Quotes from the UH-Boise State game 11/6/10

BSU = Official Boise State Athletics website
AP = Associated Press
IS = Idaho Statesman
AO = Arbiter Online
HSA = Honolulu Star-Advertiser
KHON = KHON2.com

Note: UH's website did not have any quotes from the game.

-------------------  Quotes from the UH coaches ----------------------

About how the final score was closer because they won the turnover battle 3-0, Mack said:
"We didn't quit. I thought our guys played hard, but usually when you win the turnover battle, it's a little closer than that. Probably it was closer because we did win the turnover battle. Shoot, they could have had a lot more points." (BSU, HSA)

"Shoot, they could have had a lot more points." (AP)


Giving credit to Boise State, Mack said:
"I give all the credit to Boise State. I think they deserve the ranking they have. That's the best team we have played. They are what they are advertised. Offensively, defensively, they are as advertised." (BSU)

"They're what they're advertised as." (HSA)


About how Boise State played well, Mack said:
"They're just a good football team. I give them all the credit. The quarterback was hot. The receivers are great. The offensive line is the toughest we've faced. Defensively, nobody has shut us down like that." (BSU, IS)

"The quarterback was hot. The receivers are great. The offensive line is the toughest we've faced." (HSA)

"Nobody has shut us down like that." (HSA)


About how they didn't execute well, Mack said:
"We're going to have to look at the films and see what our execution was like. It wasn't very good, but I'm not so sure that Boise State didn't have something to do with that." (BSU)

"We're going to have to look at the film and see what our execution was like. It wasn't very good. But I'm not so sure that Boise State didn't have something to do with that." (AP)


Praising Alex Dunnachie's punting in the game, Mack said:
"They outplayed us in all phases.But our punter had a great game." (HSA)


About how Boise State did not lose any timing during their bye week, Mack said:
"They had a bye, and I didn't think it hurt their timing at all. Kellen Moore was right on the money." (BSU)


About how Boise State took Greg Salas out of their offense, Mack said:
"Without playing Kealoha (Pilaraes), it left us one short. They did take (Greg) Salas away, which, that's what I would do too if we don't have Kealoha." (BSU)


About holding Pilares out of this game, Mack said:
"I didn't want to take a chance on screwing him up. During warm-ups, it started tightening up on him. I said, 'Heck, with it. A game isn't worth screwing up a guy's future.'" (HSA)


About how they converted just 3 out of 14 3rd downs, Mack said;
"We didn't play third down well at all. They outplayed us in all phases." (HSA)


About how BSU's defense focused on Salas and single covered their outside receivers, Offensive Coordinator Nick Rolovich said:
"They were very aware of Salas. They gave (us) a lot of stuff to the outside guys." (HSA)


About how BSU's DEs dominated and took them out of their game plan by eliminating all long routes, Mack said:
"We couldn't get into our game plan because their defensive ends are such good rushers. Any type of long route, we're not going to get it off." (IS)


Looking forward to putting this game behind him, Defensive Coordinator Dave Aranda said:
"It was one of those days. Soon, it will be over with. It's time to put this day to bed." (HSA)


About how nothing they tried worked, Aranda said:
"I've been in games, where no matter what you try, it's not successful. This was one of those games." (HSA)

"No matter what we did, we couldn't make any plays. We tried a couple of different things. A zone. A man. A pressure. We weren't executing." (HSA)


About how they expected BSU to go no-huddle, Aranda said:
"We thought they would try a no-huddle (offense)." (HSA)


-------------------  Quotes from the UH players  ----------------------

About how the crowd was a factor in the game, Bryant Moniz said:
"With the silent count, (the Boise defenders) got that extra beat on us. And even in the huddle, guys got the wrong calls." (HSA)

"The crowd made it hard to get a good jump off the snap." (HSA)


About how BSU made things difficult for their offense, Moniz said:
"They did their homework. They made it hard to get to our slots. They disguised their pressures very well and noise was a big factor." (HSA, IS)


About BSU's pass rush (7 sacks), Moniz said:
"There was a lot of pressure. They made it tough for us to get into a rhythm." (HSA)


About how the loud crowd forced them to go to a silent count, which forced their tackles to watch the snap. center Bronson Tiwanak said:
"it's hard for them to get out (of their stance) quickly." (HSA)


About how BSU "mixed things up" with their blitz tendencies, Alex Green said:
"They like to blitz a lot, but it was nothing we hadn't seen. But sometimes the down and yards were not what we expected. We expected blitz on third down, but they came on first and second down." (HSA)


