Oregon State-Oregon Post-Game Quotes
December 04, 2010 | Football
Dec. 4, 2010
Recap |
Final Stats |
Notes |
AP Gallery 
Oregon State vs. Oregon
December 4, 2010
Reser Stadium
Oregon State Post-Game Quotes
Head Coach Mike Riley
On the team's performance ...
"I felt like we should have moved the ball consistently all day. I'm disappointed in that, and I'm not going to like the film. I think we had opportunities and we werent just quite good enough, in-sync, to finish those plays off. I don't think I'm looking through rose-colored glasses either; I think we left some big opportunities out on the field offensively."
On the team ...
"I think there were a lot of great individual efforts (today). I'm really proud of this team. I know it's not exactly where we want to be with the record, but as far as what they've been through - the schedule they've been through, how they've competed, how they've had some real clunkers but stayed together and not played the blame game, pulled themselves up off the mat time and again, come back and played good football; they just kept doing that. They worked together as a team, they were tough-minded, and I will always remember that."
On the seniors ...
"I will always remember those seniors for leading that group. That is a great group of high-character, good football players, guys we will never forget, and we're indebted to. They have made an impact not only on this football team and this school, but on our lives. They are a group of really quality young men and we'll miss them tremendously.
Their spirit will carry on."
On how the team will use the experience they gained today ...
"This day, today, will be a motivator. Right now, from today until we kick off in the fall, this is a motivating thing that happened today. If anything, our team realized that we played a really good football team and we can go. We can compete to win that game, and that's why I think this should be our motivating force to begin practice tomorrow for next year. I don't think they'll let us do that."
On this season overall ...
"They have been through a lot, including the schedule and including some big-time injuries within our team. They've never really blinked. I know it looked like we blinked a few times, but they never did. They worked hard, they had good practices; we didn't always play well, but when we didn't play well we picked ourselves back up and usually had a good game. I think it's a group that has been resilient. I knew every day when I went out to practice what they were going to give, and we can't ask for any more than that. I love that part of it. That's why it's really disappointing to not be going to a bowl game and it's really disappointing to lose that game. I am not frustrated, I am not disappointed, I am not anything about that team except proud of them."
Cornerback James Dockery
On the defense `playing better than anticipated' ...
"I knew we were going to get up for this game. We lost some plays out there but Oregon did a great job of doing what they have been doing all year and controlling the tempo. Hats off to them and I hope they represent the Pac-10 well."
On Oregon playing like a No. 1 team ...
"They played like the No. 1 team. They won; they are 12-0 and going to a National Championship. It's just frustrating, I felt every big team we played this year - we had such a tough schedule - I just felt like we were right there. I thank Coach Riley for putting that type of schedule together for my senior year. It was really fun to be out there."
On the feeling in the lockerroom ...
"It's sad, you know. We lost some games out there. I am not going to say which ones, you guys all know that. But it is unfortunate this is the first year I am not going bowling. The underclassmen care a lot about us. They worked hard in the summer and a lot of them had to step in bigger roles than anticipated. They gave it their all. I can be proud of that as a captain this year and the younger guys stepping up. It is what it is and everyone has to go through this one day."
Defensive Tackle Brennan Olander
On coming back and playing through the pain...
"I practiced all week and some things hurt, some things didn't. It just depended on what I did on my movement. It started hurting around the second quarter and went away at halftime. Kevin (Frahm) and Stephen (Paea) were making plays out there, they were holding their (Oregon) offense down pretty well. They were doing so good I just let them play. If something is working, don't try to fix, so I just let them play."
On being a home grown Oregonian and playing in the Civil War...
"I wanted to play because I'm from Oregon and I'm a senior. Growing up I never really watched the civil war because I didn't really know what it was. The first Civil War I remember watching was my junior year in high school. I never really watched the teams from Oregon, I just watched the teams from TV. My freshman year here was when I realized how good of a game it was."
On the Ducks ...
"The Ducks are good. They are not going to the national championship for just no reason. They are a really good team."
Quarterback Ryan Katz
On the first play ...
"After that first hit, I was kind of at a daze for a little bit, and I got the wind knocked out of me. I thought we were in it, and there were times where we could have made some better plays."
On Markus Wheaton ...
"Marcus came out strong on the third downs where we did convert, he really stepped up. He made himself open and I was able to give him the ball."
On the line of scrimmage ...
"At times they were not really rushing, they were just standing there with their tall defensive lineman, and they were just putting their hands up. We needed to find a way to not allow them to do that, and to keep their hands down."
On field goals ...
"It definitely hurt us to settle for field goals, we had opportunities before that on second and third downs to score. We were just not able to get the ball into the end zone."
On the season overall ...
"This season was up and down, we had a lot of good times, but then we had a lot of bad times. You have to find a way to stay consistent and even it out."
Running Back Jacquizz Rodgers
On attitude difference in first half compared to second...
"I don't think I took the ball the second half. But we got down, so we had to stop passing the ball. You know, Oregon's offense kept striking fast, and if we don't start capitalizing and score a touchdown, then we end up falling behind."
