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Head Coach Gus Malzahn
Opening Statement...
"I am happy to get win No. 8. I am very happy for our seniors. This senior class is a very special group. It is good to send them out on a high note playing their last game at home. Those guys have been phenomenal for our program, not just as players, but as individuals. It is really special for me to coach against Coach Sullivan. He is a class act. He had his team ready to play. We knew they were going to play hard and play their guts out, and they did. It was really special to have him back and have him in our stadium."
On slow starts...
"They knew a couple of our plays early, so we had to deal with that. We did get off to a slow start, but we did get into some rhythm in the second quarter and we are a rhythm offense, so after that point we played pretty solid. We just got off to a slow start. We didn't execute as well. They knew some of the things we were doing so we have to do a better job disguising that. In that second quarter we started getting into a rhythm."
On Quan Bray...
"Quan is a senior. He did bounce back and played well. He made some plays in the running game and the passing game."
On Auburn's defense...
"We harassed the quarterback for most of the night. When we are in the backfield, it makes people uncomfortable, so that was good. The big factor was putting pressure on the quarterback. That was really the key to our defensive performance."
On Joshua Holsey playing some at star...
"Some of our guys we wanted to be smart with, and make sure they are healed up."
On Duke Williams...
"We are hoping he will be back this week. I am not ready to make that call yet, but we are hopeful."
On getting the edge back...
"I think we did in some areas. I think we are in a good spot going into the Iron Bowl."
On Auburn's penalties...
"There were a couple that were unacceptable. The one that I was most disappointed with was the unsportsmanlike -- that is uncalled for. There were a couple that were fairly close, but that is part of the game."
On play of Mincy...
"I think you're looking at in a negative light. Mincy has been a guy that's done a lot of things for our program. He's done a lot of positive things. I was most disappointed in the unsportsmanlike but Mincy is a senior that has made some good plays for us this year."
Did he see Samford's play card with photos of Rhett Lashlee...
"I have no idea."
Status of Ricardo Louis...
"We held him out. We definitely want to get him healthy. Any time you hold a guy out, there are reasons, but we are hoping he will be healthy."
On Coates' 49-yard reception...
"Yeah, that was big. They pressed and then bailed and he got behind them and made a big play. I think it got us into a rhythm. I thought that ignited our offense."
Play of Kris Frost...
"He played really well. He's one of our leaders on defense and he was around the ball and had a lot of tackles."
Status of DaVonte Lambert...
"I don't have any updates on DaVonte. He got hurt on the first play but I don't know his status as of now."
On Sammie Coates' pass interference...
"I mean it's a bang-bang deal. It a really close deal."
On impact on having no classes leading up to the Iron Bowl...
"I think it will definitely help especially since we don't have an off week leading up to the Iron Bowl. It will definitely help."
Overall feeling leading up to the Iron Bowl...
"I know our guys will be ready and we are looking forward to it."
Preparing Quan for Ricardo's position...
"Quan and Ricardo tend to play the same position. In practice they are able to get a lot of reps, doing the same stuff. He did the same stuff that Ricardo tends to do. He fit right in and did a good job."
RB Cameron Artis-Payne
On last game in Jordan-Hare Stadium...
"It was really emotional. I've been here two years but some of the other guys have been here four and five years so it's a big part of everybody's life. It's something that we know we are walking away from and the last time that we'll get to come into Jordan-Hare to play so it's really emotional."
On the senior class...
"They've meant a lot to me. I wasn't a part of their recruiting class but when I got here they treated me like family. The Auburn Family isn't something we just say, it's real. I appreciate it. I love those boys just like they're my bothers. It's hard to see this thing come to an end."
On slow start...
"I feel like after we woke up we played better, so that's good going into the Alabama game. We needed that so it was big for us to get that going."
On rushing yardage...
"It's very special, anytime you step onto that field its special but for it to be your last time doing it, it's a plus. The offensive line had a pretty good game after we figured out what we were doing up front."
On upcoming Alabama game...
"We've got to get back to playing the way that we play. We've got to be explosive on offense and make big plays on offense, getting some key players back, hopefully, this week. We've got to play our brand of football and we haven't really done that these past couple of weeks but hopefully we can get back to that."
