Postgame Quotes: Utah vs. Cal
10/14/2023 5:52 PM | Football
UTAH QUOTES
Head Coach Kyle Whitingham
Opening Statement
"Really good team win for us today, it was good to see the offense come alive nearly 450 yards. [A] bunch of yard rushing, that was really what the difference in the game was today. Our ability to run the football and their inability to run the football, that was the most important factor. [We] did some other good things offensively, good third down, 10 to 17, so well over 50% on third downs. Red-zone production wasn't bad, five out of six, I think one or two of those were field goals. We strive for touchdowns, obviously, but to get in the red-zone six times that helps because we haven't been getting in the red-zone that frequently the last several weeks, that's a big positive.
Sione Vaki really added to what we were doing on offense. He provided a spark, you saw his speed on that breakaway run there at the end, also had another big gain of 30-plus yards, converted some big third downs with some tough runs, so he was a big positive. Ja'Quinden Jackson, it was great to have him back. He came out of the game healthy so that's a big positive as well. He's had that knaggy injury and so to see him be able to finish the game was great. I thought Bryson Barnes was very efficient, didn't throw for a bunch of yards but his completion percentage was very high. He took care of the football, dodged a bullet a time or two, the balls that may have been able to be picked off but anyway, he was very positive.
Defense came off with some turnovers, takeaways; set the offense up for short field a couple times. [They] put pressure on the quarterback, I don't know how many sacks we got, you guys probably know, five sacks so good job there. Mikey Matthews, seven targets, seven catches, he was productive. [It was] good to see Munir McClain get a chance to make a play on the field, it was a great ball by Bryson and nice route and catch by Munir, he had separation there.
Special Teams was not a big factor in this game, neither team did much good or bad, special teams-wise it was not real prevalent.
But overall, good team win, like I said. A lot of production. Time of possession, we owned the time of possession, almost 38 minutes to 22 and change, so that's another one of our trademarks when we're playing good football, that happens. [We've] got some tough games coming up, obviously, we've got to go to the colosseum next week and that's a tough place to play. I guess we can enjoy this for about 24 hours and then get on to the next guy."
On Bryson Barnes starting…
"Well, we hadn't been moving the ball much the last couple games. First of all, it wasn't known whether he was going to be healthy enough, he took a shot, you saw the shot he took in the game a couple weeks ago. Had we had a game last week he would not have been able to start, so the bye really helped us in that respect. But [I] just thought he gave us the best chance to win this week and that's really what it always boils down to is which guy, or guys when you're looking at different options of who's going to play, who gives you the best chance to win the game. That's the final analysis there."
On Bryson Barnes' recovery time
"Well, he's a tough kid. They went to the hospital primarily for precautionary reasons, [to] make sure there was nothing internal that they missed. Fortunately, it turned out to be just some bruises, but if you've ever had bruised ribs, that's not pleasant. Those things can be very painful. But like I said, he's a tough guy. Bryson Barnes is a throwback and a guy that if he's able to play at all, he's going to be out there. They cleared him, he got the nod, and we got the win this afternoon."
On strategy to turn offense around after Oregon State…
"First of all, running the ball more effectively, that's something that we pretty much do year-in and year-out. We didn't do that at Oregon State, I'd give a lot of credit to their defense. They played outstanding on defense. A lot of the reason we weren't productive was because of their play. But that was job one, to try and get that fixed, which we did, we rushed over 317 [yards], so really good rushing today. But we also know that if we can loosen up the box by getting some balls up the field then we'll thin that box out. It works hand-in-hand. So that was another point of emphasis, some play action shots up the field and trying to loosen things up, and I guess you could say it worked."