About how BSU's defense stopped them from doing what they normally do, Green said:
"They did a really good job of containing us. The D-line played hard and got to the quarterback a lot. It was hard for us to make plays. We couldn't do what we usually do." (HSA)


About how nickel back Winston Venable would bump him off his route and then release him to a safety in zone coverage, Greg Salas said;
"They had a guy re-route me, and another guy on (deep coverage). It was very frustrating." (HSA)


About how he had tightness in his hamstring during warmups, Kealoha Pilares said:
"I tried to sprint, and I felt I tweaked it again. It felt sore. I knew I couldn't go 100 percent." (HSA)


About how he is able to reduce the defense's attention on Greg Salas, Pilares said:
"In this offense, everyone works together." (HSA)


About how they missed Kealoha Pilares, Rodney Bradley said:
"You definitely feel the absence. Things aren't the same (without Pilares)." (HSA)


About how they won the turnover battle, Corey Paredes said:
"You figure.  (Forcing turnovers) obviously correlated with our wins. We got turnovers today, we tried to get the ball in the offense's hands." (HSA)


About why they did not blitz much in the game, Mana Silva said:
"We just wanted to play our coverages and get pressure with our front four." (HSA)


About how their defense did not execute, Silva (who had 2 INTs and 13 tackles in the game) said:
"They did a good job executing what they do well. I thought we came out ready to play. We just didn't execute what we needed to do." (HSA)

Note: Silva now had 13 interceptions at UH, tied for the school career record.  His 7 interceptions this season leads the country


About how they couldn't sack Kellen Moore, DE Kamalu Umu said:
"He just avoids you. When we got a good pass rush, we couldn't get him. He was always one step ahead." (HSA)


About how their game plan was to take away Moore's primary receiver on each play, LB Aaron Brown said:
"You take away his first read, and he'll go to the second read, and the third read and the fourth read." (HSA)


--------------  Quotes from the Boise State coaches -----------------


Happy with how his team played, head coach Chris Petersen said:
"We are [feeling really good about it]. It was a complete team effort. All three phases were good. We have tremendous respect for Hawai'i, they are playing great. We just happened to be hitting on all cylinders today and I'm glad, because we need to do that to do what we want to do." (BSU)

"It was a complete team effort. All three phases were good. We have tremendous respect for Hawaii. We just happened to be hitting on all cylinders today and I'm glad, because we need to do that to do what we want to do." (AP)

"We have tremendous respect for Hawaii — they are playing great. We just happened to be hitting on all cylinders today, and I'm glad, because we need to do that to do what we want to do." (HSA)


About how he didn't expect their defense to do that well, Petersen said:
"To hold that offense down and get as many sacks as we did, that was much-needed and unexpected." (IS)


About how he didn't expect a blowout win but he knew his players were up for the game, Petersen said:
"I certainly didn't think that would happen going into it. I know this, though: Our guys were ready to play." (IS)

About using DE Ryan Winterswyk at TE in this game (2 of BSU's TEs are out with injury), Petersen said:
"We may get Ryan more involved. Ryan's a heck of an athlete. He can do it and he's smart. Because of our numbers there, we may start to build on his package a little bit." (IS)


About how first-year Defensive Coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski has done well since Tennessee hired away their DC from last season, Petersen said:
"We didn't miss a beat from day one." (IS)


About using a no huddle offense in this game, Petersen said:
"We've been dabbling and experimenting. It was pretty clean…it's hard when you don't major in that. It's a little bit outside of who we are. Sometimes we go back and forth between who we are and someone else. But we like it. You can see it took a little bit to get into a rhythm early on with a couple false starts. But it is something that we like and something we want to continue to build on." (BSU)

"We always have no huddle a couple times a year that's not a two-minute drill for us. We've been dabbling and experimenting and it was pretty clean. It's hard when you don't major in that. It's a little outside of who we are so sometimes we go back and forth from being who we are and someone else. I like it." (AO)

"It was pretty clean. It's hard when you don't major in that. It's a little bit outside of who we are. ... It is something that we like and something that we want to continue to build on." (IS)

"It just kind of presented itself. We had a few extra days to prepare for it." (HSA)

"We've been dabbling and experimenting. It was pretty clean. ... It's hard when you don't major in that." (HSA)


