Bootleg Post-Game
Interviews: Washington
Quarterback T.C. Ostrander
(#13)
Opening statement....
Ostrander: "This offense is built on putting
ourselves in good field position. We just got ourselves into too many second
and longs, third and longs. That just happened too much."
On concentration...
Ostrander: "There were a couple of dropped
balls. I thought Corey [Gatewood] did awesome, I thought losing that ball was a
tough call, but we punch that in, a couple of things go our way and it's a
different ballgame. But you can't have so many mistakes and expect to
win."
On coming off the bench...
Ostrander: "I felt like I got in the flow of
the game pretty quickly. They made a couple of good calls defensively and we
just never got a rhythm going on offense. I'm not playing that much, so I take
it on myself to work harder, work more after practice to stay sharp."
Head Coach Jim Harbaugh
Opening Statement...
Harbaugh: "They just did a phenomenal job. The quarterback, the
running back, we felt like they were the greatest tandem in the Pac-10, as good
as Oregon's. They just did a great job of running the football, picking up third
downs, and making the big play."
The Bootleg: Could you have put Tavita back in or did you choose to
stay with TC?
Harbaugh: "Chose to stay with TC. We could have put Tavita back
in, but just felt watching him throw on the sidelines. He didn't have it, didn't
have the same pop on his ball."
The Bootleg: How do you feel TC played?
Harbaugh: "I think outside of Tyrone McGraw, I don't feel
anybody... I thought Tyrone played pretty well. I think we really have to look
at options on offense and see who gives us the best chance to win before we
analyze that."
The Bootleg: Why did you put in Corey Gatewood?
Harbaugh: "We got a big play from Corey. We moved him there a
couple of weeks ago. I felt comfortable with him, felt he had a handle on the
offense and he went in there and made plays. What we've got is another guy back
there who can line up and play running back. I think we have to analyze this by
position and make sure we're doing a good job of coaching fundamentals and that
we're playing who give us the best chance to win. There are a lot of levels to
getting this offense back on track."
The Bootleg: When you talk about analyzing by position, are
you talking about changes or are you talking about talking the guys who are
playing now?
Harbaugh: "I just think we need to do a good job, a better job
of coaching these guys in terms of fundamentals, in terms of playing
penalty-free football, and putting them in a position of success, and at the
same time getting the guys in there that can do that."
The Bootleg: What went wrong with the defense?
Harbaugh: "Way too many rushing yards. Too many big plays. I
mean it was pretty thorough, a pretty thorough whooping."
The Bootleg: How deflating was it when you didn't punch it in when
the defense gave you the ball at the two?
Harbaugh: "It's something we talked about at halftime, there's a
lot of football left. We were only down seven points."
The Bootleg: TV cameras caught Richard Sherman yelling...
Harbaugh: "I didn't see the TV cameras. Yelling at whom?
The Bootleg: I don't know. Looked like a coach (Willie Taggart) was
trying to hold him back.
Harbaugh: Well, we lost our cool a couple of times. Three personal
fouls, can't do it."
Guard Alex Fletcher (#60)
(Handed stats sheet.)
Fletcher: 8.1 yards and 12.6 yards per carry.
[McGraw's and Gatewood's averages, respectively]. Ugh.
The Bootleg: What's up? I felt you ran the ball
really well in the first half.
Fletcher: "We ran the ball really well,
especially on that first drive. Got the running game going for sure. But
couldn't capitalize a couple of times. On the one-yard line. The field goal. The
PAT. It was good field position a bunch of times, and we just had three-and-outs
or mistakes."
The Bootleg: Do you feel like there was a
difference in the second half, or just having to come from behind and pass
more?
Fletcher: "We definitely needed to pass more. I
couldn't tell you about coverages or anything like that without looking at the
film, but we didn't give up a sack in the first half and started pretty well in
the second half."
The Bootleg: Did things feel different with TC?
Fletcher: "No, not really. We couldn't hold up
a couple of times. Obviously, coming from behind."
The Bootleg: It's got to be frustrating, putting
up just 250 yards, three or four games in a row. What do you think is needed to
get over the hurdle?
Fletcher: "Just stick to something we're good
at. We could have run the ball all day on these guys. But we just can't coming
from behind. But we had opportunities. We were on the one-yard line. We've got
to score, we've got to score, that's on us."
The Bootleg: Do you feel like the defense wore
down a little bit?
Fletcher: "Yeah. We've got to keep them off the
field."
Running Back Tyrone McGraw (#31):
McGraw: "We're at a point where we've got to take
the next three. We've got to run with it; we've got go with it and get ready to
play and compete."
The Bootleg: I thought you looked good
today. What really stood out to you today?
McGraw: "What really stood out to me is that a
lot of people tended to say we wouldn't be able to run with our fifth-string
running back in there, and I think that gave us, myself in particular... The O-line helped us out a lot, and we came out and showed we could run the ball. The
O-line came out and gave me great holes to run through, it was a great
experience, just unfortunate we couldn't get the win."
The Bootleg: You feel the blocking was pretty
good? You had good lanes to run through?
McGraw: "Oh yeah. The line worked pretty hard
during this week in practice and I think it definitely paid off. But it's a team
effort and we all have got to play our roles."
The Bootleg: Talk about Corey. Who thought
someone would just come out with a run like that?
McGraw: (Laughs.) "We've got athletes. We've
got athletes on our team, and one thing our coaches always emphasize when
running backs started going down is that when one guy goes down, another guy has
to step up. And that's just been the situation. Corey's done the same thing.
He's made an impressive transition from cornerback to running back, he's
impressed us all and he's definitely helping out this team."
