Post-Game Quotes
10/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 17, 2009
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Michigan State Head Coach Mark Dantonio
Opening Statement...
I thought we had an outstanding performance by our players in the second half especially when we came back and played extremely hard. We had a lot of players playing for us today especially on defense. There were a couple key plays of the game, and I thought one of them was when Chris L. Rucker stripped the ball in the third quarter. It was huge because we went down there and tied it up at 7-7. Then at the kick-off when Ashton Henderson came up with the fumble recovery and we are in the end zone on the very next play with Larry Caper. It was an outstanding job by our football team, and I thought we came out and played much better in the second half on defense, although you would say they only scored seven points in the first half. They sort of nickel and dimed you a little bit, and they moved the chains and their tempo was good. I think they ran about 40 plays in the first half, so in the second half it was much more to our advantage. I thought we ran the ball pretty effectively especially in the second half, where Edwin Baker and Larry Caper both did a pretty nice job out there. We had a couple missed scoring opportunities but that is the name of the game sometimes. The big thing that I think we need to emphasize is that we are 3-1 in this conference right now, and we have Iowa next week. We are a 4-3 football team right now, and have battled back from a 1-3 start which is difficult to do. You talk about respect, and our players have earned the respect from myself and the rest of the coaching staff in terms of the way they practice, how we perform, and how we have kept our head up and preserved through things. We stayed the course, kept a positive attitude, and things have turned out for us.
On getting stopped on the 1-yard line early in the game...
I guess we have to look at it on the film to see exactly what happened. I thought that Kirk (Cousins) was a little rusty there in the beginning, but he got himself in a rhythm in the second quarter and we moved the ball some what but we had a drop one time and you don't get the touchdowns when you do that. I didn't feel a shift of momentum on the sidelines, but we just kept playing. Things just roll sometimes, and you have to give Northwestern credit because they came to play and they were active. Everyone has players on scholarship and everyone has players that can play at this level, so I wish it was easier but it's not sometimes. My players always tell me that it is what it is sometimes, so that's where I am at.
On this being a big game for quarterback Kirk Cousins...
Keith (Nichol) could have played today; much like Kirk (Cousins) could have played last week. I felt like he would work himself out of the way he started the game because he is a very good quarterback and has a very good head on his shoulders. He started playing with poise back there and started throwing the ball on the money and ended up having a pretty big game. Blair White also had a good game with 12 catches and a 186 yards, along with B.J. Cunningham who had five catches. We had a couple missed opportunities in there but we are a young football team and sometimes there are going to be mistakes. We are going to take the win though, believe me, and it was not easy because now I am ready for a nap.
On playing Iowa next Saturday...
It is a huge opportunity for Michigan State because if you look at the last two years between us and Iowa, it was a double overtime game over there, and it was a very, very close game played to the last play when it was here. I know our guys understand that we are going to be in this football game and that we can play at that level. It's a night game which is always exciting here at Spartan Stadium, and I'm sure the place will be rocking and the fans will be out. It will be a hot ticket and that's Spartan Nation. Remembering my time all the back from 1995, night games have been special around here. It will be a very exciting atmosphere for us, but we are a 3-1 football team in the league which I believe puts us in second place, and that's the positive thing that we need to capture and focus ourselves on. The next challenge is Iowa and that will be a huge challenge for us.
On the decision process he went though when deciding to lift the redshirt on running back Edwin Baker...
That was something that we talked about the entire week. We allowed three guys to move in that direction and we looked to see where they were at. Then we had to make some tough calls, but this is a situation we had to look at and say if he plays he has to play consistently because that was the key thing. If he plays constantly for the next six games it was question of if we should take the redshirt off of him or not. After watching film all week and watching everyone play we tried to make the best decision we could for this football team. We are always going to look for the opportunity to win, and he gave us the best chance at that at this point in time. We knew that he will continue to improve and that he is special in that area.
On running back Edwin Baker's previous injury...
He's six weeks further along than he was before and he has done an outstanding job for us on scout team over the last five weeks. It has been a position of depth for us, and all those other guys are active and all those guys have an opportunity, but in the end you try and do what's best for the team. It's a tough decision believe me, it's competitive.
On questioning running back Edwin Baker's ability after his fumble...
No I didn't wonder that. I told him to shake it off and I told him, "come on let's go." He has the ability to move and to slice and get vertical. He is very powerful and I think we'll see him break some long ones before the season is over. You always have to expect growing pains from players, and if that was a sophomore or junior doing that, then that's something else. But when you are a freshman playing in your first game you have to expect some growing pains and have to get past them, so hopefully we did that today.
