TULANE 38, TULSA 26 - POSTGAME QUOTES
Nov 2, 2019 | Football
Head Coach Willie Fritz
On the crowd…
"I was really excited about our crowd. I thought we had a good crowd today. I guess it was the third largest crowd they've ever had in Yulman Stadium, and they got pretty loud at times. I appreciate everyone who came out. I've said it hundreds of times, this is a great stadium. Every seat is a perfect seat. I don't why anyone wouldn't come out on a day like today. It was a beautiful day out with two great teams going at it, competing with each other. Thank you for all the fans who came out today, we appreciate you all."
On the performance overall…
"I thought we started well, particularly offensively, we got down the field and got up, but then we got a little stagnant there towards the end of the first quarter. We ran the ball very effectively. We had 290 yards rushing, which is good against anybody. We only played 62 snaps so there was a little bit of ball control game between the two sides. I thought Justin [McMillan] did a good job other than the one throw in the fourth quarter. He had a good ballgame and managed the game extremely well. We had a big play call when we were fourth and four and Stephon Huderson came out of the back field for 55 yards. A long one. That was a big play for us. Defensively, we bent and broke some, but we didn't break all the time. We needed to get some stops and we got some big stops which is playing complimentary football."
On RB Stephon Huderson…
"He's so low to the ground, he's got good vision, he's got jump cuts and he's a smart football player. A lot of these guys bide their time and he got his opportunity today to carry the ball a little more than normal. I thought he did a very nice job with it. He's a good blocker also."
On being bowl eligible…
"It's big for us. I think the 1979-80 team went to back-to-back bowl games. The 1997-98 teams qualified, but they didn't go in '97. We got three really tough ball games at the end of the season with Temple, UCF and SMU. It's a very competitive league, and I'm glad we've got this next week off. We got a bye week next week, which gives us a chance to heal up and devote our time to other things like recruiting and then jump back into it."
RS Junior Nose Tackle De'Andre Williams
On becoming bowl eligible…
"It feels good, this is one of our goals and we're happy accomplished it so early, we really are. We're going to take another week at a time and keep playing."
On the team's sacks today…
"I think it was really important, that's something that went though the week of practice, talking about how we have to get pressure on this quarterback. He's a great thrower and we had to keep pressure on him the whole game."
On bouncing back this week after the last two weeks…
"Our mindset was just keep our intensity high, we know we have a great football team and we just knew that the game and ball was going to start rolling. We just had to keep pushing and keep fighting and we knew we'd get back on the winning side."
Senior Safety P.J. Hall
On Tulane's forced turnovers…
"I mean it was fun, but it's always fun going out there and playing with the guys. Whether I'm the one making the plays or someone else is making the plays, I love going out there with them."
On the review process after Hall's forced fumble…
"I felt like it was when it happened. To be honest, I couldn't really tell on the video. When it happened, I knew it came out, I feel like I pulled it out before we hit the ground."
On the offensive momentum tonight going into the half…
"I think it was real big. Any time you can score on defense, that's a big play. The offensive momentum can make us feel good as a unit, so any time we score on defense is good."
Junior Running Back Stephon Huderson
On the team pushing each other to be successful...
"When a running back runs back deep, people think that there's selfishness but everyone loves to see everyone succeed. So when I'm doing good they lift me up, and when I don't they have to lift me higher. We're all one big family."
On setting the tone with his 55 yard run…
"Justin had a great pass, big love, and he turned and reversed it to me and then the o-line did a great job, the backs flowed to the left and it was just open, a big hole. And then the run, a long run."
Graduate Quarterback Justin McMillan
On becoming bowl eligible at this point in the season...
"To this team, it means a lot. Just to know the strives we made and talking to people like P.J. [Hall], I just got here, I didn't understand fully what Tulane has been through in the past two, four, five years ago. It wasn't good. To know that we're bowl eligible with three games left I mean, it just shows where we're heading. The leaders on this team, you know we've stepped up a lot. Young guys on the team have stepped up a lot as far as taking the leadership that has been passed down. Coach Fritz is trying to build a program here, you know, and we're working hard doing it. We're playing for this city, there's a lot going on in this city right now and we just have to give them hope in this football team here and just play our hearts out."
On bouncing back from his interception...
"Don't throw another pick. It's a game, it's four quarters. Throw a pick, throw a touchdown, I mean I'll be excited or I'll be mad, but within those next ten seconds I'll be back to normal. You see I get really excited on touchdowns and what not, but believe it or not I'm back in it within a matter of seconds. You gotta take the good with the bad and understand that the quarterback with the ball in their hands every play, you can't be up and down for the most part. The offensive guys look at me after a pick just like you would, you throw a pick they look for my reaction. If I react bad, it'll slow down the momentum of the team. These guys next to me held me down, gave me another chance and opportunity and I just had to do what I had to do."
