“ I mean that's what we expect. He's so darn good that we don't give him the credit that he deserves for some of the things that he does. See, you don't even know that stuff because you're into the game and you're coaching, you don't even think about that kind of stuff. I remember, I think he did that one time in Jackson, that he was phenomenal like that. But, wow. And they only mention him for the Heisman. He's not even mentioned. Oh, my bad. He's my son.”
On Alejandro Mata end field goal:
“Well, the whole time we're sitting up there saying we got it. They put the flags up and they let me know what we got to get to for Mata time. We was trying to steal a touchdown at the end because we knew they were going to be in cover one, and they end up dropping outside backer into one of the slant lanes that we wanted to hit a quick slant and try to house that thing. But we got what we wanted because we knew we had the three because Mata is clutch man. Mata is so wonderful, and we don't care about how high it go through the uprights. We do not care, but it goes through the uprights. That's the thing that counts the most. And he's so consistent of a person. He's so consistent as an athlete and consistent as a teammate to his team.”
On Isaiah Augustave keeping offense balanced:
“I'm not just gonna say his success. I think the running game success, period. We got three to four capable backs that can do the thing in that manner. So just running the football period takes a tremendous amount of pressure off the quarterback, off the line, and now we have a lot more balance. I'm not going to say that wins games but it sure does help the situation. It gives Pat more flexibility to call some things he wouldn't normally call if we couldn't the ball. The line is taking initiative. They get sick of being talked about and saying that we can't run the football and they did a phenomenal job tonight from the beginning to the end. I mean, all those guys given opportunity, I think all of them were produced. They're so different. They're so versatile. In some situations you need this type of guy, some situations you need that type of guy. And it was his turn tonight, and he performed. I mean, all those guys are hungry, all those guys want to contribute. All those guys just want opportunity. And they all have gotten opportunity, and it was just his turn tonight, and he performed greatly.”
On possibility of being in the playoffs:
“Well, we ain't think about the playoffs right now. Right we go one game at a time. We don't even want to be ranked. Don't rank us, please. We don't like that. We rather be in the back, in the dark, just chilling in the cut. We good, we cool. We straight. All right, so don't feel pressure to rank us. I promise you everybody, we are straight. So we're not thinking about that. We're thinking about going into this bye week, healing some injuries, correcting some things that that we didn't do well, and having a good time and probably giving them a day or two off. They're not getting a whole week off, I promise you that, but a day or two off, they deserve that tremendously.”
On the impact rotating guards have on the linemen:
“It keeps guys fresh. It throws the opposing team off when they're rotating, as well. And I think people should do that more in college football because the defensive line is rotated. So, having a fresh lineman to rotate means they're getting playing time now. They may not dip and jump at the port after the season. It's tremendous that we have that type of depth to do that.”
On Coach Phil’s line and his rotation:
"That's his line. That's his thing. And I love everything he stands for. I love how he challenges those guys, supports them, and shows them love, but he gets on them pretty tough. I love everything about it.”
On his view of last year’s season:
“Well, let's flush last year down the toilet. Let’s not even look down there. Let's just flush it and walk away. I'm happy with who and what we have: the staff and the players. I'm truly happy with all of the above, and you guys are starting to see everything come together, but we're not nearly where we desire to be. Not nearly.”
On the importance of making a play after a catch:
“It's not that we stress that. We have those types of athletes that are capable of that. Those are the types of young men that we go and seek out. We want to sign them here because we know what they could do with the ball when it gets into their hands. Anybody can make a catch, but do you go to work with it after you make the catch? And those are the types of commitments we've garnished from a couple of guys up here this weekend. So, we want to keep that going and keep attracting those types of young men.”
On Shedeur not being on the Heisman Trophy list:
“I don't care. I really don't. It's just strange. It's funny to me. I just think it's ignorant, but it's funny. It's funny to us because Shedeur could care less. He wants to be drafted in a wonderful city. He wants to win out, and that's what he thinks about. He isn't thinking about a Heisman. Travis is the best college football player in the country. We all know that. Why are we even deliberating over that? What are the criteria? Somebody needs to say, what are the criteria for that prestigious award? Because we're looking for the best college football player ever. There has never been a Travis Hunter, and I’m up here saying that.”
On the development of the program, especially with rushing improvement:
“Well, it’s our program. We're on a wonderful journey. We know what direction we're going. We've done this before at seven different locations, from youth to all the way up. And this isn't anything new to us, truly, and we're just happy that we've got an opportunity to show you what we're capable of doing. These young men are excited as well. They love it here. They love to play football for us, and they're attracting like-minded men that they're going to love it as well. I met with several of them today, and I can't wait to see them in the buff uniform. I can't wait to see what they bring to the table.”
On if he has seen anything like the Jimmy Horn Jr. overturned touchdown:
“Well, there were a lot of things that you saw here that you never seen before that we can't understand, like that pass interference in the corner that nobody saw, right? We're not upset. We don't get upset with that. We expect that things are going to be different. We're not crying by any means because it's just a part of the game. It's life. Jimmy is the best young man that you could ever fathom. When you're building a young man for your program and a receiver, you want all the attributes that Jimmy Horn has. So, getting the call back at it like that because I wanted him to get to six, he was so broken about what transpired. But we got him together and let him know we love him. We appreciate you, but don't do that again. But I'm proud of the way he plays. We got to get him the ball more. He's so darn good.”
On the goal of the season now that Peggy has her bowl game:
“That isn’t the goal. I wanted to do that for Peggy, so that was kind of me. That goal wasn't about us. That was what I wanted for Peggy because she deserves it. We had to have a rally and cry for some rhyme or reason. But we want so much more. We want so much more. That's why we practice the way we practice, and that's why we go at it the way we go about it. We want so much more. That was just the beginning of what we desire around here.”
His opinion on if past Heisman winners should have a vote in rewarding the trophy:
“We think that same way about the Hall of Fame. We wish Hall of Famers would make the vote for the future Hall of Famers instead of committees that don't know what the heck they are talking about, what they are doing, or who's who. It is what it is. There are some voters out there who really are good at what they do. So, you can't discredit them as well because they're really good at what they do. You can never go right with that kind of stuff. Somebody's always going to have opposition. I just get a kick out of it.”
On the mindset going into the Cincinnati game:
“We wanted to win. We wanted to play good, solid football and be fundamentally strong. We didn't want to go in there and come out of there with a multitude of penalties because that just ruins it. We wanted to be balanced in every phase of our game: running the football, throwing the ball, stopping the run, defending the pass, special teams, and punting well. But one thing that we're really trying to get is that ball in the end zone. On kickoffs, we are really trying to get that ball in the end zone. I think we had a couple of touchbacks today, and that's tremendous for us. But we have to get that ball in the end zone, so we don't even give them an opportunity. So, that was the mindset. We have the best fan base ever. As a matter of fact, let me say this to whom it may concern: please don't throw bottles and things on the field. We're better than that. We're so much better than that. And the people doing that, you're better than that, and nobody deserves that. Somebody's going to get hit, somebody's going to get hurt. We're better than that. We are so much better than that as a university and as young men and women in the crowd. So, thank you for not doing that anymore. If you hear this message, it's critical because we are so much better than that.”
On whether he thinks the Texas fan's actions will affect the CU student fan base:
“No, no, no. What's good for them isn't good for us--some things you just don't tolerate. We don't tolerate certain things. We have one of the most beautiful campuses and a beautiful city; you barely ever see trash around here. I walk on campus every day. I even walked this morning. This place is so beautiful. And we just can't stoop to those types of lows because it may be the popular thing at the time. We're better than that. So that's what I'm trying to stabilize, that we are so much better than that. I think we have got the best fan base in the country. You guys are doing a wonderful and phenomenal job.”
Colorado Players
Shedeur Sanders, Sr., QB
On the importance of the development of the offense:
“It gives confidence to the defense. To help them play relentlessly. To help them play and fly around and not ever play nervous. The mindset and the message, before we got out there, was, ‘Let's get it done early.’ Let's not wait till half-time. Let's not have a drop-off at any time. Let's stay focused. Let's do it and carry on the whole entire game.”