On how the team is going to prepare for Iowa...
I think our players are going to be excited to play and the main thing we are going to do is focus on things this week in practice, and then on game day we will turn it loose. We need to be excited about the opportunity to play on that stage, and I think that's how you do it. We will be excited and I think it will be an interesting time for our guys.
On what makes wide receiver Blair White so effective on the football field...
You can draw up the play and you have the guys covered, but you have to make sure he doesn't catch the ball. We have good concept that can get people loose, and when you look at the opportunities you have to catch the football. He is good on his opportunities and he very rarely misses the ball. He is clutch in tough situations, and I think after doing that all last year too he has become an extremely confident young man, and it's not something that he went into the season with last year, but rather something he grew into. I think now we are seeing him spin off on that, and he has good speed, a great jumping ability and he can move in the air and handle his body in the air.
Michigan State Defensive Coordinator Pat Narduzzi
Opening Statement...
Great team effort out there today. I'm happy with the offense, defense and special teams. It's a team win, and as Coach Dantonio told the players afterwards, everybody played a part. Obviously happy with the defense, especially on fourth down with two huge fourth down stoppers. Guys came to play and the kids make plays, the kids won the game.
On linebacker Eric Gordon's play throughout the game...
If I had to say who is the guy that is most consistent at linebacker right now; Eric Gordon has been very, very solid and consistent the whole year. I've thought he's had a great year so far. Even in those tough losses, Eric Gordon has played good football.
On the defense's ability to force turnovers...
They come when they come, we got the ball out, (Chris L.) Rucker did a great job stripping it out of him, I don't know who got it after him. That's the name of the game, sometimes you get them, sometimes you don't. We didn't do anything different, we just made plays.
On the performance of the defensive line...
Defensive line was getting pressure, I don't know how many sacks we had, three or four. They get the ball out quick, and I think we did a good job for how fast the gey the ball out.
On the difference in the defense from earlier in the season...
We are just making plays, and we didn't make plays earlier in the year and now we're making them. That's the biggest key. The kids are playing good and that's the most important thing, we've got back where we've needed to be.
Michigan State Offensive Coordinator Don Treadwell
Opening Statement...
We're certainly proud of our young men. They certainly showed some resiliency in coming back. We got off to a slow start in the first half, needless to say, even though we did move the ball. To challenge the kids at halftime, (we challenged them to) stay poised, stay locked in believing in each other, believing in the coaches, and of course Coach Dantonio, getting them focused to come back out at half. We're just very, very pleased with how they executed and came back out. Obviously the defense just played tremendously well. When they play well, it juices us up and of course they had some strips and fumbles and different things that gave our guys some extra incentive to continue to do well. And we did that. We talked the last couple of games we've come out the gate pretty decent, and it was ironic that this game we talked about let's continue to start fast, but we need to finish strong. Well we ended up finishing strong, but we've got to find a way--which we will--to put it together to start fast and finish strong.
Certainly Blair White as you saw continuously, is the go-to guy. We had anticipated him having some match-ups out there that we liked the game and we were able to go after that. At the same time we still want to be balanced and run the football. We're still going to try to find ways--and we will continue to do that--to state balance in what we do. Certainly (Larry) Caper had some good runs. I think (Kirk) Cousins, again we're going to have to watch it on tape but there were certainly some things there that as we continue to settle down and lock into some things that we had practiced all week. I thought he did a good job of that, of regrouping a little bit, and that's what you've got to have. It's not going to be perfect week-to-week, but you hope that guys can stay the course, concentrate on what you've coached them to do all week.
On what the coaches talked about during halftime to challenge the team...
We do that every week, but my point is that it's nice to see that when you do challenge them in a positive way just to stay focused, they didn't have to play out of themselves, just reminding them that we did do some things the first half and you can build the score more and maybe show them that offensively. To trust in what we're doing and stay with it, and I think we saw that in their reaction [in the second half].
On not keeping freshman running back Edwin Baker as a redshirt...
It's been hard to keep him out all along. He's just such a competitor and obviously that would not have been an issue had Glenn Winston not gotten injured. We would have liked to have redshirted Baker, but he just brings so much to the table week in and week out, even on the scout team against Coach Narduzzi, that's all we hear every week--how unbelievable this back is and boy, wait until you guys are able to use him. And low and behold, circumstances put us in a position to do that, but he's always been ready. Coach Enos has always coached him up on the gameplan, and he was hungry as if he had never missed a beat out there today, so that was good to see.
