UNM HEAD COACH ROCKY LONG
(on ending the Lobos’ 31-year losing streak in Provo): “I think that they’re playing their best football of the year, too. And I think both teams are going into the game confident. That streak has to end some time and it would be great if it was this week.”
(on the Lobos “learning” how to win): “I think players learn how to act in stressful situations and if they can perform well enough in stressful situations, they win more close games than they lose. I don’t know if we’ve learned to win. I think that we’ve learned to keep playing hard, and no matter what the situation is in the game, we don’t get nervous, we don’t get uptight we just keep playing and we hope for the best.”
(on BYU quarterback Matt Berry): “He started running a little bit better last week (against Wyoming). Before last week, it didn’t look like he wanted to carry the ball. He looks like a guy who wants to throw it, in fact when they want they want the quarterback to run the ball, they put in a different quarterback. Or they put (wide receiver) Reno Mahe at quarterback. But they have run a quarterback draw with Berry and some other guys.”
(on BYU’s improving defense): “Their defense really struggled through the middle of the season, and now they’re playing really well. Before we played San Diego State, everybody was talking about how they did such a great job on defense against San Diego State, and they did a good job against Wyoming too. The BYU defense, the last two weeks, has played much better.”
(on BYU running back Marcus Whalen): “He’s big and strong and he’s got good speed and he doesn’t make you miss much, but he’ll run by you and through you. They use a freshman running back that’s more like (UNM running back) DonTrell (Moore), Curtis Brown. He’s got more speed and more moves and more quickness. He’s going to make you miss in the open field and all that. But Whalen’s more of a down hill runner that has good speed and good size.”
(on UNM’s use of the fly motion pattern on offense): “It’s been the most successful running play we’ve had in the last few games, and I really think it adds a misdirection to the other running plays. And you can really see it on films, where linebackers can’t zero in on the counter plays, the draw plays and the isolation plays. Even if it’s not successful, you have to run it enough times, which will allow the other plays to be successful. I think we would have had 200 and some yards running last Saturday if we don’t fumble three times.”
SENIOR CORNERBACK BRANDON GREGORY
(on the defense getting back to where it has been before): “Coach always tells us that we are one of the most important parts of the team. We make the most plays in a game usually. We’re putting more emphasis in practice lately on making more plays.”
(on the big defensive game vs. San Diego State): “I think we made a big difference and its important that we can do that when the offense is down. When we’re both up its going to be great because we can motivate each other to play well.”
(on the game vs. BYU this weekend): “It’s a big game and we have to put everything else behind us and play hard as well as put the scheme together that the coach gives us.”
JUNIOR QUARTERBACK CASEY KELLY
(on handling the two recent wins): “I think everyone is trying to look forward towards what we need to accomplish to have a successful season. This game against BYU is just one more that means a lot but its basically setting up things down the road.”
(on 31 years since that last UNM win in Provo, Utah): “We try not to look at the stats too much. I mean obviously it’s more motivation for us but we still need to go out there and get the job done. This BYU team is good and they are starting to pick it up so its going to be a tough game.”
(on the BYU atmosphere): “The fans are die-hards, make a lot of noise and its a tough atmosphere to play in. The players like to talk a little bit, but that’s normal for every team.”
JUNIOR LINEBACKER BILLY STROTHER
(on his MWC Player of the Week honor): “It was a shock to me to get it. I took the award, turned it over and now I have to focus on this week and the game at hand.”
(on the last play vs. San Diego State): “I had to get loose a bit because I was being held down. Right when I saw the quarterback’s head up I jumped and put my hands up. Luckily it went in my favor.”
(on how prepared the Lobos need to be vs. BYU): “We need to be ready on every play. BYU is not the kind of team to look past. We know we have a MWC title shot and a bowl shot but we can’t look towards that yet. We have to understand that BYU has struggled like we’ve struggled and coach always says the team that makes the fewest mistakes and wants it the most will win.”