Brent Venables on Oklahoma: ‘It’s a grimy group of guys’ (1:02)Venables explains why he loves the gritty makeup of the Sooners’ roster after a physical 17-6 win over Missouri keeps the CFP dream alive. (1:02)
There isn’t much that coaches like more than winning. But adding an exclamation point after a win at the news conference podium is always a nice bonus.
This weekend, plenty of coaches got the chance to hold court with postgame statements following big wins. From praising resiliency to emptying the playbook, themes varied, but one thing remained constant — happiness to just be 1-0 on the week.
“It’s not pretty, but this is not a beauty contest. This is football.” — Oklahoma HC Brent Venables
Venables, a former defensive coordinator, certainly didn’t mind the low-scoring nature of the contest. Although it might not have been the most aesthetically pleasing game, Venables was more interested in the functional result.
A four-game losing streak seemed to put Iowa State’s season on the skids in the middle of the fall, but the undeterred Cyclones tallied their second win in a row on Saturday over Kansas to record their eighth seven-win season in the past nine years under Campbell.
Playing a big role in the win was running back Carson Hansen, who was a bruising presence as Iowa State piled up 221 total rushing yards. Hansen accounted for 120 of those yards on 22 carries, adding a touchdown as well. Campbell had an interesting description of Hansen’s runs after the Cyclones’ win.
One of the wilder plays of the week came on Friday night, when a kick by Wolfpack punter Caden Noonkester hit the head of a Florida State player and careened back to Noonkester for a live ball fumble recovery.
A difficult start to the season had Louisiana at 2-6 and on a three-game losing streak at the end of October, but three consecutive wins in November have placed the Ragin’ Cajuns on the cusp of bowl eligibility heading into the season’s final week.
Desormeaux, a program alumnus who has led Louisiana to a bowl game in each of his first three full seasons on the job, expressed his pride in his squad for keeping the fight up and responding to an adversity-laden start.
UNLV is on the cusp of a 10-win season in Dan Mullen’s first campaign, cruising past Hawaii on Friday night to earn its third consecutive win. The Rebels’ offense has been electric, with UNLV having scored 30 or more points in 10 of its 11 games this season.
The road to the ACC championship game might not be a simple one for SMU, but it does exist, and the Mustangs did their part to keep it open on Saturday with an impressive 38-6 win over Louisville. Quarterback Kevin Jennings threw for 303 yards and a trio of touchdowns, and added another on the ground, but Lashlee also had a strong endorsement of another player — tight end Matthew Hibner — ready during his postgame media availability.
Oregon faced a tricky test on Saturday, welcoming No. 15-ranked USC to Eugene for the penultimate week of the regular season. The Ducks handled the matter to keep their own playoff hosting dreams intact, amassing 436 yards of total offense in a 42-27 victory.
Discussing opponent quality after the game, Lanning acknowledged Oregon’s inherent role in a no-win scenario — when the Ducks beat a ranked team, the loss means that said team’s aforementioned ranking then goes down.
Brent Venables on Oklahoma: ‘It’s a grimy group of guys’ (1:02)Venables explains why he loves the gritty makeup of the Sooners’ roster after a physical 17-6 win over Missouri keeps the CFP dream alive. (1:02)
Venables explains why he loves the gritty makeup of the Sooners’ roster after a physical 17-6 win over Missouri keeps the CFP dream alive. (1:02)
Here are some of the best quips from around the college football world in Week 13.
“Every run he has feels like a car wreck at the end.” — Iowa State HC Matt Campbell
After the game’s chaotic ending, Doeren was amused by the odds that the improbable recovery came via the player who gets hit the least on the roster — though it’s perhaps not a surprise that Noonkester, listed at 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds on NC State’s roster, was ready to put his body on the line for the play.
“Not many people can survive what we’ve been through.” — Louisiana HC Michael Desormeaux
“You can’t take plays into the offseason … we’ve got to run them all” — UNLV HC Dan Mullen
“If they don’t draft him, they’re idiots” — SMU HC Rhett Lashlee
“That’s not our fault. Well, maybe that is our fault.” — Oregon HC Dan Lanning