Quotes from Sunday morning

ABN = Athens Banner-Herald
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Seeming to address HF's comment that their facilities were good, Colt said:
"I really do hope the school improves things, because it's a long time coming. We talk about the facilities and the way things are. But we have to stop fooling people by telling them our facilities are good -- they're not. We've got to start telling our recruits how good our facilities are going to be. Maybe not their freshman and sophomore years, but by their junior and senior years they'll have the best facilities we can provide." (HSB)

About how their facilities are am embarrassment, Colt said:
"It shouldn't be that place that you drive by on the H-1 and it's kind of falling apart. It should be a diamond that shoots out of Manoa's campus. That's where this step took us, and we need to get the whole school, the whole community to ride this momentum and take the school to the next level." (HSB)


About how their facilities did not improve during his 3 years at UH, Colt said:
"They stayed the same. Soap, that's all we got." (HSB)


About returning to Hawaii after the Heisman ceremony, Colt said:
"We live in paradise, so the joke's on you." (HSB)


About how all of the upsets this season helped them make it to a BCS game, Colt said:
"It's been a crazy college football year. That kind of helped us out, watching some of the teams get upset. Why not? Why not Hawaii going to a BCS bowl game? Winning every game, we really worked hard for that and I'm glad we got there." (HSB)


About their BCS money, Colt said that UH's program will grow if UH:
"does a great job and takes the money and the momentum and does what (it is) supposed to, and gives it to the students, and gives a reason for all of the student-athletes to really feel like it's a pleasure to go to Hawai'i. We have the talent and the attitude. We need the school to make it just as beautiful." (HA)


Colt said that the atmosphere in Hawaii:
"is college football at its best. It's a unique place with unique people. It's a diamond in the rough." (HA)


About how they would have to reduce the number of regular season games to have a playoff system like he would prefer, Colt said:
"You can't ask a student to play a ton of games." (HA)


About how they did the best they could have done with the schedule they were given, Colt said:
"Life's not fair, I learned a long time ago, and it's not meant to be fair. But Hawaii made the best with what we were given this year." (HSB)

About how their schedule prevented them from playing for a national title, Colt said:
"Right now, we're playing a (Georgia) team (in the Sugar Bowl) that was up for (consideration for) the national championship game, and we're an undefeated team. We're going to look to win this football game. It's tough. I understand the conference we came from. I understand the schedule we have this year. We really don't have a (regular-season) win that that really warrants us going to a big (national championship) game like that. But defeating Georgia would do that. Who knows who's really playing in a national championship game right now? I just know if we beat Georgia, we'll make that statement we've always tried to make for the last two years." (HA)


Happy to have made it to New York for the Heisman ceremony, even though he came in 3rd, Colt said:
"Just to be here was a wonderful experience." (HA)


About Tebow, Colt said:
"I'm a big fan of Tim Tebow. Anytime you see a quarterback running over linebackers that brings you joy." (HSB)


About how leading his team to a BCS spot meant more than winning the Heisman, Colt said:
"There's no college football player who got the experience of playing in the two biggest games in their schools' history and winning them at the end of the year at home. That's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I don't know if any other (finalist) tonight experienced it. For me to experience it and know where it brought the program, that's awesome." (HA)


About how he didn't expect to win, Colt said:
"I didn't think I was going to win. I'm kind of glad because my speech wasn't up to par." (HA)


Pulling out a post-it with his speech on it, Colt smiled and said:
"I wrote it on the way over. I wasn't planning on winning. It was just awesome to be in the experience." (HA)


About how he was representing well more than just himself, Colt said:
"I felt I was representing all of the mid-majors. It was a great honor to be here. Hopefully, (the next time) a kid in my position will have a lot less scrutiny and will be able to be thanked for who (he is)." (HA)

HA Note: "Brennan received 54 No. 1 votes and 632 points. He had the highest finish for a player from a non-major conference since Alcorn State quarterback Steve McNair placed third in 1994. UH competes in the Western Athletic Conference, which is not among the six Bowl Championship Series conferences."


Colt said that their undefeated season:
"says a lot about the team and how good (it is). Michigan State paid us $250,000 not to play us. Michigan didn't want to play us. They chose Appalachian State. There are plenty of other teams that decided not to play us. We had to play who we lined up against. We beat those teams ... now against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, it's a great opportunity for us to get some respect. We can talk after the game." (HA)


About how they had to travel at least 2,500 miles for each road game, Colt said:
"If LSU ... left on a Wednesday and had to play in Europe (on a Saturday), I'm sure they wouldn't be the same team when they walked out there. It's kind of funny how we don't have the same credit. That's the way it is. We live in paradise. The joke's on them." (HA)


Praising JJ, Colt said:
"I don't know of a better coach. ... He is, without a doubt, a pure genius on Saturdays. He should be given a lot of credit for what he's done." (HA)


About why he slept in yesterday, Colt said:
"I was a little jet-lagged." (HA)


About how he had lunch with more than 20 family and friends at an Italian restaurant, Colt said:
"We had a blast. I went to St. Patrick's Cathedral, which was the highlight of my day. I dipped into the Holy water, and got a feel for being a Catholic kid from a Catholic high school. Walking into that church, it brought some memories back to me." (HA)


