Aggie Football vs. Idaho Post Game Quotes
Sep 17, 2011 | Football
HEAD COACH MIKE SHERMAN
"I thought the fans were unbelievable today. That was a great crowd. We came out there to take the field at the start of the game and we looked up in the stands and there were no empty seats. It was just unbelievable. I can't say enough about our fans and the student body and the support they give us. We thank them for that. Overall we had a chance to play a lot of younger guys and got them some experience. I think we gave up 100 yards in the fourth quarter defensively, but it was good to get them that experience. Jameill Showers got in the game for the first time and he was able to do a couple things, which is pretty good. We didn't throw the ball a whole lot because the situation didn't warrant it, but when we asked him to do something I thought he made pretty good throws."
On Cyrus Gray getting to 100 yards with the final carry... "That's not something I usually get involved in. It was against my better judgment but fortunately we got out of it okay. We tried to get him that, and he'd lost 5 yards previously. When we started the game they brought everyone so it was hard to run the football, and then we kind of got away from the run game. I told him he had that one play and fortunately he got it on that play. It's probably not the smartest thing I've ever done, but he's such a good kid and it was important to him. I held my breath, said my prayers and thankfully nothing happened."
On the impact of selling out non-conference games... "It's exciting. They've really helped us along the way. We should have sellouts at A&M, it's that type of university. It's much appreciated by me and our players. When we go out there, we realize we're playing for something bigger than ourselves. That's a neat deal and hopefully it'll continue."
On the defensive effort... "It's hard to pick a defensive hero. I thought they all played pretty well. Overall tonight I thought we had a great defensive effort. We are going to need one against the group coming to town next week. It's good we have this to build off of. There are plenty of things on both sides of the ball that we can get better at. We are a long way from where we want to be but we are getting closer. That was a good win today. Hats off to Coach Akey and his kids and his staff. They are classy kids and they play real hard. We had them at home and we were fortunate to come out with a win. But there are a lot of things we can look at in this game and get better."
On looking ahead to Big 12 play... "The last two ball games scared the heck out of me. They were dangerous ball games. Fans maybe sometimes don't understand that the kids on the other sideline will bust their butt and if you turn the ball over you have a chance to lose. They really scared me. With conference games you know you will be ready to play at all times. Our players won't be listening to anyone on the outside. Those kids from Idaho played hard. They stopped our run game early, especially in the first quarter."
DB TRENT HUNTER
Did the defense come out with a purpose from the start? "We had a slow start last week. One of our goals was to come out on fire and keep our intensity throughout the game. Like I said, we came out this week with the opportunity to show what we are made of. We wanted to play our best. We went out, prepared well and played well."
On the non-conference schedule preparing the team for conference play... "Without a doubt those two teams prepared us for conference play. They have lot of talent on the outside. They gave us the opportunity to get our pads loose and get us ready. Everything is always cranked up for Big 12 play. We'll prepare this week the same way we have been. We're going to prepare to play the best we can."
QB RYAN TANNEHILL
What was Idaho doing to make running the ball difficult, particularly early? "They were bringing an all-out blitz pretty much, playing man on the outside, man on our tight end and inside receiver and bringing everyone else. Most of the time that gives us one more than we can block. It really made the run game tough early."
On what it's like to have so many weapons... "It's great. My teammates are great around me. When you have that type of talent around you it takes a lot of pressure off. We don't have to throw it 30 times a game. When you put it all together it makes us a good offense. It's hard to defend a team with so many weapons."
On Jameill Showers' effort... "It was his first time in. I was really excited for him. He's been waiting a long time, it was his first live action in over 2 years and he was definitely excited to get out there. He played calm. He had a couple of nice throws. He did a great job. He ran the ball a lot when he was out there. I look forward to good things from Jameill."
Is the offense where you want it to be going in to Big 12 play? "I wasn't happy with my performance. There were a few plays I wish I could have back. I didn't feel I played to my top level tonight. I definitely have a few things myself I need to correct. As a whole offense, the offensive line is really coming together. We were able to get some movement and get positive yards, even early. We're getting the timing down with the receivers. We are moving in the right direction. With a good week of practice, we will be ready for OSU."
RB CYRUS GRAY
On the conversation with Coach Sherman before his final carry... "I was waiting for Christine (Michael) to get in, and they said I was only one yard short (of 100). I wasn't really worried about that, we were winning and that was the main thing."
On what it means to get to 100 again... "It sounds good, but at the end of the day it's preseason for me. Conference starts Saturday. I have to do the same things when conference starts."
How excited are you for Oklahoma State week? "I'm jacked up. This is my game I circled on the calendar last year after the LSU loss. I'm really excited. The offensive line is playing well. I'm excited for us as a team and am just ready to play."
WR JEFF FULLER
What does it mean to have the career reception record? "It's a huge honor. It means a lot. Terrence Murphy is a pretty good friend of mine. I have learned a lot from him and I look forward to working with him in the future. It was a lot of fun to get out there tonight and compete."
Was it cool when the number was on the big screen and the crowd gave you an ovation? "Yeah. Very cool. It's probably one of my most memorable moments on Kyle. I didn't realize I broke the record. I completely forgot before the game. It's not something we had talked about. It's definitely a huge accomplishment and I'm really excited about it. It definitely was goal of mine."
On the importance of getting Uzoma Nwachukwu involved... "It was huge getting him in the mix and get him a few catches. The offense will come. I feel like we are at the point now that it's just about getting better. We will continue to work hard every day."
IDAHO POSTGAME QUOTES
HEAD COACH ROBB AKEY
"Texas A&M is a good football team from top to bottom. They're deserving of a top-10 ranking and you'll probably see them climb as they go through their season. Their quarterback is a hell of a player, and their defense is very good. I am proud of our defensive players. I thought our guys fought their tails off and made some good plays. Our defense spent a lot of time on the field; they played about three games tonight. We have to grow and our football team will grow because of this game. My compliments to A&M, they are a hell of a group, well coached, and great players. I'm excited to start conference play next week. We had a few opportunities but left some plays on the field. We missed a few throws which would have got the ball moving. I thought our football team competed and responded to adversity better than I've seen them all season long. Our guys are fired up and ready to get into conference play."
SENIOR QB BRIAN READER
"Texas A&M is a very athletic group. They are one of the fastest teams I've ever seen, and one of the strongest teams that do all of the right things. They were ready for us, and we were ready for them. We just didn't execute when we needed to. Our defense stepped up and played a great game. We just didn't show up and do what we needed to do. Our offensive line played well tonight. We had nice protection for most of the game, and it's a nice step going forward."
SENIOR LB TRE'SHAWN ROBINSON
"Our defense played pretty well, but we have to keep it going throughout the entire game. We have to keep a good steady flow through the second half. They got a little quicker on us in the second half. We knew it was coming but we have to react to that better. Forcing the turnovers was part of the game plan. If you pressure, the quarterback will be jittery to get the ball out faster, and it worked in the first half. We have to keep the momentum moving into conference play, and keep the motivation."
