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University of Minnesota Athletics
Postgame Quotes
9/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
Recap | Final Stats | Notes
Sept. 3, 2015
TCF Bank Stadium
No. 2 TCU 23, Minnesota 17
Postgame Quotes
Minnesota Head Coach Jerry Kill
On the message to a disappointed team…
"This is the first game of the season and there will be a lot to learn from it. Our kids played their guts out and it all comes down to turnovers. We had the ball on the goal-line and we fumbled one and then the left tackle missed a block and Mitch (Leidner) fumbled one and got hit in the back. You take those two things out of there to beat a team that's No. 2 in the country you just can't let that happen but our kids played hard. We had to go in there without Ben Lauer, and Foster Bush came in and did a heck of a job. Our kids played hard we just made too many mistakes, and against a football team like that you can't. But I think it shows that we've got a lot to look forward to and we need to let this one go and get to the next one. We gave everything we had. At the end of the day, we just made too many mistakes."
On the turnovers throughout the game…
"You think about them. It's just like anything. (Rodrick Williams) had the ball covered with both hands and got hit and the ball got knocked out. The one that bothers me is Mitch got hit in his backside and the ball came out. That's a score flip right there so that's part of it. They made some critical plays and we didn't. It's disappointing. You sleep with it tonight or try to and get up and then you go again. You're disappointed because you had a chance to win."
On running the no-huddle offense…
"We needed something. It was just not executing and moving slow. I think if they can lock in on you they are pretty good defensively. I think when we sped it up we made it tougher on them to get things in and their guys got tired too. …You are worried about running your guys out of gas and so it was a chess match on how much we could do. That part of it was a challenge but we have to figure it out and we will."
On defense holding TCU to 23 points…
"I think our defense played fantastic. There's a few things they wish they had back. They played very well. You wanted to win that game 24-23. We felt good about defending them and felt good that we could score some points but we didn't score enough and there's a lot of things that need to be cleaned up on the offensive side of the ball but them scoring what they did, we don't fumble it in the red zone and getting an interference call. Those three things are pretty big swings in the game."
Rodney Smith, Minnesota Running Back
On having butterflies…
"None actually. I was surprised. Coach Kill said if you are not nervous, you are not human. So I guess I'm a machine."
On the difference in speed of the game between high school and college…
"Redshirting helped me a lot. I came in and learned a lot from the older guys so I felt more prepared."
KJ Maye, Minnesota Wide Receiver
On balancing the loss with the fact that the Gophers were close to beating the No. 2 team in the country…
"The whole week we prepared and we came in the game knowing it would be a tight game. There were a lot of missed opportunities. Coach Kill preached about turnovers and the missed opportunities that would make it a good game. We know it is something we can't dwell on but we know that we can be a good team and make up for those mistakes"
On the team's mistakes…
"Turnovers. Missed opportunities in passing game. Missed receivers. Guys not making plays."
On the mood in the locker room…
"People hanging their heads as well as guys with a positive attitude. We know we just played a great team and we can be a great team as well. We are ready to come back out to work next week."
Mitch Leidner, Minnesota Quarterback
On the offensive line's performance without Josh Campion…
"I think those guys did a really good job of being prepared for that situation. Starting 30-some games in your career, [Campion] is a heck of a player. It hurts to not have him in a big game like that, but you've got to give credit to those guys."
On moving forward as an offense…
"We always believe, there's no doubt in our mind during this whole week of preparation, all of camp, the whole entire game today … we thought we were going to win that football game. Obviously, some of the things didn't go the way you want them to, but I think overall as an offensive unit if we clean up some things we're going to be great as an offensive unit."
Briean Boddy-Calhoun, Minnesota Defensive Back
On whether he was surprised by the defense holding TCU to 23 points…
"We held them to 30 points last year and I knew we got better on defense. The score doesn't really surprise me."
On facing off against TCU's Trevone Boykin…
"He made very smart decisions. I know, last year, watching a lot of film on him sometimes he may just throw a ball up putting faith in his receiver. But today, you could see he was reading his keys and he was pretty sharp today."
TCU Coach Gary Patterson
On if it was not the outcome he expected…
"I told you it was going to be a tough game."
"Give Minnesota a lot of credit for the defense they played."
"I did not care. One point was all I wanted coming out of this one. This was a hard ballgame."
On how the younger players on defense stepped up due to injuries on that side of the ball…
"The good thing is we have some older guys around here. The thing I was also proud of was the job we did up front."
On the game…
"We had to win the special teams battle. I thought we were at the least even but I thought we had the edge there."
"This was the 26th game that we have had a turnover and a sack."
"Our first goal is to get to win 6. Have to get to bowl eligible."
On friendship with Coach Kill…
"We are glad we finally get a chance to talk on the phone again. He and I are good friends but we are probably more fierce competitors than we are good friends. Now we can talk and communicate and go on with our lives."
TCU Quarterback Trevone Boykin
"We have a platform that we get better every week."
"I am disappointed because I know we can do better but with a win I am always satisfied."
On if working with new receivers was a factor…
"No, not really. We have gone through all camp with these guys so I am not going to sit here and make excuses and say what we didn't do. We just have to be better on our side and now we have a platform that we know we can build from. It was the first game and now next week we just have to get better."
TCU Safety Derrick Kindred
On the first takeaway…
"It kind of fired us up on the sideline. It got the offense behind the defense and the momentum switched."
TCU Defensive End Josh Carraway
On his fumble recovery…
"I just saw Terrell (Lathan) coming around… so I just kind of waited for him to make the play and of course as he does he made the play."
