Buckeyes Spoke To The Media Ahead of the Minnesota Game
10/1/2025 10:49:00 AM | Football
On Tywone’s Development
He has been consistent in his approach. He graded out his best game that he has graded out so far this year against Washington. I think his confidence is improving. We’re seeing on consistency. He is using what he is doing in practice. He is learning about what needs to be done in terms of taking on blocks in a run game and also in a pass rush. He is using the tools that coach Johnson and coach Patricia are giving him, and now they are showing up on the field. It’s a mindset. His mindset has changed and because of that you are seeing better plays.
On Jayden Fielding
He might be our leading tackler on kickoff. He passed the toughness test for a kicker. Every day in practice he is getting more and more consistent. We put him in situations where if we make a field goal, everyone goes on for period two. If we don’t, everyone up downs or has gassers. We’re constantly putting him in situations where they are meaningful. He keeps answering the call on those and improving our trust in him in big moments. That’s what this is all about. Earning trust every day. He’s doing that with his teammates. When you’re a kicker we say it’s one shot one kill. We use these terms because when you go in there you only have one shot to be right. It’s about discipline, it’s about focus, and making sure you aren’t worried about anything other than that one kick. He is showing that he is doing that. His confidence is getting higher and higher. We’re going to need him. At some point in this season, it’s going to come down to those types of plays, coming out of one point and one play.
On explosiveness of plays
There were plays that were created to push the ball down the field but coverage dictated it. We either had to check the ball down or second part of the route. We’re always looking to create explosive plays but we also have to take what the defense gives us and be willing to do that. Across the country you’re seeing a lot of defenses with the number of plays going down. Keeping it in front, drive the entire field, not giving up explosive plays. I listened to coach Phishes press conference. It was like we’re just going to keep it in front, make them work the ball all the way down the field. I think they had a good game plan. We also had 16 plays over 10 yards which is good. If we’re finishing off the drives and are efficient that’s what really matters the most. It is a contrast to where it was a few years ago when the clock stopped after first downs when the game was a little different and we were seeing more plays and more points. Ultimately it is about efficiency. Winning the game. It’s all cyclical. We’re always looking to be explosive as you know.
On his overall thoughts on playing football
It is a switch that turns on the field. I have a lot of fun playing the game, football is a kids sport and it is a child sport at heart for me; so as an older kid getting to play this is part of my job, but it has been great and a lot of fun to just play freely and loose.
On growing confident throughout the season
I think it is just game to game growing confidence. I mean, you're not going to play in anything bigger than the National Championship, and hopefully years down the road the Super Bowl, so there is nothing bigger than that.
On pregame conversations verse Washington
Before the game we talked about having confidence and poise in the moment, because stuff is not always go our way in games sometimes. It was a big game as Washington is a great team, I think they are going to be a really good team down the road as well for the rest of the season, but overall just being poise.
On what his favorite part about playing defense
Defense is very versatile; we can do many things. Messing with quartbacks and different offenses, and competition just allows us to have fun and play ball.
On how they balance confusing the other team without confusing themselves
Disguising obviously gives off a different look, but when you are really studying the defense you’re not going to get confused. It’s fun just being covered and popping out looking like something else. So, it's cool.
On how much more comfortable he feels now going into game five versus game one:
I feel a lot more comfortable. The first game, we had a lot of prep time going into Texas, the whole summer plan and obviously game week, but going into game five, I feel a lot more comfortable. I’ve been in it. I’ve played a home and away game, I went against different styles of quarterbacks and different teams, so I’m comfortable now.
On not given up a sack in four games
As an offensive lineman, you always got to protect the quarterback and if you give up the sack, it’s a horrible game. So, I live by you can’t let the quarterback get touched, and he can’t get hurt.
On growing and getting more comfortable
Now I feel that I am more confident in myself. Just knowing that I can do what I trained for having the coaches keep pushing me every day, and to keep pushing ourselves.
On the game plan for Saturday
They play physical, they’re disciplined, and we just got to go out and execute and match their intensity.
When asked the tackle he made at the Washington game and what the guys had to say about his tackling form:
You get a little bit of extra chatter from the locker room after they see your tackling form and see you put your nose in there a little bit. The guys kind of came around me a little bit more which is fun. They did give me a hard time about, about the tackling form but I was just trying to cut off his angle to the sideline, so you know, I had to do what I had to do.
When asked about being good on the road as a kicker:
It's fun being the villain. It's a fun mentality to have. I wouldn't say it's easy to kick in the shoe, as there's a bunch of wind factors and stuff like that, but it's one of the tougher stadiums to kick in, in the BigTen. I also just like being the villain and I'm always trying to make the kicks, always trying to do my best.
On getting the big hit in kickoff coverage
It’s a great feeling. I’ve been waiting to get on the field and be able to showcase what I can do.
On getting more time on special teams
It feels great. Coach Day, he’s big on special teams and just doing the right thing and I feel like that’s how our culture is built. He feels like every play matters and I look at the game the same way.
On confidence building from teammate to teammate
If I see Davison Igbinosun making a play, I’m going to try to go make a play too. We just all cheer each other on and bring energy. It helps the whole room be like ‘I wanna go do what he’s doing'.
On when it clicked for him on defense
When we got our new [defensive coordinator] I feel like it started clicking more as I got to spend more time with Coach Patricia. He’s a real ‘player-type’ guy so whenever I needed help I could just go in and talk to him. He’s a players coach first. He’s gonna make sure us as players are good.
On stepping up in the Defensive line room
We had a great front four leave last year and they left off great with the national championship. We knew as young guys that we had to come and do the same thing, so having all of us coming together understanding that there's one goal and one mission.
On getting more time and consistency
Not just letting one bad play take over. Just live on for the next one and keep going hard and keep focusing. Keep getting off the ball and great things will happen.
On coach Matt Patricia
He really cares about his players. He’s always asking us how we're feeling, how we're doing, if we have any questions on certain defenses that he wants to do for that particular game and stuff like. Just being consistent with us when we're not having the best days. He's always there checking up on us, making sure we're all good and his coaching techniques, coming from the league to here, giving us real good tips about how they would like to see in the next level and how we can bring that in over here.