On why Blair White is such an effective wide receiver...
He's really a student of the game. And it's not like he's wide-open, he just has a great understand of taking every bit of coaching to the T and then some with only what he sees on gameday. It's one thing to coach him up all week with what we see on film, but he's like a quarterback on the field in that he can make adjustments subtly enough to say "you know what, when they call such-and-such a play, based on what I'm seeing this guy, leverage, whatever it might be, here's how I'm going to really work it just on the finishing touches." And we give him a little flexibility like that because he's a veteran and because he can make plays that way.
On Kirk Cousins playing the entire game...
I think we went into it really feeling that he could play the whole game. Everyday he's been better and stronger, he got all the reps this week, so there was never any indication that he wouldn't go the whole game.
On how Larry Caper reacted to his injury late in the game...
When he came back in the to play after the turnover, he scored a touchdown. So I think he responded very well, and I think that will be a neat one-two punch, with (Larry) Caper and (Edwin) Baker in, and we're excited about it.
Michigan State Freshman Running Back Edwin Baker
On giving up the redshirt season...
I was just thinking about helping the team out. I wasn't really thinking about my feelings, I was thinking about the team. That is what I did today,I came out and helped the team and we got the victory.
On whether he was trying to get rid of the redshirt by practicing well...
Yes, I was working very hard in practice. I was showing what I can do and what I'm capable of.
On his fumble and what the coaching staff said...
They just told me to have a short-term memory. That is what I've been told since I was little.
On what happened on the fumble...
It was just bad communication. Things happen and coach doesn't want to hear any excuses and I put that on my shoulders. The fumble wasn't anyone else's fault but mine.
On if he thought two weeks ago that he would be playing...
No, two weeks ago I was on scout team working my butt off just showing what I can do.
On when he found out he was playing today...
It was probably the middle of the week - maybe Thursday. The coaches were going back and forth and they talked to me a lot. They told me today to prepare like I was going to play and I came out and played.
Freshman Running Back Larry Caper
On his touchdown run...
That made me feel a lot better. We scored, we won the game and that is what we are supposed to do.
On the running back corps right now with Edwin Baker now playing...
Edwin (Baker) and I have two different running styles. We both compliment each other really well. We can both cause problems for defenses.
On the team's mindset going into the Iowa game...
We're going into it like any other game but we're playing for a championship. As everybody knows, Ohio State lost. We're going into it with the right mentality.
Michigan State Sophomore Quarterback Kirk Cousins
On not being on in the first half...
Yeah, I was off in the first half. If I knew exactly why and what the secret was to being on, I would have had it all figured out. I don't really know what that was but clearly, after the first couple of series on the sidelines I was like guys I got to settle down. I know I missed a couple of throws and I went to the wide receivers and told them they were running the right routes; you're not doing anything wrong. The guys upfront protected. I'm seeing things fine, I'm just not on, and that's unacceptable. And to play Big Ten football to not be on for a couple series or a couple plays it's not going to cut it. Obviously we had to restart as we did in the second half, but we're not going to get away with that in the future.
On what he said at halftime...
I mean everybody had something to say, but nothing special. We knew what we had to do. We saw that we were moving that football the first half. We didn't feel like they were taking things away from us. We just had to do our thing and execute. We weren't executing and fortunately in the second half we were able to do that and finish the game.
On how his patience has been tested this season...
Like I said in the process of today, it's a new experience to play the whole game and getting that opportunity. It's every game you learn something and I'm glad as a player. I made a lot of mistakes today that you just have to attribute to the fact that I'm learning and I have to correct those. It's just one more game that I'm able to learn, so far through seven games.
On the connection between him and Blair White...
Our receivers are taught very well and we try to get those guys in a position to succeed. When Blair (White) is trying to succeed and get high and have a good game, we try to get him into an opportunity where he can make plays and have some success. Probably just putting him in that position to succeed. Bottom line is Blair and I are very similar as people; you know, pretty analytical and we stick to the book. We're pretty similar people and we're studying similar things.
On how this team kept it together after starting the season 1-3...
Well we just knew we had a lot to play for. Coming back from Wisconsin we knew that even though we didn't win our first Big Ten game we had a lot to play for and it was by no means over. We know we still have a lot to fight for, especially when Michigan came to town. That game alone was a season in itself. We just have so much to play for every week that we're not going to give up.
