Dec. 23, 2010
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Postgame Press Conference
COACH HOKE: We were so grateful to be able to be here and play in San Diego and you know, the Poinsettia Bowl and the committee and everything, and the hospitality and the San Diego County Credit Union for everything that they have done in this Bowl game. And we were also privileged to play an unbelievable opponent in the Naval Academy and I think that we have all of the respect for that football team.
As a team, you know, we prepared well. I thought the guys did a great job, our seniors did a great job, and it was something that we talk about a lot, is for the past present and the future, as tech warriors and the legacies and the tradition that we take very seriously and something that we hold very close to our heart.
And I can tell you, these seniors, they left a legacy for Ryan and Ronnie, when he becomes a senior and set the benchmark higher and the expectations higher that we all have.
Q. Coach, I asked the Navy coach, they had momentum the second quarter, how did you change that in the second half?
COACH HOKE: You know when they went into the half, you never want to give up points, but we still were 21 7. I think down there on the goal line was probably the big momentum changer for us. Our defense stood up and did a tremendous job of playing together. We bet an awful lot on that drive, but when it came time for them to put the ball in the end zone our kids did a great job of keeping them out and I think that's where the momentum started to change.
Q. You've been on the field for Rose Bowls and big games. Where does this rank in your personal game file?
COACH HOKE: It was such a great match up, such a great match up for this community, a great match up in college football. I don't know, and I said it the other day at the luncheon, two teams of more quality and character of the kids on that football team, on our football team, and guys who just wanted to go out there and play their hearts out and play for 60 minutes.
You know, it's gratifying as a coach and sad as a coach because there's 17 guys who won't be with us. But that's part of what you do in measuring kids as a coach, and that's why we do what we do. And we have got tremendous staff who all believe the same thing.
Q. For the seniors up there, how did it feel the first San Diego State senior class in 21 years to win a Bowl game?
Andrew Preston: It was awesome. We don't know what to expect. We have never been in this position but it's awesome to leave this legacy and to really start it off. I know the guys below me and these guys right next to me, they are going to keep continuing this legacy and there's great things to come for the Aztec Nation.
Ernie Lawson: We built all the foundation of the seniors last year built with Jerry and Peter Nelson and all of those guys and so hopefully the next class will just build off of what we do and continue to do that from each class on from here on out until we get championship after championship.
VINCE BROWN: All of the work that we have gone through to get to where we are at now, it's just a great feeling, and so to see all of the young guys stepping up and leaving this program where it's at, it's a great thing for us and just happy to be able to leave a legacy.
Q. As a quarterback you talk about wanting to take what the defense gives you, it seemed like you guys were dictating whether it was the passing game or the running game, but just talk about your ability to control the ball and rack up the yards you guys did.
Ryan Lindley: It all starts on the line of scrimmage and our offensive line played great all year and they really had a stellar game. I thought it was a great way for all of them as a unit to send Travis out as a senior in the group, and they did an awesome group run plaquing and opened up the holes for Ronnie. I had all the time in the world to throw the ball and get it to these big guys, these playmakers we have. It makes my job easy as a quarterback and the way coach has put us in position to make plays, I think that's a lot of it, too. So the offensive line did a great job.
Q. (No mic).
Ronnie Hillman: It's pretty much like Ryan said, it's easy to run 200 yards when you know only could run as much as the O line blocked for me, so I give it to them, so it's their accomplishment, too.
Q. Can you talk about the seniors and how well they have done the last couple of years, you being the freshmen what do you do to make sure it didn't fall off and how can you improve on what the senior class did this year?
Ronnie Hillman: Just follow behind and just follow their leadership and just keep building up. Travis is leaving, so the guys on the O line, they have to pick up where he left off, seeing as he built a legacy.
Q. Are you as proud of them as they are you?
Ronnie Hillman: Very proud. They did a great job protecting me all year.
Q. Ronnie, what was your mentality going into today's game?
Ronnie Hillman: Just do whatever coach told me to do, whenever coach told me to run, I pretty much and tonight, when you have an O line like we have, you still like to break every run, but it was pretty cool.
Q. Coach, at the end of the game, I believe it was No. 39 for Navy came up to you, you were pretty passionate and so was he in your hug, did you know him and if you don't mind me asking, what did you say to him?
COACH HOKE: Well, No. 1, I think he's as tough an individual as there is in college football. I've watched 12 games of him playing fullback and in that offense, that's where it starts and he is an incredible young man, and I just wanted to wish him the best of luck and if he ever came out to San Diego, to make sure that he looked us up, because he's a guy who in my opinion, is all about what football should be. You know, his character and his toughness and in the way he plays the game. I try and acknowledge guys like that.
