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On the loss to Ohio State
“I’m disappointed. You know, I knew they were a good team and they’re really good now. I’ve been on the field with a lot of good football teams, you know they just put pressure on you because they’re really good on defense, really good on offense, they’re good on special teams. We didn’t protect well enough, we didn’t take care of the ball well enough, we didn’t tackle well enough, we didn’t block well enough. That’s where we want to get as a football team. We didn’t get it done tonight. We keep preaching turnovers and we can’t turn it over three times in the first half, again, especially against a team like that. I think their DB made a great play on the one, we made a bad throw on one, and then one landed on top of them, but you can’t do that against a good team. We’re all disappointed. I thought we had a puncher’s chance if we came out and played a really good game, and we didn’t, so that’s the result. I told the team that we can’t doubt for a second where this is going, what we are doing to get it there, the improvements we’ve made so I want the guys to go to bed tonight and put this behind them and be looking forward to a week from today. We have another chance to come out and play in front of these great fans.”
On doubts
“I don’t think the players that we have now will let it cause any doubt. I keep telling them we are who we are. We’ve earned 3-1 going into tonight, we’ve earned the good of that, the bad of that. We’re getting better at things and tonight exposed a few things that we need to get better at, but you can’t run from who you are, and you can’t run from where you are. I think the guys know what’s made them better, what’s made them improve. They’re not going to doubt what we’re doing. They aren’t going to doubt any of that. They are just hungry to play better. I can see that in their eyes already in the locker room.”
On the concerns of allowing big runs
“You guys talk about concerning, I hate losing more than anybody. It doesn’t do us any good to worry, concern, doubt, or any of the things you guys are saying, that’s not what our team’s going to do. Those guys are really good, and we’ve got to do a better job. All we can do to address that is practice, lift weights, recruit, run, get our technique better, that’s what we’re going to focus on."
On the effort
“I’m proud of the guys for coming out and continuing to battle and play. I want us to play better, don’t want to see us put ourselves in that kind of hole, but our guys didn’t quit, and I love this team, I love the guys on this team.”
On going under center during the third drive and if the interception hurt the momentum
“Yeah that and the other two turnovers for sure. That drive, we kind of went back to some old school Nebraska stuff and it worked and we drove it down the field, had an opportunity on a pass play and if we’d given the quarterback a little more time it probably would’ve been a completion and a touchdown. He was hurried a little and had to float it and we got a bad break. I think our guys executed that stuff pretty well and that was neat to see.”
On building on the I-formation
“We’ll see.”
On the offense
“We have to protect the quarterback so he can throw, we have to make better throws, we have to get open, all those things. We have to be better. I’m not trying to be snarky or anything, we just weren’t good enough at any of that tonight. We didn’t sustain any drives so we couldn’t continue to call pass plays. That’s obviously not what you want to see, 10 yards passing in the first half, or whatever, but there’s nothing we can do but work on it and get better at it. I thought (Offensive Coordinator) Troy (Walters) and the rest of the staff did a really good job putting a plan together. Above all else, they had really good pass rushers and we didn’t have a lot of time. I thought their defensive backs were really good, and we have to be better.”
On Nebraska's first-half turnovers
“I see that stats and the inside articles on Nebraska’s turnovers, and I’ve never really been a part of a team that has had the issue. So, we’re going to continue to address it and make sure it happens as little as we can help it to happen. Football is still football. All those things are going to happen, but we can take care of what we can take care of. The turnovers are something that we are going to continue to work on and try not to put ourselves behind the eight ball in anymore games.”
On the team's progress
“You’re never as far along as you want to be. I’m sure if you ask them, they’re not as far along as they want to be. That’s just coaching. If you lose your drive to get better and you’re satisfied with where you are, you’re not going to get any better. Obviously, I wish we were undefeated and have won every game by 100 points, but that’s not where we are. We’re clawing, we’re scrapping, we’re grinding, we’re trying to get better on the field and off in every possible way that we can so that when we get more opportunities like this to play top-five teams in the country, that we do better.”
On the outcome of the game
“Same thing I said this morning on the set, same thing I’m saying right now is that we’re going to get more opportunities with games like that. I’ve only been part of a game like that once as a coach. We’re building this thing. The kids know where this is going, the coaches know where this is going. Ohio State and Nebraska are both traditionally good teams. I give a ton of credit to them and their coaching staff because they’re a lot better football team than they were a year ago. Both teams are two of the blue blood great programs in the history of college football, but those guys have been on top lately, and that’s where we’re trying to get and where we’re going to get. We’re just not there right now, and we have a lot of work to do to make sure that happens."
On persevering through the deficit
“I thought the guys played hard, I don’t think that mentality was the issue. We got pushed around a little bit, we didn’t protect well, we missed some tackles, their receivers got open, we threw some interceptions. They’re a better football team than we are, and we are going to get more shots at teams like that down the road."
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