University of Memphis Athletics
Memphis-Tulane Post Game Quotes
Nov 29, 2008 | Football
Nov. 29, 2008
Recap | Final Stats | Notes
Memphis 45, Tulane 6
November 29, 2008
Post Game Quotes
Memphis Head Coach Tommy West
"I'm really proud of our football team for answering. For the first time this year, we played a game without the mistakes involved in it. I've said all along that this is a good football team and capable of being a really good football team if we take out our mistakes and don't help the opponent. Today from start to finish we didn't help them and you see what can happen."
"We told our guys all week that we had to win the game up front. We weren't going to get cute with it. Tulsa had pounded the ball a week ago, and we wanted to do that ourselves. That's what good teams can do. We were able to do it. Early I thought our defense got us a couple of turnovers and that's what kind of separated the game early was the turnovers. Then we scored points off the turnovers."
On finishing strong and becoming bowl eligible
"I wanted to win and would have taken a one-point win if you'd have given it to me yesterday. I think it was important that this bunch of guys played this way. We've had a rollercoaster season; we've had a hard season. Now we created a lot of that by starting 0-3. We put ourselves in a bad hole, but they dug themselves out of it. Then you had to fight all the injuries. It looked like we were getting well and really starting to come together as a team in the Louisville game, and then all we had to do is get our special teams straightened out. But then we lose the quarterbacks against ECU. But they fought a lot, and to get bowl eligible again I think is a credit to them. I'm not going to let anybody make light of it."
On taking control of the game early
"That's what we wanted to do. It's the last game for 25 seniors and a lot of them are playing. It's at our place. We're a big favorite. Come on guys let's do it now. Let's not wait around. Do not leave them in the game. And they (Tulane) are a wounded team; they're hurt. But still anybody is capable if you leave them in it and you start turning over and getting punts blocked and that sort of things. Let's play the way we're capable of playing, and let's go get it right now. At the end of the first quarter I thought unless we do something crazy we're going to win the game."
On becoming bowl eligible for the fifth time in six years
"The good thing is now we expect to go to a bowl. We've created that now. I really believe that. I think this game is created now to the point that this is what we expect. Anything less than that now would be a big disappointment."
Tulane Head Coach Bob Toledo
"We don't have a lot of players with us here; we don't have a lot of healthy players. We're just not a very good football team right now. We turned the ball over, we missed a field goal it was blocked and then missed the extra point that was kicked wide. Then we couldn't stop their offense. It was a combination of things."
"It gets to the point that after 12 games you're beat down so much and you're not as strong as you need to be and not as tough as you need to be. When you play a lot of young people and beat up people, that's what happens. It's a lot easier when you've got a chance to maybe go to a bowl game and you've got something to shoot for than to a team that you have nothing to shoot for. We tried to be a spoiler, but obviously that didn't work."
"We'll have a team meeting on Monday and we'll explain the offseason program at that point. We'll talk to the seniors and let them go. After that, it's get back to work with the younger guys. We've got to get bigger; we've got to get stronger; we've got to get faster; we've got to get tougher, and we've got to do a good job in recruiting."
