Drew Allar | QB | Jr.
Q: You guys face a really good and talented team next week. How do you build on today’s win and continue to have explosive plays?
A: I think it’s our preparation throughout the week. Everyone knows Illinois is a very tough team, and they are a tough team. We played them last year and I don’t know how many returners they have, but I’m sure it’s a fair amount. They’re going to be a test for us for sure, but I think offensively we are going to learn from both good and bad in today’s game and then build on that throughout the week.
Q: I’m sure you felt more confident now than you did last year. How did that confidence improve and how does it affect your performance?
A: I would definitely say that my confidence is at an all-time high since I’ve been here. Having that experience from last year was helpful, and I learned a lot in my first year starting. It’s also partly credit to Danni, Coach K and Coach Franklin for just letting me be me and showing my emotion when I want to. My confidence also comes from the way I prepare. I take a tremendous amount of pride in that and our whole QB room does on preparing like every day is the Super Bowl.
Abdul Carter | DE | JR
Q: How ready are you guys for Big Ten play to start next week?
A: I feel like we’re prepared. We’re going to start focusing on Illinois tomorrow, but we’re going to enjoy this win tonight.
Q: Did you accomplish what you needed to today?
A: I definitely felt like we dominated today, especially on defense. I think we held them to 60 total yards in the game. We take pride in dominating as a defense and as a unit.
Dani Dennis-Sutton| DE | JR
Q: How important is Max (Granville) for this defensive end group?
A: Max is really important. Obviously, you need depth in a college team. He’s going to be the next big one to come from the defensive end room.
Q: How important was it for you guys to come back with a complete defensive performance?
A: It’s obviously important for our confidence, for the team. This was a great game, I think offense and defense played really well and it’s going to be big going into Big Ten play.
Jaylen Reed | S | SR
Q: What is it about Dejuan that makes you think he can ultimately accomplish what James wants him to, holding it down on the back end?
A: Him just being ready. Wanting to learn and being ready to play. As a freshman, it's hard to have all the tools together. He is very athletic, blessed, and ready to be a good thing for our program.
Q: How much does that change the defense to have Dejuan and Zaki back deep and you can play up in the box?
A: I don't think it changes it at all, actually. I mean, of course, it's tough to lose. We don't know how that's about to play out. So having a guy like Dejuan step into that role, ready as a true freshman, you know, it's a good opportunity.
Jalen Kimber | CB | RS-Sr.
Q: You’ve played in front of some big atmospheres for the first two games in Beaver Stadium. What’s been your impression so far and how excited are you to go out under the lights next week?
A: I was extremely excited considering the fact that this is a big thing. I love the fans, they come out every week for us. It’s everything I thought it was going to be.
Q: You guys had a little bit of a tougher performance a few weeks ago. Did you go into the bye week with a chip on your shoulder or did you hit the reset button and refocus?
A: We hit that reset button and refocused on who we are as a team and who we want to be at the end of the day. On defense, we felt like we didn’t uphold the standard, so that’s what we came out here today to do by playing dominant defense.
Julian Fleming | WR | Sr.
Q: As a veteran player, what are some of the challenges that you’ve seen so far in these first few games that you’ve had to personally overcome?
A: I think we played good team ball, but I think we could have come out a little bit faster as an entire offense. That’s something we’re definitely going to focus on here in the next couple games, obviously looking to the next game.
Q: How good does it feel to have as good as a game as you played today?
A: Obviously it feels great. Sometimes games go one way, other times they go another way. At this point we’re 3-0 and we put a big number up today on offense, but we’re just going to continue to improve on that.
Tyler Warren| TE | SR
Q: I'm not if you're aware about the record for, you know, most yards in program history today, but what kind of message do you think that sends?
A: Yeah, I don't think that's really what we're focused on. I think it just kind of sets the tone for what we know we can do, and just trying to keep replicating that and doing what we can to spread the ball.
Liam Clifford 2| WR | JR
Q: How did you feel finally get a little bit more involved this week, at least on the box?
A: Yeah. It was awesome. It was fun to see all the hard work we put in, not only myself, but the entire team put in the offseason, in camp, to then finally come to fruition, come into play. Really, everybody touched the ball, which was fun. A couple guys had the end zone which was awesome, broke some school records, which was great. It was a fun game. Like I said, all the work we put in finally coming through.
Omari Evans |WR | J
Q: Coach talked about running your own race, trusting your own development for you and your career so far, where do you feel like you've grown the most?
A: I would say, just listening and trusting my coaches and what they're telling me to do. Just using my speed more to get open. Coach has talked about maturity as well, kind of developing as a leader in that room.
Q: How does being a quarterback in high school kind of give you the insight to what Drew and Beau and the other quarterbacks do?
A: Sometimes I know how they're feeling and when I'm wide open or something, and they don't see me or hit me. I understand, because sometimes you just have to go to the next read or the pocket collapses. So sometimes you can't always hit.
Nick Singleton |RB) | J
Q: Has there ever been anything Andy's come up with that you were a little skeptical about, then kind of seeing it come to action?
A: Not really, no, because that just shows everybody has confidence in Andy. What he calls on the field, coaches, players, he's been great. I just can’t wait to keep it going.