Ball State University Athletics
Ball State Football Postgame News Conference Quotes, September 5: Game 1 at Ohio State
Mike Uremovich
Opening Statement: "[The team] is going to do nothing but build from here. These guys have competed their asses off. I'm proud of them."
Q: "What are some positives you can build on?"
A: "Our punt coverage unit was great. Our run defense was really good, especially when [Ohio State] had their ones out there. I thought we did a nice job shutting down the run game. They had some big runs at the end, but I was happy with the way our defense played. You know, it wasn't a bunch of three-and-outs. We were getting first downs, but the pre-snap stuff, now that bothers me because that's something we can control. And jumping offside, starting a possession with a delay of game. I mean, it's hard enough to get 10 yards on these guys, first-and-10, let alone starting first-and-15. So that stuff, that's coaching, that's execution. That's game one stuff that we couldn't afford going in, and we had a few of them. But just overall, there's a lot of positives on that film."
Q: "As the team heads back to Muncie next week, what's something you really want to focus on?"
A: "We've got to improve as a team. We've got to get better every week, and I just talked to the guys about it. We have to be a better team in week two than we were in week one, and we've got to be better in week 12 than we were in week 11. The tackling did show up. Now, those are good players we're trying to tackle, but we've got to get them on the ground. Offensively, we've got to do a better job against press coverage. I thought sometimes [Keldric Luster] put the ball on some guys, but they were all over us in press coverage, and we've got to do a better job against that type of coverage because once you put it on film, you're going to keep seeing it."
Q: "How would you assess the offensive performance overall, especially in the first half?"
A: "We had a couple possessions. I know there was the interception in the second half, and we went backward there. When you get a turnover, you want to get points at least. You'd like to get a touchdown. I thought, like I said, we moved the ball a little bit offensively, but we shot ourselves in the foot with some game one stuff. Then there's some execution things that the Cardinals beat the Cardinals on that we can't do."
Q: "How was it to see Brody Boehm come into a tough environment and see his first collegiate kick go over the uprights?"
A: "That was a hell of a field goal. I knew he'd make it, because he's made them all camp. These guys have seen him make 55, 56-yarders in training camp at the end of two-minute drills, so it's nice to have him as a weapon. I thought we punted well. We put the ball at the one-yard line. Our kick coverage unit was pretty good. We got a couple touchbacks. Then [Ohio State] took one out. I'm sure he's getting to be in trouble this week. He took one out from like six yards deep, but that's what a freshman does. That guy's a great player, but he'll learn from it. We covered that kick really well, so we've got to keep getting better on special teams. Game one is where those things usually show up with blocked punts or blocked kicks or 10 guys on the field. We didn't have any of those issues today."
Q: "How do you compare last season to this season?"
A: "I'm not comparing anything about last season. I just know there's a lot of stuff we can fix, and there's a lot of stuff we're going to fix as players, as coaches, as staff, and we're going to be watching Stony Brook on the bus on the way back to Muncie to get ready to go play next week."
Keldric Luster
Q: "How was it making your first [collegiate] start today?"
A: " It felt great. Obviously, it wasn't the outcome that we wanted, but you know, I feel like it was great knowing where we are as a team and how to move forward. I told the guys we're going to watch [film] then after we watch it, we're on to next week."
Q: "How much do you value being able to make your first start against a defense as talented as Ohio state?"
A: " That's a great team over there, you know? [Ohio State] is a national championship contending team. So, you know, like I said, we're going to watch it and go on to next week."
Q: "How would you describe running the offense today?"
A: "I feel like our guys really didn't get too crazy, knowing [Ohio Stadium] is a big stadium. You know, [Ohio State] is a great team over there. Like I said, that's a national championship contending team. I feel like, you know, we did a good job being level-headed and, you know, cool, calm, collected, and just played our game."
Q: "How excited are you to make your debut at Scheumann Stadium?"
A: "I'm very excited. I feel like people don't understand how hard it is to win in college football, and for us to come out and get that win against Stony Brook would be a great feeling for us to get started back in the right direction."
Gavin Forsha
Q: "What went well in the first half that made you guys able to limit [Ohio State] on the ground?"
A: "I feel like we all were just playing fast and physical and giving it our all."
Q: "What do you make of the defense's performance overall from the whole game?"
A: "I feel like we did pretty well, especially in the first half. And I mean, [Ohio State] is a great team we played against. And overall, I'm excited. I'm excited for the rest of the year."
Q: "How much momentum did it create, stopping [Ohio State's] first drive?"
A: "There was some momentum there for sure, but I mean, it's just one drive."
Q: "As the team heads back to Muncie next week, what's something you really want to focus on?"
