Mike Elko, Marcus Freeman lead top quotes from college football Week 12

Showing results on the field is of course the most important thing in the business, but it’s an added bonus when you can then add an exclamation point to a big win on the mic.

This week, another group of coaches took their team’s momentum off the field during their postgame media availability and delivered memorable quotes. Here are the best lines from the world of college football in Week 12.

“Thanks for sticking with us. Sorry for what the first half was like…” –Texas A&M HC Mike Elko

It was a tale of two halves for Texas A&M in a Week 12 game against South Carolina – the Gamecocks took a 30-3 lead into the break, before the Aggies stormed back in a furious second-half rally to win 31-30 in College Station. The victory marked the largest comeback by an FBS team this season and the largest comeback in Texas A&M history, according to ESPN Research.

After the dramatic win, Elko expressed his appreciation for the home fans who stuck around and stayed engaged despite his team’s first-half struggles.

“A 50/50 ball was a 100/0 ball.” — Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman

With “College GameDay” in town for its game against Pittsburgh, Notre Dame knew the spotlight would be on them Saturday and the Fighting Irish answered the bell with 387 total offensive yards in a 37-15 victory.

Much of Notre Dame’s offensive success was the play of wide receiver Malachi Fields, who caught seven balls for 99 yards and two touchdowns. One of those touchdowns was a physically imposing catch from the 6-foot-4 graduate student, with Freeman remarking after the game that Fields’ stature and ability through the air changed the calculus on certain throws.

“So you’re saying he played pretty well? And that?” – Dan Lanning, Oregon HC

Oregon continued to advance in its quest for a College Football Playoff berth Friday night, taking a 28-6 halftime lead before rolling to a 42-13 victory over Minnesota at Autzen Stadium. Ducks quarterback Dante Moore scored throughout the victory, finishing 27 of 30 for 306 yards and two touchdowns.

Hearing Moore’s stat line before a postgame interview, Lanning had a simple reaction to the gaudy numbers.

“There is no giving up in this group, and there is no giving up in me” –Clemson HC Dabo Swinney

It hasn’t been a forgettable season for Clemson, but the Tigers got back to .500 on the campaign in Week 12 with a hard-fought road win over a ranked Louisville team. A pair of fourth-quarter missed field goals by the Cardinals helped Clemson hold on and leave Derby City with its first victory in a one-score game this season. The Tigers had previously gone 0-3 in such contests.

After the game, Swinney praised his team’s ability to remain resilient and continue fighting even after a poor start to the season.

“MACtion is something completely weird…” — Central Michigan HC Matt Drinkall

For just the second time since 2020, Central Michigan will bowl in the postseason, earning its coveted sixth victory in front of home fans in Mount Pleasant on Wednesday night against Buffalo.

Drinkall, in his first year coaching the Chippewas, took time after the game to address the intricacies of coaching around one of the most distinctive features of Mid-American Conference football — late-season games being played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays — including the fact that some players must be in class before heading to the stadium for game days.