Head coach Todd Graham
On the importance of the game next week:
“I’m really proud of our guys. We have worked a really long time, some of these guys five years, for the opportunity to go to UCLA and compete for the Pac-12 South Championship. We are 60 minutes away, one win away, from clinching the south. That is a big, big deal.”
On his impressions of the game:
“We made a lot of mental mistakes. Coach Reilly does a great job. Presents a lot of different things, and I’m proud of the guys for going and getting the football. We are playing championship level defense. If you can’t run the ball, you are not going to have a chance to win. We did a great job of shutting the run down. They got some passing yards but they are going to get that when they throw the ball every down. I’m proud of our special teams. Alex Garoutte was again stellar tonight. Really proud of him and just proud of our football team.”
On the play of the defense:
“Those guys have really gotten better. We have really pushed them hard to get better every week. Great players are making great plays. It is a lot of fun too. I have so much fun during the game because I get an opportunity to coach guys. Our guys are smart and they are doing some great things. We are getting to do a lot of fun stuff schematically. These guys have really bought in what to what we are doing. I am really proud of them.”
On the defensive scheme:
“That is probably the least amount we have pressured all year long. We did a tremendous job just getting pressure with four guys. We had a lot of bluff calls tonight. Other than giving up a play here or there. Our guys played pretty darn good. Holding a team like that to 17 points is pretty good.”
On the play of the secondary:
“They made some spectacular interceptions. We have some great players with great athleticism. When they see the ball come out of the quarterback’s hand they have a great break on the football. They are really smart. We are running a lot of different things and a lot of different coverages. They are a really fun group to coach.”
On preparing the team each week:
“We worked a lot as a staff. This team, our strength staff, a lot of people have put a lot into this thing. We have got this team where they are at right now. We have got a heck of a football team. We are looking forward to going and competing for the Pac-12 South next week.”
On the improvement of the special teams:
“I think we have made dramatic improvements in special teams. That is something Coach Lorig has done a great job with. I think Alex Garoutte has been a big time weapon for us. He had some big time roll punts tonight. He is kicking off tremendously. If he doesn’t kick it out of the end zone, he is going down there and making the tackle.”
On what it will take to win next week:
“For us to be Pac-12 South Champions, next week we have to win on special teams. That is the number one thing. The second thing is taking care of the football.”
Quarterback Taylor Kelly
On the first five-game winning streak since 2007:
“It’s huge for us and our program. We came together as a group offensively and defensively.”
On being out of rhythm on offense:
“We couldn’t convert on third downs whether it was a sack or a misread. They’re a great defensive team.”
On celebrating the win:
“Coach congratulated the guys. He said we have sixty minutes to achieve our goal next week. We’re going to put this win behind us and move on to UCLA tomorrow.”
On the defense giving the offense a boost:
“We have a great defense that’s playing at a high level and as one unit. When they’re playing well, they’re hard to stop.”
On the key to beating UCLA on the road:
“It’s going to take a lot of focus. We’re going to be playing in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. We’re going to need to study and have a great week of preparation.”
Running back Marion Grice
On the first five-game winning streak since 2007:
“We played well. We need to keep working hard, stay together and don’t let up.”
On winning the last two games despite poor play:
“We need to work harder on the offensive side of the ball. We take it one game at a time. We focused on Oregon State and can start to focus on UCLA tomorrow.”
Defensive back Robert Nelson
On his performance:
“All the credit goes to the defense. I just read the quarterback and made a break on the ball. We were just doing what coach told us to do all week. We stayed disciplined and stayed in our assignments.”
On the pick six:
“I have a mentality to move to the next play, finish the game and celebrate later. It’s a mindset that started after the bowl game last year. We became brothers starting from spring and Camp T. We need to step it up this week.”
Oregon State Head coach Mike Riley
On his offense:
"It was not very good. Sean (Manion) just missed some throws.”
On ASU’s talent:
“They’re good, I like their team. They are excellent defensive team. Talented, and they are well coached. Offensively they utilize their personnel well and they are pretty diverse I’d say.”
Attitude in locket room and if there is a sense of fight:
“They will, it’s s good group of kids there is no doubt they will fight.”
On turnovers:
“Well you know that’s usually the name of the game, turnovers. Right from the beginning, I think that we just didn’t sustain anything at all, and when we found we could move the ball we’d mess it up some fashion in the second half.”
Oregon State wide receiver Brandin Cooks:
Oh what’s going on with quarterback Sean Manion:
“There’s nothing wrong with my quarterback. My quarterback is fine, it’s on everybody else to make the plays, I don’t want to hear anything about my quarterback. There is nothing wrong with our quarterback.”
On if Sean Manion is playing with confidence:
“Yes he is. He is still playing with confidence. That guy is the one guy that will never give up he’s always going to lead this team. I see the confidence. I talk to him before the game, and I talked to him during the game when things aren’t going our way. He still has confidence.”
On mistakes:
“We had a lot of mistakes, starting with me in the special teams. A muffed punt that gave them a chance to score real fast like that is a huge mistake. In the game of football you’re going to have mistakes, and that’s one thing I feel like we did.
On what happened on the muffed punt:
“I muffed it. I muffed the punt. I didn’t drop it on purpose, my intention was to catch the ball, it was a fair catch but, I dropped the punt. I have to live with it and move on from it.”
On the question of Sean Manion doing too much:
“No. It goes back to us. He is throwing the ball for a reason. He thinks were open so we need to be open. Whether we need to disengage from the defensive back quicker or get our eyes behind us, its so much things that add up to it. He’s putting the ball where it needs to be. We just have to make the play. I would never put this game on my quarterback, and I’m not just saying that because he is my quarterback.”