Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green vs. Toledo Post-Game Quotes
November 23, 2007 | Football
Nov. 23, 2007
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Bowling Green State University Head Coach Gregg Brandon post-Toledo quotes
How big is it to beat the University of Toledo?
"It is huge, since we have not beaten them in three years. We talked about that all week with the seniors - the last time we beat them was in 2003 right here in Bowling Green to win the West. It is extra special to get this win for those 14 seniors."
"It would have been nice to end this season with a Mid-American Conference championship, but having the best record in the conference is nice to have. We had our own play-off in November, and we got it done."
Talk about your defense...
"The stepped it up big time. They shut down Toledo's run game which has been great all season. Their offense has just been dynamic all season with scoring points and rushing the football. We did enough coverage wise to affect their quarterback, and then we really shut down the running game - I thought our kids did a great job in stuffing the running game."
How big is this win for your seniors?
"It is huge for them. They have come a long way. We really challenged them at the end of last season to step up and lead like a senior class is supposed to. It started in the locker room "Up North" [at Toledo] last year. They finished today with a great win."
Were you surprised that after starting 4-4 you would be where you are now?
"Like I said earlier, every game in November is a play-off game for us. That is the way we approached it. We were still in the hunt for the MAC East for a while, and when that went away, we knew we needed to get a bowl bid and beat "the Team Up North" [Toledo]. We achieved those goals tonight. "
Tyler Sheehan had a lot of time tonight...
"They were rushing three guys a lot, and when you have five guys blocking three you are going to get them covered most of the time. Our offense line did a tremendous job tonight. I cannot say enough about those kids, and [Offensive Line Coach] Matt Campbell. What a great coaching job he has done. Kory Lichtensteiger, Kevin Huelsman, and Drew Nystrom; those fifth year kids have done a great job. That offense line did a heck of a job for us this season."
Was there any deliberation about kicking a field goal?
"Yes. They had to give us a certain look to run the fake, and they did so we executed with the fake. We left that call up to the holder."
How good is it to re-establish the home filed advantage?
"It is just nice to beat Toledo and to win at home versus UT is huge. It is a great rivalry, so to get a home win for the seniors is just outstanding."
Talk about your defense...
"Those kids stepped up. They are all coming on pretty healthy, so when you have bodies that can keep going in there and giving you maximum effort there is not much of a drop off between the ones and twos. Angelo Magnone is going to be a heck of a player. The thing that is awesome is that we will not lose any of those kids except for Sean O'Drobinak. I cannot say enough about that kid. He has really stepped it up in the month of November too. "
Defensive Lineman Sean O'Drobinak
On beating Toledo...
"I'm living the highest of highs right now. There is no other feeling. Last time we beat them I was just standing on the sidelines, to actually contribute in this game and get the victory, I am on cloud nine right now."
On a bowl game...
"I'm on my highest of highs right now but it will be even better when we go to a bowl game. We are 8-4 right now and put ourselves in an outstanding position for a bowl bid and now we will just be grateful if we get one."
Wide Receiver Jermiah Kelley
On how it feels to contribute two touchdowns in the biggest game of the year...
"It feels great to go out there and play along side these guys, the seniors, guys who have worked hard the four or five years they have been here."
Defensive Lineman Michael Ream
On stopping running back Jalen Parmele...
"We are a physical defensive line and we know we can play when we go out there and set our minds to shutting someone down. Coach [Mike] Ward challenges the defensive line to step up and make plays. If we shut the run down then they can't pass on us then. We told ourselves we are going to play for [Sean] O'Drobinak knowing this was his last time to beat Toledo. We all went out there and played for him and shut down the UT run."
On pressuring the quarterback...
"We knew if we could in there, get the quarterback moving, not let him sit in the pocket and pick us apart that it would be hard for him to complete passes and get the offense going. We knew stopping the run and getting pressure on the quarterback were the keys to shutting down the offense. That's what we did and we did it pretty well I think."
Quarterback Tyler Sheehan
On when the team was 4-4 and how you decided to rally...
"Right after that game [Ohio] Coach talked about how the next game would be our defining moment and how we wanted to be remembered by this program and this season. I think everybody took it upon themselves to make sure that we were remembered for greatness rather than the team that let it slip away. I think the seniors did a good job of leading us. Sean O'Drobinak did a great job and got named captain right after that. These past three weeks we have executed on offense real well and the defense stepped it up. Today was just a game to be seen."
On the offense being efficient and being confident with the plays...
"Coach [Mick] McCall did a great job with the planning. We did a great job of communicating. Coach [Matt] Campbell did a great job with our run game this week. We knew we could move the ball on them we just had to execute. It seemed like everything we did today was open and we executed pretty well."
University of Toledo Head Coach Tom Amstutz
On quarterback situation ...
"We missed Brandon [Summers] a little bit. Clint [Cochran] has been working hard at getting back from his injuries. We needed a spark in there but in the end we just didn't come up with enough big plays near the end. I give Bowling Green credit. They are a good team and they did a nice job, but whenever you take away your team's starting Quarterback, you have to make adjustments and that was the case in this game".
On D.J (Lenehan) starting the game slow ...
"He's a real competitor and he got off to a slow start, but I was proud of our defense for making a goalline stand. Unfortunately their defense came up with a big play".
On the season ...
" Well number one, after the game I gave credit to our seniors. I thought they did a great job at the leadership role. We had a lot of adversity and things that we dealt with as a team but our seniors were strong and they stayed together. They have championship rings, but they were disappointed in the season, but we will rally together and I expect us to have a great year next year".
On defensive performance ...
"They did a nice job of controlling the ball. They made some plays and we came up short on the defensive side of the ball. We are going to make some changes. We have to be better as a defensive unit. We are going to work hard to make sure that our defense is much better than that next year".
On the lack of rushing attack ...
"We moved the ball some but they had a lot of pressure in the box which made us throw the ball. When you change quarterbacks your timing is going to be off. They put us in a situation where we were forced to throw. We made some good plays but overall it wasn't enough."
Toledo post-game player
Quarterback Clint Cochran
What was the mindset when you went into the game in the second quarter?
"My mindset was we needed a spark. I needed to get in there and help us move the ball. We needed to take advantage of the opportunities that we had and we needed a guy that was going to go on that field and step it up. I tried the best I could to fill that void."
On leaving some plays out on the field
"They [BG defense] played a great game. We came out there and tried to do some things and we left a lot of plays out on the field. We drove it inside their 25 yard line two or three times I think. Then we'd get pushed back. We did a lot on offense, but we just couldn't get the ball in the end zone and that's what you have to do if you want to win games."
Running Back Jalen Parmele
On the Bowling Green defense shutting down the UT run game
"Its just part of football. They watch film like everyone else. They got after it and unfortunately I wasn't able to do what I could have. Ultimately, they just got better as the game progressed."
Does it sting losing to Bowling Green for the first time in your four-year career?
"It definitely stings. It's a bad feeling losing to rival. It's disappointing for any player at any college."
Cornerback Barry Church
On defending Tyler Sheehan
"It was a challenge. He had a pretty substantial amount of time to throw the ball tonight. In the secondary we did our best to stay on coverage as long as we could. You have to credit their offensive line. They blocked great. Then their receivers just made plays."
Receiver Nick Moore
What was it like for you having to switch quarterbacks tonight?
"It didn't affect me at all. I've played with four quarterbacks since I've been here. I knew going into the week that if something happened I wasn't going to worry about it. I have all the confidence in Clint [Cochran].
