Michigan State 34, Notre Dame 31 (OT)
9/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 18, 2010
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Michigan State Head Coach Mark Dantonio
Opening statement
Wow, what a football game, huh. Great game. I don't really know where to start. We made a great play at the end of the game. Execution, that's what gets it done. Aaron Bates, he's just been an unbelievable football player since he's come here. There's a reason that he was named captain. Not just because of his playing ability but because of him as a football player and him in tough situations. We executed. Charlie Gantt sneaks out there and gets separation and makes the catch. All of that doesn't work without execution. I thought it was a great football game. I give a lot of credit to Notre Dame. They are a well- coached football team. They play extremely hard. They have good players that make plays. I give a lot of credit to our football team. We hung in, we kept playing. Sometimes it wasn't perfect but we ran the ball effectively. I don't know how many times we have had three two- hundred-yard rushing games in a row. Not in my time as a head football coach. So, we made quite a statement. Edwin Baker had a big play. Le'Veon Bell had a big play. I thought [Kirk] Cousins played well, big touchdown passes in tough situations. We needed a play on special teams and got it. Like we said all along, we needed one big momentum play. We just didn't know when it would come. I don't really know where to start or end. But it was a big night for the Spartans.
On when the game winning play got called
Actually, when he sacked the quarterback. I looked at him and I said, "Little Giants." That's the name of the play.
On the trick play
We actually put it in on Wednesday. It worked every time. We looked at all the different looks that they would have and felt like it was about timing. Obviously it's about timing. And they lined up to try and block it. They had the first option covered. The second option was to go to Le'Veon Bell and they had that covered. And Aaron (Bates) sort of looped to the right. Great job by [Dan] Conroy distracting the corner as he was coming up the field. To be honest, we made the call "Little Giants" and I said a little prayer. I said "let's go".
On if calling the trick play was in response to Dan Conroy's experience
It did have something to do with it. Not to take anything away from Dan. I didn't want to put that kind of pressure on him. I'd rather the pressure be on us or on me. With a 47-yarder, I would have hated to have put that kind of pressure on him and us come up short with it. He's very capable of it obviously. The last kick of the game against Notre Dame, in overtime, to tie it. And I thought that we had a good chance to win it. We had that play called 200 times and we scored touchdowns.
On what Notre Dame did defensively
They have good players. They run a good system. They are disciplined in what they do. As I said coming into the football game, I think their MIKE linebacker [Manti] Te'o is a very good player. They have a lot of good players. They had a pass rush. They played well. We played well at times too, very well at times too. It was a great football game to watch. I mentioned it on the radio show, that hopefully someday when I'm 65 I'll watch it on TV.
On his team committing 11 penalties
The thing that's frustrating is that some of them were unforced penalties. Some things like Aaron Bates stepped out of bounds before he stepped back into bounds to punt the ball at one time and we got a flag for that. We have to keep preaching that and talking about that but it's got to come with execution. We had some holding penalties. We had some frustrating penalties to be quite honest with you, too. You keep playing. Our guys kept playing. We didn't quit. We maintained that since I have been here - our players play. They will come to play every game. That is what you see. And we will take whatever comes, but I am very, very proud of them and the way they handled themselves. They never quit. Our sideline was alive. They wanted to come out with new uniforms on and I said "Hey, let's go."
Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly
Opening Statement
This is a difficult loss obviously. It came down to one play, which Michigan State executed, and we did not. This was a game that went back-and-forth, it was a hard-fought game, but we came up short.
On the last play of the game
It was the same play that MSU ran against Texas Tech, it was well executed, and our guy who was in coverage fell down. It was a good throw, he caught the ball and they executed the play. They deserved to win.
On what he told his team
Well this hurts, so there isn't a lot I can tell them that is going to make them feel better. This is about belief - what do you believe in> After a loss as difficult as this- what do you believe in> Do you believe in your teammates> Do you believe in your coaches> Do you believe in the preparation> If you do, we will come back and work hard to get better. If you don't believe, then these are times where a team falls apart.
On junior quarterback Dayne Crist
Dayne did some good things, but what he has to work on is ball control and taking care of the football. We turned the ball over three times, twice in the red zone. So the things he has to work on are essentially the little details. He is starting to grow as a quarterback and I'm proud of the way he competes, but we have a lot of work to do cleaning up things that keep drives alive.
On the defensive ends and safety positions
Those kids are warriors. We had three defensive ends that played through significant injuries. [Senior Darrin] Walls had to go get his shoulder worked on, which put [Junior Robert] Blanton at a lot more of the corner position and that took more out of his gas tank. We are just really thin there, but they are battling. I am really proud of how they are battling.
Michigan State junior quarterback Kirk Cousins
On Aaron Bates' throw
It was a phenomenal throw. I think that was the best throw of the day. I am not jealous, I am extremely happy. He won us the game. Just a little taste of why we are both captains.
On the atmosphere of a big night game
It was a lot of fun. It was an exciting atmosphere. I can't say enough about our student section, our fans who support us. They did a tremendous job tonight. They really cheered us on and made a big difference.
