Q How important was this win?
A: This was a big game for us for a lot of reasons. A top-five team win like this on the road in a tough environment, moving Donnie [Donovan Jackson] over to left tackle. We knew we had to win the rushing yards, the turnover battle was going to be big, and then no negative plays. And that’s what we really focused on, but at the end of the day we had to find a way to get a stop and get that extra first down. So, I think this is going to build us moving forward, and getting this win for our guys is going to go a long way.
Q: The defense having its backs against the wall in that situation and to get the goal line stands, what kind of springboards do you think that can be for this defense the rest of the year?
A: Well, I think about last week, we had one and then we get the interception by Igbinosun, and going into the end of the half, and then today. It shows that there’s a great toughness, a never give up, give me an inch, I’m going to defend it mentality. You got to give Jim and the entire staff credit on the defense for their preparation going into the game. Penn State does an excellent job of changing formations, motioning, different looks, and you know we found a way to get the stand and when it comes down to the players, coaches can put you in a situation, but the players have to execute, and they did just that.
Q: What did Will Howard give you bouncing back from those two big mistakes to seal it at the end with the slide there?
A: He gives us toughness at the quarterback, running the ball. You saw the run that he had between when the ball was squared out and that was a well-executed play—and Trayveon [Henderson] had a great block there too—and the other guys were getting after people and the play ended the way it did was like taking a shot right to the stomach. But nothing you can do, you got to regroup and keep on. That’s the sign of somebody who is resilient, who’s been through it before, and he willed it to happen. He had a look in his eye all week that he wasn’t going to lose this game, and he just refused to lose, and that mentality helped us win the game.