On Sione Vaki being played more during this game…
"Well, when we lost Micah Bernard and JJ was down and then Chris Curry, although he wasn't hurt last week he got hurt over the bye week and he's out for the season. We didn't announce Mycah Pittman, he's out for the season as well, he'll be having surgery soon. We started getting real thin at running back, that was the main impetus for making the move. Sione has a great offensive background, he was a really good offensive player in high school. Slot receiver and also carried the ball a little bit, so it wasn't a big learning curve there. He's one of the most explosive players on the team in quickness and speed-wise as well. Plus, he's 210 pounds, he's got the body for it as far as being able to handle the physicality and so that is what went into the decision. Against Oregon State, he had a very small list of plays. Coach Lud[wig] did a great job expanding that to essentially about fifteen plays this game. That package will continue to expand. Those of you who guys who had been around, what we did with Eric Weddle several years ago, what we did with Matt Asiata in the Asiata package, it's patterned after that. It's not something that we've never done before. He is the perfect guy for that role and going forward you're going to continue to see him."
On effect of offensive dynamic given Bryson Barnes' extending plays…
"That's always a huge plus when your quarterback can extend plays, and Bryson, even though he's not the fastest guy, he's very crafty and can maneuver in the pocket and has a feel for where the openings are or where they're going to be. To have a quarterback that, when nothing's there in the throw game, rather than taking a sack get out of there and get you five, 10, 15 yards is a really big difference and really a problem for defensive coordinators. As a former coordinator, you hate that. When you have everything [in] defense just like you want, and then you let the guy out of the pocket, and he goes and runs for the necessary yardage."
On defensive generation of takeaways…
"Good. We shoot for four, if we can get four takeaways, 'four and a score' is a mantra they use in defense. I don't think we've ever lost when we've got four and a score, so that's the goal. We did do it twice today, and I hope you give Lander Barton a hard time for getting tackled by a guy that was laying on the ground. Literally got tackled by a guy that was on the ground."
On a package for Nate Johnson today…
"No. Nate was not part of the game plan today. He was number two though, had we gotten to number two quarterback, then depending on the circumstance Nate was one of the candidates. Might have been [Luke] Bottari as well depending on circumstances, but those guys split the reps last week with the twos."
On Connor O'Toole's performance after returning to play…
"Connor is a tremendous pass rusher, you know how good Jonah Elliss is and Connor is right there with him. We had to shut him down later in the game, he wasn't able to finish the game. We're hoping we can get that soreness out and have him for the next game because we need him, he's a really good player. So is Van [Fillinger], Van was out last game and so to have three [defensive] ends that were able to play, at least partially, that really took the stress off. We were down to the freshman kids, and not that we don't like them, we really think those freshmen have a high ceiling and a future, but just not quite yet ready to play."
#16 Bryson Barnes, QB
On his return from injury…
"It's absolutely great to be out there. I wasn't expecting to be back as soon as I was, you know, but you have to stay in that training room, make sure you're getting right with your trainers. I was able to get back within a week. I was happy to be back out there."
On the preparation to tighten up the offense…
"First of all, O-block. I mean, I'm pretty sure we put up like almost 300 rushing yards? That's just a statement in and of itself. When it comes to the quarterback's preparation, you have to make sure that when you step in it's a seamless process, and you're able to rally the guys together. You're calling that play in the huddle, you're calling it with confidence because if you're out there in the huddle chewing rocks, it's going to get executed like you're chewing rocks, so you've got to make sure you're preparing, so when that play comes out of your mouth, it's the best play in football."
#3 Ja'Quinden Jackson, RB
On Sione Vaki (safety) taking snaps at running back…
"It helps a lot, just taking some of the load off of some of us. He's taking on a lot more load because he's playing both sides, but it's a big help. I'm glad he did his thing and helped us come up with a win."
#83 Jonah Elliss, DE
On the defensive approach to the Cal offense…
"We can take pressure off our secondary if we're getting to that quarterback, making them scramble, making them make the throws that he doesn't want to throw, as fast as we are. We just got to keep doing that every week and I think we've been doing a good job and we can keep improving from here."
On Kyle Whittingham emphasizing defensive takeaways…
"Oh it's awesome man, especially when the head man's asking for it. We know we always need to get those takeaways. We have a whole bunch of statistics showing how if we take away the ball, we have a very high percentage chance of winning that game and anytime we can do that it just raises those chances even higher. We just have to keep rolling."
Sione Vaki, #28, Safey
On taking snaps at the running back position…
"Man it was fun, I was just glad that the coaches and the players trust me enough to go both ways."
