University Southern California Trojans
USC Post-Game Quotes
October 21, 2000 | Football
Oct. 21, 2000
USC Head Coach Paul Hackett
That was just a hell of a football game. I give a lot of credit to Tyrone Willingham and Stanford, they just never backed down. It just doesn't get any better than that - two teams on a three game losing streak, fighting for their lives, fighting for 60 minutes.
(On Chris Lewis and defensive strategy)
Lewis made a great play when he had to make it. He's going to be a hell of a young player. Our feeling was that you have to make a young player make the play to beat you, make him sit in the pocket and make the right decisions, the right throws. On the last play, he did it.
(On final play defense)
We were in a zone defense, and the guy (McCullum) just snuck in behind us - no excuses.
I couldn't get be more proud of our guys - they played with a lot of great energy and played with everything they had for every play, the entire game. We just couldn't get it done in the end. They gave everything I asked of them - it wasn't good enough to win today, and that's too bad. Now, we just have to regroup and try to win our next five games.
(On Randy Fasani)
I thought he just played phenomenal - did all you can expect for a guy who hasn't played in three weeks. He was just sensational.
Quarterback Carson Palmer
That was just more bad luck. It seems like every week, one thing goes wrong, that the bad luck is always on us and the ball never bounces our way.
This is something I've never felt before - when I saw the four seconds left, I thought we were going to win. I never thought they were going to score. There can't be a much worse feeling.
The only thing we can do is find a way to win the last five games. I don't know what we have to do - it seems like every week we try something different. But I know that Coach Hackett will turn things around and we'll get our confidence.
Running Back Petros Papadakis
We'll just have to deal with this tomorrow. We had the opportunity to win, and we couldn't get it. It came down to one play, but that's football. We could not have done any more.
We played our hearts out and had a lot of positives - but that's life, that's football.
I don't judge the head coach. Paul Hackett's our head coach, he's our leader, and I have full faith that he will get this thing turned around.
Stanford head coach Tyrone Willingham:
On comeback: That was as fine a demonstration of character, never-say-die attitude that we've had. We overcame our mistakes and our players just kept on coming.
On the team's performance: I think our whole football team refused to lose. We found ways to win and that was the great thing about this afternoon. Our football team found a way to overcome our mistakes and win.
The last play: The last play was a deeper pass combination which we thought would draw the double coverage of DeRonnie Pitts, which it did, and leave Jamien McCullum open. Chris Lewis was able to hang in there and stay with it and deliver the ball.
What did you say to Lewis before he went in the game?: I say what I always say - take what they give you.
On Chris Lewis: Chris has been improving each week. We're proud of what he's done. To be able to stand on the sidelines and come into the game and make the big plays when you have to takes a special kind of person. He's got that kind of ice water in his veins that you need to do that.
On Randy Fasani: His performance was just flat gutsy. That's what you expect >from that position (quarterback). For him to come back today and play the way he did was amazing. That's the kind of leader he is.
On the win over USC: It's our best win of today.
Quotes from Chris Lewis:
On coming into the game: When he (Randy) went down I thought, "Not again." I wasn't nervous. I just went out there and looked in Zeke Moreno's eyes and just nodded my head - it's just fun being out there. It's what you play for. There's no reason to get nervous. I'm the number one reliever.
All the guys rallied behind me when Randy went down. Just having the guys behind you makes you that more relaxed.
On delay of game penalty: It was late. We wanted to run the best play possible. DeRonnie ran out and said just take the penalty and it worked out to our benefit.
Quotes from DeRonnie Pitts
On his performance: I was getting a lot of good separation when they were singling me out. He (Randy) was making good throws and a couple of times I just stuck with him, and I was able to get open.
We just take every game one day at a time. We have a big task ahead of us next week.
