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LOUISIANA TECH

Head Coach Skip Holtz

Opening Statement: "I am really proud of this football team. I am really proud of what they were able to accomplish this season and the things that they were able to do. The heart that they played with and the way that this team has come together through the course of the season. We came in without a lot of expectations from the outside. We came in with a lot of new faces and one of the most difficult schedules in the country with four of the first five teams bowl teams on the road. I think this football team grew, came together, and competed their tails off. They got themselves to this point. I was just really proud of the way they competed. We weren't able to get it done today but I certainly give Marshall a lot of credit. I congratulate Coach Holliday and the Marshall program. I think he has done a great job over the last five years building this program. It is certainly evident what kind of football team they have. I feel really sick for our seniors, for our players to have competed so hard. Overall I am just really proud of this football team and what they were able to accomplish this season."

On the passing game: "It was definitely hard to get a rhythm going. It seemed like we had six fourth-and-ones where we could get to it and get four or five yards, but we just couldn't get over that hump to get a couple first downs. We struggled a little bit with that. They have a very talented defense. We knew that. We looked at them and knew there would be two really good defenses here. Statistically going into this game, Louisiana Tech and Marshall were pretty much No. 1 and No. 2 in every statistical category. We knew it was going to be a great football game. Just like I said, it was really hard to get into a rhythm and then we weren't able to create a lot of big plays."

On ineligible starters: "We certainly knew it was coming. Some guys stepped in and competed their tails off in their place. Those guys really did a good job. It is hard to lose two senior linebackers and two senior lineman. The guys that stepped in did an excellent job. Josh Robinson stepped up and had a great week at practice. We felt really comfortable with him. He had a great tackle. I thought David Mahaffey stepped up as left guard and did a nice job. It is what it is. We can complain or step up and compete. I have said to this team a million times 'the good Lord put eyes in the front of your head, not the back of your head so you can see where you are going and not where you have been.' We just felt like the best opportunity we had in this football game was to close ranks and give it everything we had."

Quarterback Cody Sokol

On Marshall's defensive performance: "Marshall's defense was a good defense. They did a good job coming after me. Our guys played our butts off. I wish I could have done more today, but I'm proud."

On giving up a late lead: "It's a hard pill to swallow. It's a game you want to win and our guys wanted to win. We gave it our all and I'm proud of everyone."

On differences in Marshall's defense: "I wouldn't say anything different. They did a good job outside in man coverage, give them credit. They have some good interior linemen that did a good job today. We had some good opportunities, but couldn't take advantage of it."

Running back Kenneth Dixon

On looking towards bowl game and team keeping morale: "Our eyes are on the front and not the back. We just have to look forward and keep pushing. I mean, lift weights and practice and preparing for the bowl game."

Defensive end Houston Bates

On coming up short: "I'm just happy to get to this point, but obviously we fell short today. Like Coach [Holtz] said, we wanted to win this game and all the guys did too. Having the adversity that we had throughout the week of some guys not being with us, I'm just proud of the guys that stepped up and competed today. It's one of those games I wish we had back, but we've just got to keep pushing through and get to the bowl game and hopefully we'll get a trophy then."

MARSHALL

Head Coach Doc Holliday

Opening Statement: "How great does that sound, C-USA Champions? I tell you, I can't say enough and how proud I am of the coaching staff, how proud I am of this team. They overcame a lot out there. I have never been associated with a team that overcame so much adversity as what we did during that game and we found a way to win. It's a special bunch. I told them this morning, as we were all getting on the bus to head this way, that I have had the opportunity to win a bunch of championships and won a national title but I have never been more proud of a football team as I am of this one. They have come so far and the culture has changed here at Marshall. As the head football coach, I am just really excited to get this program back to where we wanted to get it to. That is winning championships for our fan base, our community, and our school. This is what they deserve. Those guys who showed up here today in this weather and stick it out and be a part of something really special means a lot to our program. Again, I can't say enough how excited I am and proud I am to be the football coach here and that we are champions is what it is all about."

On Rakeem Cato's final drive: "I told him after the game, you know what you have all of these records and he has everything that has happened here but what was not on his resume was a championship. Now with him winning that championship, you can talk about him with the same breath as you do Chad [Pennington] and Byron [Leftwich] because they did that and they got that done here. Now he's got that done. That kid has meant so much to this program. He will be the quarterback who got it back where it belongs and where it needs to be. I told him after the game, if there was one person I wanted the ball in their hand, guess what that is you and you found a way to get it done."

On defense: "They played tremendous, to turn the ball over like we did and to have a blocked punt like we did and to find way to win that football game. I don't know if I have every played in a game or coached a game where you had the mistakes that we made and still found a way to win. That just says so much about these kids. They just found a way. They fought. I know Remi [Watson] used the word resolve, meaning whatever it takes to get this done, and that is what they did. You talk about a team, that did whatever it took and they did that. I am proud of them."

On Justin Haig: "I told Haig that I had never heard of a kicker getting MVP. I'm glad he did. He is special. He hadn't done that all year, but he did it when it mattered. He is just another example of a senior on the football team who is playing their best football right now. That is the best game he has had since he has been here, and to do it during a championship means a lot."

