Miami 41, Florida 17
Q. Just your thoughts on tonight's game and how things played out?
CHIMERE DIKE: Yeah, obviously not the result we wanted. You prepare all camp and then come out and make mistakes, it doesn't feel good. But I think that the only thing you can do is grow from here. We have a lot of games left, and I think that's kind of the mentality that we're taking.
Q. What did you think about the offense and how things went on that side of the ball, and what type of challenges Miami presented for you guys?
CHIMERE DIKE: Yeah, I think I'm going to have to go back and look at the film, but wasn't able to really pick up momentum and keep it. Just lack of execution. But I know the guys in our room and I know the guys on our team are willing to grow from this, and that's the only choice we have.
Q. For you, you're obviously first year here, playing with your friend, your former quarterback in Graham. Just personally how do you recover from something like this, a performance like this in your first game as a Gator?
CHIMERE DIKE: Yeah, I think the thing is I had the experience of having big losses before, and there's kind of two choices you can make. You can either concede and go into the loss or you can respond from that. Boone was talking to the guys in the locker room, and it's clear what choice we want to make and which choice we're going to make. It's just a matter of going into next week and swallowing a tough pill and getting better.
Q. Obviously Miami's defensive line posed some issues. Graham didn't always have a ton of time to throw. As a receiver how tough is it trying to get open and then all of a sudden Graham is in pressure and on the run?
CHIMERE DIKE: Yeah, I think it's a collective effort of being able to protect better, being able to run better routes, get open. I think at the end of the day when you look back at the film, there's going to be things that every single group can improve.
I think that I'm not as much frustrated as that as I am in the result.
Q. How tough was it to see Graham get knocked out like that?
CHIMERE DIKE: Yeah, honestly, I didn't see it at first. But anytime one of your buddies or your teammates that you work so hard with gets hit pretty hard, it doesn't feel good. I know him, he's a tough kid, and he's going to continue to get better.
Q. Coach said he had a concussion. How is he doing so far? Have you been able to visit with him yet?
CHIMERE DIKE: Yeah, good. I think that it's part of the game, right; injuries come and go. But if I know him, he's going to do everything in our power to get back on the field as soon as he can.
Q. What did you think of DJ when he came into the game and what he did in his first game?
CHIMERE DIKE: I was super proud of DJ. To step in that spot is not easy, and the way he continued to spot and compete for four quarters shows the kind of character he has, and I've seen that since day one with him.
Q. Was DJ's performance expected given how he'd look in practice, from you being one of his receivers?
CHIMERE DIKE: Yeah, of course. He's a guy who does things the right way, who works super hard and obviously is super talented, as well. I wasn't surprised to see him moving the offense and having success.
Q. What about Montrell obviously getting the long run? What did you think about his day as a whole?
CHIMERE DIKE: Montrell is a great player. When he's on the field, we're better. That was huge for momentum in the game. Obviously we didn't do a great job of kind of capitalizing off that and building off that, but when you're able to steal momentum with plays like that, it's obviously huge.
Q. Miami is obviously a good team. An unfortunate loss, but you have a really tough schedule this year. Getting to play a team like Miami this early in the season, seeing a good team and a good quarterback, how much can that help for Texas A&M in two weeks and then as the season goes on?
CHIMERE DIKE: Yeah, I think we can't even look ahead. We've got to stay where our feet are at. We have an opponent this week coming up, and the only thing that we need to focus on is being the best version of ourselves next week and then doing that again and again and again.
I think that's a process. When you're in it, you can't be looking too far ahead. We have a lot of things to clean up and fix.
Q. You had some success in the return game. How did that feel for you, and how excited were you to earn that right coming out of camp?
CHIMERE DIKE: Yeah, any way I can impact the team, I want to. I think that's something that you have to take pride in as a competitor, whether it's the return game, being a blocker, a receiver, obviously making plays, as well. Those are all things I want to be able to do at a high level.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports