Post Game Quotes From Ohio State vs. Illinois – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/17/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 17, 2001
Recap| Final Stats| Notes
Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel
On the loss
“I haven’t been around too many games where you can have a punt blocked for a touchdown and win the game. We were able to come back a little bit and then come back again. Obviously we didn’t do the things you need to do to win a good game.”
On Jonathan Wells
“He’s had a pretty darn good year. We asked our seniors to have a career-best year and I think most of them have done a darn good job.”
On Illinois’ third-down conversions
“Well, I’m afraid we gave them a little too much time on some of those third downs. (Illinois quarterback Kurt) Kittner is a veteran and he found the guys across the field.”
On the seniors’ final game in Ohio Stadium
“Right now we don’t have much emotion. We just played a pretty hard football game with a bunch of guys trying really hard to succeed. Our emotion is not really high right now. I’m disappointed for them (the seniors) because we know they can’t play here again in this stadium. It probably won’t strike them for a while, but it’s real. It’s difficult to have your last one that way.”
On the play of the quarterbacks “(Quarterbacks) Scott (McMullen) and Craig (Krenzel) always get ready. They’re at every practice and every meeting. They’re mentally into it. They’ve always done a great job with the written quizzes and so forth. Going into the game we knew we were going to play both. When Craig did get an opportunity he came in and did some things. We got a little bit of a rhythm going. We started to mount a little bit of a comeback there in the third quarter especially. I thought that was the way we should go.” Ohio State linebacker and senior co-captain Joe Cooper
“They completed a couple of deep balls for touchdowns. They didn’t do anything extraordinary. That blocked kick really hurt us. If we dwell on this game we won’t be successful next week. We have to look past this game. The sun will come up tomorrow. I think it’s important that we go back to work and get better. We have to go back to work next week and get ready for Michigan.
“I’ve been on some pretty good teams. My career has been a real rocky road. Playing football at Ohio State is a privilege.”
Ohio State senior tailback Jonathan Wells
“It was a great job by the offensive linemen. I feel very disappointed. We still have the rest of the season to play for.
“I wanted to put this team on my shoulders today and lead them to victory. I wanted to take control in the huddle, help the quarterback out and let him know that I had his back — whoever was out there. Both of those guys (quarterbacks Scott McMullen and Craig Krenzel) did a great job. I tip my hat to them.”
Illinois head coach Ron Turner Quotes
On playing at Ohio Stadium
“It is a tough place to play for a couple reasons. (Ohio State has) a good football team and there are 104,000 people but our guys responded very well.”
On Special Teams
“Special teams stepped up and the defense did the same thing. It was what we have done all year. The defense made some plays and the special teams made some plays. It was a team win.”
On Quarterback Kurt Kittner
“I thought Kurt did a good job of reading what they were doing (defensively) and going to the right place almost every time.”
On different individuals stepping up
“It is a team game. This team is as close as any team I have been around. These guys came out emotionally ready to go and prepared. They made some things happen. To have chemistry and believe is the biggest thing in the world.”
On situation with Ohio State quarterback Steve Bellisari
“It was about Illinois. We focused on Illinois first and Ohio State second. It was about Illinois not them, their quarterback or anything else.”
On possibly clinching a New Year’s Day bowl
“All I know is it is win No. 9 and we have to focus on win No. 10 Thursday.” (vs. Northwestern)
Possible Big Ten Title
“If we get to that point it will mean a lot but we are not there yet. We have a lot of football left to play and a short week to do it.”
On peaking at the right time
“I think we have played pretty good football all year at times.”
Special Teams
“Our special teams responded. Our special teams were embarrassed after last week. We came out right away and blocked a punt.
On running game
“We are getting our yards when we need it. Rocky (Harvey) stepped up and did a nice job as did Carey Davis.”
