Michigan State 21, Purdue 7
11/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 8, 2008
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Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio
Opening Statement…
Well, we're 9-2. That's what we were shooting for, so that got done. I'm so very happy for our seniors and the job that they did. Last year's seniors sort of laid the foundation for where we're at, and I think this year's seniors have taken it up one step. And that's what our program is all about - trying to get a little better every single year. An outstanding job by our football team. I thought we were very emotionally ready. We went down and scored first, it was very windy out there, we had some missed opportunities, but we rallied back. And we had those missed opportunities, but I thought it was important that we always responded. We tried to take every play and look ahead, not look back, and I think that's what our guys did. It was very emotional on the sideline - it was electric - which is what has to happen. An outstanding job by our defense, if you look at what they were able to do out there. Coach Narduzzi and his defensive staff did an outstanding job. I thought Ryan Allison seemed to be in on a lot of plays. The play of the game was probably Johnny Adams, his interception with 19 seconds left in the (first) half for a touchdown. A big play in the game was Blair White's big catch in the third quarter. I'm very, very happy about it. When you shoot for something and talk about it for so long, and all of a sudden it's done, it's a numbing feeling a little bit. We've got a bunch of happy guys in that locker room, the opportunity to go to Penn State in two weeks, which will be nice - we need a break, to win a Big Ten championship is real. That's real. That's not something we have to talk about, that's real that we have the opportunity to play for that. And that's what's exciting.
On winning the final home game of the season…
Javon (Ringer) was a little bit late getting into the locker room. I think he took a trip around memory lane with the students, and this is not just about our football team, but about Michigan State Spartans everywhere - current and past. I'm so happy for everyone who could experience a part of this. This doesn't happen every day, and we're all a part of this and we're all a little bit a part of history. I want to congratulate everybody out there who wears green everywhere in this country. All the calls that I get and all the emails that I get - this is for everybody. Soak it up and enjoy it. We need the week of rest, and we'll get it.
On what Javon Ringer means to him and the team…
Javon Ringer is a leader. I've always said that he's a warrior. He's a Spartan warrior. I knew him a little bit through the recruiting process, coming out at Ohio State and then being at Cincinnati, but the guy I knew really well was Jim Place, his high school coach, who really exemplifies everything that we try and do here in trying to build a character, quality player. Not just building a player, but building a character, quality player - building a man for life, I guess you could say. He did a great job and his family's done a great job with him. It starts with his faith, and he is the way he is because of those things. In a lot of ways, we are the recipient of the way he acts. He's been a great player for us, a great leader, and he has been a part of something here that hasn't happened in a while. Congratulations to him, and I would like to thank him publicly.
On the Big Ten championship being within reach…
I said last year that we have an opportunity to win every single football game that we come out to. There's no game that we go into and say, 'boy, I hope we can stay close.' Everything we do, the 80 hours a week you work as a coach, that's to win, that's not to stay close. I knew it could happen. I knew we'd have to win close games, and we've been able to do that. This game was probably not as close as some of the other games, even though it was a 7-0 game for a long period of time and then 14-0 for a long period of time, but our defense was playing so dominant in the game. In answer to your question, I don't think in terms of how long it's going to take, I don't have a plan for that. I know that there's ups and downs in everything you do. It's important that everybody that's with you has both feet in and understand what your message is in trying to climb that ladder. We've done that this year.
MichiganStateOffensive Coordinator Don Treadwell
Opening comments…
Offensively, it certainly wasn't one of our better performances. As always, I don't jump the gun too soon to evaluate. The good thing is, anytime you have a win, you can evaluate those things you didn't do and have a chance to not feel as bad as you would have, had you not got the job done. There were some things, on the good side, that are correctable. The thing we have to do on offense is heal up. We've got quite a few guys here and there. Our trainers do a great job with the people that we have, so we're going to rely on them. We are thankful that the bye week is this week and we anticipate those guys being back full strength. We anticipate that certainly making a difference and having a better offensive performance next time out the gate.
