Ball State Football Postgame News Conference Quotes, November 29: Game 12 at Ohio
Coach Johnson
Opening statement: "What more can I say about Tanner Koziol? I am proud of him, he played a hell of a game and he is an all-time record-holder for a tight end at Ball State. He's an unbelievable player, and my hat goes off to him. I also want to make a note for Cam Pickett, a young player who had an unbelievable game. He's only going to continue to get better. The future is bright for Ball State football, and as an alum, I'm proud of that."Â
Q: "Why do you think this team repeated its mistakes?"
A: "Some guys kept making the same mistakes, and when you're trying to play against a good football team like Ohio, you can't keep making those same mistakes. That was the most frustrating thing. I'm not taking away from their effort and the way they played the game, but we've got to get better around here at holding kids accountable, making sure that we've got enough depth so that if someone isn't performing, the next man can step in and get it done for us. That's the number one goal, but believe me, I thought our kids played to the very end."
Q: "With your time as interim head coach coming to a close, how would you encapsulate your experience?"
A: "Great experience. I set out to do what I think I accomplished. I tried to rally these men and and make sure they knew I cared for them and loved them, because it starts there. I learned a lot about myself. I learned a lot about this team. I learned a lot about the men that I coach with, and I think that's important. I have to take that no matter what my future holds, and continue to apply that. That's always been my approach. I've taken pieces from every coach I've ever played under, and certainly every coach that I've ever coached under, and this is no different."
Q: "What do you hope the players learn from you?"
A: "Toughness. That's the biggest thing I hope [the team] takes away from me. It's the one thing I instilled in our offensive line, and make no mistake, I'm proud of those guys, even though I wasn't as hands on with them. Against the tough Ohio defense, I thought they held their own out there, especially young guys like Cody Smith, who made his first start of his career, Arkel Anugwom, who made his first start of his career and Chris hood, jumping from left tackle to play right guard. It was that was amazing to see those guys not think twice about it and step into their roles and execute."
Keionte Newson
Q: "What happened in this game in particular to let up so many big plays?"
A: "Explosive plays. It seems like I'm becoming a broken record with it all throughout the season, but we couldn't eliminate the explosive plays today, and they bit us in the butt."Â
Q: "How would you summarize your experience as [True Cardinal 1]?"
A: "It's been hard because of everything that's been going on. This is my real first time taking on a leadership role and having that title. People look to me and to confide in and do everything. I have to always have a smile on my face. I can't be down in the dump, and it's very hard at times. I have struggled with that throughout the season, but at the end of the day you have to be consistent. That's what got me to where I am right now."
Q: "What are the emotions like not just for you, but for the rest of the seniors who have played their last game for Ball State?"
A: "It's very emotional. I was just telling those guys to wipe their tears. If you left it all out on the field, you ain't got nothing to hang your head about. Forget all these years that you didn't play. Forget the plays that you missed. Enjoy this time right now that you've got with all your brothers and and just try to be in the moment."Â
Kadin Semonza
Q: "How does it feel to have the team's trust as a relatively young player in this league?"
A: "It's a really good feeling. I feel like I put a lot of hard work in to prove to everybody around here that I deserve a shot, and I got that. I was blessed to have an opportunity to get a shot to play, and all the guys have got my back. There's nothing like it. I made two big mistakes today, and [Keitone Newson]Â really helped pick me up. I wanted to play some better football, but those guys always have my back throughout the whole year, so I really do appreciate it."
Q: "What did you learn most from this season?"
A: "I think I grew up a lot. I got thrown into a full season as a starting quarterback. I feel like it was something I needed to really know what it's like to be a starting quarterback in division one college football. It's more of just playing the game at this level for the amount of reps that I did, and getting everything that comes with that. The good, the bad and the ugly is all going to help me in the end."Â
Q: "What do you think this program needs to do to turn things around?"Â
A: "That was a big reason why I came here. I wanted to be a key piece and help turn this place around, so I'm going to do everything I can, and I know the guys here are doing everything they can, so I'm looking forward to the future."
Q: "What would you say to the guys in your receiving core that you trusted all year?"
A: "We've got a really deep room of skill guys. I think it's the best group in the MAC and it's not even close. I think we've got a really good group of guys that I love to be around, and I love to let make plays. We've got a lot to figure out this offseason, but I hope these guys stick around with me."
