Nov. 10, 2008
Head Coach Gary Pinkel
Opening statement
"First of all, I want to congratulate our soccer team on their Big 12 Championship. I know how hard Coach Blitz and all their players work. I just think it's awesome to reward them four our hard work and it's great for Univertsiy of Missouri. We're probably as healthy as we can be at this time of year. We've got some bumps and bruises like everybody does…(Senior TE) Chase Coffman was a decision that was made right before the game…We said overall it would probably be wise to keep him out for that game. He's certainly probable for this weekend, I'd be very surprised if he did not play this week. Those sprained toes are difficult. He's worked very hard with Rex Sharp and we think he'll be ready to play…We're focusing now on Iowa State. I was glad that we got a little cold work last Saturday…. The wind chill was in the mid 20s during the last football game so I think that's a start. It will be cold up there like it always is. You know it's going to be cold up there and for the rest of the season. Our football team is continuing to work hard and working to improve. We certainly know what's out there. That being said, we're focusing on our preparation so we can try to play our best game up at Iowa State."
On Iowa State:
"They're a very well-coached FB team. I watched their game last week, they had it won and they lost the lead…And then they just missed on the last play. I know what a great effort they made at Colorado. They always play well against us. They're building their program, as we built ours. It's their senior day. Their fans get excited when Missouri gets up there. We've had some great games with them, that being said, we're trying to focus on ourselves and get better."
On senior QB Chase Daniel being hard on himself:
"That's a guy that's a great competitor, who doesn't like throwing interceptions. But great quarterbacks throw interceptions. He's a great competitor and he's hard on himself. He's okay. He's got to just relax and do what he does. He's the best quarterback I've ever seen. I think when you get like that, you press a little bit…Trust me, he'll compete and he'll finish. We're winning. I said after the game, he threw for something like 275 yards and you come out of the game with 511 yards of offense and 41 points, you're disappointed because we set such a high standard…Those are high standards, and he'll continue to work hard. He's at his best now. He loves being in this environment. He knows where we're at, it's the third week of November. This is what you coach for and play for, to compete in games like this… I really don't ever worry about him. He's such a great competitor. He just thrives on this and wanting to go out there. I think that it's about reacting and trusting yourself. I think he's going to be fine and he'll enjoy that.
On senior Chase Coffman and former Tiger Martin Rucker as tight ends:
"…I think if anything you find out they're big athletes but you don't have to play 4-4 or 4-3 to play at the perimeter…you can stretch the defense in different ways with mismatches and size-wise…Only time will tell. For example, now, everybody's no huddle. Four years ago, no one would think of it. Now you watch all the offenses evolve and the positions evolve in how they use them. Time will tell how that changes…I think positions change here and there with talent. Those guys didn't play like that when they were freshmen, but look at how they improved. That's part of having youth and adjusting. They are big shoes to fill, no question about it. These are a couple of great players who make great plays. It helps in recruiting also."
On senior WR Tommy Saunders:
"He comes in as a walk-on, we saw him play in high school briefly. You look at his ball skills and ability to space himself…Is he the fastest guy on the team? No, but he's very athletic and quick….You've got a high-level Big 12 receiver there. Then you take the unselfish side. He's a total team player and into all his teammates being team players…That's what Tommy Saunders is about. That's how he walks around the locker room and practice field. He is Mr. Positive. With our team, he's very caring and players know that. Not just for his buddies, he'll help out a walk-on…Tommy cares about everybody. He's the most unselfish guy I've ever been around...All he wants to do is win. There are a lot of guys we're going to miss, but his leadership for the whole football team is as high-level as I've ever been around…(Being a walk on), he knew he wanted to come here and play here, maybe we just hadn't figured it out yet. Teams are made of a mixture of chemistry. Ultimately it's about being a team player, and he's a shining star of that example...He'd be a great recruiter. He's interested in being a strength and conditioning coach. He's a great motivator. He'd be exceptional at it."
