Photo by: Rey Del Rio/MSU Athletic Communications
Post-Game Quotes: Purdue
11/23/2024 12:42:00 AM | Football
Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith
Â
Opening statement…
Obviously pleased to find a way to win a game. A kind of tale of two halves and in the first half, really pleased. I think we had four possessions in the first half and points on all four of them. Then ended the half with some points, so we're feeling good there, but then it totally flipped in the second half. Credit to Purdue, whether it's some adjustments or things like that, but they battled for all four quarters. And credit some to our defense too. The early second half, gave up a couple of scores there, but found the way fourth quarter to tighten things down and to give us 17 points and have two turnovers defensively, that's a solid effort. Offensively, we again, got to play for four quarters and we want to do that better, but found a way to win a game. We got another home game with a lot to play for next week. Â
Â
On junior tight end Jack Velling's injury…
I spoke to him on the phone in the locker room just a bit ago. He's at the hospital, thorough, precautionary type of things, but he was in good spirits. He was able to watch the game, but I don't have anything definitive. Â
Â
On not being able to execute offensively in the second half…
Without looking at the tape, I think a couple things they did show us a couple of pressures that we didn't handle very well. And then there was just some lack of execution whether that is route detail, got guys a couple times running into each other. We missed a go ball, Montorie was open, we missed that which could've helped us. But there was a stint there, three or four drives where we got to be able to separate the game more. Â
Â
On what fifth-year senior wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. means to the team…
Â
His leadership. He was our captain of the week out there, even tonight. He's been really solid for us. Offensively, had a nice game, separating and making some plays. I think about that deep ball into the half he had for us. He's been a punt returner, great decision maker back there and fields it. You think about these guys, especially the ones that have been around here for a while. This guy has made a huge difference for us, and that's why I go back to this next week for guys like that, this is a huge game next week. Â
Â
On D'Quan Douse's status…
He tried to play today, he's been dealing with this through the week, he was pretty light all week, and he tried in pregame. We were optimistic pregame that maybe he'd be able to do it and couldn't. Hopefully next week.
Â
On more guys getting playing time…
Guys have accepted their roles and some of those roles haven't been huge throughout the year, but (Ru'Quan Buckley) has been mixing in there. We've rotated it at D-line, but for him to have a couple of plays tonight in some particular packages, it was great to see.
Â
On Nate Carter and Kay'Ron Lynch-Adam's involvement in the passing game…
We've tried a couple different things to get them touches besides handing the ball to them. That was a huge red zone touchdown by Nate, he has had a couple nice catches this back half of the season. I thought both those guys played pretty well tonight.
Â
On the final third- and fourth-down plays at the end of the game…
So, the previous play, the third down, those markers aren't always exact. Like when a play is coming to the sideline, those guys back up and what not, I thought he was pretty close to getting it and he wasn't. Then you go through some deep thinking here, its fourth and less than a yard, well if you get the first down and go clockwise, they were out of timeouts, so you win the game. Obviously, we feel very confident with our kicker to make it two scores, but with the elements and where that was at, felt like the best play was to try and go get half a yard and win the game, and that was the call. I am glad we got it done.
Â
On what this moment meant for the program…
Well, I hope they build some confidence because we put confidence in them to go win the game up front, and they got it done.
Â
On the play with the injuries in the secondary…
There is something that this game is not a perfect game. We've talked about it, 'bad plays are going to happen, they've got good players too, they're going to make plays', so the ability to bounce back is a skill set you have to have as a football player, in regard to that secondary. I think it's somewhat credit to that group, we are playing a lot of different guys back there, we've had guys go down, we've got youngsters in the game, and they kept on scratching and clawing and we're going to need it again next week.
