Postgame Quotes: Mississippi State Student-Athletes (Nov. 28)
November 28, 2019 | Football
Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss
Mississippi State Student-Athlete Quotes
November 28, 2019 | Davis Wade Stadium
Mississippi State Student-Athlete Quotes
November 28, 2019 | Davis Wade Stadium
Offensive Student-Athletes
QB Garrett Shrader
Q: Take us through the week, how did you find out you were going to start?
GS: "I found out pretty early on that Tommy [Stevens] had an injury that would probably hold him out. I hate that for him, but it was a good week at practice from an offensive standpoint and everyone in general. We felt good about this week. We did the little things right, on and off the field. We had a good week at practice even though it was a short week – only two days and a walk-through. We felt confident. It was fun to get out there and just go play the game."
Q: What does the Egg Bowl feel like for a freshman?
GS: "I found out today what the rivalry was all about. It was a fun atmosphere. Thanks to everyone who came out. It was definitely fun."
Q: What is Joe Moorhead like as a coach and how do you see him?
GS: "He has a certain set of beliefs about how the program should be run and that's just getting everybody to buy into it, which is the biggest thing. I absolutely believe in him and everything that he says and does. He's going to be my coach and we are going to win a ton more games with him."
RB Nick Gibson
Q: For your final home game you get to leave with the Egg Bowl trophy, how does that feel?
NG: "It feels amazing because we know we have bragging rights for another year and I no doubt played a part in it. There's just not a better feeling."
Q: You're going to leave here with four bowl games and three Golden Egg trophies, what does that say about this senior class?
NG: "It says that we came in, contributed a lot to this program and helped to build it to what it is today. Hopefully, the under classman will continue to build it and make Mississippi State even greater than what it is right now."
Q: What is Joe Moorhead like as a coach and what is it like being in that locker room with him?
NG: "He's a great coach. Fans are going to talk. You have your ups and downs. I told coach [Joe Moorhead] that everything we do is just a learning experience. I feel like we had some shaky moments this year, but we got it together. We came out and won when it matters, by keeping [the Golden Egg Trophy]."
RB Kylin Hill
Q: What are you feeling right now?
KH: "I'm excited. It was a much-needed win. If we lost, we'd be losing a lot of things. The bowl game and the Egg Bowl. I'm excited right now. Chills down my body. Crazy game."
Q: You've been pretty adamant about Coach [Joe] Moorhead being your guy here. What's your thought about him being your coach?
KH: "I feel as if there is no coach in the country who loves his players like Coach [Joe] Moorhead. He makes everyone [better]. If you walk in with your head down, he will pull you to the side or his office and ask if you want to talk. I feel like he's the guy for the job. Right now, we're in the process of building. We had a lot of guys out with suspensions and injuries, so to be where we are right now is amazing."
Q: What was the postgame like with everybody in the locker room?
KH: "The celebration was great, especially to see the young guys [celebrating]. I told them, I said there's no better celebration than the Egg Bowl. I think they understand now. Like I said, everybody was excited."
OL Darryl Williams
Q: What was it like going through the final 30 seconds of that game?
DW: "The last 30 seconds were wild. They [Ole Miss] had a good play going in. I think we executed and I'm just glad we got the win. Right now, I'm just feeling joy. I think we did a great job."
Q: How does the bowl eligibility effect you after this game?
DW: "It's huge to know that we get another month of football, especially for the seniors to be able to showcase our talent and just get more opportunities. Not just for us, but for the young guys to get that extra practice in and prepare for the next season coming up. It's a great feeling knowing that we got our tenth [straight] bowl eligibility win."
Q: How do you feel like Garrett Shrader handled his first Egg Bowl?
DW: "He did an excellent job. Once he fumbled the ball the first time, I told him to just keep up the throws. It's going to be an awful hard game and it's going to be uncomfortable, but you have to have grit in this game. Especially knowing that there's a great team over there [on the other sideline]. I'm thankful for him and I think that he held his composure very well."
WR Deddrick Thomas
Q: Talk me through the play when you got the catch during that critical fourth down.
DT: "[Joe] Moorhead called a great play. I was just going on my route. I was just doing my job. The ball ended up finding me. [Garrett] Shrader did a great job sliding the pocket. I just had to come down with it."
Q: This has been tough with all the suspensions this year. How does it feel to end up with a victory in the end?
DT: "I'm just happy. I can't even explain. I wanted to cry. These are my brothers. These are the boys I've been with for four or five years. It feels great."
Defensive Student-Athletes
DE Chauncey Rivers
Q: How did you defend open spaces tonight with Ole Miss's quarterback John Rhys Plumlee?
CR: "Like I said, all we've been doing is practicing our keys and paying attention. We knew what type of quarterback he [Plumlee] was … He wanted to get on the perimeter, and he wanted to use his legs. At the end of the day, we played our keys, and we played hard. Everybody was running to the ball, and we found a way to get the win."
Q: How do you feel about Joe Moorhead, and how's he coached the team this season?
CR: "I feel like he's a great coach. Every day, he comes out there and gives us his all. Every day, he comes out there with excitement and energy. He's just a great coach. He's behind his players 100 percent, and he shows us love."
S Marcus Murphy
Q: What did the defense do differently than other teams to defend [John Rhys] Plumlee?
MM: "Eye discipline. First and foremost, Coach [Moorhead] harped on us about feeling every run. Just feel it to the best of your ability and stop the run. They didn't really throw the ball, so we knew we had to key in on the run. At the end of the game, they put [Matt Corral] in and had to throw the ball. I feel like we gave up just as much as we wanted to gain. That's not Mississippi State football. We've got to finish every drive, every game and every play the same."
Q: What is the emotion on the field when the games over and the trophy gets brought out?
MM: "It was a hard-fought game. When they missed the extra point, I cried. Every year, that's a rivalry game: Mississippi State versus Ole Miss. We won the game, and we pulled it out. We're going to a bowl game."
LB Erroll Thompson
Q: Do you feel like it made a difference with the defense that Mississippi State was tied or ahead the whole game?
ET: "I feel like it did. It's always good when we're not behind. Playing defense is easier when you're ahead or when it's an even game."
Q: Can you put into words what it was like to see that missed extra point?
ET: "I'm still trying to put it into words. It's crazy, I'm just glad we got the win."
Q: Are you ready to prepare for another bowl game?
ET: "It's great. We've been to a bowl game every year since I've come in and keeping that tradition alive is a great feeling."
Players Mentioned
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