Inside The Lockerroom
11/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 13, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan State vs. Wisconsin
November 13, 2004 - East Lansing, Mich.
Post-Game Quotes
Michigan State Head Coach John L. Smith
Opening Statement...
"What a great day! What a great deal for our seniors and they'll remember that the rest of their lives, their final game at Spartan Stadium. When they left the locker room, we talked to our players about the emotional deal and how they better lay it on the line for these guys. They never get to go out of this stadium again. They never get to put on this uniform again, your home uniform and walk out there. They played hard and they played with their heart and soul. I thought our coaches did a great job to prepare them. Things in the game happened for us. Once we got the snowball going and got momentum, it was a good deal. We pulled out a couple of tricks as well, but we had to do everything we could do and it worked."
On the on-side kick to start the second half...
"We had determined that we were going to attempt an onside kick. When we did it was determined by the game. We were considering opening the game with it. But we wanted to make sure (Dave) Rayner was feeling good because most of it depended on the kick. We told our team at halftime that we would because we had been promising them all week we were going to do it."
On Drew Stanton being able to play...
"As the week went on, we made a decision as a staff that we would play him. That was really dependent upon Drew. If he said he was going to be okay, felt good and wanted to play, then we were going to play him."
On why Stanton didn't start if he was ready to play...
"He hadn't worked in that position all week long. Again he was working with the second team with limited reps. When we determined Damon (Dowdell) bruised his shoulder, you have to go with Drew at that point. Damon said that his shoulder was bothering him. We tried to numb it up and send him to see how it warmed up at half. He didn't feel like he had much on the ball. If Damon wouldn't have gotten hurt, Drew wouldn't have started the second half."
On the offensive line's strong play...
"I'm proud of all those guys. Wisconsin's two fronts are as good as there is in the country and our guys stepped up. I don't know what we rushed for but we had two 99-yard drives and two goal-line stands. That's a compliment to our defense who gutted it out and kept them out. It's also a compliment to our offense for taking it that long on those two drives."
Wisconsin Head Coach Barry Alvarez
Opening statement...
"First of all, I am disappointed with how we played. It isn't like how we played all year. We didn't play well in any phase of the game. You have to give Michigan State credit. They played very well."
On his thoughts on the outcome of the game...
"The most disappointing thing was that I expected us to take another step today. I expected us to play a little better than we did last week. But we just didn't. I don't know why, I just can't put my finger on it. We practiced well all week and we prepared well all week. Guys didn't seem to get focused. You have to give Michigan State credit."
On the struggles Wisconsin faced scoring on MSU...
"We couldn't knock it in from the one inch line, the one inch line two different times. Whether it was that we didn't get a block or we didn't read the blocks properly. I won't know until I study it. They blocked us. Their offensive line blocked us. We missed a lot of tackles.
"You would like to score just before the end of the half, and go in tied and come out and get the ball. I felt that our guys were in the ball game."
On whether or not Michigan State did anything to surprise the team...
"They didn't do anything specific. They didn't do anything that we hadn't seen. They executed very well and they bought this game very well."
William Whitticker, Sr., OG
"We feel really good. Putting up that many total yards on offense, two 99-yard drives for touchdowns; you have to feel good. We just dominated them on both sides of the ball. The defense made two goal line stands and we went out there and put up the points. We did what we needed to do to win."
On where the performance ranks in his career...
"This is probably the best, most memorable game I have ever had here. To be able to knock off the No. 4 team in the nation with on of the best defenses by this many points is great."
Jehuu Caulcrick, Fr., RB
On the MSU running backs breaking tackles...
"That is something we talked about coming into this game, we knew we had to break tackles and we came out and did it."
On the MSU fans tonight...
"They were great and real loud. It was wonderful."
Damon Dowdell, Sr., QB
On MSU's first-half performance...
"That is a pretty good football team. We knew we just had to come out of the gate and play good from the start. Give credit to them, but I think we are pretty good and I've been thinking about this for a long time so it doesn't surprise me."
On his performance in his last home game...
"It feels good. It is a little relief. We've got to shake it off though because we've got Penn State and we have to go out there and get a win."
On Senior Day...
"I knew it was going to be emotional. But, we came out and answered the call."
Sean Poole, Sr., OT
"We came out, we were fired up and we knew up front we were better and we could beat them. We came out with that mindset and tried to jump out to an early lead."
On MSU's trio of running backs...
"You never know who is back there and who is going to run the ball. It feels good to know we are versatile, and that we can get guys in and out and everyone can do the job."
On pushing around the Wisconsin defensive line...
"Definitely, it feels good. We did come off the ball up front and I'm speechless on how well we played and how we performed and just a good day all around. I couldn't ask for a better senior day. My last day in Spartan Stadium and it was perfect."
On the fans' intensity level...
"The fans were great, into it every step of the way. Nobody left early or anything, they stuck around and saw it through; that was wonderful."
Tyrell Dortch, Sr., DB
On senior day and MSU's performance today...
"I was stressed out. We have the No. 4 team in the nation coming in. I know we have a very tough group of guys and you have to be tough to beat Wisconsin. I think we are the most physical team in the Big Ten."
On the defensive game play...
"We weren't keying on anybody. We were playing just basic run defense. (Anthony) Davis broke a couple of big runs. We had confidence in our game plan and we stuck with our game plan and it worked out for us."
On getting a win on Senior Day...
"It's a great feeling. Next to winning the Big Ten Championship or a bowl game, it's the greatest feeling after that. You are going to remember you last home game for the rest of your life and you last game at Spartan Stadium. A lot of games, you are going to forget about, but you will always remember your last one so it feels good."
Jaren Hayes, Jr., CB
On the two fourth-down goal-line stands...
"The defensive line played big for us today. We got a lot of penetration and the linebackers came through and made some plays. I think we were out there to make a statement that we are able to beat the best and that's what we did today."
On the defensive backs taking away the perimeter and forcing the play to the middle...
"That's what we focused on in practice; coming up and making plays, that's all. In big games like this, you have to come up and step up and make big plays, and I think that's what we did."
On his performance...
"I've been coming up there and trying to make a solid tackle and coaches said we can't have missed tackles and that's all I was thinking about."
On the fans' intensity level...
"They were great. That's the most excited I've seen them all year. It was great, it was fun out there."
DeAndra Cobb, Sr., TB
On the play of the offensive line...
"It was great; what a way to send the seniors out. I think we all came to play, send the seniors out and have great intensity at the beginning of the game. We didn't get down when they scored a couple quick touchdowns. We just stuck it out for our seniors and it was a great game."
On the performances of the three running backs...
"It's going to be a great meeting tomorrow when we watch the film."
On the fans' intensity level...
"Great. We all came to play: fans, players, coaches; it was all here."
On playing his final game at Spartan Stadium...
"I will remember this for the rest of my life."
Jason Teague, Jr., TB
On the offensive line's performance...
"They always play well and they stepped up tonight. We did it for the seniors; everybody was feeling real good in the locker room they really stepped up and played well tonight."
On the performances of the three running backs...
"That's nice when we can do that. When we know we can do that it's always good; it's always good in the meeting room the day after. We're running back by committee and I think we're living up to that; us guys are playing well."
On almost fumbling the handoff on his trick-play touchdown in the second quarter...
"It was a trick play and the guy got around the tackle and tried to tackle me while I had the ball. I still tried to get it out there to him (Aaron Alexander) and he got it, and I just got up because it was supposed to go to me, and he threw it on the money and that was good."
On the fans' intensity level...
"I'm glad they stayed the whole way. That's a lot of support and they were real fired up for this one and I appreciate that."