Â
On the defensive line pressure…
I thought it helped early on, first drive gets the guys out for a sack and kind of gives a little bit of life there and feeling like we can affect the passer and we're going to want to do it more. They threw it a bunch and there's plenty of time, he had a lot of time to throw it, but we've got to be able to get the guy on the ground. Credit to Joe (Rossi), he continues to tinker schematically in regard to where there's pressure packages, there's plenty of times where we only rush three guys because were kind of playing coverage, and we mix and match both of those.
Â
On the passing game in the second half…
Yeah, that wasn't very clean at all. I think a little bit in that third quarter, we missed one where you've got Montorie down the sideline. We've got Nick on an in-route on third down. Well, the route placement between the tight end route, he's supposed to be cleared, Nick's supposed to be coming underneath of him, and he's actually going over the top of him, and then the balls incomplete. So, we've had some mishaps and detail and collapsing in that third quarter. Fourth quarter, you're trying to run the clock a little more, but I think about that third quarter, and execution and detail needs to be better.
Â
On thinking about challenging the third-down spot before the 2-minute warning…
I definitely did, and they said they were going to "definitely take a look at it at the warning," and then supposedly was confirmed after they took a look at it.
Purdue Head Coach Ryan Walters
On the overall effort today ...
Going into halftime, it seemed like the game was getting away from us. The guys in the locker room just didn't seem like they flinched. We talked about needing to get a stop on defense and then going to punch it in offensively, then another stop and another score. Then you're right back in it. And that's what they did. I thought the defensive effort in the second half was phenomenal. Offensively, we were able to spread the ball around and put it in the air. Obviously, we struggled on the ground. We made some plays to keep drives going, but couldn't make enough plays at the end of that fourth quarter.
On why this one harder to take than the previous nine...Â
I don't know a locker room in the country that would be 1-9, when we go down like we did in the first half and continue to fight. There's no finger pointing. They've still been practicing their tails off; they're still showing up and going to work every day. If you have kids, you want them to have success when they work hard. They are working hard, man. It just hurts when you don't come out on the right side.
On feeling a lot of pressure...
Every Saturday and every Friday night, you feel pressure. It comes with the territory; it comes with sitting in the chair I'm sitting in. Right now, all I care about is trying to put together good plans for the locker room. My focus right now is on Indiana; that is what I can control. So, I don't feel any other pressure than trying to win a ball game. If you start worrying about other things, then you aren't focused on the right things for the locker room. I'm focused on Indiana and what's left in eight or nine days.Â
Â
On what happened on that blocked field goal...Â
I think it was more the hold. I couldn't tell if it was a bad snap. We definitely didn't catch that cleanly. The timing was off, and that's why it got blocked.
Â
On how united your locker room is...
Yes. Like I said, it's tough. These guys are stuck together. The culture in the locker room is really good, and I continue to keep fighting. It's been hard, obviously you're not winning. You have these games where it's tight, and there's a couple plays away.
Michigan State sophomore QB Aidan ChilesÂ
On what worked for the team in the first half that didn't work for them in the second...Â
Everything, we did the little things in the first half. We still have minor mistakes in certain plays, but I think that we fixed them. We flushed our mistakes and kept pushing and it showed. In the second half, we came out and we didn't play good.
Â
On how it feels to be closer to being bowl eligible...Â
It means a lot. I feel like we should have been in this place a long time ago, but you know being able to go send these seniors off right, it's a good feeling.
Â
On what happened on that last drive of the game...Â
It really wasn't a conversation. It was like were going to go win this game, so first I was supposed to get the first down on the design QB run. It was design QB wide zone, and I thought I did. The marker moved back, so my eyes deceived me, but you know it is what it is. It was like we were going to get the first down no matter what. We didn't plan on going out, planning to kick a field goal. I think we just plan on winning the game and that's what we did.
Â
On the team's worry about inconsistency this season...Â
I'm never worried about the inconsistency in general. It's just something that happens, and it shouldn't happen because we practiced for these things, practiced everything that we did today. It's kind of disappointing when you come out, and you're hot and then the next half it's just like you never played football before. It is what it is, we still won the game, and a win is a win. We're going to push from here and improve next week.Â
Â
Michigan State Fifth-Year Senior WR Montorie Foster Jr.
