Brian Hartline, sophomore wide receiver
On breaking the Ohio State record for longest punt return for a touchdown
“I didn’t find out about it until the end of the game. It is really exciting to have my name in the record book. Hopefully this will not be the last one I break.”

On the upcoming BCS poll
“We are not really thinking about that. We didn’t expect to be ranked this high at this point of the year. We are growing so fast and it is fun to see us improve so being ranked this high is not a bad thing at all.”

Cameron Heyward, freshman defensive end
On the defense
“As a whole, we play great. It is not an individual thing for us because we work together as a team to reach our goals.”

Maurice Wells, junior running back
On Ohio State’s running game
“It was hard for us to get going in the first half. We picked up a lot and improved in the second half and played fairly well.”

Jake Ballard, sophomore tight end
On the game as a whole
“We had a good feeling going into this game and a great feeling at the end. The offense was a little shaky at first but eventually came through. We played well as a team.”

Rob Schoenhoft, sophomore quarterback
On his play against Kent State
“I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this all season. It was good to go out and see a lot of action. It’s always nice to line up against a defense that isn’t your own. We executed on some plays and missed others. There is always room for improvement.”

Donald Washington, sophomore defensive back
On his interception return for a touchdown
“Knowing that it was my first one ever, it was extra exciting. They ran the play a couple of times and that time I jumped on it. I had a good burst and was able to jump the route and take it for six.”

Todd Boeckman, junior quarterback
On whether the Kent State game was a distraction from the Big Ten season
“No it wasn’t a distraction at all. This game helped us build as a team and get more comfortable with the playbook and our personnel. We worked to improve a lot of little things today and I think we did that.”

On the running backs
“It’s always nice to have a good running back behind you but when you have three, it is just a bonus. Those guys have executed all season and have taken a lot of pressure off of our passing game.”

Brandon Saine, freshman tailback
On the state of his knee
“It’s not an issue at al for me. I’m not thinking about it and it doesn’t hurt. I just have to perform at the level I’m used to and everything else will take care of itself.”

Malcolm Jenkins, junior defensive back
On the performance of the defense
“I’m disappointed that we gave up that score today but Kent State earned it. It’s always tough to shutout anyone but Kent State really gave us some problems, especially on the ground. We just have to keep working and get better.”

On Donald Washington’s interception return for a touchdown
“It feels really good to see Donald get that touchdown and shine a little bit. He is a more important part of this defense than what people give him credit for and it’s good to see him get some attention.”

Kent State Quotes

Doug Martin, Kent State head coach
On Ohio State
“They are big, they are fast and they are really strong. We made mistakes we could not make if we wanted to be in this football game. Give Ohio State all the credit in the world because they are a very good football team.”

On Ohio State
“No one is going to come in here and score 30 points on Ohio State. This is one of the best defenses I have ever seen. You have to grind with them and make it come down to the wire.”

On Ohio State’s defense
“They had shut out just about everyone in the running game. If you want to run the ball against Ohio State, you have to be a diverse running team because they are very good at making you one dimensional.”

Eugene Jarvis, sophomore running back
On Kent State’s rushing game
“Our rushing game has been big all year and we were able to run so we will use this as a springboard against Bowling Green. We are running well and can put any back on the offensive line and run well.”

On the environment at Ohio Stadium
“If you come out and aren’t pumped, then you are not ready to play college football. Our adrenaline was pumping and we were ready to play. It’s what college football is all about.”

Colin Ferrell, senior nose tackle
On the matchup
“They are No. 3 in the nation but we matched well on the physical aspect. Like coach said, we made mistakes we can’t make playing against a No. 3 team.”

On playing at Ohio State
“This is what college football is all about – the environment. I don’t know how many thousands were here but it is every kid’s dream to play college football in an environment like this.”