Missouri State vs. Southern Illinois Game Quotes

Terry Allen on the win:

"That is a great win. Obviously Southern Illinois has been a thorn in our side since I got here and Missouri State's side for seven years. To come out and put the nail in their coffin, it was very rewarding. The players played very hard and we went in there and got some turnovers in the second half. It is a good victory."

On the team's emphasis on the pass:

"It was a good job by coach (Rob) Christophel and the offensive staff, having a plan to take advantage of their weaknesses. They left some holes in the secondary and our guys were precise enough to take advantage of it. Some of their guys were banged up, so there was no way they could defend Jermaine Saffold and the rest of our guys."

On kicking game:

"Don't forget about Austin Witmer. He was three for three on field goals, six for six on extra points, kicks the ball out of the end zone and had perfect sky kicks. He has been nothing but spectacular since he kicked the game-winner last week."

On closing out the game:

"We get up by three, our defense gets the ball back for us and with six minutes on the clock, you all up here knew what we were doing. We were milking that clock, getting first downs and taking it in for the score. Then with just over two minutes to play, with the game basically over, the defense rallied and now there are an awful lot of Bears down there having a whale of a time after sending Southern Illinois back home with a loss."

On Cody Kirby's play:

"I couldn't be more proud of the quarterback, Cody Kirby. All we asked this year was stay away from the turnovers and now he went 24-36 with no turnovers. That is pretty good. He has only had three interceptions in eight football games, and only one of those was directly responsible from the quarterback."

Junior Wide Receiver Jermaine Saffold on passing game:

"It just just like coach would call in the play and all the receivers were taking adavantage of their opportunities. Cody was putting the ball where it needed to be and we were making plays."

Saffold on physicality of the game:

"We all just had to play physical in the fourth quarter. I asked Cody [Kirby] at the beginning of the week how he felt and he said 'We're going to have to play physical all four quarters. So, that's what we did."

Senior Defensive Tackle Levi Moore on playing behind early:

"Anytime you get in a situation like that, you feel the momentum begin to swing. We grabbed hold and didn't turn loose I think that if there is a bright side to having so many hard losses and close games, we've learned to be tenacious, particularly on Defense. We're in a perfect situation and we get a little lax, whether we need to or not. I think we learned that lesson the hard way. When you've got a hold of 'em, no matter what happens, don't turn loose."

Moore on winning on the road:

"We need to take exactly the same mentality that we had this week. We need to be physical, focused. We are in a great position as a football team. When you know exactly what it is you have to do to get where you want to be, all you need to do is get it done. We need to win every game from here on out and do it one game at a time, one play at a time. It's a great position to be in and I think we'll practice with that mentality and take it on the bus with us."

Senior Linebacker Terian Washington on finishing the game:

"One of the things that Coach Rob Bolks stresses is staying together as a team. The whole time we were on the sideline, we didn't hang our heads, we never said 'forget this game' or 'let's just throw it away.' We said 'we're going to go out there, do what we have to do to stop them,' and that's what we did. A lot of people view us as a team, but its deeper than that. We're really a family and that's what pays off in the end, especially in a game like today. There was a lot of emotion going into it and it's a team that has beaten us the last couple of years. It really payed off being a family."

Senior Quarterback Cody Kirby on being aggressive during shootouts:

"That's how it should be, that's what we stress offensively; playing up-tempo. We did a good job of that this game. I thought we were up-tempo, flying around the field, getting to our positions and I think that set the tone offensively for us."

Kirby on the Offensive Line's performance:

"The O-Line did a great job today; run blocking and pass blocking all day long. I feel like the sacks we gave up we just because they were bringing the house. They're a very good football team, especially on defense and I thought our offensive line did a great job of staying together and doing their jobs. In the end, we felt like we could run the ball and that's huge."

Kirby on big hit:

"That's part of the game. Like Coach Christophel said, I signed up for this position. It's a contact game and that is just part of it."

Kirby on importance of game:

"The fact that since I've been here we have never beat SIU. When you ask me, how big is this game; its right up there. For our team, for our university, for the alumni-- it just means a lot."