Spring Football Game: Post-Game Quotes
4/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 24, 2010
Head Coach Mark Dantonio
Opening comments...
I thought it was a great today for our football team. As I said before our team chemistry is very, very good. I think our leadership has been very good throughout this spring. I think it was indicative of today. You look out there today and we played about two thirds of a football game. Not too much special teams involved in that. We're sort of dead (not live) on the special teams except for the field goal and field goal block.
When you look at the performance of our guys you can see that we have good skill. (We) have some guys that can catch the football. We have a couple of quarterbacks that played very well. I thought Joe Boisture played well for a first time young player coming in, he should be going to his prom this week. (Andrew) Maxwell and (Kirk) Cousins played very well.
Defensively we played hard; played well on third down and stopped the run more effectively. I thought we played aggressive down the field, but all in all I thought we showed a better football team. I'm not sure statistically how it works out, but we've got a pretty good football team I think coming back. We're very optimistic about what we're doing, and got out of the spring game with no injuries so that's a big positive. We'll look to move to August and we're very excited about that opportunity coming back with our new young players.
On the defense today...
I really look at it two fold. I saw crisp passing by our quarterbacks. I saw our guys catch the ball very well, but I also saw them separate the football some so that's a positive thing.
I think defensively there were some good hits out there...I thought Chris L. Rucker played very well. I thought Johnny Adams played well. I thought Trenton Robinson played well. Obviously, Greg Jones is always going to play very well. It's tough to evaluate those things until you watch the film, but I thought our defense, when you look at it, I think our third down conversions played pretty well which is indicative of performance and if you stop the run that's also a positive thing. All in all I thought we played on both sides of the ball pretty well.
On Steve Gardiner and Max Bullough...
Both of those guys are highly motivated players who work extremely hard off the field. Max is another guy who should be going to his prom that comes in and spends a lot of time watching football and it's becoming more instinctive to him the better he's going to play because the faster he's going to play. He's a very aggressive football player that diagnoses very well for a young player, and a big physical guy. Steve Gardiner is a guy who last year as a redshirt freshman was hampered a lot by injuries, but he could play a couple of different positions out there for us. I think he had a great spring. He stayed healthy and he's up to 225 pounds. These guys are going to be a presence on our football team. Obviously, Greg Jones is our guy in the middle, but linebackers have been a strength out there. Those guys are going to show up out there on special teams very, very well and it's going to be important that they play well.
On where the kicker position is at...
I think today there were obviously more people in the stands and the wind was swirling around out there a little bit, but that's the way it's going to be on game day too. I think they need to take a step forward. I didn't like the fact that we missed one field goal that I felt we should have made, but this is transition period for those guys. They're young players, they want to do so well and sometimes when you want to do so well out there you get a little hitch or whatever it is, but it's like a golf swing, if you're trying to hard I think sometimes you don't get your foot into it. Both of these guys are capable of making 50-yard field goals plus and they have strong legs. They just need to get in these types of environments. That's why I made the White team kick the field goal. I wanted to see him kick that field goal. I wanted to see more pressure put on our kickers. So it was good he made it.
On the offensive line...
You have to credit our defense a little bit for that, but when you split up a team and you start to play a spring game, especially the way we do it we draft our players, you have ones and twos intermixed in there and if there is any place that that shows I think it shows in the offensive line because they're so used to working with each other at that position.
I think you saw that we have some good running backs, and we'll cut it loose. They protected OK, but the defense played well. Like I said, it goes back and forth. It's very difficult to look at them until you watch (film). If you are looking at things statistically you have a better chance to watch them individually on a film. Say OK he was good here, he was good here, oh this guy wasn't as good. Systematically everybody has to be good on one particular play and then the fullback has to do his job and everything has to work cohesively, but I've seen our guys progress greatly this spring. Again, I feel good where we're at.
On Dan France...
Dan is a redshirt freshman and he came here as a guy who played outside backer in high school. He came here 240 pounds, then 260, then 280, he's 303 or 305 pounds right now. He's very active. He's an extremely hard worker. He reminds me a lot of Tim Anderson who was with us at Ohio State when I was there. A tough guy and he'll continue to get better and better. He'll be a freshman next year and he has a very promising future.
Green Team Head Coach Mike Tressel
Opening statement...
