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Ohio Head Coach Tim Albin
Opening Statement:
Unbelievable weekend, homecoming, sold out. Our football team, four quarters. Great game, both sides of the ball. Special teams. Really, our most complete game of the year without question, and I'm glad it happened and on Frank solace field and homecoming. It's really a really special weekend. Coach Hess, son, daughter, families are in are here this weekend, got a chance to talk to the team. Our football team is well aware of what he has done for Ohio football, and I'm glad that they got to see our best game today. I actually early in the week, the football team, talking about Coach Hess daily with our guys and let them know Friday that his family is going to be here. I've read a coach Woody Hayes quote at his service, which is unbelievable and shared that with those guys again before the game and asked them for just a little bit more. You guys can do your research with what it said, but they delivered, so with that I'll open up for questions.
On decision to receive after winning coin toss:
Same plan as is Fordham. Afternoon game; I want, if we had won the toss, take the ball, [Akron] take the ball second half and we picked and it played out in our favor in both those games. It was not because we wanted to score first or pick up a shot or whatever, it had more to do with the second half decision. For two games now, it has really played in our favor.
On a strong offensive performance at the end of the first half:
Kurtis in his play, you got to start there. Obviously get protection. My man Sam is having a great year. I told him, while we're walking out, I said that that drive is going to be differences in the game. We got a defensive touchdown today, second one of the year, and we don't get that, that's probably how it plays out. That was big, it really was.
On the key to the offense's success:
Quarterback; you got to start there. Anytime you're doing well offensively that's, you get all the credit and too much weight. Coaching often the guys up front. I thought Sieh had his best game, pass pro today. Some pressures off the edge and there was a lot of chaotic stuff on the headphones when they brought up pressure, particularly in the third quarter. Sieh, he stuck it, man. I was pretty excited [as a] former running back coach. Offensively, again, we are clicking on all cylinders. Last week against Kent, good front seven. Both starting tackles were out,
Tyler Foster's out,
Tyler Walton's out. We put ourselves in position to win the game, got a couple of those guys back today. One game at a time outfit, but I like where we are offensively
On homecoming atmosphere:
I say it all the time, best fans in our conference, no question, and homecoming makes it more special. Our guys have an edge. Our student section is rowdy, can get volume as loud at home. I've been here a long time and I just think I think that we've got an advantage playing here on Frank Solich Field. We are 3-0 on Frank's Solich Field and I'm looking forward to the next one after Western.
On Sieh's performance:
I'm very happy for him. He's got a bunch of family here today. Talking to him over the course of the week, he's very happy. He's still got a little a little bruise on that foot, but he's a tough young man and he's got a bright, bright future.
On decision to go for it on fourth down to close the first half:
It was intense. I'll just say that. You know, as assistants, you make suggestions, but as Head Coach, you got to say it, make the decision. I told them we're going, get a play call. We took a timeout just to talk it through but, we knew we were going to go prior to the timeout. I was tied because we just had the fourth down down there and didn't get it, but we challenged our guys and we got it in.
On what's making Kurtis Rouke's efficiency:
The maturity, I am just going to keep coming back there. He's finally check downs, we've called some double move stuff. Last week against Kent, we called double move, we got the wrong coverage, they got bail and he goes right to the tight end. You got to first down, not to play action shot play, but double move on a show pass. We don't have the right coverage, he sees it and knows who's right there. He wasn't doing that last year and I like where he's at. He had bump in the third quarter, but he came right over to me. I know, second down and ten, we got quick game, and he's probably trying to do too much. He knows it and he won't make that mistake again.
On Sam Wiglusz:
I'm so happy for Sam. I mean he's an Ohio guy, a graduate, going to grad school here at Ohio University and he wanted to get on the field. He's been at Ohio State behind three first round draft picks and I am glad he's a Bobcat because he is producing and just a great young man. Off of Kent's third and fourth last week, we got the lead and ran a play that that we ran earlier, that worked for a 15 year gain. I got to stern talking to from Sam. "What are we doing, man coverage, Coach" and that's what you want. He's got that edge about him. He wants the ball, and as a coach you appreciate that. I took it, but I had a smile on my face when I walked away because he because he wants the ball.
