Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State-San Jose State Postgame Quotes
Fresno State vs. San Jose State
Nov. 24, 2018
Fresno, Calif.
Jeff Tedford, Fresno State head coach
On the senior class…
“It first came down to trust and confidence. We wanted to build their trust up after having gone through a really hard time. When you have a new coaching staff come in and you have no idea who they are, trust is a big deal and it doesn’t happen overnight. The process of how we handle our business everyday wasn’t always easy. I tip my hat off to them for believing and trusting the process. They just kept working. I think they were driven because of the unfortunate circumstances they were in before, after only winning one game. They made a true commitment and not just on the field, they have been great in the classroom and they handle themselves with class and integrity. I am really proud of these guys for how hard they work and how they come to work everyday and how they project themselves.”
On the first half…
“We needed to short some protection issues. They were bringing some heat and Marcus didn’t have a lot of time to throw the ball in the first half. We had to get some things cleaned up with some protection issues. Once we gave him some time, it allowed us the ability to break some guys open. Marcus made some big plays, Jamire made a big play with a catch and we had the running game going a little bit. Thankfully our defense was playing stiff. We really needed to come out in the second half and get things going. Defense played a really good game all night long, they did a really nice job. I am proud of the guys for the way they fought back and the way they competed. It seemed a little bit dead in the beginning. We had to wake up. I think our players were excited and knew what was at stake. This rivalry is a big deal. We talk a lot about this and what it is going to mean to them for the rest of their lives.”
On KeeSean Johnson…
“I see a guy that I think has learned to compete with the ball in his hands after he catches it. He has always been a quality receiver but now you can see that he is on a mission once he catches it. He really competes hard for the ball when they are 50/50 balls, he is going to get them and he wants to do something with it after he gets it in his hands. I think he has really improved with that part of his game.”
On converting regular season focus to postseason…
“It is a lot different. When expectations are high, it becomes tougher. Last year we weren’t expected to do anything, we were picked last. It is always hard to repeat. To have 10 wins in back-to-back seasons is really difficult to do and to have it done in the regular season says a lot about our guys, our team and our coaching staff. There’s so many people involved in what goes on, from strength and conditioning to nutritionist to our training staff, you name it, it is a team effort. It is hard to stay consistent. The little things we went through last year aren’t happening this year. Now, there is a whole new dynamic of having the bullseye on our chest.”
On sophomore linebacker Arron Mosby…
“He has got a bright future up ahead. Moving him from safety to linebacker mid-way through the season has been a learning process for him. That was a big play for him tonight, no doubt about it. They always tease him that he is moving closer and closer to putting his hand down on the line of scrimmage because he is such a big body. I think linebacker is the fit for him and where he needs to play. He is physical and very athletic, it was great to see him make a play like that.”
On senior quarterback Marcus McMaryion…
“He’s meant a lot to our program in a lot of ways. Not just for his physical ability, but the leadership, class and integrity that he carries himself with. He has endeared himself to this team. He was in a tough position when he got here. I say this all the time, if it wasn’t for Marcus’ demeanor, last year could’ve exploded in our face. It didn’t because of the class that he came here with and being humble and wanting to fit in with the team. He continued to work. Chason Virgil was as important in that whole situation as anybody. Those two worked together and handled that situation well. Our team dynamic has grown a lot and Marcus is a big part of that. He doesn’t take a lot of credit for it, he is not too high and not too low but people have a lot of respect for him. As do I.”
On senior linebacker George Helmuth…
“You don’t hear George talk a lot. He is not a very vocal guy. The team voted on the captains and as I was going through the votes, he had a lot. I could understand Marcus but with George being quiet, I realized that he must be doing something behind the scenes in the locker room or weight room that has earned the respect of his team. He comes to work everyday and works hard. He plays through injury. There has been so many times where he has an injury and he never misses practice. I call James Bailey, Jeffrey Allison and him the Three Musketeers because they are attached at the hip. They care a lot about what is going on. George is one of the main leaders there for sure. Again, he is another one who has a great deal of respect for the team. When you are a walk on and then you become a starter and a captain, that says a lot about someone. I think he really values the program. He is a program first guy. He is a team first guy. He is not all about himself at all and that might be why the team loves him so much.”
