Syracuse vs. Duke: The Quotant Quotables

Shafer's opening statement:

"First off, congratulations to Duke. They’re a good football team. Thanks to my seniors more than anything else, I’m going to miss them. We’ve got two games here, we’ve got a bye week finally to try to get healthy as best we can and try to win two games. We’ve got Pittsburgh and Boston College. I love these kids a great deal and I’m going to miss them."

On if the season's a disappointment because he won't reach his eight-win goal:

"We wanted to win eight (slams podium) and we didn't win eight so you're disappointed. Interesting question right there. You'd like to win eight. You'd like to win 12, 13. When you come up short, you're disappointed unless you make excuses. So that's why."

On the fans:

"Thanks to the fans that showed up today, too. We appreciate everybody in the community who has stood by these kids over the course of a difficult season and disappointments throughout the course of things."

On Brandon Reddish's performance:

"He did a nice job. He had a lot of tackles, played really good on the edge, did a really nice job with their quick passes, defeating their number one receiver on the stock-block situations then made a nice interception back there at the one-yard line.  I wish it would have been in the end zone there to be honest with you but that was a great play by him. I couldn’t have been more proud of Brandon. He’s a great kid from Brownsville, (N.Y.). He’s a great success story."

On not making a bowl:

"It hurts. It’s a difficult situation because that’s one of those goals we wanted to come back and reach but we didn’t so what are you going to do? Cry over spilled milk? You’re going to fight. It’s going to give us a little bit more time in the offseason to look at some things, take our time with our recruiting process and find silver linings in it, get in that indoor facility and use it and get better."

On Mitch Kimble and Austin Wilson:

"I was very pleased with the way both of them responded to the challenges in front of us and the opportunity to play. I knew Mitch could do some of the things he did.  We’ve seen it. I felt good about all those kids we’ve recruited at quarterback from A.J. to Austin and Mitch. Those are good football players. I’m proud of the way they worked at it and the way they worked at their game-planning."

Brandon Reddish on not making a bowl:

"It hurts. It’s a difficult situation because that’s one of those goals that we wanted to come back and reach. But we didn’t. So what are you going to do?"

Eric Crume on coming up short in his senior season:

"It’s been kind of upsetting. You always want to win a game you play, but it was still a fun season and I wouldn’t take anything back. It was unfortunate that we had a lot of injuries, and we didn’t come through on some of the execution things this season. I still had a blast, playing with a lot of great guys and playing for the coaches that I really love. So, I still take something positive from the season even though we had a losing record."

Prince-Tyson Gulley on not making a bowl:

"It’s devastating. As long as I’ve been here, I’ve been here five years and we went to three bowl games out of those four years so that’s pretty much all I know, just making it to a bowl game. For us not to make one kind of hurt but you just have to take it on the chin."

Cam Lynch on Syracuse's defense:

"I’m proud of us. We come out and execute whenever coach calls a play; we come out and execute it at the highest level. We caused some good turnovers. It is one of the best defenses I have been a part of because we cause a lot of turnovers and talent. My freshman year we were a great defense, had great talent everywhere but we could never put it together on defense but this year was something special because we could."

Tim Lester on Mitch Kimble:

"He did a good job, especially in the run game. He gives us an added element. So he helped us there, and he did well in the 30 package. He wasn’t as accurate as he wanted to be. He went to the right places every time. On his first time throwing the ball – he was off. We had a couple opportunities where he took some 1-on-1 shots. He just needs to throw a better, more accurate ball."

Sean Hickey on losing bowl eligibility:

"To know my Syracuse career ends in Boston is just not a good feeling. You get a lot of good memories at bowl goals whether they’re huge games or not, it’s a fun week and it’s good for the team to end the season on a good note. To know this early in the year that we aren’t going to have that, it’s disappointing."

On his senior year:

"The only thing that sucks about this being your senior year is that you don’t want people to remember, when they think back at you as a player, to just remember this season. This senior class has been extremely successful since we’ve been here, especially the fifth year seniors because we were in the first Pinstripe Bowl. This senior class has had success so for this year to not go the way we wanted it to, it’s disappointing."