I was coaching the Green team today and the first thing I'll say is that I learned that being a head coach is no fun. That was a little too close at the end considering I thought we played well the whole day long and then all of a sudden, the last play of the game, the last couple plays of the game, we were almost losing. That's the great thing about the game of football so that was sort of fun.
Our seniors that were on the Green team made a good decision with taking the first pick and going with Kirk Cousins. Hopefully that's common sense for most of the football people in this room. Obviously Kirk was a great leader for our guys. After 15 (practices) I think our stats were about 250 yards and probably had a little running but he did a fantastic job but it was fun. The D-line played real well. They got some quarterback sacks, obviously pressures important when you're going against a freshman quarterback and (Andrew) Maxwell is going to be a fantastic player. But it was a fun game.
On Max Bullough and Steve Gardiner's play...
They both played a lot. They both had a good day. The main thing I would say is that as MIKE linebackers they have to have the defense running smoothly, lined up properly and doing things the right way. The one thing I can tell you without watching tape is that they did do that. I look at the stats and I see that Gardiner had seven tackles and a sack and another half of a tackle for loss and that's fantastic. I don't see how many tackles Max had but it ran smooth. Those two guys that haven't been in there that much and they're asked to be the quarterback of the defense, they did a good job.
On giving Antonio Jeremiah a carry and what that play can do for his confidence...
Well that's one thing with having Coach Staten on your team as an offensive coach, whether he's calling the plays or not, he's going to put a bunch of wrinkles in there. I've gone against him in the spring too and as a defensive coach its like, `Oh gosh. What is he going to try and do in the spring game?' Antonio is obviously a great athlete and a huge human being, so hopefully that helps his confidence a lot but the bottom line is that football is fun. The spring game is supposed to be fun. And that was fun.
On the running game in general and having the two freshmen, Nick Hill and Le'Veon Bell...
I thought they did a good job. I thought they ran hard. The obvious, initial comment is going to be that they can't fumble the football. Nick Hill had one explosive run. It might have been the one explosive run of the entire day and we lost the football at the end of it. You can't have that. But you got to see that both Nick Hill and Le'Veon Bell are hard runners and they will be great football players. Our guys felt comfortable having two high school seniors as the tailbacks on the team. So apparently it worked out. But obviously Edwin Baker did a heck of a job too. He made us look ugly one time.
On Mark Dell and B.J. Cunningham's game...
It's exciting. You look at the receiver spot, and all of the sudden you have two teams, we were able to split into two teams and say that the White team, they have a good receiving corps with Keshawn (Martin) and (Keith) Nichol. And then you say, `Oh Green. They have Dell and they have Cunningham, they have a good receiving corps. And Sonntag, etc.' For the defense, going through 15 practices, we knew we had enough to break into two groups and have a good receiving corps on both sides. Dell and Cunningham did a great job.
On his perspective of the 3-4...
I would say, you will see it limited. We run so much 3-4 on third downs, we don't want to be caught in a situation where the only time we run the defense is in long yards and we want to be able to have it in there in a basic situation. We want our guys to know how to fill up the run game and if it ran on the third-and-medium and we're in a 3-4 look. Obviously there are some differences when you're running a 3-4 on a first-and-10, as opposed to a nickel 3-4. But I felt like it was in our package and there wasn't much adjustment.
On the depth of the linebacker position...
We're gaining depth at linebacker, there's no doubt about it. You have to put your best football players on the football field so we want to always to have the system in place to do that.
On Denicos Allen's play...
I was fired up about Denicos Allen, I really was. He played safety during the fall so he started spring ball learning from square one. You teach in the spring like everyone's been there in the fall, but he wasn't. First couple days when he was limited in there, he did a good job then he sort of hit a lull a little bit but then he finished strong and I'm excited.
White Team Head Coach Dave Warner
Opening statements...
Our big problem right off the bat was the inability to establish a running game. I think when you go into a game like this, you mix up your offensive line. That certainly affects the guys because they haven't been working together all spring, which showed today. So far, I think that is our biggest problem.
In the end, you hope to have a chance to win, as Coach Dantonio always alludes to. In the fourth quarter we had a chance to tie it up and go into overtime, the defense did their job and got the ball back for us, but unfortunately we didn't have enough time to take the ball all the way down. Throughout the game, we try and make this as fun as possible for our players and I think they enjoyed it. Unfortunately I am the head coach of the losing team today.
