POSTGAME QUOTES: Houston 52, Navy 31
11/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
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HOUSTON HEAD COACH Tom Herman
Opening Statement
"That was a tremendous win for the program. I'm really proud of our guys and how hard they played. That's been something that has been evident since day one. These guys play hard, they play for each other, and it's a joy to watch them play.
Specifically, it was nice to have an offense back. That was a really good show, and Coach Applewhite and the entire offensive staff had an unbelievable game plan. Their guys went out an executed. It's one thing to have a good plan but another to go execute that plan, and our guys certainly did that.
Then defensively â€"holy cow- Todd Orlando, Craig Naivar, Oscar Giles, and Jason Washington: Any time you can force the Naval Academy to throw 18 times for 312 yards, but more importantly holding them to 147 yards rushing, then that's a pretty good day at the office. I knew they were going to get their points, and we knew that our offense had to show up today. They did so against statistically one of the better defenses in our conference.
I'm really proud of the way that these guys overcame that, especially on offense, with a ton of injuries and a ton of guys that probably honestly shouldn't be in the ball game at this point, but they are, and their coaches get them ready each and every week, and they went out and performed. We'll certainly celebrate this one tonight, but we've got a big one next week here in Houston."
On kicking the field goal before the half ended
"The momentum more than the score was probably the biggest thing. We did some bone headed things to be honest with you. The first couple of plays we caught the ball with our knee down, and we caught another short of the sticks and didn't get out of bounds. To be honest with you, on that third down we were going to try to just pick up the first down and go into halftime. We ended up making a good play there on third down and said 'ok let's put the pedal to the medal here and get ourselves in field goal range.' The kicker came through well for us, and it certainly helped momentum wise."
On the idea of putting Brandon Wilson in the back field
"It was a collective idea in terms of the uniqueness of Navy's offense that didn't allow us to play our normal corners. If you noticed, Trevon Stewart and Khalil Williams were actually playing corner for most of the day today. It just kind of lined up right to where we didn't necessarily need Brandon, and we had seen what he was able to do in the spring game and then obviously going to back to high school. Credit to Coach Pope and the offensive staff for getting him ready on a short week. To go in there and have 22 carries for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns, for a guy that hasn't played the position until three days ago, that's pretty good coaching."
On keeping drives alive
"We were also 2-for-2 on fourth downs too, so we kept drives alive. A lot of it goes to the athleticism of the quarterback. When they cover everyone and the offensive line protects, he's pretty good at going and making plays with his feet and certainly some big time throws as well to keep the drive extended."
On emotions after the game
Emotions were cold and wet, because they drenched me with ice cold Powerade, but I was extremely excited and gratified for the city of Houston and our great university. I am also excited for our players to know that this is just another example of testimony of how the plan, when executed, really does work.
On taking in the postgame festivities
"I really didn't have a lot of time to take it all in with the postgame TV interview, getting shuffled over to Navy's fans to sing their alma mater, and shuffled down the field to sing our fight song. I didn't the opportunity to soak it all in. I could certainly feel them! They were out there bumping up against us and for them to take the kind of pride and joy in this win means a lot. At the end of the day, we do it for the students, we do it for the University of Houston, and we do it for this great city. "
On the team's game plan
"We have a plan that we have been working on 6-to-8 weeks that we didn't deviate from. A lesser defensive staff might panic a little bit with some of the passing yards, because we are exposing ourselves a little bit. We felt like if we could stop the run and force them to pass, that we could live with them throwing the ball and get some pressure on the quarterback. We stuck with the plan, and towards the end we had to make a couple different calls. For three and a half quarters our guys knew exactly where to be for each run, because we pretty much had the same call."
On big plays during the game
"That was big with the field goal before halftime. Then we came out in the first drive of the second half and get an interception and turn it into seven points. It put us up by 17 in the third quarter, and that was a real uncomfortable position for them. It was a huge momentum shift in that game when that turnover happened and the offense going down in the end zone."
On players meeting President George H.W. Bush
"It was a once in a lifetime experience, and these players deserved that. They have earned everything. Winners get really cool things like shaking the president's hand and introducing themselves to him. It will definitely be a memory they will cherish forever."
