Post Game Quotes: Rutgers

Michigan State Head Coach Mel Tucker

Opening Statement...
First of all, I'd like to thank our staff and our medical personnel, athletic trainers and our doctors. What they have done and what they continue to do throughout this process, to even give us a chance to go out and compete and go out there and play. They have done a heckuva job and continue to do so. I know that our fans expect more from this football team, more than we showed today, and we expect more from ourselves. There is a higher standard. We've got work to do; we've got work to do. We're going to watch the tape. We've got a lot of corrections that we need to make. We will make those corrections. You usually make the most improvement between the first and second game. We've got a big game; we've got Michigan next week. We've got to focus on controlling what we can control. We have go to continuing moving forward. This is the beginning; this is not the end and this is a process. And I know that, and our staff knows that. We know what we have to do to continue to take steps to play the type of football that we expect to play up to the standard that we need to play.

On if the mistakes were surprising...
Those were disappointing obviously. Turnover margin is the largest determining factor in winning or losing games college and pro. We talk about it all the time, the ball, the ball, the ball. Taking care of the football and taking the ball away on defense. We turn the ball over seven times; it is going to be tough to beat anyone. You're not going to be able to beat good teams; you're not going to be able to beat any teams when you do that. I also want to give Greg Schiano and Rutgers - give them credit. Give them credit where credit is due. They made enough plays; they played hard for 60 minutes. And they out-executed us. I was disappointed; we were all disappointed. Those are all things that are correctable, and so we will go back to the drawing board.

On the differences on the mental and technical parts of the game...
They go hand in hand. A lot of the game is mental even though this is a very physical game. But our mental disposition toward competing, I saw our guys continue to play for 60 minutes, continue to fight and work to score and get stops and stuff like that. That is a good sign and there was energy and there was fire and there was 'want to' on the field and the sidelines and in the locker room after the game. There was passion and desire and there was a football character about this team that I do appreciate. They take coaching; they work hard, and when you do those types of things, good things are going to happen. We have to stay with our process; we have to correct our mistakes. Because our guys are coachable, we respect them; they respect our staff. We will be able to able make those corrections. We will be able to improve. That is going to start right away. Our guys understand that. So, I am looking forward to watching this film, and see where we need to improve and making those corrections and getting ready for Michigan.

On gaging the play of Rocky Lombardi and the inability to get the run going...
Offensively, our philosophy is we want to be able to run the ball on our terms, and we weren't able to do that today. So that makes it tough because when you are somewhat one dimensional, it is hard to be successful. I thought that Rocky did some good things out there. If you look at his stats, 31-44 319, three touchdowns, that is pretty good production. I know there was a turnover early in the game, but we will have to watch the film. I think there was some miscommunication there, obviously at the end he is trying to make a play. I think he showed really good leadership in this game. He continued to play the next play. He played tough; he played physical and he continued to fight. So just like the rest of the players, he is going to continue to improve. We are going to coach him just like we are going to coach the rest of these guys on some of the mistakes that they made. We will work to get better this week.

On the decision to go for it on 4th-and-3 late in the game...
We were just looking to be aggressive. We thought that was something that we could convert. We missed a fourth down earlier in the game, but we came back on another fourth out and scored a touchdown. We were still down a couple scores, so going for it on fourth down when you have 1-2-3 yards to go is not unusual of in this day and age of football, especially when you are trying to be aggressive and try to score points and when you are down in the game. We wanted to be aggressive and it didn't work out for us.

On where the team is when it comes to absorbing the defense...
Obviously, our guys have learned our scheme and communications is a big part of playing defense and playing offense. I thought our guys communicated. We were able to substitute. We were concerned with the pace of play and how fast there were able to go, but we were able to get lined up and get in position to make plays. We have to do a better job of tackling, obviously we were in position to make so plays and didn't make them. We have to make sure that we don't give up big plays in the passing game. We are going to have communicate on our defense. We are going to give calls and get calls and we will make checks and we will do things. As long as a guys are lined up when the ball is snapped and they know what they're assignment is we should be ok. It is going to be more about the execution when the ball is snapped. I felt like our guys were confident in our game plan. We were able to execute quite a bit in the game, and were able to get some 3-and-outs at some critical times. I thought the guys played really hard, but we have a lot of work to do..

On using five running backs, the status of the position and staring Connor Heyward…
I've said all along we want to play multiple backs. Our depth chart and our rep chart is fluid, based upon production in practice. We grade every practice and every scrimmage - the ability to run the ball, pass protection, the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and there is nothing set in stone. All of those guys we played have talent and we're gong to play multiple guys. I like some things I saw out of some of those guys. Like Jordon Simmons, he's a guy that went in there and showed he had some burst through the hole and made some plays. We've got competition at that position and I think that's a good thing. You're going to earn what you get – you're going to earn the carries, you're going to earn the touches on the practice field – and that's at every position. We're going to continue to do that. It's an unselfish group, which is good, and they understand that there is going to be competition every day. So we'll continue to do that.

