Northwestern University Athletics
Postgame Quotes
9/15/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 15, 2007
Northwestern Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald
Opening statement...
"It was very similar to last week. I love the fight and the way we came back and gave ourselves a chance to win. Obviously we ended up on the short end today. We've got a locker room of guys who believe. They fought all the way to the wire. I give duke lots of credit. They had a great plan and I thought we adjusted well, but at the end of the day, they made two more plays or one more play and little details that we didn't make to win the football game. I give them all the credit."
On the decision to not to kick the field goal in the fourth quarter...
"I felt like we needed to get the ball in the end zone. We had a huge time of possession edge in the second half and felt like we needed to get in the end zone. I didn't feel like there was enough time with two timeouts to get the ball back and obviously, it didn't work out that way."
On the penalties tonight...
"We had so many self-inflicted wounds. You can't win a football game when you lose 125 yards in penalties. It doesn't matter how much you move the ball, it squashes momentum and plays such a negative toward you as far as your mindset and we just cannot do that to give ourselves a chance to win the game."
On not capitalizing in the red zone...
"We just didn't finish drives. We had all the opportunity in the world and didn't finish the drives. We talked about finishing the first quarter 1-0 and finishing tonight the way that we practiced this week. Obviously we didn't do that and I take that responsibility. We didn't carry it over into tonight and when you come out and don't execute the way you want to, I take that responsibility."
NU Quarterback C.J. Bachèr
On what he saw the last play...
"Not much. They brought a max blitz and we knew they were going to bring it. They had too many guys coming but I knew I had to take the chance."
On why different receivers got the touches today...
"There was no particular reason. We run the same offense that we've been running and whatever receiver is open is who I'm trying to get it to."
On if they came in over-confident...
"Absolutely not. We came in prepared just like any other game and we know Duke has lost a lot of games in a row, but they've been close games, so we know they're a good team and we came out ready to play today."
NU Wide Receiver Ross Lane
On the last pass to him...
"C.J. gave me a chance to get it and I turned to get it and got tackled before the ball came to me, so didn't have a chance."
On the loss...
"It's disappointing. We wanted to go undefeated. We still have all of our goals in front of us though. This doesn't affect our Big Ten standings. I think we'll be fine."
On the last drive...
"I was just out there playing football and that's what we're supposed to go. Just go down the field and score. I wasn't nervous. That's just what we're supposed to do. The whole offense was ready to go and we just couldn't do it."
NU Running Back Brandon Roberson
On the loss...
"I think we know what kind of team we are and we don't quit. We're just going to come out and keep battling and start our Big Ten season right."
On going on the road for the first time...
"We're going to have to do different things to get ready for Ohio State. We'll buckle up and see where things go from there."
Duke Head Coach Ted Roof
Opening Statement
"I'm really proud of our kids. We showed a lot of guts at the end and found a way to win. We talked all week that we would have to take it. NU is a good football team that scores a lot of points, but our kids hung in there in every phase. Last punt, Kevin (Jones) hits a great punt and we covered it well. There were just so many plays and so many things. I'm so happy for our fans, our players and our staff."
On motivating the players before the game... "We are looking for any angle, any edge we can use to motivate our players so they can understand how close we were to winning. We were really close coming in, but we hadn't put it together for four quarters. Today we made one more play than Northwestern did, and it felt better than making one less play."
On moving the ball and completing 15-straight passes at one point...
"We had some rhythm going. If you look at what happened, we had just one turnover on the first play of the game, and we were 2-of-2 in the red zone. They had two turnovers and were 2-of-5 in the red zone. The things we preach, we were on the right side of those things today and that was the
difference in the football game."
On the final defensive stand... "I wanted to match up man-to-man and bring one more than they could block and see what they could do. Their QB made an incredible scramble there at the end, and I have a lot of respect for Northwestern. They are a very good football team."
Duke Quarterback Thaddeus Lewis
On the feeling after breaking the losing streak...
"It is an adrenaline rush. You come out here and you play hard, and your defense plays hard for four quarters, so to see the clock go to 0:00 and you are the winners is a great feeling."
On watching the last Northwestern drive...
"You are sitting there like a little kid, like you are watching the game out in the stands. To see the defense swarming to the ball and to come through in the clutch like that, one thing we stress is to play for all four quarters, and those guys did that. I watched that last play, I couldn't close my eyes. Those guys came through for us."
On getting win number one in his career...
"Those guys are having fun and enjoying the moment right now, because tomorrow when we get back we have to start getting ready for Navy. I feel very good about this, and I'm going to enjoy the moment. I want there to be many more, so I'm going to get ready and get focused on Navy."