On his coaching staff
"They're really good at what they do. I know that's a generalization, but they are hand-picked. There were a lot of people who wanted to be here for this job when it became open. They were hand-picked because of how good they are and specifically they love the heck out of these guys. They love them. They're family. This is not a job for them, this is a lifestyle. They dive into their lives each and every day. They know their girlfriend's names, their brother and sister's, their mom's. They know what classes they're in, they know when they're struggling and doing well. They know when they have something going on at home.
It's amazing to see the relationships and bonds forming between assistant coaches and players. When you have that there is the old adage 'they don't care how much you know until they know much you care." We live by that around here. We dive into their lives and tell them how much we love them and show them how much we love them. The way we spell love around her is T-I-M-E. We spend a lot of time with these guys and that's how they responded."
On preparing for Navy's offense
"You don't get ready for that offense, especially with one of the best and most decorated players in the history of college football playing quarterback in four days. It really takes the entire offseason and then throughout the season. Specifically what it allows them to do was each Sunday we spend 10 minutes, and we lined up in one formation, and we fit each one of the runs out of that formation. The biggest thing for Coach Orlando was the plan was designed well in advance so that they could go out, and it wasn't a matter of experimenting, it was a matter of this was the plan nine weeks ago, this is the plan, and here's how we fit the runs, and we're not going to deviate from the plan. We had enough repetitions at it to be efficient.
On wide receiver Demarcus Ayers' game
"Not surprising, I've seen him do that in practice all the time. But like we've said early in the year, he was a quarterback in high school and transitioned to wide receiver and has really worked the entire off-season on honing his craft. He's becoming a much better blocker. He's becoming a much better open field runner and most importantly a better route runner. Beyond that he's become a better teammate. He was a guy that was on the fence and through his relationship with Drew Mehringer and the love they have for each other has really turned the corner in terms of his work ethic and leadership ability for this team.
On preparations for the Navy game
"This was the best week of practice we've had. From Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, this was by far the best we could practice for whatever reason. Credit to coaching staff; credit to players; credit to leaders. There was no doubt in my mind when I walked off the field Wednesday after practice, I said, there's something going on here where these guys are dialed in; they're locked in. We've had a great week of practice, so to see how they went out and performed, I don't know if it tells me much, but how they came out and prepared did. We don't have gamers in this program we have practicers. They prepared better than any week that I've seen since we've been here."
On how his feelings about Greg Ward Jr. starting
"Nervous. He had a really good week of practice, but we knew that it was still a little bit tender as you could probably tell there at the end. He got it rolled up again once or twice. I was a little bit nervous but fully confident that he was very honest with us, and I don't think he would have lied to us just to play. If he wasn't able to go or give his team everything that he had, he would have told us. He told us he was ready to go, and we believed him and he certainly was."
On the senior players
"I feel like I've had a lifetime with them. I know it's only been a season, but I will tell you the uniqueness of when you take over a program of the way that it happened here compared to other places I've been is, most of the time, when you take over a program, the older guys-the juniors and seniors-are kind of the last to buy in, because they're used to doing things a certain way. Here we were blessed. It was completely the opposite. The older guys, the leaders, were the very first ones. The Adrian McDonalds, the Elandon Roberts, the Kenneth Farrows and the Alex Coopers were by far on the front line of the buy-in.
What they did early in our tenure here in January and February certainly led to this moment, and there is no way we would be in the position we are right now, with a chance to play for the conference championship, in our house, without those guys. Their level of buy-in, and not only their level of buy-in, but dragging the rest of the team with them."
On the American Athletic Conference Championship game
"Again, because we don't know who we're going to play, there are really not a whole lot of specific thoughts other than I'm excited for the city and I'm excited for our university, that we earned the right to host this game. We'll certainly celebrate the victory tonight, but our goal was not to go 12-0, our goal was not to win the West, our goal was the win the conference. That's something that hasn't been done around here in a long time.
We'll celebrate tonight and probably watch the Temple game on TV tomorrow, and then get ready to go to work either tomorrow night or Sunday. I haven't really finalized the schedule, but at the latest Sunday morning."
