Wide Receiver Maurice Purify

Nebraska Weekly Press Conference
Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2006
Memorial Stadium - Lincoln, Neb.
Pre-Oklahoma State

Wide Receiver Maurice Purify
On his touchdown catch against Texas
“I knew that he was coming in there, looking to knock my head off, but he hit his player harder than he hit me.”

On his feeling after his touchdown catch
“I felt good.  I felt like we were going to have a chance to win the game.  I felt like I was going to get another one.”

On reaching a high level of comfort in Nebraska’s offense
“I feel I am, but there are also plays for Frantz (Hardy) that they call, and it’s just me in all the time and he runs some routes better than I do.”

On seeing a teammate play through an injury
“It’s a real inspiration knowing that he’s laying everything on the line for the team.  He didn’t have to play in this game, but he said that he was going to play in this game, no matter what.  It’s a real inspiration, and we know that if one of us gets hurt, that we’re going to have to come out and play if we can.”

On his not being used in shorter routes
“It’s not that he (Frantz Hardy) runs better routes than me, it’s just that he comes out of his break faster than I do in some routes.  He’s a good playmaker, so we’re going to give him some routes and chances, too.”

On his hidden talents
“I have the ability to be physical and get off the ball in bump-and-run coverage and outrun guys and use the straight-arm and use more physicality in my game.”

On his approach against the OklahomaState defense
“We’re just going to have to impose our will, on offense and defense.  Whatever they try to do, we just have to try to do what we do better.  We’re going to have to put points on the board fast, because we know that they can score.  Our defense is going to have to come to play, like they did against Texas.”

On playing in cold weather
“(The Texas game) is the coldest game I ever played in.  I had trouble staying warm and my hamstrings were getting a little tight.”

On the atmosphere of the game helping him play in the cold
“There was a point in the game in the fourth quarter where you didn’t feel the coldness.  Everyone was yelling at the top of their lungs, especially at the end of the game.  If you looked on the sidelines when we got the ball back, everyone threw off their jackets and started yelling.  It was a great atmosphere and it made us warm.”

On seeing snow for the first time
“I never saw it fall from the sky before.  I just thought it rose up from the ground.”

On Nebraska’s game plan against Oklahoma State
“We can throw, but we’ll have to establish a running game against OklahomaState, because you can’t go out and throw the ball 50 times in a game without establishing a running game.  If they know you’re passing, they can sit back in a zone defense and just read your eyes.”