Head Coach Terry Allen Quotes

On the win:
"I really can't (explain this). I really can't, to be honest with you. I just know that there are a bunch of seniors that this game meant an awful lot to. They stepped up, and we were just more physical than they were. I was worried about getting a punt blocked, because I didn't think they could score against us. And give those guys, defensively, a lot of credit."

On holding the Bison offense in check:
"Our defense just totally bottled them down. They had only two first downs at the half; only eight first downs for the game. It gives us a lot of satisfaction - it wasn't the highest scoring or most exciting game - and it puts an exclamation point on how close we were this year."

On the seniors:
"When we came down here (in 2006) we went out and recruited this group of guys. From Mountain View to St. Louis to Kansas City to Wichita. And then the next year we went down (to Arkansas) and we recruited Terian Washington and Cody Kirby and Jake Duron, and those guys had to play as freshmen. I am sure when I say this: For me, this is the best group, as far as individuals and football players, that I have ever coached. We wanted so much to give them the respect and make the playoffs (this year), but we came up short with that."

Player Quotes:

Senior Safety Skylar Smith on finishing career/season with a shutout:

"We've faced some adversity this season and ending it on a note like this - just for the seniors and everyone - it feels great."

Smith on winning with three points:

"I didn't think that was going to happen. Our offense likes to put points on the board at home, but we'll take any win we can get.

Smith on growth of program:

"The attitude has shifted here. I think Coach Allen has done a great job building a solid foundation here and the results are showing. Everyone wants it...there is not a person on this team who doesn't want a championship."

Smith on returners:

"They're confident and they've got a lot of young playmakers. They're going to be hungry and hitting it hard this offseason, I know they will."

Senior Quarterback Cody Kirby on getting the ball back at the beginning of the second half:

"It was a great sky kick, it gave us huge momentum going into the half. In a tight game like that, you take all the momentum you can get."

Kirby on offensive performance:

"I think it comes down to whatever it takes to get the "W" and our defense did a great job. In the words of Brendan Fraser in the movie Bedazzled, 'you go out there and give 110% and you hope to play good, you want to play good...I think we played pretty good.'"

Kirby on ending his Mo State career:

It's surreal. It really hit me when all the seniors walked out together. I'm too excited over the victory today for it to really hit me. I feel like these four years have really gone by fast , but it's been a wonderful four years. I have no regrets. After the game, I talked to Coach Christophel and I am so blessed to have that kind of guy as my offensive coordinator. I've built a great relationship with him - I've got a lot of mixed emotions right now. I think it might hit me a few days from now, or maybe even a few years from now, but it's going to be real tough to walk away from football here at Missouri State.

Junior Running Back Chris Douglas on offensive performance:

"It all starts up front. From the beginning of the first half, the offensive line made some huge holes and the receivers always take a ton of pressure off of us. In the second half, the defense started keying in on us and was shutting us down. We had to fight for our yardage, but the offense - i don't know why we couldn't get it in the red zone this week, because we usually do...I guess that field goal was enough for us to win."

Douglass on returners and impact of senior class:

"We had a lot of seniors this year and they showed a lot of leadership and pride throughout the season. They were an example of what it means to be a team and how a senior class should lead a team with such young people. Next year, I honestly think that we have a great opportunity to be great. We have a lot of young kids at each position, we are going to have to have a few people really step up next year as playmakers. But I think that with our coaching staff and all the players coming back on offense and defense we should be pretty good."