Surprised by all of the pedestrian traffic, Colt said:
"I was trying to rush back (to the hotel). I had my cousins on my arm. I'm pushing through crowds of people to make it back to the Heisman in time. Just thinking about the normal things we did out here, but what we were actually doing and the reasons we were here, that was so cool." (HA)

"It was pretty tough, scrambling through the people today, the crowds, it's like the biggest shopping time of the year out here. They close down sidewalks just to make the sidewalk not so jammed. Boise's (defense is) probably just a little tougher." (HSB)

About the people who recognized him on the street, Colt said:
"It was crazy, it's amazing, to think you're all the way in New York and people know who you are. We stopped sometimes to take pictures, a great feeling, obviously." (HSB)


About how all of the Heisman finalists got along, Colt said:
"We were hanging out. There was no nervousness. All of the finalists were great guys. All we talked about was how much fun we were having." (HA)


About meeting 29 past Heisman winners at the ceremony, Colt said:
"When I sat down with them, the conversation went from first meeting to being cool. These guys started putting their arm around you, whispering stuff in your ear. You realize you kind of made it. I'm standing next to guys I watched while sitting on my couch as a kid. These are the guys I rooted for. To watch them come up to you and show you some respect, it's an honor, man. I felt like I won just by coming." (HA)


About starting practices up again on Thursday, Colt said:
"We understand that's a beast waiting for us down there." (HSB)

About facing Georgia, Colt said:
"Playing Georgia in the Sugar Bowl is a great opportunity for us to get some respect. When we played Alabama at Alabama (in 2006), we struggled. We didn't have that pop we come out with, that confidence. As the game progressed, we started to get it, but time ran out on us. If we can come out and limit mistakes and not turn it over, we're going to be a productive offense. We have to get ready for a war, a battle." (HSB)


About facing UH's offense, Georgia DT Geno Atkins said:
"The opportunity is real big. It's a new experience since they play a whole different offensive system compared to the SEC. It's going to be a really good challenge for us." (ABN)

ABN Note: "Georgia's 34 sacks are two more than SEC champion LSU, which played one more game. The Bulldogs rang up 25 sacks in their last six games after managing just nine in their first six. They jumped from 85th in the nation in sacks to 22nd."


About their 25 sacks in their last 6 games, DE Marcus Howard (7.5 sacks) said:
"We just basically found our swagger back like we did the first game of the season against Oklahoma State (when Georgia had five sacks)." (ABN)


About how Georgia's defense will be a big challenge for them, Colt said:
"We're going up against a great test and a great talent that no one can deny. I'm expecting a dogfight. I'm expecting a great defense to show up and make us earn everything." (ABN)

ABN Note: "Hawaii is 73rd in the nation in sacks allowed, giving up 2.25 per game."


Confident that their DL will be able to beat UH's OL, safety Kelin Johnson said:
"We have what, 34 sacks? We're leading the SEC. I'm sure their offensive line is going to have trouble with our D-linemen." (ABN)


About his success this year after they lost 2 DL to the NFL after last season, Howard said:
"They're giving me props. I told them I was going to do it when they left. We have a little friendly side bet. It's going good right now." (ABN)


About his quickness, Howard said:
"It surprises them a lot. They look at me before the game. Some of them might call me small. I'm a hard worker in the weight room and it just shows. I'm able to bull rush or get around. It helps me a lot." (ABN)

ABN Note: "Georgia closed the regular season with five sacks against both Kentucky and Georgia Tech. Against Auburn, Georgia was able to generate pressure with its front four. Against Kentucky, Howard's two sacks came with the Bulldogs blitzing, something defensive coordinator Willie Martinez picks and chooses when to do."


About how their D has had success, even though their last 4 opponents have passed at least 30 times per game, Martinez said:
"We're able to put more pressure on the quarterback because of the style of offenses that were watching and seeing. You get a guy like (Tennessee's Erik) Ainge, he's going to get rid of the ball quickly." (ABN)


About how Atkins has 4.5 sacks in his last 5 games, Ellerbe said:
"He gets a nice push. He's quick. Them boys aren't used to that. Geno is really quick off the ball. That's helping us out." (ABN)


About how he has caught passes from both Tebow and Colt, UH freshman slotback Rick Taylor said:
"Obviously, I'm pretty excited. It's not every day guys you play with are up for the Heisman." (HSB)


About how he was one of Tebow's favorite WRs at Nease High and is now with the Warriors, Rick Taylor said:
"As of right now, my loyalty is with Colt. He's my quarterback now, that's how it stands. Any way it goes, though, I'll be happy." (HSB)


Asked to compare Colt and Tebow, Rick Taylor said:
"Colt is the most pinpoint accurate I've ever seen. Timmy is more of a power arm kind of guy. His arm strength is out of this world." (HSB)


Ken Taylor, Rick's father, coached defensive backs at Nease and has been an observer at many UH games and practices.
Rick's father Ken Taylor coached DBs at Nease High and has been to many UH games and practices and said about Colt and Tebow:
"The attribute both of them have is they become magical on the field. That's what sets them apart." (HSB)


About his conversations with Colt during the summer about whether or not he should leave for the NFL early, junior QB Chase Daniel said:
"We talked about that at the Elite Eleven camp (in the offseason). I'm glad I got to see him play this year. He said enjoy your time here and being in college. He's a great guy." (HSB)


Asked if they considered buying out their home opener next year vs. UH, Florida AD Jeremy Foley said:
"No, never tried to at all." (HSB)