Post-Game Quotes From Louisville-Cincinnati Football Game
October 14, 2000 | Football
Oct. 14, 2000
Louisville Head Coach John L. Smith
"I think we did a good job sticking to the game plan and not panicking. The offense had to put some points on the board. We knew that and did a good job doing that.
Offensively, we felt like we stunk it up in the first half. We had breakdowns in assignments, we threw interceptions and that's the reason they were leading. We felt like if we came out and executed like we can, we could come out and win the football game. Our offense stayed on track. Defensively, all we have to do is execute our assignments and tackle well, because we're there. Any time your backs are against the wall in a battle like that and come back, you grow as a football team.
(on difference in halves) We didn't have quite the emotion we would have liked or what we had a week ago (vs. UAB) in the first half. I thought we played better emotionally in the second half, better mentally."
(on long pass play) "Any big play can get you going. Deion played great. He did some good things."
(on the play of Tony Stallings) "Tony gives you everything he's got. He's a great energy guy. He just bangs, bangs, bangs."
(on the Cards' next game vs. East Carolina) "They give us a lot to prepare for with a lot of different shifts and formations and a lot of great athletes. In our league, Southern Miss and East Carolina have the best athletes. We practice every day between now and when we play. We have get our kids in the whirlpool and make sure they're healthy. The quick turnaround is tougher on them, thank goodness, than us, because they've got to come here."
Cincinnati Head Coach Rick Minter
"I think John L. (Smith) and the Cardinals did a nice job this week. Obviously they made the adjustments at halftime. They came out smoking in the third quarter and we got left in the dust. We never got anything going offensively in the second half. They did a nice job shutting us down on the run, and defensively they began to exploit us. They did a nice job."
(on what U of L did different defensively in the second half on stopping the run) "They did not use a lot of different schemes. It's just that they played better on what they did not do well in the first half. It's not like we set the world on fire rushing the ball. It's just that we rushed it a little bit better in the second quarter than we did any other time. We just did not get a whole lot going in the second half. It wasn't a great day for the 'Cats offensively, and it was a bad day defensively for the 'Cats in the second half."
(on U of L QB Dave Ragone) "Dave Ragone is a good solid quarterback. Certainly with (Arnold) Jackson and (Zek) Parker and all the other wide outs they have, it's a well-conceived offense. (Offensive Coordinator) Scott Lineham does a good job with this offense."
(on U of L WR Deion Branch and the 69-yard reception) "He made a great play. We missed the tackle. Big plays occur because of one of two things on defense. You either miss an assignment or you miss a tackle, and a good athlete will more than likely make that other athlete miss. It really wasn't a deep ball, but it will go down as a 70-yard pass for the receiver. It was about a 10-yard pass. But that's throwing and catching and we say that people can't beat you throwing and catching unless you don't stop the run after the catch. On that play we did not."
(on playing at U of L) "We played a good team today. They many times caused the tension (on QB Adam Hoover). I love the crowd here, 42,000 or so that's rabid and excited about Cardinal football. It's a great environment here right now to come into as a fan. It's something we envy that we want in our house all the time. It was truly a homefield advantage today. Once they got going in the second half off the long pass completion it got them (the crowd) back energized again and the crowds began to become a factor. That's credit to John L. (Smith) and Tom Jurich and all the people down here."
Sophomore quarterback Dave Ragone
(on Tony Stallings) "In the locker room he is a spiritual leader. He never says die when he runs the ball. I see that, the offensive line sees that and the coaches see it. We can give him the ball and he can make plays. He never gives up. You have to love that from a running back."
(on catching his own pass) "The smart thing to do would have been to bat it down. I wasn't thinking at the time. The ball came right back to me and I just made the catch."
(on second half offensive improvement) "I think I came out in the second half with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder. We were stopping ourselves in the first half and I'm not taking anything away from Cincinnati, but we had a great game going and we just didn't execute."
(on halftime) "Mike Josiah didn't say much but when he came in the locker room fired up, the whole team was stunned. That picked up a lot of us. He came in the locker room with something to say and you don't see that from him very much."
(on Deion Branch) "Deion is a warrior. He's a little banged up and still went out there and made plays. I wouldn't trade my receivers for anyone in the country right now."
Tony Stallings, junior, running back
(on his play) "I am very satisfied with my performance and I'm glad the coaches had enough confidence to leave me in. I feel like I have gained their confidence and that's a big plus."
(on the winning touchdown) "It was a screen play. It worked earlier when I scored my first touchdown and the coaches felt like it would work again. It was nice."
(on the second half offensive turnaround) "We did the same thing we usually do. We go into the locker room and we talk to each other and we say 'we have been here before.' We still haven't played the way we can play. I just wish we would stop taking so long to do it."
(on his improvement at running back) "UAB and this one were the best games for me because I wasn't worried about who's coming in for me, I wasn't worried about not starting, I was just worried about getting the ball and getting upfield. I think I have my problems when I am trying to make plays and look good for everybody. Now I am going out there relaxed as opposed to trying to impress everybody."
Rashad Harris, senior linebacker
(on what was said at halftime) "We got into the lockeroom at halftime and got into each others butts. The coach got onto us. We didn't change anything defensively. We just had to execute. We had a few busted plays that caused them to get the momentum their way. It caused us to get down. All coach said was that the team has to step up and everyone has to make good plays."
(on the interception return for a TD) "I didn't think it was me. This was only the third pick of my career, I had two when I was a freshman. That was extra special."
Michael Josiah, sophomore defensive end
(on the adjustment at halftime) "We could've shut them down in the first half but we came out slow. We can't afford to do that against good teams. Cincinnati has a good team and has a good running game. I guess, as somebody said, we just wanted the keg back a little more than they did."
