BIG TEN CONFERENCE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: MICHIGAN VS IOWA

December 4, 2021

Seth Benson

Iowa Hawkeyes

Lucas Oil Stadium

Press Conference

Michigan - 42, Iowa - 3

Q. What happened on those two big plays early on? Was it just -- especially the run?

SETH BENSON: Yeah, caught us in a good blitz. They executed really well and, yeah, just comes down to fundamentals and details. We didn't execute on those two plays. And they busted out of there.

Q. Did you wear down in the second half?

SETH BENSON: I wouldn't say so. I would say we've got a group of guys that will go out there and fight hard as they can each and every snap. No matter what the score is, might not reflect that. You might beat us but you'll never break us. That's the attitude we fight with each and every time. I'm proud of everyone, how they fought each and every snap. The score obviously didn't reflect that. We're disappointed with that, but we fought off our tails every snap.

Q. How much emotion do you have put into this describing last Friday and today, how much --

SETH BENSON: We're ready to go. We had a great week of practice. And just great guys, great group of guys to be with each and every day. And just disappointed that we couldn't do it for each other. And that was the goal, just to do it for each other. That's what we pride ourselves in, as a defense just being so close.

But, yeah, we just fought, had a great, great week of practice. And of course the score didn't reflect that.

Q. Was there something they were doing particularly in the second half? Seemed like you held them mostly in check the first half.

SETH BENSON: I didn't think so. We've just got to limit the big plays and pride ourselves on no explosive plays. They had some explosive ones out there, and that will hurt. And we just gotta keep going.

Q. You seemed like the (inaudible)?

SETH BENSON: Yeah, yeah. We were ready for them. But just didn't execute. Got to have our eyes in the right spots and just gotta make plays, they made more plays than us.

Q. (Inaudible) if you give up two explosive plays, have you been doing that? Those two plays, that's what happened?

SETH BENSON: Obviously when you're giving up big plays, creates momentum. But I think, like you said, there's probably crazy stats out there. I can't remember exactly what it is.

But you've got to limit the big plays, make them drive the field. You want them to get out of the stuff they really like to do. But when they're giving up big plays, they can just keep calling plays and stuff like that.

Q. How much more difficult is it to (inaudible) when you don't have a game next week to think about?

SETH BENSON: I mean, it's tough. But I think in life you've got a choice each and every day you wake up, and I don't know what time it is now, but it's pretty late. And the sun is going to come up pretty early tomorrow. And you have two choices: You can sit and sulk about it, or you can get up and move on.

We've got another game left. And I'm super excited to play another game with all these guys. And I think we've just got to be optimistic. Obviously it sucks right now, but just keep moving forward.

Q. Was Pasadena something on your mind?

SETH BENSON: I think -- I mean, during the week you just want to win this game, but I mean you just want to get in the best bowl game as possible. But I think during the week we were just focused on this game.