Post-Game Quotes
10/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 18, 2008
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Tulsa Head Coach Todd Graham:
Opening Statement:
"I'm really proud of our players to go out and dominate a team like UTEP. The way it started out, I thought it was going to be a shootout early, but our guys settled down and dominated a good football team tonight. We're very pleased to go 7-0 and do it in that fashion make me very gratified and happy for our players."
What was the difference between the first quarter for them and the rest of the game?
"We were just making some errors. They were making some plays. They hit one over the top of us on John Flanders. He was there. They just made a play. They made a couple plays. We busted a coverage on the very opening play of the game, and they had a big play there. We just had to settle down. UTEP was good. They're quarterback is a good player. They have some really good wideouts and some really good skill gets."
"Coach Patterson and Coach Randolph did a great job of making adjustments, Once we got out of that first quarter we played pretty good football tonight, and played really well in the second half."
David fumbled on the first half, who called the second play with the long pass play?
"We have a script we go by and pretty much stick to it. Gus and Herb does a great job of planning the preparation with the staff the whole week. We're going to take what the defense gives us, and what they chose to do on that play was to play single coverage and if we get single coverage on Brennan we're going to take it. So, that's why you saw the big shots tonight. We're really disciplined as an offense and a staff and we have a system in place and we follow the system. Gus and Herb get the credit for that. They do a great job of calling the offense. We have a system in place that really fits our kids, and we take what they give us. If you're going to play man, and no help you're going to have a hard time covering those guys."
It seemed like everything offensively was clicking?
"I thought it was one of our better outings. Our kids have really gotten up to play the big games. We just have to get up every week. I think it was a statement win. We have a heck of a football team, being able to dominate somebody like that, especially a good football team. Hopefully, it will open some eyes up in the country."
You say it's a statement game. Do you expect this game to put you into the top-25?
I would be very surprised if we're not. I think we're very well-deserving. We're 7-0, and we've dominated six of the seven times we've been out and played. We have the number 1 offense in the nation. I think there's a lot arguing points there for our football team, but that will all take care of itself. We just have to keep winning."
University of Tulsa wide receiver Brennan Marion:
On the first big play...
"Last week when we played SMU we ran that play and I was wide open and coach said that if we ever get backed up this week behind the 10 yard line we are going to run that play again. We just executed it."
On going down field helping the offense tonight...
"Yes, definitely with the way we had the deep passes going and the running game we were able to stretch the field a lot today."
University of Tulsa quarterback David Johnson:
On the first big touchdown...
"Well, after the first play I was kind of relieved the way it turned out. That was not a really good first play. Brennan did a good job of getting off press coverage. You know, they just had the right coverage on that play and you just throw a nice ball out there and Brennan did a good job doing the rest for us. Obviously he had some other really good plays for us on the field too."
On having the ability to step up in the pocket...
"Yes, our offensive line did a great job tonight of giving us time to throw the ball down the field. And again, give credit to our receivers. They did a good job of getting off man coverage and stepping the routes properly. They did a great job tonight of getting open and catching the football."
On scoring so many points...
"We expect to score as many as we need to score to win the ball game. Our expectation on offense is to score every time we have the ball. As long as we do not stop ourselves that is a possibility. Tonight we were able to get the run going and the pass going and I thought we were able to keep them off balance."
On the no-huddle offense clicking tonight...
"We just stayed together as an offense and we faced some adversity. We had an interception and they went down and scored off of it. We stayed together and continued to play well. Obviously we had some negative plays, but we also had some great plays. That's going to happen. Give credit to our defense for keeping us in the ball game and we are going to do our best to try to score points."
On separating from UTEP in the score...
"We just stayed together as a team and pulled together. We knew our defense was going to do a great job of getting stops. We were just feeling each other out a little bit and the defense did a good job of getting some stops for us and we were able to create some momentum. Then as an offense we did our job of taking care of the football. We put it in jeopardy one time and that was one time too many. Our job is to go out there and keep them off balance."
UTEP Head Coach Mike Price
Opening statement...
"Their offense sure made it look easy didn't they. They just kept moving down the field, throwing it deep and catching it. They also did a great job running the ball in the second half. They knocked us off the ball on defense and we didn't tackle very well tonight either."
On UTEP's offensive performance...
"I was disappointed in our offense. We didn't block well in long yardage situations. They had a couple of stunts and blitzes that were really effective and we couldn't get Trevor (Vittatoe) enough time to get the ball out. We put ourselves in those situations by not executing on first and second downs."
On Tulsa's offense...
"I haven't been beat like that in a long time. Their offense is one of the best offenses I've ever played against. They just do things right and make it look easy."
Did the pressure of having to score on every drive have an effect on the offense...
"No, because they are under the same amount of pressure we were, but we just didn't execute. When it came to protection and blocking we couldn't pass the ball, and then we didn't make a couple of catches."