Marcus McMaryion, QB, Sr.
On Senior Day…
“It means the world to me that I was able to come back and play in front of family, friends and old coaches. When I was reflecting before the game started, I really couldn’t imagine ending my career anywhere else. It feels like a Cinderella story. I don’t think I deserve all the success that I’ve had here, but I’m so glad.”
“We have a huge senior class. When I was waiting to get to the front of the line during the ceremony, I was thinking about everything. Every person has their own journey. I had a different path, being a transfer. Some people like George (Helmuth) had a different path, because he started as a walk on. He worked his tail off to get a scholarship and Fresno State means the world to him and to myself as well. This program has a done a lot for us, emotions were all over the place.”
On the first half…
“We put ourselves in bad positions. I don’t care who you are playing, when you are in third-and-long situations it is hard to convert. We also weren’t productive in second-and-long situations, so we shot ourselves in the foot there. It was a good feeling to get it going in the second half. You just have to put your faith in the defense and tell them we will get it going. The fact that we know we have a defense like we do to lean back on is a good feeling”
On KeeSean Johnson breaking the program’s record for most career receiving yards…
“That is big for him. I know he’s happy he got to do that at home in front of our fans. He played a heck of a game tonight. He deserves to have records here, he’s one of the hardest working guys I know.”
On who he wants to play in the Championship…
“There is obviously going to be extra motivation if we get to play Boise State. At the end of the day, we don’t have control over who we play. It doesn’t matter if we play Boise State or Utah State, we aren’t going to prepare any different. There would be more fire behind getting to play Boise State because it’s a rematch.”
On back-to-back seasons with 10 wins…
“It’s huge. It gives us the recognition not only in the Mountain West, but all over the country. It shows it wasn’t a fluke, Fresno State football is on its way back.”
George Helmuth, LB, Sr.
On Senior Day…
“I’m so blessed. Playing college football is a unique experience. This is a great place to play football, I love Fresno State and the Valley. I just feel blessed to have experienced what I have on this journey.”
“The emotions are heavy, I was crying earlier. It was after the game when it really hit, I was embracing my teammates and what they were telling me had me overwhelmed. Myself and Micah St. Andrews were in a hug and he was talking to me about how we started as walk-ons in the baseball locker room. We didn’t get treated the same when we started here, but we kept working and we stuck together. We’re here now. It’s special.”
On the second half…
“On defense, we were getting looks that we practiced all week. We didn’t really want to change up what we were doing, because we thought we had a good half. We just needed to keep grinding until the offense got it going.”
On getting to play in the Championship and who he wants to play…
“We are very fortunate. I think it is a testament to the hard work we’ve but in throughout the season. We have the opportunity to play for a conference championship.”
“Obviously there is an extra factor there with Boise State. There’s no disrespect to Utah State, they are a really good football team, but we would love to play Boise State.”
KeeSean Johnson, WR, Sr.
On becoming the program’s all-time leader in career receiving yards…
“I didn’t realize I broke the record until after I came to the sideline and someone told me. It hasn’t sunk in yet, I don’t think it’ll sink in until my career is over. It’s a great accomplishment and I feel grateful for my teammates. They come in everyday and make me better.”
On Senior Day…
“It was a bittersweet feeling. I know that I am done playing at Bulldog Stadium, but I’m thankful for all the fans who came out to support us tonight.”
On the first half…
“We weren’t executing in the first half, we were just making small plays here and there. We made adjustments at halftime, we came out and showed what we can do.”
On making it to the postseason…
“It’s a good feeling to know that we have the opportunity to play in the championship game. This is something that we talk about at the beginning of the season, but we had to go out there and work hard week in and week out. It feels great. After this press conference, I want to go watch the game to see who we are playing and get some tips on their defense.”
