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Nate Stanely
Senior Quarterback
On the last play
“We were going for it. That’s kind of been the attitude of the coaches and of the team. I think this year, being a little more aggressive, we were trying to go for the win.”
On confidence in kicker
“We just had to get into field-goal range. [Place-kicker] Keith [Duncan], he’s one of the best kickers in the country. We knew all we had to do was get 30, 40 yards. I don’t remember exactly how many yards we needed, but he’s proven time and time again in practice and in games that he was going to perform for us, so we knew we didn’t have to get a touchdown. We just needed to get into field-goal range. We felt confident with our guys that we were going to be able to make plays out there, and guys stepped up.”
On offensive line
“Our offensive line played great today. They opened a lot of big holes for our running backs. They gave me a lot of time in the pass game. We didn’t drop back and throw that much, but when we did, I had plenty of time.”
On game strengths and weaknesses
“I think out run game was really clicking the whole game. It was really the pass game that we were struggling a little bit. Our offensive line was doing a great job even in those drop-back passes, they had the right coverages, the right calls. We matched up our calls to their coverages. We were fortunate enough to hit those seams.”
A.J. Epenesa
Junior Defensive Lineman
On the game
“I am pretty tired. It was a long game, but it was a hard-fought game on both sides. It was a fun game to be a part of.”
On defense’s mindset
“Adrenaline is flowing. Your mind is on continuing to make plays, continuing to be at the ball. That was my mindset today. I was having some success, and I was just around the ball all the time. That’s just something I’ve been wanting to do all season long. I had an opportunity to do that tonight.”
On winning the game
“That’s just the way of the road. As a defensive player and as a defense, it’s on our shoulders. It’s on us. It comes down to whether we let them score and win, or we stop them and win the game. That is our mentality. If we stop them, then we are going to win this game. That’s how it should be as a defense.”
On beating Nebraska five times
“It feels great. Correct me if I’m wrong, but that was five in a row. It feels real good. I’ve played in three of them. It feels real good carrying that trophy. That’s a real nice-looking trophy. It’s not as heavy as the other trophies, but it’s a pretty trophy. I like it. It’s always nice when you beat these guys.”
On Nebraska sophomore quarterback Adrian Martinez
“We put a huge emphasis on [containing Adrian Martinez] all week long. We even had less than 24 hours to prepare for it. You can probably see it in some of our rushes today. We were real nervous to make a definite move on either side of our offensive lineman, whether it’s our D-tackle or defensive end. We didn’t want to just stay outside or make an inside move. You can see it kind of held us back a little bit, but we were able to press the pocket. He didn’t want to throw the ball in the pocket. He wanted to do what he does best, and that’s get out the pocket and make plays and extend it. I think we did a really good job of closing down the pocket on all sides. The only way he could’ve gone is backwards. He had some runs today. That’s just what he does. That’s just what he’s good at. I think overall we did a really good job containing him.”
Keith Duncan
Junior, Kicker
On the mind-set during the last kick
“I am so glad he (Scott Frost) called the time outs actually. It allowed me to just get in my mind-set. Focus on what I needed to. Find my spot in the background of where my spot is to kick. In the second half we didn’t have that many opportunities to kick. No extra points. No field goals. It was really not tough but I just had to get back in the rhythm of things. Go through my routine again and go out and execute.”
On the post-kick celebration:
“It was just having some fun. Nebraska fans came for some entertainment and that’s what football is, its entertainment so just having some fun with it.”
On celebrating the win
“I think all three phases won the game today. Offense, defense and special teams. We celebrated as a team in the locker room and that’s what we like. We had a lot of fun. Celebrating as a team. It is not just one guy that goes out there and wins a game. Jackson Colton they did a great job on that snap and hold and then the line did a great job protecting. It was all about going in and executing.”
NU Athletic Communications