HOUSTON JUNIOR QUARTERBACK GREG WARD, JR.
On coming back from an injured ankle
"It wasn't during the game, but in our week of practice I was running around on it, and I was fine and ready to go for this game. In my mind I tried not to think of the pain. All week I was running on it, and cutting on it, and I didn't feel anything. I wasn't worried about my ankle."
On the 360 degree touchdown run
"I was just trying to make a play and do what was best for the team. Luckily I was able to get out of there and score."
On being able to play another game
"It really meant a lot to the seniors for them to have another home game, but the preparation doesn't stop. We have another game next week that we have to get ready for."
On jumping out on offensive
"We took care of the ball today. It was the preparation and enforcing ball security and the little details as far as routes. We worked on the little kinks that we needed to work out after last week, and we came out here and had fun."
On the difference in this week's preparation
"We are all going for one goal. We told each other that we are going to give each other all that we have, and that we are going to play for our brothers. The ones standing by us and right next to us. All week we played the game like it was fourth-and-inches. We went hard in practice, so today wasn't a surprise for us."
On the itch to come back after being injured
"I'm just excited that coach gave me another chance to be out here. It was eating me up all week that I wasn't playing. I wasn't going to go out there and be 50 percent and give my team very little and possibly hurt the offense. Kyle Postma did a great job leading us against Memphis and a great job against UConn. We just fell short, but I believed in him. He told me that he would get the job and that is what he did."
On wide receiver Demarcus Ayers' one-handed catch
"He is a great player, and he helped me out a lot. I trust getting the ball to him. He has done a great job for us on special teams and offense whether it is blocking or catching."
On Demarcus Ayers' halfback pass for a touchdown
"We've been practicing that all week. We knew that it would work. Coach called it at the right time, and we scored on it."
On winning after losing to UConn
"It was a wakeup call. We knew that wasn't us, that wasn't our identity, and that wasn't the culture that coach instilled in us. We came back to the basics and went hard in practice."
On the team's flexibility on offense
"It started in January. The workouts that the coaches have put us through, and the things we had to do. Getting kicked out of the locker room, putting chains on the doors, those types of things. We just know how to fight through adversity and bounce back."
On coach Yancy McKnight
"Coach McKnight does a great job with us. He was a big role in the situation during January all the way to August. He had a plan, and he and his staff did a great job with us, and that is why we are able to fight through adversity."
HOUSTON WIDE RECEIVER Demarcus Ayers
On the fans running onto the field and celebrating
"It was amazing. These are the games that you live to play for. Last week was a rough moment. It was actually my first time ever getting the field rushed on me, and to come back this week and bounce back the way we did, and to show that we can overcome a lot of adversity, and see our fans run out on the field and get to take pictures with all those little kids. Just to hear from them that they love us for what we do and we love to play for them. For the seniors, there is not a better way to send them off. It was tremendously fun to go out there and win the way we did. It was a great feeling and one that I will probably remember for the rest of my life."
On what was better, catching the one handed touchdown pass or throwing the touchdown pass
"It would be that catch. I've made the throw before. I played quarterback in high school, but it was fun to see him score. This is a guy who's worked really hard to get into the position he's in. He started for us and he's doing a great job. It's fun to go out there and see him make plays. But referring to the catch, I've practiced those catches in warm-ups. I'm always catching the ball with one hand and both hands. You practice things you want to do in the game, and it was my moment to go out there and make that play with one hand. Thank god for that catch."
On how they prepared for the game
"Honestly, we were rolling. We were at a good point in the season, and we were doing a lot of things well. Last week was tough. It crushed us, but it made us even more hungry. It made us come out and work harder. Coach Herman told us to give a little bit more this week. When you go through things in life you always hit a wall. You are either going to respond or you won't. We responded really well. The seniors and the leaders of this football team did a great job of making sure guys are really focused this week. In warm-ups, guys weren't as hyped as they normally are, but it was a good thing because we were focused. We were really serious. We knew we had to do this and go out and get this win today."