On his role in the offense moving forward…
"I'm just here to help the team. Whatever the coaches need, I'm here for it."
On playing a big role on both offense and defense…
"It was good. I was trying to act like I wasn't tired but, dang, I'm tired. But it was good overall."
CAL QUOTES
Head Coach Justin Wilcox
On the momentum swings in the game...
"At the end of the half, we had the ball, and we were moving it well. We threw a deep ball, but didn't make a play on it, could have been an explosive play, maybe a touchdown. So, we punted it and then they had the ball backed up and we got them on a third down, but then the quarterback scrambled and we missed one of maybe five or seven tackles on that drive – on a third and five. They also had a fourth-and-two, we missed a tackle, we got that roughing penalty, and they scored a touchdown. We came out to start in the second half, we got them on a third down and they threw a fade and we held them to a field goal. We get the ball back and then the sack-fumble followed by their touchdown. Then at the end of the game, there was 7:50 and we have a field goal attempt to make it a one score game, but we didn't connect on the field goal so then the defense takes the field, we have a missed hit and the ball goes for 70 yards and a touchdown. The entire complexion changes if we can find a way to get points on that drive. You kick the ball off, you play traditional defense, get a stop, now you got the ball back at the end of the game with a chance to tie it. There are four or five plays in this game that just totally swung it, and we didn't capitalize on momentum well enough, and we didn't play through the hard times of perseverance that is needed in those moments. I don't think it is guys not trying, but that is how you win. Effort is a prerequisite, but it doesn't guarantee you anything. You have to give effort and we have to produce in those moments. That is how the game is played."
On using a timeout at the end of the half...
"The referees re-spotted the ball, and then you forced them to make a decision. Either way, [Utah's] going to go for it. Then they have the time they need to continue to move down the field. They still had timeouts left. If you don't call the timeout, they still go for it. They still have enough time and timeouts to continue to drive. It's not like we did them a huge favor. I wanted to stop them. We had a free guy on the edge and we didn't make the play. If we get a stop, now we have a chance to go get points at the end of the half. You could say don't call it I can understand that critique, but that was what I was thinking."
On the team's progress from last week's game...
"If you're going to play good defenses, you have to tackle. They were more physical than us upfront for most of the day. We missed I don't know how many tackles in critical downs. So, if we tackle them on third and five in the second quarter and they don't score on that drive then maybe there is one touchdown. The defense didn't play well enough. We gave up too many points for us to win today. And I don't know if the offense or the special teams did enough for us, for us to win today either.
On why Utah ran the ball well...
"Physicality, size, strength. We need to get bigger and stronger. They moved us off the ball on defense and we had a harder time blocking them one-on-one."
On Cal's inability to run the ball effectively...
"We would like to have run it better. The offense is more productive when you're not one dimensional and you run it more efficiently. Not all teams are the same either and we have to recognize that. The team we played today is not some of the teams we played earlier. Ultimately, at the end of the day, we have to produce regardless of who's out there. We got to give [Utah] credit because they are big and physical. They played what we thought they would play, schematically, and they did a good job with it. But we had a harder time moving them than they did moving us."
#9 Taj Davis, WR
On the offensive effort…
We went out there and did a good job competing,I would say the entire game we always had belief that we would go out there and win the game. I feel like we have to connect on big shots and big plays down the field, it would have put us in a better position.
Head Coach Kyle Whitingham
Opening Statement
"Really good team win for us today, it was good to see the offense come alive nearly 450 yards. [A] bunch of yard rushing, that was really what the difference in the game was today. Our ability to run the football and their inability to run the football, that was the most important factor. [We] did some other good things offensively, good third down, 10 to 17, so well over 50% on third downs. Red-zone production wasn't bad, five out of six, I think one or two of those were field goals. We strive for touchdowns, obviously, but to get in the red-zone six times that helps because we haven't been getting in the red-zone that frequently the last several weeks, that's a big positive.