Q. What kind of momentum does a win like tonight give you guys going into the off season and then 2011?
COACH HOKE: You know, we are going to enjoy this one, and these guys get a little break from us and we get a little break from them. Probably need it, on both sides of it.
We'll come back in January, I believe the date is the 24th and we'll start all over again.
It's always better to have won, but at the same time, there's a mentality in the way you handle success, and that's what we'll find out about this next Aztec Warrior football team and that will start when we start our winter conditioning.
Q. The Aztecs have had an unprecedented season, both basketball and football, and it's clearly changed the psyche of the student body. What do you guys have to say about that?
Andrew Preston: It's been a lot of fun, especially with our basketball team doing well and us this year. We have had a lot of support from the student body and we would really like to thank the students and even of the faculty for the support we get from them and all of our fans.
Ryan Lindley: As an Aztec, you get extremely excited when they are doing well, too. Give it up to Coach Fisher and what they have done. I'm extremely proud of our seniors and what we have done this year. But it's just something that the psyche has changed. I think the mentality of the entire university changed, and like Andrew said, it's top to bottom, to the coaches from the support staff, academics athletics, student managers. It's a team effort and it's all in the athletic center and extremely proud of everybody in there.
Q. Talk about the offense tonight betting them to back off a little bit to open up the run later?
Ryan Lindley: I thought it was something we mixed it up a little bit there, something we found at the end of the year we could do well to keep the defense on their toes and kind of back on their heels with our hurry up. It was something we knew with what we did and we could do some things in the run game as far as opening up some holes for Ronnie and allow the offensive line to do the work, at the same time with what they did, they tried to play the run, we could do down field.
Q. Talk about the matchups
Ryan Lindley: Yeah, you know, it's fitting. He's put a lot of work into this program, and for this whole senior class, it is. These guys have been from the top to the bottom. I remember back in the 2 10 year and that's the year you want to forget but it's there and it's something that you know that we talked about before, having to work next year and dealing with success, I think that's something that our guys and the senior class next year knows that we have been at the bottom and we don't want to be there. We like how it is right now and we want to stay that way and we'll continue to work hard.
Q. You guys probably know it, San Diego State has not even been to a Bowl or winning season since '98. If you could pinpoint what your coaches did, particularly your head coach, to get you to this point to prepare you and what changed?
Ernie Lawson: The mentality and expectation every day that he brought to us every day. From the very first day, he bought into us without even knowing us, and when he did that, it made it a lot easier to buy into him.
You know, so having the high expectations, you know, people tend to reach, when the bar is set higher, you reach higher and he pushed us every day to be great. Him and the rest of the staff they have worked us to be great and we tried to do our best to reach that every day.
Vincent Brown: Coach Hoke came in and set the standard, and set the goal and we worked for nothing less than that, every day, practice, whatever it is, we know what our job is to do and we know what we are going out he preaches that in practice every day, you set the bar high and expect nothing less.
Q. You have some monster first quarters, what came over, especially on that play when you were able to catch it for the touchdown but you shifted midway.
Vincent Brown: Like Ronnie said earlier, coach was telling us to play to take advantage of the defense and I was trying to do my part in this offense and help the game and I was able to do that and help my team and it was a team effort. I don't like to take a lot of credit. I was just doing my job. I can't do it without the other guys on the field at the same time. For me I just try to make a play for my team, that's it.
Ryan Lindley: Yeah, the coaches had a great game plan and we didn't see anything in the game we didn't see throughout the week of practice and that was awesome and it was just set up great and coached very well and we had a lot of great preparation. And Navy was an amazing team and probably the best in the nation at what they do with the triple option and Ricky Dobbs did a great job of running that offense. He was a warrior and he was getting hit and he was still going; he's a great player.
Q. Did Navy confusion you at all when they looked at the sideline? Did that tire you out at all?
Ryan Lindley: Not really. I don't think so. You know, I think they were checking plays based on what we were giving them but you know we were not really thrown off by that. It was just a great game and it was four quarters put together and we were excited.
Q. How much was that on your mind this long Bowl drought and to finally be the first team to win a Bowl game in decades? What's that feeling like?
COACH HOKE: You know, it wasn't on my mind. What was on my mind was 113 kids that we mentor and get them through finals without having too many practice days in a row. Just try to get them prepared as best we could for a great opponent and the opportunity, and the significance of playing a 13th game. You know, all of those statistical things, you know, really don't make a difference. I feel great for the seniors because you know, just like a few of you have commented, it's been since 1969 since we won a Bowl game and '98 since we played in a Bowl game and that's great for the legacy that these guys left. But the end of the day, it's just trying to prepare them so they have an opportunity to go out and win.
