Ohio State Postgame Player and Coach Quotes

Jim Heacock, Ohio State defensive coordinator
On the defense
“We ran around today and flew to the ball. Last week we may have been more concerned with not making mistakes, whereas today we were more aggressive and dictated the pace of the game.”

Brandon Saine, Ohio State freshman tailback
On finding an offensive rhythm
“It really wasn’t any one person who turned the corner and got the offense rolling today. We just got together and everyone did their job.”

On the performance of Chris Wells
“It’s fun to see him get going. The fans really get loud when he has a great run and that gets the rest of the team pumped up.”

Todd Boeckman, Ohio State junior quarterback
On the offense’s performance
“We wanted to work on some new things this week. We were happy with a lot of the things we did but we weren’t satisfied with some elements. We have some wrinkles we have to iron out to make sure everyone is on the same page.”

On the second half
“We got some drives going and we seemed to gel more on offense. The five turnovers are a concern but it’s something we’re going to have to work through.”

Doug Worthington, sophomore defensive lineman
On the defense’s performance
“The coaches had a great game plan today and I think we executed it well. Our young guys stepped up and did some great things to help pick up our offense.”

On Akron’s 13-consecutive drives without a first down
“The defense played with attitude and passion. Every time we gave up yards today we took it personally. This could be a great defense if we have to maintain our intensity and discipline.”

Brian Hartline, sophomore wide receiver
On his fumble and subsequent injury
“It was difficult. You have to go back out there and fight through mistakes. In football it’s always a battle to stay healthy. I’m glad I could get back in there and help the team in the second half.”

Thaddeus Gibson, freshman linebacker
On the linebacker corps
“We’re like brothers. Our goal has always been to follow the tradition of Ohio State linebackers. We all learn from each other everyday in practice which makes us all better in the long run.”

Ross Homan, sophomore linebacker
On the Ohio State offense
“I am not frustrated with them. We look at it from a team standpoint. There is no good or bad we just go out and work hard and recover.”

On preparations for Washington
“We need to get better. We definitely need to get better. Washington is a big, fast team. We just need to practice and keep improving.”

On forcing Akron into 13 straight three-and-out drives
“We came out every time expecting to be out in three plays. We try to eliminate the rush to zero. We came out with a lot of tenacity every time.”

On differences between Youngstown State and Akron
“Any team is going to come out and push you and challenge you and we have to be ready for that. Akron ran a no-huddle offense so they were a little quicker off the ball.

Vernon Gholston, junior defensive end
On the defense
“We felt comfortable with what we were supposed to do. We looked at their offense all week. We just feel like this is the way we should play. Last week we came out a little nervous, so we knew we had to turn it up this week.”

On the absence of Lawrence Wilson
“There was a little excitement missing from the defense today, but the young guys did a good job. They did a good job getting off the ball.”

On defensive preparations
“We came out with the mindset that we needed to come off the ball quickly. We knew they would throw quick passes.”

Dane Sanzenbacher, freshman wide receiver
On playing for Ohio State versus Toledo Central Catholic High School
“It is a big step up. I am glad coach has enough faith in me to let me do it.”

On the chemistry between the offense and the two quarterbacks
“It is not too bad. We do that type of rotation in practice so we are used to playing with them both.”

On any frustrations with the offense
“I haven’t been frustrated. The offense has been working hard all camp and all summer. I am sure we will keep getting better.”

Cameron Heyward, freshman defensive end
On the defense
“We did a great job controlling the line today and got faster with each play. As the game went on, the defense definitely intensified. We want to improve with each game and we are seeing that happen.”

On his quarterback sack
“I had a couple of chances throughout the game to get a sack. With this one, I wanted to make sure I made it happen.”

Steve Rehring, junior left guard
On the offensive line in the second half
“We had better flow in the second half. In the first, we missed a lot of assignments but as the game went on, we started to put it together.”

On Beanie Wells’ game
“You see him play great all the time. We have a lot of faith in him and the way he plays the game.”

Maurice Wells, junior running back
On the offensive line
“The offensive line blocked well for us today, but Akron’s defense played well against us. The offensive line, however, held it together for us in the end and put in nice pushes for me.”

On his role on the team
“What is most important for me and the team is winning. We are now 2-0 and as long as we keep winning, I can’t complain about anything.”

Malcolm Jenkins, junior defensive back
On making the big plays
“In the beginning, we all had the jitters and weren’t focused. But as the game progressed, we put the focus on the ball more and more. We are gaining the experience to make the big plays each game.”

On the defense
“The sky is the limit for us. We played great today but we have to stay focused and get better as the season goes on.”

On what the defense needs to improve
“We need to improve on the turnover ratio. We lost the turnover margin today and Coach Tressel always stresses the turnover margin. There are other mistakes we need to correct, but the main one is creating turnovers.”

Brian Robiskie, junior wide receiver
On the weather in the first half
“It didn’t affect us too much. It is all about our execution of the plays. Coach Tressel had the plays for us and we didn’t execute them the way we should have.”

On settling in the second half
“We all settled as a whole and began to execute better. There is a lot of work to be done if we want to get to where we want to be. The first half was sloppy and Akron did a great job stopping us. But, when we came out in the second half, we could see some definite improvement.”

On the Buckeye turnovers and the Akron’s defense
“Akron’s defense did a great job and stepped up to the challenge. They created a lot of great plays and credit to them. Coach Tressel puts a focus on our turnovers and we need to do better next time to prevent them.”

Akron Postgame Quotes

J.D. Brookhart, Akron head coach
On the game
“Our goal in this game was to come in, keep it tight and have a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter.”

On the Ohio State defense
“This is one of the best defenses we will ever see. I knew it was going to be a struggle, I just didn’t think it was going to be this much of a struggle. Ohio State’s front seven is the best I have ever seen.”

On Akron’s game plan
“We really wanted to get them running and try to wear them down. They did a good job of stopping us on third down. We just couldn’t stay on the field.”

Chris Jacquemain, sophomore quarterback
On Ohio State’s defense
“They are tough, fast and just overall very good. We had a game plan and things just didn’t really go our way.”

On Ohio State’s front seven
“They really disrupted us. I knew I was not going to have a lot of time to throw, so when I changed a play it was always a quick pass. This is the best front seven I have ever seen.”

Reggie Corner, senior cornerback
On the game
“It is a team game. We thought we worked hard enough on both offense and defense. We just came up a little short.”

On Ohio State’s wide receiver Brian Robiskie
“Robiskie is a great player. He has great hands and great feet. It was great going against him and I’m happy, for the most part, with how I played.”

Davanzo Tate, senior cornerback
On the game
“This (game) is going to carry over. We came in here against a great team, a ranked team and we played every snap. This lets us know we can play with anyone.”

On the game
“Fatigue played a big role today. I think we played strong, mentally, and at the end of the game we just wore down. We did a good job hanging with them.”