Here’s a complete transcript of both Washington and Colorado players and coaches following the game between the Huskies and Buffs.
Chris Petersen
Opening Statement
Proud of the guys for grinding that one out. We made it a little bit harder on ourselves sometimes than we needed to but sometimes the other team causes those things to happen. Losing the turnover battle, 2-0 late in the game, and those hurt us. When you’re playing a team and it’s evenly matched all those little things are going to matter. I thought it mattered when we scored the touchdown and we get an unsportsmanlike penalty and kickoff way deep and they get points out of it. Certainly the turnovers show up, but at the end of the day, we grinded it out in the fourth quarter against a really good team.
At what point did you know you weren’t going to have Myles today?
We evaluate guys day to day, some other guys got in there, ran the ball really well, the line blocked really solid. Those guys aren’t really a concern, it’s always hard when you lose your best player but we have confidence in those other guys.
Was the plan to get limited touches for Salvon?
Well those other guys have been playing well and practicing hard so we wanted to get those guys going. Salvon we did give him the ball and he’s explosive and hard to tackle and that’s a nice three-headed monster. It doesn’t matter to us who starts, it just depends on what play the offense calls. We have about 47 different personnel groups, and it just depends on the play call.
How nice was it to get Jaylen Johnson back in the second half?
It’s nice to have him, he’s an experienced, good player so it was good to get him back out there. I thought the guys battled hard in there. It was good to get some other guys in there, we got Tuli in there for a few plays, and we were planning on doing that all week so I think that changed how guys practiced.
What was the talk at halftime?
It’s not different than any of our halftime talks. What do we think is going to work, what isn’t going to work, what are we going to scratch off the game plan, what are we going to do. It’s always the same, there’s no need to overreact. I’ve been saying all week this was a pretty good football team, so we prepared for a hard close game at halftime all week. The whole game was a bit different than we anticipated, they’re a tempo offense and there wasn’t a lot of tempo going on. It seems like a lot of plans against us are to come in and run the ball and keep it close in the fourth quarter and I think that’s what we do well. We grind it out and try to make some things happen in the fourth quarter. Proud that our guys got that win.
On that last touchdown pass to Fuller what were you seeing?
Jake’s got a couple options on that. The slant is for that blitz. I was watching protection to see how many they were bringing and if they could get it out on time. I don’t think he saw the completion, I think he was on his back, but that’s how it goes when you bring everybody, live by the sword die by the sword.
How big was that fourth down stop in the second half?
Really big. We played well on fourth down and that was one of the key plays of the game. We weren’t very good on third down on offense, but we were on fourth down, we were 2-for-2 and both of those were huge. We scored when we went for it early on fourth down. We’ve been really good on third downs overall but we were pretty shaky today and fourth down made it up.
What did you see in the rush today?
We saw some of that, but I thought Montez did a good job of getting out of some stuff. We got pressure and kind of flushed him out of there and he ran a couple of times like Jake. Their games were kind of similar, Jake and Montez, and I know how frustrating that is when Jake takes off on those guys, when you think you’ve got him and there he goes. But I think we are making some progress.
What did you see out of Ryan Bowman?
Ryan works super hard, he brings it every day in practice, he really does. He’s kind of a curve ball thrower, kind of awkward with his rush style. He was doing a great job not just getting tackles but also he was on the quarterback really well.
What did you think of Ahmed’s penalty?
Sometimes those things are just so shocking, that’s not him at all he’s one of the greatest guys on our team. The emotion of the game can change things, we know that, we try to talk to these guys about having great poise. You have to play with energy and passion and emotion and sometimes it happens.
Husky Players
QB Jake Browning
On the fourth quarter touchdown pass to WR Aaron Fuller…
It feels good because it worked. I just held onto the ball long enough for Aaron to get open, gave him a strike point ball and he was able to get in. That was huge.
