Ball State University Athletics
Ball State Football Weekly News Conference Quotes, September 7: Game 2 vs Stony Brook
Mike Uremovich
Opening Statement: "Stony Brook is going to be a big challenge for us. They're 1-0. They very easily could be 2-0. They let the first game get away from them. I'm sure if you ask them, they feel like they should be undefeated. Coach Cosh has done a great job with the team. They're really well coached. [Stony Brook] had a top 20 FCS portal class come in this year. Defensively, they're really physical. They've got great players at every level. They got a [defensive end] that I think could be an All-MAC football player. He's that disruptive. I mean, you have to know where he's at. They've got a preseason All-American linebacker who had 109 tackles last year. That's a really talented player. You'll see they have good corner play. One of the corners is 6-4 and plays a lot to the boundary. He will play to the field some. I haven't seen anybody catch a pass on him yet. They're a physical, well-coached defense. They play really hard offensively. The quarterback's tough as nails, man. He's taken some shots. He's hung in there; has not left the game. He's thrown for over 300 yards a game. They've got a good receiver group that has got I think nine different guys that have caught passes for them this year. They're talented at tailback. The offensive line, they're a physical unit. They did do a good job of protection. I mean, [Quinn Boyd] has thrown for 310 and 300 something yards in each game, and they're averaging 35 points a game. We've got to be ready to play on defense, and they'll throw the ball around, but they're not scared to run the ball if they're having success with it. So, we've got to get a lot better as a football team this week. Obviously, we try to improve every week, but this is a really good football team coming in here, very similar to New Hampshire last year. I mean, they could very easily be a FCS playoff team this year, and they should be undefeated right now.
Q: "How are you making sure the team stays motivated?"
A: "It doesn't matter who we're playing. I'm gonna tell you that every time you ask me a question, whether it's about Ohio State or Stony Brook or anybody we play. You have to respect the game of football, and the only way to win a football game is to practice your ass off all week and go out and perform on Saturday, and that's a challenge in front of us today. And we're playing a really good football team coming in here Saturday."
Q: "What's the reason for the lack of names on the back of the jerseys at Ohio State?"
A: "Every jersey had a name on it. It said Ball State. That's the only name that matters. I don't like names on uniforms. I talked with our team about it in training camp. I wanted to do that last year. I was new and didn't want to change too much, and I talked to some of the seniors, and they weren't great about it. So, I left them on there. We're a football team, man, and we're trying to build a team, and we don't need to have our names on the backs of the jerseys."
Q: "What are you hoping the offense does better against Stony Brook?"
A: " We've got to stay out of third-and-longs. You know what I mean? We've got to be more productive on first-and-second down to stay out of third-and-long. If you get to third-and-long against [Stony Brook], ike most people do, they have a really good unique pressure package on third down that they've used a lot this year. They forced third-and-longs in both of their games, and at the end they can get matched up to where they're one-on-one and they've been hard to block for people. So, we've got to be more productive on first and second downs. Then, the other thing that was disappointing Saturday is, you know, we had the ball across midfield multiple times. We got the turnover that the defense got for us, and we went backwards. I mean, if we get the ball in those positions, we've got to score, and obviously we want to score touchdowns, but we've got to at least get field goals out of those drives."
Q: "Was there anything from the Ohio State film that was positive?"
A: "There's a lot of positive stuff, and we focused on that on Sunday. I showed the team a cut up of things that went really well for us and things that we need to be better at. Now, it's no different than any other Monday throughout the rest of the season. All we're worried about now is Stony Brook, and getting our team ready to install the game plan tomorrow morning. There were a lot of positives. The biggest positive for me was we won that game on special teams. I mean, we showed how talented [Cole Stumbaugh] is. I mean, he out-punted their punter. He put one down at the one-yard line. Also, we covered the punts really well. We kicked a 50-yard-plus field goal. We protected on that kick against a really, really good rush unit. Our kickoff coverage team was really good at covering the two kickoffs that we had. We didn't get to run back a kickoff because [Ohio State] kicked them out of the end zone. But, I was really happy with our special teams. We need to continue to build on that, because everything that we've done is on film now. So, some of the changes that we've made in the off season, now people know what we've done, what we're doing differently."
