Nov. 13, 2006

USU FOOTBALL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

Head Coach Brent Guy

On the Nevada game

"Nevada is a very good football team and playing well, but it is a shame after watching the film and watching how we played, in particular in the first quarter, that we lost the game as severely as we did... The opening kickoff we cut a guy in the wedge, which you can't do and gave up a long return and basically spotted them the first seven from the seven-yard line. The offense takes the ball and works it down the field. We get two explosives (20-plus yard plays) and get inside the five and can't score. That would have been a 7-7 game and given the offense a lot more confidence. The wind and snow and rain were big factors. Anytime we were facing the wind we had problems."

"We give up a big play (at the start of the second half) and it goes 21-0 and after that we cannot make a first down on offense. We get an 18-yard punt and spot them field position and they score two more times in the third quarter and it is game over. To me that was the most disappointing part. We had taken five minutes off the clock on the first drive (of the second half) and then we give up a big play and it is like a collapse of execution and confidence in our team. Once we got down 21-0, we could have played better and done much better than we did. I felt like we deflated a little bit when we didn't score from the one, which is discouraging. After that, they scored so quickly in the third quarter it became much harder for us."

On the running backs

"Antraun McDaniel was a positive for us, where he did run the football and make some nice runs for us. We have got to have him and Marcus Cross have big games this week because we are going to have to be able to run the football and hold on to the ball against Boise State."

On the Boise State game

"We are playing a Boise State team that is even better than the Nevada team as far as their ability to be explosive. They are not as explosive as Hawai'i is right now scoring points, but they are number one in rushing, number two in scoring, number one in total defense, scoring defense and rushing defense. They do a lot of things very well and it is a tough place to play. It is going to be a great challenge. It is the highest ranked conference opponent that we have ever faced in the history of the school so it is going to be a great challenge for our team."

On Boise State

"I know what we are going to face. It is just like last week, San Jose State did just about everything right. They punt the ball to them and (BSU) gets a great punt return. They make a play when they have to make a play. With the clock ticking, they kick a field goal to win the game. That is what Boise State has been the last five years. They know how to capitalize and they have confidence that no matter what is happening in the game, they will somehow pull it out and find a way to win. They did. San Jose State had opportunities to win the game and couldn't at home, and (BSU) went on the road and won one on the road like that. I think that is what you face. You face a team that you are going to have to play and beat for four quarters. They are not going to give you a lot of stuff. They don't make a lot of mistakes. They rush the football... Even without Ian Johnson's presence, they are still very capable of scoring points. They are very tough on defense and it is going to be hard to score points. Great atmosphere. It will be sold out. It is a place you want to go play a college football game."

More on the Boise State game

"We have to avoid the big plays... We have to avoid turnovers... We have got to shorten the field somehow and help our offense against a tough Boise State defense."

"We are going to have to execute much better than we have the last three games. We have had spurts. (On Saturday) We played two or three series in a row of very good defense. We had three sacks, which we haven't done in a long time and we created a fumble right there at midfield, that was another opportunity for our offense to go down and score and get points, but we couldn't do anything with that. We are doing some things in spurts a little bit better, but then all of a sudden, like in the third quarter where after the first five minutes we can't make a first down and give up 21 points on defense. Those are the kind of collapses that can't happen against anybody."

"They had a little bit of a wake up call from San Jose State. We are not going to be able to sneak up on them."

Wide Receiver Kevin Robinson

On the Boise State game

"I am very excited. I am looking forward to going there and playing this game. There are not many times you get to play against a school that is going to the BCS. All of the guys are looking forward to it. We are going to go in there and try our hardest, play our hearts out and see what happens at the end."