On not being heavily recruited out of high school…
I’m happy where I landed. It’s been a great ride!”
Brent Brennan, San Jose State head coach
On the game…
“Congratulations to Fresno State. They have a great football team. They’re very well coached and did a really nice job closing out this game tonight. The first half was really exciting. I thought the defense was at the top of its game, making all kinds of plays and playing with great physicality. That was really exciting. In the second half, we sputter a little bit on offense. That made it hard. They’re a really good defensive team, so we have to play really clean to give ourselves a chance to beat them. I’m disappointed that we didn’t find a way to get this done for our fans and for our seniors and alums. It’s such a special rivalry game, but I thought our team really fought. We’re making progress, but we’re just not there yet. That’s the hard part because we put in all the work and the kids work so hard, but I though they played their tails off. We were about to score and make it a two-possession game with a lot of time in the fourth quarter, but Michael (Carrillo), who played really well, threw that pick. It’s just some hard stuff there, but I’m really thankful for this senior class. They really held us together and kept us working and on a path of progress.”
On explosive plays in the second half…
“I think there was just a couple of mistakes. A couple of well-executed plays by them ended up being chunk plays in the pass game. Obviously, we popped the big screen to Malik (Roberson), which was awesome to see him race down the sideline for a huge score on the screen. I think it’s just football. You have to play longer and more disciplined than the other team, and we didn’t do that tonight. At times our youth showed up, and we were maybe not in the right place exactly or got stuck and the ball found its way there to end up being a big play. I though our defense really played well against a team that’s scored a lot of points this year and played good football.”
On grading the team…
“I feel like at times we had a little bit of a run game going, but I don’t think we really were able to establish a consistent run game. I obviously haven’t seen it yet, so I’m just taking it first hand, but I don’t feel like we have enough going in the run game. Then you get behind and feel like you need to get some chunks, so you start to throw and drop back and play pass to try to get some chunk plays. There’s that kind of give and take when you get behind a little bit.”
On the dynamic of the game…
“Football is a heated game. This rivalry has years and years of heat behind it. I think it was spirited on both sides. There was some stuff that I didn’t love, but I think it takes two to tango. There was some of that. There were a couple of offsetting deals. As a football program, in order for us to make the step we want to make, we have to play with more discipline. We can’t let our emotions take over and put our football team in a bad situation.”
On specialty punts…
I think Bryce (Crawford) is a really special player to handle all of the kicking duties. I think that’s really rare. We found something that worked with him directionally that made it a lot cleaner in the second half. Based on who he is as a placekicker, we had to change our scheme a little bit, so we got to that and it was really helpful. I think the last three games, we did a good job against three really good return teams, so I was really encouraged by that.”
On pooch punting…
“That was a good move we made mid-season in moving (Brian) Papazian in there because Bryce’s leg is so strong, he’s had a little bit of trouble controlling some of those directional, ‘down it’ type punts in sky-punt situations. Papazian did a really great job coming off and taking that job over, and he executed it well all year.”
On next season…
“There are young people all over the field across the board. Jaime (Navarro) started the last three games. That’s a true freshman, so I think there’s a lot of good in that. Tyler Nevens is just a sophomore. We’re getting most of our offensive line back, so I think there’s some stuff to be really excited about. Now, what we have to do is put in the work. We have to have the toughest, most challenging offseason we’ve ever had at San Jose State. We need to get ready to take the next step because I feel like we learned how to fight, but we have to learn how to finish. I’m excited to get back to work with this team. I think we have a lot of good, young people in the program and a lot of guys that are excited about doing the work and getting us in a place that we feel good about.”
San Jose State Players
Bobby Brown II, S, So.
On defense in the first half…
“We weren’t going to give them any push. We just tried to stop them the whole time regardless. It was our last one, so we came out going balls to the wall. We were just doing our job.”