Q: "What do you hope to continue seeing from the defense against Stony Brook?"
A: "They've got to stop the run. I mean, we always start with that. I know these guys are throwing it for 300 yards a game, but you have to stop the run. You've got to make them one-dimensional, and all those D-linemen need to continue to play well. We're going to play a bunch of them, and they all love pass rushing. So, you've got to earn the right to pass rush, and that stops them on first and second downs. That's every week, but especially against [Stony Brook], because if they get the run game going and you start committing more people down to the box, they're going to throw the ball to all those receivers they have."
Q: "What did you make of the pass rush against Ohio State?"
A: "I thought we got some good pressure. I talked to [Layton] Starks after the game because he came up to me on the sideline. He said, "Coach, they're chipping me," and I said, "That's the best sign of respect you can possibly get, is when they're using a tight end and a tackle to block you." I said, "If they're chipping you, one guy's not getting out, and we also can get some rush from the other side." So, I was happy with our pass rush Saturday."
Q: "How excited is the team to play in front of the home crowd?"
A: "We're really excited. It's family weekend, which is great. It's the first home game of the year, which is awesome for the people of the community to come out. Hopefully, we get a bunch of our students out here, especially the freshmen. You know, it's the first opportunity they have to go to a football game, and, you know, we have to continue what we did last year. We played pretty good football at home last year. We need to keep doing that."
Q: "What is one thing you need to do in order to win Saturday?"
A: "We have to eliminate defensively. We can't give up the big plays. I mean, [Stony Brook] has some explosive receivers. They've got one wide out that's got to be one of the fastest guys in college football. I think he ran a 10-second 400 in high school. He can run, and we have to not give up the big plays. Offensively, we've got to be better on first down and not turn the football over. I'm going to say not turn it over every week. That's a key to every game. We can't give them a short field. We've got to make them earn it, and we've got to be better on first down and third down will take care of itself for us."
Tate Hoover
Q: "What did you make of your first game, going over to Ohio stadium?"
A: "It was great experience. Honestly, it was pretty cool. Being here only for a year, we had a couple big games last year with Auburn and Purdue, but Ohio [State] was a really huge stadium. It was a big experience, but I think like we did pretty good."
Q: "What's the main thing you want the offense to focus on and improve from the Ohio State game?"
A: "We had a good time moving the ball. We moved the ball well, and I guess we had some good plays. Just more putting drives together and putting points on the board would be the big thing to see."
Q: "What are things you've seen in Stony Brook's defense that's going to be big for you to play against?"
A: "I haven't looked at Stony Brrok enough yet so far. This is still early on in the week, but I know that their defensive ends played really hard and that they had a really hard-fought win this past week and they're going to be really coachable and they're going to play really hard, especially wanting to have a chip on the shoulder, trying to beat us. But, I think we're going to have a good game plan against them."
Q: "After the performance at home last year, what makes you even more excited to play this year in your first home game this season?"
A: "It means a lot, really. Just having a little bit of home field advantage, knowing that we could win at home and having some fans there to back us and everything. But, I think it just means a lot to not have to travel and not have to be on someone else's schedule, going to an away game. It's good to really be able to feel comfortable at home."
Q: "Is having no names on the back of the jerseys something the team agrees with?"
A: "Personally, I don't mind it at all. I didn't have a last name on my jersey my entire life until last year. I mean, it was a cool thing, but we play for the name on the front of the jersey, not the back, so I don't really mind it."
Quentavius Scandrett
Q: "How did you feel the defense did against Ohio State?"
A: "I feel like we we went out there and played the way we were supposed to in the first half. In the second half, we came out sluggish. We missed tackles, and we weren't flying around to the ball. But I mean, those are things we're going to go into this week. We're going to fix it."