On what it means to host a title game at home
"It's very important. We got the best games on our schedule at home this season. I don't know who made the schedule but thank you! We haven't lost a game at home, and we don't plan on losing at home. But to have a great atmosphere would be great. Playing at home is always a plus. We need everyone in the stadium next week to help us win this conference championship."
On who the Cougars will face next week in the game
"I don't care really. Honestly, we want the best team. We want the best team, because who we play will decide where we fall in the college football playoff rankings. We don't want the worst team. We want to play the best team out there. We're excited for the challenge. We're going to be prepared whether it's Temple or South Florida. We played great ball against USF the past two years when we had those guys on the schedule. We're looking forward to the challenge."
On Greg Ward playing and overcoming his injury
"He played great. We didn't really know if he was going to be able to run as well as he ran all season. He could have played last week, but he couldn't really run. He was still throwing the ball around. He took every rep that he could without contact. We really tried to keep him fresh, and it was a coaching decision. It really paid off. If he had played last week, then he would have been a little bit more sore and probably wouldn't have been able to run around. Just to see him go out there and make plays that we didn't know if he was going to be able to make in the run game, it sparked us. We always miss Greg because he can make plays with his arm and his feet."
On the confidence of the offense with Greg Ward Jr. as quarterback
"It's fun. It's like playing a video game with Cam Newton or Russell Wilson. When guys get covered, you have to cover the quarterback too. It's always good to have Greg back there, because he puts a lot of pressure on the defense. The line does a great job of protecting him, and he does a great job of making plays for himself and for us."
HOUSTON JUNIOR DEFENSIVE END Cameron Malveaux
On the strategy of the defense against Navy.
"That wasn't really the game plan either. It was still blue-collar defensive linemen and just keeping the tackles off our linebackers so they can make plays. We just made plays when they needed to be made, but it's still blue-collar. That's all we think about."
On hoisting up The American West division trophy.
"To me, it meant that all the stuff we're putting in and all the work since January when the coaches arrived, that we're actually getting tangible awards for it. It's good to feel the actual award in my hand to know that we've been working for stuff."
On hosting the conference championship game.
"Main thing is we have a really special group, especially the seniors: great leaders on the team. I feel like it's just great to send them out with a bang."
HOUSTON SOPHOMORE WIDE RECEIVER Linell Bonner
On being a second-string wide-receiver at the beginning of season.
"After he said that, we just went out there and worked harder. Use that motivation to get better and live up to that expectation they had for us. We basically just went out there and wanted to get one for the seniors, and that's what we did."
On hosting the conference championship.
"It's something I dreamed of as a little kid, playing in a championship. To do it in front of a crowd, and fill the stadium up and have that atmosphere behind you will be great."
HOUSTON SENIOR LINEBACKER Elandon Roberts
On playing on senior day
"Before the game, I told my team that I know its senior day, but at the same time it's going to be a team effort. We went out there, and I'm glad those guys were able to end our regular season on a good note by bringing this win home. It feels very good. But after 24 hours, we're going to put it away and prepare for the next opponent."
On moving on to the conference championship game.
"Well a win is a win. No matter how you get it, it feels good. At the end of the day, this was a complete win. At the end of the day, in 24 hours, you have to be smart about how you enjoy the win, because we still have a lot at stake. After 24 hours we're going to put it away and prepare for the next opponent."
On the defense's first drive against Navy.
"On that first drive, we had a busted assignment. This was the type of game we had to come in assignment sound. It showed on the first drive. We had a little communication problem. It was a loud crowd. First drive of the game, the crowd was very loud, and it was just communication. We had that fixed on the sideline, and after that we were ready to roll."
On what the win means to him.
"It felt great, because we do it for ourselves, Houston, and the University of Houston including the student-body. We started in the dark at 4 AM, and the stadium was empty, and it was just us, and it was cold. We knew we were preparing for the west championship in the stadium, and that's what we wanted. At the end of the day, it's everything we wanted, but now we have a bigger goal to go get and that's the championship."
HOUSTON JUNIOR RUNNING BACK/CORNERBACK Brandon Wilson
On being out there as running back.
"I had fun out there. It meant a lot. Just having fun."
