Sept. 16, 2006
Recap | Final Stats | Notes
POSTGAME QUOTES
New Mexico vs. Missouri
Saturday, September 16, 2006
University Stadium – Albuquerque, N.M.
UNM Head Coach Rocky Long
(On the overall performance against Missouri) “I have to watch the tape. I think there are things that we did better than last week but we have to watch the tape to know for sure. I was proud we played with a lot of effort two weeks in a row. We obviously turned the ball over too many times in the first half. For some reason we didn’t play with the same intensity on defense in the fourth quarter.”
(On Missouri’s Defense) “I think they have an excellent defense, it’s one of the more athletic defenses we will play all season. You have to give them credit. They have a lot of good players and they played well.”
(On Chris Nelson’s Performance) “He didn’t play very well but I don’t know if that’s his fault or the guys around him or it’s a combination of the two. I won’t know that until I watch the tape. Our offense didn’t play very well but if we didn’t turn the ball over, I felt we had a chance to win the game. The turnovers kept the momentum in their favor.”
(On UNM’s defensive performance) “I thought the defense played really well for three quarters but it’s a four quarter game. We would have had a chance to win if we would have played better in the final quarter.”
NEW MEXICO QB Chris Nelson
“They’re a team that doesn’t like to give up the big play and they didn’t give up the big play tonight. That’s what we needed, but we just couldn’t come through. We turned it over too many times in the first half. In the second half we found a little spark, but it never seemed like it got anything going. I need to make smarter decisions with the ball, not turn the ball over and let the guys around me make the plays.”
(on what the offense needs to do to improve): “I think we come back on Monday, watch film and take away the good things. Missouri is a great football team. They’re 3-0 and they don’t give up a lot of yards on defense. They’re going to go and do really well in the Big 12.”
NEW MEXICO LOBO Quincy Black
(on the Lobos defensive performance vs. Mizzou): “We caught a couple breaks and got a turnover or two and stopped them on fourth down inside the red zone. We just flew around, everyone trying to get to the ball, rip at the ball and try and make things happen. That’s how we shut them down, but we have to do it for four quarters. If we played four quarters we might still be out there playing right now.”
MISSOURI HEAD COACH GARY PINKEL:
“It was a great win. We certainly faced some adversity. We created a lot of it. They played well, I give them credit. We responded, I felt, in the second half and fourth quarter.”
(On Tony Temple’s performance on the overall running game): “We blocked better up front and Tony ran hard and broke tackles. He was real disappointed in himself and I talked to him afterwards about the fumble, but certainly he did good and there was a lot of positives.”
“I give the Lobos’ credit. Their kids were fighting until the end. I thought that showed a lot about their character. We tried to keep the clock moving and we tried to stay inbounds. We tried to get first downs. I think we completed a couple of passes over the middle. There were a lot of big plays out there.”