Quotes from MSU-NDSU FCS Playoff Game

Saturday, December 4

12:05 pm

Montana State University

North Dakota State

Quotes from NDSU-MSU on Saturday

Photo by: Dani Hendrickson

12/4/2010 5:49:35 PM | Football

What they were saying after North Dakota State's 42-17 win over the Bobcats

By: Jon Kasper

NCAA Division I Second Round

North Dakota State 43, Montana State 17

Saturday, Dec. 4

at Bozeman, Mont.

Postgame Press Conference

North Dakota State head coach Craig Bohl

"That was a great win for our program. Montana State is the Big Sky champions and we knew it would be a tough environment. I'm proud of way we handled adversity. I'm excited about winning and beating a good football team. I don't know we are playing, but we're still playing and that's good."

On the QB changed (because of injury)

"Jose came in and did a nice job. It was a big, big swing to be able to get control the line of scrimmage. "

Jose's run on 3rd and 3

"It was a great call by Brent Vigen. It was a great decision and a timely call, without question. It was a designed play, and we executed it very well."

Ability to score in the second half

"Typically we've been a good second-half team. We have lot of resolve and are a well conditioned group. I really believe that once we started to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball it changed the dynamic of the game."

On lack of a blitz

“Most of our pressure came with four guys up front. We blitzed a little, but not as much as some over games. It was a combined of the coverage and our front."

On QB Brock Jensen's status

"We'll find out as we go."

On the offensive line play

"It was phenomenal. Montana State's defensive front is good. I'm really pleased with how the offensive guys hung in there and after awhile really got good movement at the point of attack.''

Getting to McGhee

"It was important to get to one dimentional to where they had to pass. Our front has been pretty dominant all year long. It felt like if we could get the QB to hold the ball a little bit longer, we could get the pressure.''

Running Back D.J. McNorton (No. 8)

On outscoring opponents in the second half the last two weeks.

"It's halftime adjustments. Our coaches do a good job with that. Everyone is executing and not giving up."

On Jose's run

"It was a big play and a great play call. He hit it off the edge. Everyone got blocked. That was a big momentum boost."

Offensive tackle Paul Cornick (No. 78)

“I thought they started to get tired in the second half. A lot of times DJ makes us look really good. We were able to push them in the second half. It was a lot of fun knowing that you can run and they can't stop you."

No. 70 Matthew Gratzek

"This means a lot to us, especially coming off of last year. We have sense of unity. We are one big family. It's been a heck of a ride and we get to keep going."

Getting to QB

"(Montana State's) guards did a good job. I had a little bit of trouble. Colter was back there all day. Matt was back there. It wasn't just me. Everyone was getting after it. We have good size, we feel that is one of our strong points."

Montana State Coach Rob Ash

On NDSU run game

"They did a great job. We knew they could run effectively. We knew we had to keep them off the field with the performance of our offense. We didn't have that today. We weren't' efficient and we gave them too many opportunities.''

We had a couple of key mistakes, the turnover in the fourth quarter. It was a good game and we felt we had a chance if we would have scored and got ahead. I would to have liked to seen what would have happened had we held on to the ball and completed that drive. You can't change time. That didn't happen. We put the ball on the ground.''

On the big run by the NDSU QB

It was the biggest play of the game other than our turnover. It was a good play. Like Clay (Bingell said), we were in zero coverage with no one covering the QB. When you bring full pressure like that, you can't let anyone get outside. Jordan (Craney) was locked up and couldn't get off the block.'''

On lack of playoff experience.

I just thought we didn't get the team to the peak we had two weeks ago. We climbed the ladder all season and had to beat Weber State and Montana to get to the top of the mountain. It was a huge, long, difficult, successful climb and I don't think we regained the urgency we had at the end of the regular season.

Offensive tackle Mike Person

"We knew coming in it was going to be a physical game. Montana boys and North Dakota boys are tough kids. I'm a little beat up right now.

I don't think they physically wore us down. We are a great conditioned team. We made some key mistakes down the stretch. They are a good team, make no mistake about it. Good football teams are going to take advantage of mistakes.

I feel absolutely awful that my career is done. It's in Clay and Denarius' hands now. It's an empty feeling. I hate this."

Linebacker Clay Bignell

"It was frustrating not stopping the run. They are a good team. They kept running the ball and we kept missing tackles and making mistakes that you can't make in a playoff game."

Big run by QB

"We were in red pressure. We had everybody in man with no one over the top. We got out on the edge and there was nobody out there. It was a good call by them. They had a lot of options off that fly sweep. We were looking for the fly sweep or the zone and they pulled it and went back side.''

Quarterback Denarius McGhee

"I made mistakes that you can't make in a playoff game. That didn't help at all. I had enough time on many of the plays. I was unable to get the ball off and get completions. Going into this offeseason, I'm going to make sure those things don't happen again. I will know exactly what to do and get rid of the ball as soon as I can."

Defensive Lineman Dan Ogden

"They had some big boys, no doublt about that. They were good at walling you out. We are a gap defense and it's hard to do anything when you are walled out of your game. No. 8 made some great run and broke some tackles."