WR Quan Bray
On the offense starting slow...
"It happens; you run the football and you have to click at the right time. I think next week we're going to do just that."
On his touchdown...
"We had a little speed sweep. Cameron Artis-Payne and Sammie Coates had great blocks out there, they chopped them down, and I saw the scene and I hit it. I'm just trying to make plays when plays present themselves. We did just that. Credit to those guys, Sammie and CAP for stalling out those blocks for me."
On his fumble...
"That's just something I have to work on."
QB Nick Marshall
On slow start...
"We just weren't really playing at the beginning of the game but as the game got going, we got to playing football. It was just early; it was an emotional game for the seniors. We found a way to overcome it. As soon as we get one big play on the offense, we just get to running."
On upcoming games and slow starts...
"I know we'll have our `A' game going into next week's game."
On Alabama game preparation...
"We weren't worried about it at all this week. We just had our main focus on Samford."
On Quan Bray's touchdown...
"When one part of the team executes, everybody else just comes together and we start playing how we're supposed to."
On emotions of his last home game...
"I'm just glad we came out to win tonight. It hit me when we went out for senior night with our parents. It hit me then that it was my last game here. I've enjoyed my two years here."
LB Kris Frost
On his play tonight...
"I feel like I played well. Definitely all the opportunities I had, I capitalized on tonight, so I feel like overall it was a great game. The guys up front, Montravius and all them, they make it really easy on us to fly around and make plays. It's pretty easy tonight with all the pressure that was put on the quarterback as well."
On his interception...
"We were in zone and I pretty much just saw JJ make a great play on the ball; I actually thought he was going to pick it off at first. It really just kind of dropped in my hands just like the previous one that they ruled was down. First instinct as a linebacker was surprise just catching the ball, then you put your head down and run."
On getting confidence back after two losses...
"It does a great part getting our confidence back and also allows us to get things polished up and know what we need to do going into next game. We took this game just how we were supposed to take it. We knew this was an important game to get back and make us better and prepare us going into next week."
On how much the team will prepare for next week's game...
"You know we're going to go back and get all the film in. Everybody takes it up a notch when it's Bama week. We're going to be ready when it comes time. Our attitudes are already right about it and everybody's focused about beating Bama."
DL Gabe Wright
How this senior class will be remembered...
"It's still to be written. This 2014 year still isn't over yet, but I'm sure our legacy will live on with the Auburn Family. Through ups and downs adversity is what makes a man. So I think the adversity our class faced will define us as an Auburn man and carry us on through life."
On the slow start...
"I'd say we had a really good week of practice, I'm not going to lie, but I'd be a liar if I said the high expectations and goals we had set being diminished over the past couple of weeks didn't have an effect on us."
Did Samford scoring first wake Auburn up...
"It seemed like it. I think I saw one stat that the offense scored 17 points in six minutes. We know that we can get it done and we know defensively that we can hold anyone, and that's what it's all about. Coming off a loss we know that we've got to get it back, but I feel like we did a good job this week. Of course the goal this week was to beat Samford, but also to get Auburn back to the playing level we want to be. After they scored, that really rose the bar."
DB Jermaine Whitehead
On his suspension...
"It's between me and coach. I'm just moving forward, the things I have done are in the past and I just want to help my team moving forward."
On sitting out...
"It hurt me because I hurt the team. I put them in the position to play in a lot of big games without me. I'm just glad I got past all the adversity and I'm ready to move forward."
On being on kick return for the South Carolina game...
"I was on the depth chart. I've always been on the depth chart since my freshman year and I got a chance to come back and show coach that I'll do anything to help this team. I've been there ever since and tried to be an asset to our team."
On how it feels to be back in the lineup...
"It's really a credit to my teammates. They did a lot to console me and make sure I wasn't feeling down. They welcomed me back with open arms and they were more glad to have me probably than I was to be out there."
RB Corey Grant
On scoring a touchdown on senior night...
"That's a great feeling, scoring a touchdown on senior night and going out with a win. It's the best feeling."
On a slow start on offense...
"It's something we have to overcome. With our opponent I think we came in a little relaxed, but after some guys stepped up and made some plays, it got us going."