MichiganStateDefensive Coordinator Pat Narduzzi
Opening comments…
Defensively, I thought our kids came out and played hard all day. I'm so proud of our seniors - (Brandon) Long, (Dwyane) Holmes, (Justin) Kershaw, (Otis) Wiley, (Mike) Bell, every one of them. Every one of those seniors was fired up before they came out and played with a lot more enthusiasm and emotion than they did last week. Coach Dantonio always talks about it being a game of emotion, and our kids came out and played pretty well today, except for that last drive when (Kendell) Davis-Clark fell down when he should have had the quarterback.
On the plan against Purdue's freshman quarterback Justin Siller…
We knew he was a good athlete and we wanted to get after him, and I think we did that a little bit today. We put a little pressure on him and the kids did a good job executing, and that's what it always comes down to.
On the play of Michigan State senior linebacker Ryan Allison…
It was great to get him back off injuries. I think he had a great day out there, playing his role and doing his job. I can think of one missed tackle on a fumble that kind of cut back on him, but I think he had a good day. Like I said, defensively I think the kids played pretty well and did what they are supposed to do and that's what it comes down to.
On how the bye week affects preparation for Penn State…
We'll do more and be way ahead. We'll get two practices in. We'll get a normal Tuesday-Wednesday practice in, prior to the game week even starting. We'll re-do another Tuesday-Wednesday practice and have a clean-up Thursday practice.
MichiganStateFreshman Cornerback Johnny Adams
On his 40-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter…
In that coverage, my responsibility was the flat. Before the snap, my teammates were shouting 'watch the flat.' I read the play almost immediately and broke on the ball. Once I caught it, I was pretty confident that I could score. Justin Kershaw threw a nice block, so I cut back inside and found the endzone.
We dedicated this game to the seniors, so I'm just happy that I could help my team.
On the key to containing Purdue's offense today…
Coach Dantonio stressed three things this week: play hard, play tough and play smart.
MichiganStateSenior Linebacker Ryan Allison
On what the defense had to do to stop Purdue…
(Justin) Siller is a dual threat. He has a good arm, he runs very well. We knew we just had to contain him and keep him in the box and not let him get outside and try to stretch the plays. They had over 500 yards of offense last week so, shutting him down was our main objective.
On how it feels to be 9-2…
It feels pretty good. The seniors are feeling good after going out with a victory. We're looking to the future but we'll take it easy for a couple of days and get our minds off football and get healthy and feeling better. We have a great opportunity ahead of us and we're not going to let it slip.
On the defensive effort today…
I think we did great. It would have been nice to have the shutout. The d-line was dominant up front, the linebackers were making plays, and the safeties and corners were making plays all day. I feel like we did an excellent job today.
MichiganStateJunior Defensive End Trevor Anderson
On forcing Purdue to turn the ball over…
Forcing turnovers is something we have been stressing all year long. You know when you force a team to turn the ball over as much as possible they are not going to win the game. We happened to force one today, and that resulted in a touchdown.
On a potential Big Ten championship…
This is a very exciting time for everyone right now. Ever since winter conditioning we have always talked about a Big Ten championship, but you know there are always going to be people hanging in the back and not really believing it even if they are on your own team. But as the weeks went by and we started to win, and even with the losses we have at California and against Ohio State, people still believed and had faith in each other. We are doing everything we can to get it done, and even after bad plays we keep that faith in each other, and know that when the next plays come we are going to make it up.
On the upcoming week off…
It is definitely going to be a good time to relax and for everyone to get healthy. We have played 11 straight weeks of football and now we are getting a chance to rest which is nice. I am going to try to go home on Friday and hopefully my high school team has made it to the state playoff so I can watch them. But the important thing is that we get healthy. One thing about Michigan State football and Coach Dantonio, he doesn't take it easy on us. We are all looking forward to the break, but then it's back to work and preparing to Penn State.
