Quotes from the UH-CSU game

HA = Honolulu Advertiser
HSB = Honolulu Star-Bulletin
AP = Associated Press
CSU = Official site for CSU Athletics (http://csusports.athleticsite.com)

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Quotes from the UH Coaches

Happy to get the win, JJ said:
"Glad to get out of there with a win. There were a lot of good things, but we were a little rough early." (HA)

About how Colt could have played but he didn't want to risk injuring his ankle, JJ said:
"I could tell he was ready to play and wanted to play but I just told him I'm not going to play you unless we need you." (AP)

About how this win was "ugly", JJ said:
"That's because our expectations are higher than they have ever been." (AP)

About the 2 TDs in the 2nd half before the offense even got a chance to play, JJ said:
"Very big. It's a team game. It felt like a 21-20 game." (HSB)

About how he thought about putting Colt in to start the 2nd half, JJ said:
"I was concerned if he had to run around and hurt it again. But I could tell he was ready to play." (HSB)

Note: I actually discussed during the 2nd quarter and halftime that if Colt was going to be inserted in the game it would be to start the 2nd half, but then the 2 TDs scored before the offense got to play ended any thought of that.


About Tyler's play in the game, QB coach Dan Morrison said:
"He took a little while to get into rhythm. Coach (June Jones) was going to allow him to work his way through that and he did. I think he ended up more confident toward the end. There was nothing unusual about the coverages it was just about him settling down, seeing things, just relaxing and go play." (HSB)


About how their D is getting used to his system and how the D is improving, GM said:
"I think they're more comfortable, and having fun playing and not thinking so much. I think they're getting better, which is more important than the wins and losses." (HA)

Proud of their players, GM said:
"I was proud of the guys. We needed to make plays, and they made plays." (HA)

About how he told his players at halftime that they needed to get more turnovers to score or set up scores, GM said:
"We needed to score and set up scores. We had possible interceptions that were dropped and fumbles that weren't recovered in the first half, and I knew we could do better." (HA)

About getting the turnovers, GM said:
"We have been just missing takeaways. Balls were going off our hands, but it was good to get them tonight." (HSB)

Note: In UH's first 3 games, their D got 4 turnovers...in this game they got 4 turnovers.

About Adam Leonard's 36-yard INT return for a TD, GM said:
"I think that was the game-breaker." (HA)

About their revised nickel package, GM said:
"It put speed on the field, and that makes a difference." (HA)

HA Note: "When the Warriors took a sizeable lead, forcing the Buccaneers into passing situations, they went to their revised nickel defense. Ryan Mouton became the nickelback, defending the inside receivers, and four pass-rushers — David Veikune, Amani Purcell, Francis Maka and John Fonoti — formed the defensive line."


About how their defense picked up the team this game, Jeff Reinbold said:
"To have the opportunity to put points on the board and have them turn the ball over and defend bad field position — all the things you need to do to be a good defense — we did those things tonight. Hopefully, that will give us confidence going into the conference schedule and the games where we're going to have to be better against better teams. On good football teams, one side of the football team will play good enough long enough for the other side to get its feet under itself, and I think that's what happened tonight." (HA)


Quotes from the UH players

About the early boos and chant for Colt to play, Tyler said:
"That's cool. As long as I win them back. I know these people will have my back. When I'm not doing good, I expect them to let me know. I've got their back as long as they've got mine." (HA)

"When I'm out there, I'm in the zone. I didn't hear any fans booing. I didn't hear anything going on." (AP, HA)

"I was in the zone." (HSB)

HA Note: "On Friday, head coach June Jones told reporters that Brennan, who had been on crutches and then in a shin-high medical boot, would start. But that night, he summoned Graunke, privately announcing him as the starter."


