Nov. 21, 2004
Recap | Final Stats | Notes
SDSU Head Coach Tom Craft
On the game:
"It's been quite a year for us. We ended the season with a very nice road victory for the seniors at Air Force and then we came back home and got another win. We play our best football when we're at home. I think we are starting to become a home team and I really believe in that.
"I thought we played well tonight. On defense we had (forced) big turnovers. Redshirt freshman Antwan Applewhite had a terrific play (on a fumble recovery) and Blake Lobel, who's had a great year, made another big play (INT return for TD) that was pivotal. Special teams improved in a lot of areas. Tonight, I thought we played off of our defense.
"Overall, it's a win and it gives us a 2-0 record going into spring football."
On the seniors' last game:
"We're going to miss our seniors, particularly on defense - we lose quite a few. (On offense we lose) one in particular who's been here a long time at left tackle, Mike Kracalik and Jeremy Justice at tight end.
On quarterback Kevin O'Connell:
"Kevin O'Connell played very smart football tonight. He had a lot of opportunities where he could have made a mistake and didn't. That's tough for a freshman quarterback who's come along way in five or six games. He's been very impressive."
SDSU Player Quotes
Aztecs' defensive Antwan Applewhite:
On the game:
"It was a tough game tonight, we knew Coach Robinson was retiring and that UNLV was going to come out strong, so we had to come up with a game plan to win tonight."
On the defense:
"We just focused on going out to the game to play hard and know all the plays that we were going to run."
Aztecs' Offensive Tackle Mike Kracalik:
On last game of season:
"It's a sense of shock. I don't feel it right now, but when I wake up tomorrow and all next week, it going to hit me that I am no longer going to play as an Aztec again."
On his advice for future Aztecs:
"(I) pass on a sense of humor and to keep your minds focused. The guys know that I'm a jokester, but I try to get the job done. The one thing I'm going to miss is being around these guys - having 100 friends on your team."
On offensive game plan vs. UNLV:
"The game plan was like last week, where we focused on trying to run the ball and we did that. We kept fighting and went the whole way tonight."
Aztecs' linebacker Kirk Morrison:
On the game plan for UNLV:
"The plan was to come out, dominate, try and play hard - that's all.
"Tonight's game showed the continuity we had, which was not what our record shows. We kept rolling today. We had our faults and slip-ups and really could have (played) bigger, but we won and that's big enough. We had a great game."
On his future in football:
"I plan on playing hard and making it to the next level. I have the opportunity to go (to the NFL) and make things happen."
UNLV Head Coach John Robinson
On the game:
"We just couldn't score in the red-zone. We moved the ball, but couldn't push it in. SDSU has a very fast team. You don't recognize their speed on film, but they are a fast defensive team and we just couldn't run the ball on them. We also made enough mistakes passing to make the game like it was. Our team played hard, but we just didn't have the punch to score the points to win."
About his retirement:
"I've had a great time and have enjoyed being here. This program has a great chance to get better. I am hopeful that the new coach will have a great run. I will be his chauffeur and give him anything he needs to help him."