Q: "What do you think is the main thing the defense needs to focus on going to the Stony Brook matchup?"
A: "The main thing I feel we need to focus on is just tackling and being all together and flying around to the bodies on every play. I mean, I feel like sometimes last week we didn't do that. We didn't execute all of our calls, and I feel going into this week, we're going to be the best we can.
Q: "How excited are you to play inside Scheumann Stadium for the first time this week?"
A: "Man, I love it. Just to be home and play for the fans. We've got a chip on our shoulder, you know? The fans expect to win, and we've got to go out there and perform."
Q: "What problems does Stony Brook present on the outside, especially at wide receiver?"
A: "[Stony Brook] has got a wide receiver, number three [Seth Sweitzer]. I feel like that's their go-to target, and they've got a tight end, number 18 [Keiden Gutierrez]. I feel like that's the other go-to target. They like to start off with the run and let their passes play off the run game, so I feel like as long as we follow our keys and do our job, we'll be great."
Q: "Is having no names on the back of the jerseys something the team agrees with?"
A: "I mean, at the end of the day, it's just a name on the back of the jersey. With a name or not, we're a team. We're all going to look the same. We're going to play the same. It doesn't matter about a name on the back."
Q: "How does it feel to be back in the [Mid-American Conference], and how excited are you to make an impact on a new MAC team?"
A: "Man, my college journey has been good. I mean, it's good to be back in the MAC. I mean, it's nothing different for me. I enjoy the MAC. I know what to expect each and every week. You're going to have a gritty, tough matchup each and every week. So, I'm just keeping my head down and staying focused on the main goal. That's the biggest thing."
Q: "How have you stepped into the role as a leader while also being one of the newer faces on the roster?"
A: "I mean, it wasn't hard at all. The guys, they take accountability when they make mistakes, and when you're an older guy, they try to listen to you. When you understand the game a lot, they also try to lean toward you. So, I try to give us give off as much knowledge as I can to each and every guy."
Mike Uremovich
Opening Statement: "Stony Brook is going to be a big challenge for us. They're 1-0. They very easily could be 2-0. They let the first game get away from them. I'm sure if you ask them, they feel like they should be undefeated. Coach Cosh has done a great job with the team. They're really well coached. [Stony Brook] had a top 20 FCS portal class come in this year. Defensively, they're really physical. They've got great players at every level. They got a [defensive end] that I think could be an All-MAC football player. He's that disruptive. I mean, you have to know where he's at. They've got a preseason All-American linebacker who had 109 tackles last year. That's a really talented player. You'll see they have good corner play. One of the corners is 6-4 and plays a lot to the boundary. He will play to the field some. I haven't seen anybody catch a pass on him yet. They're a physical, well-coached defense. They play really hard offensively. The quarterback's tough as nails, man. He's taken some shots. He's hung in there; has not left the game. He's thrown for over 300 yards a game. They've got a good receiver group that has got I think nine different guys that have caught passes for them this year. They're talented at tailback. The offensive line, they're a physical unit. They did do a good job of protection. I mean, [Quinn Boyd] has thrown for 310 and 300 something yards in each game, and they're averaging 35 points a game. We've got to be ready to play on defense, and they'll throw the ball around, but they're not scared to run the ball if they're having success with it. So, we've got to get a lot better as a football team this week. Obviously, we try to improve every week, but this is a really good football team coming in here, very similar to New Hampshire last year. I mean, they could very easily be a FCS playoff team this year, and they should be undefeated right now.
Q: "How are you making sure the team stays motivated?"
A: "It doesn't matter who we're playing. I'm gonna tell you that every time you ask me a question, whether it's about Ohio State or Stony Brook or anybody we play. You have to respect the game of football, and the only way to win a football game is to practice your ass off all week and go out and perform on Saturday, and that's a challenge in front of us today. And we're playing a really good football team coming in here Saturday."
