	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 5, 2016

Urban Meyer

Columbus, Ohio

Nebraska - 3, Ohio State - 62

COACH MEYER: I didn't see that one coming. I thought -- a lot of respect for Nebraska and their coach is a friend of mine. And their only loss a hard-fought overtime game last week. One of those back-to-back night games, so just the wear and tear. But just an A to Z very good performance by our guys. So I'll answer your questions for you.

Q. Did you think J.T. was different or better? He looked like from the outset he let it rip, that he was decisive with the football, threw into some windows maybe he wouldn't have thrown into earlier?
COACH MEYER: I'll let you know after I watch the videotape. A greedy guy, I know he misfired on a couple, too, but J.T. played fantastic and he was very sharp, spread the ball, spread the entire -- we finally hit some downtown shots, too, to Curtis, and Curtis was outstanding. And he's very healthy right now. And I mean he's a piece of the puzzle. That's a giant piece of the puzzle.

But to answer your question, J.T. was great.

Q. Curtis touch it enough? That's been a subject of late?
COACH MEYER: Not with me. How many have you got?

Q. 13 all by the third quarter.
COACH MEYER: So he's okay.

Q. You seemed very relaxed, at least when you were around us earlier in the week, even after the last couple of weeks with what was going on with offense were you so confident --
COACH MEYER: No, I've been going to acting school. I was a mess. Because I just thought -- I really thought this was going to be get to the month of November, you know, top 10 team coming in here.

And I liked -- the communication's been good and I like the fact that it wasn't pretty against Northwestern but it was a street fight. Our guys fought really hard and found a way to win. Had two great drives to close out the game and started fast.

Now we're starting to put it all together, and I'm glad it's happening now.

Q. You did seem to say that you thought that something like this was coming. Did you think to this extent?
COACH MEYER: No, I didn't think this was going to happen.

Q. Could you speak to the impetus, I guess, that Damon Webb interception return for touchdown, tip by Raekwon McMillan just gave to the night? And of course Malik Hooker got another one. You guys now, school interception record for touchdown?
COACH MEYER: Great momentum start and then the offense scored again, I think, I believe on our first drive again. And maybe we scored every drive. We didn't punt, did we?

So I like the fact that we're scripting our plays and taking a lot of time into the first 12 plays that are called. And it's kind of a whole staff, we go through and say -- everyone's got their favorites. We put them together throughout the course of the week and then obviously we present it to J.T. And that's how we've been scripting the plays the last couple of weeks.

We're going to do that consistently now.

Q. You've lost one game in November your entire career here and you've been talking about we're getting closer. I like the attitude of the team. What's it like right now to have perhaps your most impressive win in November going down the stretch? Is it kind of a relief to see that, hey, the light might have turned on?
COACH MEYER: It is a little relief to know that right now I saw some explosiveness that we kind of have been lacking in some positions. And I think relief is probably the correct word, that we've all been waiting for that to happen. And like you said, no better time than the month of November to get that thing going.

Q. Can you elaborate on the explosiveness comment? What positions you were happy to see that from?
COACH MEYER: Skill set, the offensive skill. We've not been explosive at receiver this year. And when you throw for 300-plus yards and obviously Curtis is very explosive, but I thought our receivers all day they were running very sharp routes, very crisp routes against a good secondary. And J.T.'s delivering the ball, but I thought the receivers were outstanding.

Q. Mike Weber, just seemed like maybe he left a little bit of a shoulder issue?
COACH MEYER: He's okay. He's having an AC sprain. He's fine. That was just precautionary.

Q. Just also ask, had a lot of guys who haven't had a chance to play in the last month because all the games have gone down to the wire. How important was it to get McCall and Burrow?
COACH MEYER: Demario looked great, didn't he?

Q. Is he playing for a bigger role, McCall?
COACH MEYER: He might now. He's probably going to be our punt returner. I'm going to evaluate that over this next few days, but I thought he was very good. I thought Branden Bowen and the offensive line, the next guy in, and played very well. And A.J. Alexander contributed. So that was good to get those guys in.

Q. What is it about this sport that you couldn't see this coming? Why is it that they would play that way and you wouldn't know?
COACH MEYER: 18 years old, 19 years old, and this game is, college football. I saw Texas A&M lose to Mississippi State. I was actually watching part of that, and I just thought, we've all been around this sport long enough that the youth, when that youth grows up it's kind of cool to watch. And I'm hoping that's what's happening here. I'm not saying it is yet, because we've still got a lot left.

Q. Do you think maybe tonight's the night where maybe a little bit of an identity is formed especially on offense?
COACH MEYER: I hope, at least for the next 12 hours. We'll see what happens next week.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297