SAN JOSE STATE INTERIM HEAD COACH KENT BAER
On SJSU’s second-half performance:
“This whole season we’ve been a great second-half team and we were a great second-half team today. It seems like our kids really do a great job of listening at halftime and the coaches do an unbelievable job from the press box and the sideline about some of the adjustments we make, but it’s our players who have done it.”
On Fales’ passing performance with a slow running game:
“I think the offense has done that all year. That’s an awfully good defense we played against today and they proved that, but we can throw it against anybody. We have great receivers and tight ends; we protect well; and David is the most passing-efficient quarterback in the country. Today was not great weather — a lot of wind — but (Fales) is unbelievable. He’s the best I’ve been around and he’s got a heck of a future.”
On being the first ranked team to play and win in the Military Bowl:
“I’ve been doing this a long time and I’ve been to a lot of great places and this is honestly in my top two of all-time seasons. From this team being 1-12 two years ago and winning five games a year ago … but then we won those last two last year. … That just took this team off and vaulted this team into the next season. What people don’t talk a lot about is we won 13 of our last 15. That’s a lot of wins in 15 games. It’s just an unbelievable feeling. Any time you get 10 wins is magical. To get 11 is tremendous.”
SAN JOSE STATE DEFENSIVE END TRAVIS JOHNSON:
On getting SJSU’s 11th win:
“It meant so much to all of us just because we have been through so much, especially us older guys have been through so much adversity over the past couple years. To make it to 10-2 was unbelievable, and we were talking about just how much better we’ve become and we’ve come together as a family. Being able to get this last win was, I call it, the cherry on top. Just that finisher to make it the most memorable, incredible season we’re going to have.”
On persevering through a coaching change:
“I think the biggest thing that happened was the day of (coach Mike MacIntyre’s announcement that he would take the open Colorado job), we were kind of like, ‘What’s going to happen last year?’ We were trying to figure out what coaches were going to be here, what players were going to be here. Coach Baer came in the next day and he basically told us that it doesn’t matter and what we’ve set out to do we’re going to accomplish. The coaches were going to give everything they had and we were going to give everything we had. By saying that, it basically stopped all the thoughts of Coach Mac being gone or what’s going to happen next year because we realized what we have to do right now.”
On whether he could have predicted this season’s success:
“You never know. Everyone prepares the same, everyone gets ready and plays hard in the offseason and all that to hope that they get that incredible season, and I think what really made it stand out is just from the start of camp, everyone just seemed to work a little harder. … It’s just one of those things that you feel, but when you start doing, you know.”
SAN JOSE STATE QUARTERBACK DAVID FALES
On getting SJSU’s 11th win:
“It’s always about the seniors and I’m really reaping the benefits getting here at a time of all their hard work and all the veterans have been here and had to go through the hard times. Getting this for them, I’m just so excited for the coaching staff and for the seniors who put in all that hard work. To get this 11th win and be one of the greatest teams (in San Jose State history) is just amazing.”
On setting the Military Bowl passing record with 395 yards:
“I think it just attests to our senior leadership and the people we have on our team. We don’t ever give up; we’ve just got to keep doing those same things. Our O-line did a great job. If you watch the film, I’m sitting back getting to my fourth progression on a few of our plays, so that’s amazing. Our receivers were making great plays, De’Leon (Eskridge) is catching with one hand and there’s just a lot of great plays out there. I think it just attests to this team and we’re really resilient so a big play is not going to put us down. We’re going to keep going on both sides of the ball.”
On his receivers:
“I don’t have to second-guess through my progressions or anything. Any one of them will win and there’s no doubt I’ll throw it to any one of them. It’s crazy having all those guys out there and we can make those crazy plays, so that’s definitely nice.”
