Postgame Quotes vs. Maryland
10/9/2021 5:03:45 PM | Football
Ohio State 66, Maryland 17
October 9, 2021
Ohio Stadium — 99,277
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day
On the defense being more aggressive:
“I think it’s a young team that’s growing. I think we’ve been more aggressive; we’re building more confidence and more energy.”
On his confidence in C.J. Stroud:
“I think his preparation has been excellent. I think he sees the field well, he’s got some good players around him and he’s also making some really good throws. His timing’s been right, he’s seeing the field, he’s making good decisions, so that’s allowing us to run the offense and be very efficient.”
On his realignment of the defense several weeks ago:
“I think when you go through a loss, you have to figure out what the issues are and kind of get them fixed the best you can. You’re not always going to be right and you want to act, but you also don’t want to overact.”
On midweek adjustments made by the linebackers in practice to get better in games:
“Those guys are fitting in their roles now. They understand where they fit and now they have some experience to go back upon. They’re a very serious group, and to see them make plays, practice the way they’ve been practicing, their energy, that’s a huge uplift for our whole defense.”
Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud
On the current success of the offense
“We have a lot more work to do. I mean, I definitely think that we’re putting up the numbers and we’re doing the right things. We practice harder than anybody, so we grind and it just feels good for it to pay off. If we can be the best offense in the country, I think that’s something that we can reach. We just need to keep the same momentum and keep practicing well and I think we can achieve that.”
On his performance
“I’m just being more comfortable, being myself. I’m really just relaxing back there. My teammates have really helped me and my O-line does a great job of keeping the pocket clean. I just had to do my job and part. We’re starting to roll and get momentum.”
Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave
“I mean we got one of the best play callers in the country in Coach Day, so we dial it up in practice. It isn’t exactly how it is in the game how it is in practice. But, we are just trying to connect on that.”
On progress the team has made so far:
“We started fast and had a couple mistakes the first couple of weeks, but we just keep going. Last week and this week we’re damn near perfect, so like I said, we’ve got to keep going.”
On the offense this year compared to past years:
“I feel like we’re still building this offense. We’re starting to build more chemistry, especially on game day, so I feel like this offense can be scary and unstoppable. We just have to keep going and keep getting better.”
What the offense has improved on so far:
“We’ve cleaned up the little mistakes and penalties. We’re connecting more on the outside. Again, the pass game on early on, having a balance on the running game and passing game, bringing the ball around and just showing everybody love.”
Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka
On so many receivers getting touches on the ball:
“We have a lot of talent on the offensive side; we have the running game and pass game coming up. I feel like we’re unstoppable.”
Ohio State corner back Marcus Williamson
On the depth on the defensive side off the ball:
“You know, I think we’ve got a great coaching staff. We’ve got a lot of plug-and-play guys because they teach so well. You learn the concept, you learn the position, you learn the defense. To be able to plug-and-play so many great players week in and week out, it’s helping the defense and the team”
On football’s impact on his life:
“I’m born and bred in Ohio; football means a lot to my family [and] it means a lot to me. Being able to show that passion on the field, show that energy – it means the world to me.
On the team’s mindset:
“Just to be able to show up every day and go to work, it means a lot to us as a team. We love the game; we love to play and just put it all on the field and show it in practice and then come out and show it on Saturday. I think it’s putting the world on notice.”
Ohio State linebacker Steele Chambers
On defensive improvements:
“We’re playing with a lot more energy. We’re definitely getting more comfortable with the system that we put in. I think we just have more trust in each other that we’ll get our jobs done and we’ll do the right thing.
On the defense working together:
“The love for each other is growing every day. Every day in practice we’re grinding as hard as we can and it’s showing on the field. Every week we’re getting better and better.”
Ohio State linebacker Cody Simon
On the offense:
“We love the offense, they get us better every day. The reason we’re where we are is because of them. They’re so electrifying and it’s fun watching them on the sideline.”
On teammate Steele Chambers:
“He inspires me to be the best player I can be. Every day he’s going full speed, no matter what. He can do everything – offense, defense, special teams – he’s done it all and I’m just happy he’s on our team.”
Maryland head coach Mike Locksley
Opening Statement…
“I want to obviously give credit to Ohio State; they played well. I thought we could have executed better. When you look at it, we played No. 5 and No. 7 and we are obviously not there yet. We have a lot of work to do as a program, and it’s good to see just how far we’ve come sitting at 4-2 at the halfway point as we limp into the bye week. But, for us to see No. 5 and No. 7, it’s clear we have a lot of work to do. Through recruiting, roster development – we have a lot to do to compete at that level. I felt our effort was there today, but our execution was piss poor. We are playing through injuries, but that is part of the game. When the next man steps up, he’s got to be able to execute. We are not going to sit here and make excuses. As coaches we need to do a great job making sure we are calling the things that the players we have available can execute. We could do a better job as a coaching staff. But like I said, being 4-2 at the halfway point, we will have opportunities to get some guys back and I feel confident in this team. I like where we are from a culture standpoint. But we still have a long way to go.”
Regarding Ohio State receivers…
“Our coverage technique was obviously poor. It looked like guys were falling out of airplanes they were that wide open. Again, as a coaching staff, we got to do a better job calling [plays] that the guys we have can execute. We made that adjustment at the end of the half and started playing cover two, which took away the deep ball. We needed to stop the deep ball. We gave up too many yards. It was like 7 vs. 7 out there in the first half.”
On quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa’s performance…
“He played a strong game for the first three quarters and for me I wanted to win the fourth quarter, because that’s one of our program’s pillars. But in the fourth quarter he made some piss poor decisions at the end. I feel for him because he is a guy that is very competitive. We got to do a better job of making sure he understands to take what they give you. The last pick six he should have handed the ball off and he knew it. I feel for him because he needs to make those kind of mistakes as he continues to grow into the type of leader we know he can be. But, for three quarters he played like the type of quarterback he knows he can be. I just would have loved for him to have finished the game making the great decisions, not forcing it, and trying to be competitive. We were trying to win the fourth quarter and that’s not what you do in that position.”