On the confidence from the coaching staff to go for it on fourth down multiple times…
I think they were all fourth and short, we’re not afraid to go for it. I don’t really think too much about it, if they say we’re running the play, then we’re running the play and just make it work. That’s all Coach Pete and Bush Hamdan’s call. Play the play.
On RB Myles Gaskin not playing…
Obviously Myles is a big part of our offense and has been for a long time. I thought Sean (McGrew) and Kamari (Pleasant) did a good job, next man up. Stuff happens in this game, it’s a violent game, you need to have depth. Some guys have to come in and make some plays. I think Sean and Kamari did some good stuff, Salvon continued to play at a high level like he has all season.
On rebounding from last week’s loss…
We moved on from the Oregon game. Going into this game I had five games left in my whole entire career here. I’m not going to let one loss in a rivalry game effect the future. It definitely hurt but I’m excited to get this win, regardless of if we win or lost last week we are on to the next game.
DB Myles Bryant
On holding Colorado scoreless in second half…
It’s always good when a team starts in our territory and we are able to hold them to a field goal, or even just get a stop. This year I think we’ve done that pretty well.
On pass breakup in fourth quarter…
We knew going into the game that on third and ten, they were going to do hooks or curls at the sticks. I understood that and I saw my guy sit down and I just broke on it.
OL Kaleb McGary
On playing without RB Myles Gaskin…
Myles is and will always be a key part of our offense, he’s an excellent tailback, and an even better guy. Of course he is the guy we want in our backfield as often as possible. I think we have a great group of O-lineman who can make it happen even if he’s not there. Hopefully he breathes a little easier tonight knowing it’s okay for him to take a rest. He’s a tough dude and I’ve seen him take some shots that would be tough for us 300 pounders to take. He always gets right back up regardless.
On what worked at the line of scrimmage…
Physicality. We can’t let them come off the ball harder than us, getting ahold of them and burying them, putting them in the dirt. Some teams have more movement schemes up front with a little more blitzing, more bogus stuff. They are a higher pressure team and we had to account for that. It’s about knowing what you’re doing and doing it to the full extent of your ability.
WR Aaron Fuller:
What are your thoughts on the touchdown?
It felt good. We just had the right play called. Once I saw the coverage I knew I had to give it my best release since I was the first read on the play.
Were you surprised at how aggressive they were on that fourth down?
No not really. They’d given us looks like that a few times in the red zone so it was definitely something that we could expect on fourth and short.
How good was your catch?
I mean it was a good catch, I got a little lazy on that and only put up one hand where I probably should have turned and used two.
LB Ben Burr-Kirven:
How was it to get that pick at the end of the game?
We don’t have quite as many as we’re used to seeing but it felt great to get it at the time we did.
Was it chippy during the game?
Yeah I mean there was some trash talk. There’s a lot of testosterone that comes out on the field and that’s just the nature of the game. As long as we don’t get a penalty I always love to see some trash talking out there.
Was there a hangover from last week?
No, that’s just a really good football team. Every team comes out with a script to start the game and they came out and executed that script really well. At the end of the day, all that mattered was getting the win which we did.
Colorado Head Coach, Mike MacIntyre
Opening Statement
First of all, Washington, I tip my hat to them. Jake Browning, he is a really good player. You can see why he is the leading passer in Washington history. I think the game boiled down to they made fourth down plays and we didn’t make some fourth down plays. They played really well, our guys played really hard. I thought it was a good college football game, kind of a defensive battle most of the game till, like, right there at the end, they kind of pulled away just a little bit. I tip my hat to Coach Petersen and Jake Browning and their team and I was proud of the way our guys fought and battled. We just couldn’t generate enough points today and we’ll bounce back ready to go next week.
How much did it hurt missing Laviska Shenault today?