On the possibility of clinching the Big 12 North on Saturday:
"That's a distraction. They're all aware of that, we know that. We've been through this a little bit before, we've handled it well sometimes, and maybe sometimes we haven't. Bottom line is we have to play well. Anything outside of that, it doesn't really do you a whole lot of good. Individually, they should use it. It's a great motivator. But, I think our team will prepare well and play well."
On how to win in November:
"You need to get turnovers on your side. You need to win road games. You need to play your best game. Your kicking game needs to be at the highest level. Those aren't suggestions, if you want to get it done in November, you have to do those things. That doesn't mean you're going to win them all, but you have to if you want success…I'm anxious I'm thinking about the football team every second. I always do, but this is what you coach for, this is what you play for. No one knows how much time and effort guys put into this, or how much extra time they put in. I think it's a great motivator at the end. I'm a competitor, I just go up a few notches."
On Jeremy Maclin going to the NFL:
"That's a standard policy. What we always do with any player that is NFL-eligible after three years. After the season is over, we ask if they're interested. Any player that asks, we put their name in. We go through the process, and sit down and discuss it. Prior to that, it's just a distraction and won't help us win games this year. That's how we handle it."
Senior QB Chase Daniel
Opening statement:
"We've got Iowa State this year. I looked at the weather forecast, it's going to be cold and snowy. We can't let those distractions get in the way of playing our best game. We're going to have a great week of practice. Be outside in the cold. Get used to the wind…We just have to go up there with our A-game and try to make plays."
On distractions going into game"
"I think just the fact that we haven't played well against Iowa State since I've been here, four to five years in a row. Last year, the game was closer than it looked on the box score. They stayed with us the whole game. I think the team knows that and Coach Pinkel has gotten that point across. In 2006, when we went up there, I think they hadn't won a conference game, but it was their last game and won it for Coach (Dan) McCarney. We don't want that to happen. We want to go up there and compete play in and play out.
On previous games against Iowa State:
"I remember when Brad got hurt, I had played well earlier in the game. I was just looking for the chance to go in and make a play…We got the offense to execute just enough that we put (former Tiger) Adam Crossett in position to make a field goal. It was a great first game; I got to take a significant amount of snaps in a pressure situation. It really got me ready for the rest of the year and rest of my career…I think it was just such a whirlwind of events. I knew the plays, I knew what had to be done. There was really no pressure, I knew I just had to go in and do my job. It was something I'll always remember, my first significant playing snaps...I remember three, four, maybe 5 plays from every game, losses or wins. A lot of quarterbacks remember that stuff. They remember distinct plays or special moments….You're going to remember (the last time in Ames). It's not something that you're just not going to remember. That was two years ago. They beat us fair and square. We can't go back and say, we should have won this game. We just got beat…I think when you look back on it, it is what it is. You can't change it now. You can't do it anything different about it. We've got to play better…If we had played better, it wouldn't have come down to that. We've got to take care of business."
On being too hard on himself"
I am being a little too hard on myself. But that's just the competitor I am. That's how I play. It's been that way since high school, I'm not going to change the way I play for the last three games of the year. I just need to be more careful with the football…It's not throws or interceptions where it was a horrible throw...I'm going to keep throwing the football around. I know the team has confidence in me and I have confidence in myself. I'm just going to go out there and try not to hurt the team too much…Luckily our defense was able to bail us out in some tough situations and we got going later in the game…I know what I can do. I know what my potential is. The turnovers are the only things bugging me. We have to do what we can to fix that and move on.
On potentially clinching the Big 12 North this Saturday:
"I think anytime you can clinch a division title you want to take it right off the bat. Of course, we're going to like to get it done this weekend…it's a great opportunity for us and hopefully Texas can take care of business and we can too."
On the importance of playing well in November:
"November is the month to remember, that's how it's been since I got here. Last year, this team really took on the mantra of that. We just have to keep it up. We don't want to look forward, we don't want to look in the past with any game we play. All that matters is Iowa State. All that matters is this November month. I don't care what our record or ranking is, we'll worry about Iowa State, then we'll worry about what else we need to do. I think the intensity does change. (Coach Gary Pinkel) is a competitor, our whole team are competitors. You'll always be remembered in November, you have to win football games to have a shot at getting to your goals."