On how he feels about the upcoming game versus Iowa...
Iowa right now is playing as the best team in the Big Ten. They're going to have to come here and go through us. Obviously we expect a great game from them and we're going to have to play better than we've played any week this season to have an opportunity to beat them.
On not scoring a touchdown on the quarterback sneak...
I did not think I was in. I need to get in in that situation. They just said get in and don't come back if you don't get in, so that was on me. I didn't get in but football is a game of momentum and momentum is a huge part of the game. Not getting that didn't help the momentum obviously when things go wrong, things are going to go wrong every football game. You have to bounce back and fortunately we did that but a little too late though. I think we had some success, but we need to forget about that and move on a little quicker.
Michigan State Junior Linebacker Eric Gordon
On preparing for the quickness of Northwestern...
All last week in practice, it was kind of chaos. But we were going every 15 to 20 seconds in practice and when we came into the game it seemed a lot slower. Not slower, but it made it a lot easier for us to stop them on their offense.
On having nine tackles by early in the second quarter...
I didn't really know. I don't really pay attention to it that much. We're all out there just flying around, trying to make plays. They did a very good job at dinking us at every four or five yards a pop. And when we came here in the second half we just had to switch some things up and it pretty much worked for most of the plays.
On the adjustments made...
The dinking and ducking gets kind of old, but it's a great thing for the offense to do. It wears down the defense and most of our defensive core today just hung in there and kept on playing and kept on playing. And you know, they're going to get tired too. They're out there just as long as we are and are going to end up making a mistake or whatnot. And we just kept on hoping.
On what he learned about the defense after this past three game stretch...
Our defense has come together so well as a whole and each week we have intense practices. We just keep coming out week after week now and just doing what we're supposed to and really focusing on the little things of what we have to do. When we focus on the little things, we're not giving up the big plays and that's what we have been doing the last few weeks.
Michigan State Senior Safety Ashton Henderson
On what was going through his mind on the fumble recovery...
We kicked the ball to the sun and I was just sprinting down and I guess the guy mishandled the ball. I ran on the other side and the ball was right there. It was a big momentum shift for us. We got a score right after that so it was a good feeling.
Michigan State Junior Linebacker Greg Jones
On Eric Gordon's play...
Eric Gordon is a guy I look to also. He's a first class guy and he's the guy who knows the certain plays. That's just how he is. And in the game today, when they did the screen play he was right there I said he was going to be on fire for the rest of the day. So I expect him to play real well all the time.
On if something happened at halftime...
There wasn't a whole lot of talking going on at all. Coach (Dantonio) came in and told us that we need to keep pounding and keep doing what we're doing and stay focused, because we knew they were going to start picking up the tempo a little bit and the offense will eventually start scoring and they did.
On being prepared in the Big Ten race...
I think so. I think its pretty even all around. It's a tough conference. You just need to take on one game at a time. We just have to keep up the energy all the time.
On if it's frustrating when the opposing team keeps the ball a long time...
Completely. They keep the ball and we need to do something about it. When we try and do our job and do try to stop it, we should be fine.
On facing Iowa next week...
Obviously we haven't seen anything on the team. We remember what happened last year and that it was a physical game and that's we have to be prepared for.
On generating the takeaways...
Just got to do what we do in practice and just stay focused. Coach (Dantonio) preaches about everybody doing their job and not doing too much, and I think everybody did their job today.
On why things we so slow in the beginning of the year with takeaways...
You can't practice for that. You just need to be in the right place at the right time. We need to get our chemistry back and I think we did that. We'll mature as it happens.
On what he's thinking about going into the Iowa game...
We need to go into that game with a lot of energy. We have a good team this year so we need to go out there with a lot of energy. If we can do our job out there that's going to be key to the game. We have to be ready to go because its going to be a physical game.
On the confidence building of the team...
I went to the defensive backs and told them to keep what they're doing. Eventually it will come around. I mean, we can't break their confidence. I'm not going to break their confidence that's the only thing that's not broken. What they do out there is extremely hard and I respect that. The first thing I do is build them back up and keep them going.
Michigan State Junior Cornerback Chris L. Rucker
On his forced fumble...
I saw two people try to tackle him but he was still up and he seemed to have the ball pretty loose. I thought I might as well try to go in there after it and see if I can come up with it. I stuck my arm in there to try and strip it and luckily I came up with it.
On whether he was surprised if the whistle didn't blow...
Yes, I was surprised they didn't blow the whistle. So, I just kept playing and trying to strip the ball.
