University of Houston Athletics
Football Press Conference Quotes
10/20/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
HOUSTON HEAD COACH Kevin Sumlin
"As you get to the midpoint of the season, hardly anyone is playing with the same group of 22 guys that you started the season with. If you are, then you're lucky. The biggest thing from last week was the number of contributors we had to win a conference game on the road. It shows that we're starting to build some depth even though there's a lot of youth in there. We're better for it.
"Offensively, we had a new left side for the second week in a row. Those guys did a great job in pass protection and running the ball. Then there are guys we have just started taking for granted who continue to make plays for us.
"Justin Johnson, who plays a number of positions for us including tight end, running back, receiver and special teams, had an excellent game along with Chris Wilson. LJ Castile had a great game, and AJ Dugat came in the game and helped us out. They gave us a boost, and that also helps create depth.
"It seems like every Friday we have some sort of surprise. The week before it was Jacolby Ashworth, and this weekend it was Ameen Behbahani. Ameen had the flu and was admitted into the hospital actually. Tyrone Campbell and Phillip Steward started the game, and they're both true freshman. Rosiean Haynes started at safety. We had three new starters in there on defense, and those guys did a nice job. DeAnthony Sims played a bunch at defensive line, another true freshman. A lot of our freshman on the defensive line have played this year, and they will continue to play the rest of the year. It's good for us to go on the road and win a conference game because we need those young guys to step up. It's really speeding up their development, but they're talented enough and they're playing hard enough. We just have to keep them going in the right direction.
"Our kicking situation really overshadowed a great special teams performance. We'll work on that this week and have an open competition for those that are here, just like any other position. The best guy by 6:30 p.m., Saturday will kick. Our kickoff coverage was as good as it has been all year. We had a 27-yard punt return. Jeremy Smith blocked a punt, and we netted 40 yards on two punts. The special teams game was excellent except for the field goals and PATs."
On moving up on the polls: "It's good. It's the first time University of Houston has been ranked in the BCS polls. It's a big deal for our fans and programs, and it certainly helps with recruiting. As I've said before, I'm more interested to see where we are in a couple months in the polls than right now. We're in a good situation right now, and we need to continue to be successful."
On the second half: "The first half was really strange. It was real quiet in the stadium; there wasn't much noise. Our fans were great. They were the loudest people in the place. We had to tell the PA announcer to stop talking the whole time, We had two penalties because of him, and I know they had a couple too. It was a mutual deal that Tulane and us had to tell him to shut up.
"It seems like every time we have the ball and don't score then we have a problem. Well, they have coaches and players too. We'd love to score every time we have the ball but that doesn't happen. Fortunately we only gave up two field goals in the first half and one touchdown the entire game.
"We were just a little bit off in the first half. We were pressing a little bit. When you're leading the country in offense and you're not scoring every time you have the ball or making the plays, sometimes the players start to feel like the fans and get frustrated. At halftime I basically said that it didn't look like we were having any fun. The guys looked a little tight. We came out in the second half a little early, didn't make a bunch of adjustments and things started to open up. Guys were flying around, smiling and having a good time and we played pretty well."
On SMU defense: "They're fourth in the country in turnovers. They've forced 20. They're second in interceptions with 13. June Jones and their staff does a great job with them. I look at them similarly to us - you can see how they've improved since June Jones started there. They've lost two games in overtime this year, and they're 2-0 in conference play. They're beyond dangerous; they're a good football team. They play a 3-4 defense and are very aggressive on defense. They see from their offense as good as passing game as there is. They'll have a good scheme ready.
"Offensively Shawnbrey McNeil has really helped them. He's a real talented and fast player, great with the ball in his hands. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell is in year two of the system, so his understanding has improved. They have two real good receivers, and one of those guys is really special. Emmanual Sanders is the all-time leading receiver in the history of the school, and he's leading the country in punt returns. They have talent, a good scheme and are well coached. That's the reason why they're tied for first in the West. This team is drastically improved from the beginning of last year, and you could see that development as the season progressed. They were in a lot of tight battles, and you could look at our game against them last year where they had basically won the game, but something happened at the end."
On Case Keenum for the Heisman: "His numbers speak for himself. For us to be successful and for us to accomplish what we want on offense, he has to play at a very high level. It takes a bunch of people for him to do that. Our offensive line, receivers and offensive staff have done a great job. The staff gets a great plan together, and our entire group understands it. Statistically and by how we've been playing, he is one of the better quarterbacks in the country. When it comes to national awards and recognition, I view those as team awards. In order to receive those awards, you have to have numbers, but you also have to have wins, and you win as a team. He deserves to be in the Heisman discussion. And if we continue to be successful and win, then those things are on the horizon."
