Oklahoma State University Athletics
Postgame Quotes
October 19, 2002 | Cowboy Football
Oct. 19, 2002
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OSU Coach Les Miles
On the game
"It was a great win. The team played well--offense, defense, and special teams. The players responded from a lackluster performance against Kansas State and came to play today. The staff challenged them to meet Nebraska's physical style of play and they did. Really across the board it was a program win. The players and coaches deserve all the credit. They did a great job. It is a great start for the rest of the season. It puts us in a position for bowl goals. It really is a nice performance going into the off week."
On Kevin Williams' defensive play
"Kevin Williams played an emotional, dominant, courageous game of football today. If you watch him play, down after down, he is my pick for the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week without watching film. "
On offensive play
"We lost a portion of our offense a week ago. We had a fullback that was healthy so that gave us a different series to call. I think that made a difference in some of the success we had on offense. I really felt like our three coordinators did a great job calling this game. Mike Gundy did a great job working the clock, and a series of events he just did a wonderful job with. Bill Clay, at times, had to respond to a change in momentum and he immediately got that defense up to Nebraska's challenge. Joe Deforest and his special teams after the first long run, Nebraska's special teams were second to ours the rest of the day."
On offensive line
"The offensive line had to respond just like the rest of the team did on the sour performance that we had at K-State and they did. It is what we needed. "
On converting third downs
"It's our offense, it is what we were supposed to do. I thought Tatum Bell ran well. I thought Josh Fields threw under pressure well. I thought the wide receivers, on both sides of the ball---Rashaun and John Lewis, played a competitive game. When you get to third down, that is the time for competition."
Wide Receiver Rashaun Woods
On the win
"We knew that this was a fun game for us as far as getting the win and we came out and did that today."
On the historical importance of the win
"For all of those people that played on the past teams that Nebraska beat, this is a good feeling for them also. "
On the single coverage
"During the first and second downs they played us heads up. On third and long they tried to add safety help but we weren't in many third and longs. Our running game did such a good job."
Defensive Line Greg Richmond
On the defensive performance
"The coaches put us in the best positions this week to defend them. We just believed what they told us all week long with defensive line coach (Karl Dunbar) and just came out and did it."
On the importance of the win
"It was a wonderful feeling with great emotions all around the field. Coach Miles told us that we hadn't beaten them in 41 years. It was just sweet."
On his sack followed by Khreem Smith's sack
"It was wonderful. I felt good for Khreem because that was his first one of the year. He's been working hard all year. We just did what we had to do and came off the ball and made plays."
Nebraska Head Coach Frank Solich
On outcome
"Bottom line is we did not play well enough to win. Offensively we made some plays, but we hurt ourselves. We started putting ourselves in long area situations and taking ourselves out of a lot of drives. Defensively we never really got anything under control in the second half, and I'm not sure if they even punted in the second half. In any case, they (OSU) were able to move the ball in the second half at rate that put points on the board."
On team outlook
"We are playing hard, we're not especially playing well. I think we had some excellent individual performances, but its been a tough go in terms of getting everyone on the same page and playing good football as a unit. We just have to come together as a team and perform."
On Oklahoma State's Performance
"They played very well and moved the ball with a great deal of consistency. When you have a running back run for 180 yards, your able to build off of that and they did a good job of that."
On Momentum Change
"I though it was a game that a team needed to totally capture the momentum. They (OSU) certainly had it when they went up by ten, but then we were able to forth the turnover and get back in the game. No team really had it completed throughout the game, or a good share of the game. As the second half developed they (OSU) were able to move the ball well and put some points on the board, that certainly got the momentum swing back in their favor."
On Rashaun Woods
"He is an excellent receiver that runs great patterns and has exceptional hands. They go to him a lot, I think he had 11 passes against us. You are talking about a guy who is a very productive player throughout the course of his career, and was very productive again today."
Nebraska Players
Nebraska running back David Horne
On his performance:
"It's more bitter than sweet. I'd rather have 50 yards and a win than 120 yards and a loss. It's a big loss for us. We went into the game with high expectations. I was impressed with the way I performed, but it doesn't atone for the loss."
On what is next for the team:
"Hopefully we'll get in some hard practice this week, make some improvements on offense and defense, just whatever it takes to get the win. Right now, getting a win on the road is big for us."
Nebraska safety Philip Bland
On the mindset of the team:
"I can only speak for myself, but I will tell you that any time something like this happens, it's gut check time, more so now than ever. It's a serious gut check time. We have to figure out what kind of team we're going to be and what kind of team we can be. We have a chance to be a good team, but if we continue to play like this, it's going to be a long year. "
On problems on the team:
"There are some serious problems with the way we're playing. Halfway through our season we already have three losses. That's a problem, especially with the kind of team we've been in the past. Our team is going to have some major decisions to make, we're at a major fork in the road. It's just a matter of coming together as a team and trying to figure things out."