On what his play and the end of the Michigan game and his play today does for his confidence...
I would say it gives you a big boost. Out there at corner a lot of things can happen when you are out there by yourself. It does a lot for you because it gives you confidence and reminds you that you can play.
Michigan State Senior Wide Receiver Blair White
On how he is feeling after getting banged up and receiving all those passes...
First of all, I feel all right. My knee got a little tweaked there and I thought it worse than it actually was. I probably looked like a baby out there, but it's just like one of those ankle things where you tweak it and you're like `Oh my gosh' and then you just walk away. As far as getting the passes, it was just the offense. We're just working with the offense for the past couple of weeks so I try to help the team out a little bit.
On whether catching a ball in traffic or in a wide open stretch down the field is harder...
Well that's funny you ask that because I was talking to a sport's psychiatrist the other day and he says most of the time the receivers don't drop the ball in traffic just because there not thinking about dropping the ball. It's more when your wide open and you're just waiting for it to get there. I think that yeah, it's pretty accurate just because you're waiting for it and it feels like its taking a year to get there. You just need to keep your focus and concentration.
On getting the hit on special teams...
I kind of ducked my head a little bit so I have a little neck soreness. It was nice. It was actually the first time we didn't pooch it when we were on the spread and so it was nice. It felt like it was bigger hit than it probably was but its all right.
On this win setting the tone for the rest of the season...
We're right in the thick of things and we have a huge game next week against Iowa. I'm already excited for it and we just need to come out and execute our game plan and we're still right there. We'll see what happens.
On what he said going into the second half...
We just had to get in a couple guy's heads. Not on a couple guys, we just got to let them know that we got to do what we go to do and eventually it will help. And it did and you know, in the first half we had the fumble and getting down on the line when we didn't score. It's just a few plays. It always is and so we just have to execute.
Northwestern Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald
On if his team can win without a conventional running attack...
It obviously needs to be improved. As ugly as I am, I'm not the smartest guy in the shed right now. So if we can't run it then I'm not going to keep running it and just say "Gosh darnit I'm going to run the ball." I want to win, so we're going to do whatever we have to do to find a way to win. If that means we have to throw it 175 times in a game, then that's what we'll do.
On the difference between the first half and the second...
They made plays. We didn't.
On the play of wide receiver Zeke Markshausen...
I thought Zeke (Markshausen) played well. I thought he gave us a chance. He's got great hands and finds a way to get open, and he continues to work his tail off to help us win.
On what he told kick returner Jeravin Matthews after he fumbled a fourth quarter kickoff...
Flush it. And then he comes back with a good return, so obviously he listened. Jeravin (Matthews) has been a very productive player for us and he's done so many good things for us in the kicking game, and that one play doesn't define his game or doesn't define his career. It just happens and you've got to squeeze it up. And as a defense you have to go out and put the fire out and not give up a touchdown, give up three. It's a different ballgame if it's a six-point game, not a two-score game.
On how he sees his team at this juncture in the season...
I see a team right now that's not in a very good mood. We come on the road, we start the right way, we give ourselves a chance to be in a football game against a very good team, and we didn't get the job done. So what are you going to do about it? That's what I asked them. Are we going to be a team that's going to respond like the way we did at times throughout the course of this game and work to improve and get better in practice next week and get ready for a big homecoming game.
There's five weeks left in the season, we've put ourselves in a position to have a significant last month and a half. And you've got to go and take it in a Big Ten game, no one is going to give it to you. You've got to go make things happen to win. And that's what we need to focus on and improve. We've got so many young guys out there right now, that's the only option we have. We have so many young players playing. They just need to keep working their tails off to get better and that's what we're going to do to try to coach them; keep having fun and keep improving.
Northwestern Sophomore Superback Drake Dunsmore
On fighting for the extra play...
We were just fighting for extra yards and trying to make an extra play. I probably should have gone down a little earlier, once I felt the defensemen ripping away at the ball. It was just a tough break.
On if he thought Michigan State played a more physical game...
I felt we were pretty evenly matched teams. This game really just came down to a few plays, like my turnover and the turnover on special teams. Those were huge. When two teams that are evenly matched like this come together, those plays count.
On Michigan State's fast scoring...
It felt like Michigan State made those plays in a finger-snap. It was kind of heartbreaking, but we are a team that doesn't stop fighting and we played until the end.
On establishing a running game...
I felt like we had our chances, and we just missed them. Like I said, with two evenly matched teams, those plays make a difference.