Q: "What's the reason for the lack of names on the back of the jerseys at Ohio State?"
A: "Every jersey had a name on it. It said Ball State. That's the only name that matters. I don't like names on uniforms. I talked with our team about it in training camp. I wanted to do that last year. I was new and didn't want to change too much, and I talked to some of the seniors, and they weren't great about it. So, I left them on there. We're a football team, man, and we're trying to build a team, and we don't need to have our names on the backs of the jerseys."
Q: "What are you hoping the offense does better against Stony Brook?"
A: " We've got to stay out of third-and-longs. You know what I mean? We've got to be more productive on first-and-second down to stay out of third-and-long. If you get to third-and-long against [Stony Brook], ike most people do, they have a really good unique pressure package on third down that they've used a lot this year. They forced third-and-longs in both of their games, and at the end they can get matched up to where they're one-on-one and they've been hard to block for people. So, we've got to be more productive on first and second downs. Then, the other thing that was disappointing Saturday is, you know, we had the ball across midfield multiple times. We got the turnover that the defense got for us, and we went backwards. I mean, if we get the ball in those positions, we've got to score, and obviously we want to score touchdowns, but we've got to at least get field goals out of those drives."
Q: "Was there anything from the Ohio State film that was positive?"
A: "There's a lot of positive stuff, and we focused on that on Sunday. I showed the team a cut up of things that went really well for us and things that we need to be better at. Now, it's no different than any other Monday throughout the rest of the season. All we're worried about now is Stony Brook, and getting our team ready to install the game plan tomorrow morning. There were a lot of positives. The biggest positive for me was we won that game on special teams. I mean, we showed how talented [Cole Stumbaugh] is. I mean, he out-punted their punter. He put one down at the one-yard line. Also, we covered the punts really well. We kicked a 50-yard-plus field goal. We protected on that kick against a really, really good rush unit. Our kickoff coverage team was really good at covering the two kickoffs that we had. We didn't get to run back a kickoff because [Ohio State] kicked them out of the end zone. But, I was really happy with our special teams. We need to continue to build on that, because everything that we've done is on film now. So, some of the changes that we've made in the off season, now people know what we've done, what we're doing differently."
Q: "What do you hope to continue seeing from the defense against Stony Brook?"
A: "They've got to stop the run. I mean, we always start with that. I know these guys are throwing it for 300 yards a game, but you have to stop the run. You've got to make them one-dimensional, and all those D-linemen need to continue to play well. We're going to play a bunch of them, and they all love pass rushing. So, you've got to earn the right to pass rush, and that stops them on first and second downs. That's every week, but especially against [Stony Brook], because if they get the run game going and you start committing more people down to the box, they're going to throw the ball to all those receivers they have."
Q: "What did you make of the pass rush against Ohio State?"
A: "I thought we got some good pressure. I talked to [Layton] Starks after the game because he came up to me on the sideline. He said, "Coach, they're chipping me," and I said, "That's the best sign of respect you can possibly get, is when they're using a tight end and a tackle to block you." I said, "If they're chipping you, one guy's not getting out, and we also can get some rush from the other side." So, I was happy with our pass rush Saturday."
Q: "How excited is the team to play in front of the home crowd?"
A: "We're really excited. It's family weekend, which is great. It's the first home game of the year, which is awesome for the people of the community to come out. Hopefully, we get a bunch of our students out here, especially the freshmen. You know, it's the first opportunity they have to go to a football game, and, you know, we have to continue what we did last year. We played pretty good football at home last year. We need to keep doing that."
Q: "What is one thing you need to do in order to win Saturday?"
A: "We have to eliminate defensively. We can't give up the big plays. I mean, [Stony Brook] has some explosive receivers. They've got one wide out that's got to be one of the fastest guys in college football. I think he ran a 10-second 400 in high school. He can run, and we have to not give up the big plays. Offensively, we've got to be better on first down and not turn the football over. I'm going to say not turn it over every week. That's a key to every game. We can't give them a short field. We've got to make them earn it, and we've got to be better on first down and third down will take care of itself for us."
