Ohio Football 2024: Postgame Press Conference v. Syracuse

uh Andrew BBY with W Anthony just for you what was it like playing in this first game with Ohio and just you know the game you had was obviously a big one just what did you see on the just the T game today uh I think the biggest thing was just toughness uh we challenged ourselves we know we had a big test week one on the road um against a great Syracuse team and we just said we were going to battle till the clock said 0 Z and our guys definitely showed that toughness and effort uh Bobby Keegan with the post so Anthony for you obviously you kind of entered the game as the backup and then ended up taking a majority of the Reps at running back did that kind of affect the way you kind of prepared for the game towards the end of the game no not at all I'd say uh coach um Smitty you know coach Alvin they have a game plan and everything happens for a reason um Ricky Ricky hunt great running back we both feed off each other we learned from each other um and I I've been playing you know college football for a little longer but he's a great back we have a great running back room and it's a team effort at the end of the day doesn't matter who's in there we all want to eat and obviously get to uh win at the end of the day but at the end of the day it's just about coming together as a teame what was that game plan coming into the game and how did that kind of change at half time throughout the game um I wouldn't say anything changed I like we had a solid first half um you know head to the metal just keep working stay after stay hungry um you know time was against to s in the game to throw a little more but our old line worked their butts off um I think we have great pass for today great in the Run game and as a team as a whole offense and defense we we battled today for uh for either of you coaches talked to us over the summer about this team being you know really tough this team just having a tough mentality how did you guys see that tested and how did you think you guys did with that mentality today um I think honestly that uh we were uh very prepared I mean obviously we had a lot of new guys coming in from uh transfers and obviously like you said U Syracuse tough opponent first uh week one and I thought you know that we had uh I mean we fought you know kept kept the close from the first half and uh I was proud of the guys um it uh Anthony um so obviously coming in to Syracuse week one kind of in a dome um it was a really loud environment how do you think you guys kind of handled the noise today I think we were excited uh we fed off the energy you know um college football everybody loves everybody loves fall everybody loves football you know week one week Zero's last week um but I don't think it affected the guys uh we came with a game plan we practiced throughout the week in our inside uh indoor uh stadium that we had in Athens um we practiced a l crowd and I think we handled it very well today great communication from the sideline and communication on the field the post you're coming from a different program obviously Anthony uh what was the process this summer kind of mesing with the team oh it was great you know we got a new strength coach coach Shu um worked us he came in and challenged us um we set the standard we wanted to raise the standard we wanted to raise the bar so guys really worked this off we came in we bought in with the new strength coach uh we bought in like Gian said all the new transf all the we all bought in and came together like we have a great group and I'm excited for what the future holds this season Anthony for you the offensive line went through a lot of change from last year know you weren't here last year but it changed a lot just what did you see you know with them blocking for you today those guys battle uh my biggest thing is they score they're in the end zone I'm in the end zone I love those guys um whether it's the pass game Run game the offense eats with the o line it starts with the o line up front and those guys battles day I'm proud of them they stepped up and they played great in my opinion gr keep for W uh you these guys mentioned it you came in as kind of the the second option but it's a very deep running back room do you guys do you think that this will kind of be a by commmittee group this year uh I think everyone's going to contribute um from top down whoever's out there first it doesn't matter we we are a team um I feel like we need everybody all of guys on offense defense and even the guys that come behind to win games um so like I've been saying it's a team effort doesn't matter who's out there we all love each other we all want to succeed jny for you obviously special team scored the first three scores today just what was it like getting out there you know being able to contribute those points are you today um it was you know coming off last year my freshman year uh I did not have a good year uh I can definitely say that it changed during fall Camp uh I miss about you know a kicks during the whole fall camp and you know I had a new Operation new Kobe new Snapper and then jack's first time holding and he's been here for a long time but uh uh but um you know those guys we put in a lot of work during the off season especially um just you know getting timing down being faster in the operation and and I honestly obviously here you know first time you know having a very allowed environment and uh I thought you know it went went well for us and yeah just to BU off of that as well what do