Q. Ryan, Coach Hoke said the 24th is when you guys get back. Are you itching to get back a little bit sooner than that?
Ryan Lindley: I think like Coach Hoke said, we need a little time off. It's something that I think we're excited and we need this to build on the next team with what the guys are going to have coming in next fall, the recruiting class and with the guys we have got returning on offense and defense. We have got a lot of solid guys. We are losing some guys, some brothers we are going to miss a lot, not only on the field but what they bring in the locker room. It's something that we are going to develop a new identity. It's something that each team, they have got different intricacies and stuff like that. It's going to be something that we are going to see in the off season in the work we put in with coach we will man, how we are going to step up to the challenge.
Q. Ryan, you came a hair short of the single season passing record is there a chance
Ryan Lindley: There's no possibility at all. I'm an as tech. I'm going to finish out. I'm going to graduate next year.
Q. How was the field?
Ronnie Hillman: They did a good job pumping the water out. I just felt like a regular field. It was a little slippery but today it didn't really make a difference. We just had to, you know, play like another game.
Q. Coach, how do you use tonight's game and performance as a statement really to college football and the Mountain West next year you guys came in under the radar this year; after tonight, everyone is going to know what San Diego State is all about?
COACH HOKE: You just have to be who you are. We are going to be who we are. We wants to be Ryan talked about it, our identity as a team and we want to be a team that's considered a tough, physical football team that's going to play 60 minutes any time anywhere we line up. And always play as a team and we are going to play for each other.
I think that's what this great game does, because this is a life lesson. You know, you get blocked, you get knocked down, you'd better get your tail backup and go back at it.
That's what we want to be. You know, if that's a statement or if we were under the radar, so be it. We just have to, you know, come back with an attitude that it wasn't good enough. And it wasn't good enough. We did not win the Mountain West Conference Championship and that's the goal. We finished on a high note and that's great and that's exciting. But we have got goals.
Navy Postgame Quotes
COACH NIUMATALOLO: Well, first of all, I want to congratulate Coach Hoke and the San Diego State Aztecs. We got thoroughly whipped tonight. Good football team. We played a lot of places, played a lot of teams, and in my time here at the naval academy, that's as good of an offense we've seen. Defense, their defense played well. We couldn't convert down there in the red zone, but you know, take your hat off to them. They beat us pretty bad today. It's a good football program.
Having said all that, still proud of our players, our seniors, our team, you know, after 13 of these and when you come to the end of this game, the finality of this for the seniors, it's unlike any other school. I don't know how to explain it. There's a ton of emotion in that locker room, whether we would have won or lost, it's still the same. You just have such respect for these young men and serving their country, great human beings, so I'm going to wish our seniors the best. And like I said, my hat goes off to San Diego State for their win.
Q. Would you talk about what you said to the seniors in the locker room there after an emotional loss?
COACH NIUMATALOLO: There's not much to be said. I just told them that the outcome of that game does not change my feelings for them and who those human beings are. These are young men that have come to the United States Naval Academy when we are in two major conflicts. I mean, that right there says it all to me. They have come voluntarily to the United States Naval Academy when our country is in two major conflicts.
I mean, that just like I said, football is secondary, you know what I mean. I just have great love for them. Wish we could have played better. Just a lot of hugging and tears in there, because such great respect for those guys.
Q. You mentioned not converting the red zone, particularly that opening drive of the third quarter?
COACH NIUMATALOLO: Yeah, that was huge. We felt like we had another one, too, in the first half. We had a busted route so we had a guy over there that shouldn't have been there but our guy busted a route. It was still tough. If we converted those we had a hard time stopping those guys, Hillman and Lindley and their wide outs, that offense is a potent offense. That's a hard offense to start.
Q. You had said that you hoped the soggy field would slow them down; did you feel that happen, or that perhaps it made you guys slower getting to them and trying to chase them.
COACH NIUMATALOLO: I don't know if that mattered. We could have played on a basketball court; those guys are pretty good. Sometimes you have to tip your hat to people, you know what I mean; that running back, he not only made up for them, I saw him take 180 yards against Missouri. That guy is a good football player. He's young but the country will see that kid, because obviously he's a very good football player.
I thought Lindley played phenomenal, managed the game, obviously threw great balls, didn't force things. When things were covered, he ran it. They just had us on our heels all night. They could run the ball, throw it. We got a little bit out of sync offensively but like I said we kind of knew coming into the game that they were pretty potent but hoping that we could hold the ball a little bit more and keep them off the field and score. But couldn't get it done.
Q. Second quarter you had a lot of momentum. Where do you think it got away from you?
COACH NIUMATALOLO: We felt good coming out of half time. You know we felt good coming out of half dime but we were down by seven, hopefully we could get down there, score, tie the game. Like I said, hope for the best, because like I said those guys are good on offense, and they were giving us a lot of trouble on defense, too. They are a good football team. Like I said, we played a lot of places, and that's as good a team as we've seen.