On his gameplan going into bye week:
“Get healthy. That's the biggest game plan right now. The bye week kind of came in a better week for me, honest. Little banged up right now. I'm just really happy overall with the team and how the receivers, the O-line, and coach all assisted me. I recently had the flu. I was only able to practice for one day, so it was tough out there, getting the chemistry back with everybody. Because you lose weight, you lose strength, you lose a lot of things having to deal with that. I'm just thankful that the team was all one, and we all leaned on each other for help”
On rushing 40 times and Isaiah Augustave’s contribution pushing the ball forward:
“We gotta win. That's the main thing. When you when you play an odd team, you have to run the ball. It's one of those things. I read they’re the third most drop-18 team in the country. So, what do you expect? You have no choice but to run the ball. Because throwing situations are too iffy. They do a great job in disguising their coverages, whether cover three cloud, order and cover three, ordering man or cover four holes. They do a lot of things pretty well. We had to force their hand by pounding the rock. And that's what worked. Going into each game we just go with what works. If running the ball a lot of times works, then we're just going to do that.”
On team cohesion tonight:
“There definitely are some throws we missed. There are some throws overall and some reads. There are some things I could have done better personally. We never feel great coming out of a win knowing that we did everything we could, but we still missed out on some opportunities. So, it's just watch the film during this bi-week, watch the next opponent that we're going to play, and just get healthy.”
On Hank Zilinkskas’ (Center) performance tonight versus last week:
“Me and Hank have a funny relationship because I threw two picks last week, and you can't feel worse than me. There's no way you can feel worse than me. So it was funny that we all able to share that moment. Hank’s a great guy. He's a great player. In some situations, I say personally, I put him in situations by leaving him down there so long to where he anticipates getting off the ball. He anticipates a lot of things. I blame that on myself, and that's why I communicate with him that that's on me. I gotta make you [Zilinskas] more comfortable in those situations. And we pretty much did it. At the time, we got into it for a quick little three, four seconds, then when we got to the sideline, we talked about it, and we go back to normal. We go back to plan”
On O-line consistency:
“Yeah that one sack is on me, but it's really on Trav [Travis Hunter], Its on Trav. I had to talk to travel a little bit like “Come on, bro, don't jog right here, right?” But yeah that's on me. They had a flawless game. We’ll see what happens this week for them.” [Reporter mentions sacking pattern]. The pattern has been that, we noticed that too. We definitely talked about that in the team meeting and that this can't be the week where we change. So then everybody took that in. It's really competitive in there. It's real fun that everybody's rotating, everybody's playing, and it keeps everybody on edge and keeps that dog in them. It's funny, but now we have to make sure we broke the pattern.”
On how big 6 wins and bowl eligibility is:
“It’s big for us because it’s big for the fans. Us, we look at every game that we play as a possible win. We don't go into the season or look at the schedule like “Oh we're only gonna win six games.” That's not what happened. So the fact that we did it, it just trusts the process that we're using. We're not even hitting our peak. Nowhere close. We still got a lot of things we got to clean up. We still have a lot of things offensively we have to excel more at. It's just a great thing. It's just a great badge of honor for now. But we got bigger aspirations.”
On building on this big win for the rest of the season:
Each win definitely gives us a confidence boost. Going into the bi-week, we got to practice a lot, and I talked to my dad about that. We had to practice a lot over the bi-week. But it really, it really helps everybody mentally. I would say, you put in a lot of hard work, day in and day out, and you have to get the results that you put in. We all studied. We all spent time after time talking through all these different scenarios. If they come out, do this, we’ll do this, this, and this. Then we finally get out there, and it’s everything that we want and everything that we’ve seen overall. So then it’s real exciting. Next week, we’ll study the opponent, study who we’re going to play. We’ll look at the past eight games and just see what we could have done better, and see any patterns that we have. Switch up everything and just be ready for the next game.”
On setting a 15 for 15 record and the defense tonight:
First off, it was really my dad talking to me on the sidelines. He talked to me pregame. When we walked down, it was just focus on completions. That’s what we focused on – just completing the ball. We don’t focus on making bad throws. Everything has to be crisp, really precise. So that’s the expectation, and that’s kind of what we live by. Some games, when we get out of that we just got to get back to our basics, get back to what we’re doing good.”
On not being in the Heisman conversation:
“It’s a lot, it’s a lot of feelings that go into that. But I feel like if it’s out of us, you got to think. They’re not going to give it to two players on the same team. Me and Trav [Travis Hunter], it won’t happen like that. It is what it is. I don’t really look too deep into that. I just want Travis to win, of course, and that will be almost like I won, because I’m throwing the ball. He [Travis Hunter] is the best player in college football, hands down, and I’m excited for him to win it. That would truly just make my day right there. Like, when he was on the cover of the NCAA game, just seeing him on there, knowing the sacrifice that he took to make all this happen. To come to HBCU, to come here, no matter how much money he was offered, and all the crazy type of stuff I heard, that he told me. Yeah you're good for him. You're good brother. Now I’m just excited for him, everything he achieves, all the accolades and everything. That’s fine because he deserves it.
Isaiah Augustave, So., RB
On what he saw on his rushing TD:
“A lot of people. It wasn't what I was seeing, I just thought, I got to get in that end zone.”
On if it was physical tonight:
“It was football. It’s gonna be physical every time.”
On if he and the O-Line are building more chemistry together:
“Definitely, definitely. I just got to go in there and trust those guys and believe they're gonna do their job. That's what I do every time I go in there, believe in them.”
On what running back he is:
“I'm whatever the coach needs me to be. I can tuck the ball 20 times a game. I can rotate. Whatever they need me to be, I can do.”
On the excitement of being Bowl eligible:
“It’s good to be bowl-eligible, but we’re coming for the Big 12 Championship.”
Alejandro Mata, Jr., K
On being bowl eligible:
“It definitely fills us with pride. After a season like last year, being able to bounce back with the coaching staff and the players, and feels great, and just full of pride.”
On his progression:
“I definitely got my confidence back. Those first three games I didn’t really feel like myself, I was dealing with things off the field and it really affected me and my kicks. I wish I could get those kicks back, but it great now, and we move on.”
On his superstitions:
“My hair is actually a superstition of mine. I haven’t gotten a haircut this season because of that. I refer to the story of Sampson in the bible, and I started it my junior year of high school, then shave it off at the end of the season. And ever since then I’ve done it.”
Justin Mayers, Sr., G
Where Colorado is now compared to what they expected when they transferred:
“I mean it’s a blessing. We’re (Kahlil Benson and Mayers) both healthy. Seeing the sold out stadium every game and just winning; something I haven't been a part of in a while. It's just that's what you come here for, get a co-star, be part of a winning program and make it to your dreams, make it to the league. But I'm so proud of this team. A lot of people don't know how much work we put in, and all the adversity a lot of us go through as a player or as a unit as a whole. So just being here as a transfer, I'm very thankful I chose CU.”
Back to back games with over 100 yards rushing and if the run blocking has improved:
“I think so. I feel like, especially just practicing harder, knowing that the sense of urgency, and the mission that's at hand, not only for this team, but, as seniors and stuff like that. But you know, just harping on the run game, we can throw out the ball perfectly. Shedeur is a great passer. We all know that, but running the ball as an o-line is a statement to drive a man down the field and constantly gain yardage. That's what you want to do as an offensive line. So just emphasizing that, the past two weeks, and I mean, every game really, has really started to be beneficial for us, as you saw tonight.”
On adjusting to the gameplan
“It’s all in trusting the process. I feel like we are brought here for a reason, to help this team win a championship, and that’s what we're on pace to do, especially since we are bowl-eligible now. The coaches know what they’re doing, we’re making progress every single week. It doesn’t matter what position I play, a lot of stuff is happening to just adapting, and being coachable is key.
On how the offensive line has grown
“I believe it’s just the continuity. The longer the season goes, the closer you get. I feel like bringing all new guys together from January, was just a strengthening to the bond and it keeps getting tighter while keeping Sheduer up and making a statement. Our job is to have no sacks every game, although we had one like you said so that’s a hit to the chin but we’re making progress.”
