Oct. 21, 2006
Recap | Final Stats | Notes
South Carolina at Vanderbilt
Post-Game Quotes
October 21, 2006
VANDERBILT QUOTES
Vanderbilt Head Coach Bobby Johnson
“I didn’t think we played a very sharp game today. South Carolina played a very aggressive game. They got after it a little bit harder than we did today.”
“They didn’t have too far to go. All three punts were against the wind. When you give them turnovers and short punts it puts everyone in a bad mood. It all adds up. It was a major factor.”
“We felt good about scoring right before the half. Chris made a good play. But we didn’t take advantage of the momentum.”
“We couldn’t seem to get good plays hooked together. We would have a good play, then a bad play. We didn’t have the continuity to make long drives.”
“Everybody is going to try and do things against Earl [Bennett]. Others have to step up and make plays.”
“Richard [Kovalcheck] is our most effective two-minute drill quarterback. He does a good job of seeing everyone down the field.”
“Injuries always have an impact but hopefully you can overcome them. I feel good about our subs. I wish we could have the same starters we had at the start of season, but we don’t.”
“I told my players in the locker room that we’re trying to build a program where we can be consistent every week. We played hard, but we didn’t play smart and hard. In this league everyone can beat everyone and if you aren’t in tip-top shape you won’t succeed.”
Vanderbilt Linebacker Jonathan Goff
“We didn’t get the job done today and didn’t perform well.”
On Causing Turnovers:
“We were off and on today. We had some bright spots and made tackles for losses, but had breakdowns to give the game away.”
Vanderbilt Quarterback Chris Nickson
On South Carolina’s Defense:
They had a pretty good gameplan on defense and had everyone covered. They were successful in shutting our passing game down and did a great job. They caused a lot of confusion.”
On His Passing Game:
“I didn’t get into a groove early in the game and that was big. It’s something I have to go through personally, fight through it, and keep playing.”
Vanderbilt Wide Receiver Earl Bennett
“South Carolina did a great job with us defensively. We came out and didn’t play as well as we should have and didn’t execute. We had a good start to the game, but then made some mental errors that caused punts. We’ll pick it up and get ready for Duke next week.”
Vanderbilt Running Back Cassen Jackson-Garrison
“This was a tough game. It hurts to come out and get outplayed. I am disappointed by my performance. This isn’t a learning process – we just have to stop making mistakes.”
Offensive Tackle Chris Williams
“South Carolina showed a lot of movement. We’re still looking for confidence as an offense. We have to get our point production up and convert in the red zone.”
SOUTH CAROLINA QUOTES
South Carolina Head Coach Steve Spurrier
“If something had happened and we had lost this game, then I would really be mad, what with all of the turnover and the holding calls.”
“We didn’t play our best today, but we played pretty doggone well. It was good enough to beat Vanderbilt today.”
On setting a school record with their fifth straight road SEC win:
“We set a record today – five straight [SEC] wins on the road. So shoot, we’re pretty excited.”
“Obviously we picked some of the right teams with Mississippi State, Kentucky and now Vanderbilt. This is the best that we have played out of all of them. We had some fortunate wins at Arkansas and at Tennessee.”
On Vanderbilt’s touchdown late in the first half to pull within seven:
“Nobody panicked at halftime, and that is a good sign around here. We are starting to understand that bad plays are going to happen to you and that you just have to keep on playing.”
On the performance of South Carolina QB Syvelle Newton:
“Syvelle is starting to throw the ball almost exactly where we want him to now. He is getting better and better.”
On South Carolina’s upcoming schedule:
“We have a lot of ball ahead of us. The big teams are coming up now, so we need to just concentrate on playing better against Tennessee.”
On the progress that the Vanderbilt program is making:
“They are better, I think. They didn’t play it today, obviously. Maybe give our defense some credit. Without all of those turnovers today, we had a chance at our best game yet since I’ve been here.”
“Vanderbilt beating Georgia last week wasn’t any kind of a fluke thing. Vanderbilt is a good team. They are going to win some more games. I really think so.”
On holding Vanderbilt WR Earl Bennett to just four catches after Bennett caught 14 against South Carolina last year:
“We have a different defensive coordinator from last year. We are more organized and guys know better what they are doing. And we have three cover guys that are as good as there are around.”
Sophomore Kicker Ryan Succop
On his career long 55-yard field goal:
“To tell you the truth the wind was swirling. I have a great snapper, a great holder. That makes my job easy. I hit it well.”
Sophomore Wide Receiver Sidney Rice
On fifth consecutive road-win:
“We started off slow and made a log of silly plays. Luckily we were able to overcome some of those penalties.”
On having a big game against an SEC opponent:
“I give the all the credit to my coaches and teammates. I wouldn’t have a chance without my coaches. My teammates helped me out.”
On D.J. Moore:
“I think he’s a tremendous players. He’s a heck of an athlete. I knew that back to when we used to play basketball.”
Freshman Cornerback Captain Munnerlyn
On his first interception:
“It was my first interception. About time. It just came my way. It made me feel real good when I caught it.
Senior QB Syvelle Newton
On getting a road win:
“We had a lot of turnovers and silly penalties that could have killed us. We were fortunate to get a win on the road. You have to prepare harder the whole week and be disciplined to get a win on the road. It feels good.”
