Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcon Football Quotes: Week 12 (Game 11)
November 12, 2007 | Football
Nov. 12, 2007
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University football team is preparing for a Saturday (Nov. 17) game at Buffalo. On Monday afternoon (Nov. 12), Falcon head coach Gregg Brandon and selected players met with the media to discuss the team's win over Eastern Michigan and the upcoming UB game ...
BGSU head coach Gregg Brandon
On the Buffalo running game
"Starks is their back. He is 200-210 lbs. He is one of the better backs in the conference. They are only rushing for about 135 a game and we're rushing for a 120. That's what they do. They are going to run it downhill. We haven't demonstrated any consistency in stopping that throughout the season. We have to step up and stop their running game, which is going to be a tall order for us right now."
Was that one of your worries coming out of pre-season having a defensive line that is in experienced and young?
"My concern was not only for that group but for the entire defense. We are still young on that side of the ball, only two seniors over there. You get a couple guys nicked up in there and you are playing with young guys and that's what we have been playing with the last couple of weeks. That's not a legit excuse in my opinion. We have to play better. Those young guys have to step up and pick up the riffle so to speak and stop the run. That's what we need to do."
How big has the offensive line been this year?
"Our offensive line is huge. Our offensive line got the team award as the offensive player of the game. It was a really good performance. We rushed the ball for almost 200 yards. Tyler had all day to throw for the most part. We had no sacks, which is huge against that defensive line. We got four hands on Jones most of the night, which was big for us. I talked to Coach Genyk after the game and after he watched the film he said he thought we did a tremendous job taking care of him. Really that wasn't the only thing. We had to block No. 91 who was singled a lot so Shane Steffy and Brandon Curtis did a good job when they were singled on him and kept him off the quarterback and knocked him around in the running game. I think our offensive line really executed the plan well. It was well conceived. Matt Campbell did a good job with that. No sacks is pretty impressive I think."
Does the experience of the offensive line come out a little bit?
"Yes, I sleep well at night with my offensive line and wake up with some other things. Those kids have done a great job."
On Brandon Curtis...
"Brandon Curtis was a defensive linemen when we recruited him, a defensive tackle nose guard. When we moved him to offensive line he became one of the hogs. You develop your character when you play offensive line. Every week I have a couple kids address the team, usually older guys or guys that have something to say. This week it was Nate Waldron, back up linebacker and special teams player for us. Then Brandon Curtis got up and talked to the team before the game and did a great job. He talked about how he is tired of hearing about No. 83 and No. 91 and wanted to go kick their butts. He has done a nice job for us. It will be nice to have him back as a fifth year senior."
On the emergence of Chris Wright
"That is really a great success story. He was on his way out of here academically. He was struggling. I suspended him for the summer, he had to get eligible and he did. He paid his own way for summer hours got his grades back and then really has continued to emerge and get better as a receiver. When we recruited him we played him on defense and he kind of floundered over there a little bit. Then we moved him to offense and it took him awhile to grasp the system and understand everything we want our receivers to do. Now that he understands it he can play with more confidence and I think that's what you are seeing right now out of the kid."
On Tyler being able to play within himself the last two games compared to others...
"I think he is healthy and that is the big thing. I think that last two games he has thrown the ball with more accuracy. He's throwing it better. We've scaled down. We aren't throwing it 45-50 times we are throwing it 35 times to help keep it that way a little bit. Whether we continue to do that remains to be seen. If he is healthy we can be as effective as we were early in the season throwing the football, there is no question."
Other thoughts on Buffalo besides their running game
"Their defense is pretty salty. You know I have always been impressed with the way they play defense. They run to the ball well, they are scrappy, they will fight you. You can see on film that they are playing hard. We have to challenge our guys that you have to go in and play harder than Buffalo. That's our chance to win the game. They have renewed enthusiasm and spirit there. Their kids are playing hard, flying around and that's what they do defensively. We have just got to play harder than Buffalo to beat Buffalo.