On today's defensive:
We got some injuries, particularly in the back end. Torrie Cox didn't play the day, Tariq out,
Zack Sanders is out. I'm not sure if you saw
Ben Johnson was at defensive end in the fourth quarter. We're playing a lot of guys and as I said, our front seven, we got a lot of depth and it's showing because we are beat up. Spence Nowinsky in the defense has done a great job of moving guys around and give us our best chance. Keeping the ball in front was the goal today and tackle better. We're limited on coverages because we have three guys back there that were playing new positions. There are sometimes they don't have the fourth down pass and the third downs going this way, we were frustrated, but the clocks running. It's the strategy thing, what gives our best chance to win and we kept in the front and got the win.
On how the defensive will continue to capitalize on plays:
I am going to watch the film, we got our first interception today from
Keye Thompson and then our second defensive touchdown on the year. We're trending in the right way. Every Friday and every Tuesday, we have a circuit and the guys the guys believe in it. The turnover margin is going to be huge down the stretch. If we get the penalties down and we win the turnover battle, that is a formula for a lot of wins.
Graduate Student Wide Receiver Sam Wiglusz
On what the opening play meant to the team
"The first play of the game was the best way to start the game. You know, we got a couple plays that we know we were going to get a chance to call out if we got the right look, and we did, and you know, it could not have played out much better and it really got us off to a hot start, so it felt great."
On making large plays today:
"I mean, a lot of the plays that happen are almost just like a normal play that just kind of busts and you can find an opening. So you know we have a play in for right now that gives us the opportunity to find some openings and then you know, if you find one of them, there's a bigger opening and take all the way and that's just bonus but you now. It kind of depends on what you get."
On his confidence in his quarterback:
For the most part he's been lights out recently. 24-for-27 I mean, that's outstanding. So, you know if he gives me something that the think would look good, and I believe that he'll get it there. So, I mean, he has so far so you just got to keep rolling.
Redshirt freshman running back Sieh Bangura
On overcoming adversity to start his college career:
"Feels good. Grace of God, he's been with me my whole college journey, and I just thank him for all my life and all my teammates that have been behind me. My family, my mom, number one supporter I have ever had. I have a whole bunch of people behind me, so it's nice."
On bringing momentum into the locker room:
"Yea it was real, but we were looking for a spark for something and we just call directly back to the coaches. We just put it all together on the team on the field, so it was great. Good to get that right.
On playing in front of a large crowd
"We just treat it like another game. We just go out there and we do what we do in practice all week. We do what we do to the best of our ability to come out with a win today."
On how the team can improve:
Mental mistakes and just the little things. Things get to our head and stuff like we just need to be who we are and just play the game of football on the board"
Redshirt senior linebacker Bryce Houston
On defense making big plays
"You know, Coach Nowinsky was able to dial up some big switch ups from last week and we were able to go out there and execute to the best of our ability and, you know, create takeaways that we think that's the big thing that we need to go into each week, creating takeaways given the offense in Baltimore. We were able to do that this weekend. So, we're just happy that we were able to execute the best one."
On playing in front of a large crowd
It was exciting. Of course, seeing old family, friends, alumni, and stuff like that. You know we were able to go out there and execute our game plan, do what we're supposed to do. Even though you know it was homecoming, a big stage, stuff like that. That doesn't really affect how we're going to be playing. Of course, you know it makes us happy that we got the support from our fan base but at the same time, you know we had to go out there and execute, we knew what we had to do.
On MAC play:
"We don't really pay attention to records just so much as we were doing on the best record last year. And you know who we're supposed to take every single week, day by day. And every single team in the MAC is a tough opponent even though they have been struggling this year. Kudos to them, they came out and they played hard today. And they have a great ballclub. Same as I think a lot of other teams in the MAC, we should take it is it's another opponent that we must beat and not think about too much how they have been playing this year.
On how the team can improve:
I would say that defensively, we still need to tackle better. We are not able to eliminate the big play and that's something we still need to work on. The rushing yards, we still need to be able to stop the run better. This kind of just tightening all the little things that is all the elements of the game. You know, we're not very far from it, but we're trying to strive for that. So that's basically just tweaking all the little things such as tackling big plays, explosive plays, those types of things make us better.