Sione Vaki really added to what we were doing on offense. He provided a spark, you saw his speed on that breakaway run there at the end, also had another big gain of 30-plus yards, converted some big third downs with some tough runs, so he was a big positive. Ja'Quinden Jackson, it was great to have him back. He came out of the game healthy so that's a big positive as well. He's had that knaggy injury and so to see him be able to finish the game was great. I thought Bryson Barnes was very efficient, didn't throw for a bunch of yards but his completion percentage was very high. He took care of the football, dodged a bullet a time or two, the balls that may have been able to be picked off but anyway, he was very positive.
Defense came off with some turnovers, takeaways; set the offense up for short field a couple times. [They] put pressure on the quarterback, I don't know how many sacks we got, you guys probably know, five sacks so good job there. Mikey Matthews, seven targets, seven catches, he was productive. [It was] good to see Munir McClain get a chance to make a play on the field, it was a great ball by Bryson and nice route and catch by Munir, he had separation there.
Special Teams was not a big factor in this game, neither team did much good or bad, special teams-wise it was not real prevalent.
But overall, good team win, like I said. A lot of production. Time of possession, we owned the time of possession, almost 38 minutes to 22 and change, so that's another one of our trademarks when we're playing good football, that happens. [We've] got some tough games coming up, obviously, we've got to go to the colosseum next week and that's a tough place to play. I guess we can enjoy this for about 24 hours and then get on to the next guy."
On Bryson Barnes starting…
"Well, we hadn't been moving the ball much the last couple games. First of all, it wasn't known whether he was going to be healthy enough, he took a shot, you saw the shot he took in the game a couple weeks ago. Had we had a game last week he would not have been able to start, so the bye really helped us in that respect. But [I] just thought he gave us the best chance to win this week and that's really what it always boils down to is which guy, or guys when you're looking at different options of who's going to play, who gives you the best chance to win the game. That's the final analysis there."
On Bryson Barnes' recovery time
"Well, he's a tough kid. They went to the hospital primarily for precautionary reasons, [to] make sure there was nothing internal that they missed. Fortunately, it turned out to be just some bruises, but if you've ever had bruised ribs, that's not pleasant. Those things can be very painful. But like I said, he's a tough guy. Bryson Barnes is a throwback and a guy that if he's able to play at all, he's going to be out there. They cleared him, he got the nod, and we got the win this afternoon."
On strategy to turn offense around after Oregon State…
"First of all, running the ball more effectively, that's something that we pretty much do year-in and year-out. We didn't do that at Oregon State, I'd give a lot of credit to their defense. They played outstanding on defense. A lot of the reason we weren't productive was because of their play. But that was job one, to try and get that fixed, which we did, we rushed over 317 [yards], so really good rushing today. But we also know that if we can loosen up the box by getting some balls up the field then we'll thin that box out. It works hand-in-hand. So that was another point of emphasis, some play action shots up the field and trying to loosen things up, and I guess you could say it worked."
On Sione Vaki being played more during this game…
"Well, when we lost Micah Bernard and JJ was down and then Chris Curry, although he wasn't hurt last week he got hurt over the bye week and he's out for the season. We didn't announce Mycah Pittman, he's out for the season as well, he'll be having surgery soon. We started getting real thin at running back, that was the main impetus for making the move. Sione has a great offensive background, he was a really good offensive player in high school. Slot receiver and also carried the ball a little bit, so it wasn't a big learning curve there. He's one of the most explosive players on the team in quickness and speed-wise as well. Plus, he's 210 pounds, he's got the body for it as far as being able to handle the physicality and so that is what went into the decision. Against Oregon State, he had a very small list of plays. Coach Lud[wig] did a great job expanding that to essentially about fifteen plays this game. That package will continue to expand. Those of you who guys who had been around, what we did with Eric Weddle several years ago, what we did with Matt Asiata in the Asiata package, it's patterned after that. It's not something that we've never done before. He is the perfect guy for that role and going forward you're going to continue to see him."
On effect of offensive dynamic given Bryson Barnes' extending plays…
"That's always a huge plus when your quarterback can extend plays, and Bryson, even though he's not the fastest guy, he's very crafty and can maneuver in the pocket and has a feel for where the openings are or where they're going to be. To have a quarterback that, when nothing's there in the throw game, rather than taking a sack get out of there and get you five, 10, 15 yards is a really big difference and really a problem for defensive coordinators. As a former coordinator, you hate that. When you have everything [in] defense just like you want, and then you let the guy out of the pocket, and he goes and runs for the necessary yardage."