On the style of play…
“We were just doing what we practiced all week to do, which is stop their offense. We wanted to shut them down, be fundamentally sound, do our jobs and you could see the rest.”
On defense in the second half…
“We just slipped up on a couple of assignments. That was pretty much it. We just have to be more sound on our assignments and more focused. We started to die off a little bit, but we just have to get our heads right and stay focused.”
On big hits…
“I do try to hit and get the ball. I just do what’s called for. I saw (Jared Rice) catch the ball, so I just went and tried to make him cough it up.”
On the speed of Fresno State’s receivers…
“Speed is always a factor. You want to have good technique, lock in and stay focused because any misstep can really cost you.”
Boogie Roberts, DT, R-Sr.
On defensive execution…
“Everybody was just playing and doing their job, one through 11. The defensive line was holding their gaps and the linebackers were filling. On the back end, the defensive backs were playing great. They have a couple of great receivers, and I feel like our defensive backs had a great week of practice and came out and executed the game plan.”
On the game plan…
“The plan was to keep everything in front of us. We didn’t want to let the quarterback get out and make plays with his feet. He’s great on the run, and he has great accuracy. Our job was just to keep everything in front of us and come up and tackle.”
On what caused a change in the style of play in the second half…
“I would say in the first half, a lot of it was playing off emotion. It’s a rivalry game, so there’s a lot of bad blood. In the second half, everybody settled down and just missed a play here that we weren’t missing in the first half, and they executed. Huge shout out to Fresno State. I wish them the best of luck next week. In the second half, they just played better football, and they came out with the victory.”
On being a team captain…
“It was just an honor that my guys voted me as a captain. I took it upon myself in the offseason to become more of a vocal leader and step up. I was glad to see it pay off when the votes came in. It’s just been a crazy ride here. My goal was always to leave this place better than when I found it, and I feel like next year the Spartan nation is going to be so proud of the young guys in that locker room. There are a lot of great young guys in that locker room, and San Jose State is going to shock the world next year.”
Tre Walker, WR, So.
On the offense opening up in the second half…
“We just started taking a lot more shots. We started passing the ball. We started trusting Mike (Carrillo) a little bit more. He was a little rattled in the first half, but we still took a lot of shots with him. We trusted him, and we wanted him to go out with a bang.”
On his success receiving…
“All week at practice, we did some different things as far as me moving around in the slot and outside catching the ball. Mike just trusted me. He wanted to win this game, and he just threw it to me a lot.”
On getting open…
“We all get open. It’s just the quarterbacks look my way a lot. Mainly, I’m in the huddle telling them to throw me the ball. All of us get open. Thai Cottrell did a great job of pulling the defense with his motions to get me in the seam and run a post, so it’s all four of us out there including Josh Oliver. He was getting double covered a lot, so that helped me out.”
Michael Carrillo, QB, R-Sr.
On the game…
“It was a very emotional game. It was very hard fought. I’m unbelievably proud of my teammates playing for the seniors and fighting for our last game. I have nothing bad to say at all about our effort or how we played. I’m so grateful for this opportunity. I love these guys on this team. I wish our outcome was different, but my heart is full of love and gratitude right now.”
On Fresno State’s defense…
“They’re a ranked defense. They’re a ranked team for a reason. They did a very good job playing us. There are a couple of things that I think we did well that I would’ve liked to capitalize better on, but I have to give them credit. They were a very good defense.”
On the second half…
“I think we did a really good job with protection. We were able to exploit some openings that they had in their secondary. Our receivers did a great job running routes. Our backs did a good job of getting out to get the ball as well, so we did a really job of stepping up in the second half.”
On a successful screen pass for a touchdown…
“That was coming off the end of the third quarter. I was able to talk to the guys in the huddle, and I could just see in their eyes that this play was going to work. It’s a play that shouldn’t necessarily work, but we got the right look to it. Our guys just came out and executed, so regardless of what the look was, I knew it was going to work based on the belief in their eyes.”
On the pick six in the fourth quarter…
“It was a really good defensive play. It’s something I just have to be better on.”
