2005 FBL vs. Ohio State -- Postgame Quotes
11/19/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Michigan Head Coach Lloyd Carr
On the game ... "Offensively, we did not hold the football. Of course that in some way or another is going to make it very difficult to win. I thought offensively we did some very good things in the passing game, but in the end Troy Smith made too many plays. He scrambled out of there when we thought we had him sacked and he made the pass. Prior to that, he made a big play on third down. We had him trapped and I thought it was going to be fourth and five, but we missed the tackle. Give them credit."
On Ohio State QB Troy Smith ... "I thought he threw the football awfully well. I thought we did some very good things, yet with five minutes to go, they put two great drives together, and that of course made the difference. We couldn't offensively keep the ball, because we just could not run the football."
On preventing big plays ... "They have good speed at the wide receiver position and made it difficult to not gang up on them as far as the coverage you play. We did a good job of preventing big plays and thats one of the things they do best. As the game went on and after the first drive, I though defensively we did some excellent things. We held them at the end of the half with a field goal. We played very well with the exception of the last five minutes when they put together two big drives."
On how the season ended ... "I am very disappointed, there is no question about that. I am not disappointed in the guys who played on this football team. I think they gave us everything they had, maintained great unity, supported each other during some very difficult times and I think they played their hearts out today, but it just wasn't enough."
U-M Sophomore Quarterback Chad Henne
On the offense ... "We were executing, but it doesn't matter if you don't win the game. It's tough, especially against this team with this rivalry. There were points where we shined, but there's always room for improvement -- on my end and on everyone's end. That's the great thing about this sport -- you're always looking ahead for more improvement and more execution on offense. As the season went on, we executed better, but some of those games just slipped away from us."
On Michigan's several close, last-minute games ... "A lot of our games came down to the last minute. We were saying all year that that was one of our goals -- just to finish. This year, we didn't finish some of the games we should have."
On Ohio State's defense ... "They're a good defense. They're the best in the conference. The linebackers are very well schooled and so are their safeties. They played well today. I give them credit. They played well and stopped us on some of those drives where we could have driven down and scored. We didn't know what they'd give us, because they have so many coverages they could throw at us. We were isolating on their linebackers, trying to get them to move around. They have three linebackers that are going to stuff the hole, so it's tough to run. If we have to pass, we have to pass. We passed the ball a lot; we should have been a little more balanced."
On playing in his second Ohio State game ... "Last year I really didn't know what I was getting into. This year, I had a better feeling about what the game was all about. It doesn't matter what team is up; it's always going to be a fight until the end. When two great teams go together, some team has to come out the winner."
U-M Junior Rush Linebacker LaMarr Woodley
On the last two drives ... "They just got a couple big plays on us. We didn't get enough pressure, and that hurt. When you have a nine-point lead, it's the defenses job to make sure the other team doesn't score. We didn't hold up our end."
On the game ... "We have to give them credit. All we can do now is look ahead to the bowl game. Hopefully, we can send our seniors out with a win."
U-M Fifth-Year Senior Defensive End Pat Massey
On the momentum shift ... "They just got that big play at the end. We did a decent job of containing them to keep the momentum, but that big play was a big letdown."
On Ohio State's last two drives ... "We had the guys there to get them on the ground, but we just didn't do it. We were getting good pressure, but we couldn't get them down. That gave them the time they needed to make those receptions."
On the four losses this year ... "There is a lot to learn from every game. It's all about finishing, and in all of our losses, we failed to finish on both sides of the ball. You tend to concentrate on your side of the ball. The defense didn't step up and finish."
On the possibility of a bowl win ... "You always look forward to the next game. We're going in there to get a win. Last year we lost to Ohio State and in our bowl game, and that's something I never want go through again. We're going to put all of our effort and focus into the bowl game."
Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel
Opening statement ... "It was another great game in the Big Ten and another great Ohio State-Michigan game. Both teams played their hearts out and we tip our caps to Michigan for how hard they played. I told my guys today they broke one of my truisms, which is that we can't win this game if we turn the ball over. But our kids wanted it so badly they did what they had to do to overcome that and I'm awfully proud of them. Troy Smith took over the last couple drives to give us a chance. Troy gives you that will to win and that command of his team."
On what it took to come back and win when his team was down ... "We knew that being nine points down was certainly within striking distance. The wind was pretty significant and we had it with us. We played till the end. We don't think we're ever done and that's the way we do it."
On which play he'll remember from this game ... "There were a bunch of them, and sometimes as a coach you remember some of the ones you don't like, but the one I remember is when we were trying to center the ball to kick the winning field goal and instead our kid scores."
On how much his team and Michigan wanted to win ... "I'm not going to comment on how much an opponent wants it, but I know our guys wanted it awfully badly and that's huge. It's important that when our guys get to play for the Big Ten Championship and get to play against Michigan, they want to be successful. Our guys have wanted it badly all year and I think they've played hard all year. This is just a little bit of icing on the cake."
OSU Junior Quarterback Troy Smith
On the turnovers ... "Not everything is going to go your way. So as long as you believe in your coaching staff, good things are going to happen. I just want to give all the props and respect to the guys up front -- the guys on the offensive line. Without these guys, this couldn't happen."
On wide receiver Santonio Holmes ... "Santonio is a guy, who as a receiver is open all the time. He can be guarded by three people and he'll still get open, and that's the mentality that a receiver has to have. As a receiver, you have to want the ball all the time. It doesn't matter where the ball is, you have to have the understanding that I have to go get the ball,' and Santonio does that. He's a great receiver and a great player."
On his improvement since the Texas game ... "I think it's just knowing and understanding that every play does not need to be made with your feet. As a quarterback, you need to slow the game down and come up to the line understanding what they want to do. And at that point in time, if it's third and long, if they want to blitz or bring something tricky, then film study does that for you."
OSU Senior Placekicker John Huston
On the kicking miscues ... "I put it up where I wanted to, and it was just slowly creeping right, and it was trouble. As for the extra point, the snap and the hold were fine -- I don't know what happened there."
On getting at least a share of the Big Ten championship ... "It's great for the team -- we did everything we could to win this game. It's special. It's my fourth pair of gold pants -- the first pair that I actually deserve."
On overcoming poor special teams and turnovers ... "Like the coach said, we lost the special teams and the turnover margin, but we won the game. Ninety percent of the time, that doesn't happen, so we defied that law."