About how JJ told him he would start the night before the game, Tyler said:
"(Jones) was quick to the point. He told me I was going to play. I got myself ready." (HA)

About how he was shaky at first but settled down later in the game, Tyler said:
"I settled down finally. I followed my reads. I was a little shaky at first, but I expected that. I didn't expect to come out and be Colt or anything. I wasn't trying to be. I was trying to be myself. I settled down and worked the offense." (HA)

"I wasn't really hitting my targets but I finally settled down when the coach told me I could do it." (AP)

"It was frustrating at first. I wasn't really throwing balls the way I know how to throw them, and my head was kind of spinning a little quicker than it should have. I settled down and started throwing some good balls. I'm not happy with my performance, but as long as we get the win that's the main thing." (HSB)

About how he had to adjust to playing with the first-team WRs, Tyler said:
"There's definitely a difference in timing with the receivers, in what kind of routes they run. I'm still not used to these guys. I see them in practice every day, but I don't run with them everyday in practice. There's a big difference. But I gotta step in and do better than that. I just have to be me out there. I can't impress everybody, be Colt or anything like that. It's just a matter of making plays is what it comes down to it." (HA)

About the encouragement he got from former slotback Jason Ferguson, Tyler said:
"He told me just be me. It's great having him on our sideline." (HSB)

Happy to get to start the game, Tyler said:
"I had fun out there ... to settle down and finally do my thing." (HA)

"I couldn't wait to get out there and show what I've got." (HSB)

About how the 2 TDs in the 2nd half before he even got on the field gave him confidence, Tyler said:
"That was huge. I look at the scoreboard at halftime and I think we're in a game, and then it's 35-10 before I go in. They gave me so much confidence. I kept putting my helmet on and having to take it off again." (HSB)

"The second half I was more calm than I'd ever been. I wasn't even thinking twice about it. I'd look at the coverage and know where I was going to go with the ball -- see what happened and adjust from there." (HSB)

About the high expectations for their offense, Tyler said:
"I feel like there's a lot of expectations -- not just from the fans, but from us, the coaching staff and us as an offense. We expect to put up points on anybody." (HSB)


About being told by JJ the morning of the game that Tyler would start, Colt said:
"I could've played, but I understand. It's a great move and it's going to help Tyler and the team so much the next time he starts, whether it's this year or next." (HSB)

About having to sit out the game, Colt said:
"It sucks. I don't ever want to be in that position again." (HA)

"It was a decision we made together." (HA)

"I wanted to rest it because even though it felt better, if I didn't get a chance to rest it then, it would've been sore all week and maybe sore the rest of the year." (HA)

"When it came down to it I was ready to go, but Coach Jones didn't want to use me if he didn't have to and they didn't need me. They sure didn't need me." (HSB)

About how he had hope that he would play vs. CSU, Colt (who said he had no pain or swelling in his ankle when he woke up Saturday morning) said:
"I was questionable because we didn't know how my ankle was going to heal up. It felt good, and I could have played. But coach Jones said there was no reason to use me and get that ankle any worse." (HA)

About how he threw passes during warmups and lobbied to play by running sprints behind the UH bench, Colt said:
"I don't know if it was more stressful playing or sitting out." (HA)

About how Tyler was rusty to start the game, Colt said:
"He was a little rusty at first. He needed to get comfortable, and he did, and it was all good from there. He's a veteran. He needed to keep his nerves settled. But he knows the offense, and he's a great quarterback, we knew he would be all right." (HA)

About his confidence in his team to succeed without him in the game, Colt said:
"It's a team game. Obviously, the team came in and stepped up, gave Tyler some confidence and Tyler was able to come in and (do) some good things in the second half." (HA)

"That's just doing what they do. Tyler stepped up and did a great job." (HSB)

About how all phases of their team contributed to this win, Colt said:
"Tonight we showed we're a great team. Not just a great offense, but a great team." (HSB)


About his 16-yard TD run, where he made a number of good cuts, Pilares said:
"That's from practicing on the video games. You see that on the video games, and you go out there and try to mimic it." (HA)


