Louisville-USF Postgame Quotes
October 20, 2012 | Football
Oct. 20, 2012
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Louisville Head Coach Charlie Strong
(Opening statement)
“I guess were called the 'Cardiac Cards' now. It was great to see our football team come back after being down and then be able to put that drive together at the end. They took the opening drive down the field and get three and we were able to answer and go up 14-3 going into the half.
“At halftime, I told the guys we have to go out and play the second half. We have to finish this game. We gave up two jump balls. Our defense looked really good in the third quarter on that goal-line stand. We haven't had a goal-line stand like that since I've been here. It was great to see our defense go out and defend the goal line like that. They got five downs, but luckily we jumped off sides on the touchdown play so we were able to go back out and stop them on fourth down.
“Then, to watch our offense take the ball with three minutes to go in the game and two timeouts remaining and go score. We usually practice two minutes. What I do is say there is a minute and 35 seconds to go, give them one timeout and say we need a touchdown. Luckily, we had three timeouts and three minutes to go and we were able to move the ball down the field.
“Each week, a different receiver stands up. Last week, it was DeVante Parker, this week it's Eli (Rogers). Then you watch the big throw Teddy (Bridgewater) makes to Damian Copeland coming off the goal line although we weren't able to score any points. Each game is going to be like this. I told our team you're right in the middle of a conference race now, so you have to be competitive each week and make sure we maintain our focus. We can't go into a game thinking that because a team is 2-4 that they won't come out to play.
“Today was a good lesson for us. South Florida came in here wanting to win this football game and we were able to answer in the end.”
(On learning more about Bridgewater every game)
“If you just watch, and I know a lot of credit is going to go to Teddy, but we told our offensive line if they don't protect our quarterback then there is no way we're going to win this football game. We were kind of beat up on the offensive line. My man Kup (Alex Kupper) was very effective today. He started off at left guard because of John Miller's injury. Then I was able to take Jamon Brown and move him to left tackle. Jake Smith got banged up right before the half and we had to take Kupper and put him at right guard. So to see our offensive line be able to protect him and Teddy was able to hang in there and make some throws. He also was able to use his feet today and get down the field. What South Florida did was rush guys up the field so Teddy was able to find open lanes and run down the field. He was very effective using his feet today.”
(On what he learned about his football team)
“What we learned about this team today is how critical it is to go finish and how we came together. Even when they (USF) scored that last touchdown, our guys knew that our offense still had a chance. Let's go move the football down the field and go score. Teddy (Bridgewater) made the two big throws and when he was pressured, he threw the check down to Jeremy Wright and Jeremy was able to get down the field and make a guy miss. You then felt the energy and the stadium came alive. It got so loud. Wow, it got loud today. The people who stayed got a chance to see a really exciting ending.”
(On Lorenzo Mauldin's sack and fumble at the end of the first half)
“That was critical because we were able to stop them when they had a chance to kick a field goal, which would have made it 14-6. If you remember, Mauldin got the first sack and the quarterback had the ball back and he (Mauldin) tried to bat it out of his hand, but he took it from him on the second sack. Our defensive line applied a lot of pressure and we ended up with four sacks today. You look at five sacks last week and four now. That is what happens with a team -- you can go a span of three or four games without a sack and all of a sudden you start getting sack after sack after sack after sack. We have to play well on our defensive front, which I feel like we did today. We did not do a good job stopping the run. They were able to get some runs on us because of gap control. Guys were overrunning the football and not taking care of their responsibilities.”
(On if USF was running the same running play taking advantage of the lack of gap control)
“What happened was when five (Lindsey Lamar) was in there, we could not find him and all of a sudden he would find an open gap and crease us to the backside. It was a dive play and sometimes we hit it, but we did not hit it a lot like we needed to.”
(On the goal line stand)
“That was really big, because you watch them take the ball down there and it would have made it 21-17, but to just watch how our front just came off low. Whenever you get into a situation like that, you tell your defensive lineman to stay low and then let the linebackers run over the top and try and knock the ball back. The first play we felt was going to be a quarterback sneak, which we got. Then, they tried to hand the ball off and it was so critical to get the penetration; stay down low and get penetration, grab legs and make sure the ball does not fall forward. Make sure to knock it back.”
