Drew Allar | QB | Senior
Q: In terms of the way you guys executed play calls in the first half, did you feel like it was more of a situation where they were taking things away from you or that you guys weren’t executing what you wanted to do?
A: I just felt like we weren’t executing what we wanted to do and were supposed to do. I’ll give credit to them too. They definitely made plays, and they have talented players. But I feel like if we had executed at a higher level then we would’ve had more momentum in the first half. But again, they have talented players on their side of the ball that made plays.
Q: What was it about that drive where it was 17-3 and then you guys made it 17-10 that was working?
A: I think we just started being aggressive at that point. You have to go down and score to make it a game. I really think we did a great job of just taking what was given on that play and on that series in general. I think we hit Luke on the beginning of the drive and Trebor did a great job of getting up the field, and obviously Ross over the top. I think it was just us playing our game and playing the rhythm. Again, we were ahead of the sticks and that started on the first play with Luke. I felt like from that point on we started playing better.
Q: Through the past couple of years, we’ve seen this offense get into a hole and things start to click like in a Big Ten Championship game. What’s the key to getting that earlier so you don’t get into these types of situations?
A: It starts with being more efficient on first and second down. I think that at the end of the game when we were ahead by six, we were able to be very diverse in our play calls. When we’re able to do that, I feel like we’re hard to stop. We’ve just got to consistently do it at an earlier level in the games.
Q: Were there any changes or modifications to your approach, how you watch the film, or what conversations you might have leading up to prepping for a game?
A: I’m always very critical of myself. The coaching staff and I are very honest in our self-reflection, no matter the outcome of the game. Our process is a process, and we will change that. Obviously, you have to learn a lot of stuff from this game. I’m just going to have to take that growth mindset out of it. The outcome sucks, but we’re looking for the positives and also the negatives to learn and correct those, so they don’t happen again.
Amare Campbell | LB | Junior
Q: Do you guys feel like you held up your end of the bargain on defense tonight?
A: I wouldn’t say we held up, I mean, I would say we played a good game. A lot of stuff that we’ve got to clean up late in the game that we didn't execute at a high level, allowing them to score. At the end of the day, our job is to not let them score. So, anytime they score any points, that's on us. I feel like we didn't hold up our bargain, but we played a decent, decent game. We’ve got a lot of room to grow.
Q: Do you think this loss can do anything for you guys moving forward in terms of motivation, mentality, things like that?
A: Oh, for sure. Definitely. Give us the bigger chip than what we already had. A lot of people are going to feel this pain that we felt tonight for the rest of the season. We’ve got a long season, so we’ve got a lot to build on.
Q: So this was your first time playing in a White Out. Obviously, it didn’t end the way you wanted, but how was the environment today?
A: Awesome. I feel like it definitely made me play at a higher level, and it was a great environment. Thank you to all the fans, everybody out there.
Q: Did that crowd create any difficulties for you guys in communication?
A: I wouldn’t say so. I mean, yes and no, we were using a lot of signals this game, so it wasn’t as much on the green dot. I could hear pretty well. But you know, we use that energy to our advantage.