The game ended at the worst possible time for my Advocate duties because I had to race back up to the press box after Fritz and Marvin Moody talked and did not have time to wait for an offensive player. Fritz had to do the post-game radio show first and I taped that, too.
WILLIE FRITZ
"I'm really proud or our effort. I thought our kids played extremely hard and left it all out there on the field. It was one of those games where in order to win it we were going to need a break or two and I don't know if we got one throughout the game. At halftime I was still feeling good. We had a couple plays in there that didn't go our way. That one right before the half was a big one. We thought we had an interception and they ended up getting the ball on the 1-yard line. When you play a team like Auburn at their place, you've got to play real good and be real sharp and we weren't."
Auburn struggled to run, especially early. What was your takeway?
"I thought we did a great job up front. They had a real difficult time until they got in there at the end and kind of wore us down. They got the big guy in at quarterback and had a different package there. We did an excellent job stopping their run game. Our guys up front were doing a nice job. We were fitting well and playing fast and physical. They kind of just kept chopping at us and we didn't get that score. If we had gotten that one big play in there, if we had caught that double pass maybe, something that would have given us a spark, we would have had an opportunity to be in the game and possibly win the game."
How much did the penalties hurt?
"Yeah, it's just disappointing. We had a bunch of unforced errors. Nobody wants to do that. They are all wanting to play hard and try as hard as they can, but sometimes they're not thinking exactly what they need to be doing as far as the snap count and getting off on the ball and stuff like that. We just can't have these type of penalties. We had 11 for 80 yards and they had five for 51. Just way too many for us. We just have to do a better job of that."
Justin McMillan's accuracy seemed to come and go tonight. How would you evaluate his performance?
"It was just like everybody. We just didn't play real good. If your quarterback plays great, sometimes he gets a ton of credit and when he doesn't he gets a lot of blame. Justin played his heart out. I don't know how great a job we did protecting him and getting open and all those other kinds of things. You (the receivers) have to make open spaces for yourself, and we weren't able to do that. It's a team deal."
Leading up this game, you talked about Oklahoma and Ohio State from the past couple of years. How did this one feel different?
"Our guys came out and competed and were getting after it and we were really delivering the blows. particularly in the first half. We just needed to get a score in there some place or a big stop or a takeaway. If we had gotten a touchdown, we were right in the game and it just didn't happen. As I said before, we didn't get any breaks almost throughout the whole game. When you play a team as quality as Auburn and it doesn't happen, you gotta play real smart and you gotta play real aggressive and we didn't do that."
You mentioned not getting any breaks. Auburn's a great team, but do you feel like you guys beat yourselves as much as Auburn beat you.
"No, I want to give them credit. I don't want to sit here and act like it was just us not playing so well. This is a good team. They might be 10th in the country for a reason, but there were times we shot ourselves in the foot without question. We knew coming in we had to be smart and disciplined. It was not because of lack of effort. Our guys played extremely hard."
McMillan hobbled off after his last play. Is he OK?
"I think he's going to be OK. To be honest with you I didn't notice that."
How big was the interception that turned into a completion down by the goal line?
"Yeah, we thought we had a pick and then it went the other way. Obviously it would have been our ball going the other direction and instead it was them on the 2 and scoring. It was a huge play. There were a bunch of big plays in the game."
What happened on McMillan's interception when you were down 14-6 and driving? Was he trying to throw it away or was it a miscommunication?
"It was a miscommunication."
When a play can go either way and goes against you, what does it do to a team's mindset?
"The momentum leaves your sideline and goes over to the other side. We had four or five plays that could have been sparks for us but we just didn't finish like we needed to. We had to settle for field goals. Merek Glover played a great game. He hit two long field goals and also did a tremendous job with his kickoffs. He really had a quality game for us, but we need touchdowns in those situations."
MARVIN MOODY (who had seven tackles and was all over the field)
They couldn't run in the first half. How well do you feel the front seven held up?
"We did great. I believe in the first half they had less than a hundred rushing yards (actually just 20), so we did a phenomenal job then. They got a few big plays in the second half and it didn't go in our favor."
How frustrating is it to lose 24-6 in a game where you felt you were right there?
"It's frustrating to lose any game, but this was a big stage and we wanted to win and it didn't go our way."
Can you take some confidence from this?
"Of course. Again, we were playing on a big stage and we held our own during the first half and did a decent job in the second half. We are going to come back ready to play next week and the week after and the week after."
Did you feel like physically you held your own?
"Oh yes. We have a great strength and conditioning program and we are just as strong as they are, big as they are and fast as they are."
The play before halftime when it looked like you might have gotten an interception and it turned into a catch, what was that swing in momentum like for you?
"It was frustrating, but hey, you have to have a short memory in this game and go on to the next play."
Did you feel good at halftime?
"Yes, of course. We still had a chance to win and were still in the game."
Were the Auburn players saying anything to you guys or getting frustrated early?