(On how he grades this game)
“Well an 'A' for the win, but I will be able to grade it more tomorrow when I get a chance to look at it. You just like the way our team came back and how they fought after being down. I will say this to you, last year we would not have come back and won this football game. When they scored down there at the end, there is no way we would have fought the way we fought to come back and win this football game. Now, they have grown up and matured some and it has become real important to them. Winning is becoming really important.”
Teddy Bridgewater, Quarterback
(On whether he thinks about late game-winning drives defining a quarterback)
“During the game, it doesn't, but after the game you have your teammates coming up to you telling you great job, and that's how legends are made and it gives you a good feeling knowing that you helped lead your team to victory.”
(On whether he was scared or excited before starting the Cards' final offensive drive)
“I wasn't scared at all. My mind was completely blank. Coach asked me the same question yesterday like what do I think about during the game, so my mind was completely blank.”
(On the game-winning touchdown pass to Eli Rogers)
“That's all about trust. He's one of those guys that I've been playing ball with since grade school. When he dropped the first one, I kind of shook my head but I knew he would make up for it because that's just how he is. With the play in the end zone, he did a great job of getting open and did a great job of coming down with the catch.”
(On the goal line stand by the defense)
“The defense did a great job. South Florida had five opportunities and they stopped them each time. Those guys just fight and grind and they're all in it together. They all trust each other.”
Damian Copeland, Wide Receiver
(On whether he's ever seen Teddy Bridgewater lose his cool or get upset)
“No not at all. He just stays poised and does what we do in practice.”
(On what Teddy said prior to the game-winning drive)
“He didn't say anything. We knew what we had to do. Everybody was focused and we went out onto the field and converted.”
Eli Rogers, Wide Receiver
(On whether Teddy tried hard to recruit Eli Rogers to Louisville)
“Oh yeah, wherever I went he was going to go, and wherever he went I was going to go.”
(On how he would assess his performance today)
“I think I had a good performance, but like I said, it's not about me. It's about the team. It's about the offensive line. It's about Teddy and without the receivers running their routes, it's not possible for me to make a play.”
(On what was going through his mind on the game-winning drive)
“After the dropped pass, I was just thinking get back and make a play. You can't dwell on the past, or a play that just happened. You just have to focus on the next play.”
Preston Brown, Linebacker
(On the last stand defensively and what he did to accomplish the stop)
“We just tried to keep the ball in front of us, and not get any fouls to seal the win.”
(On how big of a win this game is)
“It is good. It really took the whole team effort. We got the win, and now were ready to move on. We have a long way to go though.”
(On watching Louisville's offense have to drive down the field to come from behind)
“It was good. We knew Teddy (Bridgewater) could lead us down the field. Losing wasn't an option in my mind.”
Eli Rogers, Wide Receiver
(On catching the game-winning touchdown)
“The offensive line did a great job protecting and Teddy (Bridgewater) made the right read. I just ended up being open and had an opportunity to make a play, and I did.”
(On the open throw that went through his arms on the previous pass play down the field)
“It was actually a perfect throw, I just wasn't ready. I got around the linebacker and the ball was right there, I just wasn't prepared. That drop was on me. I had to come back and make a play and I did.”
(On the four down goal line stand that stopped them from scoring in the 3rd quarter)
“Yes, that was a great stand by the defense and we really needed that. That was a great boost for our momentum. I congratulate them for helping us to a big win.”
(On making the games so close in the fourth quarter at home)
“Perseverance. We persevere through any weather and any storm. They came back and went up on us. We persevered and answered with the touchdown for the win.”
Head Coach Skip Holtz
(Opening statement)
“Seems like we've been here before, we had our opportunities today, but one thing I certainly can say is that this team did go out and just compete their tails off - just the energy, the way they competed, I know everyone gets tired of hearing it, but that was one heck of a football game to come on the road here. We didn't play perfect, we made some mistakes and I like to have some calls back. I'd like to have a couple open field opportunities to make a tackle.
