Quoting Chris Petersen after Huskies’ 45-10 victory in the Apple Cup
Here is everything Huskies coach Chris Petersen said after Washington’s 45-10 victory over Washington State in the Apple Cup on Friday at Husky Stadium. One injury note: freshman left tackle Trey Adams has a stinger -- he apparently had one earlier, then aggravated it during warm-ups -- and that’s why he didn’t play.
(Opening) “Proud of our guys. The way we prepared all week, I knew they were going to play as hard as they have played all year. I think they’ve played really hard throughout the year. I’m proud of how these guys kept chipping away and keep fighting. We finally got a few more turnovers. Hats off to our defense again. All those turnovers, those scores, those guys have played great all year.”
(You said last season you were surprised you were able to keep WSU out of the end zone for so long – similar thought after this game?) “I think with all of those turnovers and then scoring those three scores on defense, that is pretty impressive. Going in thinking we would have had seven turnovers and three scores, I don’t think I would have thought that. Those guys have played great all year, and I am really proud of them.”
(Most complete performance of the season?) “You know, it could be. I know it was our most prepared game, emotionally. I was really hoping they were going to play good, because I knew that they were all in. So it was good to see these guys be able to finish in the second half.”
(What happened to Trey Adams?) “Trey got a little stinger. He had an issue with it earlier, and then got it in warm-ups. We are not going to mess around with that kind of stuff. That’s not what we are going to do. So I am really proud of our O-line, because we had to flip (Andrew) Kirkland to left tackle, and he hadn’t practiced there much at all. Kaleb McGary was actually ill a little bit this week. He missed a day of practice with this defense that’s moving and all that stuff. We had to make an adjustment right before the game, and those kids did not bat an eye.”
(On how Jake Browning has improved) “He has come a long way. He really has in a lot of those subtle things. One being third downs. I thought early on, he threw some nice balls in there on third down. We’re always talking about third downs, red zone, two-minute situations, that’s when the quarterback has to show up and show what they are all about. Third downs early on were really good by him.”
(On Jake Browning’s interception and bouncing back) “If Jake makes a mistake, he is not going to go in the tank. That’s not even a consideration. It’s almost like, call another play to challenge him a little bit, that he’s got throw the ball down field. That’s nice as coaches, we’re not worried that he is going to get rattled. I thought the Washington State DB made a nice play on it. He drove hard through the ball, just kept going, made a nice play on it, and sometimes those things happen.”
(On what it means to play in a bowl game) “It means a lot, and not only going, but winning a bowl game. That’s something we’ll start talking about tomorrow or the next day. That’s on the docket. That’s really important – wherever we end up, that we go and play well in a bowl game. I’m excited for these guys, because we’ve kind of had our backs to the wall. It’s been a battle all season long. But I do think there’s progress. I think they feel it, and I think that’s important for confidence.”
(Were you thinking ‘touchdown’ when Sidney Jones made that interception?) “Yeah, I was. And I also know that’s their mentality regardless. I mean, they talk about two things all the time – score, or get the ball back. And I think they really embody that mentality right there. They talk about it all the time – score, or get the ball back.”
(On the sideline penalty on Sidney Jones’ pick-6) “An official bumped into one of our guys on the sideline. I thought it was some guys running onto the field, which is our PAT team, but he bumped one of our guys, the official did when he was running down. We’ve got to stay back.”
(On the first pick-6 flustering Peyton Bender some) “I think so. I think anytime – those are hard. Those are big momentum swings, any time you turn the ball over, but take one back, that can be hard to overcome. Like I said, our defense plays pretty tight, they don’t give up too many things easily, so that can be tough sledding coming back from that. I do think that was quite a turning point.”
(Why did you think the team was so emotionally prepared?) “I just think the combination of what was at stake, playing your rival, all those type of things. I thought they did a great job preparing, and they were ready to roll.”
(On Myles Gaskin’s game) “Myles continues to amaze me. I mean, he runs with – when I look at him out there running, I just think, that’s a mature running back. And hes only a true freshman. That’s just how he runs – he’s so patient, crafty, he’s hard to tackle. You give him the ball a lot of times. And so he does a great job. Every game, you’d think I’d get used to it and say that’s what I expect. And we kind of do now. But sometimes there’s not much there, and he’ll still get something positive out of it.”
(Is there something about your defense that makes it suited to stop a pass-centric offense?) “Well, you know, I don’t think necessarily so. I think it just has to fit together. I think early on, they were doing a good job of moving the ball, because I didn’t think we were quite getting to the quarterback like we needed to. That’s a hard dilemma, because if you bring pressure, they’re very good at getting rid of the ball. They’ll get rid of it quickly. I thought our pass rush kind of heated up, pushing the pocket, making it tighter. I think our coverage got a little bit tighter, we kind of settled down. I don’t think we’re necessarily just suited to stop the pass, but I think we’ve got some good players back there that played as young guys last year. I think Coach Lake’s done a great job of getting those guys dialed in. We always talk about if they’re going to get something, they better earn it. We just don’t want to give them anything easy, and I think that’s what those guys do.”
(On also leading 17-3 at ASU and thinking about that at halftime) “You know what, I think the nice thing was, that wasn’t even talked about. We just talked about, finish. I looked at the score and thought the same thing. the thing that’s starting to become nice here – I tell these guys, I do my talking early in the week. And as we get closer to the game, the less talking I’m doing. And finally, the players are starting to take that locker room over, in the right away. And so I didn’t say a thing at halftime. They said it all.”
(On bringing on past players to talk to team this week) “Well, we brought some awesome guys in that have a lot of passion for this program, have a lot of history with this rivalry. We have so many young guys, we just wanted to make sure they knew the importance of this thing. we live in our own little bubble here. We don’t pay attention to a lot of the things that are out and about, in the media, and what people are saying in town. And so just making sure those guys understood the importance of it.”
(Ever had this much trust in a freshman running back?) “No. And I really almost think you can take the ‘freshman’ off it. The guy is just as reliable – you kind of know what you’re going to get. If the o-line will keep the guys covered, he’s going to find a crease. He’s very shifty, has deceptive breakaway speed, and he’s got really good ball security. He just does a great job of that. Between him and Jake as a freshman, Kaleb McGary’s a freshman, Trey when he’s rolling in there – all those guys (do) a pretty good job for freshmen.”
(On playing better at the end of the season) “I think we’re making progress. It’s nice to be able to get another one. That’s why – when you guys asked me the other day about 5-7 (and making a bowl) … oh, gosh. And so at least we’re not talking about that. 6-6, you know … but at least we get to play another game. That’s what I thought about all along, was like, I’d like these guys to be able to play another game. I think that’s really important.”
This story was originally published November 27, 2015 at 6:09 PM with the headline "Quoting Chris Petersen after Huskies’ 45-10 victory in the Apple Cup."