Oklahoma State University Athletics
Houston Bowl Press Conference Quotes
December 18, 2002 | Cowboy Football
Dec. 18, 2002
OSU Football Houston Bowl Press Conference Dec. 18, 2002
Player Quotes
Wide Receiver Rashaun Woods
On the offensive line
"They have been doing real well. They are making their reads. Those guys are really turning into a D-1 college line."
Offensive Lineman Jason Russell
On the offensive line
"We are not the only reasons we are going to a bowl. We have made some great improvements from the summer. We have really worked hard. The young guys have really stepped up like Sam (Mayes), Ben (Buie) and Chris (Akin). They gave us some opportunities to be a great offensive line."
Offensive Lineman Sam Mayes
On the line's leadership
"We would not be anywhere without our senior leadership. Jason Russell and Kyle Eaton led us the entire way, from start to finish."
On the struggles during two-a-days
"We did not know who was going to be playing. It just takes time to get five guys to act as one in a group. We have to work together. It took a little longer than we needed to, but once the ball got rolling we started doiing pretty well."
Safety Chris Massey
On the feeling of going to a bowl
"Just being in Stillwater has made it sink in a little bit. Everybody around town has been real supportive of us. Even the seniors are real proud of the young guys for contributing. You can just tell around campus there is a lot of excitement around here. Everybody is real excited about going to Houston."
Linebacker Terrence Robinson
On going to a bowl
"It is a great feeling. I have been here five years and never had the opportunity to experience a bowl, but having the opportunity to get to a bowl is a really good feeling."
On the program
"This program has come a long way. I came in my freshman year with guys like Kevin Williams and LaWaylon Brown. We have stuck together through tough times and pushed each other. Just building a relationship with one another and making everybody better on and off the field. This program has come a long way."
Defensive Lineman Kevin Williams
On going to a bowl
"I have never experienced practicing this late in the season. Practice is fun now because we have something to practice for."
On playing Southern Miss
"I am looking forward to playing this game. We have lost to them twice already. There will not be a better way to get back at them then at this bowl."
Safety Elbert Craig
On practicing in December
"It is very different. Since I came here I wanted to play in a bowl game and finally my junior year I will get to play. I am thrilled and the team is very happy about it too."
On practicing for next year "These practices are helping us out a lot. We are getting a lot of young players in to see what they can do and trying people at different positions. It is helping us qou a lot.
Head Coach Les Miles
On how the team finished the season
"There are individual decisions that each guy makes after suffering setbacks to get better. They understand the play they had that Saturday was not good enough. I think there is a pride in the team that they knew they could get there and they felt like they were a good football team. I think there is some confidence in the collective group. All those thing lead to good character decisions and help this team get better week after week."
On the offensive line
"There were some question marks going into the season. There were times when we did not know exactly who our starters would be, or how it would all work out. We just kept plugging a guy in, moving a guy over and making a guy get better at where he is at. Their development like other spots on this football team was key to the success of this team."
On progressing from his first game against Southern Miss
"We did not really know the team when we took the field in that first game. We felt like there were some positives, but until you take the field and competewith a group of guys, you don't know who they are and they don't know who you are. It just takes time for a coaching staff and players to understand. I think that game is an example of that. Things happened in that game that I could not forsee."
On Southern Miss
"I think it is a good matchup. When I look at film I see a good football team. I see an offensive line that is big and strong. I see a defense that moves well and makes tackles. They have quality defenders. I think this is a really good matchup head-to-head, but this has nothing to do with the team we were back then or the team they were. This is going to be a heck of a football game."
