COLUMBUS — Ohio State head coach Ryan Day as well as tight end Jeremy Ruckert and quarterback C.J. Stroud met with the media immediately following the Buckeyes’ 54-7 win in Bloomington against Indiana.
Here are the highlights from the postgame press conferences.
Ryan Day
+ Day thought they handled the rain well. They didn’t expect it to rain like that.
+ They approached this as the first game of the second half of the season like they were both 0-0. They look at this win as the first win of the second half of the season.
+ The depth they were able to play was great. They are trying to make up for players not getting a lot of reps last year. “We’re going to need it here down the stretch.”
+ “It’s always been about us and that’s what we focus on.”
+ The defense ran around and played well. They looked like they were having fun out there and that’s part of the energy and confidence they want.
+ Taking the starters out is always hard because they practice hard and they want to play but it was a tough decision he had to make that was precautionary.
+ Across the board the depth at running back has been good. He was impressed with Evan Pryor down the stretch.
+ On the defense shutting Indiana down after the first drive, Day said that adjustment was defensive coaching… identifying how they are being attacked and having answers. “That got done here tonight.” He credits Matt Barnes, Kerry Coombs, Larry Johnson, and Al Washington.
+ C.J. Stroud sees the field well and that’s one of his strengths. “He has a lot of confidence right now and he made some nice throws tonight.”
+ The field position was huge. It gives them so much confidence, they can feel it on the sidelines.
+ On play calling with good field position, “across the board we’re aggressive.”
+ On the mood of this team Day said it’s a different team. They’re practicing well and they are confident in each other. Early on a lot of the players hadn’t played before, they missed last year and they didn’t have a lot of confidence. The players felt like they were on islands out there by themselves.
+ “We have so many weapons and that’s a great thing to have but at the same time players have to be unselfish.”
+ On Stroud’s ability, Day said they don’t want to ride the rollercoaster. He is staying humble and is focusing on one game at a time but he’s exciting and fun to watch. He does have the talent to make those throws and if he continues to prepare how he is and show toughness, “we’ll have a chance here.”
C.J. Stroud
+ He is stepping into his role and feels more comfortable out there. He feels like “all of the things are hitting” and they have momentum.
+ On his ability to see the field, Stroud said his preparation is key. Meetings with Keenan Bailey and Corey Dennis help him a lot. He breaks down film little by little. He studied 2017 Indiana film before this game.
+ His teammates lift him up. He appreciates being around great people. The team and his play elevating comes from the many great people in the building.
+ All of the running backs did a great job. “We have great backs.” He hopes they can get Master Teague and Marcus Crowley back soon.
+ They had hard practices during the bye week to keep their momentum. He thinks that was a smart move by the coaching staff.
+ The team has a great mindset of letting things go, whether good or bad. He talked with Ruckert about that on the field after he missed a play and Ruckert reminded him to stay positive.
Jeremy Ruckert
+ On his performance, “It’s always fun. Everybody sees the stat sheet.” But they’ve come together as a team. Being able to make the plays when your name is called is the culture at Ohio State.
+ Being able to rely on each other gives them a lot of confidence. “I feel like we’re in synch right now.”
[Photo via Ohio State Football Twitter]
