University of Houston Athletics
Football Press Conference Quotes
9/29/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Listen to a Recording of the Press Conference
HEAD COACH Kevin Sumlin
Opening Statement:
"We want to thank our students, our fans, alumni and the people of the city of Houston for the atmosphere that was created Saturday night. For our players and for us as coaches, it was really, really a great situation and a great atmosphere. It was something that really helped us throughout the game and particularly at the end. We would like to have it like that all of the time.
"It was a great night for just a lot of things. Anytime you win a game like that, it's a team win. If you look back at everything that happened, we didn't play particularly well in that game. (Texas) Tech had a lot to do with that. They're a really good team. They went to Austin the week before and held Texas without an offensive touchdown in the first half. The onside kick and punt return were the difference in the game against Texas. You're going to see them at the end of the year still being in the mix in the Big 12 south.
"Our offensive line played very well. Tech is a team that prides itself on playing hard. Our offensive line played extremely hard protecting our quarterback. We were able to run the ball efficiently. Along those lines, our skill people - quarterbacks, receivers and running backs - did a good job of protecting the ball. When you do that, you give yourself a chance to win.
"I was also pleased to see some of our new guys in that environment with a bigger team do well. By that I mean we're playing with two new offensive tackles. Charles Sims is getting a lot of touches and so is James Cleveland. Those are new guys who are in a completely different setting than last year. Our veteran guys, as we told them, have to continue to play at a high level. Our new guys who are on the field that we're counting on have to play at that level too. Saturday night, those guys kind of came on and played at a level that our veteran guys played.
"Defensively, I can't say enough. That's why you see the award. Our defense played hard. We weren't always great but were good enough. The story is beyond opportunistic. You hear me talk about that all the time particularly with all of these spread offenses. I don't know if you're ever going to stop anybody completely. You have to be opportunistic. You have to win the ball. They make a mistake or you force a mistake, you have to get the ball back. We were able to do that. The story is told on how our defense played down the stretch.
"We're all talking about the drive to win the game. In the last four possessions, our defense created a turnover, had a goal-line stand, held them to a four-and-out and defended a Hail Mary. That's how you get to a situation at the end of the game where you can win. They gave up seven points in the half to Texas Tech. There are a whole bunch of story lines in that game. Everybody is talking about the last drive, which is great; 16 plays and however long it took. There are a lot of things that went into that recipe.
"Our defense played well, our kicking game contributed, but we have a ways to go. Our message to our players has been the same, but the real challenge to us is to ask out players to come in every Monday to come in and be honest with themselves. When we watch tape and look at our games and look at how we play, we want to be honest with each other and be honest with ourselves where our shortcomings are and try to get better every week.
"It seems like an easy thing but in college football, pro football, pee wee football, the hardest thing to do is get better every week. That's not just the coaches' challenge; it's the players' challenge. Our guys see that and are trying to do that. This week is another challenge. For us, it's opportunity number four of our guaranteed 12.
"Mike Price (UTEP head coach) said it best: they're struggling off a tough loss in Austin. Their guys suffered heat exhaustion and were cramping up, He said it best yesterday in his press conference when he said `I'm at my best in these situations.' There is no doubt about that. When you look back at his history, coming off of some years like that he went to some Rose Bowls and won the league in the Pac 10. Last year, they were 0-3 and then their first league game was UCF and they beat them 58-13. So who knows what going to happen. They're tough at home, it's their Homecoming, it's our first league game and, like he said, as far as they're concerned their record is 0-0 because now it's conference play.
"We're approaching it the same way. It's another opportunity for us. As I've said and as our team has said from day one, our season is not about who we are playing. Every field is the same. It's about us and how we handle things. As we continue to get better, that's our challenge.
"It's our first league game, and we're approaching it the same way. We have many goals, but they all start with where we are in the West (Division) in Conference USA. For us, that's enough to get our attention this week.
"They struggled a little bit. Trevor Vittatoe did not play very well last week. That is not characteristic of him. He is one of the better quarterbacks in this league and in this area of the country. They have two great wide receivers, Jeff Moturi and Kris Adams who everyone saw go up and down this field last year and the year before that against everybody. They have skilled people.