Is the offense better playing from behind...
"Not really. Next week I think we'll be ready to go from the first play."
Head Coach Pat Sullivan
Opening Statement....
"I couldn't be more proud of the effort the players put into this game. That was a good football team that we played. Our guys never quit, and I couldn't be more proud of them."
On coming back to Auburn...
"It's always nice to come back to this place. But it's not about me, it's about these guys and about their opportunity to come and play in an environment like this. So, I was happy for them."
Defensive Coordinator Bill D'Ottavio
Opening Statement:
"I was really proud of our kids, and the way they came in here and fought and played the game. They had a lot of energy and I'm just really proud of them. We had some seniors playing their last football game and all that good stuff, but I'm very proud of them. They played against a really good football team."
On Samford's defensive effort:
"Our kids did a really good job of coming in here and following our game plan. They've worked hard all year and tried to follow the plan. We were able to make some plays early, and we got them into some long-yardage situations where we were able to get off the field; that was important. I'm just proud of the way they played. We executed and tackled well at times, but I'm just proud of the way they executed."
On what can be taken away from the loss:
"We're going to build on it with the young kids. To play in this venue is a great opportunity for our kids. There will be a lot of good things to look at on film and there will be things we want to correct as we move forward. The effort, intensity and playing the game the way it's supposed to be played -- I think our kids gave the effort needed to win the football game, but we just fell shy in some execution areas. Auburn's good and they made some plays. They are an excellent football team and we knew they would make some plays, so it was that kind of football game."
On Coach Pat Sullivan:
"I know he means a lot to the Auburn nation and he means a lot to us. It's special to play in this building with him representing us. It was a great opportunity for our kids to play here, especially our in-state kids. Any time you play a great football team, it brings out a lot of good things in you and you rise to that challenge."
DB James Bradberry
On the game...
"It was very important to have a good start against a Division I team. You cannot go in there slow. They also run up-tempo. We controlled it at first, but then we gave up some big plays. Then they rushed and got on the ball and snapped it fast and scored and it got out of hand at that point."
On the environment...
"It was fun for me. At Samford we do not really get to play in that type of atmosphere every Saturday. I was a little nervous on the first couple of plays, but once I got my groove on, I was good."
On Pat Sullivan...
"When we got off the bus and all of the Auburn fans started cheering for us -- that felt weird. I felt like we were playing against our cousin."
On moving forward after the game...
"I know we are talented. I am sad we could not pull it off for the seniors, but I know going into next year we have a lot to work on. But I know we have a lot of talent to work with."
On it potentially being Pat Sullivan's last game...
"I feel like we wanted to pull it out for him and our seniors."
QB Michael Eubank
On the game...
"We played a really good team. I feel like there are a lot of plays that we left out there, a lot of things we could have converted on, a lot of things we could have done better. We held our ground, but I felt like we could have done something better."
On the fast start...
"It was very important to get off to a good start. Our motto was get the first down, so that drive was great and our defense played really well. I just wish we could have maintained all the way throughout the game. I felt like that was important to get the momentum. It was important to show our players and our fans that we can hang with whoever we are on the field with."
On the environment...
"It is always awesome when you have people on your side no matter where you walk into, whether it is your home stadium and especially a visiting stadium, especially one as big as Auburn. It was great to have people support us. The Auburn fans are very nice people. I think this is the nicest stadium I have ever been to as far as fans. These people shook my hand and greeted me. I guess it is just southern hospitality, and I loved it."
On Pat Sullivan...
"I think it was nuts getting off the bus and seeing his statue. When I saw the statue, I was in awe for a little bit, but then I knew it was time to get to work. Pat Sullivan was the first coach to give me the opportunity to play quarterback. It is a blessing to play under a man like that. He has helped me out with the things I needed to learn fundamentally. Being able to play in front of him anytime, no matter if at Auburn or at home, is a big deal for me and I want to show out each and every time. My relationship with him is very close, with him and Coach Trickett. Both of them have done a tremendous job in helping me develop."
On the defense...
"We have a saying called hunting dogs, and they were hunting. They were out there looking to make stops. I feel like they did a good job at that, and we had great momentum at the beginning of the game. I just wish it would have lasted throughout the game."