Senior punter Aaron Bates
On the play call to go for the win in overtime
We practice the play all the time, we really wanted to run it and Coach Dantonio wanted to run it too, especially one he draws up. He wanted to run it a couple other times throughout the game, but the opportunity didn't come across. We had it on the right hash and they were playing the defense we wanted them to run, and he has some guts and he called it up. Senior tight end, Charlie Gantt, got open and he did a god job getting open, originally the play was called for freshman running back Le'Veon Bell, but he kind of got twisted up, which we wanted to happen. Charlie Gantt cleared up and I just threw it up there and knew that he would catch it.
Thoughts when he saw that senior tight end Charlie Gantt was open
I wasn't really thinking, I just kind of reacted. I just threw it and as soon as it left my hand I was hoping that I didn't overthrow it.
Senior tight end Charlie Gantt
Thoughts on the pass play
It was designed for La'Veon Bell, and all through the week of practice I never got the ball once, La'Veon would shoot up the middle and catch it. Aaron Bates did a great job of reading it, Le'Veon was covered and jammed two people, I got up and caught the ball.
On his mindset when the ball was in the air
`Just catch it, do not drop the ball.' Once I caught it and knew I was going to score, the next thing I thought was `Don't get dragged to the bottom of the pile.' Last year against Michigan I was on the bottom of the pile, and it was probably the worst feeling of my life. I just made sure to stay on my feet and go celebrate with my teammates and it was the most incredible feeling of my life. In my entire life, it was the most amazing feeling ever. . Michigan State Freshman Running Back Le'Veon Bell
On the final play
When I looked up I saw Charlie [Gantt] down the field and I was thinking "Please catch the ball so we can go home."
On jamming a defender to get Gantt open for the touchdown
I did. Charlie is usually supposed to bump my man [on that play], but I ended up bumping his because once we got out there it was just different. I was just glad that Charlie caught the ball and made the play.
On playing in his first big game against Notre Dame
It was definitely exciting for me. When I first ran out of the tunnel, it's a night game and all of these people just yelling. But at the same time I was nervous...
On letting a defender sack quarterback Kirk Cousins late in the game
I just kept hope alive. The guy that blitzed, it was my guy. He just slid off me while I was trying to hold him back, and he just got around me and he got pressure on Kirk [Cousins].
Michigan State Senior Captain Josh Rouse
Opening Statement
Well, wow. That was a great win. It was very special for me to be out there as a captain with everything I've gone through, with the injury and everything. Everybody's been so supportive of me and made this really easy, and I didn't know I was so popular. Everything went great tonight and it was a great game. It was a really proud moment to walk out there on the field with the captains and do the coin toss. I'm just really proud of my guys out there, they fought all game and came out with the win.
On if he held off running onto the field due to his serious neck injury
I'm not supposed to be running or doing anything like that so I wanted to run out on the field with the team and [Coach Dantonio] was like "No, you're walking with me." So he kind of had to calm me down there and escort me to the sideline...[At the end of the game] I think I might have taken a skip or hop along the way there once or twice. It was so exciting, I don't really feel my neck right now.
Notre Dame Junior Tight End Kyle Rudolph
On the emotions after the game
It hurts. When you go out like that you've just got to come together as a team and believe in each other and come back on Monday.
On why is this team equipped to handle a loss like this
We're built for this, we're gonna come back. We said last week we're never going to quit fighting no matter what the score is, how much time is left on the clock, or what our record is. We're going to come back next week and be ready to go.
Whether if on 3rd and 2 in OT they felt like they had the first down
Yea, I was definitely right at the stake. I had the point in the corner of my eye and I thought I was right there when I caught the ball, but you know, they marked it short and we've just got to make plays.
Junior Quarterback Dayne Crist
On the difficulty of this loss.
Obviously, an incredibly tough loss. Guys were battling the entire game, it's never a good thing to lose - and in this type of fashion it's pretty devastating.
On how Coach talked about having to believe at this point
I'm not worried about our guys at all. Right now, guys are upset obviously. It's a tough loss and guys are hurt by that, but we'll give it time to get out of our systems. I have no worry about guys bouncing back and being ready to go next week.
On whether the offense took another step this week
I think so. I think that when we watch it tomorrow, that will be one of the positives. But were always going to look back and think `What if we made a play here or there, or executed a little better, what would have happened>'
Notre Dame Junior Receiver Michael Floyd
On the tough loss
It's tough, it's really hard to grasp this 1-2 (record), and it's hard to take it in for the team.
On the expectations for this year after last year
We're not really worried about last year, but because we worked so hard and tried so hard and tried to make this game happen - and we fell short .
On the final moments of the game
I was just disappointed, in myself sometimes. I let the team down with my fumble and that was a play during the early part of the game and I think it affected the team and you can't do stuff like that.
Notre Dame Sophomore Safety Zeke Motta
His overall thoughts on the game
Words really can't explain it right now, it's just an awful taste in your mouth.
On the secondary battling injuries
I mean it's tough right now. All I can say is that we're out there with the guys we have and we want everybody that's injured to get healthy as soon as they can.
On the difficulty of the game
It was tough, it was tough on my body and I was fighting hard but you hate to come out like that.
On MSU's running attack and the hardest part of defending it
I couldn't really tell you one thing, we just have to be on our job and when the play is called we have to do the right thing. I think we were pretty much on top of our game except for a couple plays.
