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Nebraska Football
Weekly Press Conference
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, Neb.)
Monday, Sept. 23, 2019
Ohio State
Darrion Daniels
Senior, Defensive Lineman
On Ohio State
“It is going to be a test for sure. It is Big Ten. Any time it’s a conference game we are expecting the best from everybody.”
On if he watched Ohio State’s game against Miami (Ohio)
“Not really. But, I have been familiar with their games. They are Big Ten and any time they are on television I am going to try to get a chance to watch them, so I have seen what they have done in the past.”
On the opportunity
“It is huge. No need to talk too much on Ohio State, they speak for themselves. Everybody knows what type of team they are. And for a team like us trying to prove ourselves and for a team to take that next step from being a decent team, to being a good team, to being an even better team, this is one of those opportunities where we have to see it and seize it, then take full advantage of it.”
On the crowd noise
“I kind of have tunnel vision. In regards to just paying attention when I am in the game, the only people I am listening to are the people behind me and the people to the left and right of me, making sure I get the right calls. The only time the sound really affects [me] is when I look up and I see the quarterback yelling at the offensive line and they can’t hear - they are turned around to see what is going on. That is the only time I notice it takes an effect. But, outside of that, I am not paying attention to it.”
On the biggest game he’s been a part of in terms of buzz
“I feel like every conference game you go in has a lot of buzz. I know in my time at OSU, Bedlam was one of those games, UT was one of those games and even this season with Colorado, there was a lot of buzz around that as well. Just get to the grind, everybody has something to say and you take that with a grain of salt, and you just get on the field, practice and it will work for you on Saturday.”
On focusing with all the hype
“I don’t think it is too difficult. It is just another name on the list. Got to go out there and get it. I think the guys on the team, we do a really good job of just focusing on the task at hand. Even with past games - crowds or no crowds - it doesn’t matter. We always want to focus on the 22 that are on the field at the time and push through the buzz and whatever the outside noise is.”
On if the team will watch College GameDay on Saturday
“We actually spend a lot of that time with each other. You know, just some more camaraderie before the game, just really cooling it with each other and enjoying time. It is the calm before the storm. Even with these late games that we have had in the past, it has always been spent with each other. Not really watching the show but just focusing on the team we have at hand. We watch film, Coach (Washington Jr.) and Coach (Tuioti) they do a good job of getting us D-linemen specifically. They give a run-down of plays and scouting reports that we can study and write and quizzes and the D-linemen, we get together and we do that as a unit so that we are all on top of it. That is something we do to stay focused outside of watching stuff like that.”
On Saturday’s win at Illinois
“We have actually had that run in all season where we played some of our worst football and then we played some of our best football. Like I said earlier, it is one of those things where we see our potential and we just always have to strive and fight to get back there and do it on a more consistent basis. This upcoming week we can’t have that hiccup because, a team like that, they will take full advantage of it.”
On Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins
“He’s Big Ten. It is filled with great running backs. We just have to do our best to keep them in front of us and definitely when we get hands on them, wrap them up and get 11 hands to the ball and try to get it out. It will take a full team effort and 100 percent effort to play 60 full minutes of hard-nosed football just to get the best result that we possibly can.”
On defensive backs Lamar Jackson and DiCaprio Bootle
“One thing I have always heard about playing defense is that the coverage and the pass rush work in unison. This past game, I am not for sure on how many passing yards they had, but it wasn’t that many. It just shows how far they have come and how huge they step up for us when the defensive line is slacking on the rush. We know that we can depend on them to keep their man locked. As far as us, we know that they are going to hold them long enough to get to the quarterback. Just seeing what they are doing is phenomenal. It just gives me a lot of hope going into the season because they just keep getting better and better and better.”
On linebacker JoJo Domann getting his Blackshirt
“Man, it is long overdue. I feel like he should have [already] had one, honestly. I think I noticed it during walk-through, right after zero-period. I saw him taking a knee and I looked at him and I was like hold on - that’s a shirt on you! It was one of those moments where I was just really excited for him because he has been playing some great football. He has been playing some phenomenal football, and he has been making some great plays for us and that is a guy who is well-deserving of it.”
NU Athletic Communications