On who started at running back…
They all competed very hard during our camp and gave great effort. The guys that earned the right to play, they played in the game. So, you saw all those guys that were out there, they deserved to play because of the work they put in.

On the play of wide receiver Jayden Reed…
Obviously, you can see Jayden can make plays - he's an explosive athlete. He can make plays in the return game, he's an explosive receiver, he can make guys miss, he's got really good hands and he's got good burst and acceleration. Obviously, we need to take care of the football. We put a premium on ball security. Those are things that can be corrected and will be corrected. He's not a player that you see putting the ball on the ground in practice. I know that we can get that cleaned up. He's a weapon for us. He's hard to cover and he can make plays. We're going to continue to work with him and get him forward to where he needs to be.

On responding to turnovers on the sideline during the game…
You just have to continue to play the next play. You confront guys, you talk to them about it and then guys go back out there and compete. We'll look at it. We'll see what other types of drills that we can do in practice to help with the ball security. We work on ball security drills every day. We actually start every single practice with a series of ball security drills. We grade them and talk about it and show (the players). Today, obviously with seven turnovers, that's very disappointing, so we'll figure out some different ways to emphasize ball security and do those this week.

On the offensive line and having difficulty running the ball…
I have to watch the film and see exactly what happened in the trenches, but overall just looking at it, it didn't look like we were able to control the line of scrimmage like we need to. In order for us to have the type of offense that we need to have, the balance we need to have. We have to be efficient running the ball, whether that's on the perimeter or inside. So, we'll take a hard look at that. In order for us to be successful, we have to more efficient running the football.

Michigan State senior linebacker Antjuan Simmons

On the biggest positive out of the day and needs to be worked on…
We just have to work on making plays when we need to, getting off the field and being disciplined. I feel like we were in the right position on a lot of the plays; we were right there, we just have to make the plays. We have to keep a positive mindset. They were making plays on us, but we kept fighting and that's a positive. Guys kept fighting and kept their heads in the game.

On the big plays, how much of it was alignment and how much was scheme…
I honestly don't know. It looked as if guys were in the right position, most, if not all, of the time. We just have to make plays, those guys are scholarship, too. We're on scholarship, we just have to make plays.

On how he feels they've embraced the defensive scheme…
I think we've embraced it well. We're playing hard, we're running everything they're sending into us. There are no issues, there are no disagreements or anything like that. Whatever they send in or call, we're going to run it and have the right attitude.

How much does today's game play a role in what you can do going forward…
We have a lot of room for improvement. We're going to come back next week like a completely different team. We have to clean up our play. We shot ourselves in the foot a lot today – a lot. We really have to clean up our play – play harder, play smarter, play with an edge, bring energy…We started off flat and things got out of control on us quick, but we kept fighting and stayed in the fight.

We just have to clean up our play, make plays and play harder.

On what the experience was like playing in a mostly empty stadium…
To me, it felt like a normal game. We just had to bring a little more energy on the sideline. I personally wasn't paying attention (to not having a crowd). It didn't feel any different or anything like that. Nothing takes away from the game, it's not like the crowd has a direct impact on the game - it's between the players and both teams.

On adjusting to the turnovers, especially deep in the MSU end of the field…
We just have to play ball. Adversity is going to happen in football games. We just have to finish. We were in good situations. We might have been in the short end of the field, but it doesn't matter. We had them on third downs, fourth downs…we just have to finish and make plays. We were right there as a defense. Whatever they threw at us, we were there. We have to make plays and finish.

Michigan State junior safety Xavier Henderson

On the difference of using different defensive backs and how it worked…
I think the biggest difference between the defense this year and last year is kind of how we keep our leverage, how we leverage the football, and how we try not to let it outside of us. I think the defense last year was made to bounce things outside and not let anything inside and we did a great job of that last year, not letting the ball inside of us. This year, we kind of want to not let it run side to side and make plays on the ball inside out. Today we didn't do the best job of that and that's something we got to work on coming up and watch the film.

On the fluidity of defense communication…
I think it was fluid, I think it was clean and that's something we work on during practice. Just like Coach Tucker said, their tempo was something we were a little concerned on, so we really practiced hard on getting substitutions on and off the field. We were able to do that today, we were able to get the call and really communicate the call throughout the defense. I thought it went well today and I don't think there were too many missed assignments, hopefully not. We will watch the film and see but the communication is a big part in making sure everyone has their assignment.

