Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State-Toledo Postgame Quotes
Fresno State vs. Toledo
Sept. 29, 2018
Fresno, Calif.
Head Coach Jeff Tedford
Opening statement…
“I am a happy coach right now. It was very satisfying. Two years ago, it didn’t turn out so well for the Bulldogs at their place. There was a chip on our shoulder going into this game. We needed to play a lot better and represent the pride and tradition of Bulldog football better than we did two years ago. I thought it was a great team effort. I thought every phase of the game played really solid.”
On exploiting the middle of the field…
“There were a couple of times that we felt like we could get the ball to certain people. Mims had some big plays coming out of the back field. McMaryion executed really well. The offensive line protected really well. Everybody did their job. The execution of all plays is all 11 guys doing their job.”
On the offensive turning point…
“Toledo is a really good football team. You’re not going to steamroll them and score every time you have the ball. Their defense played really well all night, that is a real explosive crew. They can run and throw the football. I think we held them in check, we pressured the passer and didn’t let him get loose too often. Toledo is a quality football team. They are 11-1 from last year and they are very solid. You have to stay in there and keep playing, it isn’t going to roll smooth on every possession. We knew that, we knew they are a good football team. We kept playing and started making plays and it continued on through the rest of the game until fourth quarter.”
On Marcus McMaryion…
“I thought he was very efficient tonight, especially with some of the balls down field. He managed the game really well and he was very accurate. I thought Marcus threw a really good game and was spot on.”
On the running back group…
“Each one of them have a positive skill set. They all do things well. We are really fortunate to have the depth we do there. We try to keep them fresh and rotate them in and out. They are all very productive when they get in. There is only one football and it really is a challenge because we have so many guys there that can make plays. I think they all understand to stay fresh and that they all play a role. I thought each one did some things nice tonight.”
On Mykal Walker…
“I am really happy for him. We toyed around with him in the spring. I think he gives tackles a really hard time because he is fast, he is long levered and can extend. Tonight he made an awesome play at batting that ball up in the air, catching it and running for the touchdown. I am really happy for him because last year was a hard year for him to redshirt and play on the scout team all year. We had to find a place for him to play on the field somewhere. I think we settled him in to the right spot. He is solid. He does a good job and he works really hard every single day. It is great to see him have success.”
On overcoming setbacks in games...
“I think our guys just know to keep playing. I mentioned this last week, I think we were fortunate to be in a couple of different types of games at Minnesota and UCLA. Our group really does trust one another. We treat all setbacks as temporary. We don’t let things like that get us down. We know other teams are going to make plays and we have to keep playing. We talk about that a lot. We really compete hard in practice. We have a lot of trust and a lot of respect in one another, in every phase of the game. We just have to keep going and focus on one play at a time. I think we have really done that over the last couple of weeks.”
Marcus McMaryion, QB, Sr.
On the game…
“It’s a good feeling, because Toledo is a great team. We played well on both sides of the ball. We had a good game plan going into tonight’s game, and we executed it well. Every defense has its holes and our coaches do a great job of putting us in a good position to be successful in every game.”
On playing at home for the first time in four weeks…
“You don’t realize how long you’ve been on the road until you finally come back home, and the feeling you get when you’re playing in your own stadium. It was great to have a home field advantage, hear the Red Wave and feed off their energy. The Red Wave was in full force and we appreciate every person who came out tonight.”
Mykal Walker, DE, R-Jr.
On how the defense prepared for tonight’s game…
“Our coaches came up with a great scheme. It was just up to us to buy in and do what we do every day. Every week our coaches tell us to be the more physical team.”
On his pick 6...
“It was dream come true. I tipped the ball and it landed right in my hands. I just ran with it and made sure I didn’t get tackled by the quarterback, because my teammates wouldn’t have let me live that down.”
On this game compared to the UCLA game (Sept. 15)…
“Every week, every game, we want to get better. I definitely think tonight was a step up for us, and hopefully we just keep taking steps up until we get to where we need to be.”
On facing Nevada next week…
We treat every game like a championship game. We aren’t going to take any team lightly. We are going to go in there with the same focus we had this week, and hopefully come out with a statement game.”
On what this game meant to him in regard to his father playing for Fresno State as well…
“It means the world to me to know my Dad is looking down on me and smiling.
Jordan Mims, RB, So.
On if this was his best receiving game…
“Yes, it was! We were all doing our jobs on offense and that allowed me to make plays.”
On his 47-yard touchdown…
“I saw open green field, so I tried to kick it into second gear.”
On how the group of running backs is so versatile and tight knit…
“We can all do it, every game. It doesn’t matter which of us is in the game, we are going to get good results. It was great to have Ronnie Rivers back, we were cheering him on and keeping the energy high for his comeback."
On if he is faster this season…
“Yes, I am. The power work we do in the weight room has added a lot to my game. I wanted to be more decisive this season, so that is something I worked on. I also worked on becoming more explosive off my first step.”