On mentoring freshman QB Blaine Gabbert:
"He's a freshman and he needs someone to look up to. I'm that guy for him. He's trying to learn as much as he can from me and be a sponge. He's trying to get as much information out of me as he can. I'm more than willing to be the one to give that to him…He's really excited about it, he's really pumped up to get to learn from me and that's a compliment to me…No doubt about it (that he's ready). He understands this offense as well as I did when I came in here. He's destined for some very good things and he's just waiting for his turn. He knows that he'll get a chance sooner or later. I truly believe he'll shine when he does."
Senior DL Stryker Sulak
On how older players can help keep new players from looking ahead:
“I think that’s where leadership comes in. I think the younger guys understand that you can’t look past any team. Anyone in the Big 12 conference can win on any Saturday. That’s something they’ll learn, and I think the leadership will help them.”
On whether he will watch the KU/Texas game Saturday:
“If we’re allowed to… usually for late games we have meetings all day, so we won’t get to watch too much. We’ll have meetings and go over last minute game plan.”
On whether a good practice means a good game:
“It’s an indication. If everybody’s out there and enthusiastic, flying around and hitting people, then it’s going to happen on Saturday too. You play as you practice. All the coaches believe that, and the players buy into that also. If you’re doing a good job on Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday, then we’re going to play well on Saturday.”
Senior TE Chase Coffman
On Chase Daniel:
“He’s very hard on himself. Just like everybody knows, he’s come from winning his whole life. He’s done a great job, and I think he’s just upset with a couple of the plays he made and a couple of interceptions that happened. But I don’t think he’s hurting this team at all—it’s a group effort, and everybody makes mistakes. He’s a great enough player and a great enough leader to jump back on the bandwagon and just keep working hard and doing the things he’s been doing to get us up to this successful point in the first place.”
On not playing against Kansas State:
“I might have been able to go, but the trainers and coaches and everybody agreed that it would be a good idea just to sit out. If they ended up needing me, then I could have gone in there, but with the good job that they were doing out there, there was no need to risk any more injury to it. I should be ready to go this weekend. I’m just going to keep staying in the training room and try to get as close to 100% as possible.”
On the cohesion of the team:
“Since I’ve gotten here, we’ve had more and more good recruits and better athletes. Not just one person has to play well for this team to win. We’ve got enough people that can step up and make plays, even if one person isn’t making plays. Everybody’s clicking, so that just makes it that much better.”
Sophomore DB Carl Gettis
On only focusing on the play and the game ahead:
“It’s a memory… it’s a mindset. You’ve got to have a short memory, either way it goes. If you’re still thinking about a play that happened awhile ago, you’re going to hurt the team.”
On the team’s focus:
“We’re not worried about anything in the Big 12 North or anything. The only thing that we’re focused on right now is beating Iowa State. We’ve got Iowa State on their Senior Day, and we’re trying to get out of there with a win. That’s the only thing we’re worried about.”
Junior LB Sean Weatherspoon
On whether he pays attention to other teams in the Big 12:
“When I wake up in the morning, I try to watch no Big 12 football. I don’t like to watch what could happen to our season based on what other people are doing, because we just have to focus on what we can take care of. We can’t worry about KU and Texas, because that’s not our game. We don’t control anything in that game. All we can focus on is Iowa State, and getting better as a team.”
On Iowa State:
“ I watched some Iowa State film, and those guys are a physical football team. It’s going to be cold out there – from here on out, it’s going to be cold wherever we’re playing, so we’ve got to focus up mentally for that. We’ve just got to keep ourselves fired up, because we know they’re going to be fighting. Their coach has a great defensive scheme. He was at Texas when they won the national championship, and he definitely knows how to coach, so I’m pretty sure that their football program will be getting better very soon. They’re going to be ready to play us.”