"For whatever reason, Trevor has not played well the past couple of weeks. They have the coaches and people to get that fixed, but I hope it doesn't get fixed between now and Saturday at midnight. I'm not counting on that. We have to be prepared. Obviously, last year they came in here, and it was one heck of a game. They've been high flying with a bunch of points score. They were high-energy games.
"We have to be prepared to play. We were down 28-9 in the third quarter last year and 28-16 to start the fourth quarter. That's enough to get our attention this week for this game."
On the three stolen helmets from Saturday's game:
"We have not gotten the helmets back. There's still time; we don't play until Saturday, and we don't leave until Friday. We'd love to get them back."
On how he feels about the team's No. 12 ranking:
"I think it's great, but there's nothing to talk about. It has no effect on what happens Saturday. It's great for everybody. It's great for enthusiasm, for fans, for ticket sales, for merchandise, for TV and for conversation. For us, it has no effect on what's going to happen on Saturday. It lends some credibility to our program. It helps us from a national scene and from a local scene in recruiting. It helps these guys from pride and hard work standpoint to say `this is all worth it.' Other than that from day-to-day stuff, it's not the first thing I check even on Sunday."
On how he prepares the players to handle the success:
"The problem is not what we talk about downstairs with coaches. It's the questions that are going to take place when I leave here and what everyone else talks to them about. You can't shelter guys from that. It's where we live right now. It's an information age, and we are loading information, good information right now because we're winning. Their whole challenge, which they've handled very, very well, is to be honest with themselves. If you're honest with yourself and you know your shortcomings, you know exactly where you are.
"Don't get me wrong; a lot of this is good. It's great for self-esteem and to create confidence, but you have to be honest about where you are and who you are because if you're not, then you will quit getting better. If you don't keep getting better, then our chances for defeat go up immensely. That's our challenge and these guys are handling it."
JUNIOR QUARTERBACK Case Keenum
On UTEP:
"UTEP is a talented team, however they are playing, so they will come and play us hard. It is going to be a battle, their stadium has a fun atmosphere, they bring a lot of people out there and overall it should be a good experience."
On Heisman:
"I'm just trying to stay in the same routine. We have lots of media to do, but I still have homework. I had an accounting test on Monday morning, which wasn't going to change whether we won or lost the game. I try to keep the same schedule, watch the same amount of film and train the same every week.
"It's still an honor to be mentioned in the same sentence as those guys and have all the analysts talk about you, but it is still early in the season and we will see what happens at the end of the year."
On dreaming about winning Heisman:
"I think everybody dreams about it and watches the Heisman ceremony and pictures themselves up there giving the speech, but we just have to keep winning games, not get ahead of ourselves, take it one week at a time, and we know UTEP is a talented team and is going to play hard."
On tough games ahead:
"We know we're going to get everybody's best, we have a target on our backs and we welcome that. I want to play everybody at their best, we want to play our best too and I hope ours is better."
On the last drive:
"We had the same confidence at the beginning of the game as we did at the end of the game. We came out and played hard and had good energy on that last drive."
On continuing the good form:
"We concentrate on keeping our focus everyday, whether we're in the film room, meeting room or practice field. We try to maintain the focus at a high intensity. We try to practice at the same intensity as we do when we play, and carry it on to this week.
"We don't feel the pressure of keeping the record perfect, we still have to play like we have nothing to lose, it doesn't matter if we went 3-0 or 0-3 in the past three games, it's a 0-0 season now and we have to continue everything the same way."
On the fans:
"I can't thank the fans enough for coming out. They were loud the entire game. I think everybody was so excited on the last drive that they didn't know how to be quiet so we could try and do what we needed to do."
On the challenge of three game on the road:
"We will find out when it comes to it, we welcome the challenge. UTEP is a challenging place to play and its one of my favorites to play at."
On staying humble:
"I don't know if it's being a coach's son but my faith has helped me a lot with staying humble and grounded. We can't get too far ahead of ourselves, we just have to take it week-by-week and see what happens."