Nov. 24, 2018
Fresno, Calif.
Jeff Tedford, Fresno State head coach
On the senior class…
“It first came down to trust and confidence. We wanted to build their trust up after having gone through a really hard time. When you have a new coaching staff come in and you have no idea who they are, trust is a big deal and it doesn’t happen overnight. The process of how we handle our business everyday wasn’t always easy. I tip my hat off to them for believing and trusting the process. They just kept working. I think they were driven because of the unfortunate circumstances they were in before, after only winning one game. They made a true commitment and not just on the field, they have been great in the classroom and they handle themselves with class and integrity. I am really proud of these guys for how hard they work and how they come to work everyday and how they project themselves.”
On the first half…
“We needed to short some protection issues. They were bringing some heat and Marcus didn’t have a lot of time to throw the ball in the first half. We had to get some things cleaned up with some protection issues. Once we gave him some time, it allowed us the ability to break some guys open. Marcus made some big plays, Jamire made a big play with a catch and we had the running game going a little bit. Thankfully our defense was playing stiff. We really needed to come out in the second half and get things going. Defense played a really good game all night long, they did a really nice job. I am proud of the guys for the way they fought back and the way they competed. It seemed a little bit dead in the beginning. We had to wake up. I think our players were excited and knew what was at stake. This rivalry is a big deal. We talk a lot about this and what it is going to mean to them for the rest of their lives.”
On KeeSean Johnson…
“I see a guy that I think has learned to compete with the ball in his hands after he catches it. He has always been a quality receiver but now you can see that he is on a mission once he catches it. He really competes hard for the ball when they are 50/50 balls, he is going to get them and he wants to do something with it after he gets it in his hands. I think he has really improved with that part of his game.”
On converting regular season focus to postseason…
“It is a lot different. When expectations are high, it becomes tougher. Last year we weren’t expected to do anything, we were picked last. It is always hard to repeat. To have 10 wins in back-to-back seasons is really difficult to do and to have it done in the regular season says a lot about our guys, our team and our coaching staff. There’s so many people involved in what goes on, from strength and conditioning to nutritionist to our training staff, you name it, it is a team effort. It is hard to stay consistent. The little things we went through last year aren’t happening this year. Now, there is a whole new dynamic of having the bullseye on our chest.”
On sophomore linebacker Arron Mosby…
“He has got a bright future up ahead. Moving him from safety to linebacker mid-way through the season has been a learning process for him. That was a big play for him tonight, no doubt about it. They always tease him that he is moving closer and closer to putting his hand down on the line of scrimmage because he is such a big body. I think linebacker is the fit for him and where he needs to play. He is physical and very athletic, it was great to see him make a play like that.”
On senior quarterback Marcus McMaryion…
“He’s meant a lot to our program in a lot of ways. Not just for his physical ability, but the leadership, class and integrity that he carries himself with. He has endeared himself to this team. He was in a tough position when he got here. I say this all the time, if it wasn’t for Marcus’ demeanor, last year could’ve exploded in our face. It didn’t because of the class that he came here with and being humble and wanting to fit in with the team. He continued to work. Chason Virgil was as important in that whole situation as anybody. Those two worked together and handled that situation well. Our team dynamic has grown a lot and Marcus is a big part of that. He doesn’t take a lot of credit for it, he is not too high and not too low but people have a lot of respect for him. As do I.”
On senior linebacker George Helmuth…
“You don’t hear George talk a lot. He is not a very vocal guy. The team voted on the captains and as I was going through the votes, he had a lot. I could understand Marcus but with George being quiet, I realized that he must be doing something behind the scenes in the locker room or weight room that has earned the respect of his team. He comes to work everyday and works hard. He plays through injury. There has been so many times where he has an injury and he never misses practice. I call James Bailey, Jeffrey Allison and him the Three Musketeers because they are attached at the hip. They care a lot about what is going on. George is one of the main leaders there for sure. Again, he is another one who has a great deal of respect for the team. When you are a walk on and then you become a starter and a captain, that says a lot about someone. I think he really values the program. He is a program first guy. He is a team first guy. He is not all about himself at all and that might be why the team loves him so much.”