On ups and downs throughout the season
“Luckily we still have six or seven games left, and coming back into it fresh and having that hunger that got you here and gets you closer to those dreams of going to the NFL is good. There’s a lot of rotation going on, but just working hard being coachable, and perfecting our game on the field, it’ll make a difference.”
Kahlil Benson, Jr., G
Where Colorado is now compared to what they expected when they transferred:
“We (Justin Mayers and Benson) right where we supposed to be at, I mean, just the vision from the beginning coming in, knowing what we had to do. Being older guys, knowing we had to lead the group. So, I mean, adversity we went through, we bonded together as a team, came together and did what we had to do on the field and then off the field as well, whether that's bonding out, going out together, doing whatever we have to do to make sure that we solidify everything that we got to do, especially like protecting the QB.”
How Isaiah Augustave runs and what the O-Linemen say to him:
“Keep running. Keep running the ball. And we pride ourselves as offensive lineman too, as well knowing that we have to move the ball down the field. It sends a message to the next team we're going against. I mean, you got guys that like to fight for the yardage, and you got o linemen, they like to pull them and push them to keep going to get the extra yards. So as long as we keep running the ball and throwing the ball as well efficiently, then we’ll be perfectly fine.”
On the opposing run game
“We practice this all week. We have shown resilience all week got the work done, and did what we needed to do. Being experienced players on the team, we already knew what we needed to look for, so we just had to get out there and execute. Everything fell into place and we listened to the coaches, and just had to execute.”
Cincinnati Head Coach Scott Satterfield
Opening Statement:
“Yeah, you know, just, first of all, just obviously disappointed in the loss, you know, not playing great. I didn't think early defensively, offensively, didn't get things going like you would like, you know. And I think, you know, obviously give credit to them, they have some really good football players. And I think, you know, obviously give credit to them. They have some really good football players when you think about the wide receivers that they have, you know, Shedeur is a very accurate passer. And then defensively, I think they do a good job of their man coverage. You know, we had problems, I thought, early in the game with the man coverage trying to get loose, it was very tight coverage. It was hard to get the ball in there. And, you know, but I did think we're really proud of our guys. We got down 31-14 not to quit and continue to play. We got back in the game. It's a one possession game there in the fourth quarter. You know, we got to get off the field there at the end. And, you know, they made a real long 47-yard field goal that barely went over the crossbar. Now we got a chance to go down there and tie the ball game. So, you know, come in here, you know, great environment, on the road. You know, tough situation when you got to play this late and travel this far and all the things that go along with it. But I still love where our kids finished in fall, and, you know, we came up a little bit short.”
On the struggles with CU’s sticky coverage:
“I mean, at some point you got to get open right? And you got to be able to go and catch I mean, at some point it comes down to that. I thought, you know, at times, we did a good job of finding ways to get the guys open and get them free. You know, really comes down to the one on one matchups, who can win against whoever they got out there. You know, there's a couple times we're trying to get the ball to Xzavier [Henderson]. I thought he actually got free. And then the pressure was on us. You know, they did a good job with the guys up front. They bring one linebacker, so now you got a five man pressure coming in there, and so, so they were able to get Sorsby off the spot a little bit with that, but it kind of kind of goes together, and I think that's why they’re obviously a lot better team this year because of what they do defensively. You know, offensively, about the same, but the defensive they’re a lot better. But I did think Corey [Kiner] ran the ball hard. Evan [Pryor] did some good things out of the backfield, and Brendan ran hard, you know. So I think you're able, you got to be able to mix in that run with that throw right there, so you're not just dropping back all the time against that man coverage.”
On going for two in the fourth down 8:
“It is the math, you know, I think, you know, if you don't get that, then you have to get the next one. If you get that, then you kick the next one. Theoretically, you know, if you stop without the field goal, then you win the game. You know, especially on the road, I think had we been at home, then that'd be a time where we probably just kick the extra point. Now, if you get the ball back, you go down, you know, see if you want to go to the wind or kick the extra point. So obviously, it didn't come to that, you know, we didn't stop them from getting that field goal.”
The sequence of events that closed the first half:
“I thought it was the play of the game. The fourth down, and one that we had right there at midfield. We didn't want to give the ball back to them for obvious reasons. You know, I felt good about that play. We did not get the first down. Now to me, that was the play of the game. And, you know, we gave the ball back to him, and they were able to go and, you know, [we] missed the covers on the back end, hit Travis for a touchdown right there for them to go ahead. And really, because it was a one possession game, now, that takes it for two possession games. And I thought that was, really, the play of the game. Offensively, we didn't put our defense in a good spot, but then we came out for the third quarter, defense did a good job getting the ball back, you know. But I do think that that momentum swing right before halftime was huge and obviously in their favor. Well, I think you got, it's tough to stop this offense, right? I mean, you have some of the best receivers in the country that are playing out there with Shedeur, who’s extremely accurate, poised, experienced, and you know, when those guys are open, he's going to hit them, they're going to catch it, and they're going to make plays. So they're hard to stop, you know, do you bring pressure then you know, obviously it's man to man out there, and you got to win that one on one battle. If you don't bring pressure, then you get more guys back, you know? But it's just a cat and mouse game there, and it's hard, obviously, hard to win. I think most teams have a hard time stopping them, including us.”
On scoring touchdowns on the first two drives:
“Yeah. I mean, it was great, you know, we got the ball first. We don't do anything with it. They go score, but, but our guys battle back offensively, you know, we came back down. We had a couple good drives there. You know, getting 14 to 14, like you mentioned, this a great environment. You know, on the road, the Big 12, man is a lot of stuff going against us, you know. And our guys showed great poise, I thought, early in the game, not to get down and not to start looking around like, oh, what's happening. They kept playing, you know. And I think that same thing happened in the fourth quarter, you know, it'd have been real easy, you know, 31-14 this hour, man, this game is over. We made it. We had a good try. Let's just go back to Cincinnati. They didn't do that. They kept playing. They kept fighting all the way to the end there. And, you know, it just just didn't go our way there at the end of the game.”
On the failed fourth down near halftime:
“They had a five man front up, so every lineman is covered, and a linebacker in the box as well. Then we motion our tight end in and they bring another guy in there. So it basically comes down to one on one block, and then you got to just find a find a lane to go through there. We've run this play many times. We've gotten first downs on them, scored on it, you know, on film, they had given up that play this year. So for all those reasons, we thought it was a good call. They made a good play. No we didn’t get any movement really. So we got stuck. we got stalemated, but it's one of those things. We felt like it was a good enough risk for us to go get that.”
On the CU receiving corps:
“They're good, you know, the two little ones are, they're not very big, but they're extremely fast, and they're throwing bubbles out there, and they're still getting the big, big plays and big yards. You know, 14 (Will Sheppard) is a bigger guy, and Travis can do it all, you know. So it's a tough matchup, you know, for us. And really, I think it's a tough matchup for a lot of people they play, particularly when you got a guy that can get them the ball.”
On the long pass to Travis that kicked off CU’s final drive:
“Well, we were all over and held him, and he still made it. I mean, I don't know what else you do, right? I mean, you know, it was a great play. He stood up, and Travis made a great play on it. And that’s why it's a great play.”
On 3rd down:
“I think a lot of times tonight, you know, there were a couple of drives where I thought, man, this we kept giving them the third downs, you know, three and four times in this one, you know, particular drive, and it just kept getting it. It's frustrating, you know. And I think, and then a couple of penalties that we had defensively that helped them out, like the one you're mentioning, we hit the quarterback in the head one time and that's 15 yards. We had a substitution penalty on one that gave them five more yards on the same drive. So, you know, those are plays where you’re just giving them yards. They're good enough, we don’t need to give them yards.”
On the injuries in this game:
“Yeah, he [Luke Kandra] was not able to come back. So I'm not sure what it was. I mean, obviously we'll know more this week. But you know, again, late in the season like this. You got a lot of nicks and bruises, you know, Dontay went down, Kandra went down. You know, at halftime. I know we were good, we were clean. Everybody was good to go. So we'll just have to see how he is. You know, he was not able to finish the game.”
