Nov. 17, 2012
Recap | Final Stats | Notes | Photo Gallery
Arizona State Quotes
Head Coach Todd Graham
On Senior Day and how the team performed...
"Obviously it was a very emotional day for us, seeing them run out of the tunnel and just how those guys have opened their hearts and this team to me, and to a whole new way of doing things. I'm just really proud of the senior bunch. Obviously it was a special day and we dominated, and that's how you want to play on senior day. Cameron Marshall, Brandon Magee and company: I'm just really proud of them. I'm really proud of our defense and how they played. We want to establish this place as a place where people want to come and play defense, play a certain way. We do it aggressively; we attack and get after it. Keelan [Johnson] got a couple of interceptions; I'm so proud of him and Brandon and [Deveron] Carr. It was special watching them, and how we totally dominated. I was furious at the end that our twos let them score at the end like that, because that team deserved a shutout; those seniors deserved a shutout. They won in dominant fashion. I'm proud of them getting bowl eligible and I'm proud of the progress these guys have made."
On the defensive game...
"I think we're one of the top pass defenses, and there's a good reason for that because we're pretty good at it. These guys did a good job of executing a plan and were fundamentally sound in the passing game. We didn't do the same thing; we moved around, we pressured, we rushed. Our third down plan was exceptional. I have a bunch of smart guys that do a great job. I'm proud of our defensive staff, and the plan they put together, as well as our offensive staff - with 560-plus yards of offense, they did a great job. I'm very pleased with how we played on special teams and how we started today. These seniors, it meant a lot ot hem and they're a very close group. We're not done yet. We're only done at home. The most important game of the year is coming up next week and then we're going to get a bowl championship. We're not just going to go to a bowl; we're going to win one.
On the quarterbacks and the offensive plan...
"Taylor [Kelly] does a great job. I thought he settled down today and played well. I thought Mike Eubank did some good things as well. The ball gets dispersed and moved around an awful lot on our offense. I was impressed with how they played. Obviously with the penalty to start off the second half and that personal foul penalty, I thought it was on the other team, but either way you get them and you're going to suffer consequences."
On the support of the fans and how important it has been...
"I really want to thank our fans. Our fans have been special in the way they've welcomed me here. We had a four-game skid there but obviously we played some good football teams and there are no excuses in our program. But I'm so grateful for their support. We're laying a great foundation. We need to go get our seventh win and our eighth win in the bowl game. That will be a solid start for us. Not what our expectations were. But I just want to thank them. I appreciate their support and I appreciate them in believing in how we're doing things and how we're working hard to deliver it for them."
On the State Farm Territorial Cup game versus Arizona next week...
"Going out, I did 130-something speaking engagements and to every single fan, the most important game is the Territorial Cup. So we know this is the most important game of the year, bar none. This game isn't about Todd Graham or any other coach. It's far bigger than that. It's about Arizona State versus Arizona and that's all it needs to be. I can tell you we know the significance of it and we're going to work our tails off because we know that's the most important game. You can go 11-0 and lose that game and it's an unsuccessful year. That's what college football is about. I love the rivalry games. I think it's sad that some of them have gone away in college football, because I think that's what it's about. We need to be fierce, and we're going to be first-class in how we approach it. I just teach, teach every week, and you don't have to get kids up to play in this type of game. I'm more of making sure we prepare them throughout the week and they don't go into the game and change stuff and get too emotional and get stupid penalties and turn the football over, because you can throw the record out in rivalry games. They're going to be won by the team that's the most disciplined, the toughest team, and the team that wants it the most."
Runningback, D.J. Foster
On how important it was to send the seniors off with a win...
"That's what we were preaching all week. This whole week at practice was dedicated to the seniors and all of the hard work they put in. Coach Graham talked about how important it was. We still have a big game ahead of us but we all dedicated it to the seniors. Everything we did today was for the seniors."
On the game against U of A next week...
"I'm going to give it my all in practice like I do every week. I'm happy to be going to this game with the players that I'm playing with this season. I know it's a big game so we have to play hard ball."
Linebacker, Brandon Magee
On the emotions he felt coming out of the tunnel before the game...
"It meant a lot to get that victory. I can't even describe how it felt to come out of that tunnel. I had a stomach ache. It was a weird feeling, especially at the end of the game. To hear the fans and the appreciation they had for the seniors here and for the team really made my day. I'll remember it forever."
On why the defense was so effective today...
"We had good coverage on the offense. Our safeties and linebackers made good calls as well. We played a lot of man-to-man so that was important today. We got some pressure on the quarterback as well. We did what we needed to do."
On the "beat the Cats banner" in the weight room...
"It's up right now, after the game. I like that. I'm ready for them. I'm amped up right now. Let's get it going."
On only allowing one rushing yard and breaking the losing streak...
"Honestly, we played a lot of nickel and a lot of right coverage against the passing game. That means our d-line did a great job mixing it up, getting there and being affective on the run. I give the d-line all the credit for that. It felt great to get the win today. It's senior day so we had to go out the right way."
On Arizona...
"They're an athletic team. They have a good quarterback in Matt Scott. I don't want to get into it, I just want to beat them."
Wide Receiver, Rashad Ross
On what it was like running out with your fellow seniors for your last home game...
"It didn't hit me until after the game and not until I went back into the tunnel and I realized that this was really my last game on this field, so I was kind of saddened a little bit. I will bounce off that because we have two more games left."
On his performance and the receivers performance today...
"I felt great today, because earlier on we all were not really producing as receivers. Today, it seemed like we all clicked. It wasn't just me catching balls, Jamal caught some balls, Chris caught some, and we were just feeding off each other's energy."
Tight End, Chris Coyle
On how fast the team came out...