"No. They were a great team. They held their composure and did what they were supposed to do. No trash talking. Just two great football teams competing."
WILLIE FRITZ
"I'm really proud or our effort. I thought our kids played extremely hard and left it all out there on the field. It was one of those games where in order to win it we were going to need a break or two and I don't know if we got one throughout the game. At halftime I was still feeling good. We had a couple plays in there that didn't go our way. That one right before the half was a big one. We thought we had an interception and they ended up getting the ball on the 1-yard line. When you play a team like Auburn at their place, you've got to play real good and be real sharp and we weren't."
Auburn struggled to run, especially early. What was your takeway?
"I thought we did a great job up front. They had a real difficult time until they got in there at the end and kind of wore us down. They got the big guy in at quarterback and had a different package there. We did an excellent job stopping their run game. Our guys up front were doing a nice job. We were fitting well and playing fast and physical. They kind of just kept chopping at us and we didn't get that score. If we had gotten that one big play in there, if we had caught that double pass maybe, something that would have given us a spark, we would have had an opportunity to be in the game and possibly win the game."
How much did the penalties hurt?
"Yeah, it's just disappointing. We had a bunch of unforced errors. Nobody wants to do that. They are all wanting to play hard and try as hard as they can, but sometimes they're not thinking exactly what they need to be doing as far as the snap count and getting off on the ball and stuff like that. We just can't have these type of penalties. We had 11 for 80 yards and they had five for 51. Just way too many for us. We just have to do a better job of that."
Justin McMillan's accuracy seemed to come and go tonight. How would you evaluate his performance?
"It was just like everybody. We just didn't play real good. If your quarterback plays great, sometimes he gets a ton of credit and when he doesn't he gets a lot of blame. Justin played his heart out. I don't know how great a job we did protecting him and getting open and all those other kinds of things. You (the receivers) have to make open spaces for yourself, and we weren't able to do that. It's a team deal."
Leading up this game, you talked about Oklahoma and Ohio State from the past couple of years. How did this one feel different?
"Our guys came out and competed and were getting after it and we were really delivering the blows. particularly in the first half. We just needed to get a score in there some place or a big stop or a takeaway. If we had gotten a touchdown, we were right in the game and it just didn't happen. As I said before, we didn't get any breaks almost throughout the whole game. When you play a team as quality as Auburn and it doesn't happen, you gotta play real smart and you gotta play real aggressive and we didn't do that."
You mentioned not getting any breaks. Auburn's a great team, but do you feel like you guys beat yourselves as much as Auburn beat you.
"No, I want to give them credit. I don't want to sit here and act like it was just us not playing so well. This is a good team. They might be 10th in the country for a reason, but there were times we shot ourselves in the foot without question. We knew coming in we had to be smart and disciplined. It was not because of lack of effort. Our guys played extremely hard."
McMillan hobbled off after his last play. Is he OK?
"I think he's going to be OK. To be honest with you I didn't notice that."
How big was the interception that turned into a completion down by the goal line?
"Yeah, we thought we had a pick and then it went the other way. Obviously it would have been our ball going the other direction and instead it was them on the 2 and scoring. It was a huge play. There were a bunch of big plays in the game."
What happened on McMillan's interception when you were down 14-6 and driving? Was he trying to throw it away or was it a miscommunication?
"It was a miscommunication."
When a play can go either way and goes against you, what does it do to a team's mindset?
"The momentum leaves your sideline and goes over to the other side. We had four or five plays that could have been sparks for us but we just didn't finish like we needed to. We had to settle for field goals. Merek Glover played a great game. He hit two long field goals and also did a tremendous job with his kickoffs. He really had a quality game for us, but we need touchdowns in those situations."
MARVIN MOODY (who had seven tackles and was all over the field)
They couldn't run in the first half. How well do you feel the front seven held up?
"We did great. I believe in the first half they had less than a hundred rushing yards (actually just 20), so we did a phenomenal job then. They got a few big plays in the second half and it didn't go in our favor."
How frustrating is it to lose 24-6 in a game where you felt you were right there?
"It's frustrating to lose any game, but this was a big stage and we wanted to win and it didn't go our way."
Can you take some confidence from this?
"Of course. Again, we were playing on a big stage and we held our own during the first half and did a decent job in the second half. We are going to come back ready to play next week and the week after and the week after."
Did you feel like physically you held your own?
"Oh yes. We have a great strength and conditioning program and we are just as strong as they are, big as they are and fast as they are."
The play before halftime when it looked like you might have gotten an interception and it turned into a catch, what was that swing in momentum like for you?
"It was frustrating, but hey, you have to have a short memory in this game and go on to the next play."
Did you feel good at halftime?
"Yes, of course. We still had a chance to win and were still in the game."
Were the Auburn players saying anything to you guys or getting frustrated early?
"No. They were a great team. They held their composure and did what they were supposed to do. No trash talking. Just two great football teams competing."
