California Head Coach Sonny Dykes
General comments:
"I was really pleased with the way we played tonight, I thought it was a great way to send out our seniors. We have a group of really special young men that deserve to get sent out with a win. The most impressive thing about this group is that we have had a tough month. We didn't play well for about a month, and these guys just kept practicing and we have had great practices the last two weeks. You know there aren't that many football teams that can do that. Practice and continue to invest when the season maybe is not going the way that they want it to go. It shows the character of our young people and our program. I thought we played probably as good as we have played at any point this year. Again, you don't do that at the end of the season if you are not working hard.
 
Clearly, we have had a bunch of injuries, particularly defensively we've had to work through some of those things, but you can see those young guys who have gotten work have gotten better and better. I think some of the work paid off for them tonight. So, (I'm) really proud of this group, love these seniors, hate to see them leave, but can't wait to see what they do when they move on. It was a good win, it really was.
 
I thought our guys played hard, played well, didn't turn the ball over, only had two penalties. Played winning football and was glad to see it."
 
On the game Khalfani Muhammad had:
"You know Khalfani had one of those games that he normally has. I tell him in the locker room that he is pound for pound the toughest football player in college, without a doubt. The way he plays, he finishes runs, and for a small guy, he is so competitive, so tough. We hate to lose him. He has been a guy that has been valuable to us for four years. He's a great presence on our team, highly respected and loved by his teammates, and so we hate to lose him. We are really proud of the way he played tonight. (I) thought he ran hard like he always does, thought he caught the ball well coming out the backfield, converted some critical third downs for us at some pretty key times in the game. I was really pleased to see him finish the way he did." 
 
On what Davis Webb has meant to the team this season:
Davis has meant a lot, really, he has. He has bridged the gap between Jared and some of the younger guys we got on campus, and did so about as well as you could. In terms of his work ethic, attitude and approach, he is a pro. He really is. He is one of those guys that gets it. I can't say enough good things about him. His impact will be felt in our program for a long time just because of his work ethic and dedication and I think he is a great example for the rest of our players, especially for our quarterbacks, especially the time it takes to be a great quarterback at this level. I think those guys saw the way he worked this year, and I think it will become part of our program. He meant the world to us, had a great year, and has a really bright future in front of him and, you know, I can't wait to watch him on Sundays.
 
On the impact the defense had taking pressure off the offense:
"Well you know we were frustrated because we had to keep kicking field goals. That has been something that has plagued us at times. First of all, let me say, UCLA is a very good defensive football team. That is a good football defensive football team. They are hard to move the ball against, they are hard to run it against, they have a lot of really good players. I thought our offensive line played really well. Tak McKinley never really got to our quarterback much, he never got sacked. And he is a heck of a player. I thought we played well up front, took a lot of heat off our offense,


California Players
Chad Hansen, WR
On how the team overcame a slow start:
"As an offense, we saw the defense playing out of their minds so we knew we had to step it up and play for them. We knew we had to give the seniors a good exit. They work really hard. They set an example for all of us younger guys. Giving them this is a dream come true for everybody."
 
On RB Khalfani Muhammed's performance:
"I would say he ran inspired. He's always a hard runner. He loves contact. Today, he had a great game. He really helped us to victory."
 
On how the defense's performance helped the offense:
"We see that and we know we have to step it up. I could tell everyone was playing for the seniors. That was the motto Coach Dykes was giving the whole week. The seniors have put in so much time and effort, so much blood, sweat and tears for this program. We needed to play them back and I think we did that tonight."
 
Davis Webb, QB
On the importance of ending the regular season strongly::
"Everyone in this locker room has heard over the past four years that we haven't beat an L.A. team. We ended that tonight, so that streak is over. That was one of my goals going into this year. We accomplished that as a team. It's unbelievable to send these seniors out the way they should – beating UCLA, a team they hadn't beaten. It's a credit to our team."
 
On the offense's performance against such a good defense::
"That's probably the most talented defense in the Pac-12. Top to bottom, they have the most talent of anyone in the Pac-12. We basically dominated the entire game moving the ball."
 
On the defense's performance:
"It was fun to watch. Our players came to play. They were disappointed in the past couple weeks and came out hungry.
 
Devante Downs, LB
On his interception:
"I saw the running back clear out and the tight end clear out. I was looking the whole way and just read his eyes and jumped the pass.
 
