Fresno State Athletics
No. 1 USC 50, No. 16 Fresno State 42- QUOTES
11/20/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 20, 2005
Fresno State head coach Pat Hill:
"I am extremely proud of the way we played tonight; we left it all out on the field. USC was very resilient and showed why they have won 33 games in a row. We really just ran out of time. Tonight I thought our team showed how well we match up against the best team in the country."
"We've got a good football team in there. Now we have a big game next week at Nevada. Our goal has always been to win the WAC championship and we can do that next week by finishing our season strong. We played a tough game tonight against a team that has won the last two national championships. I feel that's a positive for our club."
"We felt all week that if we played Bulldog football, we could win this game. However, you just cannot make many mistakes against a team of this caliber. We matched their intensity and played at a high level physically. I feel like we gave them a tough game on their home field. I am pleased with how well our team accepted this challenge but give credit to USC."
"Tonight's game was a great atmosphere for both teams and the fans. I would like to applaud all of our fans who made the trip and showed up to support us. Our final two games are on national television and the finale is at home against Louisiana Tech and I hope we can get a similar crowd for that game. No doubt about it, our fans were great tonight."
"I thought Paul played well. Our offensive line played well. They (USC) only got to him once, on that fumble. Our offense and defense played well. We had a chance but had a hard time containing Reggie Bush. All the other games that were tough for USC were on the road. This was a home game."
"Our kids have great character. We don't have a chip on our shoulder and we are no longer the little guy trying to knock off the big guy. This is a great football team and tonight we played the toughest team in the nation on their turf and lost by eight."
USC head coach Pete Carroll:
"It was a hard night. It was a really good job by Fresno State. Their entire team was a factor. They outplayed us in special teams but stats really don't tell the story of today's game besides Reggie Bush. It's tough to finish out games sometimes but I'm really proud of our guys. This team believes in one another."
"Fresno State did a terrific job. Their offensive staff did a great job. But their running game today shouldn't happen. It was uncharacteristic of us. However, they are a good football team. No question, they should be in the top-10."
"Tonight was just a fantastic football game and now we have a chance to play for the conference championship. It's going to be a fun next two weeks."