The biggest thing to fix over the bye week:
“We always in the bye week go back and look at our deficiencies and try to get better, whatever that is, and try to enhance whatever we're doing good, you know. And really try to focus on the things that we are doing good. That's the stuff that we need to do. As we head into the rest of the season, we know, we got, you know, obviously, a tough schedule. As we head into the last four games, we've got two at home, two on the road, against a bunch of good football teams, you know. So we got to take this bye week and try to get healthy, try to get as healthy as we possibly can. Continue to work with our young guys, and we think there really is some really good players, continue to make them better, and then go, go back and do a self-scout and look at what we what we're doing, and try to tweak those things so we're not doing some of the things where teams know that that's happening. And then, you know, really figure out what we're doing well. And let's go do that. We'll play West Virginia.”
On if a Big XII Championship is still in the cards:
“Yeah, there's a lot of ball left. You know, when you think about four more games, I mean, you know, we got two losses in the big 12. There's a lot of stuff that can happen in this conference. And I think everybody knows, everybody knows how anybody can be anybody in this conference, depending on travel, depending on where you're going, depending on your injuries, all the things that happen, it's still wide open. So yeah, but we're still going to compete and play and try to go win all these games. I mean, you know, we're taking one game at a time, and you know, so for the next two weeks, we'll be getting ready for West Virginia.”
Cincinnati Players
Brendan Sorsby, So., QB
On the Fourth and one play and what he saw:
“In your head, you know, you think you're going to get it. I think they did a great job up front, not allowing us to get much push. They did a good job. I still got to find a way to get one yard. But obviously, you know, I didn't. We just have to find a way to pick it back up after that and just go put some points on the board.”
On what he was trying to do to counteract CU’s success:
“There were definitely some times where I thought I could have given the guys a better throw. I think I left too many balls behind them or inside or whatever. I can definitely be better there. But, you know, I think our guys did an overall good job of winning against man. I think if you just change a couple of plays here and there, it's a different outcome. But obviously you can't do that. So, we gotta get back and watch some film and correct the mistakes.”
On Xzavier Henderson only having one catch tonight and difficulty getting him the ball:
“I thought they did a good job, but there were definitely some plays where I could have gotten him the ball, and obviously I did not. I think he did a good job, though, still winning on some routes, and we just got to find a way to continue getting him the ball.”
On Luke Kandra leaving the game:
“He's a great player for us and we love to have him out there, but I think our guys that step up whenever guys go down, do a great job. So obviously, you know, we want Luke out there, and he ended up coming back. It was a tough loss but just hope that he's most importantly okay, and then, if he's able to return, that's huge, too.”
On if staying away from Travis Hunter was in the game plan:
“Obviously, he's an unbelievable player. So, try to stay away from him. But there's going to be times when you have to throw it at him, and he did a good job whenever the ball did come his way.”
On how it felt to start to come back and not get it done:
“We just got to stay out of those situations that we're putting ourselves in where we have to come back from down that much. I was really proud of the guys and how we fought at the end, but obviously it wasn't enough. We have to find a way to keep ourselves out of that situation. But it's tough whenever you lose those but you're proud of the guys for fighting and battling until the last minute.”
On what he was telling the guys during the huddle on the drive that could make it a game:
“I don't think any guy on the sideline ever lost hope. That's credit to this team and this staff. I think that we didn't lose any hope or belief in what we do until the game is over. So, you know, credit to those guys. But obviously we have to find a way to just stay out of those situations, so we don't have to do it. But, if we are in those situations, it's good to see that the guys are going to fight.”
On playing in the fun CU environment:
“Yeah, it was a really good environment. I mean, pretty simple answer, but it was a good environment. They had a great crowd.”
On how he’s feeling after the game:
“Yeah, a little banged up, but I'll be alright. Be good to have this bye week, watch the film, correct the mistakes, and get back to it.”
On their 5-3 record and his leadership going forward to accomplish their goals:
“Yeah. I think that if you watch the Big 12 and college football in general, people are winning and losing that you didn't think we're going to win and lose. But obviously that's our goal, to win every week. Go 1-0 each week and see where we are at the end of the year, but just one week at a time.”
On his connection with Tony Johnson:
“Yeah, I think that just, over time, me and Tony have just developed a great relationship off the field as well, but on the field just with reps and time on task. We'd like to have a couple more of those fades and whatnot, but they just weren't hitting tonight. A couple of them did and a couple of them didn't. We just gotta find a way to connect on those.”
Derrick Canteen, Sr., SS
Opening statement
“Going there, we knew they had a great offense scheme. They had players all over the field, Shedeur, other receivers, running backs, O line - they had a balanced team, and I feel like they had a great game plan. They came out here with poise. They came out and executed and did their job.”
On the end of the first half and giving Travis the touchdown
“I feel like going in with the momentum and everything, they did a great job of executing their plays and getting him the ball. He's their playmaker. Defensively, you love to come up with that stop, take points off the board and if anything a field goal. All in all, going into halftime, we had to regroup.”
On playing in a new environment
“I think that as a football player at this level you look forward to it. It's something that we talked about, something that we knew coming in there, that they were gonna have great energy. Prime Time game, ESPN, packed crowd and you love it. We stepped into it and we embraced it. I feel like we did a great job of embracing it and just being in the moment, but also just playing our game.”
On stopping the Colorado offense
“I think a lot of things came down to just communication and execution. We knew we just had to play our brand of football. In the second half we did a better job of that - understanding how they wanted to attack us, knowing who they want to get the ball to and just settling and playing our brand of ball and trying to do our best to get the ball back to offense.”
On the speed of Colorado football
“Obviously, they have great players, great talents, receiver corps all over. More than anything, they just did a good job executing. Each week you go and play talented players, receivers, running backs and each week in this conference is talent all over; speed all over.”
On covering receivers
“In our game plan, that was some of the things that we kind of knew were gonna happen. He's mobile, he can run around and scramble and we knew that their receivers are good at finding spaces in the zone and scrambling and getting up like that. So that's something that we talked about, and it's kind of a battle of giving pressure, but getting in zones, getting in man, just kind of mix it up and give him different looks. That's a great offense, great coaches and great players, so we want to just give him different looks and try to mix it up as best we can.”
Cincinnati vs. Colorado, Oct. 26, 2024, Folsom Field, Boulder, Colo.
Colorado Head Coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders
Opening Statement:
“First and foremost, great victory. I'm a little upset, because the way we landed, I like to land a little cleaner, little more smoother. We had a really good game going until the end with all the penalties. I don't like that. We're better than that. We have more structure, that we're more structured than that. We have more discipline than that, and just the back and forth with the substitution. I'm gonna take responsibility to that, but I promise you, you shouldn't see that again. So I'm a little disappointed in how we landed. Mata was phenomenal at the conclusion of the game, doing what he did. Like I always tell them, I don't care how high it go through. They don't give you points for that, as long as it goes through. I'm good with that. Great team. They did not beat themselves. They played soundly. I mean, they weren't going to give up. We increased the lead by margin at one point. They still didn't give in or give up. That's a testament to their coaches and their staff. Played their butts off. We had some guys fighting through pain, fighting through agony and all that. But they stayed out there and gave it their all until they couldn't do it anymore. But overall, level we did running the football. We made a conscious effort in the beginning of the week that we were gonna run the football. Yeah, did a wonderful job Dallan did as as well. And, I mean, you look at stats, sometimes you go in at halftime and you're critical of some things, then you say he's what? He's 22 for what? It don't make sense, because we take it for granted how good this young man is. And I would be saying that even if he wasn't my son, but he just happened to be. Travis was phenomenal. Jimmy, he's very apologetic on the taunting penalty that got called. LaJohntay, we blessed him. He wanted number one when he came here. Number one ain't something you acquired. It's given to you. It's not a number that you choose for yourself. I'm old school, so we presented that he earned it. So I gave it to him tonight, after was going into the bye week. Drelon was tremendous as well. Did the doggone thing at three inside the 20, I think three inside with the five or the 10, something phenomenal, like that. Cam Silmon did his thing. Overall, good game. Just not excited about the way we landed the play. Peggy is fighting COVID Right now, and we wanted to give her love and appreciation and present her with the game ball. So we called her. Rick was gracious enough to call her, and she answered on the first ring in Peggy fashion, with plenty energy and that umph that she has, and we told her that she is going to a bowl. Now we want to make sure she goes to the best possible bowl that she could possibly go to, and that means a lot to us, that really does. And she was so appreciative and thankful, but she means so much to this program, so we're glad that we could honor her in that realm. Now, we just got to get a private plane to make sure she's comfortable on the way there. Yeah, we can put Greg on the regular plane, I promise you that, but I'm thankful that we were able to to do that for her.”
