John Cooper Press Luncheon Quotes – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/27/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 27, 1999
Head Coach John Cooper
On the Wisconsin game
“We are not happy with the way we are playing. We need to step it up, especially going against Wisconsin this week. They are a strong team and will run the ball down our throat. To win, we will have to stop Ron Dayne..”
On running back Ron Dayne
“He is is great football player. He already holds all the Big Ten rushing records. He could become the leading rusher in all of college football. What separates Ron from all other running backs is that he has outstanding speed. When he gets out in the open, more than likely he will score. “
On quarterback Steve Bellisari
“Steve Bellisari played a good game against Cincinnati. He hasn’t had a perfect game, but that will come with experience. He has improved from week to week, but we still want him to work on his running and throwing.”
On Wisconsin’s defense
“Wisconsin has a strong, solid defensive front. Head coach Barry Alvarez is a defensive coach. They are well coached and have great technique.”
On Ohio State injuries
“We are optimistic that both Matt Keller and Jonathan Wells will be back for us this week. Ken-Yon Rambo and Garry Berry did not run yesterday in practice, but we will monitor them through the week and see how they feel for Saturday. Matt was ready last week, but we held him out so he would be ready for this week.”
On Ohio State turnovers
“We have to stop the turnovers, because they will always hurt you. I am very worried especially now that we are in the Big Ten season. We were fumbling against Cincinnati and had some passes that could have easily been picked off. This cannot happen against Wisconsin.”
Sr. Fullback Matt Keller
On his sprain ankle
“My leg is definitely coming around. The strength is back and the soreness is gone. I am not at 100 percent, but I am ready to go. This has been the worst two weeks for me. I want to be a leader on this team and it is hard to be one when I am standing on the sidelines.”
On the team consistency
“We need to be consistent all four quarters. I hated watching how sluggish we were in the first quarter of the Cincinnati game. We have the talent, but we are not clicking offensively or defensively all four quarters. I definitely want to be that spark on offense and get this team clicking.”
Sr. Defensive End Rodney Bailey
On Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne
“Ron Dayne has swift feet. He can move quickly for someone his size. He is like going against a guard instead of a running back. For us to tackle him, it will have to be a joint effort. I love that kind of effort, because we are not relying on just one person to take him down. That is the way we will go up against Ron Dayne and that is the only way you can take him down.”
So. Linebacker Courtney Bullard
“We are going to focus on tackling this week in practice. Guys have been anxious in making big plays and trying to win a game with one big defensive play. We need to settle down. That is the only way we will decrease the poor tackling.”
Sr. Cornerback Ahmed Plummer
On Saturday’s game
“We want to play better. We need to buckle down and get things going. We are not thinking that the Big Ten title is in on the line. Instead we are going in with that week’s opponent on our mind and getting that win first.”
“I want to say that this is the week everything is going to come together and will end these sluggish starts. We are playing against a very good team and we know we have to be ready. Hopefully this will be the time that everything gels and clicks for us.”
On Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne
“You always have to be a step ahead of Ron Dayne. That is what helped Michigan in the second half, because they adjusted and stopped him. We want to stop him in that first half and keep that momentum throughout the game.”
Sr. Defensive End James Cotton
On Wisconsin’s offensive game
This is more of a hard-nose running game. Either you can stop them or they will run the ball down your throat. Most Big Ten teams have offensive schemes like this except for Purdue’s passing game. We practice against this style everyday, so we are familiar with this offense and will be ready.”
-GO BUCKS!-
