Aggies reflect on exhilarating win, 2013 season

Jake Matthews

On the game...

Matthews: "I don't think you can do much better than that, especially for an offense and an offensive line. Just an amazing game and I'm so proud of our team and the way we fought back and the leadership that all the seniors brought. And that's the biggest thing, I'm just happy for all the seniors, the guys I came in here with. We're moving on, but it was a blast while we were here."

On playing in the Georgia Dome and opening that door as a program...

Matthews: "Hopefully, looking back, this senior class will have left that standard, that we're a team that's going to be nationally recognized and deserves that recognition. They just need to keep playing and getting better."

On the program's reputation as second-half faders making a 180...

Matthews: "It definitely feels good. A lot better than it did a couple years ago. It really goes to show you how much Coach Sumlin has come in and changed this program for the best. Looking back on it, it was a great move and transition to the SEC. Him coming in has given an upstart to this program. I'm just glad to be a part of it. I was glad to be here for that happening."

On Johnny Manziel's presence aiding that...

Matthews: "He's amazing. I've never seen him this riled up, especially tonight. He played great, confident, huge competitiveness. Huge competitive nature to him. It was special to watch, special to play with. I was just proud to block for him."

Cedric Ogbuehi

On ringing in the new year like this...

Ogbuehi: "It was crazy, man. I'm just glad we got a win. It was stressful, but I'm glad we got a win."

On how the Aggies were able to pull off that comeback...

Ogbuehi: "I give a lot of credit to Coach Sumlin and Coach Jackson. In the locker room at halftime, Coach Jackson just got us all together and told us the truth, told us that it's all on us. We're killing ourselves, we're making dumb mistakes and penalties, he told us that if we all go out there together and just play as one we'll be square every drive. And that happened. Coach Sumlin got us together too. Just some great speeches in there."

On whether that message hit home...

Ogbuehi: "It really did. There were some scruffles early on during bowl weekend. He could tell that carried over to the first half. He just told us that we're brothers and we're family and family plays hard for each other. Just to play hard for each other — and that's what we did."

On how special Manziel is and his legacy...

Ogbuehi: "These past two games when he had that thumb injury, I think people forgot how great he is. In this game you saw how great he is. He's the best player in college football history. He's a great player and I'm glad he came out and did his thing."

On the jump-pass-scramble to Labhart and where it ranks...

Ogbuehi: "I actually saw the whole play live because I blocked my guy and thought it was done. I thought it was a sack. When I saw him jump out of there and make that pass, right when he did it I thought about the 'Bama fumble and where that ranks in his top plays. He has so many top plays, it's probably top three though. It might be number one, actually. It was a really good play."

On what it means for A&M as a program...

Ogbuehi: "Just knowing we're never out of it and seeing the leadership in Coach Sumlin and the players, and just that we have the potential to be a great team. That defense, it's a young defense. It's seven freshmen out there playing. So once they grow up and mature and get stronger, the potential is endless."

On his NFL mindset...

Ogbuehi: "Right now I'm thinking about it after I got my draft grade. I'll probably announce it next week some time. I'll just talk to my family and look at my options. I'll probably make that decision next week."

On whether the grade was better than expected...

Ogbuehi: "It was. It was a first (round grade). But also, playing left tackle next year like Jake did is a big factor for me. I'll have to weigh out the options."

Julien Obioha

On the scramble pass to Labhart...

Obioha: "I saw the play. It's not the best play he's ever made, but it's going to be a play that's replayed and replayed and replayed when you talk about the legacy of Johnny Manziel. He's a great player."

On what Manziel has done that's better...

Obioha: "I've seen some crazy stuff in practice. Yeah, I've seen some crazy stuff in practice. That might be Johnny's No. 5, 6. He's a crazy guy."

On what the locker room felt like at halftime...

Obioha: "Well, you can just imagine. I don't like to go on ESPN and look at all that stuff, I don't like to read the articles that sportswriters write, but we just felt as if we were a better team than them. We felt as if we came out and did our jobs, the game shouldn't have been close. At halftime you look up and you're down by three touchdowns, it's just crazy. Everybody was just shellshocked and Ben Malena gave a halfitme speech.

"Coach Sumlin gave a halftime speech that inspired everybody and it was a great speech. The whole team went on a great run — the defense only gave up 10 points, the offense scored like a hundred points, and it was enough to win the game."

On what the difference was defensively in the second half...

Obioha: "Defensively it was — I remember Coach Sumlin said it, he said it wasn't even about being a football player, it wasn't even about being at A&M, it was about being a man. Go out there and do your job. Don't lay down. Don't let another team just roll over you. And that's what it was, people having pride about themselves and doing their jobs and making sure that we weren't going to lose the game."

On the significance of the interceptions coming from seniors and Askew in particular...

Obioha: "It's just huge. There's a lot of plays that were made today by guys in the second half that people don't know about, like Dae Dae the true freshman going out there in maybe his second start and playing the whole game. Jay Arnold coming up big. Those couple plays are very significant, but it was just plays made by so many defensive players in the second half."

On what this win could do for a young team going into 2014...

Obioha: "Well, a lot of guys played tonight. You have Jordan Mastrogiovanni starting at the MIKE tonight, Jay Arnold, Dae Dae, Isaiah, these young guys got a lot of experience and they're going to learn a lot from a game like this. Next year when we may be in a tough game, they'll remember this game and it's going to help push through tough times."

De'Vante Harris

On ringing in the new year like that...

Harris: "It's exactly what I wanted for New Year's. It's crazy that it happened like this, but a win is always a win. It just shows that, this win showed that we're all brothers. And I'm just glad we got to send the seniors out with a W."

On playing like brothers in the second half and what was said at halftime...

Harris: "Reality just set in that we were letting a lot of stuff affect what was going on on the field. Nobody here wants to lose, so it just kicked us into another gear. Duke's a great team, but we just did what we had to to win."

On how proud he is of Toney Hurd...

Harris: "He's not going to ever forget. I'm his roommate on the road, so tonight when we go back to the hotel he's going to be talking about it. But I'm so glad that he went out like that. He deserved it. He works hard. He's a great player. He's going to make money at the next level."

On Nate Askew and the switch to linebacker seeming preordained on his INT...

Harris: "Really though, that's what it seems like. But Nate Askew is a great player too. He's going to make money at the next level too. Great guy. He ended his career here at A&M great."

On watching Johnny Manziel from the sidelines...

Harris: "It really seemed like somebody on the Xbox playing, pretending they're Johnny. He's doing videogame stuff. He's great. If he leaves or whatever, I don't know, but if he does, I'm going to miss him. But if he comes back we're going to get this thing going and get to the natty next year."

On what this win does for the program going into 2014...

Harris: "It's only going to boost us. We're only going to go up from here. We didn't really have the season we wanted to this year, just being honest, but we finished with a W today and just like Coach Sumlin said, this is the first game of next year. So right now we're 1-0. And we're just going to enjoy this win, but when it's time to work it's time to work, and we're not going to slack. We're going to get it. I can promise A&M fans, we're only going up."

On how much he learned on and off the field this season...

Harris: "I've learned a lot. It's crazy. It made me the man I am right now. Yeah, I have some regrets, but it's in the past. It is what it is. I'm ready to just win with my team next year. We're going to go out, we're going to go up. We're only going up. I'm just ready to move on and get with Coach Sumlin and them and just ball out."