TCU vs. Oklahoma State Postgame Quotes
11/24/2018 11:41:00 PM | Football
TCU QUOTES
TCU Head Coach Gary Patterson
On the win:
"You have to give the kids a lot of credit. Somehow we found a way to win. I am proud of this group because I think they're starting to grow up."
On Jalen Reagor:
"The bottom line is he's a good player. Four or five weeks ago he started to mature."
On using him in different spots on offense:
"You have to think outside the box. We know Grayson (Muehlstein) isn't a true drop-back guy, so we had to do some things that he could do well and get everybody involved."
On the defense:
"We got tired, and we didn't handle them too well at the end defensively. They did a nice job coming back. I was really fired up that we swung back once they did offensively. That's how you win ball games. You have to fight to the end. Really, the whole secondary played well. You're talking about a group (Oklahoma State) that was almost averaging 600 yards a game in the last four games. There are a lot of positives across the board."
On being bowl eligible
"You don't want to be that fact or be that one group (that didn't make a bowl). That's what I told them two weeks ago."
TCU quarterback Grayson Muehlstein
On his first start:
"It was different going in as the starter for sure. A lot more preparation and gearing up for them, but they were a good it. It was a challenge."
On getting a start after five years at TCU:
"It's awesome. I didn't know if I was going to get to play at all. It makes it worthwhile now that I've been able to play and go to a bowl game. Having stuck it out for so long."
On first plays:
"I've never played at Amon G. Carter Stadium before, so there were definitely jitters, so I had to get those out, get settled and focus on what we had to accomplish."
On the weeks' practice:
"We talked about protecting the ball this week. We can't have any turnovers."
On Jalen Reagor:
"It helps a lot having a playmaker like that."
On bowl eligibly:
"It's been a tough season no doubt. All the injuries. Being able to go to a bowl. That's all we know at TCU. That's all I know is going to a bowl every year. This being my last year, it's good to keep that tradition going."
On his role in past bowl games:
"In my first two years, my role was scout team. In previous years, it was third string. So no reps."
On the importance of bouncing back:
"We had to fight back. The defense was playing really well early on and then let up a few scores. We couldn't let off the gas. We had to keep fighting and giving ourselves a chance to win."
On play calling:
"Based on the coverage and the look they're giving us, I can tell if a play will be successful or not."
On Jalen Reagor's 83-yard touchdown:
"It's nice having plays like that and getting a defensive score. When Reagor can make plays like that, it definitely allows us to breathe a little bit and gives us a little breathing room.
On Jalen Reagor:
"He's a good player and he's been good for us all season."
TCU wide receiver Jalen Reagor
On second half stretch:
"I mean, you know how quick a football game can change. We were trying to change the field and that's what happened."
On his performance/usage:
"Honestly I just play my game. I can't do nothing about the voting or what goes on. I just play my game and let the game come to me. That's just coach being creative and just trying to get me the ball. That's just game planning."
On breaking TCU records:
"That was a big goal for me. It was one of my goals at the beginning of the year to get 1,000 yards. To get it in a game like this it means the world. After the Alamo Bowl, my goal was to get 1,000 yards and to make a bigger impact than I did as a freshman. I want to win the Biletnikoff and continue to build this program and win."
On Grayson Muehlstein's performance:
"We don't expect anything less. Coach (Sonny) Cumbie prepares all the quarterbacks the same so that's what we expect from them."
On rebounding the last two weeks:
"We are resilient, we persevered and now we are going bowling. Thi is nothing out of the ordinary. We came back to work Sunday and made sure we gave the seniors the best season. We're just trying to be one point better and hold them to one point less. The way it played out we scored a lot of points and got on a roll."
On getting to the bowl game
"It's real big. We're trying to make sure we send the Seniors out the right way. Making the bowl game and extending the season to have an extra month with my brothers is great."
