Postgame Quotes vs. Nebraska
10/26/2024 4:02:00 PM | Football
No. 4 Ohio State 21, Nebraska 17
Oct. 26, 2024 - Ohio Stadium; Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 104,830
Ryan Day, Ohio State head coach
On winning the game in the fourth quarter…
"At the end of the day, you've got to win the game in the fourth quarter. We were down by three in the fourth quarter, put a drive together, scored a touchdown and the defense got a stop. To me, that's what we've got to do to win these games."
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On Donovan Jackson potentially being the new starting left tackle…
"We're going to have to talk about it and figure it out. We knew that if [Zen Michalski got injured] in the game, that was our answer and solution to get out of the game. Now we're going to have to go back and figure out what's next."
Â
On completing deep balls…
"I thought that the execution on the throw and catch to Carnell [Tate] on the deep ball was big, and then the one to Jeremiah [Smith] was really well executed. The timing was right - good throw and great catch. Coming out in the fourth quarter, that was a good call by [Coach] Chip [Kelly] on the first down. We struggled to run the ball, so setting up that play action pass on the sideline to Carnell [Tate] got us into plus territory, and that allowed us to score."
Â
On the offensive line's play today…
"I got to go back and watch the film and figure it out myself. Quite honestly, it's not good enough. We've got to run the football. We didn't do that today and that's why we put the defense in bad spots. That's why we were 1-for-10 on third downs and 1-for-2 on fourth downs."
Â
On the takeaways from the game…
"I certainly think on defense that the response was excellent. I just like the way our demeanor was and the way we were playing. We were flying around and getting lined up. A lot of things to build on there coming out of the game. On offense, we have to do better in some areas. We have to get back to the drawing board because we've got a big matchup coming up against Penn State."
Will Howard, Ohio State quarterback
On the team's fourth-quarter comeback…
"We were able to show that when the going gets tough, and when maybe things aren't going our way, we're able to win the fourth quarter. I think our defense did an unbelievable job of making some really big stops and plays in that fourth quarter and getting us a chance to go down there and put that last one in to give us the lead."
Â
On the importance of winning upcoming games…
"We're in the playoffs now. Every game is the most important game. We can't afford to put any performance out there that we're not proud of and I think today will wake us up and remind us that we have to continue to grind every single day, every single week and not ever get complacent."
Â
On the absence of Josh Simmons and playing with Zen Michalski…
"I have all the trust in the world in Zen and whoever's out there at left tackle for me. It's the next man up mentality, and you have to have full faith in that guy. When you lose a tackle with first round potential, it's tough, and that's it. That's a dude that we're going to miss, but I think Zen stepped up, and he's got to continue to work, and hopefully he's alright."
Â
On the run game…
"It's one play at a time. I just execute what I have to do, what my job is. Obviously, we want to run the ball better than we did and get ourselves ahead of the sticks more. My job is my job every single play, and I'm just trying to take it one play at a time. I try to take responsibility for everything in this offense. I think that my ability to run the ball and pull the ball and run has a really good effect on this offense. I think I was a little more aggressive to the keep on that last drive. Late in the game, the game's on the line, my legs come into the picture a lot more and I want to facilitate everything through the offense."
Jordan Hancock, Ohio State defensive back
On his game-ending interception…
"It was a relief for sure. The defense was out there fighting. I saw they were repeating older routes. After watching film, I noticed what they were doing and I didn't really get depth on the post, so I just stayed there. The ball felt like it took 20 seconds to get to me even though it was only two seconds, but overall, it was awesome."
Â
On the transition back to safety…
"It was a quick adjustment. With the bye week I was able to get reps back there. Knowing the defense already made the adjustment very easy."
Â
On the mindset of the last drive…
"They were moving the ball well and we couldn't give up that last touchdown. We had to make a stop no matter what."
Â
On the several key defensive stops throughout the game…
"Making the big plays especially at the end were very satisfying, but overall, as a unit we are still unhappy and unsatisfied. We need to put on a show next Saturday."
Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State running back
On how he feels when the team's plays aren't successful…
"It's a four-quarter game, and I'm just believing in my teammates. I know those guys can go out there and execute so I'm not going to give up on them or be frustrated that the plays don't work."
 Â
On injuries leading to different players on the offensive line…
"Especially when you have new guys in the rotation, they have to get used to the tempo, especially the game tempo. Having those guys mentally dialed in and getting those reps is the biggest part, but it's not anything they couldn't handle."
Â
On the defense…
"They played tremendous today. Those guys helped us so much and over-did their part. There's a lot of great players on that side of the ball and they really showed up today."
Cody Simon, Ohio State linebacker
On the difference in attitude of the defense between this week and the Oregon game...
"We knew that two weeks ago was unacceptable, so we refocused on every little thing that we need to do, and came out with what we felt was an edge, and we have to keep coming like that every single week. We had a good mentality, and it needs to stay like that. We can't get complacent at all."
Â
On Jordan Hancock's game-sealing interception...
"It's awesome. I mean, you can't speak enough about how hard it is to transition from nickel to safety. I'm so happy he made that play because it saved the game."
Â
On the defensive performance today...
"We could always be better. There were still so many areas where we could've made plays, and we could've helped our offense out more. We need to make more turnovers. We need to create more stops and give up less rushing yards and keep the quarterback in the pocket."
Â
Ty Hamilton, Ohio State defensive lineman
On the feeling of being able to close the game out on defense...
"That's definitely a good feeling to be able to go out there as a defense, as a whole, and rally together, and be able to win the game."
Â
On how big the defensive stops were today...
"It was huge for the defense. It shows the country all around that we're able to still play defense. We got shaken up versus Oregon, but we're able to bounce back. We're still the best defense in the country."
Â
On Cody Simon's play today...
"He's a great player. Being able to go out there and digest the offense and make plays, it's huge for the defense."
On the feeling of being able to close the game out on defense...
"That's definitely a good feeling to be able to go out there as a defense, as a whole, and rally together, and be able to win the game."
Â
On how big the defensive stops were today...
"It was huge for the defense. It shows the country all around that we're able to still play defense. We got shaken up versus Oregon, but we're able to bounce back. We're still the best defense in the country."
Â
On Cody Simon's play today...
"He's a great player. Being able to go out there and digest the offense and make plays, it's huge for the defense."
On focusing on blitzing…
"It was definitely a major emphasis this week. There's been a lot of times we haven't blitzed but being able to show other teams that we can blitz and make pressure, especially on the quarterback, is a big thing for us."
Â
On his vantage point of the goal line stop…
"As an interior guy, one of the things we emphasize is taking out the offensive lineman because if you take out the offensive lineman, you're able to make big plays like Cody [Simon] did. You're going to take them out, and then he goes out and makes a play, so that's how it works."
Â
On if they are looking ahead and what to improve ahead of next week's game…
"I think finding the little things we did, letting up explosive plays and just being able to go out there and play our best football. Being able to go out there and play, we definitely turn our heads to Penn State. We can only enjoy this for so long, being able to play Nebraska, but we're going straight to Penn State because it's a big game for us, a big matchup for us. We have something to prove to be able to go out there and get it done."
Â
On being ready to win with defense…
"It's definitely a big deal for us, we go out there every single game, every single down, every single play. We go out there and think that the defense has to win the game, no matter how good the offense is doing. We put it on our shoulders that the defense has to make plays to stop them in order to have good offense."
Matt Rhule, Nebraska head coach
On Ohio State's performance…
"Credit to Ohio State - they made the plays; they made the drive to go down there and win. I think that was probably as good a defense as I've seen."
Â
On Ohio State fans…
"Credit the Ohio State fans - a great environment. From the minute you get here they're nice and friendly to you and when the game starts, they're here to make it hard."
Â
On Nebraska's performance…
"I think our guys played physical, played hard and out-blocked. We didn't do anything special. I thought we played with class and dignity and we had a chance to win."
