2000 FBL vs. Wisconsin -- quotes
9/30/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
On the game ... "Well, it was great defense. Wisconsin certainly played great defense, and I have to tip my hat off to our defense. I thought they were tremendous. We had a couple of key guys out with injuries, and our guys kept fighting all game, causing turnovers. I think they won the game early for us in the first quarter. Wisconsin drove right down on us, and Todd Howard made a huge interception. The biggest thing was we did not allow [Michael] Bennett out of there with any long runs. We gave up a couple of pass plays, but our defense was tremendous. And then we made some plays offensively when we had to."
On the play of Julius Curry and Eric Brackins ... "When Larry Foote went out, and of course Anthony Jordan is playing with a bad hand, Brackins to play like he did was outstanding. Every time I looked up, he was making a play. Curry, of course, made some big hits, and those take their toll. When you cause the kind of fumble he did, that was a forced fumble for a turnover. And that is how you win against a team like Wisconsin."
On the winning touchdown pass from Drew Henson to David Terrell ... "There were several plays in that last drive that were big. David made a big catch. I think we made great protection and Drew found some open people. That last play, that is what you want to do in that kind of situation, where one of these guys can make a play. And David made a great catch, there is no doubt about that."
On Drew Henson's game-winning pass ... "Well, I am not taking credit for that pass, and you can't coach it. That's the thing about a mobile quarterback. I think Drew made a great play there. But we have a long way to go. We have a lot of things we need to work on. Anytime you can have a win as banged up as we are, it's a great win. If we can get some people healthy here, I think we have the making of a good defense."
On the remaining games in the Big Ten ... "This will give us some momentum, but when you look around this conference, every single game is tough. It's tough to beat anybody. We are going on the road next week to Purdue, with a high-powered offense led by a quarterback who many say is the best quarterback in the nation. There is a lot of football to be played. We just have to keep our feet on the ground, keep working hard, and keep improving. I think that is the thing we have got to do to be successful."
Junior Quarterback Drew Henson
On his thoughts on the go-ahead touchdown drive ... "This is it, the same position as last week. If we wanted to win the Big Ten championship, we have to make some plays right now. If we were to win at home -- all our goals -- this is the drive we had to do it. And we were able to do it."
On diagramming the winning touchdown play ... "There was no diagram (laughs). I saw Dave [Terrell] going against the grain and all day long they were saying 'Put the ball up and make a play' and I hadn't [done that] yet. It wasn't a perfect throw, but that's why they're great receivers."
On taking hits in the game ... "Contact is part of the game. I'm going to try to bounce back up like the rest of them."
On the low-scoring game ... "It's frustrating at times when you move the ball and just can't get it in the end zone. You've got to give credit to Wisconsin. Their corners played our guys tough all day; you've got to tip your hat to them."
Junior Wide Receiver David Terrell
On the first half ... "I was a little disappointed about not getting the ball. But I have to run the plays the coaches call and hope that the next play is for me. As a receiver you want to be a little selfish in wanting the ball every time but [Marquise] Walker played a great game."
On his relationship with Drew Henson ... "Yeah, I think we do have a feel for each other. Like I said before, I think the relationship Drew, Marquise and I have could be compared to what [Joe] Montana, [John] Taylor and [Jerry] Rice had in San Francisco. We all just like to compete and lay it all on the line."
On Drew Henson's play overall ... "Offensive line played great. Wisconsin's D-line is one of the best in the country and the offensive line gave Drew time to throw the ball. I think he was a little impatient at times but at other times he made the big play and got the job done."
On the receiver group ... "We just love to compete. [Marquise] Walker pushes me in practice, Ron Bellamy pushes Walker, and I push Ron to keep improving and keep focus. All of us want the ball as much as possible and that helps us to work hard and keep improving. I think we complement each other well."
On his winning TD catch from Drew Henson ... "I saw Drew roll out and break the pocket and I just went to the corner of the end zone, saw the ball coming and I just went up and got it. I didn't know Ron was in the area I was just so focused on the ball and catching it I pretty much blocked out everything else. I just feel it's my job to make the plays when I get the chance to."
Wisconsin Head Coach Barry Alvarez
On the game overall ... "It was obviously a hard-fought game. We needed to take advantage of our breaks, but we squandered scoring opportunities. I appreciate the effort our kids gave. We saw them make the plays. The thing that bothered me is that [Michigan's] guys made the plays. Our guys were in position but [Michigan] made the plays.
"I'm concerned that we shot ourselves in the foot. We can't make mistakes and expect to win.
"We're not worried about the Big Ten. We're worried about covering next week against Ohio State."
On the offense ... "We wanted to throw the ball but we just didn't get it downfield. They did a good job of covering our guys up. [Michael] Bennett struggled with the footing. He hadn't fumbled all year. They played on the same footing we did."
On Drew Henson ... "We saw him last year. We could see last week the presence he had on the field."
On Michigan's final drive ... "We saw them make the plays. We didn't get burned on blitzes but they made the plays."
On the final Wisconsin field goal attempt ... "I'm not going to criticize our guy. He's made the kicks all year. That's all I'm going to say."
Junior/Sophomore Quarterback Brooks Bollinger
On the game ... "The game could have went either way. I feel I should have made some more plays in the passing game. Our line did a great job and we put ourselves in position to win this game, I just didn't get it done."
On playing on grass for the first time this season ... "It was a little slippery out there, but it's the same field they played on so that wasn't a factor in the outcome of the game."
On the turnovers ... "We started the game off like we planned and then I made the big mistake. I didn't do the job I should have done today. I put a a lot of blame on myself."
Senior/Junior Defensive Back Jamar Fletcher
On David Terrell's winning touchdown catch ... ""It seemed like the ball was in the air forever. Basically it was just a free-for-all to make the play and Terrell was the one who made the play."
On the Wolverines' throwing at him frequently throughout the game ... "I expected it. I'm not a god. If I was them I wouldn't be scared of me; I'm just out trying to make plays like everyone else."
On matching up with David Terrell ... "He's a real good player, but I knew I could cover him. But in the end he made the crucial catch."
On Michigan quarterback Drew Henson ... "I wasn't that impressed. In a game like this anyone could have won the game. I don't think he did anything spectacular, he just did enough to win."
Senior Placekicker Vitaly Pisetsky
On missing the potential game-tying field goal ... "I felt like I kicked it good. I thought it was going through until the last minute. This was the first time I missed a kick of this magnitude, and when you play this game long enough you're going to be in a situation like this, and unfortunately I didn't make it."
Senior Punter Kevin Stemke
On the game ... "Michigan played a better game. We improved worlds from last week. A few plays here and there were the difference in the whole game."
On the last Wisconsin kick ... "On that last kick, he hit the ball well. It tailed at the last second. I thought it was good the whole way until it tailed off."
On the rest of the season ... "The Big Ten title is out of our focus. We're going to rally back and win some games. That's what we have to worry about."