Praising Tyler, RGM said:
"Tyler did a good job. We just had to make plays." (HA)


About their first half struggles, C.J. Hawthorne said:
"It was nothing they were doing that was stopping us, it was us stopping ourselves." (HSB)

Feeling that he's improving as the season goes along, Hawthorne said:
"I believe every game is progressively getting better for me. So I'm excited." (HSB)


About his fumble recovery, which he returned for 9 yards, Patek said:
"They tried to run some sort of trick play, but they lost control of the ball and it just ended up in my hands." (HA)

"I thought I had a touchdown. I saw the guy in the corner of my eye. I tried to stop, to do a little Reggie Bush thing, but I'm not that athletic." (HA)

About their slow start, Patek said:
"We knew we just had to shake it off and come back strong. We weren't worried, but we told ourselves that we couldn't let them score anymore. We had chances for take-aways, but we didn't come away with the ball." (HA)


About his INT that set up another UH score when the game was just 14-7, Desmond Thomas said:
"We needed a turnover. Our offense was doing good, but they had a slow start. Our defense needed some turnovers, and that jump-started it. It was like an avalanche." (HA)

HA Note: "Against an opponent that employs a no-huddle, spread offense, the Warriors unveiled their 45 defense, which resembles a nickel defense except the four starting defensive linemen are not replaced by speed-rushers. In this scheme, Thomas enters as a safety, replacing linebacker Brad Kalilimoku, and safety Keao Monteilh becomes the nickelback aligned as a linebacker."


About lining up as LB in their new 45 defense, Monteilh said:
"It's a different role for me. We have a feel of what linebackers go through, trying to read and take on blocks. I can't complain. I know what they go through." (HA)


About his kickoff return for a TD to start the 2nd half, Ryan Mouton said:
"I'm always one block away. I got that block." (HA)

"The blockers have done a great job all season, but we've been one man away from breaking it for a while now. This time we got that man and I had a lane the whole way." (HSB)

About his right knee injury from later in the 2nd half, Mouton said:
"I just had someone roll up on it. It's not a big deal." (HSB)


About his determination to get a TD on his INT return, Adam Leonard said:
"At the end of the day, when you see the end zone so close, you don't want anything to stop you. That was just my will." (HA)

About the tough catch he made for his INT, Adam said:
"I've been working in ball drills with the receivers, and it paid off. It felt like second nature." (HSB)

About the booing and the chanting for Colt, Adam Leonard said that he was:
"disappointed" (HSB)


About how the team helped out Tyler, Sol Elimimian said:
"We just wanted to help him out by giving him as many chances as possible. We wanted to try and make it easy for him by keeping (the Buccaneers) from scoring and getting him good field position." (HA)


About not starting but getting a lot of playing time, David Veikune said:
"The only thing I don't do is come out of the tunnel and have my name called at the beginning of the game. But I'm cool with that." (HSB)

About his sack that ended a CSU drive and led to UH's 2nd TD, Veikune said:
"I've got to give credit to Karl (Noa) and Amani (Purcell). They were able to force (Byrd) back to the middle, where I could make a play." (HSB)

About his 2nd sack after CSU drove inside their 10-yard line, where Patek recovered a fumble 2 plays later, Veikune said:
"Big plays like that help get the 12th man going. Those are the types of plays that get us ... momentum." (HSB)


About how his playing time depends on what offense the offense uses, Desmond Thomas said about the CSU game:
"Tonight I was in there in a couple plays and probably played about 90 percent of the time. I just want the coaches to be able to depend on me." (HSB)

About how they gave up just 24 points total to UNLV and CSU after giving up 44 to La Tech, Thomas said:
"The LaTech game was a humbling process for us. We know we're a good defense, and we want to show the nation we're a good defense." (HSB)


Praising Galdeira's unstoppable play on special teams, OL and special teams coach Dennis McKnight said:
"He's a spark plug." (HSB)

