WEST LAFAYETTE, In. — Ohio State (7-1, 4-1) fell to Purdue (4-3, 3-1) 49-20 Saturday night in Ross-Ade Stadium. Following the game, Urban Meyer spoke with reporters and tried to provide answers to a myriad of questions. Also speaking with the media were quarterback Dwayne Haskins, receiver Terry McLaurin, and safety Jordan Fuller. Here are the highlights of what each of them had to say.
Urban Meyer
+ Meyer was very surprised at this loss. They had a good week of work. The most glaring issues was the red-zone offense.
+ Looking at the run game, they have to get something going. They can’t rely on 400 yards passing every week. Not down the stretch.
+ They are capable of getting things fixed. Asked if this coaching staff can get things fixed, Meyer said, “That’s a good question.”
+ It’s not a one sentence answer as to why this team can’t run the ball.
+ He didn’t see something like this coming. Every time they thought they would get back in it, they would fail in the red zone or get a penalty or give up a big hit.
+ Should things be blown up? Meyer doesn’t think so. They’re 7-1 right now, but there are some serious shortcomings that need to be fixed.
+ “I do love our coaching staff.” He will do evaluations over the bye week.
+ The bye week gives you time to make some changes, but doing it this deep in the season isn’t normal.
+ This wasn’t the first game with a bunch of penalties. “Not very disciplined.” They were effort penalties, but “ridiculous.”
Dwayne Haskins
+ He strives to be perfect every week but wasn’t perfect enough in this game.
+ He is comfortable with the plan of attack going into each game.
+ The offense missed opportunities and that’s one of the reasons for the performance ending up like it did. It cost them momentum on more than one occasion.
+ All of their goals are still ahead of them.
+ They have to improve their execution in the red zone.
+ The offensive line needs to run block better and the running backs need to make more people miss in order to get the running game going.
+ There isn’t too much on his shoulders. He’s just going to keep trying to get better.
Terry McLaurin
+ You never go into a game thinking you’re going to lose.
+ The team had a great week of practice.
+ They are capable of turning it around. They stuck together after the loss to Iowa last year and will have to do the same thing this year. The leaders will need to step up.
+ The failures are all about execution. “Our plays work.”
+ “Our leaders are really tough. We just have to make sure it permeates to everyone else.”
+ You have to treat this like life or death.
+ “I feel like we could get more tough.”
+ The offensive line is the heartbeat of this team.”
+ Losses make you recalibrate yourself as a player.
Jordan Fuller
+ “I don’t really have any explanation.”
+ Guys are injured, but other guys have to step up.
+ “We’ve just got to stick together.”
+ The team kept shooting itself in the foot.
+ On the penalties: “They’re aggressive mistakes at least.”
+ Missed tackles were big.
+ On the defensive problems tonight: “It’s never just one thing.”
+ It is more important than ever for the leaders to step up.
Somebody should should tell Urban the story of the “Emperor’s new clothes” – the one where the King is walking around in his underwear because he believes he is wearing special clothes and everyone on his staff is afraid to tell him otherwise. Its a perfect fit for his mentality regrading his coaching staff and team.
Hey Urban this isn’t a one game thing we are all complaining about. It is a 2017 Iowa thing, Its a 2016 Clemson thing, its a 2015 MSU thing. Its a four year trend of embarrassment of squandered talent and opportunities because of your unwillingness to admit fault, make changes in your game planning or fire your friends. Hire a coach to game plan against your own tendencies and and swallow your pride. Oklahoma fired their DC after losing to Texas.
You knew this would be a tough job to keep OSU fans happy and your are starting to suck at it. You think we are all overreacting now? Ok Mr “i’m surprised” don’t change, lose to Nebraska and get whipped by TSUN and feel the hot seat. OSU fans have lost patience with you because you are arrogant. Tressel was always forgiven because he had class.
It is too bad that Urban Meyer will not pay attention to the key points made in the excellent comments on this site. I do not expect anything to change. Looks like Joe Burrow absolutely made the right career choice.
This has been coming, we’ve all seen it except the coaching staff. Unbelievable. A complete overhaul of the staff is needed, starting with Urby, I’m afraid. I think he needs a change. His health worries me and probably is worrying him. He just doesn’t seem himself.
I believe, and have all along, that he made a poor decision re the QB decision. Obviously, Haskins is a great talent. But he’s being misused. This entire staff seems intent on fitting square pegs into round holes, and that starts with Meyer. He is a R/O coach and too stubborn to change so he’s running R/O looks with a QB who can’t run it. That is a prescription for disaster, which is what we’re seeing. It has totally screwed up the running game and made the O completely one-dimensional, putting ungodly pressure on a mediocre O-line. Just not a good situation.
Defensively, the scheme is not suited to the talent. Again, square peg/round hole. I’ve just never seen a poorer plan for linebackers. Herby hit the nail on the head last night. This is a coaching problem. Fortunately, we have the solution on the staff. This is Day’s time. We looked much better offensively under him. It’s obvious that things changed when Urby came back. It’s time for a change.