On if there was any pressure felt by the team on the last drive...Â
I felt like there wasn't really any pressure. We didn't feel any pressure. I felt like it was just a matter of just us executing what we had to do. Just the little things that it comes down to; we didn't do our job. The conversation on the field is just to do your job. It's that simple, nothing that we over-complicate.
Michigan State Fifth-Year Senior LB Jordan TurnerÂ
On what changed in the second half compared to the first...Â
After the first possession, we let them drive down the field and got a field goal, besides that in the first half, we really got them off field when we needed and didn't allow as many points. We came out fast and came out physical, but you got to finish better in the second half.
On feeling any pressure...Â
Since they can only throw on us, we have to be able to get the quarterback down and props to Hudson Card, you know he can scramble avoid. We kept pressing and kept trying to get our sacks and when we finally did, it was nice.Â
Â
Purdue Linebacker Kydran Jenkins
On defensive effort in second half…
Obviously, just being focused and executing our job the right way made a difference. We came out a little slow, but in the second half we came out a little better and picked it up. Guys were doing their job running around playing it fast and just executing in the second half.
 Â
Purdue Quarterback Hudson Card
On ability to move the ball through the air in the second half…
I think we went to our passing attack and obviously the receiving corps and tight ends did a good job of getting open and finding windows in the defense, and I was just trying to get them the ball.
Â
On the struggles of the season and pressure on Head Coach Ryan Walters…
It has been tough. I love Coach Walters. I know our team loves Coach Walters, and it is just tough when things don't go your way. As a quarterback, all that responsibility bears on you, and it has been unfortunate how the season has gone but we still have one more opportunity for the seniors to send this off in the right way. Â
Â
Â
Opening statement…
Obviously pleased to find a way to win a game. A kind of tale of two halves and in the first half, really pleased. I think we had four possessions in the first half and points on all four of them. Then ended the half with some points, so we're feeling good there, but then it totally flipped in the second half. Credit to Purdue, whether it's some adjustments or things like that, but they battled for all four quarters. And credit some to our defense too. The early second half, gave up a couple of scores there, but found the way fourth quarter to tighten things down and to give us 17 points and have two turnovers defensively, that's a solid effort. Offensively, we again, got to play for four quarters and we want to do that better, but found a way to win a game. We got another home game with a lot to play for next week. Â
Â
On junior tight end Jack Velling's injury…
I spoke to him on the phone in the locker room just a bit ago. He's at the hospital, thorough, precautionary type of things, but he was in good spirits. He was able to watch the game, but I don't have anything definitive. Â
Â
On not being able to execute offensively in the second half…
Without looking at the tape, I think a couple things they did show us a couple of pressures that we didn't handle very well. And then there was just some lack of execution whether that is route detail, got guys a couple times running into each other. We missed a go ball, Montorie was open, we missed that which could've helped us. But there was a stint there, three or four drives where we got to be able to separate the game more. Â
Â
On what fifth-year senior wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. means to the team…
Â
His leadership. He was our captain of the week out there, even tonight. He's been really solid for us. Offensively, had a nice game, separating and making some plays. I think about that deep ball into the half he had for us. He's been a punt returner, great decision maker back there and fields it. You think about these guys, especially the ones that have been around here for a while. This guy has made a huge difference for us, and that's why I go back to this next week for guys like that, this is a huge game next week. Â
Â
On D'Quan Douse's status…
He tried to play today, he's been dealing with this through the week, he was pretty light all week, and he tried in pregame. We were optimistic pregame that maybe he'd be able to do it and couldn't. Hopefully next week.
Â
On more guys getting playing time…
Guys have accepted their roles and some of those roles haven't been huge throughout the year, but (Ru'Quan Buckley) has been mixing in there. We've rotated it at D-line, but for him to have a couple of plays tonight in some particular packages, it was great to see.