MichiganStateFreshman Wide Receiver B.J. Cunningham
On winning the last game for the seniors…
Oh it was great, we were talking about it all week, playing hard for the seniors. Underclassmen stepped it up, did some big things and tried to get the seniors out with a win. The seniors stepped up as well.
On playing Penn State in two weeks…
This is a big game. It's an opportunity to play for a Big Ten championship. We haven't done that here in a long time so it's going to be a great opportunity. This week is going to be good, everybody needs rest; people need to get better and healthier.
On having a 9-2 record…
It feels great. I've never been 9-2 before. The most I've won in football is eight games. It feels real good, everybody is excited: players, coaches, fans. Everybody is ecstatic about that.
MichiganStateJunior Safety Danny Fortener
On the play of the defense upfront…
Our d-line played an excellent game and our linebackers contained them and put good pressure on them all day.
On wanting the shutout…
We really wanted it a lot but, it didn't happen. We still got the victory, so everyone is happy.
On the play of Jeremy Ware and Johnny Adams…
They have done a great job all year. They've stepped up every game and always been ready to go. They've been playing well in practice and we've been really successful with them in the game. They have to just keep doing what they've been doing.
MichiganStateSenior Quarterback Brian Hoyer
On getting a win in his final home game…
Coach Dantonio preached to us all week to really stay in the moment and enjoy the moment. There's only a few moments like this where we're able to go out as winners and at least have a share of the Big Ten Championship if we are able to beat Penn State. To go out as a winner on your home field, and really feel like you've accomplished something here at home with only one loss and a bunch of wins this season is something special.
On going through adversity with his fellow seniors…
We've been through a lot together, but I think our greatest moments are ahead of us. We have an opportunity to do something here that hasn't been done in a long time. The ups-and-downs have really brought us together and we're a real tight-knit group. We all know what it took to get here and we've just got to keep on doing what we've been doing.
On spending a little extra time on the field after the game…
I'm never going to walk off that field again as a Michigan State player. It seems like yesterday that I was just a kid on the sideline watching my first game. It went by fast, so I just wanted to take it all in and realize how special this place is. Sometimes when you get into the mix of things you don't take time to look up into the stands, so I just wanted to take it all in and enjoy it.
MichiganStateSenior Defensive Lineman Justin Kershaw
On getting a win in his final home game…
It was emotional. We've been through so much in that locker room and in that stadium and with the guys that you come out with. I just looked in the eyes of guys like Jeff McPherson and Otis Wiley, and you couldn't help but get a little choked up. Seeing your parents there and knowing that you're playing for something special, it was just really a good experience. It was a little bittersweet with this being our last game, this is a special day. We've seen many seniors come through here and they were disappointed with how the season went. But this team really took it upon themselves to not let that happen. We're not done yet, but if you look at what we've accomplished thus far, we're 9-2, we know we're playing for something special against Penn State.
On playing for Spartans who never got to compete for a Big Ten Championship…
It's special because we see all the work those guys poured in. Especially guys like Cliff Ryan and Mike Gyetvai, I remember he never got to beat Michigan and it broke his heart. So we're playing for guys like Travis Key and Drew Stanton, they had an impact here but they might have not been able to have the opportunity to play for a Big Ten Championship. We always keep those guys in mind.
I think you have to focus on each individual game. We always begin with the end in mind. We know every game we're playing towards that championship, and all of our goals are intact, we couldn't say that last year, and there's not a lot of teams that can still say that in this conference. We're fortunate to be in the position that we are, and we're going to keep going.
MichiganStateSenior Running Back Javon Ringer
On spending extra time on the field after the win…
I definitely wanted to make sure that I at least said thank you to all the fans. The past couple of years I've been here, despite our record, they have been faithful to us no matter what. Having faithful fans like that, that's very important and it means a lot.