On short spurts in OSU's offense. Result of Oregon's defensive play ...
"Oregon brought a lot of pressure, but you know everything is about us. They blitzed us home and got a couple sacks on the quarterback and we just didn't play a complete game."
On the pressure/ push on Katz...
"Oregon's d-line is not really a rush defensive line. They just try to bring guys and put their hands up, and they got their hands on a couple of balls and they kept doing it because it was working."
On how good Oregon is...
"Oregon is really good. They are No. 1 in the country and that says something about them."
Oregon Post-Game Quotes
Head Coach Chip Kelly
On the game ...
"I think it's a testament to these players. They've been able to focus every single week on the game at hand. I told `em we'll pick our head up at the end of the season and see where we are, and we're fortunate enough to be 12-0. All the credit goes to the kids. They're awesome."
On Oregon State ...
"Lot of credit to Mike (Riley). They came ready to play and we anticipated that coming in. Ryan Katz is really impressive. He took that shot on the first play, and then he came back to play like he did."
On red zone defense ...
"Our red-zone defense was huge for us. To hold them to two field goals in those situations was huge."
On Jacquizz Rodgers ...
"That kid's really good. He's just such a tough physical player and he's making catches out of the backfield. He took a lot of shots. I kept saying `Wow, this kid keeps getting hit and keeps bouncing up. He was obviously the focus and we had to take care of him."
On their rushing game ...
"We ran for 350 (yards) today. It's what we do, it's what we hang our hat on."
On Darron Thomas ...
"Darron (Thomas) understands he doesn't have to make it happen, he just has to let it happen."
On the fake punt ...
"We were going to do it the first time we punted, and that turned out to be the third quarter."
On the national championship game ...
"We're not going to play a national championship right now, we're going to prepare for one. And we'll play the game on the 10th (of January). But we got to this point we're at now by our preparation and we know we're going to have to go to work for the next month to show up on the 10th. And that's what these are all about, they understand the task at hand and they accept it heartily."
On the Civil War ...
"This is one of the great rivalries in college football. We expected everything from them and they gave it to us. They faked a field goal, we faked a punt. We had some turnovers early, they had some turnovers early. I was hoping we were going to score some points so we weren't going to be on the Toilet Bowl schedule (final score 0-0) but that's where we early in the game."
Quarterback Darron Thomas
On how it took them a while to get into a rhythm...
"Oregon State came up and did a good job. They played a physical game. We just had the mass of physicality to come out on top."
On why Oregon is still unbeaten...
"Because of the brotherhood of the team, the love of the team and not losing for each other and playing for each other."
On why Oregon doesn't look ahead and goes week by week...
"That's the main thing. Once you look ahead at outside influences, that's what messes you up. We just worry about each game and the team we are playing that week."
On if it's just another win...
"It's just another win. We aren't there yet. Coach Kelly put into our head this whole year that it's just a win. We aren't really over our hype right now but we know we have one more to go."
On the feeling of having a perfect season...
"I'm just really happy, really happy for everybody else. The offensive line did a good job all year being banged up all year. They finished the year with the same starters that we started with and I think they did a good job. Our defense also came out this year and did a tremendous job. I'm just happy for everybody; happy for the Duck fans, and happy for everybody who supported us."
Running Back LaMichael James
On his running combo with Kenjon Barner...
"Kenjon's a great player. He came into the game and he got some long runs; it really helps to have us both because we can always have fresh legs."
On the win and what he is worrying about now...
"I'm going to celebrate this win. I'm going to ride this one for about three days. We don't have a game for a while. I'm going to enjoy this, it was a big one."
On what the win means for UO ...
"It means everything, you know. We've really worked hard for this throughout the whole year. It started in fall camp - back in the off-season - we prepared for this. We came out each and every day and we just kept grinding it out, even when people didn't give us a chance. This means a lot for our fans, for the community at U of O and the entire program."
On facing adversity as a team...
"Every team goes through adversity, it just matters how you deal with it. Adversity is going to come; I mean we had adversity today. It seems like most games we have faced adversity, even when we were playing Tennessee or losing to Stanford, but it matters how you overcome that."
Running Back Kenjon Barner
On their running combination...
"Be there for him, he's there for me. Whenever he gets tired I go in and I do what I can for the team and I know that LaMichael (James) is going to make it happen so I have to come in and try to keep up with him."
On the run...
"They couldn't just focus on LaMichael (James) or they couldn't focus on Darron (Thomas) or our receivers so it opened lanes and it opened up a lot for me."
On coming back from his mid-season injury...
"Just to get back out on the field and play with these guys, it's a blessing. This win, you can't really put it into words right now, it really hasn't set in what we've done as a team and what we've been able to overcome throughout this entire season. It's a feeling that's unexplainable."
On the Pac-10 vs. the SEC...
"We're going to play whoever. Who can say a conference is better than another conference or anything like that? We're just going to go out and play how we have to play."