A: "Tackle better, and just knowing our keys and playing faster and physical, triggering all those keys."
Mike Uremovich
Opening Statement: "[The team] is going to do nothing but build from here. These guys have competed their asses off. I'm proud of them."
Q: "What are some positives you can build on?"
A: "Our punt coverage unit was great. Our run defense was really good, especially when [Ohio State] had their ones out there. I thought we did a nice job shutting down the run game. They had some big runs at the end, but I was happy with the way our defense played. You know, it wasn't a bunch of three-and-outs. We were getting first downs, but the pre-snap stuff, now that bothers me because that's something we can control. And jumping offside, starting a possession with a delay of game. I mean, it's hard enough to get 10 yards on these guys, first-and-10, let alone starting first-and-15. So that stuff, that's coaching, that's execution. That's game one stuff that we couldn't afford going in, and we had a few of them. But just overall, there's a lot of positives on that film."
Q: "As the team heads back to Muncie next week, what's something you really want to focus on?"
A: "We've got to improve as a team. We've got to get better every week, and I just talked to the guys about it. We have to be a better team in week two than we were in week one, and we've got to be better in week 12 than we were in week 11. The tackling did show up. Now, those are good players we're trying to tackle, but we've got to get them on the ground. Offensively, we've got to do a better job against press coverage. I thought sometimes [Keldric Luster] put the ball on some guys, but they were all over us in press coverage, and we've got to do a better job against that type of coverage because once you put it on film, you're going to keep seeing it."
Q: "How would you assess the offensive performance overall, especially in the first half?"
A: "We had a couple possessions. I know there was the interception in the second half, and we went backward there. When you get a turnover, you want to get points at least. You'd like to get a touchdown. I thought, like I said, we moved the ball a little bit offensively, but we shot ourselves in the foot with some game one stuff. Then there's some execution things that the Cardinals beat the Cardinals on that we can't do."
Q: "How was it to see Brody Boehm come into a tough environment and see his first collegiate kick go over the uprights?"
A: "That was a hell of a field goal. I knew he'd make it, because he's made them all camp. These guys have seen him make 55, 56-yarders in training camp at the end of two-minute drills, so it's nice to have him as a weapon. I thought we punted well. We put the ball at the one-yard line. Our kick coverage unit was pretty good. We got a couple touchbacks. Then [Ohio State] took one out. I'm sure he's getting to be in trouble this week. He took one out from like six yards deep, but that's what a freshman does. That guy's a great player, but he'll learn from it. We covered that kick really well, so we've got to keep getting better on special teams. Game one is where those things usually show up with blocked punts or blocked kicks or 10 guys on the field. We didn't have any of those issues today."
Q: "How do you compare last season to this season?"
A: "I'm not comparing anything about last season. I just know there's a lot of stuff we can fix, and there's a lot of stuff we're going to fix as players, as coaches, as staff, and we're going to be watching Stony Brook on the bus on the way back to Muncie to get ready to go play next week."
Keldric Luster
Q: "How was it making your first [collegiate] start today?"
A: " It felt great. Obviously, it wasn't the outcome that we wanted, but you know, I feel like it was great knowing where we are as a team and how to move forward. I told the guys we're going to watch [film] then after we watch it, we're on to next week."
Q: "How much do you value being able to make your first start against a defense as talented as Ohio state?"
A: " That's a great team over there, you know? [Ohio State] is a national championship contending team. So, you know, like I said, we're going to watch it and go on to next week."
Q: "How would you describe running the offense today?"
A: "I feel like our guys really didn't get too crazy, knowing [Ohio Stadium] is a big stadium. You know, [Ohio State] is a great team over there. Like I said, that's a national championship contending team. I feel like, you know, we did a good job being level-headed and, you know, cool, calm, collected, and just played our game."
Q: "How excited are you to make your debut at Scheumann Stadium?"
A: "I'm very excited. I feel like people don't understand how hard it is to win in college football, and for us to come out and get that win against Stony Brook would be a great feeling for us to get started back in the right direction."
Gavin Forsha
Q: "What went well in the first half that made you guys able to limit [Ohio State] on the ground?"
A: "I feel like we all were just playing fast and physical and giving it our all."
Q: "What do you make of the defense's performance overall from the whole game?"
A: "I feel like we did pretty well, especially in the first half. And I mean, [Ohio State] is a great team we played against. And overall, I'm excited. I'm excited for the rest of the year."
Q: "How much momentum did it create, stopping [Ohio State's] first drive?"
A: "There was some momentum there for sure, but I mean, it's just one drive."
Q: "As the team heads back to Muncie next week, what's something you really want to focus on?"
A: "Tackle better, and just knowing our keys and playing faster and physical, triggering all those keys."