BOWLING GREEN HEAD COACH DAVE CLAWSON
On the game:
“I applaud San Jose. They made more plays than us. They deserved to win the game. We had a great week in Washington. We want to thank the entire Military Bowl staff. Everything they did was first class. We had a great week, but we are obviously disappointed with the outcome of today’s game. We made too many mistakes, we didn’t make enough plays on offense, we didn’t generate enough yards, generate enough points. At some point you have to score points to win games. We struggled with that all year when we played the better teams on our schedule. We came up short. You have to give credit to San Jose State. They are a good football team; they deserve their ranking. We had a good year, we had a few opportunities to potentially make it a great year. Today was one of those opportunities. We didn’t make enough plays.”
On the offense:
“We had a hard time blocking. They were good up front. All four of their defensive linemen are all-conference players. They are a good team, are well coached, and we did not block very well. We really didn’t get any push. A lot of hits were happening in the back. They were getting penetration inside and the ball was being forced back. I didn’t think we played as well as we needed to on the O-line. We didn’t block them very well.”
On David Fales and SJSU offense:
“That’s the best passing offense we have faced all year. Even when we held them, he was still completing balls. I thought we did a nice job of rallying to the football, defending yards after the catch, even in the first half we held them to 10 points. He was still 15-18. He’s a very accurate quarterback. They are very dynamic at wideout. They got us on big plays.”
On seniors Jordan Roussos and Chris Jones:
“We are competitors. We came here to win and that does not take away from what this football team accomplished this year and it in no way takes away what these two guys and our senior class have accomplished. We only started three seniors. I can go on and on about these two. How many interviews do you do where the people speak like this. These guys are everything that is right about college football. They are not rehearsed. There is not a phony bone in their body. They are real, they are genuine. They are model student athletes and Bowling Green is a better place because these two were here. Some people just go to a school and play and leave. These two have left a legacy for our program. Our program is better because Jordan Roussos and Chris Jones were a part of it the last four years. It gets corny, but sometimes when you get really attached to players you tell them you love them, not with these two. I’ll be in touch with these two for a long, long time. We were blessed to have them in our program.”
BOWLING GREEN OFFENSIVE LINEMAN JORDAN ROUSSOS:
On Bowling Green:
We came in in ’09, and we both kind of got spoiled playing in a bowl. We really didn’t know what it took, when we made it to the bowl, to be a really good team. Then we went 2-10, we had in mind what we wanted to get back to. It’s been a wonderful ride to get to where we are today. Everyone put in the work and that’s what I’m the most proud of. Leaving here there is disappointment that we lost the game, but it is also a feeling of pride and a feeling of wanting to be a part of this program. Wins and losses aside, this has been the best time and being a part of this program, with these people, coaches, upper level people, to the players and even the managers, it’s been a joy coming to Sebo and the field everyday and that’s what really gets a senior after their last game, that they are not going to be a part of it. I’m always a Falcon and I’m always going to support the orange and brown no matter where I end up.”
On the emotion of scoring:
“This is the biggest game of our careers. It was great. We were all locked in. After John (Pettigrew) got in we were excited. After the second time, it was even more exciting. In a big game like that, anytime you can make a play, you’re always fired up.”
BOWLING GREEN DEFENSIVE TACKLE CHRIS JONES:
On the strip-sack:
“Charlie Walker did a great job coming off the edge and getting the ball out. Just like we’re taught, we get our hands dirty, bloody, pick up the ball and just try to run it. Charlie did a wonderful job.”
On Bowling Green:
“Coming here to BG was kind of tricky, recruiting wise. Overall for my life, this is probably one of the best decisions I have ever made. I’ve really enjoyed my time here. It’s been the greatest time of my life. I’ve met some friends I’m going to have for the rest of my life. It’s awesome to see these guys so young and playing so well. I know there is a great future for all of them. Next year should be a wonderful year. I can’t wait to watch them. All these guys are great friends of mine. Every moment I’ve had, I’ve cherished. Going on, I’m going to cherish every moment I get to spend with them afterwards. I love every singe one of these guys, all the coaches. They did wonders for all of us. They never stopped working, we never stopped working. I’m happy to say I’ve put four great years into this program, and I can’t wait to see what’s in the future of Bowling Green.”
