Post-Game Quotes
10/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 18, 2008
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Head Coach Nick Saban Quotes
Opening Comments:
"It's obviously a great win for us. The crowd was fantastic for us today, a lot of support especially at the end of the game. I'm not sure that that didn't have an effect on the outcome as much as anything. We're not just focused on winning, our focus is a lot on how we win and a big goal for us today, I talked about it at halftime, was to go out and play and do a better job in the second half, and obviously we didn't do that. That was our goal and especially with a 24-3 halftime lead, but we got a penalty that started the (Mississippi) drive that ended up in the fake field goal, which we did a poor job of recognition. We all knew on the sidelines that they were going to fake it. I mean, how many times do you see the holder walk up and tell the offensive line that it's a play. That was huge in the game in terms of momentum. We need to play better on offense in the second half. We need to be more consistent in terms of ball control and field position. We turned the ball over in the second half on two occasions. I said it all week long that Ole Miss is a really good football team. I believed it; I don't know if our players believed it, but I think they do a fantastic job and they have good players. We did not exactly get done what we wanted to get done today, but when you win a game in this league, you have to be pleased and happy about it. The last three games we haven't played as well in the second half as in the first, and we have to analyze that. Defensively, we gave up a couple of big plays that contributed to them scoring. We also turned the ball over twice which gave them good field position. With regards to Cody, we're going to do an MRI. We don't think that he has a surgical knee, but that will be determined. He has a similar injury to what (Andre Smith) had earlier in the season, but the extent of the injury will be determined by the MRI. I assume he'll be out for a couple of weeks, but we'll wait for the MRI."
On if there is a common thread to the struggles in the second half:
"I mentioned most of them already. We had a lot of plays on defense. We give up some plays on defense. We don't play with the same intensity. We have to change it up, mix it up, a little bit more and be able to execute. We can't make the mental errors that we make, and we have to play more consistently on offense. We stopped moving the ball, and that's what affects the momentum of the game more than anything, how you play on offense and when you score. We need to do all those things. Even the field position in the second half wasn't good. We have to quit doing stupid stuff."
On Terrence Cody playing fullback:
"I don't think there was any rocket science to it. He's a great big guy who's very powerful who took basically that whole side of the line and moved it on that particular play."
Marquis Maze
On catching the touchdown
"At that point it was all about helping the team. We practiced that play all week and it paid off."
On the passing game
"We practiced for two weeks before this game so we got our time in to put ourselves in position to be successful. We were just clicking today."
On catching his first career touchdown
"It felt great to make the play and help the team out. It was nice to make a big play in front of the home crowd."
Javier Arenas
On the win
"We knew what we had to do to win the game today. We were able to maintain and finish the win."
On being 7-0 and keeping up the momentum
"As a national championship competitor teams are going to be after us. We still need to get better each and every week."
John Parker Wilson
On the passing game
"We came out and were able to execute. We worked really hard in practice and put it together in the game. We didn't run the ball as well as we have been but they were putting a lot of men in the box and forced us to throw."
On the flea flicker:
"We have been practicing that for five years and I can't believe it got called actually. Mike did a good job of getting open and I was able to give him a good ball."
Rashad Johnson
On getting an interception:
"Coach had actually said it. Third and nine and they came out in it. I think, two weeks ago when they played Florida they came out in third and nine in the same formation and ran the same play. They faked like they were going to run it and threw it to that guy. They put us in great position and I was able to make the play."
On Ole Miss doing something different in second half:
"They did. They came out with four wide and had no quarterback in the game. They put McCluster at the quarterback position, it was like a pistol formation. When they came out in that it was definitely something new that we hadn't seen before."
Cory Reamer
"We allowed them to get back in it. We should have shut them down. They had that faked field goal. That really helped them out and got the momentum going for them. We gave up to many big plays. They came out firing. They were behind so they came out firing the ball. We just made too many mistakes."
On fake field goal play:
"Well I didn't know it was coming. Obviously the coaches and everyone else did. I guess we were out there and didn't think about them faking it. They ran a little shovel pass to the opposite wing and he just snuck in there. I didn't even see him until after he was out of the gate."
Antione Caldwell
On John Parker Wilson:
"He's stepped up one hundred and ten percent. He's playing better than I've ever seen him. He's become a leader on the field and off the field. He invests a lot of time on the field and invests in his receivers. He's just having a good season so far and doing everything the coaches are asking him to do."
On difference in the first and second half:
"In the first half we protected the football and we did a good job and started fast. From here on out, instead of doing that in the first half we have to do that the whole game. This game really should not have come down to the last drive of the game. We have to do a much better job of that."
On this game carrying over to the next game:
"No doubt a win like that helps out. Not just this week but any week. It's a win and we feel good about it and want to take that into next week."
Mississippi Quotes
Head Coach Houston Nutt
Opening Statement:
"Our guys came back in the second half after we didn't have a very good first half. Defense played extremely hard and did a good job of really crowding the line of scrimmage. I felt we tackled against a good offensive team. Offensively we came back and put some drives together. Felt like the fake field goal gave us a little lift and got us on the board. Defense got some turnovers for us and we capitalized on a couple of those drives. We hurt ourselves with a penalty at a bad time and then a fumble at a bad time. You just can't do that to beat a number two team in the country. Tell you what we do have, we got some fighters and some guys that are really believing and if they keep doing that, good things are going to happen."
On the 4th and 1 play and if there was any confusion:
"No, we were trying to decide between two plays. We knew we wanted to run the ball so we could make the foot, foot and a half. I'm disappointed in that."
On the close games this year and not getting a win:
"Well, I'll tell you, I think they are going to be a great team, I think they're really starting to see it and all they need is a little dose and that dose is that win. The reason we're able to play in this environment is you reach back to a game like Florida. A lot of teams can't stay on the field with Alabama, a lot of teams. Georgia had a tough time the first half. This team is a solid team. Two deep on both sides of the ball. So I'm proud of them (Ole Miss), I think we can build from it and as long as we keep hanging on the rope, and keep fighting, there's still a lot to play for."
FB Jason Cook
First half play:
"They're front seven are a talented group of guys. We didn't execute exceptionally well on offense. They trumped us early in the game before we could get our running game going. All credit to them, they're a good team."
Scoring on the fake field goal:
"It's something that we've had for a while and could never find the right opportunity to run it. Finally the opportunity presents itself and next thing you know I'm in the end zone for the first time in my career, so it was pretty cool. Usually a lot of stuff like that gets audibled, so to hear that it was still on, it was surreal being in the end zone for the first time but it would feel much better had we got the win."
QB Jevan Snead
Mississippi's last offensive play of the game:
"Their defense did a good job and I felt like I had to get rid of the ball, and unfortunately I wasn't able to get it where I wanted to go with it. I should have gone back to the drag but I felt pressured and I'm sure the drag was open and if I could go back I would."
"They're a great team. They're ranked where they are for a reason. I think if we can get together we can play in the first half and be a lot better."
Difference between the first and second halves:
"I don't know if we came out playing hard or what it was exactly. In the second half we got in the locker room and went over what we had to do and we decided we were here to play and we were not just going to give up. Nobody on our team gave up and I'm just fortunate to be on a team like that."
