University of Tennessee Athletics
Alabama-Tennessee Postgame Quotes
October 25, 2008 | Football
Oct. 25, 2008
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Tennessee Quotes
Head Coach Phillip Fulmer: "Our team did prepare well during the course of the week, and in the first half I thought we more than held our own. We had more plays and had the advantage in time of possession and that's a big deal.
"In the opening series of the second half, they brought the corner, we had a bad play and it went south from there. They did a nice job in the second half of running the football better. We left our defense on the field way too long.
"Offensively, we struggled and we need to continue to work like heck to get it done. I don't know where our running game has gone. It's disappointing.
"Our guys have held pretty tight. We are in a battle top to bottom. I'm just concerned with winning that fourth game, getting ourselves bowl eligible and finishing up the season the best we can.
"We've had resiliency as a team and as a staff. There are a lot of disappointed guys in the locker room tonight. They will be at work tomorrow and we will get them back up, go play South Carolina and work like heck to get that win."
On the two big special teams plays: "We said there would be a play made in the kicking game, and that was our opportunity right there to make something happen. That would have given us great momentum. Our guys did a great job all week long. We felt like we could get a punt. Montario (Hardesty) executed the play perfectly, and to not get any points is very frustrating."
DE Robert Ayers: "I feel like we came out and gave a pretty good team effort offensively, defensively and on special teams. We had a good game plan; we played a good Alabama team, and we played our butts off. You have to give them credit."
On if the defense wore down in the second half: "I wouldn't say we wore down. It was a physical game and injuries are going to occur. When injuries occur you have to have other guys step up. I know those are some tough guys and they are going to fight back. I don't think they wore down, and I don't think they gave up. "
TB Montario Hardesty:
On not fully capitalizing on the early special teams plays: "There are certain plays in the game and you never know when they are going to come. We left a couple of opportunities out on the field, but at the same time you have to give Alabama credit for stepping up and stopping us. We definitely made a couple of key mistakes."
Alabama Quotes
Head Coach Nick Saban: "I've never been prouder of our team, our players the way they competed in the game. Tennessee's got a good football team and they play with a lot of heart and a lot of toughness out there tonight. That was a really good football game."
"They've got a really good defensive team and I was very pleased with the way our offense was able to move the ball; we had good balance. John Parker (Wilson) had an outstanding game, Julio (Jones) had a good game; the offensive line got control of the game as time went on and it was really outstanding for us. Them missing the field goal before the half was probably a big momentum thing in the game as well."
"This is a great rivalry with great tradition with two outstanding universities and I'm really proud of the way our players played. I'm happy for our fans and all the people who have made this tradition what it is; that University of Alabama people can be proud not only of the game we played, but how we played it."
"This is the best we've played in my opinion since the Clemson game. We played a complete game today. This was a complete game by our team today and it certainly needed to be because I have a tremendous amount of respect for their football team."
Rashad Johnson, FS: "I think the defense did a really good job. There were times we were put in tough situations and we did a good job of keeping them out of the end zone, especially early in the game. We really stepped up to the challenge and had a pretty good game."
John Parker Wilson, QB: "I think it was a really good game. I think we came out and played well. We didn't start off the way we've been starting off; we kind of got behind and had to come back and score in the second half and I think we did a really good job."
"The way we ran the ball tonight, those running backs did really good. We were able to mix in the pass and stay really balanced and come out with a good attack. With the way our defense played tonight, if we just kept the ball and didn't turn it over, we we're going to win the game."