On how tough it is for the offense to turn it over…
It is tough, but football is a tough game, and we pride ourselves on being tough players. That is a challenge that we like to step up too. We were able to hold them to a field goal on a couple of them, I think they got to the end zone on some of them, but it is a pride thing. It's a toughness thing and we know we have the offense's back, and they got our back.

On the stop in the third quarter being a momentum changer…
That is big, especially when they get down there towards that red zone. It is something we talked about, is being clutch and those are clutch situations. Football is a situational game and those are big momentum shifters. It is a game of momentum and when they get down there, we can hold them, that is big and maybe we get a hand, the field goal sometimes. That's something we can work on too."

Michigan State redshirt junior quarterback Rocky Lombardi

On your performance today…
I think overall, obviously, at the end of the day my performance wasn't good enough to win us the game. In my mind, I need to be better. Some things I did well was I completed most of my passes, kept the ball in play, and kept us moving in the right direction. I think the offense showed us some good things today. We were moving the ball. Obviously, we killed ourselves with the turnovers, but we were moving the ball and showing that we can be productive on offense and we can score touchdowns.

On how it was communicated to you that you would start this game…
I learned earlier this week. I cannot remember the exact day, but sometime earlier this week. I think that, ultimately, Coach Tucker obviously wants to win games and wants to put the best players out there and I think it was a combination of my experience, my leadership, and trying to be the best player that I can be. I learned earlier this week, but I think it comes down to putting the players out there that you think will give you the best chance to win.

On the turnover in the first possession…
That is one heck of a way to start a game, so it was pretty unfortunate. Like I said earlier, I think that we showed a lot of good things and like you were talking about, the turnovers. I do not know if there has ever been, in the history of football, a team to win a game with seven turnovers. You guys can challenge me on that one, I do not want you to find an example but when you turn the ball over seven times, you are not going to win a game. It was pretty unfortunate that that happened, but we got to work on that this week and stay locked in.
On what the offense is going to improve for next week…

I think, obviously, turnovers, we got to get rid of turnovers. I think if we really don't turn the ball over today, we have a really efficient and productive offensive day, and honestly the defense would be more productive too because I think a lot of the defensive points we gave up today were on the offense because we are turning the ball over in our own territory and momentum swings. There are so many obstacles for the defense to overcome, so cutting out those turnovers and being comfortable with what we are doing. I think that we really had a productive day on offense, aside from the turnovers, so it is just continuing to do what we are doing and all of our teammates are thinking about moving on from the game and that's win or loss. We could have come in here and beat them by one hundred, and we are on the next game. That is all you can do, you got to move on. You don't get those opportunities back; you don't get those games back.

Rutgers Head Coach Greg Schiano

Opening Statement…
I'm really proud of our guys. Our coaching staff, our support staff, and most of all, our players. They have worked incredibly hard in a very difficult environment, for a long time. Starting back sometime in early June, and now playing in late October, that's a lot of hard work and a lot of starting and stopping. I'm just very proud of our guys. It's great to get started with a victory, but we need to make sure we keep it all in perspective. It was a really hard-fought game, and we were able to take the ball away that gave us opportunities to find a way to win, but as we know you don't take the ball away seven times each week. We have a lot of work to do, and we know that. We did learn something about ourselves. We learned that we will work hard, and we will stick together. We will take the work from the practice field and be able to put some parts of that on the game field. I believed we would do that after watching these guys practice, but everyone learns about themselves and their teammates or coaches when you get to go against some competition. It's a good start, but that's really all it is, just a start. We won't lose perspective on that.

On Rutgers having seven takeaways and how it happened…

They have worked very hard on that every single day in practice. We know that is a way that will help us be in football games in the fourth quarter. That's our goal, can we get to the fourth quarter and have a chance to win. And if we can do that, then we will see where the chips fall. It reminds me so much of being in the NFL. Everybody is good, especially playing this all-conference schedule, everyone is good. Can we get to the fourth quarter and have a chance? And that's what we are trying to do. We design a plan each week specifically to try to do that.

On what was going through his head at the end of the game…

Like I said, I was so happy for our players. It wasn't just the months since coronavirus started, these kids that have been in the program have had some tough stretches. To see the joy on their faces was awesome, but how they did it was even better. You know we had some downturns in the game and that's what I talked to them about, is that I don't want to see the 'woe is me,' I want to see tough guys that just keep going. Keep chopping as we say. That was the most impressive to me.
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On decision for starting Noah Vedral at quarterback…

I just think that overall he won the competition. I was really pleased with the way the quarterbacks approached this thing. I have never had a competition that broad, with that many people, but they really supported each other and I'm sure every guy who isn't the starter is disappointed. But the way that room supports each other, it's a tribute to the young men in that room and it's a tribute to Sean Gleeson and the way he coaches that room. Noah certainly had a productive game and gave us a chance. Some of his mobility allowed him to escape and make some plays. That was critical.