On if it was good to be back in Bulldog Stadium…
“Yes, we always want to get the Red Wave going! We had a big crowd at the UCLA game, and we wanted to bring that back home this week.”
Toledo Head Coach Jason Candle
On overall thoughts from the loss…
“Well, they’re all disappointing. Any time you lose a football game, there aren’t really any moral victories in this game. That’s why it’s the greatest game there is. There are a lot things that can teach you. There are some brutal truths on the film that we have to clean up and get fixed.”
On some of the things that need to be fixed…
“There were too many explosive plays on defense. We also had a lack of execution in the running game on offense, a lack of protecting the quarterback on offense, and I never thought we really caught a rhythm offensively. We’re not playing complementary football to each other right now. For some spurts, we play really well on offense. For some spurts, we play really well on defense. It’s just not matching up. Part of that can be attributed to a young football team to a certain extent, but there are other things where we have to identify what’s wrong and fix it.”
On trying to defend Marcus McMaryion and Jordan Mims…
“They’re two really good players. They’ve got a good group of guys around them. They don’t have to go win the game on every play. I thought the coaches did a good job of putting them in positions where they could be successful.”
On positive takeaways from the game…
“Again, there are no moral victories in football for me. There’s nothing that comes to mind right now that I think, ‘Hey, this is a ray of sunshine. I can’t wait to get on a plane, deal with a loss and lick our wounds for the next five hours.’ We lost the game. It’s tough, but we’ll rebound from it. We’ll be back. We’ve got a tough conference schedule that starts this week with our rival, and it doesn’t get any easier. Now you go from last year where you’re kind of chasing everybody to this year where you’re the hunted team. We have to embrace that and live it in honor.”
On his feelings about the team after the nonconference schedule…
“Well, I think every game has some lessons in there that teach you a little bit about who you are. As the season progresses though - this was our first road trip, we came into a really great crowd and very tough environment to go in and play against a very good team. I feel like we’re a good team as well, so some of the things we responded to really well, others we didn’t. We’ve got to fix it because this will not be our last road game. We’ve got to go on the road and play some really good opponents. We’ve got to go Western (Michigan). We’ve got to go to Northern Illinois. We have some conference games on the road that we’ve got to go to and play well or we won’t win those games. I think there are a lot of things I think you can pull from that. We checked off the last boxes of the firsts when it comes to our conference schedule like the first noon game, first night game, and first away game. Those are gone, so we’re not about making excuses here. We’ve got to get better.”
Sept. 29, 2018
Fresno, Calif.
Head Coach Jeff Tedford
Opening statement…
“I am a happy coach right now. It was very satisfying. Two years ago, it didn’t turn out so well for the Bulldogs at their place. There was a chip on our shoulder going into this game. We needed to play a lot better and represent the pride and tradition of Bulldog football better than we did two years ago. I thought it was a great team effort. I thought every phase of the game played really solid.”
On exploiting the middle of the field…
“There were a couple of times that we felt like we could get the ball to certain people. Mims had some big plays coming out of the back field. McMaryion executed really well. The offensive line protected really well. Everybody did their job. The execution of all plays is all 11 guys doing their job.”
On the offensive turning point…
“Toledo is a really good football team. You’re not going to steamroll them and score every time you have the ball. Their defense played really well all night, that is a real explosive crew. They can run and throw the football. I think we held them in check, we pressured the passer and didn’t let him get loose too often. Toledo is a quality football team. They are 11-1 from last year and they are very solid. You have to stay in there and keep playing, it isn’t going to roll smooth on every possession. We knew that, we knew they are a good football team. We kept playing and started making plays and it continued on through the rest of the game until fourth quarter.”
On Marcus McMaryion…
“I thought he was very efficient tonight, especially with some of the balls down field. He managed the game really well and he was very accurate. I thought Marcus threw a really good game and was spot on.”
On the running back group…
“Each one of them have a positive skill set. They all do things well. We are really fortunate to have the depth we do there. We try to keep them fresh and rotate them in and out. They are all very productive when they get in. There is only one football and it really is a challenge because we have so many guys there that can make plays. I think they all understand to stay fresh and that they all play a role. I thought each one did some things nice tonight.”
On Mykal Walker…
“I am really happy for him. We toyed around with him in the spring. I think he gives tackles a really hard time because he is fast, he is long levered and can extend. Tonight he made an awesome play at batting that ball up in the air, catching it and running for the touchdown. I am really happy for him because last year was a hard year for him to redshirt and play on the scout team all year. We had to find a place for him to play on the field somewhere. I think we settled him in to the right spot. He is solid. He does a good job and he works really hard every single day. It is great to see him have success.”
On overcoming setbacks in games...
