September 5, 1998
Northwestern Head Coach Gary Barnett
"We played like we like to play in an opener. We got a lot of guys in the game, guys that are close in their positions. Overall, we weren't as dominant as we could be. We have been so focused - only being in the present. When you're young, everybody focuses on improvement; to get out on the right foot. It's so important when you're young. A year ago, this is where we lost our focus."
"Gavin (Hoffman) will get better and better. I don't think I've seen a quarterback pick up the blitz and throw the way he did in his first game. (Hoffman) was fine; he wants to do everything right. He never makes the same mistake twice. He has great poise and presence in the huddle. The best thing Gavin did was read the blitz and get the ball to D'Wayne (Bates)."
"Nothing about D'Wayne Bates surprises me anymore. It's good to get him back in the swing of things. Gavin allowed a great player to make great plays."
"Damien (Anderson) is a physical player, and once he gets a feel for a game, he just gets better and better."
"(Sam) Simmons has got a little stuff, too. He's a football player. He has a real feel for the game. When he learns more about the offense, we'll get him more involved."
Northwestern player quotes
DT Jeff Dyra
"We're going to have to continue to improve if we want to get to where we want to be."
RB Damien Anderson
"I just wanted to be productive. The offensive line blocked great, so they allowed me a lot of opportunities to go out there and display what I have."
WR D'Wayne Bates
"I was hoping to go out there and have a good game. I also wanted to help Gavin gain some confidence early and do whatever it took to help us win the game. They (the UNLV defense) were really aggressive and up pressing. They did a lot of blitzing and played man defense."
QB Gavin Hoffman
"It was good to hook up with D'Wayne right away, so it gave me confidence for the rest of the game. I was always confident that I could play at this level. I just didn't think I would play this well this early."