Tate Hoover
Q: "What did you make of your first game, going over to Ohio stadium?"
A: "It was great experience. Honestly, it was pretty cool. Being here only for a year, we had a couple big games last year with Auburn and Purdue, but Ohio [State] was a really huge stadium. It was a big experience, but I think like we did pretty good."
Q: "What's the main thing you want the offense to focus on and improve from the Ohio State game?"
A: "We had a good time moving the ball. We moved the ball well, and I guess we had some good plays. Just more putting drives together and putting points on the board would be the big thing to see."
Q: "What are things you've seen in Stony Brook's defense that's going to be big for you to play against?"
A: "I haven't looked at Stony Brrok enough yet so far. This is still early on in the week, but I know that their defensive ends played really hard and that they had a really hard-fought win this past week and they're going to be really coachable and they're going to play really hard, especially wanting to have a chip on the shoulder, trying to beat us. But, I think we're going to have a good game plan against them."
Q: "After the performance at home last year, what makes you even more excited to play this year in your first home game this season?"
A: "It means a lot, really. Just having a little bit of home field advantage, knowing that we could win at home and having some fans there to back us and everything. But, I think it just means a lot to not have to travel and not have to be on someone else's schedule, going to an away game. It's good to really be able to feel comfortable at home."
Q: "Is having no names on the back of the jerseys something the team agrees with?"
A: "Personally, I don't mind it at all. I didn't have a last name on my jersey my entire life until last year. I mean, it was a cool thing, but we play for the name on the front of the jersey, not the back, so I don't really mind it."
Quentavius Scandrett
Q: "How did you feel the defense did against Ohio State?"
A: "I feel like we we went out there and played the way we were supposed to in the first half. In the second half, we came out sluggish. We missed tackles, and we weren't flying around to the ball. But I mean, those are things we're going to go into this week. We're going to fix it."
Q: "What do you think is the main thing the defense needs to focus on going to the Stony Brook matchup?"
A: "The main thing I feel we need to focus on is just tackling and being all together and flying around to the bodies on every play. I mean, I feel like sometimes last week we didn't do that. We didn't execute all of our calls, and I feel going into this week, we're going to be the best we can.
Q: "How excited are you to play inside Scheumann Stadium for the first time this week?"
A: "Man, I love it. Just to be home and play for the fans. We've got a chip on our shoulder, you know? The fans expect to win, and we've got to go out there and perform."
Q: "What problems does Stony Brook present on the outside, especially at wide receiver?"
A: "[Stony Brook] has got a wide receiver, number three [Seth Sweitzer]. I feel like that's their go-to target, and they've got a tight end, number 18 [Keiden Gutierrez]. I feel like that's the other go-to target. They like to start off with the run and let their passes play off the run game, so I feel like as long as we follow our keys and do our job, we'll be great."
Q: "Is having no names on the back of the jerseys something the team agrees with?"
A: "I mean, at the end of the day, it's just a name on the back of the jersey. With a name or not, we're a team. We're all going to look the same. We're going to play the same. It doesn't matter about a name on the back."
Q: "How does it feel to be back in the [Mid-American Conference], and how excited are you to make an impact on a new MAC team?"
A: "Man, my college journey has been good. I mean, it's good to be back in the MAC. I mean, it's nothing different for me. I enjoy the MAC. I know what to expect each and every week. You're going to have a gritty, tough matchup each and every week. So, I'm just keeping my head down and staying focused on the main goal. That's the biggest thing."
Q: "How have you stepped into the role as a leader while also being one of the newer faces on the roster?"
A: "I mean, it wasn't hard at all. The guys, they take accountability when they make mistakes, and when you're an older guy, they try to listen to you. When you understand the game a lot, they also try to lean toward you. So, I try to give us give off as much knowledge as I can to each and every guy."