On freshmen playing during the game: "There are some young guys who can play good football. The biggest play Hylec [Foster] played was when he came up and make that catch on that one punt during the end of the game as huge. We have some good players. I think [Ryan] Yurachek made a big time catch down there. [Antavis] Rowe and some of the freshmen are making some plays on special plays is critical. We have a good group of seniors in the nucleus that are playing really well and we have some good young players so we have a good mix."

On Raheim Huskey: "He made some good plays. We were banged up. Going into the game Jermaine Holmes didn't play much. He was hurt. Then we had Devon [Johnson] who got hurt in the second half and didn't play much. We lost [Keith] Baxter and he didn't play. We had five or six guys who were hurt and didn't see the field. The last drive I had a true freshman as the running back. A lot of the kids needed to step up and make plays."

On wearing jersey No. 31: "The team has so much respect for [Evan] McKelvey, the kind of person and the kind of player he is. This football team rallies around each other when they are hurt a little bit. I knew Neville [Hewitt] wore the jersey but I didn't realize that he got the interception. It seems like whoever wears No. 31 plays extremely well. We have to make sure someone has that jersey on when we go to a bowl game."

Linebacker Neville Hewitt

On being Conference USA Champions: "I'm still living in the moment. Everyone keeps asking me, 'Why aren't you that excited?' I'm just shocked. A lot of people are feeling it, but it is still surreal for me."

On the defense making a statement: "We had a bad game last week, but we've been a good defense all year. We just had to go out there and show that we are still a great defense."

On Louisiana Tech's offense: "They threw a lot of different types of passes at us and we handled it well. They were able to score a few times on a few misfits, but for the most part we've seen most of that stuff all year."

Wide receiver Deon-Tay McManus

On being Conference Champions: "I feel wonderful. This is something that I'm always going to remember. We gave the fans what we wanted. I played a good game, and the whole team played a good game. This is just a tremendous feeling right now."

On the game-winning touchdown: "We had a play drawn up and I guess the defense figured it out and stopped it. But I didn't give up on the play, tried to keep it alive, and Cato found me for the touchdown."

On being down most of the game: "We don't panic. True champions don't panic. We just knew that once our defense got that stop, we were going to go score. We don't ever panic."

On winning this for the seniors: "It feels great because they've never won a championship here, and I know they've wanted to in their four years here. For me to be a part of that team and to be able to send them out as champions, it's great. It feels great."

Tight end Eric Fronapfel

On being Conference USA Champions: "It feels amazing. That game was so back and forth. We never had a lead until the very end. It was just an awesome way to do it. It's been an awesome season."

On LA Tech's blitz: "That's what we expected them to do. We came in seeing that they were a heavy blitz team, more than we had seen so far. Whenever I was attached, it just meant that my blocking assignment was going to change because they were moving around a lot. It was a lot of communication up front."

On any moment of doubt: "I don't think there was. This team has been in that situation before and we have not let it affect us. This feeling is indescribable. The coaches talk all the time about winning a championship and how great it feels, but I think until you're in those shoes, you really don't know what it feels like. Just to be here is amazing."

Kicker Justin Haig

On the big kick before halftime: "Conditions today were very challenging. Its definitely not an ideal situation when it's raining, 40 degrees, and windy. Matt Cincotta and Tyler Williams did a great job putting the ball down. The O-line did a great job as well."

On the timeout before the kick: "It's cold out, so an extra practice rep for me to get loose is great. I just went in there and whipped it and tried to kick it as hard as I could to get loose. Then on the actual kick, I could focus in on the accuracy."

On playing strong at the end of the season: "I just go out there and try to make my kicks all the time. I think it's a unique situation. You can't compare it to any other position on the football field. It's more like golf, if you're going to compare it to anything. I went out there, had a great day, and I'm glad I could help my team win."

Quarterback Rakeem Cato

On being Conference Champions: "That's been my main goal since I walked on campus. I wanted to come here, start the tradition over again, and win a championship. We finally got it done today, December 6th, 2014. The team fought hard. We knew we were going to have adversity, but our team fought so hard; offense, defense, and special teams. Haig came up huge for us, giving us four field goals. We played lights out. Thanks to Coach Holliday and the rest of the coaching staff. They had a great game plan for us and we came out and executed the way we did. We never put our heads down. On that last drive, the offense knew we had to score to win the ball game."

On the game winning touchdown: "They did a great job of covering the play. I just had to find time and use my feet. He made a great move and cut back and I delivered him a catchable ball. He made a great catch and that was the winning touchdown."

On La Tech's Blitz: "They were tough. They're a great ball club and a great defense. They have a lot of guys that can really run sideline to sideline and really make open field tackles. Those guys made plays, we just made one more play than they did. My hats go off to [La Tech] and their coaching staff. They coached one hell of a game. They got three turnovers and had a blocked punt, but our guys never put our heads down. We never gave up. We just kept fighting the whole game. We knew we would have our chance to win the ball game and we did.

On playing a complete game: "That's the only thing you can ask for from a player standpoint and a coaching standpoint. As long as we go out there and give it our all, the effort was there the whole game. We had adversity. There was a little bit of rain, but we got through it, and didn't put our heads down. I think we wanted this so bad. We've been practicing for this all year. It's a huge blessing for us to get this championship."