There's a lot of things that you wish you could take back in a game like this, but the one thing you cant take away from this football team is the effort that they put on the field and the way they that they play.
There are opportunities for them to hang their heads and say we made a mistake, when you've found a way to lose four close football games but they refuse to do it. They won't give up. I feel like we ran out of time. There are certainly a few things that we can go back and question, but over all its just a painful feeling to put both your feet in as much as this team has - to jump in as much as they have, and to come out here and compete as hard as they do and continually end up on the short end in a game like this. It's frustrating, there's a lot of pain in that locker room.”
(On the Defense during the final drive)
“We talked about going after them once they crossed midfield; I thought we had them in the sack a couple times. I thought Teddy Bridgewater did a great job of taking it from underneath, getting it away from pressure and running with the ball. He had the personal foul that I thought was an awfully close call to call in a couple point football game going down the stretch. And for Kayvon Webster, he put a hand on him, but what I saw in front of me, I didn't think he put a vicious hit on him that would result in a penalty.”
(On the progress of the team)
“Lindsey Lamar really played his biggest role so far this year. Demetris Murray is running extremely hard battling for some tough yards, but Lindsey Lamar and Marcus Shaw have some big play ability and they showed that today. To go in here and play offensively to rush for 200 yards against a defense that was giving up 100 yards rushing, I thought said a lot.
During the first half, I did not feel our offensive line played with the same intensity as the rest of the football team did in the first half. When they came out in the second half they played inspired football in the second half, but you have to play 60 minutes. It's frustrating to watch them compete so hard, and not only on game day. We came so close and we wanted the win, but unfortunately, we weren't able to get it.”
Andre Davis, Wide Receiver
(On how it felt to comeback in the second half)
“It felt really good, being down the way we were in the first half. To find that intensity and the fight within us to come back in the second half and bring the game close.”
(On the feeling after scoring the go ahead touchdown)
“I saw it as we just got the go ahead touchdown and we were going to bring it home. Unfortunately, we ended up on the wrong side of the stick. It happens. It's nobody's fault. We can't blame it on any team, special teams or defense. We just have to take it as an L. We get the loss as a team.”
(On the feelings in the locker room)
“Everybody is feeling that hurt. We knew we could come up here and compete. We are as good as any team we've played against. Everybody is feeling the hurt, but nobody is ready to give up, nobody is willing to throw the white flag in. We are going to keep going out there and fighting. Every Saturday and every chance we get.”
(On his two touchdown performance)
“I just want to keep doing what I can for the offense. I feel like I can make plays for the offense so that's all I want to do. I just want to be put in the predicament where I can make plays for the offense, where I can help the team out and get closer to winning.”
Sam Barrington, Linebacker
(On the last touchdown by Louisville)
“I think they just executed. Of course we have to look at the film to see exactly what happened. The guy went up and made a great play on the ball and they just executed coming down the field. They did some things that we didn't see throughout the course of the game on that last drive. It's all a part of football. If we want to be a good defense, when times come like that, you have to execute regardless of what they throw at you.”
(On the feeling of the defense after the loss)
“Of course it's tough. We pride ourselves on becoming better finishers. We had a chance to finish right there. It's crazy because there were two minutes left in the game and I'm sitting there confident because God finally blessed us and helped us win. Now I'm talking on the other end and we lost the game. It's definitely tough, but we won't allow ourselves to hang our heads. There are five games left.”
(On the success of the defense in the game)
“I definitely feel like we utilized the bye week to the best of our ability and we definitely got better. We did some great things today and there are definitely some things that we can fix. We just have to take the positive and keep it going.”
(On his role in the middle of the defense)
“We as a defense we did a great job. Whoever was in the game we played with passion and we communicated. Everybody just did a great job. I am proud of those guys because there is never a day when we come into practice and we don't want to be there. Perseverance is a key word for this team. We are 2-5 right now. This is the best 2-5 team I have ever seen. That's the thing you have to appreciate most.”
(On almost pulling off the upset of an undefeated team on the road)
“We just have to keep fighting. We'll win.”