JUNIOR QUARTERBACK Case Keenum
On national recognition: "That sort of stuff just takes care of itself when you go out and compete and have fun. A lot of different people make it about a lot of different stuff. The most important thing is making it about those 60 minutes on Saturday."
On SMU's improvement from last year: "They've improved a bunch. I knew they were a good last year. They were really close on a lot of games last year and this year. They've won a couple, and they're a good team. We know they're going to come in here and play tough, so we're going to practice a lot this week."
On SMU's quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell: "He's a good player. The team counts on him quite a bit. When he's playing well, the whole team is playing well. He's done a good job of getting in good situations. I look forward to watching him play."
On encouraging fans to come to the game and be loud: "We're excited. It's been a while since we've been at home. We hope everyone is still excited about Cougar football because we are. It will be a lot of fun this week playing a conference rival. With SMU coming down, it should bring a lot of their people. I hope they show up again and be loud again, because it was a lot of fun when everyone gets involved."
SOPHOMORE RUNNING BACK Justin Johnson
On being named the team's Offensive Player of the Week: "It was a great felling. Like Coach Sumlin said about the national recognition award, I see this award as more like a team award. I had the offensive line blocking really well for me. It was a team effort. It wouldn't have been possible for me to play as well if it wasn't a team effort."
On playing multiple positions: "The main thing is to do whatever the coaches want you to do and get the job done. I do whatever I can do to contribute to the team."
On preparing for Saturday's game: "As coach said earlier, SMU is a very talented team. We saw that game last year come down to the wire. We don't take any opponent lightly. We're going to out, practice hard and handle what we can, which is ourselves."
On playing at Tulane: "We had the majority of the fans, so it was like a home game for us. It was nice but we try not to let our surrounding affect us."
SOPHOMORE WIDE RECEIVER Tyron Carrier
On playing at home for the first time in three weeks: "It means a lot coming back since the Tech game. Any opportunity to come home and play is a good opportunity."
On bouncing back from the loss to UTEP and keeping an edge: "I don't think it's hard to maintain an edge because no one let that effect them from the beginning. We still have our edge."
On Case Keenum: "He's keeping a cool head like he's supposed to. There's not much to do except putting up the numbers."
SOPHOMORE MIDDLE LINEBACKER Marcus McGraw
On playing at home: "Three games on the road is always tough, and it builds character. It was a good experience for us in which we learned a lot, and it will be good to get back to Robertson."
On SMU: "They have a high-power offense and a good quarterback and they remind me of our offense a little, so it's going to be a good game. They are going to come out very focused and prepared after last year when they lost because of that one play. A lot of things build up to it, but they are going to give us their best shot, and we have to be ready for it."
On the defense: "We have to be ready for almost anything. We have to be on our toes. We can't ever get too comfortable or too settled, but at the same time you need to know what you're doing."
On keeping confidence: "Every time you step on the field, you have to have the mentality that were going to go three-and-out every time no matter what. We just have to fight for every little thing. Last week they got inside the 20, but we only gave up six points. We just keep going all the time, fighting and clawing till the very end."
On the home game: "It should be a great homecoming after being away for a month. A lot of things have happened since then, so it's exciting to get back to playing in Houston again. The crowd brings great energy. You may come to the game a little down, but once you walk around the stadium and hear the people yelling and cheering for you, it really gets you going."
HOUSTON SENIOR CORNERBACK Carson Blackmon
On depth: "We believe that anybody our coaches put on the field can contribute."
On SMU: "We have to be on edge for every play. We can't take any plays off. They put up a lot of points against us last year. They have a lot of good players. We need to slow them down a little, and we should be fine. "
HOUSTON JUNIOR DEFENSIVE TACKLE Isaiah Thompson
On run defense: "Our defense has been playing pretty well. Even though Tulane may have had some yards on us, we still held them to one touchdown and only six points in the first half. We have a lot of young people on the team, and our defense is really young right now. As time goes on they will mature as players, and we will be just fine."
On SMU: "I have noticed they are very disciplined and a technically sound team. It will be a challenge for us. If we go out and execute and have fun playing football, like we did in the second half of the Tulane game, then we will be just fine."
On playing at home: "It will be great, even though it is fun traveling sometimes. There's nothing like being in the atmosphere with your own fans and your friends and family get to come to the game too. With the crowd yelling for you instead of against you and it being Homecoming, it should be really good."
On conference: "The coaches have talked to us about it before the Tulane game. Now we are back in conference play the other games don't matter. We were 0-1 before Tulane; now we are 1-1, so the season starts over. Even though we have a winning overall season, technically we don't because were 1-1 in conference play. We reached our preseason goals,. Now it's time for us to reach our conference goals, and get back to where we need to be."