TCU safety Niko Small
On limiting Taylor Cornelius in the first half:
"We know that they're a high-powered offense. We could shake the game a little and give them different looks and maybe confuse them a little and slow them down. They're a very fast-paced team. We knew if we could slow them down, we could give the offense a chance to run the ball, run the clock out, get some points on the board and that's what we tried to do."
On Jalen Reagor's performance:
"That dude is a baller. I don't know how else to explain it. Some things you just can't teach, and he has the things you can't teach: speed, agility, vision and playmaking abilities. He has a switch and when he wants to turn it on, he turns it on."
On the game plan against Oklahoma State's wide receiver Tylan Wallace:
"We had to see. We knew he was a great player and we knew he was in a great scheme for him to excel, but he still had to get through us. We wanted to play conservative over him and around him and see what they were trying to do and what their game plan was for the offense. Once we found out what it was, we took advantage."
On what Coach Patterson means by saying that Small being back in the game allows the secondary to play faster:
"He probably means communication most of all. I don't know if you can see on the field, but I'm very animated. I try to get everybody in the right place and right spot all the time and make sure they know what they're doing."
On Jeff Gladney guarding Wallace for most of the game:
"In my opinion, Jeff is the best corner in the Big 12. Every time he's on somebody and I look over there, I'm not looking again, because I know he's going to handle whoever is over there."
On the defensive line setting the pace:
"We can never eat without them. They always make it easy on us."
On how he feels about the season and his last game:
"It's never going to change. Winning a football game is still going to feel great, even if we were 1-10. It touches a place in your heart when you worked hard. It is a meaningful game; I like the way we all banded together as a team."
On backup from the offense:
"100%. That makes it a lot easier. When they take us off the field, it makes things a lot easier. Offense held their side today."
TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney
On bowl eligibility for seniors:
"Every year we've been here we have made it to a bowl game, so we've got to send them out right. You can't leave your last year without making it to a bowl."
On first interception of the season:
"Man I needed that. Definitely after last week when I dropped that one. I've been hard on myself lately for it, so I was like 'I'm gonna get myself one this week.' And I got it, so I guess it was destined."
On guarding his receiver:
"I felt I played good. I only allowed him to get one catch on me. He's a good competitor, a good receiver."
On third down pass breakup:
"I had kind of hit the line and I drove him out of bounds so I kind of thought it was over. I saw him and he kind of hit the boosters a little bit so I thought the ball must be in the air. I tried to close back to him, turned my head at the last second I saw the ball and knocked it away."
On Niko Smalls' return:
"It was very big. A veteran back there in the secondary and you don't have to worry about him not getting you any checks because he's going to put you in the right call and he's going to be in the right spot. You've just got to do your job and you know he's going to be there."
On stopping top receivers:
"We just played hard. Suffocate, don't give easy throws and contest every shot. That's really all we do."
On Coach Patterson:
"Coach P is always good. He is never bad. Next man up and you've got to trust who is up and that's what summer camp is for. Grow the young guys up and if you need them in the season, you know it. They've had the reps so just step up and do it."
On this season:
"It's the craziest season I've had with all the injuries. I've never seen anything like this. Adversity, I guess, brings out the best in some people."
On playing against top receivers:
"Oh yeah, I'm very competitive. I've watched his film and I've seen what he's done to other guys and I wasn't going to let that happen to me, so I knew we were going to have to battle it out."
OKLAHOMA STATE QUOTES
Oklahoma State Head Coach Mike Gundy
On the outcome of the game:
"As a coach, it was disappointing to watch. We waited until the fourth quarter to play on offense and make plays. It was essentially just a game full of mistakes for us, one right after the other. The defense played well, but the offense couldn't move the ball at all.
"We also had two dumb penalties that gave them 30 yards. We also got out of position a few times on defense. On the long run, we had two guys who stuck their heads in the same gap. I was concerned about whether we could rally back after a big win last week. We were a little flat early in the week, then we practiced well and finished the week strong, but we certainly didn't play like that tonight. The good news is that we get to play another game and I told the team that I would sure hate to finish the season like this."