On what will make Keith Nichol a great receiver...
Going into this spring, Keith made the decision to concentrate on being a receiver. We are continuing to work on the quarterback position, but other than a couple bowl practices, his experience is at wide receiver. He is big and strong, and since the day we moved him to receiver, he has been at the top of the receiver testing category we have. The thing that will take him to an elite receiver is to keep working at the position because it just takes time and repetition. We saw him at practices, and you saw him today, he can make some fantastic catches. But, there is still a lot of fine-tuning to be done out there, as far as releases versus press coverage and route running, but we are happy with where he has progressed. The sky is the limit for him and we love having him out there.
On the performance of the quarterbacks...
I thought they performed fairly well. Just looking at the stats, Kirk Cousins was 10-of-15, which is pretty good. Andrew Maxwell has had a very good spring. I am happy with where he is at statistically, although he was not as good today. Joe Boisture also got in there today and did some good things. Throughout the spring I feel lucky to have a good, solid nucleus of quarterbacks. We feel very confident going into this season, especially with Cousins' season of experience under his belt. We expect him to just keep getting better. We also have a lot of confidence in Maxwell, the only thing he is lacking is experience, so hopefully we get the opportunity to get him that experience and grow as a quarterback.
On Kirk Cousins' progress...
From a mental standpoint, he has always been a hard worker. But I think now that he is established, he feels more comfortable in the leadership role. He is not afraid to step on people's toes and lead this football team. I think that is a great improvement. And on the football field, he just continues to work to find a way. He is always asking me what he can do to continue to get better and to become an elite quarterback. We are happy that he is here and we think he is just going to keep getting better and better.
On the running game...
Throughout our seasons here, we have been able to mix and run passes, which makes for a more efficient offense. It allows you to throw the ball better, especially down the field for a play-action pass. And we are not going to deviate from that, we are going to be a balanced offense. And while it didn't show today, I felt like our offensive line has come along from earlier this spring. We just need to go into next season and solidify this line. Right now we have players bouncing around, but as we get guys stabilized in their positions I think we will improve.
On Cousins' play-action, 58-yard pass to Dell...
We did not plan that, that play was just drawn up in the dirt by Coach Staten, but we have done that in the past. He did a great job with it, and those type of things give you a chance for big plays and that goes back to being able to run the football.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins
On his receivers...
They did a phenomenal job. I can't say enough good things about the guys we had to throw the ball to. It makes my job easy. I thought Mark (Dell) and BJ (Cunningham) showed today, and Brad (Sonntag) and Dion Sims showed on our team how talented they are. Then you have Keith (Nichol) and Keshawn (Martin), CD Rucker, and Charlie Gantt, the list goes on and on, we have plenty of guys who can make plays for us. That's an exciting thing and we'll just keep working all summer and make sure our timing is down and we're communicating well and we don't settle for where we're at. We'll continue to develop. We're a team that wants to run the ball first and play action pass second. If we choose to pass we need to get our timing down.
On his leadership...
I think that every year you go out on the field and prove yourself as a player then you have a little more authority to say. As a backup, or a reserve or a young player, you just can't have that authority. I think that just comes with the territory, and comes as you're here longer and become a veteran player you have more opportunities to speak your piece. That's what I've tried to do, and we'll continue to try to do that as we move forward.
On Joe Boisture...
He's a high school senior right now, so to come in here early, you're asking a lot of the guy, but he did a great job trying to learn everything. Everything gets thrown at you very fast and he has to process a lot of information, especially as a quarterback, a running back takes a lot more of a physical beating, but a quarterback takes a mental beating and there's a lot to learn there. He's done a great job trying to learn it all, and again, he's trying to figure out college level courses too, so his school load is tough. That's a difficult thing to ask of a guy who just came out of high school a semester early, but he's done a great job processing it and he did a good job today to help our team win.
On Keith Nichol's position switch, and having Mark Dell and B.J. Cunningham back...
Obviously not being with us in the bowl game they got overlooked there. I think they showed today that we missed them on that day in the bowl game because they're great receivers. I told them last year even when we got a lot of tough losses, I texted them to say, Mark and BJ and Blair although we lost it's fun to play with you guys because you're such great players and competitors. Today it was just a blast to play with them. They do such a great job, they want to be great, and that's nice to work with, guys who want to be great. They get overlooked a little, but today I think they showed that they belong out there, and there's a reason that both guys have had over 50 catches for us.
