Football: Ken Hatfield's Monday Quotes
11/8/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
"It was a tough day overall. They ran the ball very effectively, which opened up what little passing they did do. We just couldn't get off our blocks and couldn't tackle good enough to hold them."
On the Rice injuries "Injuries make a big difference. You take away a fullback who has been very dominant for us all year in Jamie Tyler, but it was good to have Clint Leschber back. Those things just happen. It has been one of those years that the season has taken it's toll. Seven road games out of 10 up to this point, and the travel can takes its toll.
"At the same time, other players have to step up and play. It never helps to lose great players like Dan Dawson or Tyler. Losing Corey Evans at quarterback hurt. If we had had Corey as a good backup, we might have been able to keep Chad fresher. Instead, it's been a real credit to Chad that he's been able to well enough to play in all the games."
On the UTEP game "The (loss to Tulsa was) a weird situation. They have two good quarterbacks, they're moving the ball and (head coach) Charlie Bailey thinks this is the best offense they've ever had. Their running back (Paul Smith) is going to set all kinds of records; he and (defensive end) Brian Young are all-America candidates. They have a lot of talent and they've won some big games over the year. They're disappointed in their (Tulsa) game because it was a home game.
"I'm more concerned about what we'll do in this game, how we'll come back for our seniors. They've given an awful lot to the school and they've played well for four years."
On the WAC race "This is kind of where we were in our first year here in '94. We had to go out and beat Houston, and then have an upset, which happened, which enabled us to tie for the championship. We have to win our game, then root hard for Hawaii Saturday night.
"This is Hawaii's last conference game. Fresno has another one and TCU and two more. Hawaii knows they're playing for a tie of the championship at home. We just want to be in a position to get a tie out of it too, but we have to win our game. That's all that matters right now."
