Oct. 29, 2005

Recap | Final Stats | Notes | Photo Gallery

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

Kansas 13, Missouri 3

Missouri Postgame Quotes

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Head Coach Gary Pinkel

On the game:

“I don’t think we should have made as many mistakes as we made. Penalties, a bad snap–those are all mistakes. Obviously we weren’t focused up on defense, so I’m responsible for that. You’re looking at the guy who is responsible for making sure we are focused. We need to regroup as we head back and prepare for Colorado.”

On the fourth quarter fumble:

“We had a player miss a block. Players missing blocks is the risk of option football. He (Aqib Talib) made a great play and was able to get the football.”

On the KU’s defense:

“We only got three points. You have to give them credit for that.”

On the weather:

“There is no question that the wind was a factor, but both teams had to face it and adjust to it. You have to do the best you can and that’s the kind of game it was. It was a tight football game.”

Freshman Linebacker Brock Christopher

On losing to Kansas:

“Obviously we wanted to come out and win, but we came up on the short end of the stick today.”

On his interception:

“We were in a cover-two and I dropped into my zone and picked it off.”

On KU’s offense:

“You know it is a team effort and we just have to move onto next week and get ready for Colorado.”

Sophomore Running Back Tony Temple

On the game:

“Kansas came out ready to play and they played hard, they just out played us for four quarters.”

Difference between today and last week:

“We just didn’t come out ready to play and didn’t make any plays. I think we have to play better and play harder. The defense is playing its hardest, but we just couldn’t score.”

On the offense:

“It’s frustrating when you execute all week and you have to perform and put it all together on Saturday and when you can’t do it, it’s frustrating.”

On Brad Smith:

“I think Brad did all he could do. But one man can’t do too much. We all have to make plays and stay together. Brad’s only one person, you can’t put it all on one person. It’s the coaches, the team, it’s everybody.”

Sophomore Cornerback Darnell Terrell

On the Kansas offense:

“They were adjusting to everything we were throwing at them. We needed to execute better. They came out with great emotion because this is a rivalry game and they played their hearts out.”

On the Kansas running game:

“We saw that the wind was blowing pretty hard, so when they were going against the wind we expected them to run. When they were going with the wind, we expected them to pass more, but they stuck with the run.”

Kansas Postgame Quotes

Head Coach Mark Mangino

On the game:

“It was a great day here at Memorial Stadium. It was a great atmosphere, great fans. And it was a special afternoon for one of our all time greats, Nolan Cromwell. We’re proud of Nolan, and so are all of the players. It was a great day to be a Jayhawk. We are very proud of our players. We are very proud of their mental and physical toughness, and I can’t praise their efforts enough.”

On the defense:

“I’ve had the good fortune of being with some really good programs that had great defenses. Until today, I had never been around a defensive unit that executed their game plan exactly the way that we set it up. It was nearly flawless. The strategy that was put together by our coaches and the way our kids carried that strategy out was extremely impressive. I can’t say enough about our defensive unit and all the coaches that get the kids ready.”

“We got to Brad Smith the last couple of years with intense pressure and blitzing. There is no doubt that Missouri was prepared for all of those blitzes. Our defensive line dropped to a lot of zones and squeezed the pocket in front of him to force him out of the pocket. I thought on several occasions Charlton Keith, Jermial Ashley and Paul Como probably could have jumped the ball and beaten the tackle, but then you run the risk of (Smith) stepping up out of the pocket and running. So what those kids were supposed to do was to stay in front of the tackles and squeeze (Smith) into the pocket.”

On the secondary:

“The secondary was unbelievable. They didn’t have guys open all day long. If we get secondary play like that all the time we will be tough to beat. It was definitely a scheme designed for Missouri. It was a team effort back there. The zone coverage was outstanding.”

On the offense:

“We ran the ball very well. Missouri was running a bunch of zone blitzes and it was tough to get the ball off. So we said `Listen, we can run the ball.’ And we did. The offensive line was very impressive. Clark Green was very impressive. He ran well with his head down and got some good runs. Our receivers did a very good job blocking. It was a team effort. There are a lot of things we need to work on, but it’s a process every day. They did enough to win the game, and that’s all I care about.”

Senior Quarterback Jason Swanson

On the win:

“It feels really good to get a win against our rival. They played a really tough game, and fortunately, we were able to come out on top. It was a huge victory for us.”

On his performance:

“I never worry about my numbers. I could throw 1-for-22, but if we come out with a win, I am the happiest guy on the field. The offensive line did a great job of run blocking. Clark (Green) and Jon Cornish did a great job today.”

On the offense:

“We did a great job of controlling the clock. We didn’t have a lot of mental mistakes, and that’s what keeps us rolling.”

Senior Defensive Lineman Charlton Keith

On Brad Smith:

“He is the key to (Missouri’s) offense. If you contain number 16, then there’s going to be a lot of decision making weighing on his shoulders.”

On the defense:

“We just lined up and played fundamental football. We had 11 guys pursuing the ball, and that’s pretty impressive. We have a lot of young guys on the team that are stepping up and making plays, and that’s looking good for the future of KU football.”

Senior Running Back Clark Green

On the rivalry:

“The rivalry means a lot to me. I’m not from here, but listening to the stories, you don’t want Missouri to beat you. We try and play our heart out every game, but especially against Missouri.”

On the team:

“The last two games we have improved. The game was important because we still have our bowl hopes up. Going into next week 4-4, we still have a chance to make a bowl.”