Â
Coach Johnson
Opening statement: "What more can I say about Tanner Koziol? I am proud of him, he played a hell of a game and he is an all-time record-holder for a tight end at Ball State. He's an unbelievable player, and my hat goes off to him. I also want to make a note for Cam Pickett, a young player who had an unbelievable game. He's only going to continue to get better. The future is bright for Ball State football, and as an alum, I'm proud of that."Â
Q: "Why do you think this team repeated its mistakes?"
A: "Some guys kept making the same mistakes, and when you're trying to play against a good football team like Ohio, you can't keep making those same mistakes. That was the most frustrating thing. I'm not taking away from their effort and the way they played the game, but we've got to get better around here at holding kids accountable, making sure that we've got enough depth so that if someone isn't performing, the next man can step in and get it done for us. That's the number one goal, but believe me, I thought our kids played to the very end."
Q: "With your time as interim head coach coming to a close, how would you encapsulate your experience?"
A: "Great experience. I set out to do what I think I accomplished. I tried to rally these men and and make sure they knew I cared for them and loved them, because it starts there. I learned a lot about myself. I learned a lot about this team. I learned a lot about the men that I coach with, and I think that's important. I have to take that no matter what my future holds, and continue to apply that. That's always been my approach. I've taken pieces from every coach I've ever played under, and certainly every coach that I've ever coached under, and this is no different."
Q: "What do you hope the players learn from you?"
A: "Toughness. That's the biggest thing I hope [the team] takes away from me. It's the one thing I instilled in our offensive line, and make no mistake, I'm proud of those guys, even though I wasn't as hands on with them. Against the tough Ohio defense, I thought they held their own out there, especially young guys like Cody Smith, who made his first start of his career, Arkel Anugwom, who made his first start of his career and Chris hood, jumping from left tackle to play right guard. It was that was amazing to see those guys not think twice about it and step into their roles and execute."
Keionte Newson
Q: "What happened in this game in particular to let up so many big plays?"
A: "Explosive plays. It seems like I'm becoming a broken record with it all throughout the season, but we couldn't eliminate the explosive plays today, and they bit us in the butt."Â
Q: "How would you summarize your experience as [True Cardinal 1]?"
A: "It's been hard because of everything that's been going on. This is my real first time taking on a leadership role and having that title. People look to me and to confide in and do everything. I have to always have a smile on my face. I can't be down in the dump, and it's very hard at times. I have struggled with that throughout the season, but at the end of the day you have to be consistent. That's what got me to where I am right now."
Q: "What are the emotions like not just for you, but for the rest of the seniors who have played their last game for Ball State?"
A: "It's very emotional. I was just telling those guys to wipe their tears. If you left it all out on the field, you ain't got nothing to hang your head about. Forget all these years that you didn't play. Forget the plays that you missed. Enjoy this time right now that you've got with all your brothers and and just try to be in the moment."Â
Kadin Semonza
Q: "How does it feel to have the team's trust as a relatively young player in this league?"
A: "It's a really good feeling. I feel like I put a lot of hard work in to prove to everybody around here that I deserve a shot, and I got that. I was blessed to have an opportunity to get a shot to play, and all the guys have got my back. There's nothing like it. I made two big mistakes today, and [Keitone Newson]Â really helped pick me up. I wanted to play some better football, but those guys always have my back throughout the whole year, so I really do appreciate it."
Q: "What did you learn most from this season?"
A: "I think I grew up a lot. I got thrown into a full season as a starting quarterback. I feel like it was something I needed to really know what it's like to be a starting quarterback in division one college football. It's more of just playing the game at this level for the amount of reps that I did, and getting everything that comes with that. The good, the bad and the ugly is all going to help me in the end."Â
Q: "What do you think this program needs to do to turn things around?"Â
A: "That was a big reason why I came here. I wanted to be a key piece and help turn this place around, so I'm going to do everything I can, and I know the guys here are doing everything they can, so I'm looking forward to the future."
Q: "What would you say to the guys in your receiving core that you trusted all year?"
A: "We've got a really deep room of skill guys. I think it's the best group in the MAC and it's not even close. I think we've got a really good group of guys that I love to be around, and I love to let make plays. We've got a lot to figure out this offseason, but I hope these guys stick around with me."
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