Matt Rhule mentioned the loud environment several times in his post game comments. Sounds like we are building a real home field advantage.
At the end of the day, just a lot of respect for Greg Ward, Jr., he was the difference tonight. We played really good defense at times, but he was just a difference maker, which he has been all year. Credit to them. Credit to Tom (Herman), I’m happy for them. Obviously, we are disappointed, but I told our guys that I couldn’t be more proud. That was a really hard environment to play in. A lot of credit to Houston and to their fans. It was almost un-hearable at times.
Down the stretch we have two bad snaps with the game on the line. They certainly had a home-field advantage. It was a credit to them. Their fans should be commended. I am really proud of our kids. They fought back into the game and had a chance to make it a one-score game. We had a couple of plays get away from us. For our kids to win 10 games, to beat Penn State, bring College Game Day to Philadelphia, and to do the things that they have done and know that they are going to a bowl game I couldn’t be more proud.”
On offense stalling on Houston’s side of the field
“We had a chance to catch some balls down there in the red zone, and they made some pass breakups, but we had some miscues, and as I said it was really loud. Here again, that’s not excusable; I wish we would have scored, don’t get me wrong, but we just couldn’t make the plays that we make to win the game. At the end of the day there are three, four, five plays that you have to make to score in the red zone to win the game, but we just weren’t able to do them tonight, and they did. They executed those plays down the stretch.”
At the end of the day, just a lot of respect for Greg Ward, Jr., he was the difference tonight. We played really good defense at times, but he was just a difference maker, which he has been all year. Credit to them. Credit to Tom (Herman), I’m happy for them. Obviously, we are disappointed, but I told our guys that I couldn’t be more proud. That was a really hard environment to play in. A lot of credit to Houston and to their fans. It was almost un-hearable at times.
Down the stretch we have two bad snaps with the game on the line. They certainly had a home-field advantage. It was a credit to them. Their fans should be commended. I am really proud of our kids. They fought back into the game and had a chance to make it a one-score game. We had a couple of plays get away from us. For our kids to win 10 games, to beat Penn State, bring College Game Day to Philadelphia, and to do the things that they have done and know that they are going to a bowl game I couldn’t be more proud.”
On offense stalling on Houston’s side of the field
“We had a chance to catch some balls down there in the red zone, and they made some pass breakups, but we had some miscues, and as I said it was really loud. Here again, that’s not excusable; I wish we would have scored, don’t get me wrong, but we just couldn’t make the plays that we make to win the game. At the end of the day there are three, four, five plays that you have to make to score in the red zone to win the game, but we just weren’t able to do them tonight, and they did. They executed those plays down the stretch.”