On the offense and his assessment of it…

I really liked the way that everyone fits together. The way Sean coordinates, the staff and the players, everybody is on the same page, which I love. We have a long way to go. We had penalties today, you can't win games with the ones we had today. I do feel good about this being the beginning of something. I feel good about it, and I feel good for the players. They trust the process, they trusted their training, and then went out and executed that training on the field. That, to me, is something that takes a lot of faith. They had faith in the process, in the people that were instructing them, and that to me is how you build relationships.

On Rutgers getting a win against a Big Ten team and how it affects program…

I'm sure it will help things. It will have a good vibe, but as we know, we don't have to look too far but our own history. We beat this exact team and then the following week, we went out and laid an egg. so we have to figure out how we are going to keep building without not being able to enjoy it. You have to be able to enjoy it, you work too hard to not enjoy the victories, but then you come back the next day and be real with each other. I think that is one thing that is much more comfortable for me to be that way at this stage in my career with my coaches and my players and I think they are learning to do that with us. And that is really a trust thing. So the more we are able to do that, and the more we are able to keep it real and say this is what we need to get better at, and this we did pretty well. Again, I'm just very happy for them.

On some good things he saw that you can continue into the coming weeks…
I think it is just what you said. When things don't go your way, are you able to look in the mirror and refocus on your task and do it. And be able to do it with enthusiasm and not let yourself get down. You just have to keep going. People don't understand how hard it is to win one football game. It is so hard. It is three and a half to four hours of just tremendous effort, mental and physical. The ability to focus on anything for four hours is hard. I don't know how long this game lasted, three and a half hours or something, but to be able to focus on something and be able to be on your best for that period of time is a real challenge. That is where I think I was most impressed. When we kind of lost our way we were able to get back on the track and that is critical if you're going to be in that fourth quarter and give yourself a chance to win.

On the play of Mohamed Toure and moving him between end and linebacker…
We do that on third down and kind of just move some guys around, put them in different positions and put in different packages, and we didn't even scratch the surface of our packages yet. It has to be piece by piece, we can't throw too much at them. But I think Mohamed has a very unique skill set and he did a really good job from what I could see. I have the worst seat in the house. I did see him cause some havocm, which is what you need to do. It's not always about sacks or sack fumbles, but about making the quarterback feel your presence. Again, I didn't get to see a lot of it because I usually watch the backend but he did something because there were some errant throws.

On depth chart changes of O-line…
We probably have about eight guys we move around and we didn't know what we were going to do, not going into too much detail, but CJ had missed a little bit of practice so we didn't know how game ready he would be. We wanted to ease him back into it. It will be a work in progress each week as far as the mixes and matches with the offensive line. I'm glad I could see them celebrating and smiling in the locker room. We put a lot of heat on that group. Those two lines are critical and are some of the hardest things to get early on in a program.

On fans wanting to know about kicker competition and extra quarterback play schemes…
Sean did that two years ago with Princeton with multiple quarterbacks so he has experience with doing stuff like that. Again, I don't think we have begun to scratch the surface of our packages because you can only do a little bit at a time as you're building a program. I think Johnny is a very unique talent and we need to find ways to involve him in the game. I think Sean is the right guy to do that, so I'm going to see where he takes the position, whatever that might be. The other question about Davidovicz and Fava, Fava had won the position in preseason so he handled the kicking duties.

On Julius Turner losing weight and playing a better nose guard position…
It is something in our system that we utilize. We have had some success with some guys that maybe wouldn't have fit into other systems, per se. Some guys we had play here in the past you wouldn't say were the prototype of a nose guard. You're talking guys that are at that 6 foot, 6 foot 1 range, that have a unique skill set. They have quick and heavy hands, and are very explosive and Julius certainly has those skill sets. Again, I didn't see a ton but when you talk to the coaches he was causing havoc in the backfield at times. I saw early in the game we drew a holding penalty, so those to me are things that are a good part of our defense to me. Julius fits it perfectly. Him and some others caused some problems in there which is good stuff. As you know, we are going to play a lot of defensive lineman. It's going to be a rolling show for the d-line. That is just our philosophy.

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Xavier Henderson

Connor Heyward

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Jayden Reed

Antjuan Simmons

Jordon Simmons

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