Larry Coker
Postgame
LARRY COKER: Well, not much to say. Heck of a football game, especially if you didn't care who won, but we cared who won. We had our opportunities, and again, our kids played extremely hard, and the thing we talked about going into the game, we really self-destructed the last couple games. We have to try to limit the turnovers and eliminate some of the foolish penalties, and I think we did both of those things.
Again, they had the one toss to -- obviously we were down in the red zone and they made a nice play. They're a good football team. We knew that coming in. They're very physical up front. You could see that as the game wore on. They had about 80 plays, we ran 50, so they're a good team. Give them credit. They've lost two games in overtimes to Power Five teams.
So again, I'm just proud of the effort we gave. We've got to get better, and we've got to win. Just got to get a win.
And again, you talk about, well, in the conference next week we're 0-0. Well, that's true, but that doesn't do anything for us unless we take care of our act, and that's what we've got to do, and I think we've really worked hard to do that this past week. Got to continue to move in that direction.
Q. The running game, how pleased are you with what happened there tonight?
LARRY COKER: Well, very pleased. I feel much better with the offensive line. I guess that kind of shows. I think that's key. They're a really good defensive front. They are. And also I think Jarveon Williams is a really good running back. They knew that at Judson High School and all that here in the city, and we know it, also.
Q. Brett Winnegan had some really good returns. What did you see out of him?
LARRY COKER: Well, he's a good football player. He returned one for a touchdown which would have won the Arizona game for us but it got called back because of penalty, but he's a good football player. We had a lot of really young football players out there tonight that did a good job, and I think that's kind of encouraging. And Brett is definitely one of those.
The thing is to me that was a big mismatch was their kickoff returns and our kickoff returns. We're starting on the 20, 25, they're starting on the 35, 40. Too much yardage on the returns.
Q. There was about five and a half minutes left in the game and y'all took the time-out on the 4th down. Can you take us through that real quick?
LARRY COKER: Yeah, I can because if we'd have had five more yards, probably -- we were out of range. Ours was 4th and long, and we weren't -- I felt like -- we actually pinned them deep in the territory and couldn't stop them, and those are things that you have to do to have a chance to win a game like that.
I was hoping we'd get in a position to -- I told Daniel, I said, you're going to win this game for us on a field goal for us, and then I thought we'd have an opportunity, but not at that distance. That was out of his range.
Q. I wanted to ask about Dalton Sturm. He came in and gave some really tough rushing yards for you guys, throwing so much. Was the plan to get the run game going?
LARRY COKER: Yes, Dalton is a good football player. He can throw the football, trust me. He's very accurate, got very good feet. He just doesn't have the experience, but I think we'll go ahead and bring him along.
I think Blake played awfully well today, and Dalton came in and contributed to us, and we'll give him some more of the package.
Q. Back to that 4th down, I know you said the field goal was out of range, but did you call a time-out because you were considering going for it at that point?
LARRY COKER: Well, yeah, we needed to make a decision, yes. We needed to make a decision. You're in almost no-man's land, but what can we do to give us an opportunity? It's 4th down and long, and the fake would not do any good, but again, it's a situation where we did the right thing. We punted the ball, punted it deep in their territory, and they did a good job in the four-minute offense of getting it down the hole.
Q. Can you talk about Bogenschutz' interception there in the red zone? What did you see on that play and just how it affected the game?
LARRY COKER: It cost us the game probably. That's how it affected us. We had to hit a field goal there and also a touchdown. But saying that, he didn't cost us the game. He gave us a chance in the game to win, but I think the thing that you see on the interception, I think he threw the ball a little bit behind the receiver. If it had been outside, I think he'd have been fine.
Postgame
LARRY COKER: Well, not much to say. Heck of a football game, especially if you didn't care who won, but we cared who won. We had our opportunities, and again, our kids played extremely hard, and the thing we talked about going into the game, we really self-destructed the last couple games. We have to try to limit the turnovers and eliminate some of the foolish penalties, and I think we did both of those things.
Again, they had the one toss to -- obviously we were down in the red zone and they made a nice play. They're a good football team. We knew that coming in. They're very physical up front. You could see that as the game wore on. They had about 80 plays, we ran 50, so they're a good team. Give them credit. They've lost two games in overtimes to Power Five teams.
So again, I'm just proud of the effort we gave. We've got to get better, and we've got to win. Just got to get a win.
And again, you talk about, well, in the conference next week we're 0-0. Well, that's true, but that doesn't do anything for us unless we take care of our act, and that's what we've got to do, and I think we've really worked hard to do that this past week. Got to continue to move in that direction.
Q. The running game, how pleased are you with what happened there tonight?
LARRY COKER: Well, very pleased. I feel much better with the offensive line. I guess that kind of shows. I think that's key. They're a really good defensive front. They are. And also I think Jarveon Williams is a really good running back. They knew that at Judson High School and all that here in the city, and we know it, also.
Q. Brett Winnegan had some really good returns. What did you see out of him?
LARRY COKER: Well, he's a good football player. He returned one for a touchdown which would have won the Arizona game for us but it got called back because of penalty, but he's a good football player. We had a lot of really young football players out there tonight that did a good job, and I think that's kind of encouraging. And Brett is definitely one of those.
The thing is to me that was a big mismatch was their kickoff returns and our kickoff returns. We're starting on the 20, 25, they're starting on the 35, 40. Too much yardage on the returns.
Q. There was about five and a half minutes left in the game and y'all took the time-out on the 4th down. Can you take us through that real quick?
LARRY COKER: Yeah, I can because if we'd have had five more yards, probably -- we were out of range. Ours was 4th and long, and we weren't -- I felt like -- we actually pinned them deep in the territory and couldn't stop them, and those are things that you have to do to have a chance to win a game like that.
I was hoping we'd get in a position to -- I told Daniel, I said, you're going to win this game for us on a field goal for us, and then I thought we'd have an opportunity, but not at that distance. That was out of his range.
Q. I wanted to ask about Dalton Sturm. He came in and gave some really tough rushing yards for you guys, throwing so much. Was the plan to get the run game going?
LARRY COKER: Yes, Dalton is a good football player. He can throw the football, trust me. He's very accurate, got very good feet. He just doesn't have the experience, but I think we'll go ahead and bring him along.
I think Blake played awfully well today, and Dalton came in and contributed to us, and we'll give him some more of the package.
Q. Back to that 4th down, I know you said the field goal was out of range, but did you call a time-out because you were considering going for it at that point?
LARRY COKER: Well, yeah, we needed to make a decision, yes. We needed to make a decision. You're in almost no-man's land, but what can we do to give us an opportunity? It's 4th down and long, and the fake would not do any good, but again, it's a situation where we did the right thing. We punted the ball, punted it deep in their territory, and they did a good job in the four-minute offense of getting it down the hole.
Q. Can you talk about Bogenschutz' interception there in the red zone? What did you see on that play and just how it affected the game?
LARRY COKER: It cost us the game probably. That's how it affected us. We had to hit a field goal there and also a touchdown. But saying that, he didn't cost us the game. He gave us a chance in the game to win, but I think the thing that you see on the interception, I think he threw the ball a little bit behind the receiver. If it had been outside, I think he'd have been fine.
