Post-game Quotes
11/27/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 27, 2009
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Tulsa Head Coach Todd Graham
Opening Statement...
"That was a special, special way-I said that out on the field-for James Lockett to get that interception and to end it like that for those seniors. It's not about winning the game or finishing off on a positive note, but just about these seniors. These seniors have been a special, special group, not just on the field, but off the field. They're very, very special to me. It was ugly at times. We've faced a lot of adversity. I want to give my props to Steele, their tailback, who really had an impact. And Coach West. What a class guy-a really, really class person. I think a lot of him. I can't do anything but think about our seniors and to think about what they've meant to this program. Curt Puckett, George Clinkscale, James Lockett, Josh Burris, and all those guys have been here five years, been to four bowl games-won three of them-been to three conference championships-won one of them. You think of what they've done on the field, and they never gave up. What I was proud of today, though, was when I was over on the sideline and we fumble the ball on the one-yard-line, and I saw a great sign with our younger kids-juniors and sophomores-being animated.
"I saw Slick Shelley in the defensive huddle for the whole second half. I've seen great signs of guys having a passion for playing, and the reason why they were so animated is because they care so much for the seniors and they wanted the seniors to win. What an incredible way to finish for our seniors, and they can leave here and hold their head high and be very proud of what they've accomplished. There might have been a time back in the 40's, but that group there has won a bunch of football games here and they have a lot to be proud of.
"Naturally, it was special for me. It was an emotional day for me. I'm not used to being emotional, but it was a very emotional day for me. Those guys are all going to be winners when they leave here. It's also a big deal to be able to get things back on a positive note and to win a close game. That felt great."
On heading to the offseason on a positive note...
"We've been pretty close this year. To be real honest with you, one of the things that's been a positive for us and that I've been amazed with is how resilient the guys that we've got playing for us are. We train them so hard and work so hard around here, and we recruit kids with great character. When kids come here, their academics have to be important to them, they have to be able to handle the academic rigor, and we have pretty high standards when it comes to what kind of character the young men have that we recruit into here. So I've really been amazed throughout this adversity we faced for six weeks with just how determined they were, how positive they've been, and we've been really, really close. Heck, you can't get it any closer than what it was.
"I feel really good about going into the offseason actually. It does help tremendously to get a win, but most importantly for our seniors. But our program is on strong foundations because of the young men we have in this program, and I'm very proud of them and how they've responded. The negativity has all been on the outside. I haven't had one guy with a bad attitude or bad body language in practice over the last six weeks, and I think that speaks volumes about our guys. At the end of practice, I'll talk to the players everyday and when I get done, you'll see players stand up and talking and motivating their teammates and talking about the things that we've got to get done.
"We had an incredible meeting last night where the seniors got up and addressed the team one last time and tell the team not to take it for granted. We didn't get it done this year, and they never dreamed that would happen, but it can happen. They challenged our underclassmen to go to work and to prepare themselves for the close games and the adversity they are going to face. They've got to be prepared to go win. I'm sad that we were a game short of being able to get these guys to a fifth straight bowl because those seniors are special, but today was a pretty special win for us."
On breaks like Lockett's interception and mistakes...
"That was a tremendous play that James made, but we also did stupid things throughout the day. We turned the ball over, they pinned us down there and the field position hurt us. We didn't play very good defensively, especially given the big runs. They ran the ball a lot. I'm not sure how many yards they had rushing, but I bet it was a bunch. Our guys kept battling. We lost Tanner Antle and that hurt us. But Curnelius Arnick came in and played well. The two true freshman on offensive line starting did a good job, but we had a stupid penalty there-an inexperienced penalty on the chop block-early that killed the drive. The breaks kind of went our way at the end. But I knew that when we got into overtime that we were going to win. I really felt like we were going to win there. I just really liked the attitude and the spirit there. Whenever we got the interception, I just wanted to make sure we didn't turn the ball over because I knew Fitzpatrick would make it. I think Fitz is really good. You can tell by his numbers. I walked out there to him, and usually I won't say anything to a kicker in a situation like that, but he looked like he was about to go to Disney World. He turned around to me and said 'Coach, I've been wanting to do this my whole life. This sucker's going right down the middle.' So, I turned around and handed my headset to the coach and said 'It's over, we're going to win.' I walked down to the end, and he put it right through."
