In case anyone is interested, courtesy SMU PR:
Opening Statement
''Obviously, we're just very disappointed. Very disappointed in the way the outcome came. I hurt for our seniors. Our seniors have played hard all year long and been in this program for four or five years and it's just a disappointment to see them have to go out this way. We played very uninspired and it seemed like we were so much more concerned with the elements than getting out there and actually playing. We couldn't get anything going on the ground coming off rushing for 350-something yards last week.
We knew we were going up against a very good football team, but credit them, they a very good, sound football team. Coach (Fuente) has done a great job with this program, but we're not that bad. We weren't that bad. We're not that bad a football team. This falls on me and falls on our coaches and I hate that it has to end like this this year, especially coming off a win last week. We've got a whole lot of work to do and whole lot of self evaluations. This is going to be an off-season where we have to address a lot of issues. I hate that that it ended like that today"
What are the biggest issues your team has to address in the off-season?
''Well, I think all sides of the ball. First of all, there's not a position that's guaranteed. We've got a lot of freshmen that played, a lot of underclassmen that played. Every position is wide open. Defensively, offensively, we've got all kinds of issues we have to address. We have to address our mental toughness. I think that's something that has really challenged us all year long is a lack thereof. Our off-season has got to be focused on challenging ourselves from a mental standpoint."
Have you ever seen anybody complete 9 passes for 7 touchdowns ?
''No, I haven't seen that. You know, obviously we knew coming in that he's (Paxton Lynch) a very good quarterback, but again, he did a great job finding the open guys, but we have struggled with pass defense all year long."
What are the positive steps forward for your team this season ?
''Definitely, we've been trying to establish our culture and up to this ballgame we've done a lot of really good things as far as our guys playing and playing against some very tough competition this year. This is just unfortunate that it had to happen like it did today because it overshadows what good things guys have done. This program has taken a lot of steps forward this year, but today, we took a step backwards.''
At what point do you think 'The kids just don't have it left in the tank'
''Obviously, when you just give two scores where they just pick them up and going in, and it was just a unique situation today. Our guys haven't been that way. They've played hard all year long and that was my challenge to them at halftime. I felt like up this point in time this season, they haven't quit one bit and they didn't even start today. It didn't look like they even wanted to be there. So, the challenge was to come out and play hard in the 2nd half and play for something and battle for something and that was as big a disappointment as anything because we haven't been that way all year long"
Opening Statement
''Obviously, we're just very disappointed. Very disappointed in the way the outcome came. I hurt for our seniors. Our seniors have played hard all year long and been in this program for four or five years and it's just a disappointment to see them have to go out this way. We played very uninspired and it seemed like we were so much more concerned with the elements than getting out there and actually playing. We couldn't get anything going on the ground coming off rushing for 350-something yards last week.
We knew we were going up against a very good football team, but credit them, they a very good, sound football team. Coach (Fuente) has done a great job with this program, but we're not that bad. We weren't that bad. We're not that bad a football team. This falls on me and falls on our coaches and I hate that it has to end like this this year, especially coming off a win last week. We've got a whole lot of work to do and whole lot of self evaluations. This is going to be an off-season where we have to address a lot of issues. I hate that that it ended like that today"
What are the biggest issues your team has to address in the off-season?
''Well, I think all sides of the ball. First of all, there's not a position that's guaranteed. We've got a lot of freshmen that played, a lot of underclassmen that played. Every position is wide open. Defensively, offensively, we've got all kinds of issues we have to address. We have to address our mental toughness. I think that's something that has really challenged us all year long is a lack thereof. Our off-season has got to be focused on challenging ourselves from a mental standpoint."
Have you ever seen anybody complete 9 passes for 7 touchdowns ?
''No, I haven't seen that. You know, obviously we knew coming in that he's (Paxton Lynch) a very good quarterback, but again, he did a great job finding the open guys, but we have struggled with pass defense all year long."
What are the positive steps forward for your team this season ?
''Definitely, we've been trying to establish our culture and up to this ballgame we've done a lot of really good things as far as our guys playing and playing against some very tough competition this year. This is just unfortunate that it had to happen like it did today because it overshadows what good things guys have done. This program has taken a lot of steps forward this year, but today, we took a step backwards.''
At what point do you think 'The kids just don't have it left in the tank'
''Obviously, when you just give two scores where they just pick them up and going in, and it was just a unique situation today. Our guys haven't been that way. They've played hard all year long and that was my challenge to them at halftime. I felt like up this point in time this season, they haven't quit one bit and they didn't even start today. It didn't look like they even wanted to be there. So, the challenge was to come out and play hard in the 2nd half and play for something and battle for something and that was as big a disappointment as anything because we haven't been that way all year long"