On bowl eligibility and future of team:
“It's cute. It really is, because we really want that. But that's not all we're after. That's one of the hurdles that we're jumping over, that we're going over. That's a tremendous hurdle, that we're happy, we're excited, but that's not the end goal for us. That's the beginning, but we are thankful and appreciative that the hard work is going noticed.”
On end of first half execution:
“It wasn't thinking about those type of things. You're thinking about the usage of your time outs. You thinking about scoring and knowing we getting the ball back in the second half, and you double down on it. You get points and you come back at second half, and you score too. That's tremendous. We're excited with some of the things that we're doing. We really are. We still are a work in progress. And we're happy about some things. We're happy about some of the players and what they're doing. I got to see the film to see what everyone truly did and clean up some of the mistakes we made, tremendous mistakes we made, because we shouldn't have let that game get that close. But we got to dub. That's what counts.”
On Travis Hunter’s performance this week:
“Well we never doubt Travis whatsoever. So him being himself is just what we expect. That's the only thing we expect. We don't expect to see anything else.”
On shutting down Cincinnati’s passing game:
“We got some good DBs too. I mean, that's not taking nothing away from them, but I think we have three to four corners that can start anywhere. So I'm really satisfied with that, and we're improving each week, but the front end compliments the back end and vice versa. I think we're striving. We're making strides to be where we want to be and to do some of the things that we want to do.”
On Shedeur Sanders’ game and record setting:
“ I mean that's what we expect. He's so darn good that we don't give him the credit that he deserves for some of the things that he does. See, you don't even know that stuff because you're into the game and you're coaching, you don't even think about that kind of stuff. I remember, I think he did that one time in Jackson, that he was phenomenal like that. But, wow. And they only mention him for the Heisman. He's not even mentioned. Oh, my bad. He's my son.”
On Alejandro Mata end field goal:
“Well, the whole time we're sitting up there saying we got it. They put the flags up and they let me know what we got to get to for Mata time. We was trying to steal a touchdown at the end because we knew they were going to be in cover one, and they end up dropping outside backer into one of the slant lanes that we wanted to hit a quick slant and try to house that thing. But we got what we wanted because we knew we had the three because Mata is clutch man. Mata is so wonderful, and we don't care about how high it go through the uprights. We do not care, but it goes through the uprights. That's the thing that counts the most. And he's so consistent of a person. He's so consistent as an athlete and consistent as a teammate to his team.”
On Isaiah Augustave keeping offense balanced:
“I'm not just gonna say his success. I think the running game success, period. We got three to four capable backs that can do the thing in that manner. So just running the football period takes a tremendous amount of pressure off the quarterback, off the line, and now we have a lot more balance. I'm not going to say that wins games but it sure does help the situation. It gives Pat more flexibility to call some things he wouldn't normally call if we couldn't the ball. The line is taking initiative. They get sick of being talked about and saying that we can't run the football and they did a phenomenal job tonight from the beginning to the end. I mean, all those guys given opportunity, I think all of them were produced. They're so different. They're so versatile. In some situations you need this type of guy, some situations you need that type of guy. And it was his turn tonight, and he performed. I mean, all those guys are hungry, all those guys want to contribute. All those guys just want opportunity. And they all have gotten opportunity, and it was just his turn tonight, and he performed greatly.”
On possibility of being in the playoffs:
“Well, we ain't think about the playoffs right now. Right we go one game at a time. We don't even want to be ranked. Don't rank us, please. We don't like that. We rather be in the back, in the dark, just chilling in the cut. We good, we cool. We straight. All right, so don't feel pressure to rank us. I promise you everybody, we are straight. So we're not thinking about that. We're thinking about going into this bye week, healing some injuries, correcting some things that that we didn't do well, and having a good time and probably giving them a day or two off. They're not getting a whole week off, I promise you that, but a day or two off, they deserve that tremendously.”
On the impact rotating guards have on the linemen:
“It keeps guys fresh. It throws the opposing team off when they're rotating, as well. And I think people should do that more in college football because the defensive line is rotated. So, having a fresh lineman to rotate means they're getting playing time now. They may not dip and jump at the port after the season. It's tremendous that we have that type of depth to do that.”
On Coach Phil’s line and his rotation:
"That's his line. That's his thing. And I love everything he stands for. I love how he challenges those guys, supports them, and shows them love, but he gets on them pretty tough. I love everything about it.”
On his view of last year’s season:
“Well, let's flush last year down the toilet. Let’s not even look down there. Let's just flush it and walk away. I'm happy with who and what we have: the staff and the players. I'm truly happy with all of the above, and you guys are starting to see everything come together, but we're not nearly where we desire to be. Not nearly.”
On the importance of making a play after a catch:
“It's not that we stress that. We have those types of athletes that are capable of that. Those are the types of young men that we go and seek out. We want to sign them here because we know what they could do with the ball when it gets into their hands. Anybody can make a catch, but do you go to work with it after you make the catch? And those are the types of commitments we've garnished from a couple of guys up here this weekend. So, we want to keep that going and keep attracting those types of young men.”
On Shedeur not being on the Heisman Trophy list:
“I don't care. I really don't. It's just strange. It's funny to me. I just think it's ignorant, but it's funny. It's funny to us because Shedeur could care less. He wants to be drafted in a wonderful city. He wants to win out, and that's what he thinks about. He isn't thinking about a Heisman. Travis is the best college football player in the country. We all know that. Why are we even deliberating over that? What are the criteria? Somebody needs to say, what are the criteria for that prestigious award? Because we're looking for the best college football player ever. There has never been a Travis Hunter, and I’m up here saying that.”
On the development of the program, especially with rushing improvement:
“Well, it’s our program. We're on a wonderful journey. We know what direction we're going. We've done this before at seven different locations, from youth to all the way up. And this isn't anything new to us, truly, and we're just happy that we've got an opportunity to show you what we're capable of doing. These young men are excited as well. They love it here. They love to play football for us, and they're attracting like-minded men that they're going to love it as well. I met with several of them today, and I can't wait to see them in the buff uniform. I can't wait to see what they bring to the table.”
On if he has seen anything like the Jimmy Horn Jr. overturned touchdown:
“Well, there were a lot of things that you saw here that you never seen before that we can't understand, like that pass interference in the corner that nobody saw, right? We're not upset. We don't get upset with that. We expect that things are going to be different. We're not crying by any means because it's just a part of the game. It's life. Jimmy is the best young man that you could ever fathom. When you're building a young man for your program and a receiver, you want all the attributes that Jimmy Horn has. So, getting the call back at it like that because I wanted him to get to six, he was so broken about what transpired. But we got him together and let him know we love him. We appreciate you, but don't do that again. But I'm proud of the way he plays. We got to get him the ball more. He's so darn good.”
On the goal of the season now that Peggy has her bowl game:
“That isn’t the goal. I wanted to do that for Peggy, so that was kind of me. That goal wasn't about us. That was what I wanted for Peggy because she deserves it. We had to have a rally and cry for some rhyme or reason. But we want so much more. We want so much more. That's why we practice the way we practice, and that's why we go at it the way we go about it. We want so much more. That was just the beginning of what we desire around here.”
His opinion on if past Heisman winners should have a vote in rewarding the trophy:
“We think that same way about the Hall of Fame. We wish Hall of Famers would make the vote for the future Hall of Famers instead of committees that don't know what the heck they are talking about, what they are doing, or who's who. It is what it is. There are some voters out there who really are good at what they do. So, you can't discredit them as well because they're really good at what they do. You can never go right with that kind of stuff. Somebody's always going to have opposition. I just get a kick out of it.”