"We have been focusing all week on coming out fast, speeding up the tempo. It is something that we have noticed in the past games that teams can't keep up with. There has been times where we have let down our tempo in the past and that is when teams are able to hang with us, so we wanted to make sure to really emphasize that this game and the reason why we were able to come out so fast. Emotions were really high because we wanted the seniors to come out with a win, and that was probably the main reason we came out so fast."
On this week as momentum heading into the Territorial Cup...
"It is going to be huge for us. Just getting our confidence back like we did today and really produce on the field. I think one of the biggest parts of it was getting back to our 'run-first' offense because that really opened things up for our receivers. Just pounding the ball the first couple series and just running every single play. Once we were able to do that, it loosened up the secondary and guys like Ross and Ozier were able to go in. It was the perfect game plan for this game."
Quarterback, Taylor Kelly
His feeling for the offense today...
"It felt good. My offensive line did a great job at protecting, my receivers got open for me and caught the football. Overall they did a great job on offense."
Was it different going into this game since it's senior day...
"Yes it was, a lot of guys were a lot more confident in know each other. It was good for our seniors to go out on a win. Now, we have to prepare even harder this week for this upcoming game on Friday."
Talking with the teammates....
"Just me looking at Cameron Marshall, James Morrison, Jamal Miles, Brandon Magee, those type of guys, made me want to play harder and with more passion. I just wanted to give them a win, so it was good."
On what coach Todd Graham said in the locker room...
"Coach Graham was telling us great job, let the seniors go out on a win, and get them bowl eligible. We just have to prepare this week for the game Friday."
On being able to play one more game after the season is over...
"It gives us great confidence, and as well as our program. We have to keep improving and focus for this game on Friday."
On Andrew Sampson being back....
"It was good having him back. He did a great job for us, played hard, while battling through his ankle injury.
On getting the ball to Rashad Ross...
"Rashad was the play maker for us today. He was beating his corner, getting open for me. He did a great job for us today.
Washington State Quotes
Safety Deon Bucannon
On the inconsistency...
"It started off with the get go; the first quarter and how we come out ourselves. I don't know what happened but there was a huge change in possession that gave the defense short field early in the game and I feel like that kind of had the sideline's moral go down. As a team, and the great teams do it, especially defensively, that needs to bounce off your chest. You don't need to worry about what happens or how you're on the field. You just have to go out there and play the best that you possibly can. We need to learn that."
On if it felt like the effort was there or not this week...
"Definitely not the Utah game. I feel like it was definitely there. Throughout our practices all last we week we were flying around and doing what we needed to do but like I said out there it is a credit to Arizona State for coming in with a good scheme. They spread us out well and they had us with a lot of one on one match-ups which made it difficult. That's probably one of the most difficult setups to make space is one on one with an elusive runner. So credit to them for spreading us. As a team we just need to mature and understand how plays develop and how we need to stop them. I feel like we are going to do that."
On why he still had his uniform on...
"Really I just kind of think over the game after the game for a little while and I don't really take anything off. I just think of what happened and pretty much how I could have played better and what happened throughout the game. That's why I still have my stuff on, but eventually I'll get out. Mostly just how we could have tackled better and how we could have flew to the ball a little faster to give the one on one matchups a little more help in the pursuit. As far as myself, keeping my head up and after contact running my feet. That is the majority of things I think about or the tackles I missed or when I feel I should have made a big play."
On Arizona State's success running the ball up the middle of the field...
"Watching the film they kind of ran away from what they did throughout the other games. I feel like once we got in that second half we understood what they were trying to do and that's why we were a little more effective the second half. The first half they caught us off guard because (they) were running up the middle and pounding the ball and I didn't really see them as that type of offense on film. There are no excuses. You just have to adjust to it as fast as possible and I feel we could have adjusted to it faster but stuff happens."
On if the loss along will make it hard to play against Washington...
"No, definitely not. This whole thing, every loss, no matter what happens it inspires us. It inspires us to play better. There is always something that you can fix. There is always something that you can do better than you do no matter if you won or lost. I feel, especially coming into this week, going against our rival school Udubb we are coming in hot-headed as ever. We are coming fiery each and every day. This whole week of practices is going to be the most intense we have had all year because we have nothing to lose. All of these losses to be honest, they do effect you but for us we are not going to let if effect us natively. We are going to go into each and every game with the same mindset we have been having. We are going to play hard or give up for anybody."
On why they aren't going to a bowl game...
"Ultimately I feel like it was leadership; stepping up and people becoming leaders especially with this new coaching staff. This new coaching staff came in and it was hard to be the one that you wanted to step up because you know the coaching staff is still incorporating new things. I put it all on myself because I'm a junior now, earlier in the season I should have spoken up. I'm not a big talker but as a player, and an older player, I feel like maybe I didn't get to change what I am comfortable with instead of waiting for the games to make plays and throughout the week be a voice out there for my other teammates. I feel like I just need to look in the mirror in order to fix that in myself."
Head coach Mike Leach
On if he saw this coming on at all...
"Well, I thought we played hard and then we went frantic. When we faced adversity we went frantic. We would run hard and miss tackles. We would run routes hard and we'd try do go up field before the ball got there and dropped balls. We didn't execute well. We ran around hard, but we didn't execute well. As the flood gates opened, we didn't become less frantic and stay within our technique. We tried to make too much happen which happens in situations like that."
On constantly having bad field position...
"Their kicker did a good job. Of course, we added to that ourselves with our own execution."
On what was behind the switch with QB Connor Halliday and keeping him in...
"Jeff was kind of struggling but of course he had some help. Then Connor came in and he finished the half pretty good. That's why we started him the second half."