Well, this team that we played today, the last four years is like the number one scoring defense in our league four years in a row. And this year their points are less. So, it has a lot to do with Washington, but it also has a lot to do with us. We have good football players out there. We had some opportunities to make some plays that we didn’t, and we need to find a way to make those. We’re not going to make any excuses about whose there or not there, we’ve got to find a way to win. And think we have enough talent and I think our quarterbacks good enough, I know our quarterbacks good enough for us to get some more points on the board and we’ll find a way to do that. We couldn’t stop them on some fourth down key situations, that they got points on the board. We stop a couple of those and we get a couple of ours it’s a total different score. I mean, it really is. I know that sounds like, no it really is that type of game. But they made them and we didn’t, so they won. So, my hat goes off to them.
Did you sense your young receivers taking that next man up mentality?
Yeah I did. I thought Daniel Arias coming and running right by them. He actually ran right them the next time he was in and we just under threw it a little bit. So, Daniel’s a guy we think is going to be a really good weapon. He’s kind of learning everything and Dimitri Stanley came in and did some good things. I’m proud of Dimitri and how he did on that, so, I thought he stepped up. I thought Evan Price stepped up. Made the two field goals.
Did it mean something special for Daniel Arias to score his first touchdown here?
Yeah, it does mean something special for me and I think it means extra special for him. I know his mom and family were probably going nuts and they’ll treasure that forever. That won’t be the last touchdown Daniel Arias scores at the University of Colorado though. He’s going to be an excellent football player.
Colorado Players
QB Steven Montez
Did this feel like a game of missed opportunities for you?
I think it was more about not finishing in the way that we needed to finish. We had some chances and we gave those to the Huskies, and they took advantage of those.
How different was your offense without Laviska [Shenault]?
We spread the ball around a little bit more. It goes without saying that he is so special, after a catch what he can do with his hands, not having him didn’t help us at all. We definitely have other receivers besides him that are very capable of making the play. It doesn’t change my mindset at all. We have a lot of talent on the receiving end.
What is it like playing against Washington?
Every game you go in with confidence thinking that you are going to win. We went in with a good, hard week of practice and were feeling prepared. We had a good game plan and we just had to finish.
This is the hardest two weeks on the schedule for you, are you still keeping confident in the locker room?
That’s what is great about this game, there is always another game next week. We just have to work hard and prepare like we have been, we have been practicing well.
DE Travon McMillian
They seemed to adjust against the run, what changes did you see in the second half?
Those guys were just doing really great up front. I was trying to hit it downhill as much as I could.
This is the hardest two weeks on the schedule for you, are you still keeping confident in the locker room?
Most definitely. We are a brotherhood and we believe in each other, we are going to keep grinding and keep fighting. We know we took two L’s on the road but we are going to keep pushing and keep our heads up.
Is there any moral victory that you can take from this game?
I think that we are in a good position right now. We just have to stop shooting ourselves in the foot with our penalties. O feel like we have a great squad. We have the brotherhood and we just have to put it all together. I think we are going to build off this and take it to next week.
ILB Drew Lewis
Do you think the confidence is still there for you guys as you head into the last five games of the season?
It is tough to go out and lose two games on the road, but we have done it against some great teams. I think we are going to learn from this experience. I can tell that our confidence is always going to be there. I am trying to do what I can as a defensive leader on this team to rally my guys and get them going. I think we are going to come out even hotter next week. We have to turn this around for sure.
Is Browning an elusive quarterback?
He may not look very athletic, but he is an athletic quarterback for sure. We tried to keep him in the box and those times when he got out is when he made those big plays. We knew that he has a dangerous arm on him. We just have to watch the tape and learn from that next time.
How frustrating is this loss?
It stings a lot, especially being from out here, I take it a little personal. It is just another game we have to learn from. We fought hard and they fought hard. There is nothing we can do other than get back, do some recovery, get in the film room, and come back and beat Oregon State.
Having transferred from here what was it like being back?
That first step into the stadium was special. I had excited and nervous energy. It wasn’t anything that I’m not used to. At the end of the day I was just trying to focus up. There were a lot of distractions, I know a lot of guys on their team, but I just had to focus.