Â
On Nate Carter and Kay'Ron Lynch-Adam's involvement in the passing game…
We've tried a couple different things to get them touches besides handing the ball to them. That was a huge red zone touchdown by Nate, he has had a couple nice catches this back half of the season. I thought both those guys played pretty well tonight.
Â
On the final third- and fourth-down plays at the end of the game…
So, the previous play, the third down, those markers aren't always exact. Like when a play is coming to the sideline, those guys back up and what not, I thought he was pretty close to getting it and he wasn't. Then you go through some deep thinking here, its fourth and less than a yard, well if you get the first down and go clockwise, they were out of timeouts, so you win the game. Obviously, we feel very confident with our kicker to make it two scores, but with the elements and where that was at, felt like the best play was to try and go get half a yard and win the game, and that was the call. I am glad we got it done.
Â
On what this moment meant for the program…
Well, I hope they build some confidence because we put confidence in them to go win the game up front, and they got it done.
Â
On the play with the injuries in the secondary…
There is something that this game is not a perfect game. We've talked about it, 'bad plays are going to happen, they've got good players too, they're going to make plays', so the ability to bounce back is a skill set you have to have as a football player, in regard to that secondary. I think it's somewhat credit to that group, we are playing a lot of different guys back there, we've had guys go down, we've got youngsters in the game, and they kept on scratching and clawing and we're going to need it again next week.
Â
On the defensive line pressure…
I thought it helped early on, first drive gets the guys out for a sack and kind of gives a little bit of life there and feeling like we can affect the passer and we're going to want to do it more. They threw it a bunch and there's plenty of time, he had a lot of time to throw it, but we've got to be able to get the guy on the ground. Credit to Joe (Rossi), he continues to tinker schematically in regard to where there's pressure packages, there's plenty of times where we only rush three guys because were kind of playing coverage, and we mix and match both of those.
Â
On the passing game in the second half…
Yeah, that wasn't very clean at all. I think a little bit in that third quarter, we missed one where you've got Montorie down the sideline. We've got Nick on an in-route on third down. Well, the route placement between the tight end route, he's supposed to be cleared, Nick's supposed to be coming underneath of him, and he's actually going over the top of him, and then the balls incomplete. So, we've had some mishaps and detail and collapsing in that third quarter. Fourth quarter, you're trying to run the clock a little more, but I think about that third quarter, and execution and detail needs to be better.
Â
On thinking about challenging the third-down spot before the 2-minute warning…
I definitely did, and they said they were going to "definitely take a look at it at the warning," and then supposedly was confirmed after they took a look at it.
Purdue Head Coach Ryan Walters
On the overall effort today ...
Going into halftime, it seemed like the game was getting away from us. The guys in the locker room just didn't seem like they flinched. We talked about needing to get a stop on defense and then going to punch it in offensively, then another stop and another score. Then you're right back in it. And that's what they did. I thought the defensive effort in the second half was phenomenal. Offensively, we were able to spread the ball around and put it in the air. Obviously, we struggled on the ground. We made some plays to keep drives going, but couldn't make enough plays at the end of that fourth quarter.
On why this one harder to take than the previous nine...Â
I don't know a locker room in the country that would be 1-9, when we go down like we did in the first half and continue to fight. There's no finger pointing. They've still been practicing their tails off; they're still showing up and going to work every day. If you have kids, you want them to have success when they work hard. They are working hard, man. It just hurts when you don't come out on the right side.
On feeling a lot of pressure...
Every Saturday and every Friday night, you feel pressure. It comes with the territory; it comes with sitting in the chair I'm sitting in. Right now, all I care about is trying to put together good plans for the locker room. My focus right now is on Indiana; that is what I can control. So, I don't feel any other pressure than trying to win a ball game. If you start worrying about other things, then you aren't focused on the right things for the locker room. I'm focused on Indiana and what's left in eight or nine days.Â
Â
On what happened on that blocked field goal...Â
I think it was more the hold. I couldn't tell if it was a bad snap. We definitely didn't catch that cleanly. The timing was off, and that's why it got blocked.
