Bowling Green State University Athletics
BGSU Football Quotes
September 16, 2003 | Football
Sept. 16, 2003
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Quotes from Josh Harris and Gregg Brandon at the Bowling Green State University football media luncheon of Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 16)...
BGSU SENIOR QUARTERBACK Josh Harris
On the atmosphere surrounding the preparations for Saturday's game at Ohio State:
"For me it is fun, I have had a lot of friends calling me telling me they are going to be there. There are going to be a ton of people there. Whether they are there to see me, or to see Bowling Green, or to see Ohio State, there are going to be a ton of people there. (They have) one of the nicest stadiums in the country. I have been there (to watch games) a few times, and we are excited to get to go down there and play."
Were you recruited by Ohio State or any Big Ten teams?
"A little bit, but I was not offered (a scholarship) by anyone in the Big Ten. I was very adamant about playing quarterback. I didn't have very much flexibility (in terms of playing other positions). Everything happens for a reason and I am supposed to be here (at Bowling Green)."
Do you have any regrets?
"No, I don't have any regrets. We still have the opportunity to go there and play Ohio State, and we've had the opportunity to play teams like Missouri, Kansas and Purdue. The MAC is no slouch, Northwestern just got beat handily by Miami of Ohio. Northern Illinois is doing big things. Everybody in the MAC seems to be taking these bigger schools down to the wire. I am not disappointed about where I am."
You are 5-0 as a starter against BCS teams. But there is a difference between those other games and this game. What does this game mean to you?
"Well, Ohio State is a great team, no matter what happens throughout the course of the game. All you can say is that they find a way to win somehow, and they have done that for 17 games in a row. The margin of victory doesn't really matter, they find a way to win down the stretch, They have one of the best defenses in the country, if not the best defense. They have one of the best coaches in the country, and he's got his team winning games down the stretch. That's the key; that's the way you win championships."
After the win at Purdue, do you have more confidence when you face a team like Ohio State?
"Purdue is an excellent football team. That was a great victory for this team, but win or lose, every week you have to let (the last game) go on Sunday and this team has been able to do that. I think if we beat Purdue or lost to Purdue we would still be confident going into this game."
Coach Brandon said during MAC Media Day that he wanted you to refine your game and become a pocket passer and more accurate. How have you tried to range your game to what he told you?
"At the next level, quarterbacks are not rushing for 20 touchdowns. You have to be more of a quarterback and not just an athlete, and that's one of the things that I really focused on during the spring. I wanted Coach Brandon and the rest of the offensive staff to develop more confidence in me, to call pass plays on third down. I wanted to develop my accuracy and being more poised and not in such a hurry to make plays with my feet. I think another year of being in a starting role has helped me. There's no way (in practice) that you can simulate a game. Those 12 games that we played last year helped me out immensely and knowing what to do and what not to do."
With some of the great quarterbacks in the MAC... Where would you rank in the Big Ten? Do you think you would be some of the better quarterbacks in the Big Ten?
" There are some great quarterbacks in this country. No one player can do it by himself; it depends on your supporting cast and the coaching staff. If you have a great team around you, then it doesn't take much to be a good quarterback."
You are married to a former Ohio State athletic star (track and field athlete Tammy [Smith] Harris). Are you catching any heat at home this week?
"No, she is behind me 100 percent. It's tough for her, because she is a former athlete from Ohio State. But, she is in my corner, and is almost as excited as I am about this game. She knows a lot of the guys that are on that team, and she's very excited to get a chance to go back home -- because we're both from Columbus -- and to get to go see a game like this."
BGSU HEAD COACH GREGG BRANDON
Talk a little bit about the comfort level that (having a quarterback like) Josh Harris gives you:
"It's huge. Any time you have a veteran quarterback... I sleep like a baby at night, I have really been pleased by the way Omar (Jacobs) has responded, too, in his opportunities. We've talked about Omar being just an ankle sprain away (from playing). Having a quality backup (helps) you sleep even better. It's hard to move the ball when you don't have a decent quarterback."
Where would Josh rank if he were a quarterback in the Big Ten?
"He'd be one of the top quarterbacks in the conference, in my opinion."
How could a player like Josh 'slip through the cracks?'
"Recruiting is not an exact science, especially at the quarterback position. There are so many intangibles. Josh has become a quarterback-athlete, not an athlete playing quarterback, and he'll be the first to tell you that. Everyone recruited him as an athlete, and all along he said that he wanted to be a quarterback. Now, he is getting an opportunity to show he is a great quarterback."
You said (at MAC Media Day) that, even though he put up great stats last year, you wanted him to be a more accurate quarterback.
"I think last year, he got 'busy feet.' If (Robert) Redd wasn't open, he got out of there (scrambled). This year he is using everybody, which I really like. He has a better understanding of the concept of play. To be accurate... if there is a guy open and you feel comfortable throwing the ball, you're going to have a better chance of a completion. And now it is not just Robert Redd; we have other guys that are getting open on a given pattern. Quarterbacks coach Mick McCall has done a great job with him and Omar as far as stressing that. (Josh) has picked up, I know he is leading the MAC in passing efficiency, and I think he is about third in completion percentage. He's at about 63%, and I've stressed that we need him to be at about 65% to be effective."