About using the no-huddle offense to limit UH's defensive adjustments, offensive coordinator Brian Harsin said:
"I think Hawaii does such a good job of mixing up looks. They do such a good job of giving you a variety." (HSA)

"I think Hawaii does such a good job of mixing up looks. They do such a good job of giving you a variety. It's hard to get a bead on them." (IS)


About how future opponents will now have to prepare for the possibility that they will use a no-huddle offense, Harsin said:
"I think it's a good changeup for us to have in there and something we can continue to build and still keep the stuff that we do with the movement and those types of things. We can keep that variety in there for other teams to look at." (IS)


About how he always feels dread and doubt in the minutes before kickoff on game days, first-year Defensive Coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski said:
"The stress is all self-induced." (IS)


About holding UH to 196 yards of total offense, the fewest UH had since 1998 (before JJ), Kwiatkowski said:
"There's no way I was going to say or believe we would be able to shut them down like that. Today was our day." (IS)


About replacing his pre-game nerves with relief and a sense of satisfaction, Kwiatkowski said:
"I want us to be as good as we should be." (IS)


-------------  Quotes from the Boise State players  -------------------


About how they sped up their offense in this game, Kellen Moore said:
"It was nice to get that no huddle going. Obviously I think everyone knows I love the thing. It just kind of presented itself. We had a few extra days to prepare for it, be able to rep in that no huddle situation and get guys more comfortable with it.  I love the quick tempo. You get completions. If you screw up you have about five or six seconds to think about it then you move on. It's just attacking on offense. You have to keep getting after that defense." (BSU)

"I love the quick tempo and you just get completions. If you screw up you have about five to ten seconds to think about it and then you have to move on.  It's just an attacking offense and we just have to keep getting after that defense." (AO, IS)

"I love the quick tempo. You get completions. If you screw up, you have about 5 or 6 seconds to think about it, then you move on. It's just attacking on offense. You have to keep getting after that defense." (HSA)

"I love the quick tempo. It's just an attacking offense." (IS)

"Obviously I think everyone knows I love the thing. We had a few extra days to prepare for it, be able to rep in that no-huddle situation and get guys more comfortable with it." (IS)

"The tempo helps get the defense into more base coverages and base defenses. They don't have time to throw in their unique blitzes and things like that when they only have a short few seconds to call plays." (HSA, IS)


About setting the school record with 85 career TD passes, Moore said:
"It is a pretty cool deal. Being in the QB room, recognizing all of the past quarterbacks that played here and played really well; you're held to a very high standard here when you're playing quarterback. [The records] are something I might realize a little bit more later, but it's just been an awesome time." (BSU, IS)

"It's a pretty cool deal being in the QB room and recognizing and all the past quarterbacks that player here, played very well. All the quarterbacks here are held to a very high standard.  It's probably something I'll realize a little bit later, but it's been an awesome time." (AO)

"It's a pretty cool deal. The records are something I might realize a little bit more later." (AP)


About his 2 interceptions in this game, doubling his season total, Moore said:
"Stupid throws on my part. Sometimes you're maybe feeling a little too confident." (IS)


About how it was important for them to play well against a good opponent on ESPN, Moore said:
"Today was a big game with a big opponent with the TV exposure. It was our opportunity to show our best brand of football, and I think we played pretty well." (AP)


About how they knew that UH had the momentum from a 6-game winning streak, Moore said:
"We were well aware of the momentum they were carrying into this game. It was our job to get after them early and see what happens." (IS)


Praising Austin Pettis (8 receptions for 122 yards and a TD), who broke the Boise State record for career receptions (196), Moore said:
"Big time receiver who is very reliable. I'm really fortunate to have these wide receivers surrounding me. They make great plays. I trust them and they trust me and I think everything works very well. Austin has come up with big play after big play throughout his career and we are still expecting a few more." (AO)


Praising Kellen Moore and how he ran their no-huddle offense, Austin Pettis said:
"He's so smart and he could call all of those plays himself if he really wanted to. When you dumb it down for the defense and they can't do as much because we're snapping the ball so quick, it makes it that much easier for him to read the defense and get the ball out quick." (IS)


About how the emergence of Tyler Shoemaker as a 3rd WR threat has helped their offense, Austin Pettis said:
"There's not many teams around the nation that have three receivers who can go out night-in and night-out and make some plays like we've been doing the past couple weeks. It's helping our offense out by opening up things and then you put Doug in the backfield and you've got a headache for d-coordinators. (Shoemaker) stepping up took a lot of pressure off me and Titus (Young), and I think Kellen as well." (AO)

"Not many teams have three receivers who can go out night after night and make plays like we have the past couple of games." (IS)


IS Note: "The no-huddle also emphasized the Broncos' strength at wide receiver — Pettis, Tyler Shoemaker (five catches, 117 yards) and Young (five, 99) were outstanding — and minimized the loss of two tight ends to injury.


