WMU vs. Akron Post-Game Quotes

Head Coach Bill Cubit:

"I thought the kids came out well. It was a little shaky there on the two punt returns and we didn't really have a chance to have the ball on offense. Our skill kids really took over, with Robert Arnheim starting out with his two passes. I can't tell you how proud I am of Tyler [VanTubbergen]. Here's a guy that doesn't get many reps. Alex [Carder] separated his shoulder on the second series of the Miami game, so that should tell you how tough that guy is. He played the whole game last week after I think the second series where he got hurt. We've got the upmost confidence in Tyler. You know, he struggled a bit with his six touchdown passes and his 19-of-21 passing. I got a little upset with the two incompletions."

"On defense, I think [Drew] Nowak is playing at as high a level as anyone in the league on the defensive line. He's played really well. We looked like a really good football team the first half. Then, you get to a point where you've got to be smart. Then you put the guys in to get some experience. You have to know at what point it gets out of hand. We've got a lot of film on those young guys to see how those guys do, especially the guys who have never played before."

Quarterback Tyler VanTubbergen

On starting:

"I had a pretty good idea Wednesday that I was going to be starting. I was taking a lot of snaps. I just tried to come and fill in for Alex as best as I could. I just wanted to come in and play good for the seniors and the team, and end the season on a good note."

Wide Receiver Robert Arnheim:

On VanTubbergen:

"The numbers speak for themselves. Six touchdown passes, that's pretty awesome. It's a testament to how hard he's worked all year. Every week he prepares like he's a starter. This week it showed. He went out there, played a great game and he also ran the ball pretty well." 

On Akron:

"We give Akron a lot of credit. They played hard the whole game. We were prepared for a good game today. In the first part of the game, they were playing well, then we had a couple mishaps on special teams. 

On senior day:

"We only get twelve of these things, especially for these seniors. We really soaked this one in and appreciated the day and the nice weather. It's a great day to be a Bronco."

On passing attempts:

"The pass I threw to Jordan [White] earlier in the game, I probably could have led him a bit more. Then I got the rust off and I put it right on the money on the other one. I was just thankful for Coach Cubit calling the plays and giving me an opportunity to throw a touchdown."

Defensive Tackle Drew Nowak:

On the overall effort:

"We were just going out and having fun. We didn't care that some mishaps happened. We were just out there, we had to make plays and make stops and get the ball back to our offense. I thought we did a good job of that."

"It was a crazy game. A lot of interesting things happened in the beginning. We've had a lot of those games this year, and we've dealt with it pretty well."

On bowl hopes:

"We've fought hard all year. We've had a lot of ups and downs. I just hope that they way we're playing lately and our attitude on the field and how hard we've come out shows to the people that are deciding the bowls. I hope they vote in our favor because we'd really like that 13th game."

On the season:

"This has been an amazing year, and just not with our record, but all the guys on the team. I think this is the closest we've ever been and the hardest we've ever worked. The relationships we've made throughout this year have just been amazing. The offense and defense together has just clicked, and I wouldn't take it back for anything."