University of Tennessee Athletics
TENNESSEE POSTGAME QUOTES
November 04, 2006 | Football
Nov. 4, 2006
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TENNESSEE LOCKER ROOM
Head Coach Phillip Fulmer: "Obviously that hurts. That really hurts our football team. There was great effort on the field and great effort in preparations during the week. It'll hurt tonight, and we can allow it to hurt tomorrow. But come Monday, we need to get ready to go to Arkansas and get ready to play that game.
"You have to give a lot of credit to LSU. Their quarterback (JaMarcus Russell) is a major-league player in every sense of the word. Our team fought its rear off. It's disappointing that sometimes it doesn't turn out your way. We'll continue to fight and scratch and work to get to where we want to get to.
"I'm really proud of Jonathan Crompton. He showed a lot of poise in a situation that's about as tough as you could be put in against the No. 1 defense in the country.
"Our defense was left on the field entirely too long
"Nothing's changed. We're going to coach them just as hard, and we expect them to respond just as well as they have all season long.
"We're not where we need to be right now (in the running game) to say the least. We miss LaMarcus (Coker) right now. We were a little limited there.
"Four turnovers will usually win you a game, and it gave us a chance to win. The kids laid it on the line, and the coaches did a great job preparing. We just didn't quite get it done.
"This team still has a chance to have a very fine season. And from where everyone expected us to be, we've done quite well."
On quarterback Erik Ainge: "He got tackled, and he not only reinjured that ankle a bit, but I think he hurt the other one a bit as well. In pregame, he looked like he could (play)."
On quarterback Jonathan Crompton: "Jonathan's going to be a heck of a quarterback ... He'll be a really fine football player with more time and experience. I couldn't have asked any more out of him."
Turk McBride, DT: On the LSU running game: "They showed what we thought we would see. They knew we would come off the ball, and they tried to do a lot of misdirection things like blocking down and pulling the guard. It all comes down to execution, and at certain points we did it real well. And at times we looked lackadaisical."
Arron Sears, OT: "It was a hard-fought SEC football game. LSU came out as a great two-loss team, and we couldn't finish at the end. We fought hard, but the guys couldn't finish at the end. All of us (couldn't finish it)."
Xavier Mitchell, DE: "This was very disappointing. It hurts us inside. Our biggest battle now is coming back from this. We are going to watch film, correct our mistakes, and we all can count on each other as we continue against Arkansas."
On LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell: "JaMarcus is tremendous. We got pressure on him like we wanted to. It just came down to tightening it up at the end."
LSU LOCKER ROOM
Head Coach Les Miles: "Our football team has character. Our football team will play until the last minute, `til the last second. Our football team is strong and lithe.
"We ran the football a little bit better today. We turned it over a little too much, and we're going to stop that. But when the chips are down and a play has got to be made, we play `em and we make `em. So, I'm proud of this team. This is the second time that LSU has beaten Tennessee at Tennessee. Our guys will remember this one.
"Give great credit to Tennessee. Tennessee played well. They played smart, and they made some big plays. (Robert) Meachem made some big plays. (Jonathan Crompton) came on because of injury and made some big plays. Our football team would not be denied.
"That's who we are. If you want to define who we are, if you want to write who we are, that's who we are right there. We are a team that comes out, and in the opening drive of the second half, throws one to them for seven, and says, `You know what? It doesn't matter.' It just didn't make any difference today.
"We've got to get better. We've got to stop some of that stuff. But we've got to keep the same play, the same heart, and the same style of man that we are. Because that's who our team is right there. Write that down."
Early Doucet, WR: "[On the touchdown catch] (JaMarcus Russell) threw a ball in my direction, and I made the catch. It was real intense. (Russell) just said (before the game-winning drive) that we've got to come together, and we'll score. That was our whole objective to get six on that drive, and we made some plays, he made some plays, and we got the score.
"Our mindset was really just to go out there and execute. If you execute the plays that are called, with our offense and the players that we have on our team, I don't think there's any defense that can stop us. I thought we executed on fourth-down (earlier in the drive), and we got the play that we needed and just kept the drive going."
JaMarcus Russell, QB: "Before we came out, coach Fisher told us that whatever happens, make no excuses. Empty your pockets. Leave your excuses at home. We just went out there and played tough no matter what the situation was. Just never give up.
"(After the three interceptions) I knew that we were still in it. I just had to go out there and fight, sacrifice my body and myself and be willing to do whatever it takes to help my team. We just had to go out there and make plays, no matter what happened.
"[On his critics] Everybody has an opinion. I'd say for myself, I think I kind of proved myself today. But I just have to keep fighting and get better."
Chase Pittman, DE: "It meant a lot. We came out and we were ready to play. They got up on us for a little while and there's no quit in this team and no quit in this coaching staff. It's unbelievable, and we just came out and finished.
"We shut their offense down for the most part, and I'm just really proud of everybody."