Josh's demeanor during the game really makes it appear that he is a 'Cool Hand Luke' kind of guy. He seems like he will not be worried or try to do too much in a big game.
"I agree. I think he knows that for us to be successful, he has to bring his 'A' game. He has to be sharp, he has to be accurate with his reads, control the offense and be the leader he has been. He is a highly competitive kid. He will try to kick your butt in tiddley-winks. And being on a national stage like this, his juices will be flowing."
How will the Purdue game help you in preparation for Ohio State?
"Well, the confidence level of the team... I told the team on the Tuesday before Purdue that I didn't think we had a chance to win. They looked at me kind of funny, and I said 'unless I see a good week in practice. I will tell you Thursday if I think we have a chance.' And, we had a good week, and we went in and won the game."
"And, I'm telling them this week that, 'Hey, we do have a chance to win, because you proved that you can play in a hostile environment, on the road against a nationally-ranked opponent with a great offense and a great defense. Now, you've got to do it again, but it isn't going to happen unless you have the week of preparation that we had before Purdue.' So, there is a level of maturity that has to occur with our players, as far as preparing for an opponent of Ohio State's caliber."
Do you need to go into these games with BCS teams with a feisty attitude, or with a chip on your shoulder?
"I don't know if there's a chip on your shoulder. But, you are feisty, because everyone says you don't have a chance. That wears on you after a while, as a player and a coach We are a quality league and we have solid teams and marquee players. A lot of the BCS games are on TV, and that gives the kid a chance to show on the national level that 'I can play'. It is a great opportunity for a kid like Josh, or for defensive players like Keon Newson, who seems to rise to the level of competition."
With Ohio State having won two close games in the last two weeks, are they vulnerable?
"We are going to have to play a solid game to have a chance to beat them. Their style of play is not like Purdue in that Purdue will throw it all over and try to beat you in the air. Ohio State is going to try and pound you on the ground. They've got great players. They have a great defense, with some marquee players up front, some great defensive backs and linebackers with a good nose for the ball. I don't think you can run sideways on them. And, it's hard to knock those guys up front off the ball."
A lot of people look at the matchup as being their defense against your offense. Is that the key matchup or do we look at the other side of the ball?
"It is both sides of the ball. We are going to have to shut them down on our side of the ball, and then we're gonna have to pick our spots to be able to score. They're giving up 18 yards rushing per game. That's unheard of. Our defensive stats compare to theirs, which is encouraging. Our defense has been holding up. Now, I know we have played two (NCAA Division I-AA opponents. We're gonna have to find out if our defense can hold up again against an Ohio State, like we did at Purdue."
What does it mean to your players to play at Ohio State?
"You are in the national spotlight. It is an opportunity to prove that we belong, which a lot of people don't think we do. It is great for recruiting; it sells your program. We are playing Oklahoma next year and Michigan in two years, and we're not backing down from anybody. I think the level of competition helps in that it hones your skills for MAC play. We're not going to see an Ohio State week-in and week-out. The teams that we have to beat to win the MAC -- teams like Northern Illinois, Toledo, Western Michigan -- are quality opponents, so playing against an Ohio State will help our confidence in playing against the better competition of our league."
What are the intangibles that make Josh a better player?
"He's competitive, that probably is the number-one thing. He doesn't back down, he leads well, and he's become a better manager of our offense. Some guys get to a level and than taper off when they become just good enough to do it. You're expecting them to do more, and maybe their abilities won't allow it. Josh's abilities allow him to, but he has taken his game to the next level, with all the things we talked about earlier. Improving his completion percentage, making good decisions, and running the show. For a veteran quarterback, he has not made a lot of starts. So, he's a special guy."
He sounds similar to (OSU quarterback Craig) Krenzel.
"Yes, very similar. That guy (Krenzel) refuses to let his team lose. He is a great leader, and he's a winner. That's evident. (OSU head coach Jim) Tressel does a great job with that program."
Josh's pass at Purdue seemed similar to Krenzel's TD pass to Michael Jenkins at Purdue last year. What did you think of that play?
"The first thing was that, any time you are in a game like that, players make plays. We made the play (in the Purdue game) and they didn't, and that is encouraging. Now, Josh knows he can make that play. Charles Sharon knows he can make that play. Cornelius McGrady can make a play on fourth down. That's what I take away from that. I was talking about that with (Purdue coach) Joe Tiller. He went 7-6 last year and lost all those close games that Ohio State won. Somebody from Ohio State made a play, and somebody from Purdue didn't. That, as a coach, is such a fine line between winning and losing, in that your playmakers show up when your chips are down. That's probably the most encouraging thing. Throughout that game, there were some crucial plays. Shaun Suisham hitting a 47-yard (field goal) after missing an earlier field goal. Generally, in a game like that, there are six to eight plays that mean the difference between winning and losing."
Josh said he threw that pass because he knew Sharon could go up and get that ball.
"That comes from a summer of work, (Josh's) knowing that Chuck's skills and abilities mean he can outjump a guy and make a play. Those kids have all played together now for three years. Harris, (Cole) Magner, McGrady, (James) Hawkins and Chuck have all played together, and that chemistry is huge."
