Nebraska Player Quotes

Nebraska Weekly Press Conference
Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2006
Memorial Stadium
Lincoln, Neb.
Pre-Kansas State

Andrew Shanle
Senior Safety
On going against a young quarterback
“I don’t think you can dictate everything off just the one position.  I know our coaches look at their blocking schemes, and that dictates what you can do, if you can have internal blitzes or pressure from the outside.  Without seeing much on film right now, I don’t know what's going to work, but I’m sure we’re going to have a great game plan going into this game.”

On facing a true freshman quarterback
“You want to rattle a quarterback. You see it on paper, he’s a young guy. I’m sure, because he’s starting, he’s more mature than most freshmen are.  You see that he’s young and you want to rattle him, but they’re going to do a lot of things offensively to protect him from that.  What it’s going to be, I don’t know, but they’re definitely going to know that we’re looking to pin our ears back and come after him, so they’ll have a great scheme to protect him, whether it’s keeping him in the pocket or rolling him out.”

On trying to win at KansasState
“It’s like going into Ames.  We knew that we hadn’t won in a while going into Ames, so going back to K-State, we haven’t won there since 1996.  We talked a lot about that in our position meeting.  We want to go down there and continue to win and continue to improve our record on the road and to beat K-State and hopefully get some separation in the Big 12 North.  We really can’t sit back and just kind of aim at getting a win in Manhattan.  We have so many opportunities for good things this weekend, but mainly to get separation in the Big 12 North race.”

On his performance in 2004 against KansasState
“I knew Josh (Bullocks) had hurt his shoulder earlier in the week, so I had some butterflies in my stomach. I didn’t know if I was going to get the start or not the next day, but Josh went out, did what he could, and I was fortunate to get in and I had the opportunity to make some plays, but it didn’t result in a win, so it was a bittersweet moment for me.”

On playing at KansasState
“It’s a great atmosphere to play football in, like any place in the Big 12.  I really don’t know what it is that might have contributed to the losses.  It wasn’t anything particular.  We’re used to playing in front of a big stadium. It wasn’t an intimidation factor.  We just haven’t had things roll our way and, unfortunately, it’s been that way for quite some time.”

On diversifying the defensive game plan
“We added more of a pressure game plan.  That’s something that the other offense can think about, and that’s something that they can easily put a stop to just in the way they block.  The big thing is that we want to show that we are going to play all four quarters.  We put an emphasis on starting strong and finishing out even stronger.  You want to jump up on a team and actually work on closing a team out and playing with a lead.  Every week, we work on the small things and hope that translates into showing that we’re becoming a better unit, offensively, defensively and especially on special teams.”

On potentially earning the program’s 800th win
“They brought it to the attention of the team just one time.  I don’t think anyone really realized that.  But whether it’s this weekend or next weekend or down the road, it’s a great milestone.  I don’t think a lot of us were aware of it.  Just to be a part of the 800th victory in Nebraska history, it’s something that the coaches would like us to take some pride in.”

On the 800th win possibly being more meaningful to him as a native Nebraskan
“I think it would be something to walk away from the university to have that in the back of your mind, that you’re a part of something special.  Unfortunately, I’ve been a part of a lot of bad things at Nebraska.  Obviously, I’m going to be proud of what we’ve accomplished here as a team and meeting great people, great coaches.  It would be nice to have that milestone under your belt when you walk away.”

On the unselfishness of the defense
“A great defense is usually close, a lot of guys just out there loving to play for each other.  We have a lot of guys having a lot of fun during practice.  We’re not joking around too much, we’re not messing around, we’re getting things accomplished, but we’re having fun with it, and that’s the best thing.  You go out there and you just want to have fun, you’re going to play faster, you’re going to think less.  You’re going to base your actions on what you’ve seen in practice and how your coaches have prepared you.  You’re going to play a lot faster when you’re relaxed, and you’re not going to be timid.  You’re out there with your friends, and you’re just out there, running to the ball.”

On filling assignments defensively as opposed to worrying about statistics
“Look at our linebackers.  If our linebackers have a great game, it’s because the defensive line kept the linemen off the linebackers.  Holes are going to open up, and it’s all due to where it starts, the defensive line.  They do a great job of keeping guys off and out of the secondary.  In a great defense, everyone is going to do their role.  You won’t see the stats on paper that guys like to see, but we know that we’re contributing to our teammates making plays.”