On being able to play for a Big Ten Championship…
We've been blessed to have overcome a lot of the adversity that we've gone through and just to be in the position that we're in. Two years ago there's no way anybody would have thought we'd be right here. But it's amazing what you can do when you have the faith and just keep pushing and keep trying. Once again we're just truly blessed to have this opportunity to be able to play for something amazing.
On playing Penn State in two weeks…
Right now, we're not going to think too much about it. We just want to make sure we just heal up and take advantage of this bye week. We definitely do understand that we basically have our destiny in our hands and we control what the outcome is. It's going to be exciting. We are going to be pumped up to be playing a tough opponent like Penn State. They have an amazing defense and that's a challenge we're really looking forward to. Just being in that atmosphere, at Penn State, their crowd is amazing I remember from playing there in my sophomore year. We're really looking forward to that because we know what we can accomplish, and as long as we stay focused and not get too overwhelmed or caught up in the moment we will be okay.
On how physically tough this season has been…
Let me see. Eleven games, about 5,000 carries, and the Big Ten defenses we've been against. So far, it's gotten a little rough towards the end. I've just got to give credit to my offensive line and tight ends and full backs for just continuing to work and giving me different holes here and there. I just keep pushing and I'm a competitor. Each and every week I'm going to go out there and give everything I've got.
On his third quarter injury…
I did something to my ankle. Somebody fell on it and just twisted it up. It just kind of went numb for a while, but the feeling came back and just taped it up and came out there and just continued to work. Once I was ready I just ran back in there.
On if he ever thought the team would be in the position to play for a championship …
I had my doubts, but I tried to stay positive. It was always a toss up every season. I definitely knew that once the new coaching staff came and with what they tried to instill in us and the changes they made with the new offense and new defense and different schemes here and there and with the talent that we have on this team, I knew things would be pretty good for us.
MichiganStateJunior Wide Receiver Blair White
On playing in a low scoring game …
Anytime you commit four turnovers, you're going to hinder your chances of scoring. Luckily, we were able to come up with some big plays and get the victory.
On playing in tough weather conditions…
I really didn't think it was that tough out there. It was pretty cold out there but once you get going it's really not that big of a deal.
On making big plays…
That's just a matter of Brian Hoyer finding the guys that are open. I was able to make that one big play, but there were other plays out there that I need to make. It's nothing special that we do, it's just what we do.
On winning this game for the seniors…
As coaches and players, we put a big emphasis on winning this game for the seniors. This is their last game here forever.
MichiganStateSenior Safety Otis Wiley
On senior day…
I don't know who had the biggest tears in their eyes, but it probably was me. It was emotional being the last time our senior class gets to play in Spartan Stadium. A lot of tears of joys also came around just remembering coming in as a freshman and how everything has happened in my career. I feel like I am coming out of here a winner and helping this program to become successful.
On memories over the years…
I don't know if there is one thing that really sticks out to me except that we are 9-2 right now. In the beginning of the season who would have thought that? I really feel like our hard work has paid off and that makes it even more special. Going into our last game fighting for a Big Ten championship is just a good feeling. I am ready to get prepared for it and get healthy personally and as a team. We have to get ready for probably the most important game of our lives.
On savoring the win today…
You know, it's pretty much almost over. It was a good win today but there are bigger things to think about now. I just want to get healthy so I can go 100 percent and help my team out. The bye week could not have come at a better time for our team. We are going to rest first and then get ready for Penn State.
Purdue Linebacker Anthony Heygood
On the defense being back on track…
I mean that was pretty much the pivotal part of our game plan was that we wanted to contain (Javon) Ringer. He pretty much makes their offense run. I don't know how much he had against us, but going out there and having a good game against him makes our defense feel good. I wish we could have held them to fewer points.
On trying to help the offense with four turnovers…
I mean that's pretty much what we are here to do. We are here to help out the offense and get them the ball back. Hopefully they capitalize off of turnovers, and today we just didn't do it. We held them the best we could because we had four turnovers.
