Kansas Postgame Quotes
Lawrence, Kan.
Nov. 3, 2007
Head Coach Mark Mangino
On Todd Reesing
"He is very intelligent. The University put him in the Honors program as a true freshman. He has a chance to maybe be the best that I have coached. He can handle praise and he deserves it. He has come in and created stability and leadership. He has brought a competitive spark to the team and he is only a sophomore. He still has some things to prove but knowing him he will prove them."
On the offensive game plan
"I had conversations throughout the game with the offensive coaches and we just wanted to keep running our offense. We wanted to run our system and let the kids see if they could continue to make plays. I didn’t think we were going to score 76 points today but the kids really played well. They played smart, sharp football"
On his expectations coming into the season
"I’m not going to sit here and tell you I thought we were going to be where we are now. I thought we had a chance to have a really good football team. I felt that we had led the kids through winter and spring ball and training camp. If some kids stepped up and we got the quarterback settled, got the defensive situation settled and the interior of the offensive line settled, then I thought we had a chance to have a pretty good football team. Those kids have stepped up and developed and here we are."
On the publicity the team is receiving
"I’m not going to let (the publicity) be a distraction. This last week we had a lot of media come here. I have been through this type of situation before as an assistant coach. We have talked about it with the staff and with (Media Relations Director) Mike Strauss. We have given the media the access they deserve and that they need to do their stories. We have talked about taking steps to make sure everyone is getting the access they deserve."
On blowouts
"I have been in a couple of situations where we have played good offense and played good defense and played good special teams. We didn’t have any major health issues. I was associated with a team at Kansas State and Oklahoma that was like that. We still have games to play."
On the team’s makeup
"You can’t discount Reesing. We have two or three other kids that the media and players say are outstanding players. But for the most part it is kind of an ensemble task. There is a group who is pretty smart, tough as nails, play hard. We have some guys who you would call intellectuals, who are really smart and intelligent kids that prove it in the classroom. They are out there playing for us, making smart plays and not making mistakes."