On defensive generation of takeaways…
"Good. We shoot for four, if we can get four takeaways, 'four and a score' is a mantra they use in defense. I don't think we've ever lost when we've got four and a score, so that's the goal. We did do it twice today, and I hope you give Lander Barton a hard time for getting tackled by a guy that was laying on the ground. Literally got tackled by a guy that was on the ground."
On a package for Nate Johnson today…
"No. Nate was not part of the game plan today. He was number two though, had we gotten to number two quarterback, then depending on the circumstance Nate was one of the candidates. Might have been [Luke] Bottari as well depending on circumstances, but those guys split the reps last week with the twos."
On Connor O'Toole's performance after returning to play…
"Connor is a tremendous pass rusher, you know how good Jonah Elliss is and Connor is right there with him. We had to shut him down later in the game, he wasn't able to finish the game. We're hoping we can get that soreness out and have him for the next game because we need him, he's a really good player. So is Van [Fillinger], Van was out last game and so to have three [defensive] ends that were able to play, at least partially, that really took the stress off. We were down to the freshman kids, and not that we don't like them, we really think those freshmen have a high ceiling and a future, but just not quite yet ready to play."
#16 Bryson Barnes, QB
On his return from injury…
"It's absolutely great to be out there. I wasn't expecting to be back as soon as I was, you know, but you have to stay in that training room, make sure you're getting right with your trainers. I was able to get back within a week. I was happy to be back out there."
On the preparation to tighten up the offense…
"First of all, O-block. I mean, I'm pretty sure we put up like almost 300 rushing yards? That's just a statement in and of itself. When it comes to the quarterback's preparation, you have to make sure that when you step in it's a seamless process, and you're able to rally the guys together. You're calling that play in the huddle, you're calling it with confidence because if you're out there in the huddle chewing rocks, it's going to get executed like you're chewing rocks, so you've got to make sure you're preparing, so when that play comes out of your mouth, it's the best play in football."
#3 Ja'Quinden Jackson, RB
On Sione Vaki (safety) taking snaps at running back…
"It helps a lot, just taking some of the load off of some of us. He's taking on a lot more load because he's playing both sides, but it's a big help. I'm glad he did his thing and helped us come up with a win."
#83 Jonah Elliss, DE
On the defensive approach to the Cal offense…
"We can take pressure off our secondary if we're getting to that quarterback, making them scramble, making them make the throws that he doesn't want to throw, as fast as we are. We just got to keep doing that every week and I think we've been doing a good job and we can keep improving from here."
On Kyle Whittingham emphasizing defensive takeaways…
"Oh it's awesome man, especially when the head man's asking for it. We know we always need to get those takeaways. We have a whole bunch of statistics showing how if we take away the ball, we have a very high percentage chance of winning that game and anytime we can do that it just raises those chances even higher. We just have to keep rolling."
Sione Vaki, #28, Safey
On taking snaps at the running back position…
"Man it was fun, I was just glad that the coaches and the players trust me enough to go both ways."
On his role in the offense moving forward…
"I'm just here to help the team. Whatever the coaches need, I'm here for it."
On playing a big role on both offense and defense…
"It was good. I was trying to act like I wasn't tired but, dang, I'm tired. But it was good overall."
CAL QUOTES
Head Coach Justin Wilcox
On the momentum swings in the game...
