Nebraska Football
vs. Buffalo
Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021
Kevin Marks Jr.
Running Back
On the game
“It was a fist fight. We knew it was going to be a game of inches. We knew we had to go toe to toe for four quarters. We did that. We didn’t give up. We kept fighting. We worried about who was playing. A couple guys went down. But we never gave up.”
On his running game
“Like I said before, it was a game of inches. Keep reading. Keep pushing forward. Keep driving. Keep my feet moving. It was tough yards especially against this defensive line. Credit to the Nebraska defensive line. I knew that coming into this game and showed that out there today.”
On opportunities in the fourth quarter
“A couple penalties that hurt us. Kept us coming back from good drives. We are going to fix that this week. That’s about it.”
On discipline being an issue today
“There was some iffy calls. I think we had two false starts on us but we will get better and will get ready for Coastal (Carolina) next week.”
On Nebraska’s defense
“They kept it the same, showing us a five-man front. Picking on our offensive linemen and doing stunts. We were ready for it. We did a pretty good job up front.”
On playing at Nebraska
“For me it was exciting. I was ready for the stage. I wanted it. We were excited to play. We played tough. We played physical. We showed what type of team we are. We still have room to grow and all the younger guys get to see this atmosphere, which is good. They didn’t get to see that last year during the COVID year. It was good for our team and our program.”
James Patterson
Linebacker
On takeaways from the game
“Communication. When it gets very loud in a stadium like this with 85,000 you know you have to talk. Do hand signals. All of the above. I think that is something that we had to come to the table that we have to do mad communication and try and be on the same page. And watch more film together as a unit. Try to get there and try to find our schedule for school and try to get together as a unit.”
On Adrian Martinez’s 71-yard run
“Right there had him. Martinez is a slippery guy. Fast. Quick. I heard he dropped a couple of pounds so made him a little more faster then what we had seen on film but we just cannot get too caught in the limelight. When your number is called and you get that opportunity you have to make that play.”
On preparing for Nebraska
“We were very prepared. We were prepared from the staff and from the older guys leading the younger guys. It is just like I said you cannot get caught on limelight. With 85,000 around it is 9/11 so there was more things around more people. You have to be ready to fight. It is like a fist fight. When you are down 14-0 you have to be ready to fight. That is one thing they tried to prepare us for all week.”
Kyle Vantrease
Quarterback
On discipline and overall play
“I mean it’s a loss. No stat matters more than the one at the end of the game and all of them are going to sting one way or another. I’m disappointed in the outcome but I’m proud of the fight we had as a team. Obviously we didn’t make the plays that we needed to and they made some of the plays they needed to but it’s a game of football. Everyone is going out there to do their best and things are going to happen. The flow of the game is going to go where it goes. The thing that we have to do is just move on to the next game and watch the film. Get better and be critical of yourselves because the most important play and game is the next one.”
On anything new from Nebraska’s defense
“No there wasn’t too much that we hadn’t seen on film. They started getting home more on some of their pressures and stunts up front but it was nothing that we hadn’t seen. We just needed to get the job done when we needed to.”
On lengthy drives in the second half they couldn’t complete
“It’s the little things because it’s a penalty here and a mistake. Those things build up and those things combine to make up for a lot of the reasons why we weren’t making those plays. It all comes down to we couldn’t finish those drives and we’ve got to improve on that. We’ve got to be critical of ourselves. We’ve got to go watch film and see where we made those mistakes and where we can get better. Ultimately I have to do a better job of leading the offense and demanding it out of everybody because I know we are capable of doing it. We’ve got more games and opportunities we can look forward to.”
On a turning point in the game
“No. I don’t think so at all. I think it was a game that was going back and forth and there was plays made on defense and offense on both sides of the ball. Throughout a game timing is everything and they made plays in the right times. We made plays in times that weren’t as effective. We didn’t make the plays when we needed them like I said earlier. There was no turning point. I just think that the flow of the game depicted how the rest of the game would come out in the end.”
On if he would tell the coaches he can handle a lot of passing plays
“No. I’m going to do whatever is asked of me and I’m going to do it to the best of my ability. If they need me to throw it a hundred times I will throw it a hundred times. If they need me to hand the ball off a hundred times, I will hand the ball off a hundred times. We’ve got to do whatever we can to win the game and today we didn’t do that. Numbers and stats is all talk except for that last one at the end of the game. Obviously we didn’t come up on top. Stats and the amount of throws and touchdowns and interceptions don’t matter. We didn’t get the job done.”
On how this game is a gauge for the team
“Every game is a good gauge. You see where you are and ups and downs in a game and how you respond to situations. You know we practice situations a lot in our practices no matter what they are. We practice almost every single one and we will be able to go on film and see where we can improve in those situations. The football game is a game of inches and situations and we have to come out on top in all those situations to be successful championship program.”
NU Athletic Communications