Q. You said the country will see Ronnie Hillman. What impressed you most about him for a freshman?
COACH NIUMATALOLO: Great composure, running power, he can run between the tackles and obviously run outside the tackles. He's a tough runner inside and out, and he's got great patience and vision. He's everything you want in a great back. He's not the biggest guy in the world, but what impressed me was his toughness. I mean, he's tough, very, very good football player.
Q. Was there one element of their offense you wanted to try and take away first, be it Hillman or the passing attack?
COACH NIUMATALOLO: You know, we tried to take one away then the other one we tried to take the away the run and they get you over the top, and then you get ready for the pass and they kill you with the run.
But it always starts with the run. You've got to stop people from running the football and they could do both. Like I said they blocked us well and executed well. They were a well oiled machine tonight.
Q. What was it about San Diego's defense defensively they outplayed us. You know, on the ground, into the air, just a hell of a game, the offense couldn't stop it. They came out to play. Hats off to them.
RICKY DOBBS: Offensively, just some opportunities that we missed and you know, we had to punt the ball, and wish we could have had them back, a couple of throws and a couple of reads could have made a difference, but they played really well. My hat tips off to them because they definitely fought hard. We didn't lay down. They definitely was just the better team today.
Q. Can you talk about the start of the third quarter, the first drive?
RICKY DOBBS: It was a play where, you know there was a play before, the time we scored before, the playaction on that, you know, they collapsed and the guy when he comes off so we wanted to sneak in right behind them but the safety, they just made a good play. It was in Bo's hands and he had it and he brought his hand in and disrupted a little bit. And it was just a good play on their part. That was it. The whole night, just different breaks, offensively and defensively, where everything was just going their way. The couple of fumbles they had, the fumble snap, they come around and turn it around and hand it off and get a first down. Just luck of the draw for the night.
Q. Scoring at the beginning of the third quarter, was that the crucial turning point?
RICKY DOBBS: I think it was the turning point just from the standpoint of get everything rolling, because coming out, scoring right out, and we made it right there. And you know, just to see it slip out of his hands right there, just like it was a little bit of a demoralizer but we was going to keep fighting and trying to come back with it. I think that played a part into it.
Q. What were your thoughts on their running back?
RICKY DOBBS: We knew coming in inaudible probably the best running back we have ever played this year. And he said he reminded him a little bit of McCoy and we knew we had our hands full. We just had to be able to play against the pass in the interim, but we definitely would have liked to have been on the end where we were controlling and running the ball like they did.
Q. How tough is it, they have a running back like that and then the two wide receivers, how tough was it to try to take one away and then they get you with the other?
WYATT MIDDLETON: It was definitely a challenge, like we have all said and we all knew going into this game, we have a huge challenge ahead of us and they use a lot of weapons. With that being said, from a defensive standpoint, you know, we had opportunities to make plays, we really didn't make them, and they took advantage of that.
Now whether they were stopping the run at one point or stopping the pass, you have to give it to them, they played really well and we didn't take advantage of those opportunities that we had.
Q. Wyatt, did the field conditions make it tough? I mean, they are a fast team, good skill people, did you feel like you guys were slowed down by the field?
WYATT MIDDLETON: You know, you never can blame anything on external items. We can't really blame it on the field or anything like that. I don't really think that had anything to do with it because they were playing on the same field we were, so I don't think that had anything to do with it.
Q. Thoughts on getting the class stuck on the winningest in modern day
GREG JONES: Coming in, freshman year, the guys you're with, the bond actually grows. I think each class, going into a program, you want to be something special. And that loss, you know, trying to tie, I think the winning most record, it hurts, but at the same time, I'd much rather take a loss and be with these guys than win and not have the bond that we have. It's definitely something special, and when we say brotherhood, these are my brothers, I mean, we mean it. I mean, each and every one of us can do anything.
Q. Coach was pretty passionate about what's ahead of you after your football career, your naval career. Can you talk about your senior year, your last game, the Bowl game and what's ahead of you?
RICKY DOBBS: We definitely wanted to go out the right way on top coming out with a win. But you know, it's like this whole season after a loss, we didn't have the bounce back, and it's the same way after this football season, we have to bounce back mentally because we definitely have something that's far more greater than football ahead of us. Us three are going to Navy and Tyler is going to the Marine Corps. So we definitely have our eyes set on that and something greater I think than sport at this level because we are going to be saving people's lives directly. Like Greg said the bond we made through the last game and our four years together has been unquestionable.
Q. The record you guys set overall?
RICKY DOBBS: Yeah, a little letdown, but just like I said, the memories and the bond and the lessons that we have learned this season, I wouldn't trade it for an undefeated season.