Postgame Quotes From No. 13 Ohio State vs. Minnesota – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/27/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
No. 14/13 Ohio State (4-1, 1-0 Big Ten) 34, Minnesota (4-1, 0-1 Big Ten) 21
Ohio Stadium
Columbus, Ohio
Sept. 27, 2008
Attendance: 105,175
Ohio State Postgame Quotes
Nathan Williams, freshman defensive linemen
On playing today
“My goal is to get into the starting rotation and I’m getting better and closer to that every day. I’m still just a freshman. There is plenty of time to grow as a tough defender.”
On moving from linebacker to the defensive line
“I’m still learning the positions. The advantage is that I’m using my speed to get around the block.”
On the sack
“I couldn’t get the smile off of my face. I’m still really excited about it. Afterwards, I looked up at my dad in the stands and saw him high-fiving the people around him. That was a special moment for me.”
Jermale Hines, sophomore safety
On creating turnovers
“It is a big part of the game and Coach Tressel is always talking about it. We knew Minnesota was good when it came to the turnover margin. Coming into the game, we wanted to win the turnover margin.”
On playing safety
“I feel really comfortable in the position now. I was kind of shaky at the beginning of the season. Now, I know what I have to do.”
Terrelle Pryor, freshman quarterback
On throwing more
“It is nice to be able to throw down the field. It feels really great. I’m happy to throw. We had some really nice plays. Give credit to our wide receivers on making the plays.”
On starting for the second time in a row
“It felt really comfortable. Coming into the game, we really wanted to take it down the field on the first drive and were really happy to do that. I want to keep it going and I know I have to keep proving myself.”
On the wide receiver rotation
“Coach Tressel is a smart coach because he kept putting fresh players in. It will help everyone gain experience, especially playing in a Big Ten game. Tressel knows what he is doing.”
Chris “Beanie” Wells, junior tailback
On the amount of carries today
“We didn’t have a set game plan coming into today’s game. I just want to carry the ball and run.”
On finally playing
“At first I was nervous and anxious. Once I got my first big gain, I felt comfortable again. I just want to keep going. I can carry the ball as many times possible.”
On Dan “Boom” Herron
“We all want him to do well and it is great to see him play the way he does. I really would have liked to see him go into the endzone.”
Thaddeus Gibson, sophomore defensive end
On Minnesota
“They are a good team that runs a power offense. We wanted to make sure we made big plays today and get the win.”
On the Ohio State defensive line
“We are continually getting faster. The front four have such explosive energy.”
Curtis Terry, senior linebacker
On the extended amount of playing time:
“I didn’t know during practice that I was going to play this much but it’s like Coach Tressel says: you get out what you put in. I played hard in practice this week and it paid off.”
On creating turnovers:
“Well we tried to get after it all day. If you can get into the backfield and apply pressure and make the quarterback throw it before he’s ready you’re going to create opportunities. We always try to push every play because you never know what’s going to open up.”
On playing for the D-line:
“I hope that I’ve found a home here now. It felt really good because the guys asked to have me here, so I hope that I can play there more often.”
On the talent of the Buckeyes:
“We work hard, we study hard and we try to learn everything we can. We’re always hungry for more.”
Donald Washington, junior defensive back
On getting back in the mix:
“It feels good. You never want to miss any time regardless of what it’s for so just getting back out is really nice.”
On his interception:
“Whenever you play a game where the defensive line is getting a lot of pressure in the backfield it makes it much easier for us. Making the quarterback throw on the run and before he’s ready to get rid of it creates a lot more opportunities for us.”
On breaking Minnesota’s rhythm:
“It’s really important to not let a team get into a rhythm and we did that well by forcing turnovers.”
On playing hard for the whole game:
“Well we’re always hungry. Even in the fourth quarter, the hunger’s still there. The next play is always what’s important so it keeps our focus.”
J.B. Shugarts, freshman offensive lineman
On playing time for a lot of players:
“It just means that you always have to be ready and have to be focused. It’s a great opportunity to play for the offensive line and it’s why I came here to OSU. It’s also great for the guys to get more experience for next year.”
On what the offensive line needs to do to improve more:
“We have to play faster and stay in the play longer. Coach has been trying to keep us in the play even after the ball is gone. There’s always room to play harder.”
On being able to make a difference:
“It’s so great to play in this stadium. There’s a lot of history and tradition here so it’s great to be a part of. But it’s really thanks to everyone, the guys are always in the weight room and even when they’re not working out, they’re in there encouraging everyone.”
Anderson Russell, junior free safety
On the defense’s improvement in forcing turnovers
“We always emphasize turnovers in practice. It’s our job as a defense to get the ball back and put the offense in good positions to get us points.”
On the trip to Wisconsin
“I’ve never been there but I’ve heard it’s really rowdy and the fans get into the game. It should definitely be a battle.”
