Oct. 4, 2009

Columbia, Mo. -

Head Coach Gary Pinkel

Press Conference Quotes

Sunday, October 04, 2009

Opening Statement...

"Let me give you an injury update. Munir Prince will probably not play. He has a slight hamstring pull. I'd say he's doubtful, he's not completely out, but he's doubtful. De'Vion Moore, we expect him to play, he practiced the other day, we'll see how he comes through. Luke Lambert also did not play much the last game, both of those guys have ankles (injuries). We expect them to play as of right now. Nebraska is a really impressive team. They average about 40 points a game on offense, seven points on defense, which has got to be in the top ten in the nation. Very well-coached, very disciplined. Their players play very well, I'm very impressed with them on film. When you look for weaknesses, I don't see anything. They are solid in every area. Their quarterback is playing well, I am very impressed with him. It's going to be a great challenge for us. I know everyone is excited about this game and we'll work hard to play our best."

On making the decision to play on a Thursday night...

"Yeah, it's a Thursday night game. That's like Monday Night Football. That's a no-brainer, that's easy. When I found out that they were asking us to be a part of this, I talked with the administration. Obviously you have to consider the dynamics that go with a Thursday night game, I understand that that could be tough. But certainly it happens around the country. But it's great, not only for our football program, but for the University of Missouri and the town of Columbia. It was a win-win in every way."

On Nebraska running back Roy Helu Jr....

"Very impressive. He's got size, he's got quickness. He runs hard. I think the more he runs the better he is, the better he gets, which I think defines a really great running back. So I've been very, very impressed with him and their running game. They have a great offense. It's a west coast type of offense. And certainly, he's key. You don't stop a guy like that, you try to contain him the best you can."

On the rivalry with Nebraska...

"We've always had, and will always have great respect for Nebraska. Nebraska, obviously a lot goes with that name historically and traditionally. So we've always had great respect for them, we still do. So as far as a rivalry goes, from their standpoint, you'd have to ask them. I think we've played some good games against Nebraska. If you look at the win-loss record, they've beat us a lot more than we've beat them. They've certainly got a huge edge on us. But I think they're one of the best teams in our league, and one of the best teams in the country. So that's incentive right there, to know that we are going to play one of the best and you try to play your best game and try to win the best you can."

On Missouri's offensive game...

"We've got to block better. We've got to run better. We're doing some things a little differently in the running game than we did a year ago. And, I think, transition wise, it's taking a little more time. But we still want to run the football, we still want to have balance. We're still going to attempt to do that. We're not going to throw the ball 70% of the time. We're not going to do that. What we've got to do is block better and run better. Hopefully we'll work real hard to do that. This is going to be a great challenge, their defensive tackle, (Ndamukong) Suh, is just a great player. They are a great disciplined defensive football team, very physical. It's going to be a great test for us."

On Missouri sophomore quarterback Blaine Gabbert...

"I'm impressed with his poise. He's kind of trying to find where he fits himself in a game, mentally, where he keeps focused. One thing I told him before his first game, `you don't have to be like Brad Smith, you don't have to be like Chase Daniel. You have to be you.' We all know what Chase was like, he was wired all the time. His competitiveness, I called him the battlefield commander, because that's what he was. He was just electric out there all the time. Blaine doesn't have to be like that, he doesn't have to be like Brad Smith. I think he's very comfortable with that. One important thing for quarterbacks is to stay in a place where you can function, where you don't get caught up in the hype or the negative of what's going on and you kind of stay in the zone. Whether you get sacked, or throw a touchdown or an interception, you come right back in this zone. I've been impressed with him, he's doing a good job of staying in that area. Every quarterback has to find out, in the heat of the battle, where that (area) is for him. He's a very bright guy, he works real hard at it. He's young, he's had some good games, he's also had adversity, that's part of the deal. To define a quarterback, it's how you do all those things. I've been very, very pleased with him....He's a young guy. He's only played four football games. You're looking at a guy where every week is a new experience. But he's playing very well. "

On the advantage of Jake Harry's punting this season...

"Well, field position is huge. As you well know, he has punts where all of a sudden the whole field changes. Stop our offense, typical punt, you're thinking 30-35 yards and good field position. All of a sudden the ball is on the opposite 14-yard line, a 67-68 yard punt. So he's really doing some great things about the position. And I think our players really understand the importance of field position. It's about field position, every aspect of it."

On Missouri lineman Dan Hoch...

"He's doing a good job. He's a big guy, great competitor. I'm very pleased with his progress. We got his weight down a little bit too. We've actually leaned down a lot of our players. He was about 325 (pounds) and I think we got him down to 309 right now. Certainly he's going to face bigger challenges as we get into league play, but I think he's a great competitor, he's got a burning desire to be a great player, and he'll continue to improve."

