HC Scott Frost
On starting the game with a pick six:
"The defense's been doing that for the last month and it was great to see that begin a game. That certainly started the game off the right way. And after that I think, offensively, we're young but we've got to keep getting better because we had plenty of chances to go out there and make it a two-score game in the first quarter if we just put a drive together. Not only did we not score, we couldn't stay on the field long enough to let our defense rest. And against team like that. sooner or later, they're going to get something on you offensively. So we'll go back to the drawing board. Our kids aren't going to hang their head. They're playing hard for each other."
On the senior class:
"I think the best testament of this class is how they've reacted to all the adversity they've been through. Tonight's a perfect example. Dimitri Brim comes in our offensive huddle and is encouraging us to keep going and keep fighting. Justin Holman was talking to the team after the game, telling everybody to stick together and look forward to the next game. Let's go back to work. This group of seniors has been great. I'll always be glad that I got to coach these guys. These are the guys that have really spearheaded what we've done this year."
On the offense:
"Well we didn't want to throw the ball 51, 52 times coming into this game. We wanted to be able to run it. That's tough to do when you get behind like we were in the second half. We didn't sustain drives long enough in the first half to be able to run the ball and we popped a couple of runs but we need to be able to get four or five yards and we hand the ball off on some of our basic run plays. Not all the time but enough that we can move the chains in the run game. We can't miss easy throws; we can't make stupid mistakes. We're not a good enough team to overcome all that right now. Our margin of error is very small. When we're playing the better teams in this league I think we're perfectly capable of playing with and beating every team in this league but not when we make mistakes like that."
DB Shaquill Griffin
On his last senior home game:
"I remember talking to Brandon Struble, a former player. He said at the end of the day, win or lose, you just (have) to enjoy the moment."
On his performance:
"I felt like I could've done so much more. I feel like I owe UCF, this team, the whole UCF nation, so much more. I promise I'll step my game up next game."
LB Mark Rucker
On Tulsa's offense:
"I feel like Tulsa did a great job scheming; they hit little gaps that we really couldn't see and they pulled the guards. They did some good things and I felt like they are a really good team, 8-2 right now. That record shows how they play on the field. They out-schemed us, but we still made some mistakes that could have been corrected. Some of the yardage could have been stopped. It is what it is. They are a really good team."
On Justin Holman:
"I feel like he's a great motivator. What he's going through this season, and just to keep the morale of the team up, that's characteristics of a great man. He's a great man, a great leader. Later on in life we're going to see him doing some great things. I tell him that all the time. He's a great dude, so big ups to JHol."
Tulsa HC Philip Montegomery
On how it feels to have eight wins under his belt
Unbelievable. The locker room was great. Especially coming off all the turmoil we've had, and for our guys to react and play the way they play. I thought our defense was lights out all game long. Coming into it, knowing that UCF is a really good football team and really on a hot streak right now, they've been playing lights out defensively. So we knew we had our hands full but our guys just kept plugging away. I mean we got guys banged up and injured, but the next guy stepped up and we're still able to make plays and made enough to get a win tonight.
About the running game in the second half
Well I mean I think that had something to do with it. Obviously I think our conditioning is really good but it took us a little bit just to kind of figure out exactly what they were doing schematically and making sure that we were in the right look. Once we hit a couple things there in the second half and we're able to get some kind of lead, we were then able to really look at it and try to get in the right look.
On how able to shut UCF on defense
I think we played to some tendencies pretty well and I think our guys were really flying around. I thought we tackled really well tonight as we got into coverages. I think those guys really did a nice job of seeking underneath routes and then really being aggressive at the point. Again, Milton is tough stuff; he's buying time and he's moving around back there. We're able to get some shots in there on him. But it was a good plan by Bryan and Bill, both.
Tulsa RB D'Angelo Brewer
On running the ball:
"From watching Baylor in the past, I always knew when to pass the ball. Coach Monty established the running backs when we first got here; we knew we're going to be balanced. We're going to take what the defense gives us. That's all I can ask for. We just want to win."
On injuries and having others to fill shoes:
"It's next man up. I know ya'll probably hear that a lot, but this is just what we live by. Everybody works just as hard as the next man, so if anything happens, I don't have a problem with anybody else stepping in to fill in the role."
On UCF:
"(UCF is) really, really fast and they do a lot of stuff twisted. They move around, try to confuse you. At first, it's just making sure everybody was targeted; we kind of had a couple of miscommunication problems. Coming into halftime, setting the game plan and dumping it down, just being us. That's what it all comes down to."
