Chattanooga Football - Postgame Quotes
Western Carolina at Chattanooga
Finley Stadium - Chattanooga, Tenn.
Oct. 31, 2009
Chattanooga Head Coach Russ Huesman
On the fake field goal early:
"We ran the fake field goal early cause I knew our defense could play well against these guys and we didn't execute it liked we wanted obviously and that hurt us."
On the play of the defense:
"I like how our defense played today. As a matter of fact when I left the field I told the radio guys to mark it down because we are going to win. The reason I felt that way is because I knew our defense could play well in the second half."
In regards to the offense:
"We moved it a couple of times, shot our self in the foot and had some drops again, but any time you have Blue Cooper and B.J. Coleman. We will pitch and catch it to those guys and have a chance to make first downs. Those guys are big time payers."
In regards to Senior WR Blue Cooper:
"If you noticed we didn't do it the same way every time. He was catching the drive routes, he was catching the hitches. The thing I like about Blue [Cooper] is that he catches the ball and gets north. He catches it at four or five [yards] and gets it to seven or eight [yards] every time; he is just a ball player. He had a high ankle sprain after last week. Most people come back after a high ankle sprain after four weeks. He was practicing on Tuesday, tough as nails. I'll take a hundred Blue Coopers any day of the week."
How important was this win?
"It was huge. I think part of it is there was a lot of pressure on our coaches and our players. Feeling like we had to have this game. It was an important win for our program and for the direction of where we want our program to be."
On the sluggish start...
"It really helped their defense, because their defense was playing pretty well. Offensively, I do not know what happened to them. Again, we throw the pick early and hold them to a field goal. Then our offense moved the ball, and missed the fake field goal. We probably get three if we kick it there. We are still not running the ball like we are capable of running it."
"You saw B.J. [Coleman] today. He tucked it and ran for seven or eight on a big third down. He has got to do more of that. He has got to run the ball more whether it is a scramble, sprint, or a naked [boot leg]. The two point play we tried, he probably could have ran it in. He has to learn how to do that and be a factor. He likes to throw it, but we have got to get him to where he is running those [boot] legs. I guarantee it will help us in the running game."
On the play of senior DL Josh Beard and freshman DL Josh Williams:
"Those two guys are good. There is sometime where we tell them to just pin your ears back, make a move and do what you have got to do to get the quarter back. I wish they would do it a bit more on their own but they don't. Those kids can rush a passer, play, and run."
Western Carolina Head Coach Dennis Wagner
Thoughts on the game:
"I thought that offensively we didn't play well in the second half. We had the one touchdown but we didn't move the ball consistently. Their defense stepped up and played really well against us. [Chattanooga] was putting a safety down in the box early in the game, but we still had some opportunities to run it and get behind them. In the second half they didn't do anything different, they just did it better. Defensively we couldn't get off the field. When they got the ball they continued drives and made some big plays. Their last drive really broke our back, I don't know how long it was, but it felt like they had the ball forever."
Thoughts on the difference between the first and second half:
"The big turn-around point in the second half was the botched punt. Because of that they got great field position. We were able to hold them to a field goal, but then we gave the ball back to them and they took it all the way back down the field. You have to take your hat off to them and their execution,that is what their staff has done well all this year. They haven't demanded much out of their team, they have just asked them to play basic football. Their kids believed in what they were doing and they came through."
Thoughts on UTC's third-down conversions:
"A lot of it was just their passing game. They were running some crossing routs and had guys coming out late across the middle. As soon as we would bring another guy down the middle they were hitting the out-routs. I think they did a great job with their play call selection. My hat is off to BJ Coleman, he is an excellent, excellent quarterback. Things went rough for him in the first half and he wasn't playing very well, but he came back at halftime, made adjustments and done a great job."