Marcus McMaryion, QB, Sr.
On Senior Day…
“It means the world to me that I was able to come back and play in front of family, friends and old coaches. When I was reflecting before the game started, I really couldn’t imagine ending my career anywhere else. It feels like a Cinderella story. I don’t think I deserve all the success that I’ve had here, but I’m so glad.”
“We have a huge senior class. When I was waiting to get to the front of the line during the ceremony, I was thinking about everything. Every person has their own journey. I had a different path, being a transfer. Some people like George (Helmuth) had a different path, because he started as a walk on. He worked his tail off to get a scholarship and Fresno State means the world to him and to myself as well. This program has a done a lot for us, emotions were all over the place.”
On the first half…
“We put ourselves in bad positions. I don’t care who you are playing, when you are in third-and-long situations it is hard to convert. We also weren’t productive in second-and-long situations, so we shot ourselves in the foot there. It was a good feeling to get it going in the second half. You just have to put your faith in the defense and tell them we will get it going. The fact that we know we have a defense like we do to lean back on is a good feeling”
On KeeSean Johnson breaking the program’s record for most career receiving yards…
“That is big for him. I know he’s happy he got to do that at home in front of our fans. He played a heck of a game tonight. He deserves to have records here, he’s one of the hardest working guys I know.”
On who he wants to play in the Championship…
“There is obviously going to be extra motivation if we get to play Boise State. At the end of the day, we don’t have control over who we play. It doesn’t matter if we play Boise State or Utah State, we aren’t going to prepare any different. There would be more fire behind getting to play Boise State because it’s a rematch.”
On back-to-back seasons with 10 wins…
“It’s huge. It gives us the recognition not only in the Mountain West, but all over the country. It shows it wasn’t a fluke, Fresno State football is on its way back.”
George Helmuth, LB, Sr.
On Senior Day…
“I’m so blessed. Playing college football is a unique experience. This is a great place to play football, I love Fresno State and the Valley. I just feel blessed to have experienced what I have on this journey.”
“The emotions are heavy, I was crying earlier. It was after the game when it really hit, I was embracing my teammates and what they were telling me had me overwhelmed. Myself and Micah St. Andrews were in a hug and he was talking to me about how we started as walk-ons in the baseball locker room. We didn’t get treated the same when we started here, but we kept working and we stuck together. We’re here now. It’s special.”
On the second half…
“On defense, we were getting looks that we practiced all week. We didn’t really want to change up what we were doing, because we thought we had a good half. We just needed to keep grinding until the offense got it going.”
On getting to play in the Championship and who he wants to play…
“We are very fortunate. I think it is a testament to the hard work we’ve but in throughout the season. We have the opportunity to play for a conference championship.”
“Obviously there is an extra factor there with Boise State. There’s no disrespect to Utah State, they are a really good football team, but we would love to play Boise State.”
KeeSean Johnson, WR, Sr.
On becoming the program’s all-time leader in career receiving yards…
“I didn’t realize I broke the record until after I came to the sideline and someone told me. It hasn’t sunk in yet, I don’t think it’ll sink in until my career is over. It’s a great accomplishment and I feel grateful for my teammates. They come in everyday and make me better.”
On Senior Day…
“It was a bittersweet feeling. I know that I am done playing at Bulldog Stadium, but I’m thankful for all the fans who came out to support us tonight.”
On the first half…
“We weren’t executing in the first half, we were just making small plays here and there. We made adjustments at halftime, we came out and showed what we can do.”
On making it to the postseason…
“It’s a good feeling to know that we have the opportunity to play in the championship game. This is something that we talk about at the beginning of the season, but we had to go out there and work hard week in and week out. It feels great. After this press conference, I want to go watch the game to see who we are playing and get some tips on their defense.”