On the mindset going into the Cincinnati game:
“We wanted to win. We wanted to play good, solid football and be fundamentally strong. We didn't want to go in there and come out of there with a multitude of penalties because that just ruins it. We wanted to be balanced in every phase of our game: running the football, throwing the ball, stopping the run, defending the pass, special teams, and punting well. But one thing that we're really trying to get is that ball in the end zone. On kickoffs, we are really trying to get that ball in the end zone. I think we had a couple of touchbacks today, and that's tremendous for us. But we have to get that ball in the end zone, so we don't even give them an opportunity. So, that was the mindset. We have the best fan base ever. As a matter of fact, let me say this to whom it may concern: please don't throw bottles and things on the field. We're better than that. We're so much better than that. And the people doing that, you're better than that, and nobody deserves that. Somebody's going to get hit, somebody's going to get hurt. We're better than that. We are so much better than that as a university and as young men and women in the crowd. So, thank you for not doing that anymore. If you hear this message, it's critical because we are so much better than that.”
On whether he thinks the Texas fan's actions will affect the CU student fan base:
“No, no, no. What's good for them isn't good for us--some things you just don't tolerate. We don't tolerate certain things. We have one of the most beautiful campuses and a beautiful city; you barely ever see trash around here. I walk on campus every day. I even walked this morning. This place is so beautiful. And we just can't stoop to those types of lows because it may be the popular thing at the time. We're better than that. So that's what I'm trying to stabilize, that we are so much better than that. I think we have got the best fan base in the country. You guys are doing a wonderful and phenomenal job.”
Colorado Players
Shedeur Sanders, Sr., QB
On the importance of the development of the offense:
“It gives confidence to the defense. To help them play relentlessly. To help them play and fly around and not ever play nervous. The mindset and the message, before we got out there, was, ‘Let's get it done early.’ Let's not wait till half-time. Let's not have a drop-off at any time. Let's stay focused. Let's do it and carry on the whole entire game.”
On his gameplan going into bye week:
“Get healthy. That's the biggest game plan right now. The bye week kind of came in a better week for me, honest. Little banged up right now. I'm just really happy overall with the team and how the receivers, the O-line, and coach all assisted me. I recently had the flu. I was only able to practice for one day, so it was tough out there, getting the chemistry back with everybody. Because you lose weight, you lose strength, you lose a lot of things having to deal with that. I'm just thankful that the team was all one, and we all leaned on each other for help”
On rushing 40 times and Isaiah Augustave’s contribution pushing the ball forward:
“We gotta win. That's the main thing. When you when you play an odd team, you have to run the ball. It's one of those things. I read they’re the third most drop-18 team in the country. So, what do you expect? You have no choice but to run the ball. Because throwing situations are too iffy. They do a great job in disguising their coverages, whether cover three cloud, order and cover three, ordering man or cover four holes. They do a lot of things pretty well. We had to force their hand by pounding the rock. And that's what worked. Going into each game we just go with what works. If running the ball a lot of times works, then we're just going to do that.”
On team cohesion tonight:
“There definitely are some throws we missed. There are some throws overall and some reads. There are some things I could have done better personally. We never feel great coming out of a win knowing that we did everything we could, but we still missed out on some opportunities. So, it's just watch the film during this bi-week, watch the next opponent that we're going to play, and just get healthy.”
On Hank Zilinkskas’ (Center) performance tonight versus last week:
“Me and Hank have a funny relationship because I threw two picks last week, and you can't feel worse than me. There's no way you can feel worse than me. So it was funny that we all able to share that moment. Hank’s a great guy. He's a great player. In some situations, I say personally, I put him in situations by leaving him down there so long to where he anticipates getting off the ball. He anticipates a lot of things. I blame that on myself, and that's why I communicate with him that that's on me. I gotta make you [Zilinskas] more comfortable in those situations. And we pretty much did it. At the time, we got into it for a quick little three, four seconds, then when we got to the sideline, we talked about it, and we go back to normal. We go back to plan”
On O-line consistency:
“Yeah that one sack is on me, but it's really on Trav [Travis Hunter], Its on Trav. I had to talk to travel a little bit like “Come on, bro, don't jog right here, right?” But yeah that's on me. They had a flawless game. We’ll see what happens this week for them.” [Reporter mentions sacking pattern]. The pattern has been that, we noticed that too. We definitely talked about that in the team meeting and that this can't be the week where we change. So then everybody took that in. It's really competitive in there. It's real fun that everybody's rotating, everybody's playing, and it keeps everybody on edge and keeps that dog in them. It's funny, but now we have to make sure we broke the pattern.”
On how big 6 wins and bowl eligibility is:
“It’s big for us because it’s big for the fans. Us, we look at every game that we play as a possible win. We don't go into the season or look at the schedule like “Oh we're only gonna win six games.” That's not what happened. So the fact that we did it, it just trusts the process that we're using. We're not even hitting our peak. Nowhere close. We still got a lot of things we got to clean up. We still have a lot of things offensively we have to excel more at. It's just a great thing. It's just a great badge of honor for now. But we got bigger aspirations.”
On building on this big win for the rest of the season:
Each win definitely gives us a confidence boost. Going into the bi-week, we got to practice a lot, and I talked to my dad about that. We had to practice a lot over the bi-week. But it really, it really helps everybody mentally. I would say, you put in a lot of hard work, day in and day out, and you have to get the results that you put in. We all studied. We all spent time after time talking through all these different scenarios. If they come out, do this, we’ll do this, this, and this. Then we finally get out there, and it’s everything that we want and everything that we’ve seen overall. So then it’s real exciting. Next week, we’ll study the opponent, study who we’re going to play. We’ll look at the past eight games and just see what we could have done better, and see any patterns that we have. Switch up everything and just be ready for the next game.”
On setting a 15 for 15 record and the defense tonight:
First off, it was really my dad talking to me on the sidelines. He talked to me pregame. When we walked down, it was just focus on completions. That’s what we focused on – just completing the ball. We don’t focus on making bad throws. Everything has to be crisp, really precise. So that’s the expectation, and that’s kind of what we live by. Some games, when we get out of that we just got to get back to our basics, get back to what we’re doing good.”
On not being in the Heisman conversation:
“It’s a lot, it’s a lot of feelings that go into that. But I feel like if it’s out of us, you got to think. They’re not going to give it to two players on the same team. Me and Trav [Travis Hunter], it won’t happen like that. It is what it is. I don’t really look too deep into that. I just want Travis to win, of course, and that will be almost like I won, because I’m throwing the ball. He [Travis Hunter] is the best player in college football, hands down, and I’m excited for him to win it. That would truly just make my day right there. Like, when he was on the cover of the NCAA game, just seeing him on there, knowing the sacrifice that he took to make all this happen. To come to HBCU, to come here, no matter how much money he was offered, and all the crazy type of stuff I heard, that he told me. Yeah you're good for him. You're good brother. Now I’m just excited for him, everything he achieves, all the accolades and everything. That’s fine because he deserves it.
Isaiah Augustave, So., RB
On what he saw on his rushing TD:
“A lot of people. It wasn't what I was seeing, I just thought, I got to get in that end zone.”
On if it was physical tonight:
“It was football. It’s gonna be physical every time.”
On if he and the O-Line are building more chemistry together:
“Definitely, definitely. I just got to go in there and trust those guys and believe they're gonna do their job. That's what I do every time I go in there, believe in them.”
On what running back he is:
“I'm whatever the coach needs me to be. I can tuck the ball 20 times a game. I can rotate. Whatever they need me to be, I can do.”
On the excitement of being Bowl eligible:
“It’s good to be bowl-eligible, but we’re coming for the Big 12 Championship.”
Alejandro Mata, Jr., K
On being bowl eligible:
“It definitely fills us with pride. After a season like last year, being able to bounce back with the coaching staff and the players, and feels great, and just full of pride.”
On his progression:
“I definitely got my confidence back. Those first three games I didn’t really feel like myself, I was dealing with things off the field and it really affected me and my kicks. I wish I could get those kicks back, but it great now, and we move on.”