you see this special team unit being able to do this year because you have some success tonight right um I was talking about off with punt punting You Know Jack uh had he had a great fall game as well uh a lot of consistent turnovers in punts um field goal wise um I think I I'm going to have a you know I think I'm very confident myself this year you got have a great year yes um yeah I'm pretty confident very confident Johny those first couple kicks are yours um we're kind of with the student section kind of right on top of you how were you able to kind of adjust your mindset to be able like sweat on the heart rate and make those kicks obviously you know before the game I did some meditation uh obviously definitely helped because you know I was very nervous coming in um but like obviously I heard the crowd first like two seconds and once I lined up and talked to Jack we have you know some funny words we say before we go just to kind of you know laugh about it um but like just it didn't really affect me at all Anthony I'm still caned with the Associated Press uh were you aware as the day as the game progressed of your production like you produced as much today as you did most of last year and we were aware of the the yardage you were gaining and the how did you feel about that um I felt great um like I said big big thanks to my oan um they succeed I suceed it's much love for them and honestly I go into every game with the uh same mindset I meditate and I'm going to give the guys everything I have and more what it's in the Run game passing game pass block whatever it may be um like I said o line I have I have to thank for that just wondering for either of you did Coach preach this week you know playing a clean game with one penalty day obviously a tough road environment was that something that you preach a lot during this week coming into game oh yes uh we we there like an TFO and uh the O stands for Ohio in be Ohio so he he says that multiple times every single day basically being smart in between uh he said in between each whistles he goes if there's a penalty he goes he has her back but after the play after the penalty or after whistle he goes it's on us so I think we you know did very well in that any more questions thanks guys thank you well it's a a hard fought game I'm very proud of our team want to tell coach coach uh this is your congratulations on on his effort today and his new staff and um did a good job every game you come to win and we just didn't make enough plays I thought there's a uh you know we made him one dimensional in the first half probably caught him off guard there's a little there's a little uh chest going on uh we had a few things that we hadn't shown that they didn't have and that Vice Versa I thought I thought we made some adjustments offensively at halftime and really uh defensively which I'm I'm sure I'll get questions on uh did a good job on some adjustments with where we were injury wise um our ability to um I think offensively keep them off balance was beneficial again they first half they were onedimensional they did a good job of their adjustments and kind of had us off balance in the second half with their play call um um but um you know you want to win every game and um didn't didn't go our way but I told the team after the game that uh you know the injury in the third quarter I think I was you know I was we were scrambling the headphones what we're going to do and and U I got a little discouragement I uh but their play inspired me you know I mean that's why I told them and cuzz they I mean they never never quit there's there's a lot of pos positive we got to clean some things up but um you know I think we're going to be okay this this coaches stat going to the sun's going to come up tomorrow and we're going to get in there and get to work so with that I'll open up for questions uh Andrew Bo with W you said on Monday that your team just needed to play game you guys just need to get there see where you're at where do you see your team at after game one our guys will hear this all probably all week uh every football team's going to make their most improvement from the first to second game so um that's going to be our plan uh coming out of you know this is on me uh I didn't have them ready for the for the low Red Zone noise and uh you know we got inside and and got the you know as loud as we could get it we just put we put U I had speakers put in the indoor um over the summer and we had it cranked up I I bought things to put in their ears and you know I didn't I didn't make them put them I didn't I didn't make wear them you know and it showed in the Red Zone you know from 20 to 20 didn't really have a whole lot of trouble and that that's on me uh I've been in big enough stadiums that to know better um I I didn't I just didn't have our team prepared for that offensively uh I thought we communicated well on defense with the noise um and I probably should have said what I just said in the opening statement but um St with associated press could you comment on Anthony titus's performance today and and his help from the offensive line yeah you you don't have this many yards that he had without guys up front I thought we I mean our quarterback uh Parker had some time back there you know and uh he he he did Parker things created with his feet but the running game um is obviously a bit a Dr spot and U from really from start to finish you know now I will say that we got down there in the low red and had trouble moving them you they're just bigger than we are