"He has a knack for it." (HSB)


Asked how many tackles he had on kickoffs vs. CSU, Guyton Galdeira said:
"Just another day at work." (HSB)

"I just do my responsibility. It all depends where they run. It's either going to be me or the guy next to me." (HSB)

About their effort on kickoff coverage, Galdeira said:
"We're just trying to -- every kickoff from the beginning (of the game) to the end, we're trying to get it on film. That way, when the next team looks at it, they know we come hard." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Time after time it was Galdeira, often taking on two blockers, holding his ground, somehow getting a piece of the tackle, after having sprinted for 40 yards, then throwing his body into opponents much bigger than he. No. 18 always seemed to be on the bottom of the pile. A pile he'd created."


Praising Galdeira, Dan Kelly said:
"That's pretty standard. When Guyton doesn't have five or six tackles, that's when I notice. What, is he hurt?" (HSB)

"He and Timo (Paepule) are like the two golden geese." (HSB)


About how his girlfriend attended the game despite contractions between 6 and 8 minutes apart (her due date was yesterday), Josh Leonard said:
"I caught myself looking over into the stands, just checking to see if she was still there." (HA)

Note: They will name their son Blayne.


Quotes from CSU

About how they came to win, CSU coach Jay Mills said:
"We came to win. As a coach you do your team a disservice if you don't have that as a goal. We need - to play at the level we want to play at - raise the bar. This certainly was a team that allowed us to raise the bar." (AP)

"We came to win. I think you do your team a disservice if that's not your motivation. I feel like we came out of the locker (for the second half) with confidence. It (the second half) was a fundamental breakdown, though -- a situation where you're trying so hard that you lose some focus, where your individual action causes friction with what the team is trying to do." (HSB)

"I was disappointed with the way we played in the second half. We came here to win - not just to compete - and I felt like we had a chance coming out of halftime." (CSU)

About how they self-detructed to start the 2nd half, Mills said:
"We just gave up too many big plays. The kickoff return and turning the ball over deep in our own end." (HSB)

"We got hurt badly in that first minute of the third quarter. We self destructed a couple of times right after halftime and obviously never recovered. Hawai'i is too good of a football team to make those kind of mistakes against." (CSU)

Proud that they hung in the game for the first half, Mills said:
"For 30 minutes, we showed that we can play parallel with an outstanding football team. I'm real proud of the team. We came out and competed. I knew they would play hard and clean." (HSB)

"I thought the 60 guys we brought here played valiantly against a terrific opponent. We want this program to be heading towards becoming an FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) power. I see it being only a matter of time before that happens." (CSU)

About Colt missing the game, Mills said:
"That definitely made it difficult for them. (Brennan) is such a great competitor." (HSB)


About how they could have beaten UH if they didn't make their mistakes, QB Eli Byrd said:
"If we could have held strong, I truly believe we could have beaten Hawaii. We expected to beat Hawaii. A couple of mistakes happened, and against a big team like that, there's no room for error. The second half was bad." (HSB)


About how they looked forward to facing UH, safety Josh Warrior (who got the INT on Tyler's first pass) said:
"We use five defensive backs normally, so it kind of plays into our defense, so it was a little comfortable. It was just the speed was a little different." (HA)

Asked if he was disappointed or relieved to face Tyler instead of Colt, Warrior said:
"We knew whichever quarterback was going to be in, it's the system." (HA)

About how he noticed the difference between Colt and Tyler during film study, Warrior said about Tyler:
"He's a good quarterback. But you could tell the maturity of Colt Brennan, on film, that he can make his reads pretty fast." (HA)


About the game, kicker Nick Ellis said:
"The game, I am sure, will get covered by different forms of media in Charleston, but let me be the first to say…the score doesn’t reflect the game. We definitely scared them in the first half. We competed with a top ranked D-I team, for the entire half. After that, however, you can read in the papers." (CSU)