On the offense's struggles:
"We didn't block very well, we didn't throw very wel, and we didn't run the ball very well. It looked like zero sense of urgency."
On upcoming practices before the bowl game:
"We usually practice 14 times before the bowl and I'm going to say that at least eight of them will be on basic fundamentals. We just need quality work with young guys."
Oklahoma State running back Chubba Hubbard
Opening Statement:
"We're a great team. Sometimes we just don't play to our full potential and we're better than this. We just got to keep coming back better."
On how tough a game this is:
"We just were a little too late. We weren't playing good offense and defense in the first few quarters. You have to be able to play all four quarters."
On playing with urgency when starting off slow:
"I mean definitely not if you look at West Virginia when we were down 17-0 at half. That is just something we have to address and take care of. We have to come out fast and finish strong."
On incorporating young players:
"We do have a lot of young guys. I wouldn't say that's a part of it. They are learning and I'm learning and just trying to get better."
Oklahoma State linebacker Justin Phillips
On if TCU getting bowl eligible was a factor in the outcome:
"I feel like we are getting in games that we are supposed to win and guys might get relaxed. I feel like when we get in games we are supposed to win, things don't always go our way and we don't play to our potential."
On if it comes down to focus:
"Guys have to win individual battles and not have to do too much or do someone else's job."
On the frustration of losing:
"It's burning up inside. I hate losing games, especially games that we are supposed to win. I just want to finish out the season well. It's just another thing to learn from.
On having one more game to play:
"We are fortunate enough to get that extra game in. We just need to learn from this game and play a perfect game from both sides of the ball with guys flying around and running on all cylinders."
Oklahoma State safety Kenneth Edison-McGruder
On the slow start:
"We are well conditioned. I don't think anyone was tired. The defense wanted to be on the field as least as possible of course. It's a challenge, but it's nothing that we can't handle as a defense."
On if TCU was hungrier than OSU:
"No, it's just a focus thing. When we play against teams that are supposedly good, we play our best games. It was just a focus thing."
TCU Head Coach Gary Patterson
On the win:
"You have to give the kids a lot of credit. Somehow we found a way to win. I am proud of this group because I think they're starting to grow up."
On Jalen Reagor:
"The bottom line is he's a good player. Four or five weeks ago he started to mature."
On using him in different spots on offense:
"You have to think outside the box. We know Grayson (Muehlstein) isn't a true drop-back guy, so we had to do some things that he could do well and get everybody involved."
On the defense:
"We got tired, and we didn't handle them too well at the end defensively. They did a nice job coming back. I was really fired up that we swung back once they did offensively. That's how you win ball games. You have to fight to the end. Really, the whole secondary played well. You're talking about a group (Oklahoma State) that was almost averaging 600 yards a game in the last four games. There are a lot of positives across the board."
On being bowl eligible
"You don't want to be that fact or be that one group (that didn't make a bowl). That's what I told them two weeks ago."
TCU quarterback Grayson Muehlstein
On his first start:
"It was different going in as the starter for sure. A lot more preparation and gearing up for them, but they were a good it. It was a challenge."
On getting a start after five years at TCU:
"It's awesome. I didn't know if I was going to get to play at all. It makes it worthwhile now that I've been able to play and go to a bowl game. Having stuck it out for so long."
On first plays:
"I've never played at Amon G. Carter Stadium before, so there were definitely jitters, so I had to get those out, get settled and focus on what we had to accomplish."
On the weeks' practice:
"We talked about protecting the ball this week. We can't have any turnovers."
On Jalen Reagor:
"It helps a lot having a playmaker like that."
On bowl eligibly:
"It's been a tough season no doubt. All the injuries. Being able to go to a bowl. That's all we know at TCU. That's all I know is going to a bowl every year. This being my last year, it's good to keep that tradition going."
On his role in past bowl games:
"In my first two years, my role was scout team. In previous years, it was third string. So no reps."