and um you know we were able to Spread spread them out a little bit from 20 to 20 you you get in those those tight tight quarters down there and you got you got got to physically move them you know and so we'll have to take a look at that as an offense um but um I'm again that's that's one of the positives I I think we got through the game without a lot of major things uh on offense you know we'll have to reassess the defense part of that and I'll know more tomorrow but for sure a bright spot moving forward what do you think of the suu quarterback mcord yeah you I I I he's obviously highly talented you know he's an all conference performer um I thought he handled things well escaped couple couple sacks couple times made some plays with his arm you know uh really Hy and I never saw him really get rattled he's been in a big atmosphere atmosphere handled it well I thought we were buzzing him around a little bit but he's he's got a good Supporting Cast that tight end you know um so and he did a good job Distributing the ball Bobby ke in with the PO so coach obviously you knew coming in that you were going to be facing an elite passing attack kind of what were your expectations for your secondary and how does that match the reality of what happened um just we returned a lot of uh veterans back there but and we we're in some tight coverages those guys made some outstanding catches I mean a couple of those I was like I just like wow you know um and so I you can't say there's nothing blown you know they stretched us a couple times and some some too high stuff some verts that that we got to we can do better on but in our man coverage you know we had guys on them and uh I mean Austin Broly I I played a whale of a game um and uh it's a catch bang down there on the in the third quarter I think their second drive that you know I I think I think you know if it wasn't y if power for power for score I think school I think he makes a play on that you know but uh he was there's I the one touchdown catch was a one-handed catch we had the guy we were on on the right hip and the guy made a one-handed touchdown catch you know and U so there's some some really um Dynamic receivers to to your point on the passing game and um we'll have to learn from forwards of the post coach your two biggest offensive control this game were both transfers what can you tell us about the contributions of uh Anthony tus and col Owen both on and off the field yeah I mean that's what the data says I think uh if you follow things that that has been said through our camp uh you know coming out of fall Camp M media days those two guys had been mentioned and we're not surprised that that I think they're going to have you know I'm not sure what Coleman's numbers were um as far as yardage I know he was targeted quite quite a bit a lot of some of that was due to to um rotations secondary rotation but but um you know I coming out a spring ball those two guys did had really good Spring ball you know hopefully we can we can continue that kind of production that'll be pretty much Dynamic uh moving forward Grant key for W uh you mentioned earlier in the week that we could see seven potentially eight receivers and like you said Owen stepped up what' you like from the receiving or what didn't you like uh you know Coleman I think he we probably played too many snaps I'm I'm going to say that right now I know defense we we we had too many guys that got too many snaps and that's do the injury but uh there's col's not going able to play that many snaps moving forward you know we had we hel held max out uh did not play we expect to get him back but we're going to have to play um EP he's going have to play some you know um just just my experience is going to say you can't you can't go I'm not sure how many stns we had but I think Coen was in there you know 90% of them so but I I know Coleman's not going to like what I just said that's the kind of guy that's the kind of kind of athlete he is but um I think I'll win that battle talking a little bit more about um Parker's connection to Coleman Coleman did finish with 137 yards today just what have you seen from that passing connection and what have you liked from that so far um well for the first uh you know for the first game in that in that environment I thought you know reading Man versus Zone I think he did a good job had a couple nice High Point balls um but really I was impressed with Parker's anticipation on a couple of those throws you know and for for that to happen I he's a he's not 6'4 you know and he trusted that Parker was going to I'm sure that Coleman was going to be you know in Breaking versus outbreaking we may had one miscommunication in the third qu down at the far end but um really pleased with um their ability to be on the same page environment and I was also just going to ask about Anthony ties what did it mean for the offense and just for the team in general for him to consistently get those chunk runs so you guys can kind of control the game you keep the pace at the level you want to play uh again you don't have that that kind of production without having the guys up front and uh it's been it's always been a a thing for us in my my 20th season now about the Run game um you know we want to stop the run of course and you flip the script and and we want to have meaningful rush yards in the second half it's a mindset and something we've always fighted oursel in I referenced it prior to the game to the guys and they went out there and got some meaningful rushing yards in the