Fresno State Athletics
Pat Hill Quotes From Monday's Press Conference
9/15/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 15, 2003
On the Oklahoma game
"I think we played a very, very good football team. They are very sound and a very well-coached team. Obviously, in the first half they completely dismantled us. It was a combination of their very good play and their execution along with our inability to execute. I think a lot of that was created by Oklahoma."
"For some reason, in the first half of that football game, we played very tentatively; a lot like the Tennessee game. I don't know what the reasons are for it, I'm not going to accept the reasons for it, we have to get better in these games early. Thirty-eight to zero is not what we're excited about at all. That's not what we expect from our football program."
"In the second half, we didn't make any adjustments. The main thing we talked about at halftime was winning the second half. I thought we came out and played a lot better in the second half. We blocked a couple kicks, turned it into seven points, we missed a field goal, had a 10-point opportunity and made seven out of it."
"Defensively, at the start of the second half, I believe the third quarter and the first series of the fourth quarter, we played better defense. For us offensively, I just want to make it very clear that in the second half, if Oklahoma could have scored 80 points, they would have tried to score 80. I don't think there's any doubt it, the way they were playing."
"As far as the concept that they were playing their second and third team on defense, I'm just going to put on some film and show you that it's not against those people at all. I believe that in the second half, when I said after the game that we have something to build on, it was built on the premise that we were still playing against very good people from Oklahoma. Nor should I have to try and explain that to anybody. But when the word gets out that we're playing against their scout team, I just don't think that's the right information getting out to the people. It bothers me. It might not bother anybody else, but I think our kids competed hard in the second half. Our goal was to win the second half after that first half showing. We were not the better team. I'm not into moral victories."
On his expectations of the program
"I said in year one when I got here that we were going to play the best teams that we could play. Now the reason for my stand is I think when I got here in 1997, I understood the make-up of the BCS a lot better than anybody in this room did. Because of the way the BCS worked when it was just starting, it would weed out the entire mid-major community out the bowl structure. The only way a mid-major can play in a top bowl game is to play a schedule that gives you votes to put you in the top six in the country. You don't get those votes unless you play the schedule we play. In 2001, we made a heck of a run with a team that had been built over a three-year period. That team didn't get it done. We were two plays away from playing in the Fiesta Bowl. I don't think there is any doubt about it. I feel that every school in Division I should have the opportunity to play in a BCS game. There is a slot there for non-BCS schools but you have to finish in the top six of the BCS ratings. Our schedule this year would have allowed us the chance if we were to run the table. What we are playing for now is our league championship and a chance to play in the Silicon Valley Bowl. That is the only option left to us."
On what the team has gained from the non-conference schedule
"We have things to drive for and with this young football team. I think we've gained a lot of experience in these three games. I think we've seen what real speed is all about, I think we've seen what real talent is all about and I think we've seen what big time talent venues is all about.
"This team has learned that we have to do things differently when we take these six and eight-hour road trips. So I think the learning experience that we've gained from these games, not only are going to help us the rest of this year, but are going to help us next year when we line up again."
"In this day and age you have one shot to play in the big dance and as long as I'm the football coach at Fresno State we're going to do everything we can to play with the big guys. This year, we're not ready. That's hard for me to say because I wanted to be at that level but we have some work to do still. There's only a few teams at that level, we just happened to play a couple of them. We're going to keep playing those teams and I'm not going to make any excuses. That's our goal and that's where we want to be."
General thoughts after the Oklahoma game
"We have won some big games here. We have been very good on the road. This team has played hard in hostile environments. I believe we can get there. There's a lot of things we need in this program. You've seen our locker room, you've seen what we have to do to keep them here in the summer. These players and staff overcome those things and put a product on the field that I believe is very worthy. If we can get the fans behind us, get that stadium full, build that stadium to a bigger stadium, build locker rooms, I believe we can reach those goals here at Fresno State. There hasn't been one thing done since 1991 in terms of improvements except for the practice field and the training room that our Quarterback Club paid for. I think it's time for us to step up as a community and as a football team. We've got to get better."
On Louisiana Tech Game
"It's a chance for our community to show up. I'd expect to see 40,000 people in the stands for that game. It's a big game four our football team. They've played three very, very tough games and it's important for us, I think, to come home and see a full stadium of people supporting what we're trying to do at Fresno State."
"Louisiana Tech is a very, very athletic team. They've got some athletes on that team. Their wide receivers can make plays. I've seen them play, and their wideouts make some incredible, one-handed catches. And that quarterback (Luke McCown) is a great player. He's as good as we'll see this year. It's going to take a great effort by our team to win this game."
"I said after our game back in 2001 that it was as fast a game as I've ever seen at Bulldog Stadium, and I meant it. Those guys were just flying around that year. And I would expect them to do the same this year."