On the importance of bouncing back:
"We had to fight back. The defense was playing really well early on and then let up a few scores. We couldn't let off the gas. We had to keep fighting and giving ourselves a chance to win."
On play calling:
"Based on the coverage and the look they're giving us, I can tell if a play will be successful or not."
On Jalen Reagor's 83-yard touchdown:
"It's nice having plays like that and getting a defensive score. When Reagor can make plays like that, it definitely allows us to breathe a little bit and gives us a little breathing room.
On Jalen Reagor:
"He's a good player and he's been good for us all season."
TCU wide receiver Jalen Reagor
On second half stretch:
"I mean, you know how quick a football game can change. We were trying to change the field and that's what happened."
On his performance/usage:
"Honestly I just play my game. I can't do nothing about the voting or what goes on. I just play my game and let the game come to me. That's just coach being creative and just trying to get me the ball. That's just game planning."
On breaking TCU records:
"That was a big goal for me. It was one of my goals at the beginning of the year to get 1,000 yards. To get it in a game like this it means the world. After the Alamo Bowl, my goal was to get 1,000 yards and to make a bigger impact than I did as a freshman. I want to win the Biletnikoff and continue to build this program and win."
On Grayson Muehlstein's performance:
"We don't expect anything less. Coach (Sonny) Cumbie prepares all the quarterbacks the same so that's what we expect from them."
On rebounding the last two weeks:
"We are resilient, we persevered and now we are going bowling. Thi is nothing out of the ordinary. We came back to work Sunday and made sure we gave the seniors the best season. We're just trying to be one point better and hold them to one point less. The way it played out we scored a lot of points and got on a roll."
On getting to the bowl game
"It's real big. We're trying to make sure we send the Seniors out the right way. Making the bowl game and extending the season to have an extra month with my brothers is great."
TCU safety Niko Small
On limiting Taylor Cornelius in the first half:
"We know that they're a high-powered offense. We could shake the game a little and give them different looks and maybe confuse them a little and slow them down. They're a very fast-paced team. We knew if we could slow them down, we could give the offense a chance to run the ball, run the clock out, get some points on the board and that's what we tried to do."
On Jalen Reagor's performance:
"That dude is a baller. I don't know how else to explain it. Some things you just can't teach, and he has the things you can't teach: speed, agility, vision and playmaking abilities. He has a switch and when he wants to turn it on, he turns it on."
On the game plan against Oklahoma State's wide receiver Tylan Wallace:
"We had to see. We knew he was a great player and we knew he was in a great scheme for him to excel, but he still had to get through us. We wanted to play conservative over him and around him and see what they were trying to do and what their game plan was for the offense. Once we found out what it was, we took advantage."
On what Coach Patterson means by saying that Small being back in the game allows the secondary to play faster:
"He probably means communication most of all. I don't know if you can see on the field, but I'm very animated. I try to get everybody in the right place and right spot all the time and make sure they know what they're doing."
On Jeff Gladney guarding Wallace for most of the game:
"In my opinion, Jeff is the best corner in the Big 12. Every time he's on somebody and I look over there, I'm not looking again, because I know he's going to handle whoever is over there."
On the defensive line setting the pace:
"We can never eat without them. They always make it easy on us."
On how he feels about the season and his last game:
"It's never going to change. Winning a football game is still going to feel great, even if we were 1-10. It touches a place in your heart when you worked hard. It is a meaningful game; I like the way we all banded together as a team."
On backup from the offense:
"100%. That makes it a lot easier. When they take us off the field, it makes things a lot easier. Offense held their side today."
TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney
On bowl eligibility for seniors:
"Every year we've been here we have made it to a bowl game, so we've got to send them out right. You can't leave your last year without making it to a bowl."
On first interception of the season:
"Man I needed that. Definitely after last week when I dropped that one. I've been hard on myself lately for it, so I was like 'I'm gonna get myself one this week.' And I got it, so I guess it was destined."
