Ohio Head Coach Tim Albin

Opening Statement: 
"Very happy with the win today, lots of emotion, big game playing the defending conference champions at home on senior day. I want to shout out Michael Stephens and his staff and Jacob Rockoff making that switch. I think it's great for the seniors and this is a great idea and I'm so happy for those guys to get a Saturday game with the crowd and then to get the win with and a dedication to Coach Solich and dedication of the field. Today was very emotional for a lot of people. So, we have a scrappy bunch, and we find a way to win, every week, every 60 minutes. It's a different identity every 60 minutes and our guys find a way. We knew it is going to be a challenge today with what we are facing, but we got it done. We're going to continue to be a one game at a time outfit and looking forward to a couple days off for the guys." 
 
On Sam Wiglusz's Performance:
"He's made a ton of plays for us, and he is a special. I mean right not he's got to be one of the top guys in our league and he's calm and sees things at the snap and is reading covers. Great call by Coach Isphording and Coach Smith on the double moves on the touchdown play. The first touchdown was a scramble, he found that window, so his play is just impressive. We must find ways to get him more involved in our game plan. I think he was targeted seven times, but the targets must go up. We must get targets dealt with." 
 
On Bend Don't Break Mentality:
"Justin Birchette is in a sling and bruised is AC joint but still got the team a huge tackle. We didn't make the tackle at Penn State and as their best guy was in the open field and he got him down and you can say it won the game. There's just plays like that. You can say Sam's play won the game. I'm happy for Justin, I know he will be okay, but it was as big of a play as there was." 

On Defensive Improvement: 
"Really, the effort has been the same, the coach the same, but there's been some great adjustments by defensive staff. Getting some guys back has helped. The two guys that we got back, Zack Sanders and Tori Cox. We have some very resilient and tough guys. I talk to the team on Monday, and I tell them the first box checked in recruitment is toughness. I just tell them every day what's the first box check in. We are going to be the toughest team on Saturday, and I believe we were today." 

On Keye Thompson's Big Game: 
"He's special, he missed all of last year and had to overcome a huge injury. He's worked his tail off and I think he's playing his best right now. It took some time, he was a little bit rusty in the beginning of the season, but I don't think he's stepped on the field since 2019, and I think what you are seeing right now is how we was playing before the injury. He brings an edge and then the guys respond to it and I'm happy for Keye and Bryce and those front seven guys are leading the defense." 

On not taking any penalties: 
"I did not realize that. We try to not have any of those major penalties that we have had in the past. We started asking for a little bit more for the last few weeks. I challenged them on Friday, and it's okay and we practice well. Let's get a little bit tougher mentally and let's play our best game. Not having any penalties is outstanding. It's been done the year before, but you got to take it out. We are better on third down as an offense, but we still have plenty of things to work on. No turnovers are the difference in the game and we got out again with zero turnovers." 

On The Team's Passing Defense: 
"I have nothing against the guys who we are playing, but just to get Tariq [Drake] back and he's one of our senior leaders back there. Getting him back and the Zach and Torrie and Justin all had some key plays today. And so with our pass rush, hopefully we can keep coming and attacking. We're not a finished product, they are going to keep coming to work and improving every day."
 
On being undefeated at home: 
"It's great. You know when we were going through the gauntlet early in the season with some injuries, you have to find ways to celebrate some small victories and now we're 4-0 at home. I was talking about finding something to celebrate and some of the defensive guys were saying all week that we don't lose on the Frank. No disrespect to coach, but they guys love saying we don't lose on the Frank."

Ohio Player Quotes
 
Ohio Redshirt Junior Quarterback Kurtis Rourke:

On what are he and the staff was telling your team when NIU ties it up at 17
"Just you know, do what we do best and put a drive together and just put some points on the board. We have so many times this year we've had scoring drives and it didn't make any difference how much time was left, because that's what we do."

On looking for Sam Wiglusz when he gets on a one-on-one situation
"I mean he is a great player. He makes plays all the time. So, he's reliable I know where he'll be and he's a good person too."

On his 61-yard run 
"Yeah, just like you said, there was about three times I should have been down. Someone's going to catch me from behind, but you know, I was just running until I was eventually down. A lot of fun to just move in and out but I do not get to do that too much."

On how it feels being undefeated on home
"It's good protecting Frank Solich Field and that's been the number one goal, to win games, but to be able to defend this field that has been named after such a legendary coach, that makes it even more special."
 
Ohio Graduate Student Receiver Sam Wiglusz 

On being able to get open for Kurtis Rourke
"I mean Kurtis has been lights out all year so I know if I give him any space, he will find a way to get the ball in there. The number one thing you want is receivers to trust your quarterback, so I am glad to have that and hopefully we just keep it rolling."

On being able to focus and come down with his second touchdown
"We tried to go tempo and catch them off guard and we did. The corner wasn't really paying attention when the ball was snapped so it's kind of was a funky look. And then I went to get it, the ball moved around a little bit, but I knew that it was on my chest the whole time. So, you just want to squeeze the ball and hopefully not get ripped out."

On how having zero turnovers helped them win the game
"That is one of one of the most important things I think and the defense did a great job getting the ball out, even if they're not recovering every single one, it's putting the pressure on. So, if we can just do our job and not lose the ball, we are going to win the turnover battle a lot of times so that's been huge. A lot of these games have been really close down to the end and that's a difference maker."

Ohio Redshirt Senior Linebacker Keye Thompson 
On how the defense has been performing better over the last couple of games 
"Yeah, I think over the past two or three weeks we have really focused mentally. Beginning of the season we had a lot of bad plays and blown coverages. But, we tightened up in the secondary and we worked on tackling this week, making sure we get the ball and carry them to the ground. I think just locking in and being sharper really helped us over the past couple of weeks." 

On what it meant to get crucial stops of defense today
"It just comes down to like I said, the mental aspect and toughness. Coach Spence does a great job of building that grit in the defense room. And I think we all try to follow him, and we all buy in. I mean, when it's time to get that stop, we'll go out there and get it for our offense to go down score."

On what the feel in the locker room has been recently with the success of the team 
"The belief is high. Since the season started, we have had one goal and that is a championship. We will see how things play out. But we are just keeping our head down. One week at a time. That is what Coach Albin preaches, and we are buying into that and hopefully we can just keep rolling and get these ones."

On how big it was for them to win for all the seniors on senior day
"Oh, it was very big. We got a lot of seniors, a lot of super seniors. Guys that will not be with us next year. So, we go out there and we fight for them each and every week. Kai Caesar, super senior we have on the team. He is very vocal, and he wants to win and that is one of those seniors that you kind of look up to and you are like okay, I mean, let's go. So, we just go out there and put it on the line for our brothers."