Head coach Sam Washington's opening statement: "The ballgame was a little more exciting than I wanted it to be. I thought we started out very fast with some good things going in our favor. As the game went on, Bryant did a very good job and adjusted by putting eight in the box at the right time. We were having some difficulty moving the football. Defensively we had four picks that were very important to our success today. I give this young man (Karon Prunty) credit because he had two of those. He can't catch, but in some kind of way, he caught them. It was really a character win for us because it could have gone either way. I thought we hung in there and fought. We stayed together and unified, and we finished a complete ballgame."

Coach Washington on the philosophy of playing with two quarterbacks and if they are still searching for one: "That is the wish, that one would emerge and that one would just take the job. That has not happened yet. Zach is still recovering from the injury from last week, and I thought he would have been a little further along than he was. Concussions can be very tricky and whether they are mild or not. I thought Jalen managed the game fairly well, particularly in the fourth quarter. One thing we do ask is not to turn the ball over; protect the football. I thought he did a very good job from that perspective. He didn't give them many chances, and we are very happy about that."

Coach Washington on what Fowler needs to do better to become the starting quarterback: "From my perspective, he needs to complete more passes. There's a lot that comes with that. That includes getting the guys in the right position, recognizing coverages, being faster, and getting the ball thrown to the correct person in that progression. I think he has the talent and arm strength, and I wish he were a little more mobile than he is."

Coach Washington asked if there was a concern about holding Zachary Yeager out: "Well, I try not to get involved at all. One way or the other, that is for the doctors to do, and they tell me if he can play or not. He was cleared on Wednesday, so that gave him two solid days of practice along with Friday. Normally that is adequate to perform."

Coach Washington on what made them want to run heavy: "I don't think it's just Bryant. We can run the ball against anyone, and I think if you can run the ball, then you can control the clock. You can do a lot of things if you are capable of running the ball, and we were able to run the ball, and they were not."

Coach Washington on the defensive stand at the beginning of the first half and how that changed the momentum: "I think that is one of the things that we emphasized during the week. We felt that we weren't very efficient in the red zone defense. We put some emphasis and time this week, which is why it is so rewarding when we have success because of the time and effort we put into it during the week. I am very pleased, and a lot of that is who wants to. Who wants it the most and our guys showed up, and they showed out."

Coach Washington on how satisfied he is on running the ball: "It's a coach's dream. It is so satisfying to run the ball, and they can't stop it; that gives me such joy. It's a joy for a coach and a player when you are able to run the ball directly at a player. Everyone knows you are going to run the ball, and you can't stop it."

Coach Washington on the return of defensive end Jermaine McDaniel: "I thought that it turned everything around. He was able to get to the quarterback and get a hand on him. The ball popped up, and Janorris picked it off. That was a very pivotal moment in the third quarter. We needed a play, and that young man came through for us. We welcome him back with open arms."

Coach Washington on if the stamina was there for McDaniel: "I thought so. To get a clear picture, I am going to have to watch the tape. From my vantage point tonight, I thought he played from start to finish. He is one of those young men that takes care of their bodies. We knew he was in some shape, just how much thought. You can be in shape but not be in game shape."

Coach Washington on where the team is five games into the season: "I'll tell you what, I said to them that we are definitely headed in the right direction. We aren't there yet. We still have some work to do and a lot of improvements in different areas. But, we are trending in the right direction."

Coach Washington on how they will handle the bye week next week:  "We need this week badly, particularly with the injuries. We're not injured; we are just banged up. You endure a lot of contact in five games, and I think we will use this time out wisely. We will work on some things to continue to get better. We still will have to practice, but we will have to practice smarter."

Coach Washington on Brickhandler's injury: "We really aren't sure, but we do know it is not his ACL. That was a welcoming diagnosis when we got that back from the doctors, but he does have some issues with his MCL. We will see, and that is all about his pain tolerance."