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Postgame UTEP
November 8, 2014
Junior DB Wonderful Terry and junior RB Leon Allen
On interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter
Terry: "It was a great play. Coach told me to sit at the sticks, I sat at the sticks, read the quarterback's three-step (drop) and I was able to make a play on the ball and take it for six."
On continually making the big play
Terry: "Just preparing and watching film, you know, studying my opponent and going out to do whatever I can do to make the team better."
On defense's ability to get big stops late
Terry: "I think it's just being a vocal leader out there, telling the guys we've got it. We've just got to stick together as a family and the game will come our way."
On Jeff Brohm's message to offense after sitting for so long to start third quarter
Allen: "Stay ready because being on the sideline that long, you can get cold. Keep the juice going, attacking the field and just play the game."
On being able to run the clock down in fourth quarter
Allen: "It's my favorite part because I know I'm going to get it. Just have to get three or four yards a carry, keep the clock going and keep going down the field."
On difference in the run game late after first half struggles
Allen: "It was no different, we just had to stay with it. Just believe in the run, trust my line, let the whole open up, hit it full speed and go."
On defense getting swagger late
Terry: "I definitely say it was the pick-six. Right before that play I told the defense `I've got your back, just have my back.' From that moment the defense turned on a swagger we haven't had all year. That's always great to go out there and play the game like a kid, but play it like a man."
Opening Statement
"First off, I just want to start off and say through the course of the last 8-10 days I know you guys know we lost one of our family members who committed to us a couple years ago in Tyler English. It's been rough on his family. Many of our players know Tyler. He worked in the front office here and did a tremendous job. I'm good friends with his family as well and they were here at this game. We invited them to the game. They were on the sideline. We were able to present them with a team helmet and a team jersey. Also, as you guys know, we put his initials on the back of our helmet for the rest of the season. It's a sign of how important he was to our family and that we're going to miss him. We know he's in a better place but we wanted to make sure we recognized Tyler English and his family. We were happy to have them at this game."
"On to the game, it was obviously a tremendous win for us. It's a win we needed. We told our team all week that we are in the playoffs and that the playoffs have started for us. We've got to win to advance. Our guys worked hard, they played hard today, they fought through some adverse circumstance as always and found a way to win. This one was great because it was a complete team win. It wasn't the offense here and this or that. It was a complete team win. We needed the defense to step up - they did. We needed special teams, after the one kickoff to step up - they did. We needed the offense to respond after all the three-and-outs against the blitzes they were showing us early on - they did."
"We came out in the second half and wanted to stop them. We did not and they worked about 12 minutes off the clock and went up 27-14 with less than three minutes left in the third quarter. That wasn't a good sign but we overcame that. We got the ball back and scored and then our defense stepped it up in the fourth quarter. I'm very proud of them. They've worked very hard. Hopefully they continue to improve. The great thing I told them after the game is I saw them, in the fourth quarter, playing with confidence. They had a little swagger to them. That's what you have to do when you play the game of football. You're going to get hit in the gut a few times and get knocked down. We understand that. You have to enjoy the journey, work your tail off and find ways to improve. I think we were able to do that today."
On Wonderful Terry's big-play making ability
"Without question, he's done a tremendous job. We missed him last week. He was injured. He came back and he's just got great instincts. You need great football players on your team that can make those great plays. He was playing off coverage, he read the quarterback, broke on the ball and took it in for a touchdown. That was a key turning point in the game. It took the momentum back on our side. You need playmakers like that and he's definitely a big-time playmaker."
On fourth-quarter shutouts the past two home games
"They're trying as hard as they can. They're working hard. We know they aren't going to be perfect but I think they stayed to the grind. They continue to believe in themselves and pick each other up when things weren't going as well. They were on the field a long time. They controlled the ball so when a team comes in to run, you've got to be physical and continue to be physical the entire drive. As a defense, when you're out there a long time it's tough. They found a way to dig deep and that's great to see."
On UTEP's 11:20 drive to open the second half
"It was rough. We had them in a third and long again early on, we jumped offsides and they completed the ball. Then they worked the clock down and scored. Really, it wasn't looking good at that point. As you all know, being down by that score and they just worked off 12 minutes in one drive. But we found a way to get it done. That's football. We've just got to keep playing hard, our guys have to continue to believe in themselves and fight the fight."
On defensive confidence in the fourth quarter
"We always talk about how we have to play with confidence, have to play with swagger. Even if things aren't going well, you've got to have it. You can't go on the field doubting anything. You can't go on the field expecting the worst to happen. You've got to plan to make the best happen. Wonderful Terry made a huge play and got the other guys going a little bit. I think that play really helped our defense. They started to believe a little bit that they could get some stops and they did in the fourth quarter."
On Brandon Doughty's bounce-back performance
"Tremendous game. As you guys know, the running game wasn't going. We knew we probably weren't going to get a whole lot of possessions too and our strength really is the passing game right now. That's a credit to our entire offensive skill guys, line and coaches. Brandon is the leader of that. He didn't play up to par last week and he knew that. We were all itching to get back out there, especially him. The thing I was proud about, they were blitzing, bringing guys we couldn't pick up enough. We told him going into the game, `Hey, we're going to release some guys out here and there are going to be times they're going to be unblocked. You've got to stand in that pocket strong and either deliver it in rhythm, step up and find another guy or step up and run the ball.' He did all of those things. He got a run or two for us. He stepped up in the pocket. He held it in when the pressure was there and let the guy get open instead of forcing it up off his back foot like he did last week. That's hard to do and it's much harder to do than people think. This game, he played tough. If you can get your quarterback to play tough, you've got a chance to win."
