Quotes, Notes & Video: Missouri 28, Texas A&M 21

Texas A&M HC Kevin Sumlin

On the tough loss...

"It was tough. I thought both teams played really hard. It got down to a play here or there, you know that's going to happen sometimes. Missouri is a fine football team, and you see why. They created some problems. As I said coming into the game, their front seven is really athletic and very fast. We had some creases and they rallied to them. We were effective in our running game but not effective enough.

"When it comes down to it in a game like this, they made more plays in the end than we did to win the game."

On Missouri's difference in the second half...

"I thought they moved the ball well on the first drive and then on the last play they scored. With the exception of that, there wasn't a lot of difference throughout the game."

"If he wasn't healthy enough to play, he wouldn't have played the rest of the game."

On the positives coming out of this game...

"There's not a whole lot of positives when you lose. So, you know, that's part of it. I think our guys responded when we had to. This place was going nuts when they went up 21-14 and we got back into it and with five minutes to go in the game, you're looking at a tied football game. As I told those guys in there, I appreciate our seniors for their leadership, for how they played, and how they have led our team this year. For our young guys, it's an opportunity to learn from these situations.

"You know, being on the road the last couple of weeks, how to handle that, how to handle atmospheres, how to handle moments in games and that is what's important because those guys are going to be back and we have one more game. We don't know who that's going to be against, where it's going to be or what's going to happen. We will know all of that a week from Sunday. We're going to have one more opportunity with this group of guys to go out and win a football game.

"I'm not happy about what has happened the last couple of weeks, obviously, but we still have one more opportunity to go out and play and it's probably going to be another really good team."

WR Travis Labhart

"It's a pretty tough pill to swallow right now. There's a lot of emotions. It's the last SEC game for myself. The last couple weeks have been a little bumpy for us. First LSU, and now Mizzou tonight. We need to re-focus as a team, and get ready for our upcoming bowl game. It's just really tough right now."

On how quarterback Johnny Manziel handled the loss following the game...

"He's such a competitor. He's our team leader, and he's always going to take losses tough. A lot of the times, he takes a loss tough because he thinks it's on him. He'll bounce back like he has all year."

On Manziel's injuries over the course of the night...

"He's a warrior, and a real tough guy. He never lets personal injuries ever slow him down. If he's hurt or banged up, he's going to keep going. That's what team leaders do. I've been honored to play with him this season, and he's still the best player in the country in my eyes."

Senior LB Nate Askew

On how the A&M defensive unit performed tonight...

"I felt like we did okay. They scored 28 points on us tonight, and we need to prevent that better. There were times where I felt like we shined, but then there were other times where we allowed some big plays."

On where A&M goes from here with one (bowl) game remaining...

"This is my senior season, and I only have one game left now. We need to just stick together as a team, and give all we got next time out."

On the team's performance this season...

"I didn't expect the four losses. I've seen a lot of things during my four years and things happen. Everything happens for a reason, and we're going to embrace these challenges."

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Missouri HC Gary Pinkel

Opening statement...

"How about those Tigers. I am so proud of our team and coaches. It was not going to be easy, we played a great second half. We held them to 21 points, which is (almost) impossible. We scored 21 points in the second half, we did a lot of great things in the fourth quarter."

On the game being a "team" victory...

"It was a big one because it was obviously for a championship. Being able to respond like that in that type of environment, I thought we just settled down a bit. I thought the offense in the first half was a bit erratic."

On second half improvements...

"We made some plays. You have to make plays, it is not magic out there. It certainly is a great group of players, I am just so proud of my football team and we are going to enjoy this next 24 hours then get back to work fast."

On Mizzou and Auburn going from five- and three-win seasons to East and West SEC Champions...

"Auburn has always done a great job. But, this season was a mission. Our guys got back here in January and what they did is they said, 'Well, this is what we have to do.' January, February, March, methodically going through their schedule, the preparation. I told you before, these guys play, they flat out play. When they go out there everybody is going to play hard."

On becoming Missouri's all-time wins leader...

"I am surely honored, but that is not what is nice about that. This is about winning a championship, it is about all the guys in here. I am so proud of this football team."

OL Max Copeland

"Man, I'm so blessed. I'm so blessed, I can't believe it. I'm just so proud of my team. They're my brothers. I'm just so proud of our squad."

On the key to getting things going in the second half...

"The key was we just needed to focus on technique and just getting the job done. That's what it all comes down to. You have to get your job done and you do it for the person next to you."

OL Evan Boehm

On the feeling of winning the SEC East...

"It is big-time for this program, especially after where we were last year. Everyone counted us out this year at the beginning, but we knew as a unit and as a team that we could be the best. And you can't worry about what everyone else has to say, you have to go out and work your hardest and do your best every single day. On the field or in the weight room, it doesn't matter, you just have to be your best. That's what this group did and that's why this group is special. We didn't let anyone else tell us differently. It's a special moment right now to be a Missouri Tiger."

"Texas A&M is a great team and we knew that coming in. We knew it was going to be a barn-burner. We thought there were going to be more points scored, but it was a great defensive battle and I'm glad our offense came out on top."

QB James Franklin

On the entire team effort to win a close game...

"This is pretty sweet. This team did a great job work together. And we got the win. Texas A&M made us execute and we hurt ourselves a few times. But our defense did a great job getting the ball back for us, and then holding them off at the end."

On the team's ability to pick each other up better than last year...

"That's something we wanted to improve on from last year. Last year we would get frustrated with each other, whether they wouldn't make a play or miss a tackle. It wasn't intentional, but this year we have done a great job of getting past mistakes and picking each other up instead."

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Post-game notes

About the game
• The Aggies fell to 8-4 overall and 4-4 in Southeastern Conference play.

• A&M’s record against Missouri fell to 8-6 all-time, and the two teams have split the two games as SEC members. The Aggies fell to 2-3 in games played in Columbia.

• It marked the first time that A&M has lost consecutive games in the Kevin Sumlin era.

• It was the first loss in a night game during the Sumlin era. The Aggies were 11-0 prior to tonight.

Claiborne shines, climbs chart
• True freshman LB Darian Claiborne posted the fifth double-digit tackle game of the season with 10 stops against the Tigers. After 12 games, Claiborne moved into a tie with senior Steven Jenkins for the team lead with 89 tackles.

• TAMU freshman tackle leaders

• Mike Little (1978) ... 105
• Dat Nguyen (1995) ... 94
• Darian Claiborne (2013) ... 89

Notables
• Freshman defenders combined for 24 tackles vs. the Tigers

• True freshman DE Jay Arnold contributed a game-high two QB sacks.

• Ray Guy Award finalist Drew Kaser had a strong day with a 44.8 average on a career-high eight punts. He put three boots inside the Mizzou 20-yard line and had three 50-yard plus efforts.

12th Man, Polo, captains, coin toss
• For the 12th straight game, sophomore defensive back Sam Moeller was the 12th Man.

• Wearing the #90 jersey in memory of fallen teammate Polo Manukainiu was junior Gavin Stansbury (normally wears #72). Manukainiu died in a tragic car accident last summer.

• The Aggies’ team captains at the coin toss were senior captains Toney Hurd Jr., Ben Malena and Jake Matthews. Texas A&M won the toss and elected to receive.