Oklahoma State University Athletics
OSU vs. Missouri Postmatch Quotes
February 04, 2007 | Cowboy Wrestling
OSU Wrestling
vs. Missouri
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Oklahoma State Head Coach John Smith
On his team's improvement
“It was an improvement, but I did not consider us underdogs today. You should win in your own house. We had guys standing around and not taking it to their opponent in a one shot scenario. When it is a one shot scenario, you should be jacked up and wrestling your very best at home.”
On his team competing
“Brandon Mason picked up a takedown (on Ben Askren), and I think he was surprised and ended up getting reversed. There is not any question that we had some people competing tonight. We wrestled better than we did at National Duals, but all that is to me is a consolation prize.”
Junior 141-pounder Nathan Morgan
On the final stretch of the season
“I am excited about the last stretch of the season. It is what we work for all year. This is obviously leading up to what we are training for.”
On the team result
“We are making improvements by leaps and bounds. We have been training right through these duals, and trying to get better each and every day for that (March). It is not about today, it is about March. Everybody is making the improvement that they need to.”
Missouri Head Coach Brian Smith
On the difference between this dual and National Duals
“It is like football where you get a couple of breakaways and score some touchdowns to open it up. That is kind of what we did at National Duals. Josh Wagner scored a pin for us with one second remaining in a tight match. When you go on the road you have to earn the win, and we found a way to win tonight.”
On Wrestling Nick Marable at 157
“We wanted to give Michael Chandler a weekend off. We can do that with Nick Marable. He has wrestled some for us at 165 this year and done well. We were not giving anything up there and we knew that we could get a win there.
Senior 174-pounder Ben Askren
On the dual.
“It was ugly. We have had a lot of pretty wins this year and that one was ugly. I do not think it was our best performance so there was nothing to be happy about.”
“We would have liked to have wrestled better, but we knew it was in their house and they would be fired up to wrestle. We knew it was going to be a battle. It was ugly but we did what we needed to do, we won.”