On the USC game bringing the team together
“It definitely forced the team to come together and fight. I think a lot of people were expecting with all the talent we had coming back that we would go undefeated. After the loss those expectations changed. The loss really just made us closer as a team and made us focus even more.”
Brian Hartline, junior wide receiver
On the receivers’ week by week improvement
“We’ve really shown a lot of improvement as a group. I think it is a combination of running better routes and getting better looks. I’d like to see even more passing to see what we really can do.”
On Chris Wells returning
“It was great to have Chris back. He is really a great compliment to us as receivers and makes us a much more balanced and dangerous offense.”
On the new offensive style of play
“We’ve started to run option a bit more and it has been a pretty smooth transition. The coaches are always looking for the best ways to make us successful and I’m all for whatever makes us a better team, be it running the ball more or passing more.”
Ross Homan, sophomore linebacker
On the challenges the Gopher’s offense provided
“They have a great QB and some great offensive playmakers and they don’t turn the ball over very much. We knew it would be a big challenge coming in to the game, and I think we did really well as a defense for the most part.”
On whether he is satisfied with the defense’s play after five games
“We can never be satisfied. We can always play better. The coaches challenge us week after week and we are always up for a challenge.”
On stepping up after Marcus Williams’ injury
“You always have to be prepared to step up if someone goes down. I thought we all did well, and I just tried to step up my game and play the best I could.”
Jim Cordle, junior offensive lineman
On the offensive line’s new attitude
“I think we are just coming off of the ball better, playing faster and harder. I think we realize now that we might get beat from time to time but we just have to keep playing.”
On the Wisconsin game next week
“It should be fun. We get to jump around a little bit and play some nice physical football. I’m looking forward to it.”
Minnesota Quotes
Tim Brewster, Minnesota head coach
On the game
“Football is about explosive plays and turnovers and Ohio State won both of those battles and that is why they won the football game. I feel good that we finished strong. They fought their guts out. I’m proud of our team, but I’m disappointed we didn’t win the game.”
On Terrelle Pryor
“Pryor is an outstanding player and we knew that coming into the game. He is a gifted football player and he has a tremendous future. I saw No. 10 of Texas (Vince Young) play and they’re similar players.”
On lessons taken from the game
“I learned that we have a chance to be a good football team. We have one of the youngest teams in America and we gained confidence knowing that we could be a good football team if we continue to do things that good football teams do.”
On Minnesota’s quarterbacks
“Adam Weber had been playing great all year. We need to eliminate turnovers, but he’s been playing great. I was proud of Mike Maciejowski. He’s a fifth-year senior from Columbus, Ohio, and its good to know he’ll remember playing at Ohio Stadium against the Buckeyes.”
Adam Weber, sophomore quarterback
On turnovers
“It helps your mentality to come out and score big plays, but a turnover can be a big mental killer. There were times when we could have tucked in our tails and gave up, but we didn’t give up.”
On playing at Ohio State
“I don’t know if there will be a harder place to play this season. Playing in a place like this and playing a team like this will be a good experience for the younger guys.”
On upcoming games
“We’ll take our loss and we’ll take our falls and we’ll be a better team next week.”
On Big Ten play
“There is kind of a natural transition from nonconference to the Big Ten, but it is still a big jump. It’s all about sustaining the momentum and keeping up enthusiasm.”
On Ohio State
“They were always a few steps ahead of us and it was pretty obvious, but you don’t want to say what if.’ Football is all about momentum and big plays. We are a much different team than last year and Ohio State was a good measuring stick for us.”
On shaking hands with former Minnesota coach Glen Mason before the game
“I was my first time seeing him since he was let go. I have a lot of respect for him. He recruited me and brought me to Minnesota.”
Eric Decker, junior wide receiver
On Minnesota’s turnovers
“The turnovers were a big factor. We needed to execute more. We needed to be on top of our game. Ohio State has a tough defense. We had a lot of missed opportunities.”
On his performance
“They created a challenge for us. Other players stepped up. We tried to capitalize on their weaknesses best we could. I liked our second-half fight.”
On the interception
“(Adam) Weber just said he threw the ball too early. Those are the types of mistakes we need to work on to be a great team.”
Deon Hightower, senior linebacker
On Terrelle Pryor
“He’s very athletic. We needed to work on staying on his back hip so we couldn’t cut back. In person, he’s a big fellow.”
On Minnesota’s performance
“The object is to win. We need to do a better job of pursuing the ball.”
Simoni Lawrence, junior linebacker
On Terrelle Pryor
“He’s a good player and he was a good player coming into the game. You have to contain him.”
On playing at Ohio State
“It’s a great atmosphere. I love all of the people; you just feed off of it and makes you excited.”
DeLeon Eskridge, freshman running back
On playing at Ohio State
“Coming into this stadium is a big change from being back home. It was a good learning experience.”
