Bowling Green State University Athletics
Quotes from Lou Holtz on BGSU Football.
September 10, 2001 | Football
Sept. 10, 2001
"I don't care what the experts say and I don1t care what anybody else says. Bowling Green has 18 starters back. On defense they're No. 12 in the country in total defense and No. 9 in scoring defense. They beat Missouri at Missouri in their opening ball game. (Head Coach) Urban Meyer retained the defensive coordinator. It looks like an encyclopedia on defensive football. If you want to know every defense that has been known to man since the invention of football, watch Bowling Green play. Defensively they're very good and athletic. There is a reason they beat Missouri."
"Offensively they run a spread offense. Their quarterback Andy Sahm has started 19 of 20 games. David Bautista is an All-MAC performer. Their offensive line is very experienced. They run a spread offense somewhat similar to our offense. Their punter is very impressive on film. Defensively they create a lot of turnovers. When you play good defense, don't turn the football over and have an experienced offense with a quarterback and receivers and running back, they're a very dangerous football team."
"The Mid-American Conference for years has played excellent football. There have been some great players come out of the Mid-American. They play good solid football. There a lot of good athletes in Ohio and in Michigan."
"I'm sure they will have great enthusiasm and the fact is not only are they a very good football team, but they're a very experienced team."
"I think Urban Meyer is a great young coach. I hired Urban when I was at Notre Dame. I was not going to hire Urban and I wasn't going to even talk to him. I was going to go in a different direction. I had been at the Coaches Convention. I had spoke and was getting ready to leave. (Assistant Coach) Skip (Holtz) said "At least have lunch with me." I said ok and met him at lunch and he had Urban Meyer there. Urban Meyer replaced Skip at Colorado State. When Skip left Colorado State to come to Notre Dame, they hired Urban Meyer. After visiting with Urban Meyer and what Skip said of him, I decided to hire Urban Meyer and he was a great hire. He has done a wonderful job. When you bring the enthusiasm of a new coach, little bit different of a philosophy and a veteran team, you have a very challenging opponent."
"Urban (Meyer) is a wonderful young man and has a good family. We have been very close. He visited me often when I got out of coaching and we talked. He was one of the best receivers coaches I have ever had. He taught his receivers to run excellent routes. Just a good person. I think he and Skip have a lot in common. If you know Skip then you know Urban Meyer. Both have great poise, great football minds and relate well to players. Urban is just a good person. Good morals, good values, excellent teacher and very dedicated. You can1t say enough good things about him."
"We talked over the summer and after this game, Urban says he has a lot of questions he wishes to ask me. I said talk to me after our game. But I may be calling him on Monday and getting advice from him."
"They've got great chemistry. This is going to be a great football game."
"You have to learn how to play on the road. It is a different experience. Once you learn how to play on the road, that was one major step that our players took on Saturday."
