Mike Sanford Quotations

We struggled in the wind, no question. I told the team that in the Mountain West Conference you have to be ready to play in all the elements: heat, cold, wind, dust, fog. But the offense really let the wind bother us today and we have to improve on that.

We're not going to make it enjoyable to lose around here. It's going to be a miserable existence.

Leon is playing better and better every week.

On the one hand, I love the bowl system. I love the opportunity to be in bowls, and it's a great thing. I would like to keep the bowl system and still have a playoff. That allows team to get in there (a championship game) that normally wouldn't get in.

I don't know what that looks like, but there is a chance. But I don't think we would make a wholesale change. I think no matter, (James is) always going to be a corner, but he could possibly play another position. But I just think you run out of corners, and I don't think you (want that).

I feel like we've improved, and we still have a long ways to go. By far, we have not arrived.

I don't think it was 10 to 12 yards. We were soft on Spencer.

He understands more what he's doing this year, and he's playing faster. He just plays at such a high speed. I just see him tremendously improved and more consistent.

He is an outstanding college corner with great ability. Cornerback is one of those hard positions to recruit a player to. And he's a special player in that area.

He is an excellent player. I saw him play in high school. He was in my recruiting area. I have a good understanding of what kind of player he is, and he's excellent. An excellent athlete, an excellent runner and a better passer than he showed at Utah. We expect a huge game out of him.

We're in the process of continuing to set our standards high.

We've got to get the best five guys on the offensive line.

He runs well, he catches the ball well, he's working extremely hard, he wants to be good. Right now, he's playing the best of all the receivers.

He's a tough guy. He had shoulder surgery and has come back. His shoulder hurts him, but he still practices.

I think it helped us to learn more about him and what his strengths are. It was very difficult (with the injury).

I think that is just part of the profession.

That was one of the worst (possessions) I've ever been around. We had a chance to get to 14 points.

We had a lot of chances we didn't take advantage of.

We have tremendous respect for... (pause)... the team we are playing. This is a huge game for us.

We have a very good kicker that I feel great about. We have to score more touchdowns in the red zone this year, but I feel really good about Sergio anywhere from the 35-yard-line in. We know he can hit in the 50s.

We want to be able to dominate the line of scrimmage. We want to be a physical football team.

When the doldrums went away, I think we got a sense of urgency and started executing. When we execute and our defense stops them like we were stopping them, then we're going to become a good football team.

To get to where everybody understands what you are doing and completely understands it, yes, it is difficult.

We did a national search to find both the best person and assistant football coach and I know we have found that in Tony Dews. We wanted to add someone with a lot of energy and enthusiasm and his background in special teams was a real plus.

The whole thing is respect. They are our rival, and we're not going to give them the respect of calling them by their name.

The thing that is great about it is that last week, after Sergio missed that extra point, he could have very easily gone into the tank. But he didn't. We all believe in him. He's a great kicker. And he's going to win a lot of other games for us this year.

Our defense has got to make critical stops at critical times in the game.

The MRI was a strictly a safety precaution. He's still got a couple more days before he has to play. He's probably at about 90 percent right now.

You never have too many corners. I think right now we have three really good ones.

This guy is a warrior. He played his heart out.

There's been an academic situation from a previous institution where he is, at this point of time, ineligible. He still has to earn his Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree. We are expecting him to come back to UNLV when he does.

For a defensive back, he's very physical. And I think he has very good coverage ability. He makes us better.

It's dead even. There are four guys, and they're all competing.

I have very high standards of what I expect. I think we can do much better, but I also think we are where we want to be. I think we'll continue to get better and understand it more.

I know it is a great environment and a very hostile environment.

I know and everybody on our team knows we are going to be a good football team. But I think we were a little overwhelmed by the pressure of the game early.

He's in that same category. Howie has had a very good camp and he's difficult to block. But he's going against the best center in the league.