University of Tennessee Athletics
TENNESSEE POSTGAME QUOTES
October 22, 2005 | Football
Oct. 22, 2005
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Tennessee Locker Room
Head Coach Phillip Fulmer
"I want to first congratulate Alabama. They played a heck of a game. This was a great, classic, hard-fought and tough game with two good teams. I don't take anything away from our kids. They fought their rears off."
"We made an emphasis on being able to run the ball. Gerald Riggs and Arian Foster ran very well against a very fine Alabama defense. We had some better things happen with special teams. We are a work in progress from that standpoint. The kids and coaches are really working hard."
"There's a lot of heartbreak in our lockerroom. We laid it on the line and gave it our all. Alabama is a very fine team and we've got a ways to go on offense. The fumbles were the backbreakers of this game. We have a good defensive front and a good set of linebackers."
"Alabama is a very fine defensive football team. We wanted to get them to play man. Our power game is a good fit for our team's personality."
Parys Haralson:
"We had a big opportunity but Alabama was ready to make plays at the time that they needed to make them. We knew what we needed to do defensively and they made one big play and that's all it takes in these big games. One field goal, and they make it. We need to work and get prepared and get ready for next week."
"We knew coming into the game we had to put a lot of pressure on (Brodie) Croyle, get him to make bad passes and we were able to do that and get the passes. That was our goal."
Rick Clausen:
"We moved the football. Our goal this week was to run the football, the running and passing game and make those big plays. We beat ourselves tonight, that's it."
"We beat ourselves, we beat ourselves tonight. That's all it was. We moved the football well but they were covered good. But you turn the ball over and you're going to lose. We beat ourselves tonight."
"You can't make mistakes against good teams like Alabama."
Jayson Swain:
"It was a classic game that didn't get done. We made plays that really hurt ourselves. We ran the ball fairly well tonight but put the ball on the ground at the worst time possible during the game and you can't do that. You can't do that against any team. You can't put the ball on the ground."
"Losing don't hurt, more or less. It hurts knowing we could have done a lot better. If a team is better than you and they beat you, you can live with that. Knowing that you beat yourselves, that hurts."
Alabama Locker Room
Head Coach Mike Shula
"This was another great win. What a way to win a game. Our guys hung in there for the whole game. When everything looked like it was going against us and nothing was going to go our way, we found a way to make some plays. I can't say enough about our defense and the way they have played all year long and really the last two years. In a game like this our defense's back was up against the wall. It just seemed like the field position was in their favor the whole time. Just to keep them out of the end-zone, we had to make some plays; obviously for Roman to come up with the hit that created the turnover there. That's what you talk to your guys about. Keep playing as hard as you can and good things are going to happen."
On third down pass play to set up FG
"On the third down play, (Tennessee) had been blitzing us a little bit more in the second half. We got man coverage and we really hadn't gone deep in the second half like we wanted to. We got them in man-to-man coverage and Brodie (Croyle) made great throw and DJ came down with ball."
"Again, that's why you keep playing. This is a different football team than when we got here. It goes back to our kids and goes back to our seniors. There was never any frustration. We just talked about our next series and that's where their minds were. There were more guys into it on the sidelines. I think that's important too, just rooting for each other in sidelines. Whether it was Brodie rooting for our defense or guys that didn't play, that's what I'm talking about when I say our team is coming together. But to win it after having some frustration in all three of those areas; to win it with the defensive play and offensively moving the ball, getting into field-goal position and Jaime hitting the field goal. It was an awesome way to win it."
On Win
"This is a big win because it keeps us undefeated. It keeps our goals right there in front of us."
35 DeMeco Ryans, linebacker
"It was a total team effort. We played with a lot of heart. We played our hearts out and left it all out on the field. That's what it takes in the Tennessee-Alabama game. We knew it would be a tough game that it was going to go down to the wire. DJ (Hall) stepped up and made a big play for us and Jamie (Christensen) put it right through the uprights just like he did last week."
On the fumble:
"Roman (Harper) came out and made a great hit on the fullback I think. He hit it right on the ball and it rolled right out of the end zone. It was an opportunity to put our offense back on the field. It was an opportunity to put points on the board."
"I knew Brodie (Croyle) was going to drive us down and that somebody was going to step up and make a big play for us. That's what DJ (Hall) did, he made a great catch."
"(Beating Tennessee) means everything to us. We came up short the past two years. To get it done this year means a lot to the seniors."
#12 Brodie Croyle, quarterback
"This is part of our step. This is one of our biggest wins if not the biggest win since I've been here. We've had problems with Tennessee, but we kind of settled the score. The seniors are 2-2 (against UT) and that sounds better than 1-3."
"It was a frustrating day. No doubt about it. We moved the ball well all day but then we would get into their territory and stall. I missed an easy touchdown pass and I missed another one to DJ. We found a way to win and we are 7-0."
On DJ Hall
"He had a huge day. He made a lot of big catches for us."
"We expected a close game. We didn't expect a 3-3 game, but we expected a close game. This is what we signed with the University of Alabama to play for.
"We knew our defense was going to keep us in it. They always seem to do it and they make the plays when they have to. We get the ball in the last couple of minutes, we feel confident that we can at least get down into field goal range."
#86 Jamie Christensen
"It's a great feeling. I'm glad I could help the team win again. To kick once again, I've done it 1,000 times, it's no different."
"Every game it's the same. The uprights are still the same length."