"At the end of the half, we had the ball, and we were moving it well. We threw a deep ball, but didn't make a play on it, could have been an explosive play, maybe a touchdown. So, we punted it and then they had the ball backed up and we got them on a third down, but then the quarterback scrambled and we missed one of maybe five or seven tackles on that drive – on a third and five. They also had a fourth-and-two, we missed a tackle, we got that roughing penalty, and they scored a touchdown. We came out to start in the second half, we got them on a third down and they threw a fade and we held them to a field goal. We get the ball back and then the sack-fumble followed by their touchdown. Then at the end of the game, there was 7:50 and we have a field goal attempt to make it a one score game, but we didn't connect on the field goal so then the defense takes the field, we have a missed hit and the ball goes for 70 yards and a touchdown. The entire complexion changes if we can find a way to get points on that drive. You kick the ball off, you play traditional defense, get a stop, now you got the ball back at the end of the game with a chance to tie it. There are four or five plays in this game that just totally swung it, and we didn't capitalize on momentum well enough, and we didn't play through the hard times of perseverance that is needed in those moments. I don't think it is guys not trying, but that is how you win. Effort is a prerequisite, but it doesn't guarantee you anything. You have to give effort and we have to produce in those moments. That is how the game is played."
On using a timeout at the end of the half...
"The referees re-spotted the ball, and then you forced them to make a decision. Either way, [Utah's] going to go for it. Then they have the time they need to continue to move down the field. They still had timeouts left. If you don't call the timeout, they still go for it. They still have enough time and timeouts to continue to drive. It's not like we did them a huge favor. I wanted to stop them. We had a free guy on the edge and we didn't make the play. If we get a stop, now we have a chance to go get points at the end of the half. You could say don't call it I can understand that critique, but that was what I was thinking."
On the team's progress from last week's game...
"If you're going to play good defenses, you have to tackle. They were more physical than us upfront for most of the day. We missed I don't know how many tackles in critical downs. So, if we tackle them on third and five in the second quarter and they don't score on that drive then maybe there is one touchdown. The defense didn't play well enough. We gave up too many points for us to win today. And I don't know if the offense or the special teams did enough for us, for us to win today either.
On why Utah ran the ball well...
"Physicality, size, strength. We need to get bigger and stronger. They moved us off the ball on defense and we had a harder time blocking them one-on-one."
On Cal's inability to run the ball effectively...
"We would like to have run it better. The offense is more productive when you're not one dimensional and you run it more efficiently. Not all teams are the same either and we have to recognize that. The team we played today is not some of the teams we played earlier. Ultimately, at the end of the day, we have to produce regardless of who's out there. We got to give [Utah] credit because they are big and physical. They played what we thought they would play, schematically, and they did a good job with it. But we had a harder time moving them than they did moving us."
#9 Taj Davis, WR
On the offensive effort…
We went out there and did a good job competing,I would say the entire game we always had belief that we would go out there and win the game. I feel like we have to connect on big shots and big plays down the field, it would have put us in a better position.
On his touchdown play . . .
I recognized the man coverage, the defender in front of me yelled 'That's my guy,' when I saw that there was no safety in the middle of the field, I instantly knew the release I was going to do. Fernando threw an amazing ball over the DB's head and it connected beautifully.
#27 Cade Uluave, LB
On having a stand out game in his home state…
Being able to play in my home state was a really great opportunity. I've been to Rice Eccles Stadium more times than I can count as a fan. It was really cool this time to be on the other side as a player. Football is a game where it's a next man up mentality whenever your number gets called you have to be ready. Overall, it was a really cool experience.
On the defensive performance…
There was positives but there was a lot of negatives. Our run defense has got to be better. There were flashes from a bunch of different players doing their job and making plays. I think as a team going forward we need more of that in order for our defense to be successful and get the ball in the offensive hands and have them make plays as well.
#15 Fernando Mendoza, QB
On penalties early in the game…
Penalties have a lot to do with discipline and that delay of game was my fault. It was a loud stadium and I have to be better on that. You either win or you learn and today was a good learning opportunity. Next time, I promise that will never happen again and I will learn from that moment. Even after the penalties, our message to the offense was not to wait around and see what happens. I thought we did a good job at that and now we have to capitalize on other opportunities.
On moving the ball offensively…
I thought we moved the ball really well when we had the right intention and the right mindset. In that touchdown drive to Taj [Davis] I didn't think anyone was stopping us. I need to do a better job of making more accurate throws.
On starting at quarterback…
My first start and second start were both high pressure situations which I believe that I thrive in and I'm just going out there and playing football. I was really happy and able to gain more experience and leadership experience. They had a great crowd out here it was really loud and I had to fix some inconsistencies.
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