second half but it's nice to see that uh Trey you know on the long run you know in the fourth quarter they didn't catch him you know he's blocked well you cut inside the left tackles block and and was able to get to the house and uh that's going to be great Dimension moving forward you had a lot of firsttime starters both on offense and defense today kind of on the road in a tough environment how do you think they performed yeah you got to tip your hat to the our coaching staff they got him ready to go uh I told the team that before we left the hotel how proud I was of him um and and to keep them playing hard I mean you ever heard of a coach say that you're the team inspired him I mean I was truly inspired and it's a it's uh pretty pretty cool and the staff is uh going to come to work and and but it sounds like you you are feeling the effect of all the turnover from last season it's fair yeah and yeah it's fair um but I for what we went through without getting into the Soap Box on it um St did a pretty pretty damn good job tus what can you tell us about the uh game plan going in on how you're going to split the split split the snaps between him and Ricky um yeah I think you know I think Ricky got the first start or start of the game you know but they're on they're on a rotation every series I believe and and when Ricky was in there got some things done you know but um I think we just fell at halftime I don't know how how the rotation went in the second half as far as numbers you know but Trey got hot and and if you had the hot hand we're going to go with the hot hand that's just kind of how it is I was kind of going to ask about the last Drive of the first half you guys got to the Red Zone what kind of went into the decision to throw some of those passes and not give the ball backers yeah tough again that's we're in the low red you know the noise wasn't wasn't affecting the play calling but just again the ability to get some vertical Distortion now you know Trey let me know in a nice way coming off the field you you know he was he was wanting he was wanting the ball you know and but that's that's why Trey's a great competitor you know so again you know offensive we're going to have to look look at some of that um again you know cuz we spread them out to get down there and then we I think we scored the opening maybe opening drive in the third quarter you know we had them on their heels and we were able to Trey got through got loose and and we we didn't get down in a little red zone you know scored you know in the high Red Zone so um again I I um I I've have confidence in the staff and we'll get some things going neither Williams or Bruno I believe had any Targets was uh Syracuse just covering them well uh you that I'm sorry who were the names uh Williams and Bruno tight end okay tight end yeah yeah yeah all right yeah go ahead I'm sorry let you finish I apologize yeah that was a question that was a question yeah I um I have to watch the film you asked me on Monday I'll give you a direct answer on exactly why you know and I I will say this um particularly on uh I know one of the balls to come over the middle in the fourth early in the fourth probably the you know the the 30 y uh was the play action pass you know probably could have got to that in the first half um but uh the tight ends were in our seven man protection we're giving the tackles help on some chips you know and the backs really yeah to help those guys out in the pass Pro we're just we're just outmatched you know with their D line and we're using those guys in the protections then Bradley Weaver had the only sack that was an official sack game but there was a lot of pressure M was constant know run out the pocket what would you like from the defensive front in this game never quit played a lot of guys and uh it was a we chair's a linebacker really the front seven I thought did did a real nice job particularly under the the the amount of different guys in the game we played I think everybody on defense played but maybe a couple so the I I'll know more on Monday on that but I but back directly to the the downline and battle's one of the top returners in our league uh I thought you know when I you know they were play around they guys up front you know they knew where he's at uh John did a good job of moving him around uh and getting getting try to get Brad matched up on those guys and um um again mord the quarterback he escaped a couple times I thought I thought we were going to get him but that's what that's what good quarterbacks do defense one last question defense took some knacks today especially in the secondary Jeremiah wood and uh and bister are you confident that um you know the reserves can step up here in the coming weeks yeah without question um we're you're there's going to be some names that that's going to that's going to come out of this that you're going like wow you know and right now right now I feel for I feel for jeremi wood I feel for Adonis um you know we'll see where both those guys are at I feel for Kendall you know I I could go on you know because I I'm pretty certain that that Jeremiah and uh Kendall are going to be acl's probably and be out for the year so I I certainly um my heart just you know I was in tears in there talking to Jeremiah what what he's what he means to this program and what a great Ambassador and for this to happen on this you know on this on this last year and tough and I certainly hope that their linebacker for for Syracuse is fine too I you know he's a he is a great player now