On his superstitions:
“My hair is actually a superstition of mine. I haven’t gotten a haircut this season because of that. I refer to the story of Sampson in the bible, and I started it my junior year of high school, then shave it off at the end of the season. And ever since then I’ve done it.”
Justin Mayers, Sr., G
Where Colorado is now compared to what they expected when they transferred:
“I mean it’s a blessing. We’re (Kahlil Benson and Mayers) both healthy. Seeing the sold out stadium every game and just winning; something I haven't been a part of in a while. It's just that's what you come here for, get a co-star, be part of a winning program and make it to your dreams, make it to the league. But I'm so proud of this team. A lot of people don't know how much work we put in, and all the adversity a lot of us go through as a player or as a unit as a whole. So just being here as a transfer, I'm very thankful I chose CU.”
Back to back games with over 100 yards rushing and if the run blocking has improved:
“I think so. I feel like, especially just practicing harder, knowing that the sense of urgency, and the mission that's at hand, not only for this team, but, as seniors and stuff like that. But you know, just harping on the run game, we can throw out the ball perfectly. Shedeur is a great passer. We all know that, but running the ball as an o-line is a statement to drive a man down the field and constantly gain yardage. That's what you want to do as an offensive line. So just emphasizing that, the past two weeks, and I mean, every game really, has really started to be beneficial for us, as you saw tonight.”
On adjusting to the gameplan
“It’s all in trusting the process. I feel like we are brought here for a reason, to help this team win a championship, and that’s what we're on pace to do, especially since we are bowl-eligible now. The coaches know what they’re doing, we’re making progress every single week. It doesn’t matter what position I play, a lot of stuff is happening to just adapting, and being coachable is key.
On how the offensive line has grown
“I believe it’s just the continuity. The longer the season goes, the closer you get. I feel like bringing all new guys together from January, was just a strengthening to the bond and it keeps getting tighter while keeping Sheduer up and making a statement. Our job is to have no sacks every game, although we had one like you said so that’s a hit to the chin but we’re making progress.”
On ups and downs throughout the season
“Luckily we still have six or seven games left, and coming back into it fresh and having that hunger that got you here and gets you closer to those dreams of going to the NFL is good. There’s a lot of rotation going on, but just working hard being coachable, and perfecting our game on the field, it’ll make a difference.”
Kahlil Benson, Jr., G
Where Colorado is now compared to what they expected when they transferred:
“We (Justin Mayers and Benson) right where we supposed to be at, I mean, just the vision from the beginning coming in, knowing what we had to do. Being older guys, knowing we had to lead the group. So, I mean, adversity we went through, we bonded together as a team, came together and did what we had to do on the field and then off the field as well, whether that's bonding out, going out together, doing whatever we have to do to make sure that we solidify everything that we got to do, especially like protecting the QB.”
How Isaiah Augustave runs and what the O-Linemen say to him:
“Keep running. Keep running the ball. And we pride ourselves as offensive lineman too, as well knowing that we have to move the ball down the field. It sends a message to the next team we're going against. I mean, you got guys that like to fight for the yardage, and you got o linemen, they like to pull them and push them to keep going to get the extra yards. So as long as we keep running the ball and throwing the ball as well efficiently, then we’ll be perfectly fine.”
On the opposing run game
“We practice this all week. We have shown resilience all week got the work done, and did what we needed to do. Being experienced players on the team, we already knew what we needed to look for, so we just had to get out there and execute. Everything fell into place and we listened to the coaches, and just had to execute.”
Cincinnati Head Coach Scott Satterfield
Opening Statement:
“Yeah, you know, just, first of all, just obviously disappointed in the loss, you know, not playing great. I didn't think early defensively, offensively, didn't get things going like you would like, you know. And I think, you know, obviously give credit to them, they have some really good football players. And I think, you know, obviously give credit to them. They have some really good football players when you think about the wide receivers that they have, you know, Shedeur is a very accurate passer. And then defensively, I think they do a good job of their man coverage. You know, we had problems, I thought, early in the game with the man coverage trying to get loose, it was very tight coverage. It was hard to get the ball in there. And, you know, but I did think we're really proud of our guys. We got down 31-14 not to quit and continue to play. We got back in the game. It's a one possession game there in the fourth quarter. You know, we got to get off the field there at the end. And, you know, they made a real long 47-yard field goal that barely went over the crossbar. Now we got a chance to go down there and tie the ball game. So, you know, come in here, you know, great environment, on the road. You know, tough situation when you got to play this late and travel this far and all the things that go along with it. But I still love where our kids finished in fall, and, you know, we came up a little bit short.”
On the struggles with CU’s sticky coverage:
“I mean, at some point you got to get open right? And you got to be able to go and catch I mean, at some point it comes down to that. I thought, you know, at times, we did a good job of finding ways to get the guys open and get them free. You know, really comes down to the one on one matchups, who can win against whoever they got out there. You know, there's a couple times we're trying to get the ball to Xzavier [Henderson]. I thought he actually got free. And then the pressure was on us. You know, they did a good job with the guys up front. They bring one linebacker, so now you got a five man pressure coming in there, and so, so they were able to get Sorsby off the spot a little bit with that, but it kind of kind of goes together, and I think that's why they’re obviously a lot better team this year because of what they do defensively. You know, offensively, about the same, but the defensive they’re a lot better. But I did think Corey [Kiner] ran the ball hard. Evan [Pryor] did some good things out of the backfield, and Brendan ran hard, you know. So I think you're able, you got to be able to mix in that run with that throw right there, so you're not just dropping back all the time against that man coverage.”
On going for two in the fourth down 8:
“It is the math, you know, I think, you know, if you don't get that, then you have to get the next one. If you get that, then you kick the next one. Theoretically, you know, if you stop without the field goal, then you win the game. You know, especially on the road, I think had we been at home, then that'd be a time where we probably just kick the extra point. Now, if you get the ball back, you go down, you know, see if you want to go to the wind or kick the extra point. So obviously, it didn't come to that, you know, we didn't stop them from getting that field goal.”
The sequence of events that closed the first half:
“I thought it was the play of the game. The fourth down, and one that we had right there at midfield. We didn't want to give the ball back to them for obvious reasons. You know, I felt good about that play. We did not get the first down. Now to me, that was the play of the game. And, you know, we gave the ball back to him, and they were able to go and, you know, [we] missed the covers on the back end, hit Travis for a touchdown right there for them to go ahead. And really, because it was a one possession game, now, that takes it for two possession games. And I thought that was, really, the play of the game. Offensively, we didn't put our defense in a good spot, but then we came out for the third quarter, defense did a good job getting the ball back, you know. But I do think that that momentum swing right before halftime was huge and obviously in their favor. Well, I think you got, it's tough to stop this offense, right? I mean, you have some of the best receivers in the country that are playing out there with Shedeur, who’s extremely accurate, poised, experienced, and you know, when those guys are open, he's going to hit them, they're going to catch it, and they're going to make plays. So they're hard to stop, you know, do you bring pressure then you know, obviously it's man to man out there, and you got to win that one on one battle. If you don't bring pressure, then you get more guys back, you know? But it's just a cat and mouse game there, and it's hard, obviously, hard to win. I think most teams have a hard time stopping them, including us.”
On scoring touchdowns on the first two drives:
“Yeah. I mean, it was great, you know, we got the ball first. We don't do anything with it. They go score, but, but our guys battle back offensively, you know, we came back down. We had a couple good drives there. You know, getting 14 to 14, like you mentioned, this a great environment. You know, on the road, the Big 12, man is a lot of stuff going against us, you know. And our guys showed great poise, I thought, early in the game, not to get down and not to start looking around like, oh, what's happening. They kept playing, you know. And I think that same thing happened in the fourth quarter, you know, it'd have been real easy, you know, 31-14 this hour, man, this game is over. We made it. We had a good try. Let's just go back to Cincinnati. They didn't do that. They kept playing. They kept fighting all the way to the end there. And, you know, it just just didn't go our way there at the end of the game.”
