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Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Post-Game Quotes
9/13/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 13, 2008
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Florida Atlantic Head Coach Howard Schnellenberger
Opening statements...
We obviously couldn't handle the weather conditions today and we were playing a very good Michigan State football team that is blessed with some great offensive linemen, a great running back and a quality quarterback. We played terribly as an offensive unit. I'm so happy to see our defense rise to the occasion and play the best they've ever played for Florida Atlantic University. This was by far the best defensive outing we've had, which is swell because we think we've got an offense that is obviously way ahead of where we've ever been. Now we have an opportunity to combine this offense with this defense and given that the special teams are playing better than average, I feel that we've now demonstrated that the game coming up against Minnesota is within our reach. I know that Rusty Smith is a better quarterback than you all saw here today.
On the FAU running game...
We've been having really good success with Pierre and Edgecomb running the ball. We feel like we haven't run it as much. The first game we didn't run it as much because we got behind Texas pretty good. We ran it pretty well against UAB. We've got seven really good offensive linemen, as far as we're concerned.
On his feelings at halftime...
I had a feeling that unless something miraculous happened, like it almost did happen, we weren't really going to win.
On Michigan State running back Javon Ringer...
I think he's very good and very blessed to be operating behind those five guys. That's the big problem, having to sort through those five big guys to find where he is. When they all come off at one time they look like a herd of water buffalo stampeding at you and there's a gazelle somewhere in behind them. He's also very persistent and you can see how strong he is.
On his team's performance in the bad weather...
I was flabbergasted and I'm still flabbergasted. It was totally out of character. I kept asking if there was something I could do to help the situation and they said, "no."
On what he takes away from the game...
If there was ever a time to be thrilled about losing to Michigan State 17-0, this might be the time to do it. Every one of our kids came to play, including our quarterback. They were well-prepared. The offense had a great week of practice and was right on the money with everything they were doing. There was a whole bunch of things going on this week with the defense, and for them to rise up when the offense is doing so poorly, that was a magnificent thing for them to do.
On the Michigan State defense...
They shut us out and I think that shows enough. We have to live with that. We're going to put an asterisk on it and say that there were mitigating circumstances.
On FAU quarterback Rusty Smith...
I still have great confidence in him. He's my #1 quarterback and we'll go a long way together and be able to take the team to the edge of greatness.
Florida Atlantic Junior Quarterback Rusty Smith
On the weather dictating the play ...
We were not able to handle the elements today. It rained all day. It's not like we haven't practiced in it before, we have practiced in rain before. We just weren't able to do what we wanted to do out there today.
On being able to grip the ball well...
It was very tough. I don't know my stats as of right now, but I imagine that they were very bad. I probably threw four spirals all day. It's hard to do when the ball is wet like that, but whenever it happens, we need to be able to handle whatever God throws in our way. Michigan State did, and they won.
On being accustomed to playing in the rain...
We are in the prime area to see rain, especially in hurricane season. We should have been ready for this. We knew all week that it was going to rain; we've practiced in rain before and played in rain before, so it is not an excuse. We should have been able to move the ball better. We should have been able to throw and catch the ball. The blame is 100-percent on the offense today.
On dropped passes...
I am going to put a lot of the blame on myself. I wasn't able to grip the ball and throw it on time as hard and accurate as I possibly could. It wasn't coming out as a spiral or anything resembling a catchable ball. I don't know if you have ever tried to catch a ball that is coming at you knuckling like that, it is hard. And add the fact that it is wet. 98-percent of the balls that weren't completed today are No. 11's fault.
On a game in conditions like today's...
A football game is a football game, plain and simple. You need to play well no matter what the conditions are. We didn't and we lost. We played in a game like this last year against Louisiana-Monroe at home, and guess what, we lost that one too. We need to do better producing points and pulling out victories when ever we are in different weather.
On not being able to throw the ball...
It was bad all the way through, and at one point it got frustrating. We were frustrated because we weren't able to move the ball. We had more three-and-outs today than I think we have ever had. It just got to be frustrating. The rain let up a little towards the end and we were able to complete a few balls. The rain was just consistent all day.
On the MSU defense...
I felt that our receivers, tight ends and running backs were able to open enough that we could have given them a better game. But Michigan State beat us 17-0. If we could have just put points on the board ... I don't know how many times we were in the red zone and we couldn't put it in there and we had third and short so many times but just could not convert. Our defense kept holding them and holding them and they just kept gaining momentum, we just couldn't score.
On the tempo of the game...
When you play a Big Ten team like Michigan State - one that you know is just going to run the ball down your throat - we need to keep them off the field. We needed to be able to control the tempo of the game, put points on the board and if we don't do that, then the defense will get tired and we will lose the game every time if we don't control the tempo of the game. We didn't do that today and we lost.
Florida Atlantic State Defensive Lineman Jervonte Jackson
On Javon Ringer...
He is an outstanding individual. He made a lot of good moves and he found his holes when they came. He was very patient, and when he saw the outside, he just took it. He is talented, we had to wrap him up a little bit but he made some plays for them and he gave them a whole lot of yards and carries. He is pretty decent.
On playing in the trenches...
It was so slippery out there. One play I almost hurt my knee. I slipped and was out for a play or two. It was really muddy and mucky but we're used to things like that. I was excited. I like to roll around out there and get dirty. I like it in the rain.
On where his mind was at defensively...
All week, I was telling my guys it all comes down to the wire. We have to keep on playing in practice and on the field. In our head, we knew. We need to make some plays. The rain tried to lighten up a little bit and we tried to move the ball. Up front, and on that defense, we have to knock the ball and keep playing. We had to show something up front and that is what we try to do as defense.
On holding MSU's field goal on the one drive...
They had some plays and that is one of our goals. We can't let them get in the red zone. I was pretty happy with what we did. We stopped them and they're a big running team. They tried to run three times in a row and nothing happened so that was a pretty good boost for our defense knowing that we could stop them in the red zone.
Florida Atlantic Senior Cornerback Corey Small
On Florida Atlantic's defensive performance...
We felt pretty good about our performance, but it was a little slippery out and we could have done better tackling. I guess that's just how it goes with the rain and everything but I think we played pretty good today.
On playing Michigan State's offense...
We were just trying to buckle down and make sure that we played well as a defense, and we all felt like we could compete with [MSU]. They said it was going to rain but we didn't know it was going to be as nasty as it was out there. But a game like that, it's a defensive game.
On playing with a "simplified defense"...
Coach wanted to simplify our defense, I guess [the coaching staff] felt like we were thinking too much instead of just playing. Michigan State came out and just played smashmouth football for the most part. I think we handled it pretty well.
On watching such a close game from the sidelines...
Through the whole game I don't think we ever doubted the fact that we were going to win, we were just hoping our offense could make a play. But we knew it was kind of hard for them because we are a passing team, so when we rushed it we struggled a little bit with the ball. We felt like we were going to win, it was just a little tough on offense.
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