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University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota-Northern Illinois Quotes
9/26/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Minnesota Quotes
Minnesota Head Coach Tim Brewster
Opening Statement...
"It's hard to know what to say. We came out and I thought that the kids were emotionally ready to play. We have to kick field goals and that was disappointing, but I think the main issue was that we didn't stop the run. We didn't stop [Chad] Spann. When you look at the stats we had the ball for 36 minutes. They had it for 24. We had to stop the run and it's so disappointing that we didn't play better defensively. We also had a lot more opportunities on offense to score a lot more points. We had a lot of opportunities but we didn't come back. It was just honestly disappointing."
On injuries...
"We lost a couple of guys tonight. Mike Rallis didn't play big in the game and we were missing a few other guys, but that is football. The next guy has to step up and do his job. Injuries are part of the game."
On the focus and mindset of the team...
"There was no situation with the attitude. These kids, they wanted to play tonight. They came in with their heads in it. We knew that one of our problems on defense was going to be inexperience but again there are no excuses. We need to be better. It was just unacceptable how we played the run tonight, particularly the inside zone and some of that stuff with [Chad] Spann. Like I said it is just unacceptable and we have got to get better."
Minnesota Players
CB Ryan Callado
On the start of the season...
"Obviously our team is disappointed in the loss, but we're just focusing on what we do well, and we're going to go out there and try to win the next eight games"
On kickoff return and following possession finishing with a field goal...
"We want to try to score a touchdown, obviously on the kickoff return we want to try to setup our team to score, I'm glad we got the score but obviously we would have wanted a touchdown."
QB Adam Weber
On touchdown production...
"Our whole mentality is that we're in control of what we're in control of, with what we've been doing on offense, we need to get touchdowns. Field goals just are not cutting. We have to do our jobs and get it in the end zone."
On moving forward...
"It's kind of a whole collective at the end. Each individual drive is about each play, and you can't worry about what happened in the past. One thing about this team, and we'll make sure happens into the future is that we have a short memory. We learn from some things and some games and it use that moving forward. This one stings, but we're going to come together as a team and start getting ready for Northwestern."
On fan support...
"Obviously we want to win, we want to be a good program and we want to have the wins that prove that. What we need is [fan] support, we need their help and what I appreciate are the fans that stayed and cheered throughout. That's what Gophers football is all about."
On maintaining confidence...
"Confidence-wise, wins are what it's all about. Losses can be tough but we have enough leadership and character on this team where we learn from our mistakes. We look at it as though we still have eight more games, and lets put this game behind us and go in and prepare to win next week."
On career-high catches...
"It's nice to have had a good game, but I would rather have zero catches in a win than have a lot with a loss."
Northern Illinois Quotes
Coach Jerry Kill
Opening statement...
"I am proud of our young people. We have a young football team that's been through a lot over the last four weeks. We've been traveling across the country, and I think the kids have gotten better each week. I thought, defensively, we stopped the run, we tackled well - much improved from last week. Offensively, we were able to run the ball against a very good Minnesota defense, which certainly helped us out a bunch. I've coached about 28 years and I don't know if I ever recruited one like this kid [Jimmy Ward]. He can make plays on special teams. He's going to be a great secondary player. I think any time you block a punt it changes the momentum of a football game. That was a big play in the game. The thing I was really proud of was...when we had them stopped and we had a personal foul, then they drove the ball and we stopped them on fourth down. Two weeks ago, we would have let them go down and score, but we did not do that tonight."
On what this win means...
"It's a good win... It's hard to win on the road, but I think the most important thing about the win is we got better as a football team. We've improved each week and that's the most important thing... The preseason is over and now we've got to the into conference play, and that's the most critical thing for us."
RB Chad Spann
On getting big blocks up front:
"It's always a good feeling that you have big holes to run through. They did a great job, and we just got lucky to have a great game."
On how much the team has improved:
"A lot. Offensively I can speak for . . . offensive line, blocking, receivers downfield . . . everything is just really improved. It's making things a lot easier for me and Chandler [Harnish]."
On how he runs when he sees a big hole up the middle:
"I just hit it. I see the open field and . . . you just gotta go as fast as you can and stay away from the opposite-colored jersey. . . I just try to get as many yards as I can.
QB Chandler Harnish
On where this program stands after the win:
"I think it definitely shows the potential of our team. We got some really good players, we really do. We just need to keep putting it together. Last year we lost to Purdue and we came back . . . so I think right now, we just need to stay focused and not get too full of ourselves and come out and work hard and we got a schedule that we feel like we can go on and win a lot of games. We're gonna stay focused, but we're gonna enjoy this one."
On the team feeling like there's "unfinished business":
"I definitely feel that. Two years ago, we lost real close ones . . . so we come out here and play real well like we did. We're really happy about that and about our guys and we just need to go on from there."
LB Devon Butler
On their defensive scheme:
"Our run blocking had them on a 2-way go, making them go east and west, and it made it easier for us."
DB Jimmy Ward
Reaction to punt block
"My mind went blank. My vision of the field increased because my coaches gave me a good scheme to work with."
