University of Tennessee Athletics
Postgame Quotes
October 05, 2003 | Football
Oct. 5, 2003
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TENNESSEE HEAD COACH Phillip Fulmer
"Obviously, this is not what we wanted. I have to compliment Auburn, they are a great team. They came ready to play tonight and they played well. We knew that they would run the ball. They rushed better, obviously, than what we had prepared for. I am proud of our football team, but we can't spot 14 points and expect to win, especially in the opponents house.
"Offensively, we didn't play to what we are capable of. Defensively, we didn't play to what we are capable of. I take full responsibility. We never got in sync tonight. We worked well all week and I though we were prepared. In the end, we were too nice to Auburn (by giving them penalty yards)."
TENNESSEE PLAYER QUOTES
DE Constantine Ritzman
"We did not come out and play like we wanted to. Coming in, we thought we could hold them to fewer points than we did. We just have to put this one behind us and go out on the practice field and get ready for Georgia."
On Carnell Williams:
"When we came out, I don't think his abilities really surprised us. It's hard to say what really caught us off guard. There is no doubt that they have some of the best running backs in the country."
LB Robert Peace
"They were bigger and more physical than us tonight. We just have to spend the rest of the season taking care of business. If we do so, we could have a rematch."
On improving:
"We just have to go out to practice on Monday and do the best we can to fix things, just continue to work harder and harder. We are not going to give up. This is just one game."
DE Turk McBride
On the comeback:
"We did things we thought we could to stay focused throughout the game. We don't feel we played a bad three quarters, but we really stepped up in the fourth to comeback."
On bouncing back:
"I think we have to work hard to bounce back. We're not going to look back at this game, just look forward to Georgia and the rest of the season."
CB Rashad Baker
"It was a tough game. In the first half they put it to us. Defensively, we didn't do what we needed to do. But I feel we stepped up in the second half. It just wasn't enough.
On the stop that led to the missed field goal in the first half:
"I think we made some good plays on defense to stop the drive. It just helped our offense get on the board.
Casey Clausen, QB
?"We played a great team.? We didn't need to spot them 14 points.? We knew it was going to be tough coming back, but we never gave up.? I was proud of the team at the end of the game."
(On the INT at the end of the game)
"I threw a cross route to Mark (Jones) and he had a jump on it, and I thought I had him.? The defender (Carlos Rogers) made a good play.
On being down 14-0:
"The biggest thing I told them that it was a four quarter game.? The game has its highs and lows, and I told them to stay in the game.? The defense did a heck of a job to keep Auburn from scoring.? The first half we didn't make any plays and that made the second half tougher."
Cedric Houston, RB
?"We finished the game good, but we had a terrible start.? We didn't get it going, and when we did it was too late.?
On AU's Defense:
"They did a good job of disguising their blitzes.? Their defensive line is one great line and they have quick linebackers.
On UT's running game:
"We had to throw the ball because we got down quick.? We needed to make big plays with big catches for the passing game to get the running game going.? As you see, the running game never did."
Scott Wells, C
(On Casey Clausen's leadership):? "He kept our minds in the game the entire time.? We knew he could lead us to victory.? After we started running the no-huddle, we were going to come back and win in overtime and Casey made us believe that."
AUBURN HEAD COACH TOMMY TUBERVILLE
"Obviously we've improved over the last month. We played hard. We dominated the line of scrimmage in the first half.? Our offensive line played well and our defensive tackles played well. We did a great job overall on offense. I'm proud of the team, they stayed positive. They stayed focused. Overall, it was a tremendous football game for us."
"We still have a lot of work to do. The biggest thing right now is guys getting confidence.? I take my hat off to our offensive coaches. This is probably the best job we've done on offense in the last two years."
"Our offensive line dominated in the first half. We've got a long way to go. We just need to get better and better, but this is a good starting point."
"We didn't make good adjustments on their crossing routes. We need to make some adjustments. We did a good job of blitzing. We need to work on making adjustments and keep a lead because we almost let this one get away."
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Carnell Williams, TB
"Tennessee has a great tradition with a lot of great running backs.? I had a great opportunity out of high school to go there and play for a great coaching staff.? Auburn felt like home.? Tonight made this win feel so much more special.?
"Our offensive line protected for me great, and they opened up a lot of holes.? If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have had a great night.? With their protection up front, it made it a lot easier to run.? I can't say enough about our offensive line."
Jason Campbell, QB
"We wanted to come out and have a good start.? We gained a lot of momentum in the opening quarter.? We knew after the first quarter all we had to do was play hard and execute.? We did that, and it feels great to beat a top 10 team.
"I have been working hard to prove that I can compete with the top quarterbacks in the nation.? Tonight, I proved that and my wide receivers made great catches for me.? Hopefully, we can keep working hard, and we can all get the credit we deserve."
Cole Bennett, TE
(On his TD catch):? "I was wide-open.? I told Jason (Campbell) to just throw it.? Cooper (Wallace) did a great job of blocking and allowing me to get so wide open.? Jason made a perfect throw, and the rest is history."
Karlos Dansby, LB
"It was our game plan to take away the run.? When we did that, they came out in the second half and (Casey) Clausen was making changes at the line.? We had to make adjustments to stop the pass and try to get big turnovers.? Carlos Rogers ended up getting the big one."
Carlos Rogers, DB
(On his fourth quarter interception):? "I just read the route.? They have been running that the entire second half.? The inside guy would cut in and the outside guy would run a curl.? When I saw the quarterback look at him (WR Mark Jones), I was ready to make the pick."
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