On the defense's performance:
"It was a culmination of the things we have been working on, but we had additional motivation. We didn't want the seniors to go out with a loss. We didn't want them to finish their careers like that. This was a big win and a great way to send them off."


UCLA Head Coach Jim Mora
Opening Statement:
"I just had a good talk with our football team. Obviously, this was a disappointing end to what was a disappointing season for us. What I told the seniors and what I told the team was thank you for all that they meant to UCLA football. This year has not been a good year, but when you look at the body of work of these young men that will not be playing for us anymore, it's pretty significant what they've been able to accomplish in their four short years. Unfortunately, it's masked by the disappointment of our record this year but I thanked them. We should all be thankful. They showed commitment and they created a standard and a culture around here that we're going to build on and challenge the guys coming back. It'll start with our attitude and how we approach the disappointment of this season. It'll be reflected in the way we talk to each other, in our work ethic and our commitment and attention to the details, and we'll get going in the right direction again. This was a tough one, and hats off to Cal. We'll rise again, we will. We have the right type of young men in the locker room. We just have to make some adjustments and we'll get better."
 
On The Difference Late In The Game:
"I think the big play was when Nate Meadors' interception got called back. That was a big swing that was a significant play. I didn't see the call and my eyes weren't in position to see whether it was a good call or not. I will say this, the official that called it is a really good official. I don't know what the replay showed but regardless, that was a big play. We had many, many opportunities on defense tonight to get the ball in our hands and maybe take it the other way for a touchdown. We have been a shorthanded secondary, we've made plays on the ball. Randall Goforth, through his career, has been a guy that catches the ball. Adarius Pickett has been a guy that catches the ball. Those guys let a couple get away that could've made a significant difference. Early in the game, not being able to get anything going on offense and sending our defense out there again and, again, against a really good offensive football team made it really difficult. Just very disappointed and we have to find some strength to carry on. We're not going to let it break us. We're going to let it help us build back up."
 
On Mike Fafaul's Performance:
"[Mike] didn't seem as loose as he has in the previous games and I'm not exactly sure of the reason. It may have been that he was probably playing his last game – hopefully he gets an opportunity to go play somewhere. You have to give Cal's defense credit. We were running the ball pretty well early on and had trouble throwing it. I think he felt some pressure. We started two new guards tonight, and I think Mike felt some pressure up the middle that caused his throws to be a bit off target. Again, when you look at the big picture with Mike Fafaul, the type of young man he is and the character he displayed all year, not all year but for five years, coming here as a walk-on. Being a third team guy behind Brett [Hundley] and Jerry [Neuheisel] and then we bring in Josh [Rosen] and Josh wins the job then Josh gets hurt and [Mike] comes in. Since he's taken over, his teammates have voted him captain every single week and when we tallied the votes for our year-end captain, he was also a captain for the year. That says a significant amount about what the team thinks of him. While he struggled tonight, the character he's shown, the class that he's shown is something to really be proud of."

UCLA Players
Mike Fafaul, QB
On the need to be more physical next year:
It's not the physicality, it's the executing. We struggled executing and it's hurt us the whole season. Our guy's battled and I am just glad to be a part of it
 
On how he will remember this season:
It was a tough season. It didn't go the way I wanted it to. I got an opportunity I waited a long time for, and I gave it all I had, and at the end of the day that's got to be good enough. I would have loved for it to go a different way, but it is what it is.
 
Takkarsit McKinley, DL
On how he's feeling right now:
It sucks we went 4-8, and we are not bowl eligible. It was a rough season, but I enjoyed my three years at UCLA and wouldn't trade it in for anything. It has been a blessing to be here. All the coaches, even the past ones who recruited me, I wouldn't be here without them."
 
On defense moving forward:
We have to find our ways to not let the team score. If the offense is struggling, we have to pick them up and we did not do that today.
 
Jayon Brown LB,
On team needs moving forward:
"We need to get our attitude right and our focus right. We were a better team than our record shows. They have to tackle the offseason hard and focus. They need to love the process the 5 am and 6 am wake up, the heavy weights and the running.
 
On emotions as a senior:
It's been a rough season but throughout my four years here at UCLA I will never forget it. It has been great and I am glad I came here.