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Nebraska vs. Florida Atlantic
Nebraska Player Quotes
Saturday, Aug. 30, 2014
Sophomore Quarterback Tommy Armstrong
On the offense's efficiency
"We did really good. We had mistakes here and there but that is expected."
On Ameer's (Abdullah) game
"He ran physical. That is expected. He has been running the same way since spring ball and all the way through fall camp. He went out there to prove something. He hit the holes the right way and made people miss, that is the same Ameer we saw last year."
On what Ameer had to prove in this opening game
"Just that he is the best running back in the nation. I truly believe that. I believe they have him as the No. 1 or 2 back in the Big Ten. I just think he is taking that to heart and he is going out there and proving to everyone why he should be one of the contenders for one of the best running backs in the country."
On what he personally has to prove
"Just to be more efficient. Going out there and playing ball and putting my offense in the right position."
On Jordan Westerkamp's catch
"It was incredible. I didn't think that he caught it until I actually saw him put down two steps and that he had grabbed it behind his back. I was kind of late on the throw and he just reacted. He has been doing stuff like that at practice every once in a while."
On his friendship with Westerkamp
"It translates to the field a lot. Our freshman year when we didn't play we went to the field and we threw a lot together. This year just being able to have both of us being able to go out there and study film together. I get to understand what he sees in defenses and he gets to see what I see. Just getting that chemistry down and just being able to know what he is going to run."
On FAU's defense
"They pressed a lot. They were in cover-two third down situations and they pressed on the receivers and I felt like our receivers were able to run one-on-one with them. So you just have to get that ball up there for them to catch it. I felt like we did a good job. We had a few drops here and there but everyone responded in the right way."
On how much he enjoys the deep ball
"I like it a lot. We practice it a lot. I also think we did a good job of picking the right matchups when they pressed. You just have to know the down and the distance and be able to move the chains. I think that is what we saw today."
On the importance of giving Kenny (Bell) those long shots
"It is important. He is one of our huge targets this year. Those guys press up on them and play them man-on-man and you just have to understand that we are out here to prove that you don't play Kenny or Alonzo (Moore) one-on-one just because those guys have been working and when they get their numbers called to run certain routes, they know they have to go out there and make it happen. I think they did a good job today."
On his shirt
"It is an offensive thing. We are a storm. Coach (Tim) Beck came up with this thing that the offense is a red storm. He says it is one thing if you hear thunder, thunder is a lot of talk. But lightning is something you see and when it touches down it crashes down and makes a big impact. That is what we want with our offense this year. We want to be the red storm. We want to be more on the side of lightning because when it touches down it crashes, people are afraid of lightning. Thunder they here but you don't see anything. Our offense wants to be fast and physical and run the ball down the other team's throats."
On why the offense was more efficient today
"We were all just on the same page. We all knew exactly what we needed to do. We wanted to move the chains. We knew they were going to come out with something different. We just had to be ready for anything. We just had to respond the right way. In that first series we went down and we all understood, they pressed and loaded the box and we just had to make plays to move the chains and I think we did a good job of that. Flags killed us here and there and we just have to correct them."
On speaking up about all the flags
"No, I didn't really need to say anything, just because you just have to move on. I think that was the best thing that we did. We just told each other to just keep going and keep moving down the field."
Sophomore Wide Receiver Jordan Westerkamp
On the behind-the-back catch
"It was a crazy play. I ran a corner route and I saw the ball get tipped, so I put my hands back and the ball just landed perfectly."
On the efficiency of the offense
"The offense was great today. We really showed our tempo that we like to play with. It really gives us an edge. Florida Atlantic is a great program but we were able to come out here and do what we wanted as an offense."
On his friendship with Tommy Armstrong Jr.
"I still live with him and Imani Cross. The kid is my best friend, so we have that chemistry. As the reciever I've obviously got a lot of passes from him. I take a lot of pride because he is my best friend and I never want to let that guy down, so I go out there and play hard for him. He's our leader, our quarterback and he played well today."
On today's catch vs. the Northwestern catch
"I try to not look too much into that stuff. It was a great team win today. We came out and played well. I just want to contribute as much as possible to the team for our success."
Sophomore Defensive End Greg McMullen
On changes after FAU's first drive
"After their first drive we went to the sideline and coach (Bo Pelini) made some adjustments but it was one of those things where he just said, 'Hey, you guys said you want to be the best.' As the defensive line we came together and said that wasn't cool, that wasn't us. We said, 'Hey, it starts with us.' So we made the adjustments. We made the necessary changes."
On Jack Gangwish's performance
"We have a lot of guys that can step up and surprise Husker Nation. I feel as if any of those guys from Kevin Maurice, A.J. Natter to Jack Gangwish, can step up at any moment. He (Jack Gangwish) did a heck of a job stepping up for Randy Gregory.
On his first time as a starter
"I think I did pretty well. I've been working on my conditioning and my body comp and working on maintaining my weight. There was one drive where I had to come up because my shoe fell off. But other than that I felt great. I was running around and very aware of what was going on. I feel comfortable. Being a starting guy, I know I am going to get 50-60 snaps a game so I need to embrace it."
On the win over FAU
"We beat Florida Atlantic but let's take it with a grain of salt. There's a lot of little things that need to be fixed. Tomorrow is a new day. We start the preparation for next week. The reality is on the film, so we will watch it and get better."
On the defense without Randy Gregory
"When first-team All-American Randy Gregory goes down, it is a big concern because that is a critical part of our defensive line and also one of our leaders. But when you're a competitor in this sport, stuff is going to happen. So we always tell the backup guys that their call could be just one snap away. You need to always be ready. We stay optimistic but know that we have guys who are always ready to step in."