On imagining a senior year with no bowl game…
Of course not. When you come into a season, you expect to play in the post season especially here at Purdue and especially with the talent that we have. We expect to win a bunch of games. The ball hasn't bounced our way this season. We just gotta try to stay optimistic about the last three games and play hard. We need to come out and play hard against Iowa then try to get our bucket back.
Purdue Wide Receiver Greg Orton
On the overall game…
Offensively we couldn't do too much against them. You know they read us pretty well. We couldn't really run that much against them. We couldn't really pass that much against them. Our defense played a great game, but as an offense we didn't show up.
On missing a bowl game…
It definitely hurts, you know. So far it's just been really disappointing, but we are still going to work hard and get ready for Iowa.
On the failure of the offense…
I don't know. I think they just prepared really well for what we were going to do. It seemed like everything we called, they were pretty much on it. I can't really hit it on the point until I really watch film and see what happened. We did make some mistakes. We dropped some balls, and missed some blocks and stuff. I mean we just gotta get past it.
Purdue Cornerback David Pender
On the defensive effort…
We were happy with our effort, but we were a little disappointed that we didn't come out with the win. Our offense struggled a little bit today, so things just didn't work out for us.
On the disappointment of missing a bowl game…
It's real disappointing (to not go to a bowl game) being that all of my three years here, I've been to a bowl game. It will be a little different not going to a bowl game, but we are going to come out these last games and continue to play hard.
On the defensive play the last three games…
You know our offense put us in a bad situation a few times, and we came out and tried to respond. I mean it's tough knowing that your offense is struggling and you have to keep running back on the field. It gets a little frustrating sometimes, but like I said we are going to come out and keep fighting no matter what.
On his interception…
On that drive they ran a similar play that they ran earlier, and I misread it. I thought he was going to run a post, and I stepped inside and just took it away from him.
Purdue Sophomore Quarterback Justin Siller
On the difficulties throughout today's game…
We had trouble early on getting our running game and our passing game started. We started out real slow and that hurt us throughout the game.
On Michigan State's tough defense…
They have a really tough defense and they had a good game plan. They came out and executed well against our offense and kind of startled us a little bit early on. But it all starts with us and like I said, early on we just couldn't get it done and that really hurt us in the long run. I
On MSU's game strategy…
They played what we thought they were going to play. They blitzed a lot and it threw us off a little bit, but we always have to adjust and come back and respond, and we didn't do that very well.
Purdue Junior Kicker-Punter Chris Summers
On the weather's effect on today's game…
Obviously it was cold and windy and I knew it was going to be this cold and windy coming in, but it took a little while to adapt. I think as a unit we just needed to adapt to the conditions, but I feel like I punted better as the game went on. The first few punts really just didn't go so well, but when I was able to just hone in and really focus and get out there and get some experience in these conditions I was able to get some better punts.
Purdue Senior Safety-Cornerback Torri Williams
On evaluating today's performance…
I think we played pretty solid today. There were a couple of things we could have corrected, but overall we did a good job. We knew Ringer was a very good back and that he was going to try to get the ball, but I think we did our best to minimize his efforts
On creating more turnovers…
Pretty much we go through this every week. Our coaches have been stressing to us, turnovers, turnovers, turnovers to win more ball games and we were able to come up with a few.
On playing safety and cornerback…
There are a lot of techniques involved with playing the corner position and you really have to capitalize on those techniques to be successful out there. I'm pretty willing to do whatever it takes to help my team out. If they need me to play corner or safety, either one I'm comfortable with and willing to do whatever it takes to win a game.
On making it through the season and where the team goes from here…
It feels good to be able to make it through a season, but you know you want to win games throughout making it through a season. I mean I am thankful and I'm blessed to be able to make it through this season so far, but I wish we could come out with a couple more wins. We still have two more games to play. We have Iowa next, a really good, tough team and they have some really good players so we just need to focus on Iowa to get that win.
