COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and quarterbacks Devin Brown and Kyle McCord met with the media following the Ohio State spring game.
Here’s a summary of what was said.
Ryan Day
+ On Kyle McCord, Day said “what you saw in the game is similar to what we’ve seen in practice.” He’s growing, the picture was clean at times but other times it was not as clean. There were some sparks but there’s other stuff that he wants to improve on still.
+ On evaluating both sides of the ball, Day said they have to look at it through the full 15 practices. The challenge will be increased in the pre-season, but everything is faster in the spring game. On the defensive side, being in year two of the system and with adding Davison Igbinosun in there, they are starting to see the secondary really show up.
+ On the play calling, Day said there has been some growth there. “It’s healthy for everybody to go through this.” It’s more than play calling and as they continue to grow, they learn, and the way they learn is by going out there and actually, physically doing it.
+ On Chip Trayanum at running back, Day said they have talked to him about his role and it’s at running back this year. He’s put on some weight and he has top end speed. He has changed his body a bit and got stronger. He has big play ability and there were things he did last year that they liked and they are going to build on that.
+ It was fun watching Archie Griffin out there.
+ The offensive line was “inconsistent.” There were some good things there but they need more. It was good to see the defense make plays there but they want to see more from the offensive line.
+ On evaluating consistency when the offense line is changing, Day said that’s more in the season evaluation. They are more focused on 1-on-1 technique. They have seen players flash but being able to do that all the time is what separates good from great players.
+ “When you leave the spring you get a feel for where things are.” Coming out of the spring, he feels better about the defense. They didn’t give up a lot of explosives in the back end and that’s important for them. “There’s reason for optimism for sure.”
+ On Kyle McCord not having a lot of time to get things done, Day said they take all of that into consideration when evaluating him. It wasn’t always a clean pocket and wasn’t always a clean look but to be able to make big throws down the field, that’s been the difference for the team. “That was a step in the right direction.”
+ They will huddle in the fall a little bit but not as much as today.
+ On the defensive line, Day said he is not concerned about them but they need to build depth. They have the right people in place and the starters and first group have to play great, but they want to build depth. “We have quite a few guys who can be difference makers.”
+ On C.J. Hicks and whether he flashed or was consistent in the game, Day said he flashed “more” today.
Devin Brown
+ On his finger, Brown said it was a slight ding in practice, he had a minor procedure and he will be back in four weeks or so. It was hard not being out there because he was working for it all spring.
+ On the quarterback competition, Brown said all they can ask for is to push each other to get better each day. They both want what’s best for the team.
+ He still had a good 11 practices and feels good coming out of the spring.
+ On the possibility of a transfer if he doesn’t win the starting job, Brown said it has never crossed his mind. He wants to be a Buckeye and do whatever he can for this team.
+ The spring is about learning and growing and figuring out what kind of team you have.
Kyle McCord
+ Every year he has taken a step in the right direction and he has learned a lot along the way. He feels like he has come along way and is in a good spot right now.
+ On the ability to layer throws, McCord said they work on that in practice to throw over the safeties and linebackers and then drop it. They work everyday on that and it shows up a lot in the game.
+ On the touchdown to Carnell Tate, McCord said they talked about what look they wanted and it was a good result. Everybody did their job on that play. “When that happens, good things happen.”
+ On the quarterback competition, “we both know what it is, But I think Devin [Brown] is making me better.” McCord said it is good for both of them and they keep each other hungry.
+ He thought the spring went well, they put in new stuff and learned a lot and he built some chemistry with the 1s and the 2s. “I definitely feel like the spring went well.”
+ On the possibility of leaving Ohio State if he doesn’t win the job, McCord said that is not a possibility. When he came here he made a promise to himself to just come here and compete. He knew Ohio State would bring in the best talent. “You have to bring it everyday.”
+ Brian Hartline stepped into the offensive coordinator role seamlessly. “He stepped into the role and hit it out of the park.” It’s been consistent with Coach Day and it wasn’t a crazy transition.
Photo via Ohio State Buckeyes