On what Coach Kenith Pope told him before the game.
"Basically he was just telling me to read my gaps. Be calm out there and don't be too uptight. Just have fun."
On what running back Kenneth Farrow told him before the game.
"He was just telling me to stay calm, because I was kind of uptight. He was just telling me how to read the gaps, and where to go, and how to do stuff and basically just really helping me out. He and the rest of the running backs really all helped me out."
On nervousness before the game.
"I was nervous, but at the same time it wasn't a bad nervous. It was like a good nervous, but I was just uptight."
On offensive similarities between high school and college
"The last time I really played running back was in high school, but I played a little bit in the spring game. It was kind of like the same thing. It was like riding a bike almost."
NAVY HEAD COACH KEN NIUMATALOLO
Opening Statement
"First of all hats off to Houston, they played really well. Our kids battled hard and did some things, but they made a ton of plays. We had a hard time. The difference in the game was that we couldn't get them off the field. 16-for-19 on third downs, and they converted all of their fourth downs. We played decent on first and second down, but we could not get them off the field on third downs. It just killed us.
Ward, obviously, is an elusive guy, and we had a hard time containing him. We dropped things, covered people up, scrambled, we tried to blitz them and he avoided us. That kid was the difference in the game. He is a really good football player."
On the breakdown of defense and containing Houston QB Greg Ward
"It is both, but he makes us break down. How many times did we had a guy come scot free off the edge? He just makes a first down. Normally we can get a sack or something, but we couldn't even lay a glove on him. He is just super elusive, and he played smart. When things were covered, he just got to the sticks and got down.
Coach Herman, and the offensive staff did a good job of preparing him on what to do. He kept us off balance a little bit, got the ball on the edge, and spread us out and kind of dinked-and-dunked. Then we covered people up, and we couldn't tackle them. So we stayed in the box, and then he would go inside. He was tough. He was the difference in the game."
On third down conversions
"16-of-19 on third downs. Third downs killed us. We had the ball like three times in the first half. I don't know how many possessions we had, but we didn't have the ball very often. Like I said, our defense has been playing lights out this whole year. You just tip your hat to them, They played better. Our defense has played really well this year, and sometimes it happens. Sometimes they out play you, and you just have to move on."
On the Navy passing game
"It's the way they played. They are all up there. Keenan can obviously throw the football, but we got have protect. What we do is not very complicated. If you are up on the line of scrimmage, we will throw the football."
On moving on to the Army game
"Our mantra is still the same win or loss: 1-0. I guess I will look for the silver lining, because now this gives us two weeks to get ready for Army. If we had gone to the championship, it would have only been one week. I'm going to look for the positive in this. We have two weeks to get ready for them, and to get healed up, but we have no time to feel sorry for ourselves. The biggest game for our school, and our program, is in two weeks, and we have to get ready for that."
NAVY SENIOR QUARTERBACK KEENAN REYNOLDS
On drive at the end of the first half
"There were a lot of key plays throughout the game, but obviously that was crucial. We needed to get that drive and get some momentum going to help the defense out. That's on us. We didn't do what we needed to do on that drive."
Reynolds on facing Army
"You know 1-0, it works both ways. Fortunately, we're working in the win column more than the loosing column, but we have to move on. Like coach said in the locker room this [Army] is the biggest game on the schedule this year. The pain we felt losing this game doesn't compare to losing to Army, so we're going to come back on Sunday, get some recovery in, get going on Monday to start preparing. Like coach said: silver lining. We get two weeks so we can be dialed in come December 12."
On the passing offense
"What ever works to get us down the field we're going to do. Football is both. We're able to run the ball for 300+ yards, so the game plan was for us to throw it, and we were able to complete some big plays in the passing game."
NAVY SENIOR NOSE GUARD BERNARD SARRA
On Houston's offense
"They were just making great plays. The coaches put us in good positions on third down. We were always in good positions on third down. We just weren't able to get them off the field."
On Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr.
"Greg Ward played another good game. The kid is a great player. He had a little time off, so he must have been feeling fresh out there. We had a lot of trouble wrapping him up. He played a good game."
