Washington State Postgame Quotes
10/29/11 | Football
On special teams...
"Our special teams obviously gave us a great boost today. They got the punt and returned the kick for a touchdown. I thought our defense did a great job of making them work the field. We didn't have the ball very often on offense, we made a few mistakes there, but we'll get better. We'll take 7-1."
On getting into offensive rhythm in the third quarter...
"We understand people are going to try and keep the ball away from us. We just have to keep plugging away and understand that we're going to play a full game. I thought our guys came out in the second half and did a real nice job and we'll take it."
On the decision to play both Oregon quarterbacks...
"Yeah, you know he (Darron Thomas) had two interceptions. They both went through our receivers hands first and then threw an unbelievable pass to LT (Lavasier Tuinei) to jump start us a little bit there. We just felt that Bryan (Bennett) gave us a better chance in the second half."
On credit for Washington State's quarterback Marshall Lobbestael...
"That's a good a good football team. You know they did a nice job. Marshall being the backup quarterback, I think a lot of people would like to have him."
On Oregon's red zone defense...
"Our defense does a really good job in red zone defense and they've done all year long. We're eight games in and it doesn't surprise me how those guys were playing."
On special teams...
"In this league, you know, I always talk about the turnover battle and special teams are the key to victory. What our special teams did for us was really the key today."
On Kenjon Barner's third game in a row running over 100 yards...
"He was knicked up a little bit, but really persevered throughout the day and gave us a good start there in the second half."
On slow start...
"We were just off a little bit, offensively. I'll make this statement, we don't like being close at halftime, I can tell you that. That's not obviously a goal of ours as we go through it. Ball here, ball there, you know LT (Lavasier Tuinei) it goes through his hands and it's a pick and you got momentum on our side because of what our defense and special teams have done. And we're up eight nothing, feel like we're clicking and moving a little bit and then to throw a pick six on their last two minute drive, I thought we were moving the ball fairly good. We went for it on fourth down. You don't think on fourth and seven its going to be returned for a touchdown, but I give credit to those guys. The one thing that I always talk about is a team well coached, is how hard do they play, and Paul's (Wulff) got those guys playing very hard."
On Darron's reaction on not playing in second half...
"Darron handled it great. It's all about the team. This team is all about we, not all about me. I just felt in the best interest of what we had to do for him, that we were going to go with Bryan (Bennett)."
On LaMichael's performance coming back after injury...
"He did a decent job. He's been out for a couple weeks. The one thing I saw with him and he said the same thing, when he started to get into a rhythm in the second half. Started to get some runs and we knew we could get some runs. That kid is a warrior and he was chomping at the bit, doing up downs in the end zone and doing everything that we've asked him to do. He was just kind of out of rhythm today, but it's good to have him back I can tell you that."
Washington State Head Coach Paul Wulff
Opening Remarks...
"We played hard and controlled the pocket. First half in the red zone, we turned the ball over and those miscues... to play this team and make those kinds of mistakes, to even be close to them shows how we played in other areas of the game. But, no victory. We came here to win and we didn't get it done."
On red zone problems...
"You just got to execute. We had guys wide open in there and we were missing them. When we give up the pressure and we don't get back the ball off their pressure. That one time down there we had the ball at the one inch line and we get a holding penalty. We come back with a field goal and I think we missed it. There were so many opportunities. We just shot ourselves in the foot. We got to get over that."
On what they learned from this game...
"If we come out and play with the focus that we did today and we take care of the football, with a little higher level of execution we can play with anybody in the country."
On consistency...
"That's been our issue in the red zone. At the UCLA game we had the same issue. We get down there and we falter. The field shrinks. So, the defense is tighter and there is less room for air. Those three games in particular, we have not finished in the red zone."
On Oregon...
"They're very fast. They've got faster guys than most people out there. They execute their system well. If you slip up a little bit, it's going to the endzone."
Oregon Players
QB Bryan Bennett
On when he knew he was going to play...
"I knew at halftime. They called my number and it was time to go in. I wasn't expecting it."
On gaining confidence on the field...
"The experience from last week and the week before helped me feel more confident. It's all about timing, repetitions and confidence. I am always learning during the week, but playing time builds confidence and experience, which helps on the field."
DE Terrell Turner
On playing Washington State...
"They are a great team on both offense and defense and I give them props. We were excited to play against them."
On the depth of the team...
"It's great because we have great quarterbacks on first string to the fourth string. We have DT (Darron Thomas) willing to play and Bryan (Bennett),too and we also have a redshirt freshman who is willing to go out."
On winning...
"We just keep getting better and better each week. It doesn't matter if we have to win by one point or by 100, as long as we come out on top."
RB Kenjon Barner
On playing better in the second half...
"We came out and made adjustments and just game together as a team. We corrected the mistakes we were making in the first half."
On Bryan Bennett's performance...
"Bryan had an excellent performance; we expect nothing less than that from him. I feel very comfortable with him as the quarterback. He makes the proper reads and is very calm, cool and collected."
On his own performance...
"I just go out there and perform for my team and make plays for them so they can make plays for me."
On taking more carries and looking like an every down running back...
"Even if you're not the every down (running) back, you always have to play like you are. I enjoy just going out there and making plays for my team."
RB De'Anthony Thomas
On the game...
"It was a good win. Washington State came out hard and they didn't take the game for granted."
On his performance...
"I just come out hard every week and play football. I just practice hard all week long and then just come and make plays and help the offense in games."
On breaking the true freshman touchdown record...
"I wasn't worried about it at all. I didn't even know about it. I'm just trying to get experience and score more the rest of the year. I still have a lot to learn though because I'm still a freshman."
On Bryan Bennett...
"Bryan is prepared each week, just like Darron (Thomas). He's getting good reps and his confidence is us, he's playing really well."
Washington State Players
CB Damante Horton
On getting the ball...
"I've got to get the touchdown. I see the blockers coming and then my legs start giving out on."
On playing Oregon...
"They play a lot of big plays, but all in all I think that we did well. We handled ourselves well."
On their game plan...
"As a team, our game plan would have been the same for either quarterback that played. Nothing would have changed because of who the quarterback was."
RB Carl Winston
On the game...
"We had too many penalties and too many mistakes."
On how the team played...
"We have got to stay more consistent. We have to stay on the same page so that we can get a break. It's about us. We have that swagger and we can play with everybody. We can beat anyone. We have to get back to work on Monday."
On WSU offensive line...
"Our offensive line played well. There was great protection and they moved the ball down the field. There were a few mistakes, but we need to work with them."
