WMU at MSU Post Game Quotes
Western Michigan Head Coach P.J. Fleck
Opening Statement...
I'm really proud of our players. I'm proud because of the `how.' We talk in our program about how we play. There are nine guys on offense that didn't play one snap of college football tonight, and I tell you what, I am proud of those players. Moral victories don't exist in this program, by any means. We expected to win and we shot ourselves in the foot. They've [Michigan State] got a heck of a defense, but when you turn the ball over twice as an offense for touchdowns, I would have thought, `How many points underdog are we?'
But I'm really proud of this football team. I'm proud of the direction we're going. I think our foundation has been built. It's being laid. It's not about the wins and losses in terms of the foundation because if the wins and losses come and the foundation's not laid, when the wind comes and the rain comes and the water comes, it's going to wash it away anyway. We're going to build something for 50 years that's going to last. And how they played was impressive. It made me proud to be their football coach.
On the performance of his defense, specifically his secondary...
I think we have one of the best secondaries in the country and I don't think anybody's believed me, and tonight I think you saw it. They're a confident group, and they have a right to be confident because of how they work, not because of the result. What you saw was the result from all the work they put in from the last eight months, the sacrifices, the change, the discipline. All that stuff, that's the result from it, because I don't think they were like that before. And that's how this program is changing, and I'm really proud of that secondary. I think they're one of the best in the country.
On his team fighting hard throughout the game...
They're trained not to look at the scoreboard. They're trained to not let the circumstance, whatever it may be, dictate their behavior, and they're just going to continue to play and to continue to fight. Next play mentality, just row. Just keep rowing, keep rowing. And I thought they did a good job of that, especially defensively, even offensively. You look at the amount of things that went wrong offensively; a lot of teams I've been around would have quit. Not this team. I'm really proud of their resilience and how they continued to fight.
On the performance of his backup quarterback Zach Terrell...
I think that Zach [Terrell] was prepared. He did his job. To come out and the first pass you throw, the first play you've ever played in college football and you throw a touchdown, that's pretty special. He'll remember that the rest of this life. I know he's not going to have the wonderful taste of a victory after that, but the kid comes in, he's a freshman and throws a touchdown on the first play he's ever did in Michigan State Spartan Stadium in front of 80,000 people, that's pretty memorable, and I think the kids fed off that a little bit. The kids thought, `He didn't let the circumstances dictate his behavior. Let's go!'
On squaring off against Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio...
I said it was an honor to play against him. I've told him that before and I mean it, and he said, `Hey quit it, quit it, quit it.' I mean that. My first head coaching experience is against Mark Dantonio. Give me a break. That's absolutely awesome for me. I've learned a lot from the guy from just watching him, from just being around the people that have been around him at Ohio State. I knew about him years ago, and I've watched from afar, and he's had an influence on me just from watching him. There's just the class and the poise that that man has, and he does a tremendous job of leading his football team.
Western Michigan quarterback Zach Terrell
On stepping up after Tyler Van Tubbergen went out...
You know it's my job as a back-up quarterback to always be ready and when Tyler [Van Tubbergen] went down, my offensive line padded me on the back and said `let's go, you're up.' `The next man up' is what we always talk about and always being ready. I give credit to Michigan State and their tough defense - they did a great job and we gave it all we had.
On his first scoring play of his college career...
That's the best way to come in - right away - one pass, one touchdown. It was a great route by Clark Mussman, but we need to keep regrouping and rebuilding and as an offense, we need to sustain drives and keep moving. Like I said, Michigan State has a great defense but that's no excuse. We have to continue to execute, alignment, assignment, and technique.
How Van Tubbergen has helped him develop as a player...
I had no game experience coming into this, but Tyler has done a great job preparing me in practice and giving me an idea on what this was going to be like and what I need to do to be prepared. He's been a great and awesome leader and I'm glad I got to be behind him.
How this game experience has helped if he starts next week...
This game was huge. It was an awesome opportunity and I wish I could have taken advantage of it better, but it is definitely going to help me for next week - it gave me some game experience, some tape to go off of, and now we need to get ready and prepared for next week.
Western Michigan junior cornerback Donald Celiscar
On the overall effort of the defense...
We had comfort and communication and pursued the ball - that's pretty much all we did. Everybody was doing their job, they were taking control of one gap, the defensive gaps, and I think the result turned out to be pretty good. It is a good statement. We just come out and play hard each and every day; and each and every game we believe in what we are going to take care of business on the defensive end.
How would you grade your defense?
First of all, Michigan State has a great offense; big boys up front. All we did was just the "how" - that's what [Head] Coach [P.J.] Fleck talks about - how we come out and play. That's pretty much what we had inside of us. We just came out and flew around and the results were pretty good.
On the effect of the rain delay?
It didn't affect us at all. We just came out energetic, ready to go. We went to the locker room, sat down, and went over what we needed to adjust on; and we came out.
