Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo
(opening statement) ?On behalf of the United States Naval Academy we want to thank the Texas Bowl and the city of Houston. It?s been a great week for our program and all of our families. We?ve really enjoyed ourselves and great experiences. A lot of different events. I?m from Hawaii, so the rodeo was definitely a first for me. We?ve enjoyed our time and the guys are excited to be here. It?s exciting playing a great football program. We?re looking forward to this. It?s been a great week for us. And we want to thank everybody for everything they have done for our program.?
Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel
(opening statement) ?I want to ditto what (Navy head coach) Ken (Niumatalolo) said. It?s been a great week for us; first class. Houston has been great to us; great city, great people, very appreciative of that. The hospitality has been exceptional. I think it?s time now, we?re all feeling the game coming, if you?re a competitor or a coach. Navy is feeling the same way we are. You want to zero in a little bit. It?s the time when you get closer to kickoff and play well. I think that?s the biggest challenge anybody has in a bowl game. The environment is different. The night before the game the environment is different. It?s like a normal game week. You walk in and focus. We?ve had kind of a young football team, except these experienced guys in front of me this year. That is going to be our challenge as we try to play our best game.?
(on playing a bowl game in Texas and that helping recruiting) ?I think it?s huge. We?ve played quite a few bowls in the state of Texas. Its evolved to certainly very positive for our program. In the state of Missouri or the state of Texas, its hugely important to us; 31 players on our roster. It?s also nice that we had 15 high school coaches at yesterday?s practice. That?s nice because they get to actually see you coach and see you teach and see you interact with players. That?s very positive. Its bringing your program into the city. It?s a huge plus for us. Certainly the publicity that goes along with a bowl of this type is very positive.?
(on possibly a high scoring game) ?In this business, I don?t make any predictions about anything. It?s a contrast of offenses and different styles. I think our spread offense; we spread like a lot of people do. Wishbone, we have not seen a wishbone forever. They run it good, they have answers, and they have great players. They have a great quarterback who can execute, certainly have to be able to do that. It?s going to be a great challenge, and we understand that. Two good football teams playing in a great environment and we?re excited.?
(on defending Navy?s offense) ?I think it?s being disciplined. I think it?s being disciplined and being physical enough to make sure that you?re still playing on your toes a little bit. It?s responsibility on defense and assignment defense. He throws the ball really well. He takes the ball back out and gets the ball down, so if that happens, that presents all other kinds of problems. It?s a pain. We?ve been working on it and hopefully we can play a good game.
(on his success in bowl games) ?I think we should probably evaluate this after this bowl game here. It?s certainly we?d like to be known as a team that plays well in bowl games. I think we have a philosophy, and I tell our players to believe in it. My whole thing is to try and play our best football game. Win, lose, or whatever happens there, we want to play our best game and hopefully our team will do that and focus in and walk in well enough to play our best game.?
Niumatalolo
(on each team?s defense) ?For us, the strength of our team has been our defense. Our offense, because what we do is different, and nobody really does it besides us and Georgia Tech, but for us the strength of our team has been our defense. We do what we do. It?s not like Coach Pinkel and his staff hasn?t seen the triple option. It?s just people don?t see it that much. So it?s not like they don?t have an answer for it. People have the answers.?
(on the strength of their defense) ?We?re not the biggest team in the world. Our guys understand that, we know we?re not the biggest team. We try to run to the football. And that?s any defense. Any defense, everybody has pursuit drills, everybody tries to get 11 guys on the camera. There is no coach in America that doesn?t coach running to the football or pursuing. We try to take great pride in that like Missouri does, like any other good football team tries to do, run to the ball.?
Pinkel
(on their defense) ?I think we both have good defensive football teams. I just think that there is such a contrast in offensive styles and philosophies; I think people obviously have a lot of interest in that. They play great defense and we play really good defense too, so it?s no disrespect in any way to either defense.?
(on being in the Texas Bowl) ?It?s something we all have the goals. We have a pyramid the first day we got to Missouri, these guys were in junior high school I think. If you have a chance to win a national championship or win all your games in the Big 12. Another thing is we?d like to win the Big 12 Championship, the north championship, and the Big 12 championship. The other is to got a bowl every year. We want to hit parts of that pyramid every single year and I think that?s the goal of any BCS school, or any Division I school. We have overcome a lot of adversity this year. We got spanked a couple times and we had a young team. These captains, through their leadership, have done a tremendous job. We?re just real proud of them and as always you want the best for your seniors. It?s the last time they?re ever going to play. Hopefully we can get that done.?