Linebacker Greg Jones
On the younger guys playing his position...
I think they're doing a great job. They started in the film room. They've been really learning a lot in film and just absorbing the defense as much as they can. They were on the field and flying around. When you play the MIKE (middle linebacker) you have to get things in order, you have to call out things, and you have to be the eyes and ears for both sides for the front end and the back end. They did both today, and they did a good job.
On the defense...
I really think it started with the underclassmen; realizing that we have a younger defense then we normally have, and those guys have been improving. I think we brought those underclassmen up, and they've been doing a great job.
On his weight in practice...
I feel like I've been carrying it pretty well. I get a little bit more jokes about my weight now, but I like it. It's fun and I feel like I can still fly around.
On the defense compared to 2009...
I'm fine with it being on our shoulders. At the same time I feel as a defense we can respond. I feel like we're going to come together like always and respond.
Cornerback Johnny Adams
On how he thought his team played today...
We played good, we played to our expectations and now we need to reach our expectations and go higher. We played good today.
On how he feels he's going to compete with guys that don't have experience next season...
Guys like Jesse Johnson and Patrick (White), they are the guys that are going to step in and help us out on certain plays and getting in and getting us those breaks. They don't come in and just step out there if someone's down or not having a good day. They step in and play.
On after not playing last season, how he feels about the upcoming fall...
Not playing last year was a humbling experience, so me being able to get out there and play in the spring game, it kind of gave me a little chill, so I'm ready for next season.
Linebacker Steve Gardiner
On being able to react more instead of thinking...
I think watching Greg Jones and the older guys have helped a lot. I have spent the past couple of years watching so I think mentally I have taken a step forward.
On the depth at the linebacker position...
I think all of the linebackers played good and I think a lot of it had to do with the D-line. We had a lot of young guys taking reps. This whole spring, I think we all did really well. I think it will be interesting come fall with the competition for the spots we have. I think we have made each other a lot better.
On having a defensive mind set with Coach Tressel coaching the green team...
I think he made us all feel pretty comfortable. We are used to having him out there calling all the plays, calling the defense and everything else. And I think we did draft a better defense because of him and it felt good out there.
Linebacker Max Bullough
On Greg Jones being a mentor to him...
He's helped me a lot. Just with film and teaching me the little stuff, the little subtle things you wouldn't think would happen. But he's taught me and he's been great.
On how his practice has translated to his field experience...
Practice has been great. Coming here in the spring has probably been one of the best decisions of my life just because if we still had 20 more practices, I still feel like everyday I would get that much more comfortable, that much more comfortable each and every play.
On if his experience from spring football translated into his ability to make calls...
I hope so. We have a lot of guys out there. The MIKE linebackers (middle) along with the safeties and a couple of the older guys, I was out there playing with Eric Gordon quite a bit; he knows a lot more than me because he has been here for awhile. They have been really helpful.
On the transition from high school football to college football...
It was tough at first. It was tough to get adjusted the first week or two. And I'm still adjusting. I believe I'm still adjusting, or I at least hope I am because that means I'll just be that much better when I am adjusted. But it's great. I love playing these guys and I feel comfortable.
Wide Receiver Mark Dell
On how it felt to play...
I think that was the first time we have been out there in front of the fans since last season against Penn State, and it was just great to be out there. Unfortunately, I missed the bowl game, but it was just a blessing to be given a second chance to be out there...It just felt like home again.
On his role for this upcoming season...
I feel like I am a leader for this team. I still have to go out and show my senior leadership. I am a veteran here, so I need to help with the younger players. I don't think any of that will change and I don't want to put any added pressure on myself. When the coaches brought us back, we all decided that we were just going to put everything behind us. We served our time and we are just trying to move forward from it.
On Keith Nichol's performance...
I would give Keith an A, because it is hard to make that adjustment. To be a wide receiver you have to be very athletic and learn to separate from the defensive back position. It is hard to make that transition, and to see him do it so naturally, it shows a lot of his athletic ability.
On the hardest part about transitioning to wide-receiver...
I think a lot of people underestimate the receiver position, because it is not just running and catching. But you have to learn how to set the defensive backs up and to get the timing right with the quarterbacks.
