Michigan State University Athletics
Report from the Locker Room
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
August 29, 1998
Head Coach Nick Saban: "That obviously was not the kind of opener we would have liked to have. We've got to give Colorado State's football team a lot of credit. They fought back from behind in the game. We played well early. We were not able to sustain it. It seemed as though the long pass when the score was 16-0 totally changed the momentum of the game so significantly that it was almost scary to me. Our players seemed to be flat after that.
"That seemed to give their quarterback and their players a lot of confidence and they played very well after that. We wanted to put Ryan Van Dyke in the game at several points earlier. We need to evaluate the quarterback situation down the road. We're going to have to do a better job of blocking up front to protect the quarterback in the future.
"On defense we probably didn't play that poorly except for the four or five big plays that they made. We're going to have to improve our consistency and execution for 60 minutes in the game.
"The thing I was most pleased with today was the special teams. I think we have a better football team than what we played today.
"The real turn in the game was we had an opportunity to intercept a pass right before they hit the long pass. The ball got tipped up in the air and we almost intercepted it, their tight end caught it. That could have been a real pivotal turning point."
PLAYER QUOTES
Wide receiver Plaxico Burress: "Everyone came out in the first half ready to play. In the second half we did not execute. We made a lot of mental errors. We lost this game as a team. Nobody is pointing fingers at anybody. We just need to get over this loss by Monday, so we can go win at Oregon. "In the second half the Colorado State defense started blitzing a lot more. Everybody on our team made mistakes and we did not do what we needed to win the game."
Defensive tackle Robert Newkirk: "We must be much improved by next week. The 24-hour rule is in effect. The better team won, the game is over. We just have to focus on our mistakes and improve for the Oregon game. "I did not notice many changes in the offense in the second half. They did run the ball outside a little more. Our defensive coaches do the best they can to adjust to those changes.
"Coach Saban in the speech after the game tells us to keep our heads up. We need to stay up and improve for next week."
Defensive end Robaire Smith: "I don't know what it was in the second half, but we just did not execute. We did not run the plays right. We just have to get better.
"We want to look at the negatives and learn how to do the positive. We need to go into practice and work hard and then go out and make the right plays. We played ok, but I would like for us to play better. We are older now and we need to make plays to help the offense because they are younger guys."
Tailback Sedrick Irvin: "As an offense, we have to stay consistent. We have to play 60 minutes and keep going out there. We did it at times, but when you dig a hole, it is hard to get out of the hole. "When you get the lead, you have to keep pounding. We gave them opportunities to come back, and they are a good team, and they did that. Much credit goes to Colorado State. But when you have them down, you have to finish them.
"We have to execute. That's the main thing. I can't sit here and make excuses. I think time will tell. I am not going to sit here and say we are young, or the quarterback or running back or receiver did something wrong. We just have to execute. It's that plain and simple."