Â
On how united your locker room is...
Yes. Like I said, it's tough. These guys are stuck together. The culture in the locker room is really good, and I continue to keep fighting. It's been hard, obviously you're not winning. You have these games where it's tight, and there's a couple plays away.
Michigan State sophomore QB Aidan ChilesÂ
On what worked for the team in the first half that didn't work for them in the second...Â
Everything, we did the little things in the first half. We still have minor mistakes in certain plays, but I think that we fixed them. We flushed our mistakes and kept pushing and it showed. In the second half, we came out and we didn't play good.
Â
On how it feels to be closer to being bowl eligible...Â
It means a lot. I feel like we should have been in this place a long time ago, but you know being able to go send these seniors off right, it's a good feeling.
Â
On what happened on that last drive of the game...Â
It really wasn't a conversation. It was like were going to go win this game, so first I was supposed to get the first down on the design QB run. It was design QB wide zone, and I thought I did. The marker moved back, so my eyes deceived me, but you know it is what it is. It was like we were going to get the first down no matter what. We didn't plan on going out, planning to kick a field goal. I think we just plan on winning the game and that's what we did.
Â
On the team's worry about inconsistency this season...Â
I'm never worried about the inconsistency in general. It's just something that happens, and it shouldn't happen because we practiced for these things, practiced everything that we did today. It's kind of disappointing when you come out, and you're hot and then the next half it's just like you never played football before. It is what it is, we still won the game, and a win is a win. We're going to push from here and improve next week.Â
Â
Michigan State Fifth-Year Senior WR Montorie Foster Jr.
On if there was any pressure felt by the team on the last drive...Â
I felt like there wasn't really any pressure. We didn't feel any pressure. I felt like it was just a matter of just us executing what we had to do. Just the little things that it comes down to; we didn't do our job. The conversation on the field is just to do your job. It's that simple, nothing that we over-complicate.
Michigan State Fifth-Year Senior LB Jordan TurnerÂ
On what changed in the second half compared to the first...Â
After the first possession, we let them drive down the field and got a field goal, besides that in the first half, we really got them off field when we needed and didn't allow as many points. We came out fast and came out physical, but you got to finish better in the second half.
On feeling any pressure...Â
Since they can only throw on us, we have to be able to get the quarterback down and props to Hudson Card, you know he can scramble avoid. We kept pressing and kept trying to get our sacks and when we finally did, it was nice.Â
Â
Purdue Linebacker Kydran Jenkins
On defensive effort in second half…
Obviously, just being focused and executing our job the right way made a difference. We came out a little slow, but in the second half we came out a little better and picked it up. Guys were doing their job running around playing it fast and just executing in the second half.
 Â
Purdue Quarterback Hudson Card
On ability to move the ball through the air in the second half…
I think we went to our passing attack and obviously the receiving corps and tight ends did a good job of getting open and finding windows in the defense, and I was just trying to get them the ball.
Â
On the struggles of the season and pressure on Head Coach Ryan Walters…
It has been tough. I love Coach Walters. I know our team loves Coach Walters, and it is just tough when things don't go your way. As a quarterback, all that responsibility bears on you, and it has been unfortunate how the season has gone but we still have one more opportunity for the seniors to send this off in the right way. Â
Â
Players Mentioned
DL
/ Football
RB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
DL
/ Football
WR
/ Football
LB
/ Football
TE
/ FootballJonathan Smith | Football Press Conference | Nov. 24 2025
Monday, November 24
Jonathan Smith Postgame Comments | Iowa
Saturday, November 22
Jonathan Smith | Football Press Conference | Nov. 17 2025
Monday, November 17
Jonathan Smith Post Game Comments | PSU | Nov. 15 2025
Saturday, November 15