On guarding his receiver:
"I felt I played good. I only allowed him to get one catch on me. He's a good competitor, a good receiver."
On third down pass breakup:
"I had kind of hit the line and I drove him out of bounds so I kind of thought it was over. I saw him and he kind of hit the boosters a little bit so I thought the ball must be in the air. I tried to close back to him, turned my head at the last second I saw the ball and knocked it away."
On Niko Smalls' return:
"It was very big. A veteran back there in the secondary and you don't have to worry about him not getting you any checks because he's going to put you in the right call and he's going to be in the right spot. You've just got to do your job and you know he's going to be there."
On stopping top receivers:
"We just played hard. Suffocate, don't give easy throws and contest every shot. That's really all we do."
On Coach Patterson:
"Coach P is always good. He is never bad. Next man up and you've got to trust who is up and that's what summer camp is for. Grow the young guys up and if you need them in the season, you know it. They've had the reps so just step up and do it."
On this season:
"It's the craziest season I've had with all the injuries. I've never seen anything like this. Adversity, I guess, brings out the best in some people."
On playing against top receivers:
"Oh yeah, I'm very competitive. I've watched his film and I've seen what he's done to other guys and I wasn't going to let that happen to me, so I knew we were going to have to battle it out."
OKLAHOMA STATE QUOTES
Oklahoma State Head Coach Mike Gundy
On the outcome of the game:
"As a coach, it was disappointing to watch. We waited until the fourth quarter to play on offense and make plays. It was essentially just a game full of mistakes for us, one right after the other. The defense played well, but the offense couldn't move the ball at all.
"We also had two dumb penalties that gave them 30 yards. We also got out of position a few times on defense. On the long run, we had two guys who stuck their heads in the same gap. I was concerned about whether we could rally back after a big win last week. We were a little flat early in the week, then we practiced well and finished the week strong, but we certainly didn't play like that tonight. The good news is that we get to play another game and I told the team that I would sure hate to finish the season like this."
On the offense's struggles:
"We didn't block very well, we didn't throw very wel, and we didn't run the ball very well. It looked like zero sense of urgency."
On upcoming practices before the bowl game:
"We usually practice 14 times before the bowl and I'm going to say that at least eight of them will be on basic fundamentals. We just need quality work with young guys."
Oklahoma State running back Chubba Hubbard
Opening Statement:
"We're a great team. Sometimes we just don't play to our full potential and we're better than this. We just got to keep coming back better."
On how tough a game this is:
"We just were a little too late. We weren't playing good offense and defense in the first few quarters. You have to be able to play all four quarters."
On playing with urgency when starting off slow:
"I mean definitely not if you look at West Virginia when we were down 17-0 at half. That is just something we have to address and take care of. We have to come out fast and finish strong."
On incorporating young players:
"We do have a lot of young guys. I wouldn't say that's a part of it. They are learning and I'm learning and just trying to get better."
Oklahoma State linebacker Justin Phillips
On if TCU getting bowl eligible was a factor in the outcome:
"I feel like we are getting in games that we are supposed to win and guys might get relaxed. I feel like when we get in games we are supposed to win, things don't always go our way and we don't play to our potential."
On if it comes down to focus:
"Guys have to win individual battles and not have to do too much or do someone else's job."
On the frustration of losing:
"It's burning up inside. I hate losing games, especially games that we are supposed to win. I just want to finish out the season well. It's just another thing to learn from.
On having one more game to play:
"We are fortunate enough to get that extra game in. We just need to learn from this game and play a perfect game from both sides of the ball with guys flying around and running on all cylinders."
Oklahoma State safety Kenneth Edison-McGruder
On the slow start:
"We are well conditioned. I don't think anyone was tired. The defense wanted to be on the field as least as possible of course. It's a challenge, but it's nothing that we can't handle as a defense."
On if TCU was hungrier than OSU:
"No, it's just a focus thing. When we play against teams that are supposedly good, we play our best games. It was just a focus thing."
Players Mentioned
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