On not being heavily recruited out of high school…
I’m happy where I landed. It’s been a great ride!”
Brent Brennan, San Jose State head coach
On the game…
“Congratulations to Fresno State. They have a great football team. They’re very well coached and did a really nice job closing out this game tonight. The first half was really exciting. I thought the defense was at the top of its game, making all kinds of plays and playing with great physicality. That was really exciting. In the second half, we sputter a little bit on offense. That made it hard. They’re a really good defensive team, so we have to play really clean to give ourselves a chance to beat them. I’m disappointed that we didn’t find a way to get this done for our fans and for our seniors and alums. It’s such a special rivalry game, but I thought our team really fought. We’re making progress, but we’re just not there yet. That’s the hard part because we put in all the work and the kids work so hard, but I though they played their tails off. We were about to score and make it a two-possession game with a lot of time in the fourth quarter, but Michael (Carrillo), who played really well, threw that pick. It’s just some hard stuff there, but I’m really thankful for this senior class. They really held us together and kept us working and on a path of progress.”
On explosive plays in the second half…
“I think there was just a couple of mistakes. A couple of well-executed plays by them ended up being chunk plays in the pass game. Obviously, we popped the big screen to Malik (Roberson), which was awesome to see him race down the sideline for a huge score on the screen. I think it’s just football. You have to play longer and more disciplined than the other team, and we didn’t do that tonight. At times our youth showed up, and we were maybe not in the right place exactly or got stuck and the ball found its way there to end up being a big play. I though our defense really played well against a team that’s scored a lot of points this year and played good football.”
On grading the team…
“I feel like at times we had a little bit of a run game going, but I don’t think we really were able to establish a consistent run game. I obviously haven’t seen it yet, so I’m just taking it first hand, but I don’t feel like we have enough going in the run game. Then you get behind and feel like you need to get some chunks, so you start to throw and drop back and play pass to try to get some chunk plays. There’s that kind of give and take when you get behind a little bit.”
On the dynamic of the game…
“Football is a heated game. This rivalry has years and years of heat behind it. I think it was spirited on both sides. There was some stuff that I didn’t love, but I think it takes two to tango. There was some of that. There were a couple of offsetting deals. As a football program, in order for us to make the step we want to make, we have to play with more discipline. We can’t let our emotions take over and put our football team in a bad situation.”
On specialty punts…
I think Bryce (Crawford) is a really special player to handle all of the kicking duties. I think that’s really rare. We found something that worked with him directionally that made it a lot cleaner in the second half. Based on who he is as a placekicker, we had to change our scheme a little bit, so we got to that and it was really helpful. I think the last three games, we did a good job against three really good return teams, so I was really encouraged by that.”
On pooch punting…
“That was a good move we made mid-season in moving (Brian) Papazian in there because Bryce’s leg is so strong, he’s had a little bit of trouble controlling some of those directional, ‘down it’ type punts in sky-punt situations. Papazian did a really great job coming off and taking that job over, and he executed it well all year.”
On next season…
“There are young people all over the field across the board. Jaime (Navarro) started the last three games. That’s a true freshman, so I think there’s a lot of good in that. Tyler Nevens is just a sophomore. We’re getting most of our offensive line back, so I think there’s some stuff to be really excited about. Now, what we have to do is put in the work. We have to have the toughest, most challenging offseason we’ve ever had at San Jose State. We need to get ready to take the next step because I feel like we learned how to fight, but we have to learn how to finish. I’m excited to get back to work with this team. I think we have a lot of good, young people in the program and a lot of guys that are excited about doing the work and getting us in a place that we feel good about.”
San Jose State Players
Bobby Brown II, S, So.
On defense in the first half…
“We weren’t going to give them any push. We just tried to stop them the whole time regardless. It was our last one, so we came out going balls to the wall. We were just doing our job.”
On the style of play…
“We were just doing what we practiced all week to do, which is stop their offense. We wanted to shut them down, be fundamentally sound, do our jobs and you could see the rest.”
