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Nebraska vs. Miami
Nebraska Player Quotes
Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014
Junior Offensive Lineman Alex Lewis
On Miami getting tired
"We watched film on these guys. They're big up front but you could tell as the game went on and the tempo went up, they got tired. We knew that going into the game so we prepared our high tempo offense. We get lined up, snap the ball, and give it to (Ameer Abdullah) No. 8."
On responding to Miami
"We played as Nebraska. We came out and we played as Nebraska plays. A nice, sound team, a good team. We knew Miami has a history, but we just played as Nebraska plays. We didn't care about Miami. We lined up every play and focused on us."
On the last touchdown
"As an offensive lineman that's what you live for. When you have a guy back there like No. 8 (Ameer Abdullah) it always gets you going and fired up. The crowd starts cheering and you can't even explain it."
On teammate Ameer Abdullah
"He's special every night. A guy like that; he can run, he can cut, he will hit. Its something that you love blocking for and you get to tell the future that you got to block for a running back that great."
On the first drive in the second half
"In the lockerroom at halftime, we wanted to come out and put them on their heels. So that was the mentality. Come out and just run the ball down their throat. It's something we love to do. It's something the team did back in '94 and that's what we strive to be."
Junior Linebacker David Santos
On turnovers
"Yeah, we talked about making more turnovers. It was a big plan this week. We really hadn't had any earlier this season so our objective was to go out, make the play and make the turnovers."
On if they happened right when they wanted them to
"Yeah, it couldn't have come at a better time. That forced fumble couldn't have come at a better time. It was all a big momentum swing for us. It helped out in the end of the game."
On thoughts about scuffle
"Pointless. There was no reason for it. I don't even know what really happened."
On going into Big Ten play
"We're 4-0. That's the important thing. We're undefeated right now. It's conference play and the tempo has to pick up. It's Big Ten football now. We're on a mission obviously with the Big Ten Championship. We have to practice hard, play hard and prepare."
On last week's practice
"I felt really good at practice this week. I basically didn't play at all the Fresno game, except for that one mishap. I had fresh legs so I felt pretty good this week."
On the crowd
"I don't think it's been that loud since I came on my official visit for the Missouri game in 2010. That was an exciting and great atmosphere to play in. I'll never forget it."
Senior Running Back Ameer Abdullah
On atmosphere at game tonight
"We just trust physicality all week. We come off physical every play. Hit ‘em in the mouth, hit ‘em in the mouth. With our tempo, our physicality and our attitude, I feel like we had the upper hand on those guys. We just really try to do that with every drive, every run, and make our punches count."
On Miami slowing down
“Honestly in the first quarter really, we could tell that we could move the ball on those guys. We were physical, we came off the ball with great steps, not second guessing our judgment, we will be fine."
On the offensive line
"Man, those guys played like people that were possessed. Don’t get me wrong those guys are fine. But they can’t be knocked down right now because they practice their butts off all week, trying to be so physical and practice like they want to play on Saturday. I really didn’t expect anything else. I looked at their faces before the game and I could tell they were focused and going to come out and do a really good job today. I can’t say more about those guys, I am really proud of them."
On Miami's rough play
"That’s football man. The game of football is about passion, and I wouldn’t want it another other way. I think for the most part we were being the bigger man out there. It’s better to put it on the field rather than in words with your mouth. We put it all on the field and that’s all that matters.”
On being 4-0
"You’re wrong. We’re actually 0-0 right now because it’s a new schedule every time we play a game. We have a lot of experience right now but in our minds we’re 0-0. We have a long journey ahead of us. We can enjoy it tonight but tomorrow we take the film with a grain of salt and get back at it.”
On Nebraska's blocking
"Those are young guys who have taken big leaps just in these first four games. We are a pretty good running football team and they understand that to be successful they have to be blocking. They don’t always get the ball but they don’t complain, they don’t hold their heads down, they want to do this for the team. I really appreciate that and it makes me feel warm as a senior. I let those guys know they’re doing a heckuva job every day.”
On learning from this game
“Don’t believe the hype. Any given week, anything can happen. We have had good years where we have lost to some teams that we probably should’ve beat and some weeks where we beat a good team that we weren’t as talented as. But don’t believe the hype, don’t buy in to anything you hear. Don’t think that just because things are going well for you now that you can’t hit rock bottom at any point. Just take every game really seriously and day by day.”
On takeaways from this game
“We have to understand that every week brings a different challenge, and we have to know what kind of challenge we have ahead of us. We can’t think that just because we did it last week we can show up without preparing the right way. We have to take the same approach in practice as we have the last few weeks.”
Sophomore Quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr.
On the plan that the team had tonight
"We just ran our offense. We go into every week the same way. We run our offense based on whatever they give us. We saw that (Miami) kind of had weaknesses in certain spots, and we kept going after that and got big yards off of it."
On the offensive line
"They did great. They played physical. It starts off with the pipeline. They had to get a push and I felt they got a push the whole night. We just have to take care of the football."
On if Miami gave way in the third quarter
"We just wanted to run our offense. We wanted to run a tempo that went with what we saw on film. We watched Arkansas State and stuff like that. They run that type of tempo. We went into this game with the right tempo and ran our offense. I felt like in the second half we did that. The referees kind of stopped us here and there from snapping the ball early, but I felt like we did it the right way."
On Ameer Abdullah
"He's been Ameer. The first three games were more of the same thing. He's been making plays. That's him. That's what he's been doing ever since last year and ever since he's been starting. He's a physical back. He's small, but he's big."
On emotion
"We just couldn't get caught up in the hype of the game. We wanted to play our game and treat it like it was any other week. Treat it just like it's a normal game. We just wanted to treat it like each and every week, and treat it like it's any other game."
On if it felt like a normal game
"No it didn't, honestly. It felt like it was a rivalry game. Like I said before, we just had to zone it out and just make sure we ran our offense. Coach (Tim) Beck always told us going into this week that we shouldn't get caught up in all the emotion surrounding you. Make sure you are focusing enough to run the offense. Make sure you are focusing enough to execute plays."