“I think our guys just know to keep playing. I mentioned this last week, I think we were fortunate to be in a couple of different types of games at Minnesota and UCLA. Our group really does trust one another. We treat all setbacks as temporary. We don’t let things like that get us down. We know other teams are going to make plays and we have to keep playing. We talk about that a lot. We really compete hard in practice. We have a lot of trust and a lot of respect in one another, in every phase of the game. We just have to keep going and focus on one play at a time. I think we have really done that over the last couple of weeks.”
Marcus McMaryion, QB, Sr.
On the game…
“It’s a good feeling, because Toledo is a great team. We played well on both sides of the ball. We had a good game plan going into tonight’s game, and we executed it well. Every defense has its holes and our coaches do a great job of putting us in a good position to be successful in every game.”
On playing at home for the first time in four weeks…
“You don’t realize how long you’ve been on the road until you finally come back home, and the feeling you get when you’re playing in your own stadium. It was great to have a home field advantage, hear the Red Wave and feed off their energy. The Red Wave was in full force and we appreciate every person who came out tonight.”
Mykal Walker, DE, R-Jr.
On how the defense prepared for tonight’s game…
“Our coaches came up with a great scheme. It was just up to us to buy in and do what we do every day. Every week our coaches tell us to be the more physical team.”
On his pick 6...
“It was dream come true. I tipped the ball and it landed right in my hands. I just ran with it and made sure I didn’t get tackled by the quarterback, because my teammates wouldn’t have let me live that down.”
On this game compared to the UCLA game (Sept. 15)…
“Every week, every game, we want to get better. I definitely think tonight was a step up for us, and hopefully we just keep taking steps up until we get to where we need to be.”
On facing Nevada next week…
We treat every game like a championship game. We aren’t going to take any team lightly. We are going to go in there with the same focus we had this week, and hopefully come out with a statement game.”
On what this game meant to him in regard to his father playing for Fresno State as well…
“It means the world to me to know my Dad is looking down on me and smiling.
Jordan Mims, RB, So.
On if this was his best receiving game…
“Yes, it was! We were all doing our jobs on offense and that allowed me to make plays.”
On his 47-yard touchdown…
“I saw open green field, so I tried to kick it into second gear.”
On how the group of running backs is so versatile and tight knit…
“We can all do it, every game. It doesn’t matter which of us is in the game, we are going to get good results. It was great to have Ronnie Rivers back, we were cheering him on and keeping the energy high for his comeback."
On if he is faster this season…
“Yes, I am. The power work we do in the weight room has added a lot to my game. I wanted to be more decisive this season, so that is something I worked on. I also worked on becoming more explosive off my first step.”
On if it was good to be back in Bulldog Stadium…
“Yes, we always want to get the Red Wave going! We had a big crowd at the UCLA game, and we wanted to bring that back home this week.”
Toledo Head Coach Jason Candle
On overall thoughts from the loss…
“Well, they’re all disappointing. Any time you lose a football game, there aren’t really any moral victories in this game. That’s why it’s the greatest game there is. There are a lot things that can teach you. There are some brutal truths on the film that we have to clean up and get fixed.”
On some of the things that need to be fixed…
“There were too many explosive plays on defense. We also had a lack of execution in the running game on offense, a lack of protecting the quarterback on offense, and I never thought we really caught a rhythm offensively. We’re not playing complementary football to each other right now. For some spurts, we play really well on offense. For some spurts, we play really well on defense. It’s just not matching up. Part of that can be attributed to a young football team to a certain extent, but there are other things where we have to identify what’s wrong and fix it.”
On trying to defend Marcus McMaryion and Jordan Mims…
“They’re two really good players. They’ve got a good group of guys around them. They don’t have to go win the game on every play. I thought the coaches did a good job of putting them in positions where they could be successful.”
On positive takeaways from the game…
“Again, there are no moral victories in football for me. There’s nothing that comes to mind right now that I think, ‘Hey, this is a ray of sunshine. I can’t wait to get on a plane, deal with a loss and lick our wounds for the next five hours.’ We lost the game. It’s tough, but we’ll rebound from it. We’ll be back. We’ve got a tough conference schedule that starts this week with our rival, and it doesn’t get any easier. Now you go from last year where you’re kind of chasing everybody to this year where you’re the hunted team. We have to embrace that and live it in honor.”
On his feelings about the team after the nonconference schedule…
“Well, I think every game has some lessons in there that teach you a little bit about who you are. As the season progresses though - this was our first road trip, we came into a really great crowd and very tough environment to go in and play against a very good team. I feel like we’re a good team as well, so some of the things we responded to really well, others we didn’t. We’ve got to fix it because this will not be our last road game. We’ve got to go on the road and play some really good opponents. We’ve got to go Western (Michigan). We’ve got to go to Northern Illinois. We have some conference games on the road that we’ve got to go to and play well or we won’t win those games. I think there are a lot of things I think you can pull from that. We checked off the last boxes of the firsts when it comes to our conference schedule like the first noon game, first night game, and first away game. Those are gone, so we’re not about making excuses here. We’ve got to get better.”