Bring in Tate Martell to spark the running game like. It sure couldn’t hurt since everything else failed with Dwayne trying to run the RPO. Throwing 73 times in a game is nonsense. Your accuracy eventually goes out the window with that many attempts. I’m surprised his arm didn’t fall off. Today the voters vote and the buckeyes should be at the bottom of all the 1 loss teams.
That was a sad sad showing of offensive line, back 7,. Where is the talent lacking . Coaching seems to be the issue. Stop trying to run a QB that has zero running skills. Try some new running backs, Weber , dobbins seem lack luster. Need some major changes or more embarrassing losses are coming.Teams should get better not worse as season progresses.
I am just flabbergasted at Urban’s statement”I never saw this coming’….my friends ,I believe this may be our biggest issue….A head coach that CAN NOT see the obvious…Never freakin saw this coming???? All of us”non-overpaid coaches ” saw this coming for weeks.. If Urban can’t see it, and can’t resolve it, then my friends, the EMBARRASSING TRAINWRECK that is this team will keep rolling down its heartless, lackluster, track……..CHOO CHOO
Haskins set an OSU passing record, don’t blame him, Don’t even blame the D that for the most part held PUR to 7 pts. nearly the end of the 1st half and 21 well into the fourth. I blame the OL run game. The key stat, late in 1st and early 2nd half 4 drives deep into PUR…result 3 pts. If OSU would of scored 3 TD’s it would have been 27-14, and a very different game. OSU has a bye week, Studrawa needs to have his stuff out of OSU’s athletic center by noon today. PERIOD. Next, Shiano, Davis and who ever else is associated with the talented, but out of sorts back 7 needs to have a good talking to or shown the door. There are PLENTY of HS assistants whose seasons have ended that can come in and do a much better job than them. Don’t do it, than make arrangements to play your post season game in San Antonio!
When is 2 and 3 worth more than 4 and 5? When Ohio States clown show of a coaching staff coaches the 4 and 5 stars!
Agreed! I can’t believe we gave up a real leader, Joe Burrow, for this scarecrow of a quarterback.
Non sense, Haskins missed two throws early, he lit up PUR. Our Run game did nothing, and that’s not on him, it’s with the incompetent buffoon who manages our non existent Girl Scout OL coach!
Kurt, we’ve been board-friends for years, but you’re mistaken on this one. Why is it Haskins dinked-and-dunked against a bad pass defense and Blough swung for the fence and hit? How come the ONE player tOSU needed to guard (Moore) had 12 catches for 170 and a couple TDs? Haskins also missed receivers and overthrew (gee, isn’t that what haters accused Barrett of?).
My friend A.A. you are right! @Kurt Mew is a believer that Haskins is the miracle man….a true leader (Joe Burrow) was never really given a true chance….now look at Burrow….he’s leading his team to victories over competition far greater than what the “record” setter Haskins is facing. BTW what good are passing records if you can’t or don’t win the game!
Okay, time to tee off:
1) Purdue’s coaching staff gets an “A”, ours gets an “F”. The fake field goal at end of first half was a thing of genius that NO ONE on the OSU staff saw coming. Is it even worth mentioning the level of preparedness in every aspect of play?
2) Time for naming the worst offenders, college players or not. Can anyone recall a worse performance EVER by an OSU defensive back, than what we saw from Pryor tonight? If he is a starter, then those of us with eligibility remaining should walk on next year…AWFUL. Isaiah Prince is NOT a leader and NOT a good player, he is JB Shugarts at best…and we officially need to make a missing persons report on the linebackers, who don’t merit the name.
3) I knew we were done when the first two plays of the night resulted in penalties. They had all week to prepare, yet there were consecutive penalties on dead ball plays. There is no word in our language (of the non 4 letter variety) to describe this ineptitude.
4) So much for the Head Breakfast Coach’s comment earlier this week about how they “worked on fixing their weaknesses”. No you didn’t, another LIE from this guy. By the way, he said post game that the “most glaring issue” was red zone offense? WRONG, pal. The most glaring issues were an absent defense and an offensive line that has no teeth. Red zone offense was well down the list of concerns, what an idiotic remark.
5) No excuses, fans. Nick Bosa wouldn’t have changed this result, and the team that just worked OSU lost to EASTERN MICHIGAN on their home field. The haters are right this time, gang.
6) If there is a way to dock pay for these coaches- and there likely is not- they should be docked.
Very well said James A Mills ?
I agree with all 3 firings..this has got beyond ridiculous at this point…almost speechless at how sad this has got with the lack of run-blocking and defensive issues…
Hey Urban! You were very quick to point out what a clown show the Buckeye receivers were when you hired in. Is it now fair to point out that your offensive line coach, you linebackers coach, and your DC, are 10 times more under qualified than a clown show?
FIRE Davis. FIRE Studrawa, and FIRE Schiano. None of those 3 are worth minimum wage much less the 2.5 million combined they are “benefitted,” while possessing exactly NO discernible skills proficiency.
QUIT being a damned babysitter for your family friends and relatives Urban. That shit has run it’s disgusting course.
Yep James, that’s another way to look at it.
I agree with every point you made.