On the fans rushing the field:
"It was nuts. I was trying to get over there and shake hands with some of the Texas Tech guys but I didn't get a chance to. I felt bad for them. It was an exciting time and an exciting drive - I can't blame the fans for wanting to get onto the field. I'm glad everyone had a great time at the game and I appreciate everyone coming out for the game, it was a lot of fun."
On the rest of the season:
"In our league, any team can come out and play hard and win any given Saturday. It's going to be a challenge every week and I think every team will have a good strategy against us and play hard. So we just have to match that and continue to focus and prepare well."
On Trevor Vittatoe:
"He's a great player and a great guy. I got to talk to him a little bit after the game last year. He's started there for two years now, so he's experienced, and he makes a lot of plays. I expect him to play well but I think our defense has a good handle on what they will bring and will match their intensity."
SOPHOMORE WIDE RECEIVER Tyron Carrier
On the last drive:
"We had to score, we were down and hadn't been playing great all night. We had the mindset we weren't going to lose, you could see it in everyone's eyes. We had been in that predicament before and we all believed we could win."
On the loud atmosphere:
"It was great, I was sitting on the sidelines and I could feel the bleaches rumbling. It was crazy. We would like it like that for the rest of the year."
On the rankings:
"The rankings really don't mean anything, we just take it one game at a time, and we just have to stay focused."
SOPHOMORE RUNNING BACK Bryce Beall
On the team:
"I think we have a lot of confidence right now. I think we have just as many if not better playmakers in the country. We just don't get the recognition. Now we have had the chance to show it against the Big 12 teams, it makes us want to go out there and make more plays. As you saw this weekend we have multiple guys, Patrick, Tyron, James, Charles and myself, we all went out there and made plays and showed the ability we have."
On Case Keenum:
"On some of the plays he makes, I just sit back and think this guy is doing something special helping us win this game."
SOPHOMORE LINEBACKER Marcus McGraw
On staying humble:
"I think our coaches, linebacker coaches, individual coaches, they do a good job keeping us grounded. We get graded and that reflects more of what we didn't do than what we did do."
On having 19 tackles:
"Even though I had 19 tackles, I still missed two. That's how I look at it. On one of those missed tackles, we gave up a touchdown."
On David Hunter:
"He's working hard. This offseason his goal was to get better so he went out there and busted his tail every day, in the weight room, out on the field, conditioning - he just works hard. It's basically hard work paying off."
On how good Hunter can be:
"Right now he's good, by the time he hits his ceiling he'll be great. He may become the Defensive Player of the Year for Conference USA. I see him being as good as Phillip Hunt."
On the fourth down stop:
"I kind of just hung in there for dear life. Our defensive line did their jobs. He lunged into me so I just wrapped him up and held on until the whistle blew. I knew he didn't get it. It was exciting."
On the defense:
"No body is perfect. We knew we're going to give up some points but we have to be able to bounce back from it. If we give up a scoring drive, we need to come out there on the next possession and produce a four-and-out. Keep working hard and don't let the mistakes get to you."
SOPHOMORE DEFENSIVE TACKLE David Hunter
On the Texas Tech offensive line:
"We went into the game with the mentality knowing that we were playing a seasoned offensive line. We knew that playing older guys we had to mature fast. That whole defense went into the game thinking that if we're going to win this game, we're going to have to step up."
On the goal line stand:
"We knew as a defensive line we were going to have to come off the ball and get as much penetration as possible. When they hiked the ball, we just shot back there."
On the quarterback sneak:
"You're always thinking pass with Tech but when it's fourth and goal from the one yard line, and you have a quarterback who is 6'5 you count on them trying a quarterback sneak because he can just reach across."
On the stop:
"The feeling was great, but when I looked up at the clock, I had the feeling we might have to go back in one more time. The feeling was definitely good. But that's what I expect of our defense. I practice with these guys every day, and I knew that's what we are capable of."
On the feeling after the game:
"Its definitely is a good feeling. But like a lot of the guys on our team have been taking about, every week you have different opportunities. If you get so caught up in what you're ranked, sometimes you might become unranked because you lose a game to a team that you overlooked."
On UTEP:
"It's definitely going to be a challenge. They have a pretty good team, and they played us tough last year. So we already know going into this game that it's going to be a battle all four quarters."