About how their secondary proved themselves in this game, George Iloka said:
"Hopefully we silenced the critics for one more week. I felt like we did a pretty good job out there. The d-line was getting after it for four quarters, and it really helped us out a lot. But I feel like we played well the whole game." (BSU)


Asked how he felt they did in the game, Iloka said:
"It felt good…the d-line was doing their thing and the secondary was back there confusing them. It felt good, that an offense of that caliber, you could shut them out all the way into the fourth quarter." (BSU)


About their success rushing the passer in this game, Shea McClellin said:
"I think it was pretty big for our defense. The [defensive backs] had coverage so we were able to get there. When we got pressure they were able to break it up." (BSU)

"In the second half, the O-line just couldn't handle us." (IS)


About being able to keep UH's offense from scoring much, McClellin said:
"We knew they would get yards coming in here. We just had to not let them score. That was our main thing." (BSU, HSA)


Happy with how they played on offense and defense, McClellin said:
"If our offense and defense dominate on the same day, it's a really cool thing to see." (IS)


---------------  Other quotes from the game  --------------


About 12-year-old Stephen Kinsey (battling non-Hodgkin lymphoma), who was a BSU coach for a day during the game as his wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Petersen said:
"I just want to start by thanking Stephen and his family for being here. He's good luck for the Broncos." (AO)


IS Note: "The Broncos and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Idaho gave 12-year-old Stephen Kinsey of San Antonio a one-of-a-kind experience the past three days — one that took his mind off his cancer and the burglars who ransacked the family home last month.  Stephen, who wanted to be a coach for a day at Boise State, spent Friday and Saturday with the Broncos."


Talking with his Dad (Bryan) midway through the second quarter, Stephen said:
"I don't want it to end." (IS)


About how they did all they could to make the weekend special for Stephen, Barb Petersen (Chris Petersen's wife, a Make-A-Wish volunteer and a wish parent herself) said:
"We just wanted to make it as great as we could make it. It's fun to see him be a celebrity this weekend because he's going to be going through a lot over the next few years." (IS)


IS Note: "The tumor couldn't be removed. It was intertwined with too many nerves. He started chemotherapy on Christmas Day — and another problem popped up. Unbeknownst to his parents, one of Stephen's kidneys had killed the other."


About the condition of her son, Betsy said:
"The cancer cells are still there. The tumor is smaller." (IS)


About the chemo and everything else he's going through, Stephen said:
"It hasn't been easy, but it's getting easier." (IS)


IS Note: "Stephen's cancer was particularly painful to the family because his siblings also face medical challenges. Bethany, 9, has a pacemaker because her heart would stop and she'd pass out. She also has diabetes. Jonathan, 5, has a pacemaker and the same rare ailment as his sister, as well as asthma."


About dealing with all of the adversity they have had, Betsy (who home-schools her kids) said:
"When Bethany got her pacemaker. I said, 'God can do whatever he wants to my kids, I just want him to let me keep my kids.' So far, he's done some things to my kids, but he's let me keep them. That's all I want.  We definitely have our days where it's, 'Are you flippin' kidding me?' " (IS)


About how Stephen fell for BSU (and its blue turf) in 2002 when he was 4 years old, his Dad Bryan said:
"Boise State is our team. This is our team that we share together." (IS)


About how he wears a beat-up, gray BSU hat even though he has a newer hat, Bryant said:
"I wear this one everywhere. I don't want people to think I'm a bandwagon jumper. I call it the pre-Oklahoma fans." (IS)



IS Note: "The Petersens have a history with Make-A-Wish. Their youngest son, 12-year-old Sam, took a wish trip to SeaWorld and LegoLand in the San Diego area in 2006. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor when he was 1 and took his trip when he was old enough to have input in the destination."


About the importance of this weekend to Stephen's family, Barb Petersen said:
"It's just such a break, and a chance to get away from all the weight of what they're going through and they can just play and have fun and put everything else on hold." (IS)


About how BSU did an amazing job for Stephen, Berry said:
"This is above and beyond, I have to say. That's what makes it so cool." (IS)


IS Note: "The Kinseys arrived in Boise on Thursday to find a welcoming committee at the airport, a digital billboard honoring Stephen along the freeway and a hotel room stuffed full of all things blue and orange."


