Quotes: Luke Fickell & Players – 10/3/16
10/3/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 3, 2016
Chris Worley, junior linebacker
On being part of this Ohio State defense
“It feels great right now, but we can’t be peaking right now, we need to peak later in the season. I don’t feel like people on the defense believe that we’ve reached out peak. Even after the shutout guys were still talking about how we can get better.”
On facing Indiana
“I think this year they’re a little more run-minded. The last few years I believe they’ve been more of a pass-heavy offense, so it’ll be a little bit of a transition when we face them but it’s just something we have to do.”
On his defending teammate Curtis Samuel in practice
“It’s pretty close to impossible. That’s a luxury of playing here at Ohio State, you get to practice against the best players in the country at every position. He’s definitely made me better.”
Pat Elfein, senior offensive lineman
On the team’s success so far this season
“It’s a credit to Coach Meyer and the program. The way we recruit, the way we develop players. A lot of the guys who are starting this year were backups a year ago, and they were really good players then too. It’s a testament to the recruiting and the culture. We have really good players here in this program, and it makes everybody better all the time.”
On the offensive line play against Rutgers
“I was pretty impressed with the way we played. Michael Jordan is really coming along, all these guys are getting more and more consistent. That’s a key to being an offensive lineman, you have to be consistent every play and do your job. We did that on Saturday.”
On Isaiah Prince
“He’s really matured in the way he handles himself from the winter and spring ball and through the summer. It was important for him to realize that he’s the starting right tackle at Ohio State and you need to act like that all the time. When you’re in that position it’s a huge responsibility and you need to conduct yourself as a starter. He has been and it’s really improved his game.”
On the playmakers on offense
“It’s really great to have all these guys all over the field. Throw in a good offensive line and you end up with so many options on offenses. It makes it difficult for defenses to decide how they want to attack us.”
J.T. Barrett, junior quarterback
On the versatility of Curtis Samuel and Dontre Wilson
“I remember Coach Meyer saying how he would envision the H in our offense coming out of the backfield, and it’s Curtis and Dontre. When you have those two guys who can run between the tackles, catch a ball out of the backfield, and go one-on-one with a linebacker, I’ll take that every day and twice on Tuesday. They do a great job for us.”
On setting and approaching records
“It’s just crazy to think about. I don’t think when people achieve and set these records they think about it going into it. With me I don’t try to go out there and say ‘I’m going to break this record’, they just aren’t conversations I have with myself. I just go out there and try to be the best for my team, preparing as hard as a can and playing as hard as I can.”
On being a leader
“First I try to lead by example. It’s hard to follow somebody if they aren’t doing the right things, especially if they talk about it but aren’t following through with their actions. And also I try to live by our culture; our coaches have done a great job of instilling a establishing a culture and making sure everybody falls in line with that.”
On being compared to Tim Tebow by Urban Meyer in terms of being a leader
“He’s told me that before. I remember being in eighth grade watching Tim Tebow winning national championships, it’s crazy. I just try to be myself the best way I know how, and try to lead our football teams to winning ball games. It’s an honor to be compared to him.”
On Mike Weber’s blocking
“We all know how great a pass blocker Zeke was, so that was something he saw in him, and how much pride he took in blocking for me. So I think that’s something Mike has grown to start enjoying as well, because it really helps the team and it’s an unselfish thing to do.”
Marshon Lattimore, sophomore defensive back
On trying to force turnovers against Indiana
“It’s when you try too hard to get interceptions that bad things can start to happen. I’m just going to keep playing with my technique and if it comes, it comes.”
On how the Rutgers performance can motivate the defense
“It’s just good to know that we’re getting better every week. We know that we have to be playing our best football at the end of the season, and right now we’re preparing to do that.”
On how the defensive back rotation has helped
“It keeps us all fresh. Coach Meyer doesn’t want us taking so many reps each game so we can stay fresh. It’s been working so I’m fine with it. I feel like it’s been a good system.”
Sam Hubbard, sophomore defensive end
Has the team been surprised with how dominant you all have been
“I’m not surprised at all. That’s just what we’re trained to do. Coach Meyer made a comment to us about how the young guys go in the game, everyone expects us to stop scoring and let up. All they know how to do is go hard, because that is how we are trained. That’s why the scores keep going up and up and we don’t allow anything at the end of the game. It’s just the culture of the program right now.”
Coach Johnson loves the depth you all have, expound on that
“It’s really nice because we always play fast. You don’t feel like you are getting out of the groove or anything because you get a full series, then get your breath, and you come back even fresher. I like it a lot because we play so fast all the time.”
What challenges does the Indiana offense present
“They know what they are doing. They move fast, they run inside zone, outside zone, and they are really good at doing what they do. They are fundamentally sound. Everybody gets their blocks and then the running back finds the hole. We just have to stay disciplined. If someone jumps out of their gap, they could gash us.”
Talk about your progression as a defensive end
“I’m feeling more comfortable each week, and every rep I get I feel more comfortable. More experience is always better, so I’m happy to build on it.”
Mike Weber, redshirt freshman running back
How do you think you’ve improved as a pass blocker
“Coach Meyer put a big emphasis on it when I came here. Zeke (Ezekiel Elliott) made sure he helped me out with it as well. I actually enjoy it. Coach Alford, in the offseason, showed a lot of clips of Zeke doing things, lead blocking, pass protecting and picking up blocks, they kind of made sure that’s how they want the rest of our running backs play in the future. To get on the field, you have to do that.”
Do you compare yourself to Zeke or Carlos Hyde
“That’s kind of a hard question. I just go out there and play my hardest. I want to be myself at the end of the day. Those two are great running backs, so I have a lot of work to do.”
Talk about Walter Payton’s influence on your running style
“Really just running hard. I like running hard. I like being a punisher. And it just feels good to run over people and stuff like that.”
Luke Fickell, defensive coordinator
Giving up nine points a game, talk about where this defense ranks and possibly be the best ever
“Let’s hope. That’s the objective and that is what why we challenge our guys every single day. There is an incredible standard set here. To who much is given, much is expected. To call themselves the Silver Bullets, they know there is an expectation. We talk about objectives all the time. It is something that we measure every day. We try to leave the goals and the big long-term things until the end of the year. We know we are on the right path and that we have to continue to improve, but we like where we are at right now.”
Indiana has been pretty competitive with you all last couple of years, what do they bring
“It came down to the last play of the game last year. Two years ago, it was obviously a heck of a game. They ran the football on us really well. They have played us as good as anybody in the conference. The reality of it is they have a good football team. They have a good scheme. They know how to attack you and they are going to run the football. They are a physical group. One of the best offensive lines we played last year was Indiana.”
Seems like Chris Worley is playing at a high level
“He is. The thing about this team, there are more guys on this team that like Chris Worley than people realize. Some guys don’t have big names yet, or some of those names might not even be Joey Bosa in the next couple of years. Guys that have grinded, fought to work to get where they are is really what makes your program. You can put great talent out there, but when you got guys that have been through the battles and scars, and things haven’t been handed to them, it hasn’t happened to them as easy or
quick as others. Those are the guys that are really talked about and are the image of the culture, and I think Chris Worley great example of that.”
Any concerns about your defense
“Concerned about us handling praise. Ultimately, you have to play your best ball at the end of the year, and how do you do that? You continue to get better. You don’t buy all the stuff that people are selling right now. The reality is it’s a journey. We have to play our best ball at the end of the year. Being consistent and continuing to get better is how you do that.”