On the failed fourth down near halftime:
“They had a five man front up, so every lineman is covered, and a linebacker in the box as well. Then we motion our tight end in and they bring another guy in there. So it basically comes down to one on one block, and then you got to just find a find a lane to go through there. We've run this play many times. We've gotten first downs on them, scored on it, you know, on film, they had given up that play this year. So for all those reasons, we thought it was a good call. They made a good play. No we didn’t get any movement really. So we got stuck. we got stalemated, but it's one of those things. We felt like it was a good enough risk for us to go get that.”
On the CU receiving corps:
“They're good, you know, the two little ones are, they're not very big, but they're extremely fast, and they're throwing bubbles out there, and they're still getting the big, big plays and big yards. You know, 14 (Will Sheppard) is a bigger guy, and Travis can do it all, you know. So it's a tough matchup, you know, for us. And really, I think it's a tough matchup for a lot of people they play, particularly when you got a guy that can get them the ball.”
On the long pass to Travis that kicked off CU’s final drive:
“Well, we were all over and held him, and he still made it. I mean, I don't know what else you do, right? I mean, you know, it was a great play. He stood up, and Travis made a great play on it. And that’s why it's a great play.”
On 3rd down:
“I think a lot of times tonight, you know, there were a couple of drives where I thought, man, this we kept giving them the third downs, you know, three and four times in this one, you know, particular drive, and it just kept getting it. It's frustrating, you know. And I think, and then a couple of penalties that we had defensively that helped them out, like the one you're mentioning, we hit the quarterback in the head one time and that's 15 yards. We had a substitution penalty on one that gave them five more yards on the same drive. So, you know, those are plays where you’re just giving them yards. They're good enough, we don’t need to give them yards.”
On the injuries in this game:
“Yeah, he [Luke Kandra] was not able to come back. So I'm not sure what it was. I mean, obviously we'll know more this week. But you know, again, late in the season like this. You got a lot of nicks and bruises, you know, Dontay went down, Kandra went down. You know, at halftime. I know we were good, we were clean. Everybody was good to go. So we'll just have to see how he is. You know, he was not able to finish the game.”
The biggest thing to fix over the bye week:
“We always in the bye week go back and look at our deficiencies and try to get better, whatever that is, and try to enhance whatever we're doing good, you know. And really try to focus on the things that we are doing good. That's the stuff that we need to do. As we head into the rest of the season, we know, we got, you know, obviously, a tough schedule. As we head into the last four games, we've got two at home, two on the road, against a bunch of good football teams, you know. So we got to take this bye week and try to get healthy, try to get as healthy as we possibly can. Continue to work with our young guys, and we think there really is some really good players, continue to make them better, and then go, go back and do a self-scout and look at what we what we're doing, and try to tweak those things so we're not doing some of the things where teams know that that's happening. And then, you know, really figure out what we're doing well. And let's go do that. We'll play West Virginia.”
On if a Big XII Championship is still in the cards:
“Yeah, there's a lot of ball left. You know, when you think about four more games, I mean, you know, we got two losses in the big 12. There's a lot of stuff that can happen in this conference. And I think everybody knows, everybody knows how anybody can be anybody in this conference, depending on travel, depending on where you're going, depending on your injuries, all the things that happen, it's still wide open. So yeah, but we're still going to compete and play and try to go win all these games. I mean, you know, we're taking one game at a time, and you know, so for the next two weeks, we'll be getting ready for West Virginia.”
Cincinnati Players
Brendan Sorsby, So., QB
On the Fourth and one play and what he saw:
“In your head, you know, you think you're going to get it. I think they did a great job up front, not allowing us to get much push. They did a good job. I still got to find a way to get one yard. But obviously, you know, I didn't. We just have to find a way to pick it back up after that and just go put some points on the board.”
On what he was trying to do to counteract CU’s success:
“There were definitely some times where I thought I could have given the guys a better throw. I think I left too many balls behind them or inside or whatever. I can definitely be better there. But, you know, I think our guys did an overall good job of winning against man. I think if you just change a couple of plays here and there, it's a different outcome. But obviously you can't do that. So, we gotta get back and watch some film and correct the mistakes.”
On Xzavier Henderson only having one catch tonight and difficulty getting him the ball:
“I thought they did a good job, but there were definitely some plays where I could have gotten him the ball, and obviously I did not. I think he did a good job, though, still winning on some routes, and we just got to find a way to continue getting him the ball.”
On Luke Kandra leaving the game:
“He's a great player for us and we love to have him out there, but I think our guys that step up whenever guys go down, do a great job. So obviously, you know, we want Luke out there, and he ended up coming back. It was a tough loss but just hope that he's most importantly okay, and then, if he's able to return, that's huge, too.”
On if staying away from Travis Hunter was in the game plan:
“Obviously, he's an unbelievable player. So, try to stay away from him. But there's going to be times when you have to throw it at him, and he did a good job whenever the ball did come his way.”
On how it felt to start to come back and not get it done:
“We just got to stay out of those situations that we're putting ourselves in where we have to come back from down that much. I was really proud of the guys and how we fought at the end, but obviously it wasn't enough. We have to find a way to keep ourselves out of that situation. But it's tough whenever you lose those but you're proud of the guys for fighting and battling until the last minute.”
On what he was telling the guys during the huddle on the drive that could make it a game:
“I don't think any guy on the sideline ever lost hope. That's credit to this team and this staff. I think that we didn't lose any hope or belief in what we do until the game is over. So, you know, credit to those guys. But obviously we have to find a way to just stay out of those situations, so we don't have to do it. But, if we are in those situations, it's good to see that the guys are going to fight.”
On playing in the fun CU environment:
“Yeah, it was a really good environment. I mean, pretty simple answer, but it was a good environment. They had a great crowd.”
On how he’s feeling after the game:
“Yeah, a little banged up, but I'll be alright. Be good to have this bye week, watch the film, correct the mistakes, and get back to it.”
On their 5-3 record and his leadership going forward to accomplish their goals:
“Yeah. I think that if you watch the Big 12 and college football in general, people are winning and losing that you didn't think we're going to win and lose. But obviously that's our goal, to win every week. Go 1-0 each week and see where we are at the end of the year, but just one week at a time.”
On his connection with Tony Johnson:
“Yeah, I think that just, over time, me and Tony have just developed a great relationship off the field as well, but on the field just with reps and time on task. We'd like to have a couple more of those fades and whatnot, but they just weren't hitting tonight. A couple of them did and a couple of them didn't. We just gotta find a way to connect on those.”
Derrick Canteen, Sr., SS
Opening statement
“Going there, we knew they had a great offense scheme. They had players all over the field, Shedeur, other receivers, running backs, O line - they had a balanced team, and I feel like they had a great game plan. They came out here with poise. They came out and executed and did their job.”
On the end of the first half and giving Travis the touchdown
“I feel like going in with the momentum and everything, they did a great job of executing their plays and getting him the ball. He's their playmaker. Defensively, you love to come up with that stop, take points off the board and if anything a field goal. All in all, going into halftime, we had to regroup.”
On playing in a new environment
“I think that as a football player at this level you look forward to it. It's something that we talked about, something that we knew coming in there, that they were gonna have great energy. Prime Time game, ESPN, packed crowd and you love it. We stepped into it and we embraced it. I feel like we did a great job of embracing it and just being in the moment, but also just playing our game.”
On stopping the Colorado offense
“I think a lot of things came down to just communication and execution. We knew we just had to play our brand of football. In the second half we did a better job of that - understanding how they wanted to attack us, knowing who they want to get the ball to and just settling and playing our brand of ball and trying to do our best to get the ball back to offense.”
On the speed of Colorado football
“Obviously, they have great players, great talents, receiver corps all over. More than anything, they just did a good job executing. Each week you go and play talented players, receivers, running backs and each week in this conference is talent all over; speed all over.”
On covering receivers
“In our game plan, that was some of the things that we kind of knew were gonna happen. He's mobile, he can run around and scramble and we knew that their receivers are good at finding spaces in the zone and scrambling and getting up like that. So that's something that we talked about, and it's kind of a battle of giving pressure, but getting in zones, getting in man, just kind of mix it up and give him different looks. That's a great offense, great coaches and great players, so we want to just give him different looks and try to mix it up as best we can.”