About their welcome on Thursday, Bryan said:
"If tomorrow and the next day are a tenth of what today was, that will be unreal." (IS)


IS Note: "AmeriTel Inns provided the accommodations — and did a little shopping, too. The two-bedroom suite was decorated with Boise State bed linens for the kids, blue-and-orange towels, Boise State-themed cookies, sodas and candy and a collection of banners — all of it for the Kinseys to take home."


About how he wanted to be able to enter the room after they took pictures of it, Stephen said:
"Is that enough?  I want to go in." (IS)


About their BSU-themed room, Stephen said:
"I might just want to stay here for the whole trip." (IS)


About the happiness Stephen is having this weekend, Betsy said:
"He way, way deserves it." (IS)


IS Note: "On Oct. 29, burglars hit the Kinsey home. They took family heirloom jewelry, the kids' video games and the 50-inch TV. They left behind a mess of trash, apparently using the garbage cans to haul away the loot."


About being robbed on October 29, Betsy said:
"I guess we had a blue-light special going that day." (IS)


IS Note: "Stephen and Bryan went to lunch with quarterbacks Kellen Moore, Joe Southwick and Mike Coughlin. They attended the quarterbacks meeting. They hung out in the locker room. And they watched the Broncos' light practice, where Stephen played catch on the sideline with Sam."


About how their QBs hung out with Stephen on Friday, Kellen Moore said:
"It was an awesome experience. We were just really trying to understand, what's this love for Boise State? Just a neat kid, soft-spoken, quiet. We understand he's going through some tough times, but at the same time he's enjoying this." (IS)


About the helmet that BSU gave Stephen that is autographed by the entire team, Bryan said:
"He's holding onto that for dear life." (IS)


IS Note: "All day, players addressed Stephen as "Coach Kinsey." And at the end of practice, he broke the team huddle with "Go Broncos!" "


About how Stephen was treated as a part of the team all day on Friday, Bryan said:
"It's not anything like we could have ever imagined. It's like a million times better." (IS)


IS Note: "The Kinseys arrived at Bronco Stadium by limo Saturday. They joined the coaches' wives' tailgate party. And Stephen and Bryan spent a large chunk of the warm-ups chatting with Petersen at midfield.

Then Stephen provided one of the most spine-tingling moments in Bronco Stadium history.

With the fog machine shrouding the field to the 15-yard line, Stephen walked hand-in-hand with defensive end Shea McClellin, who led the team out of the tunnel with the Hammer.

Stephen held a mallet — a miniature version of the Hammer. The rest of the Broncos spilled onto the field around Stephen."


About Stephen holding a mallet to lead the team onto the field before the game, Kellen Moore said:
"That was probably the coolest thing ever. It was a special moment." (IS)


About how he couldn't run with the team so he tried to stay out of their way as they ran onto the field, Stephen said:
"I was like, 'I can't run that fast,' " (IS)


IS Note: "Stephen spent the game on the Broncos' sideline, wearing a white polo (with "Kinsey" embroidered on it) and khakis — just like the coaches."


IS Note: "At Friday's quarterbacks meeting, offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin asked Stephen to name his favorite offensive style. His response: No-huddle. The Broncos, coincidentally, installed a larger-than-usual package of no-huddle plays for Saturday's game. They used it almost exclusively in the first half."


About how they executed their no-huddle offense for Stephen, offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin said:
"We executed for him. There's definitely more motivation from the group being around him in our meetings." (IS)


Proud of how his players do community service and how they react to special situations like with Stephen, Chris Petersen said:
"I don't think anybody since I've been here has been around us like that. Our players always surprise me sometimes how hard they play, but it also surprises me the job that they do at events and with community service and certainly with special situations like this." (IS)


About what he thinks about BSU, Bryan said:
"Oh, they're No. 1. Hands down. In all aspects." (IS)

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/11/06/1408413/wish-comes-true-on-the-blue.html


KHON Note: "Colt Brennan and Benny Agbayani were among the UH fans who showed up to Barefoot League in Kapahulu to watch the Warriors take on Boise State."


Before the game, Colt Brennan said about UH:
"Hawaii is a great football team and hopefully they can kind of spark something." (KHON)


About the slow start UH had in the game, Colt said:
"Obviously it's not the way we wanted to start the game." (KHON)