Niumatalolo
(on being in the Texas Bowl) ?It?s been a long year for us, this is our 14th game. From Ohio State, to Notre Dame to going to Hawaii, 5,000 miles, and coming back and playing in Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia and now to come here, we?re just proud of the way our guys have battled. There is no team that?s not beaten up by the end of the year. It?s just all the battles that everybody has been in. Just been very proud of the way our guys have battled and played hard and given everything for our program. For them to be able to come here and have this reward. Probably the best greatest moment I?ve had at this bowl game is being at Best Buy and watching our guys go with their carts and going around getting their gifts. To me, that?s what it?s about in coaching, it?s not the wins and losses, it?s the experiences like that that make you feel like you?re in the right profession, seeing those guys be able to enjoy themselves and get something out of it.?
Pinkel
(introducing players) ?(DT) Jaron Baston, Kansas City, Missouri, he?s a defensive tackle. Second team all-Big 12 player. Proud of him. He?s had his ups and downs and he?s grown as a Missouri Tiger. He became a captain, voted by his teammates. He and I have kind of a special relationship, so I?m real proud of him. (G) Kurtis Gregory, central Missouri. He?s an offensive guard and again, second team all-Big 12 player. All three of these guys are college graduates now. Kurtis has his master?s already too. He?s proud of that too. Great leader on the offensive line and offense. (LB) Sean Weatherspoon, Jasper, Texas, the whole core of our football program is leadership as all of these guys have done and we?re very proud of them.?
Niumatalolo
(introducing players) ?(LB) Ross Pospisil is our team captain on defense. He is our leading tackler. He?s here from Texas. Great young man and he?s been our spiritual leader of our team and a great team captain. (QB) Ricky Dobbs is our starting quarterback from Atlanta, Georgia. It?s his first year starting. And I?m excited about him because he?s only going to get better and it?s his first year starting and I thought he played tremendous being his first year starting. And our offensive captain, he plays offensive guard, Osei Asante. He?s on our offensive line. Three tremendous young men.?
(opening statement) ?On behalf of the United States Naval Academy we want to thank the Texas Bowl and the city of Houston. It?s been a great week for our program and all of our families. We?ve really enjoyed ourselves and great experiences. A lot of different events. I?m from Hawaii, so the rodeo was definitely a first for me. We?ve enjoyed our time and the guys are excited to be here. It?s exciting playing a great football program. We?re looking forward to this. It?s been a great week for us. And we want to thank everybody for everything they have done for our program.?
Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel
(opening statement) ?I want to ditto what (Navy head coach) Ken (Niumatalolo) said. It?s been a great week for us; first class. Houston has been great to us; great city, great people, very appreciative of that. The hospitality has been exceptional. I think it?s time now, we?re all feeling the game coming, if you?re a competitor or a coach. Navy is feeling the same way we are. You want to zero in a little bit. It?s the time when you get closer to kickoff and play well. I think that?s the biggest challenge anybody has in a bowl game. The environment is different. The night before the game the environment is different. It?s like a normal game week. You walk in and focus. We?ve had kind of a young football team, except these experienced guys in front of me this year. That is going to be our challenge as we try to play our best game.?
(on playing a bowl game in Texas and that helping recruiting) ?I think it?s huge. We?ve played quite a few bowls in the state of Texas. Its evolved to certainly very positive for our program. In the state of Missouri or the state of Texas, its hugely important to us; 31 players on our roster. It?s also nice that we had 15 high school coaches at yesterday?s practice. That?s nice because they get to actually see you coach and see you teach and see you interact with players. That?s very positive. Its bringing your program into the city. It?s a huge plus for us. Certainly the publicity that goes along with a bowl of this type is very positive.?
(on possibly a high scoring game) ?In this business, I don?t make any predictions about anything. It?s a contrast of offenses and different styles. I think our spread offense; we spread like a lot of people do. Wishbone, we have not seen a wishbone forever. They run it good, they have answers, and they have great players. They have a great quarterback who can execute, certainly have to be able to do that. It?s going to be a great challenge, and we understand that. Two good football teams playing in a great environment and we?re excited.?
