Pregame quotes for the UH-NMSU game

About how they have improved significantly while he's been at NMSU, QB Chase Holbrook said:
"In the two, three years I've been here, huge strides have been made." (HA)


About their improved facilities, Holbrook said:
"The facilities are a lot better. The locker room was redone. We've got new meeting rooms. We just got a JumboTron. Coach (Mumme) said if we start winning, it'll only improve." (HA)


Praising NMSU coach Hal Mumme, GM said:
"I have a lot of respect for (Mumme). He's a good friend. We have a mutual friend in (Texas Tech coach) Mike Leach. He really knows his package, and how to attack it. He's brought some skilled athletes into his program. This is the best offense we've played." (HA)


HA Note: "The Warriors' first seven opponents are a combined 11-42. None has a winning record. The final five opponents are 21-17, with Fresno State (Nov. 10) and Boise State (Nov. 23) as the only teams above .500."


About how he are glad to have taken care of business in their weak early part of their schedule, Colt said:
"Yeah, we're 7-0, but the way everyone sees it — the way we see it — we've just handled business. It was trying to get through those seven, and not mess up to get to this point. The next five are what decide it. Now that we've got these games in front of us, we're excited. We're happy. We can lay it all on the line and go for it." (HA)


About how their critics look at their weak schedule, Sol Elimimian said:
"There are going to be some critics. If they want to doubt, let them doubt. We have to keep winning, and keep playing hard. That's the key." (HA)


About the importance of the NMSU game, Sol said:
"It's a very big game for us. For one, it's a conference game. Second, we have an opportunity to do something special at UH, and they're in our way." (HA)


Praising NMSU, Michael Lafaele said:
"They're a tough team. They have good athletes. We don't ever overlook our opponents." (HA)


Hoping they get back on track after their bye week, Colt said:
"We're really excited to be back out here. The last couple of (games), we really haven't been ourselves. In a sense, I think, we're trying to get back into our groove, and hopefully this week we can get back on pace." (HA)


About how college football offers a wider range of strategic problems than pro football, Woody Widenhofer (defensive coordinator of the Steelers' Steel Curtain defense and now NMSU defensive coordinator) said:
"In college football, each team runs a different offense. Last week, we played the read option. You don't see the option in pro football. This week we play the run-and-shoot. It's harder to prepare every Saturday in this league than in pro football. In pro football, there's a lot of carry-over value." (HA)


GM (who coached the Seahawks and 49ers) agreed with Widenhofer:
"Woody's completely right. I think it's much easier in the NFL." (HA)


About the similarities between offenses for NFL teams, GM said:
"In the pros, everybody has the same amount of money for the guys. They put it into different positions. It becomes a match-up game. They have the standard offenses, but they work to put their best on your worst." (HA)


GM said that injuries and free agency make running similar schemes for each team popular:
"so they don't have that extra teaching time." (HA)


Praising MLB Dante Floyd, Widenhofer said:
"He's very instinctive." (HA)


Widenhofer said that FS Derrick Robinson:
"understands the game very well. He studies it. And he's a smart player." (HA)


About how they average a sack every 17.1 pass plays, Widenhofer said:
"There should be more." (HA)


About how most of his runs have the past 2 games have been between the tackles, Pilares said:
"I don't mind getting hit. If I'm near the sideline, I'm not going to run out of bounds. I'm going to try to get that extra yard.""I don't mind getting hit. If I'm near the sideline, I'm not going to run out of bounds. I'm going to try to get that extra yard." (HA)


About how they plan to rotate up to 12 defensive linemen vs. MNSU, DL coach Jeff Reinbold said:
"If you consider the fact that they can throw the ball 60 times a game, that's a lot of pass rushing. That's a lot of work. You're pushing against big bodies. It's going to take everybody to contribute and play well." (HA)


Praising Holbrook, DE Karl Noa said:
"He's really an efficient passer. We have to try and disrupt him as much as we can." (HA)

HA Note: "The Warriors' have the nation's seventh-best pass rush. They have 25 sacks, a ratio of one every 11.68 pass plays. In contrast, through the first seven games last season, the Warriors had 13 sacks, or one every 19.23 pass plays."


About how he often is 1-on-1 without safety help, Newberry said:
"I don't worry about it. We get challenged every game. That's part of being a DB. It's 'man up, and play ball.' " (HA)


About how teams are afraid to kickoff to Lane, Dennis McKnight said:
"I don't think guys will kick (Lane) the ball the rest of the year. I wouldn't kick it to him. I would kick it to somebody else." (HA)

HA Note: "With seven returns in seven games, Lane does not meet the minimum of 1.2 per game to earn a listing in the NCAA statistics. Lane has two returns for touchdowns, and he is averaging 46.0 yards per runback — 9.9 more than the credited NCAA leader, Fresno State's A.J. Jefferson. On the five returns Lane did not take to the house, UH's average drive started on its 39."


About how he wants to make a big play every time he returns a kickoff, Lane said:
"I'm determined every time I touch the ball to make something happen. I'm not too big of a finesse guy. If I see a lane, I take it. I don't think twice about it." (HA)


Praising the job that Lane does as a kickoff returner, McKnight said:
"The great ones are like that. They don't worry about nothing but hitting daylight. Guys who dance around, they're not kickoff-return guys. They're possession guys. They'll catch it, and give it to the offense. Every time Malcolm gets it, he legitimately has a chance to go all the way." (HA)


About how they have a shot at their first bowl game since *1960*, NMSU head coach Hal Mumme said:
"It feels good to be in this position, but it will feel even better to be in a bowl game. We just have to keep working hard." (HSB)


Praising Colt, safety Derrick Richardson said:
"It's like Colt has a sixth sense about where his receivers are. He could be looking at one receiver and throw it in the opposite direction to another." (HSB)


Praising Holbrook, who has a 72.8% completion percentage, JJ said:
"Their quarterback is very, very good at what Hal wants him to do. He's a difference maker in their scheme." (HSB)


About how he and Mumme have learned from each other, JJ said:
"I have picked up quite a few of the little wrinkles they've had, and I know they watch our tapes as we go." (HSB)


Expecting their offense to be better after the bye week, JJ said:
"With the bye I think we'll be a little more consistent." (HSB)


After NMSU beat Idaho without star WR Chris Williams, WR Derrick Dubois said:
"We found some of the balls that Chris would have got, so it was a fun day." (HSB)


About how NMSU runs a significant portion of the time, contrary to popular belief, GM said:
"First down they run 50 percent of the time. Second down they run 50 percent of the time. They keep you off balance." (HSB)


About how NMSU has successfully run the ball in their games, JJ said:
"They're running the ball and they've run well against everybody so far. We have to limit their big plays. They make a lot of big plays." (HSB)


About the differences between UH's offense and NMSU's offense, GM said:
"Sometimes they get in the same formations (as UH), but they run more formations. They don't run as many vertical things down the field, they're more crossing and quick and getting the ball off whether you're coming or not, and our guys are more vertical and more of a reading offense." (HSB)


About how they have to prevent yards after the catch with NMSU's short passing offense, GM said:
"That's a big thing. They've got quick guys and we want to be great tacklers. We've done a pretty good job of tackling this year, and that's one of the things we need to do this week is be great tacklers." (HSB)