Dec. 3, 2011
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R. Long, Escobar, Parker News Conference
Hillman, Burris, Lindley News Conference
SDSU-Fresno State Postgame Quotes in PDF Format
SAN DIEGO STATE HEAD COACH Rocky Long
On what the team talked about in the locker room after the game:
"We thanked the seniors for the leadership they've given this team. This senior class has done an amazing job of leadership. It's a lot easier to be a leader when people don't expect you to do things. It's much more difficult when the expectation level was as high as it was this year for our football team. I was a little bit surprised it was, but that's the way it was. Any time you have a team that shoots itself in the foot time after time, week after week and then still finds a way to make enough plays and play hard to the end, to win as many games as we have in that scenario, that's says something about the character (of the team). The intra-leadership of a football team is much more important than the outer-leadership. Coaches can only do so much, the guys in the locker room have a lot more positive effect than coaches do. So our good guys in the locker room are in charge. When the good guys are in charge, guess what? Good things happen."
On if he is ready for some more practice:
"I'm ready. I imagine our players would like a few days off, but I'm ready. The best thing for any program that's trying to develop itself is to have a few extra days of practice. Usually half of the practices are getting ready for the game you're playing and half of it is developing the younger players. If you get a few more days to develop the younger players, it really helps you for the next season. Plus, the players come to practice with a smile on their face because they know they get to go to a bowl game. And I'm pretty positive right now that we're going to go. I don't know where, but it doesn't matter, we get to go."
On the rivalry with Fresno State:
"If you look at the history, this is a great rivalry. In college football, every school has to have a rival, especially if you can play them in the last game of the year. There's something at the end of the season no matter if you've been good or bad, there's something at the end of the season to play for. It's something for the fans to rally around and the team to rally around and get excited about playing. If we can keep playing Fresno State, I think it'll turn into (a rivalry) really quick. You saw how the two teams played today. Every game, no matter whose good or bad, rivalry games you'll never know who's going to win. They'll all come down to the end."
SAN DIEGO STATE QUARTERBACK Ryan Lindley
On how it felt to go out with a win:
"It is great. You want to go out and win your last home game. We could have made it a little easier on ourselves, but at the same time we got it done. A win is a win and we have to get ready for whatever is next."
On winning his last home game as a senior:
"You are only as good as your last game. So we are pretty good right now. It is has been a ride, this was a fitting way to finish it. Start slow and finish fast, that sums up me and Miles (Burris') five years here. I am just excited to be going bowling again. It is a great team and a great group of guys, not just the seniors, but all the guys we have on the team. There is a bright future, too."
On sophomore running back Ronnie Hillman's play tonight:
"He is a force. He does some amazing things when you put the ball in his hands. You never know what he could have done either. I missed a couple throws and he could have done some big things with the passing game, too. I think he just is a guy that is plain dangerous."
SAN DIEGO STATE RUNNING BACK Ronnie Hillman
On the game:
"Obviously it was a good game. They came and played their hearts out just for the seniors to leave with the Oil Can, and start the legacy of the Oil Can over again. It's a good feeling to have those guys go out with the Oil Can on our side."
On his ankle:
"I got four touchdowns so obviously (it feels) pretty good. I really didn't have to do too much running. They did a great job blocking. One of defenders kind of hit me when I ran by him, but you have to play for the team and that's part of football."
SAN DIEGO STATE LINEBACKER Miles Burris
On his bowl game preference:
"Any game would be great. Whoever is willing to take us, we are just happy to play in a bowl."
On playing against his high school teammate Devon Wylie:
"Yes, I got a chance to say hi to him and his whole family and friends. It was great to reunite with him and see him on the field. It was a little weird playing against him. It was fun, we were competing, talking, and having fun all game. He got me on one, but I tackled him on another one. I knew I had to bust my butt down there because he will take it back."
SAN DIEGO STATE SENIOR CORNERBACK Larry Parker
On the interception in the fourth quarter that clinched the game:
"I just had the flats and I saw Miles (Burris) hit the guy that was going after the ball. It was another opportunity for me to make a play and I just caught the ball."
On the team coming from behind:
"I don't think we do it on purpose, it just happens. We just have fighters on the team, so everybody comes out and plays every play. We just keep going to the end and we somehow find a way to win."
SAN DIEGO STATE SOPHOMORE TIGHT END Gavin Escobar
On the 55-yard catch:
"We've been practicing that play for awhile now in practice. It was pretty open. I saw a lot of green grass and just started running."
FRESNO STATE HEAD COACH PAT HILL
On the game tonight:
"Well, I thought it was a well played football game. We had our opportunities. It was a hard-fought football game and I give San Diego State credit. They had their second eight-win season probably within the last 12 or 13 years. I give them credit, they have a good team. They have a lot of kids who have played together for a while. We went toe-to-toe with them most of the game, and in the second half, we hurt ourselves a lot with penalties. We started four drives in a row, first in 20 or first in 15, so that hurt us a little bit in the game, but I thought our kids played with great effort tonight. Once again, I give San Diego State credit. Ronnie Hillman is a good back, a good player, he made some good plays. We couldn't get our running game going very well tonight, but I thought Derek (Carr) did a really good job in the passing game. We had our opportunities to win that football game, and it just didn't happen tonight."
On the 21-0 lead in the first half:
"We blocked the kick, had a couple of big plays. They were playing a lot of man-to-man early and we made some big plays. They changed their coverage as the game went on. They weren't going to stay in the man-to-man too much. Derek (Carr ) did a good job against the cover two tonight and getting the ball. For the most part, the offensive line gave him a lot of time to play tonight. The thing we couldn't do was run the ball. San Diego State does a lot of things with their movement in the line blitzes and the linebackers coming, that we really had trouble running the ball tonight consistently. In the pass game, the protection was good. I thought we adjusted to the two-deep and the kick coverage boundary, I thought we did some good things with that. It obviously wasn't enough, we lost by seven."