Northwestern Senior Defensive Tackle Adam Hahn
On the first play, stopping the Michigan State touchdown...
It is a great way to start off the game. We got put in a hard situation with them getting the ball close to the 50, and to come out and stop them there, which was a good way to start the game and get momentum on our side.
On what he thinks changed in the third quarter...
I think just little mishaps and guys not filling the gaps. Just one guy out of position can turn things around, so we just have a couple things we need to fix at practice.
On Northwestern's penetrations...
Definitely in the first half we were playing well and penetrating. We were getting off blocks and making plays in the backfield. We just had the momentum on our side and we kept it on our side.
On playing a physical game...
We definitely played a physical game. We were coming off the ball, we were attacking, we were shutting them down at the line of scrimmage and forcing them to pass the ball. Then in the second half we just got away from that a little bit. Not a lot, but it was just a play here and a play there, but in the long run those things add up.
Northwestern Redshirt Senior Quarterback Mike Kafka
On if he felt he was under a lot of pressure...
No. I felt the line played really well. We just have to execute a little more and put some more points on the board.
On his connection with Zeke Markshausen...
Zeke's a big time player. He goes out there and plays every week; it's nothing new to us. We just have to keep on giving him the ball because he's making plays. He has done a great job so far.
On the 4th-and-10 play...
We just needed to create a little more space. They did a great job of defending it but I think that we can make that play a lot more often than we did. Zeke (Markshausen) was a little bit short so we just have to throw it a little more out there and let him make a play.
On if the team is upset after the loss...
It's frustrating but you've got to have a short memory. You have to go back and get back after it because it's a long season and the next game up is the most important one.
On Eric Gordon and Greg Jones making plays for Michigan State...
They're definitely athletic guys. They're good players, real good players. I think that our offensive line handled them pretty well for the most part but they're good players so they're going to make plays.
On if he saw the Michigan State defense make adjustments after halftime...
Not really. They ran most of their base stuff, we ran most of our base stuff. We just didn't execute and we have to make plays when plays are out there to be made. We just have to go out and make more plays than they do if we want to get the win.
Northwestern Senior Wide Receiver Zeke Markshausen
On the game being a game of two halves...
It's tough. I really don't know what to say. It is a tale of two halves, it's a full game, it's 60 minutes. We've got to come in there and realize that it's going to be a full game. We have to take advantage of all of the opportunities that we have and try to minimize the mistakes that lead to points. We're disappointed, that's kind of assumed when you lose, but we're going to come back. We've got Indiana next week and we're going to be ready for them.
On the 4th-and-10 pass to him near the end of the game being drawn up for him...
Yes. We saw what they were doing all game and thought we could win against that. I need to push that route a little bit deeper on a 4th-and-10. It was a tough one to pick up and they were bringing some heat too so Mike (Kafka) had to get rid of it pretty soon. The guy made a nice play. He was sitting on it, and you have to give him credit.
On if on the 4th-and-10 he knew that he was a little bit short of the first down...
Yeah I could feel that I was a little bit short of it.
On if he felt quarterback Mike Kafka was on the money...
Mike's doing what he always does. He played real well. He was using his feet today, which is good to see. He was making plays when the pocket breaks and that's a bonus for us. All I can do is run and try to block for him.
On if it felt like all of (Mike) Kafka's completions were going to him...
Not really. You kind of get lost in the game. That's one of the fun things that I enjoy, that you don't really realize what's going on. You're in the moment, you're realizing its second or third down but you're not realizing that I have so many catches or whatever. It really doesn't matter, what matters is wins and losses and we didn't get a win today.
On if he felt like the team could have won the game...
For sure. We walk into every game realizing that "Hey, we can win this game." We have that attitude and that's a credit to the coaches and how they prepare us. Of course the locker room is down a little bit but I guess something that we always say is "flush it". There's nothing that we can do about it now, it's over with all we can do is go 1-0 next week against Indiana. We'll be ready.
On if he saw the Michigan State defense doing anything differently in the second half...
Yeah, I think they made some adjustments. They were playing more man defense against us. It was just something that they saw and we tried to take advantage of but we just ran out of time I guess you'd say.
On what he saw when Drake Dunsmore fumbled...
I guess I didn't see that play because I was trying to get a block for him. I just heard the crowd's reaction to it. Drake's a big guy, he stays up and can take some hits and unfortunately they got in there. He'll make that play 100 times out of 101, so I'm not worried about him. He's going to come back and have a great game next week.