Sean Weatherspoon, Linebacker

On Nebraska:
"They're a physical football team. They kind of pride themselves on coming off the ball and coming right at you. They run the ball well, and use their tight end a lot. That's what we're expecting. It's going to be a physical game, so whoever plays the most physical will be the team to come out on top."

On remembering the loss to Nebraska in 2006:
"It's been a lot better the past few years, but I definitely remember that feeling. We try to stay away from that feeling. You go out there and prepare each and every week and try to get that win. They're a good football team, they went against Virginia Tech and lost a tough one. They really played well that game. They're a physical football team, and I'm excited for the opportunity."

On whether Mizzou/Nebraska is a true rivalry:
"I really don't think of it as a big rivalry. It's been a fun game, when we go up there it's a nice atmosphere and when they come down here it's a crazy atmosphere like I've never seen at our stadium. It's more like a fun game to me than a rivalry."

On Missouri'sr two consecutive victories against Nebraska:
"That's in the past, and it's 2009 now. We're only going to worry about Missouri. Not worry about what their focus is going into the game. We're just going to try to figure out our focus, which is to go out there and be a physical football team and do what we need to do to be successful. We're a confident football team. We go into every game expecting to win, and if you don't expect to win I don't think you're doing a good job preparing."

Derrick Washington, Tailback

On how the running game can succeed:
"We've got to be patient out there so we can zone read it, find the cutback lanes and then go. We've kind of switched it up from last year. We used to pull a lot and this year we're zone. We're going to be fine. We've got to get it going with the guys in front. Once they get it going, we'll get it going too and we'll be fine."

On the lack of a successful run game in recent weeks:
"A lot of people say that they're keying in on our running game to make Blaine [Gabbert] throw it because he's new. I don't know what it is, but regardless of that we need to get it going. It's frustrating as a running back because we haven't produced as well as we think we can. I know we can fix it, because during two-a-days we've been working too hard for it not to be working like it needs to be. De'Vion (Moore), Kendial (Lawrence) and I have all been talking about how we need to get it done this week. For everyone who's been talking bad about our running game, we're just going to show up and play."

On the use of the run game:
"I thought we were going to run the ball this year more, and that's what we're doing, but we're just not getting it done there. It's going to happen sooner or later. We're going to come out and have a big game, and be right back where we need to be."

Blaine Gabbert, Quarterback

On Nebraska:
"Nebraska's a great football team, and they have a lot of great players, but right now we're just focusing on Mizzou. Every team we've faced this year has a good defense. They all play college football, and they're all high-level athletes. Nebraska has a bunch of good playmakers, and they have a great scheme under Coach [Bo] Pelini, so we're just going to go out there and compete."

On how the offense is adjusting in preparation:
"We're just focusing on plays that work. Regardless of who we're going against, we're just focusing on putting good plays in there that are going to help our team move the ball up and down the field."

On when the offense is successful:
"When we get going and when our tempo is up, everything is pretty much clicking. That's when our offense really rolls. Our running game is there. Derrick [Washington]... all our running backs. Kendial [Lawrence], De'Vion [Moore], Gilbert [Moye], they're all great running backs and they can move the ball. De'Vion's finally healthy and good to go."

Jaron Baston, Defensive Lineman

On the untraditional practice schedule for a Thursday game:
"It's a little backwards... I forgot it was Sunday. But this is football, and we've got to be student-athletes. That's why we're in a special group-we've got to be able to turn things on and off and turn things around as fast as possible. We're ready, and our coaches have put together great schedules for us and they keep us moving in the right direction and organized. We're ready to play. We're excited, and Thursday night we're going to show the world."

On the home game atmosphere:
"It will be a sold out crowd, with a lot of black and gold out there. It's going to be crazy, but at the end of the day after that first kickoff it's over with. You can't really focus on the crowd, all you can do is focus on that ball when it snaps and go make the big plays."

On the matchup between the defense and Nebraska's offense:
"I think we match up really well. We're explosive, we're strong, and we're young and hungry. When you put that all together, you get a lot of great plays out there. They're physical and big, Roy [Helu] runs well and is a great running back, but at the end of the day it's going to come down to who is the most physical and who wants it the most. We prepare hard each and every day, and I think Thursday night is the night to show it."

On the start of conference play:
"This is it. This is the road to the Big 12 Championship, and it starts with us and Nebraska on Thursday night. Big 12 football is a great conference. You see a lot of special things happen, and a lot of upsets and teams that people thought shouldn't have won getting it done. There's no better way to start it out than on a Thursday night in front of a national crowd to show people that we're still here to stay."