On defense in the second half…
“We just slipped up on a couple of assignments. That was pretty much it. We just have to be more sound on our assignments and more focused. We started to die off a little bit, but we just have to get our heads right and stay focused.”
On big hits…
“I do try to hit and get the ball. I just do what’s called for. I saw (Jared Rice) catch the ball, so I just went and tried to make him cough it up.”
On the speed of Fresno State’s receivers…
“Speed is always a factor. You want to have good technique, lock in and stay focused because any misstep can really cost you.”
Boogie Roberts, DT, R-Sr.
On defensive execution…
“Everybody was just playing and doing their job, one through 11. The defensive line was holding their gaps and the linebackers were filling. On the back end, the defensive backs were playing great. They have a couple of great receivers, and I feel like our defensive backs had a great week of practice and came out and executed the game plan.”
On the game plan…
“The plan was to keep everything in front of us. We didn’t want to let the quarterback get out and make plays with his feet. He’s great on the run, and he has great accuracy. Our job was just to keep everything in front of us and come up and tackle.”
On what caused a change in the style of play in the second half…
“I would say in the first half, a lot of it was playing off emotion. It’s a rivalry game, so there’s a lot of bad blood. In the second half, everybody settled down and just missed a play here that we weren’t missing in the first half, and they executed. Huge shout out to Fresno State. I wish them the best of luck next week. In the second half, they just played better football, and they came out with the victory.”
On being a team captain…
“It was just an honor that my guys voted me as a captain. I took it upon myself in the offseason to become more of a vocal leader and step up. I was glad to see it pay off when the votes came in. It’s just been a crazy ride here. My goal was always to leave this place better than when I found it, and I feel like next year the Spartan nation is going to be so proud of the young guys in that locker room. There are a lot of great young guys in that locker room, and San Jose State is going to shock the world next year.”
Tre Walker, WR, So.
On the offense opening up in the second half…
“We just started taking a lot more shots. We started passing the ball. We started trusting Mike (Carrillo) a little bit more. He was a little rattled in the first half, but we still took a lot of shots with him. We trusted him, and we wanted him to go out with a bang.”
On his success receiving…
“All week at practice, we did some different things as far as me moving around in the slot and outside catching the ball. Mike just trusted me. He wanted to win this game, and he just threw it to me a lot.”
On getting open…
“We all get open. It’s just the quarterbacks look my way a lot. Mainly, I’m in the huddle telling them to throw me the ball. All of us get open. Thai Cottrell did a great job of pulling the defense with his motions to get me in the seam and run a post, so it’s all four of us out there including Josh Oliver. He was getting double covered a lot, so that helped me out.”
Michael Carrillo, QB, R-Sr.
On the game…
“It was a very emotional game. It was very hard fought. I’m unbelievably proud of my teammates playing for the seniors and fighting for our last game. I have nothing bad to say at all about our effort or how we played. I’m so grateful for this opportunity. I love these guys on this team. I wish our outcome was different, but my heart is full of love and gratitude right now.”
On Fresno State’s defense…
“They’re a ranked defense. They’re a ranked team for a reason. They did a very good job playing us. There are a couple of things that I think we did well that I would’ve liked to capitalize better on, but I have to give them credit. They were a very good defense.”
On the second half…
“I think we did a really good job with protection. We were able to exploit some openings that they had in their secondary. Our receivers did a great job running routes. Our backs did a good job of getting out to get the ball as well, so we did a really job of stepping up in the second half.”
On a successful screen pass for a touchdown…
“That was coming off the end of the third quarter. I was able to talk to the guys in the huddle, and I could just see in their eyes that this play was going to work. It’s a play that shouldn’t necessarily work, but we got the right look to it. Our guys just came out and executed, so regardless of what the look was, I knew it was going to work based on the belief in their eyes.”
On the pick six in the fourth quarter…
“It was a really good defensive play. It’s something I just have to be better on.”