On the career of Mike Bryan...
"Mike has had a tremendous career. He's a throwback guy. He reminds me of the guys I played with back in the day. He could have been a guy that could have been a linebacker back in the 70's or 60's. He's a tough guy. He gave an emotional talk last night to his teammates. It was incredible. He's had a tough, tough fall, which has given him great perspective and I think the strength and dignity that he's handled it with and how he's responded has been incredible. It's unbelievable how he has played because he has absolutely refused not to play. His elbow was hyper-extended two or three weeks ago and they said there was no way he was going to play, and he played. He's had some nagging problems with his shoulders and his back. He's just tremendous. Our guys are tough and they care and they give you every single thing they've got. I never once felt this year that they didn't give us everything they had."
Tulsa Player Quotes
G.J. Kinne
On winning the game...
"It was a big win. We knew we had to win this game for the seniors. That's the only reason we pulled it out at the end. The seniors mean so much to us and we just wanted to send them out on a good note."
On Fitzpatrick's game-winner...
"He's a great kicker. I just told him, we do it everyday at practice, just go out there and put it through the uprights."
Trae Johnson
On game-tying TD...
"I just saw myself wanting to step my game up for my team and for the seniors.
On Lockett's interception...
"I was right there. He just took it out of his hands."
Looking forward to next year...
"This has been a long season. It has not been going the way we want it to go. Next year, coming out, we've got G.J. [Kinne] with some more experience now playing this whole season. And we're just going to keep it rolling, hopefully go 14-0."
On getting a win and breaking the losing streak...
"Just to come out and get a win does a lot to help us with our confidence. Especially our confidence with our quarterback and our offensive line."
Breaking the losing streak...
"It's just a major, major thing to get that bitter taste out of our mouth."
Kevin Fitzpatrick
On the game-winning field goal...
"It felt great, mainly for the seniors. It was a close game. Coming toward the end, I kind of got a sick feeling in my stomach that this wasn't going to go good for the seniors, but we got the interception and I knew right then and there it was going to come down to me. So, I just got my head right and did it for the seniors."
"Before the kick Coach Graham came up to me. He said, "Fitz, I've got confidence in you." I said, "Coach, I've been waiting for this moment my whole life." And so I went in there, and when it went through, honestly, it was one of the best feelings of my entire life. I can't think of anything that tops that right there."
"That's what this whole week has been about: the seniors. The seniors got to talk to the team last night. They all spoke from the heart and it really hit me hard that I had to do my job. As much as it felt good for me, that one was for the seniors."
"I heard Lou Holtz say once, "There's only pressure if you're not prepared for the kick." And I'm doing that everyday in practice. So there was no pressure for me at all."
"That was for the seniors right there, I'm going to remember that one for the rest of my life."
Memphis Head Coach Tommy West
Opening Statement...
"I've never seen so many bad things happen to one football team. Against UAB we had our best two wide outs, probably the best two wide outs in school history, fumble two balls for touchbacks. I've never seen that in a game, ever. Then tonight we get it to our best guy [Duke Calhoun] who is probably going to score on the play, and it pops out of his hands. It's just been that kind of year. I love them for the fight. They tried to rally, and I love them for that. It would have been easy to come out here on Thanksgiving week and just throw it out there and half-do it."
"At the end of the day, it came down to the play of our special teams again. That's the way it has been all year. We got a punt blocked and an extra point blocked in this game. We don't field a punt and it cost us about 40 yards of field position. That's been our downfall most of the year. We have not been good in our special teams and we have made the errors to lose games. That's how you have to win. If you play good defense and you play good special teams you have a chance to win every game. We didn't do that."
On Curtis Steele's game...
"He's a great player, and I don't use that word much. I've been around some really good backs and he's one of them. He's a tremendous football player, and you saw what he did today."
On receiving a signed jacket from the team before the game...
"At our team banquet last night, the team gave me a letter jacket and they all signed the sleeves. They wanted me to wear it for the game today. It was way too hot to wear it during the game, so I wore during warm ups."
