Sept. 26, 2009
Washington Head Coach Steve Sarkisian Quotes 9/26/09
On the opening kick-off returned for a touchdown by Stanford...
"I think it definitely helped. It got them going, but I don't think the opening kick-off set the stage for the rest of the game. They were just the more physical football team on both sides of the ball tonight. They obviously did a great job rushing the football and also pressuring our quarterback. They did a good job being a physical team."
On not being able to obtain good field position tonight...
"Anytime you have to go 80-85 yards with the ball its hard. It's a lot easier to make plays when you only need to go 50 or 60 yards, but the bottom line is when you turn the ball over three times, that's the biggest stat in football [when you lose the turnover battle.]. We just didn't help ourselves with the turnovers tonight."
On playing against Pac-10 teams...
"These are good football teams. They have really good coaches and every week you just don't know [what's going to happen]. Every week you practice and you have to prepare really well. Across the board in our conference it's a battle."
On if there was a let down this week after their upset against USC las week...
"Not at all. I think our kids understood the game plan. Inevitably, we couldn't get them to stop running the football. They ran the ball almost 50 times with only 14 passes. Stanford controlled the game that way and then in turn we couldn't get the momentum back in our favor to run the ball and get control of the game. I don't think that is a let down emotionally. Our kids came in ready to play. We just have to do a better job of coaching."
On the message in the locker room after the game...
"Don't accept the feeling. We are a better football team than that. The value of the ball and the value of being a physical team. You've got to be a physical team."