(on defending Navy?s offense) ?I think it?s being disciplined. I think it?s being disciplined and being physical enough to make sure that you?re still playing on your toes a little bit. It?s responsibility on defense and assignment defense. He throws the ball really well. He takes the ball back out and gets the ball down, so if that happens, that presents all other kinds of problems. It?s a pain. We?ve been working on it and hopefully we can play a good game.
(on his success in bowl games) ?I think we should probably evaluate this after this bowl game here. It?s certainly we?d like to be known as a team that plays well in bowl games. I think we have a philosophy, and I tell our players to believe in it. My whole thing is to try and play our best football game. Win, lose, or whatever happens there, we want to play our best game and hopefully our team will do that and focus in and walk in well enough to play our best game.?
Niumatalolo
(on each team?s defense) ?For us, the strength of our team has been our defense. Our offense, because what we do is different, and nobody really does it besides us and Georgia Tech, but for us the strength of our team has been our defense. We do what we do. It?s not like Coach Pinkel and his staff hasn?t seen the triple option. It?s just people don?t see it that much. So it?s not like they don?t have an answer for it. People have the answers.?
(on the strength of their defense) ?We?re not the biggest team in the world. Our guys understand that, we know we?re not the biggest team. We try to run to the football. And that?s any defense. Any defense, everybody has pursuit drills, everybody tries to get 11 guys on the camera. There is no coach in America that doesn?t coach running to the football or pursuing. We try to take great pride in that like Missouri does, like any other good football team tries to do, run to the ball.?
Pinkel
(on their defense) ?I think we both have good defensive football teams. I just think that there is such a contrast in offensive styles and philosophies; I think people obviously have a lot of interest in that. They play great defense and we play really good defense too, so it?s no disrespect in any way to either defense.?
(on being in the Texas Bowl) ?It?s something we all have the goals. We have a pyramid the first day we got to Missouri, these guys were in junior high school I think. If you have a chance to win a national championship or win all your games in the Big 12. Another thing is we?d like to win the Big 12 Championship, the north championship, and the Big 12 championship. The other is to got a bowl every year. We want to hit parts of that pyramid every single year and I think that?s the goal of any BCS school, or any Division I school. We have overcome a lot of adversity this year. We got spanked a couple times and we had a young team. These captains, through their leadership, have done a tremendous job. We?re just real proud of them and as always you want the best for your seniors. It?s the last time they?re ever going to play. Hopefully we can get that done.?
Niumatalolo
(on being in the Texas Bowl) ?It?s been a long year for us, this is our 14th game. From Ohio State, to Notre Dame to going to Hawaii, 5,000 miles, and coming back and playing in Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia and now to come here, we?re just proud of the way our guys have battled. There is no team that?s not beaten up by the end of the year. It?s just all the battles that everybody has been in. Just been very proud of the way our guys have battled and played hard and given everything for our program. For them to be able to come here and have this reward. Probably the best greatest moment I?ve had at this bowl game is being at Best Buy and watching our guys go with their carts and going around getting their gifts. To me, that?s what it?s about in coaching, it?s not the wins and losses, it?s the experiences like that that make you feel like you?re in the right profession, seeing those guys be able to enjoy themselves and get something out of it.?
Pinkel
(introducing players) ?(DT) Jaron Baston, Kansas City, Missouri, he?s a defensive tackle. Second team all-Big 12 player. Proud of him. He?s had his ups and downs and he?s grown as a Missouri Tiger. He became a captain, voted by his teammates. He and I have kind of a special relationship, so I?m real proud of him. (G) Kurtis Gregory, central Missouri. He?s an offensive guard and again, second team all-Big 12 player. All three of these guys are college graduates now. Kurtis has his master?s already too. He?s proud of that too. Great leader on the offensive line and offense. (LB) Sean Weatherspoon, Jasper, Texas, the whole core of our football program is leadership as all of these guys have done and we?re very proud of them.?
Niumatalolo
(introducing players) ?(LB) Ross Pospisil is our team captain on defense. He is our leading tackler. He?s here from Texas. Great young man and he?s been our spiritual leader of our team and a great team captain. (QB) Ricky Dobbs is our starting quarterback from Atlanta, Georgia. It?s his first year starting. And I?m excited about him because he?s only going to get better and it?s his first year starting and I thought he played tremendous being his first year starting. And our offensive captain, he plays offensive guard, Osei Asante. He?s on our offensive line. Three tremendous young men.?
