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INSIGHT BOWL: RUTGERS v ARIZONA STATE

December 27, 2005

TEMPE, ARIZONA

COACH GREG SCHIANO: Certainly, we're very disappointed with the outcome of the game but I couldn't be more proud of our football team. And I think you saw, although we didn't execute everything exactly the way we wanted to, I think you saw what this team is made of. Never quit, keep fighting, keep chopping away, right down to the last downside kick. We're certainly going to miss these three guys sitting next to me and a bunch of other --16 other seniors sitting in that locker room right now. They are the young men that put Rutgers football back on the map and they are the men that have laid the foundation, that is not a one-year stint; that have laid the foundation for our football program to move forward. Although it did not work out tonight exactly how we would have wanted to, these guys accomplished a lot and I'm very proud of them.

Q. That offense was just incredible from our point of view. What was it like going against that offensive line, you were held without a sack and just trying to stop that offense all game?
RYAN NEILL: We knew going into the game they have a very good offense, one of the top in the nation and we knew we had a big challenge going into the game and we are proud of all of the players, we tried our best. We allowed them to make some plays but very proud of our effort and we did our best.

Q. No sacks for you guys, what were they doing to keep you at bay?
RYAN NEILL: You know the ball was coming off very well, very quick. I felt we did a good job rushing the passer. We worked very hard all week preparing to get after the quarterback and we got some hits on him but we were not able to get a sack. There was a lot of balls were in the air and sacks would have helped a lot.

Q. You guys got 24 points in the first half, what was the difference in the second half with the changes they made defensively?
RYAN HART: Well, we were just rolling. Ryan made that second big play for a touchdown. You know, toward the red zone in the second half, I didn't get good enough reads, no way to check the ball down. It's hard, it's tough to keep kicking field goals when the other team is scoring touchdowns. We gave it our best but obviously wasn't enough. But proud of the way the guys played. But again, kicking field goals is not going to win you games.

Q. It's hard right now but the crowd, everything they are screaming, how much did you notice and what was it like being out there on that field?
TRES MOSES: Well, it was a heck of an experience. That's one of the biggest crowds we've played in. They had a big impact in the game for both sides of the ball. We had a lot of fans there but they had a lot of fans, and it got real loud. There were times we couldn't even hear the count, and that threw us off a little bit but it was a heck of an experience, just sorry it turned out the way it did.

Q. The three seniors, if you would just sum up the last game, what are you going to take, you are always going to remember the loss but what are you going to take out of this Bowl experience and finally getting Rutgers to this game?
RYAN HART: I had so much fun tonight. I'll never forget this feeling, I'll never forget this moment, this game. A lot of people throw out winners and losers; me, to throw my last pass as a college football player for a touchdown, I'll never forget that. Playing with these guys next to me, and the best coach I've ever played with, it's been great. Like I said, I'll never forget this day.
TRES MOSES: Same thing, this is something I will take with me the rest of my life, this experience. When we first got here, that was our biggest thing, a Bowl game, just being with Coach Schiano, he watched me from going to a little teenager to a young man. He's definitely the best coach I've ever played for and just playing with these guys over here for the last time, it's the last time we'll all be together. I just enjoyed every moment of it.
RYAN NEILL: Happy that we got to this Bowl game and it's a great feeling to get this far into the season. The reason I came back to play last season here was to get to a Bowl game, and I think Tres and Ryan agree. It's a great accomplishment to get here. Obviously we wanted to win it. That was our Bowl. To get program to this point, it's a great feeling knowing that my efforts here really did something to real lay a foundation, and Coach Schiano and his staff and the players on this team will take this team places that people never dreamed we could go.

Q. You're up 24-10 with three minutes to go in the first half and they get the big drive and then the big drive in the beginning of the second half, how much did that take the wind out of your sails?
COACH GREG SCHIANO: I never felt like it was wind out of our sails or momentum or any of that stuff. These kids were so focused on what they were doing. We didn't execute everything the best we could but there was no -- there's a good offensive football team that we had trouble stopping.
First half went according to plan. That last drive, I guess at half-time it was 17-30 to 12:30, just like time of possession, running the football, they weren't running the football. What happened in the second half reminded me a lot of the Illinois game where we got tired, we started missing some tackles. Probably the biggest thing is this season, we had 18 plays in 11 games that went for 25 yards or more. I don't have the stats with me but I'm sure there's half a dozen, at least, defensively that we let up.
So, you know, when you do that, and as Ryan said, you're trading field goals for touchdowns, and my biggest fear, if I had one, was getting into a shootout with this team. I mean, there's not anybody who has really stopped them. We studied every game and tried to look at some things that could help us and at first it did, some different looks and it helped us out. I think they made adjustments, we tried to counter those adjustments and probably didn't do it well enough.
My biggest disappointment is for those guys and the 16 other seniors that are sitting in the locker room, because I wanted more than anything for them to have the complete experience, and that's to be a Bowl champion, not only a Bowl participant. But it's not a just; it's just an only. Something that has not been done around here for 27 years. We'll be back.

Q. Ryan Hart had a pretty good game, just talk about his play and his game today.
COACH GREG SCHIANO: Couldn't be more proud. Ryan is an emotional guy, he kept himself in check the entire game. He just focussed on what he was doing. I thought he did an excellent job of operating our offense and managed the clock well. All of the things we asked him to do.

Q. I know you did not want to burn your time-outs so early both halves; was it the crowd noise that made it necessary?
COACH GREG SCHIANO: A little bit. Probably mostly the crowd noise. One time-out, we just had a little communication problem, which you know, you really can't have, but we did. But the others, the crowd noise was a factor. Got to learn to play in that. That's something we have to learn so play in, deafening crowd noise; with that roof shutting, it can get pretty loud in there.

Q. Talk about your two running backs, Rice and Leonard, the great performance tonight and great building blocks in the future as well?
COACH GREG SCHIANO: They are both two great football players in their own way, different players, but highly productive. Probably the best thing about them outside of all the talents is the people they are. They are great young men, both of them. I hope that they can be together for another year. That's all going to be up to Brian and his decision, which whatever Brian does decide, I going to and Rutgers is going to be fully behind him. He's done a lot for this university.

Q. Are you able to talk about just how similar or dissimilar the emotions were tonight in this game versus any other game you've been associated with Rutgers?
COACH GREG SCHIANO: The feelings are different. This is my first time as a head coach in a Bowl game. I've been to a bunch of Bowl games, but not as a head coach. This is my first group of seniors that's been with us for five or four years, and the feeling is not really tied as much in the disappointment or not executing or not making plays but those 19 seniors leave without a Bowl championship. So I really can't compare it to anything.
And I don't feel sorry -- I feel sorry that they didn't get it. I don't feel sorry for them, though. They have really grown up. I'm proud of them. We'll be back and they will be the reason. So they leave a legacy.

End of FastScripts...

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INSIGHT BOWL: RUTGERS v ARIZONA STATE

December 27, 2005

Ryan Hart

Tres Moses

Ryan Neill

Greg Schiano