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.