Â
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Oct. 26, 2024 - Ohio Stadium; Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 104,830
Ryan Day, Ohio State head coach
On winning the game in the fourth quarter…
"At the end of the day, you've got to win the game in the fourth quarter. We were down by three in the fourth quarter, put a drive together, scored a touchdown and the defense got a stop. To me, that's what we've got to do to win these games."
Â
On Donovan Jackson potentially being the new starting left tackle…
"We're going to have to talk about it and figure it out. We knew that if [Zen Michalski got injured] in the game, that was our answer and solution to get out of the game. Now we're going to have to go back and figure out what's next."
Â
On completing deep balls…
"I thought that the execution on the throw and catch to Carnell [Tate] on the deep ball was big, and then the one to Jeremiah [Smith] was really well executed. The timing was right - good throw and great catch. Coming out in the fourth quarter, that was a good call by [Coach] Chip [Kelly] on the first down. We struggled to run the ball, so setting up that play action pass on the sideline to Carnell [Tate] got us into plus territory, and that allowed us to score."
Â
On the offensive line's play today…
"I got to go back and watch the film and figure it out myself. Quite honestly, it's not good enough. We've got to run the football. We didn't do that today and that's why we put the defense in bad spots. That's why we were 1-for-10 on third downs and 1-for-2 on fourth downs."
Â
On the takeaways from the game…
"I certainly think on defense that the response was excellent. I just like the way our demeanor was and the way we were playing. We were flying around and getting lined up. A lot of things to build on there coming out of the game. On offense, we have to do better in some areas. We have to get back to the drawing board because we've got a big matchup coming up against Penn State."
Will Howard, Ohio State quarterback
On the team's fourth-quarter comeback…
"We were able to show that when the going gets tough, and when maybe things aren't going our way, we're able to win the fourth quarter. I think our defense did an unbelievable job of making some really big stops and plays in that fourth quarter and getting us a chance to go down there and put that last one in to give us the lead."
Â
On the importance of winning upcoming games…
"We're in the playoffs now. Every game is the most important game. We can't afford to put any performance out there that we're not proud of and I think today will wake us up and remind us that we have to continue to grind every single day, every single week and not ever get complacent."
Â
On the absence of Josh Simmons and playing with Zen Michalski…
"I have all the trust in the world in Zen and whoever's out there at left tackle for me. It's the next man up mentality, and you have to have full faith in that guy. When you lose a tackle with first round potential, it's tough, and that's it. That's a dude that we're going to miss, but I think Zen stepped up, and he's got to continue to work, and hopefully he's alright."
Â
On the run game…
"It's one play at a time. I just execute what I have to do, what my job is. Obviously, we want to run the ball better than we did and get ourselves ahead of the sticks more. My job is my job every single play, and I'm just trying to take it one play at a time. I try to take responsibility for everything in this offense. I think that my ability to run the ball and pull the ball and run has a really good effect on this offense. I think I was a little more aggressive to the keep on that last drive. Late in the game, the game's on the line, my legs come into the picture a lot more and I want to facilitate everything through the offense."
Jordan Hancock, Ohio State defensive back
On his game-ending interception…
"It was a relief for sure. The defense was out there fighting. I saw they were repeating older routes. After watching film, I noticed what they were doing and I didn't really get depth on the post, so I just stayed there. The ball felt like it took 20 seconds to get to me even though it was only two seconds, but overall, it was awesome."
Â
On the transition back to safety…
"It was a quick adjustment. With the bye week I was able to get reps back there. Knowing the defense already made the adjustment very easy."
Â
On the mindset of the last drive…
"They were moving the ball well and we couldn't give up that last touchdown. We had to make a stop no matter what."
Â
On the several key defensive stops throughout the game…
"Making the big plays especially at the end were very satisfying, but overall, as a unit we are still unhappy and unsatisfied. We need to put on a show next Saturday."
Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State running back
On how he feels when the team's plays aren't successful…
"It's a four-quarter game, and I'm just believing in my teammates. I know those guys can go out there and execute so I'm not going to give up on them or be frustrated that the plays don't work."
 Â
On injuries leading to different players on the offensive line…
"Especially when you have new guys in the rotation, they have to get used to the tempo, especially the game tempo. Having those guys mentally dialed in and getting those reps is the biggest part, but it's not anything they couldn't handle."
Â
On the defense…
"They played tremendous today. Those guys helped us so much and over-did their part. There's a lot of great players on that side of the ball and they really showed up today."
Cody Simon, Ohio State linebacker
On the difference in attitude of the defense between this week and the Oregon game...
"We knew that two weeks ago was unacceptable, so we refocused on every little thing that we need to do, and came out with what we felt was an edge, and we have to keep coming like that every single week. We had a good mentality, and it needs to stay like that. We can't get complacent at all."
Â
On Jordan Hancock's game-sealing interception...
"It's awesome. I mean, you can't speak enough about how hard it is to transition from nickel to safety. I'm so happy he made that play because it saved the game."
Â
On the defensive performance today...
"We could always be better. There were still so many areas where we could've made plays, and we could've helped our offense out more. We need to make more turnovers. We need to create more stops and give up less rushing yards and keep the quarterback in the pocket."
Â
Ty Hamilton, Ohio State defensive lineman
On the feeling of being able to close the game out on defense...
"That's definitely a good feeling to be able to go out there as a defense, as a whole, and rally together, and be able to win the game."
Â
On how big the defensive stops were today...
"It was huge for the defense. It shows the country all around that we're able to still play defense. We got shaken up versus Oregon, but we're able to bounce back. We're still the best defense in the country."
Â
On Cody Simon's play today...
"He's a great player. Being able to go out there and digest the offense and make plays, it's huge for the defense."
On the feeling of being able to close the game out on defense...
"That's definitely a good feeling to be able to go out there as a defense, as a whole, and rally together, and be able to win the game."
Â
On how big the defensive stops were today...
"It was huge for the defense. It shows the country all around that we're able to still play defense. We got shaken up versus Oregon, but we're able to bounce back. We're still the best defense in the country."
Â
On Cody Simon's play today...
"He's a great player. Being able to go out there and digest the offense and make plays, it's huge for the defense."
On focusing on blitzing…
"It was definitely a major emphasis this week. There's been a lot of times we haven't blitzed but being able to show other teams that we can blitz and make pressure, especially on the quarterback, is a big thing for us."
Â
On his vantage point of the goal line stop…
"As an interior guy, one of the things we emphasize is taking out the offensive lineman because if you take out the offensive lineman, you're able to make big plays like Cody [Simon] did. You're going to take them out, and then he goes out and makes a play, so that's how it works."
Â
On if they are looking ahead and what to improve ahead of next week's game…
"I think finding the little things we did, letting up explosive plays and just being able to go out there and play our best football. Being able to go out there and play, we definitely turn our heads to Penn State. We can only enjoy this for so long, being able to play Nebraska, but we're going straight to Penn State because it's a big game for us, a big matchup for us. We have something to prove to be able to go out there and get it done."
Â
On being ready to win with defense…
"It's definitely a big deal for us, we go out there every single game, every single down, every single play. We go out there and think that the defense has to win the game, no matter how good the offense is doing. We put it on our shoulders that the defense has to make plays to stop them in order to have good offense."
Matt Rhule, Nebraska head coach
On Ohio State's performance…
"Credit to Ohio State - they made the plays; they made the drive to go down there and win. I think that was probably as good a defense as I've seen."
Â
On Ohio State fans…
"Credit the Ohio State fans - a great environment. From the minute you get here they're nice and friendly to you and when the game starts, they're here to make it hard."
Â
On Nebraska's performance…
"I think our guys played physical, played hard and out-blocked. We didn't do anything special. I thought we played with class and dignity and we had a chance to win."
Â
Â
Players Mentioned
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OL
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