The Bootleg: What's it -- you were here last
year, you're here this year -- what's the difference running the ball? Is it
schematic? What's the big difference?
McGraw: "You know, I really don't like to
compare, but I think Coach Harbaugh, Coach Shaw have really done a great job
scheming up great run plays, and Coach Dalman, he's
done a great job. We call it window washing, all the different formations and
motions we have and all that stuff we can do, and I think that's really helped
the run game."
The Bootleg: We asked Harbaugh about another
player and he said, you know, the only guy I can say something good about is Ty
McGraw. So then looking forward to next week, do you know how playing time's
looking, how Anthony and Toby are looking?
McGraw: "You know, I don't have a clue. I leave
that stuff to the coaches..."
The Bootleg: Darn it, you're too smart for
me.
McGraw: (Laughs) "Honestly, I never
really let that whole idea sink on me, I just came out and did my stuff at
practice and let the chips fall where they would. I try to be that way, not
look, just play."
The Bootleg: When do they announce to you - did
you have an idea coming into today, oh I'd be getting 15 [sic - 11]
carries?
McGraw: "We definitely have a gameplan each
week, and we know to a certain extent how much playing time we're going to get
by Thursday, Friday practice. So I knew coming in here that that's what it's
looking like, but I just tried to keep a level head and come in here and
compete."
Quarterback Tavita Pritchard
(#14):
Pritchard: "We've taken positive steps. We just need to keep
working on it. Going back to basics. Throwing the ball, catching the ball, pass
blocking. Just the basics."
The Bootleg: Are you going to get tests tomorrow?
Pritchard: "I'll probably come in and see the doctor and get some
X-rays or something."
The Bootleg: Hey, how are you feeling?
Pritchard: "I'm feeling okay, got a little banged up. Sore in the
shoulder thing. Got it numbed up. Just didn't go back in."
The Bootleg: Just walk me through it. What was the play?
Pritchard: "It was a rollout to the right. They had it pretty
well covered so I took off. It was third and about 11. The reason I stayed up is
because I wanted to get the first down. I went around somebody and then a guy
came up and just hit me. And then I heard a pop."
The Bootleg: What happened? They took you to the locker room?
Pritchard: "Yeah, they took me in, tried to numb it up a little
bit, give me a shot. Then I got X-rays, and then I came back out and threw a
little bit. I was able to throw. It should be okay, I'll be fine."
The Bootleg: Were you asking Coach to go back in?
Pritchard: "He asked me if I was ready and I said yes. It's his
decision. I'll always elect to go back in. Definitely. I'm a competitor and I
want to be out there, but his decision."
The Bootleg: He said you didn't quite have that same zip on your
ball. Is that fair?
Pritchard: "That's fair. The thing that Coach Harbaugh brings,
you know, he's really experienced. I think he sees a little bit of him in me. I
always want to go back in. He caught some balls for me to see if I was really
and, I don't know, but... (trails off)."
The Bootleg: You could tell maybe?
Pritchard: "Yeah, a little bit."
The Bootleg: And one more, and this is a tough one, I'm sorry. Past
couple of weeks, numbers haven't been... 200, 300 total yards, not going to cut
it.
Pritchard: "No, definitely not. We've been putting a lot of
pressure on our defense and we just can't do that. We've really got to get back
to playing offensive football and putting points up any way we can. And we just
need to get back to the basics, not getting ahead of ourselves. Throwing and
catching the ball. Blocking. We're just not doing the little things right now
and it's hurting us. We're not getting into a rhythm."
Running Back Corey Gatewood (#26):
Gatewood: "I think I wasn't down at the goal line. I mean the
only reason I stretched it across was to get into that end zone, but they called
it a fumble, so it's a fumble."
The Bootleg: Is that a disappointing play for you
offensively?
Gatewood: "Defense came back and made the stop, and we came back
out and put points on the board. So it was definitely a big momentum shift, but
we were able to get it back, but just have to play a little better and then
maybe it's a different outcome."
The Bootleg: Take me through that run in the first
quarter.
Gatewood: "All week in practice, the coaches have been telling me
the offensive line is going to do their job, just get the ball and do my job and
let my ability take over. I mean, I saw the hole and I hit it, it was jus tall
ability after that."
The Bootleg: What was the play, do you remember?
Gatewood: "It was '97 weak', it's a zone play. I just
followed my blocks and tried to go."
The Bootleg: I wanted to ask about the holes for you as a
runner.
Gatewood: "They did a good job. Tyrone and I were able to read
the holes, the holes were there, and have a strong day. Compared to last week,
where we didn't have much at all, it was definitely an improvement, and we can
only get better next week."
The Bootleg: What was the timetable for bringing you over to
running back?
Gatewood: "I just came over last Tuesday and I've been studying
the playbook, just trying to get everything down. I feel pretty comfortable
now."
The Bootleg: Whose idea was that move?
Gatewood: "I think it was Harbaugh's. Harbaugh's and the whole
coaching staff."
The Bootleg: Were you resistant?
Gatewood: "Oh no, I mean any way I can help the team, move me
over and I'm ready to go."
The Bootleg: Did you think you were going to get touches last
weekend?
Gatewood: "I don't know. The coaches probably weren't
really comfortable with me yet, they just wanted me to have another week in the
system, getting comfortable carrying the ball."
The Bootleg: Speed's the biggest difference from high school I
guess?
Gatewood: "Yeah, everyone's faster and so you've got to
make your reads, you've got to make your cuts a lot quicker than at the high
school level. That's definitely the biggest difference."
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