It's nice to be in the situation that you don't control your own destiny. You still have a shot as do only two other teams in the East.
"Obviously we are going to need some help but I think that the goal was to win these last four and we are half way home and if we can win these next two we will be in a bowl game. We will be virtually locked. Lose one of them then I think it is going to be a beauty contest. Lose both and we probably are not going to a bowl. I think everybody in the country is getting bowl eligible. It is nice to be bowl eligible for this team I think at this point it's a huge credit bouncing back from last season. Winning six games right now I think is big for this program."
Not only bouncing back from last season but from a Miami and Ohio loss
"I think it is the consistency thing that we have talked about all season. We have to develop some consistency. Early in the season we won back to back games Temple and Western Kentucky and now we have won back-to-back games. I think that is what is still out there for us. Can we win three in a row, four in a row? Can we get that done? If we can get that done then we will be in a bowl game."
On Stanley being MAC defensive POW
"Glen is instinctive and runs well and that is why he is playing. Glen can play all three of the spots because he runs well enough. I think he can go out in space and defend. He brings a lot of versatility to the table right now."
On the offensive line scoring a touchdown
"The thing about that was so beautiful when you watch it on film. The ball was sitting there and there are four Eastern guys right there and they don't get it. One of our guys, I think Pronty, comes in an wipes two if them out and the ball gets shoved out and Nystrom comes in and plops on the pile. The ball is still around and Steffy does a superman and lands on it. You watch it on film it is hysterical. That was a huge play. We work on turnovers and ball security every day in practice. Coach Campbell throws a ball out and they jump on it. We teach them to get in the fetal position all that. It paid off and to see those kids when we came up with the ball was just great."
Falcon Player Quotes
Senior Defensive Tackle Sean O'Drobinak
Can you give us your thoughts on Friday night's game...
"We played pretty bad. As coach Brandon said, it was the best, awful game he has coached in, but we found a way to win and that is what you have to do in November. We won and that is what we needed to do."
Can you talk a little bit about Buffalo?
"Buffalo is an entirely new team. They are a good football team now. In years past we had this long bus ride to play a bad football team, but that is not the case anymore. They are going to come out jacked up. This is a very important game for them. We just have to come out and match their intensity."
Did you expect to see them improve so fast after last year's triple overtime game?
"Actually I did. Last year we were a pretty bad team. We were 4-8 that about says it. To come out this year and see Buffalo near the top of the MAC standings, that is an eye-opener. This year anyone can win in college football. We just have to come out and play our game and we should be okay."
Senior Linebacker Loren Hargrove
Can you talk about the EMU win?
"It was a big win for us. We knew we had to go in there and get it done. It was a must win situation. Eastern put up a great fight. We just did what we had to do to get the win."
What does it say about your team that you can play a bit sloppy and still get the win?
"It shows how much fight we still have in this team. We have been through a lot of adversity, and we still have the fight to finish games."
Do you have a different mindset going into a game, knowing your career is close to an end?
"For me and the seniors it is our last hooray. These last couple games are all we have left, so why not leave it all on the field. We talk about it at every practice and every meeting. It is just a sense of urgency for all of us, but more-so the seniors.
Your thoughts on heading to Buffalo...
"It is another road game. It is just as important as all the rest of them. Right now we are just trying to focus on taking it one game at a time."
Sophomore quarterback Tyler Sheehan
Your thoughts on the win at Eastern Michigan...
"It was a sloppy win, but a good win. We had a couple times on offense where we got in the redzone and got nothing out of it, and probably have to work on that a little bit this week, but a win is a win. It doesn't matter how it looks, it still goes in the win column."
What does that say about your team when you can play a sloppy game and still pull out the win"
"Offensively we played well enough to win, but we just put ourselves in a few difficult situations. As far as it come to the team it shows that if we don't play our best game we can still come out with a win."
Do you need to play a perfect game against Buffalo?
"No, they have their flaws just like any other team. We just have to execute at those key times in the game."
