home jobs contact us
Our Clients:
Browse by Sport
Find us on ASAP sports on Facebook ASAP sports on Twitter
ASAP Sports RSS Subscribe to RSS
Click to go to
Asaptext.com		 ASAPtext.com
ASAP Sports e-Brochure View our
e-Brochure

TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL: OHIO STATE v NOTRE DAME


January 2, 2006


Aj Hawk

Troy Smith

Jim Tressel


TEMPE, ARIZONA

THE MODERATOR: We will now turn it over to Coach Tressel for opening comments.
COACH TRESSEL: The number one goal we had was to make sure our seniors left here with some wonderful memories and that we had a chance to let them know how much we've appreciated the four or five years they have been here.
They have done an extraordinary job. We're proud of them and the underclassmen for being committed to them. It was a tough football game. Our kids deserved to win it.
Q. For Coach and for Troy. So many big plays tonight on offense, really making the difference especially in the first half. Obviously, when you do that, you have a great chance to win. Talk about going deep early and Teddy getting lose and getting the big run.
COACH TRESSEL: That was a huge part of our game plan. Coach Bowman and his staff worked long and hard for a month, watching where we thought that we could make some big things happen, and I thought they had a tremendous plan, and our guys executed it so well.
The one thing we talked about is we didn't want to overthrow the deep ones. We didn't want to misthrow them or overthrow them. We're proud of the way the kids executed.
The reverse is Notre Dame is a fast defense when they're chasing one way and Teddy's running the other, they've got a problem.
TROY SMITH: I probably have to credit everything to the offense play coach.
The scheme today was we set out to make big plays, not to, you know, try to say anything the coach already said, but we really, really set out this week to not overthrow the deep ball. The guys stepped up today, and the offensive line did a great job with withstanding the blitzes that came, and I was fortunate to be able to connect in a couple deep passes.
Q. Question for Ted: A few days ago you were telling us your goal for today was have fun, have fun, have fun. How much fun did you have today?
TED GINN: I had a lot of fun. The point of the whole game was to play hard for the seniors. I have another year and the seniors don't. I try to go out and play hard and play fast and do everything right.
Q. Troy, if you could talk about the third and the 11, I believe, play when you spun out of the sack and made the throw there, and just the play on third downs all day.
TROY SMITH: Keeping it alive. A team that is above or just at 50 percent can lead the whole nation in the third down conversion, and keeping it alive any way we can, and keeping the ball going.
The defense does a great job in getting us the ball, things like that. We don't want to go 3 and 0 all the time. Keeping the play alive, staying on the field, trying to score some points.
Q. Coach, could you talk about how this game kind of exemplified Troy's growth as a quarterback this season?
COACH TRESSEL: I think as you watch Troy throughout his career, every day in practice he learns a little something and gets better, and every ball game he learns from the ball game and studies extremely hard, he and Coach Daniels. They worked like crazy preparing themselves for the ball game. He's very passionate about being a great quarterback. Each day he's taking a step closer to it. We've got a lot of work to do yet, but I know he wants to do it.
Q. For all the players, would you love another shot at Texas, the way you guys are playing now?
AJ HAWK: Sure, we would love another game, but if you sit back and say what if, that's the way the game is. You can't dwell on what happened earlier this season. We feel like we're playing our best football now. And you got to move on.
TROY SMITH: I pretty much agree with what AJ said. I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. We had to suffer the losses to become the team we are today. I wouldn't take anything back from that.
TED GINN: I just want to give it back to the seniors, you know. That will be their last time playing Texas. I think at this point we arrived and came around and played good ball. I just want to do it for the seniors.
Q. Troy, your last two games, top 10 in the nation passing efficiency, yet people don't mention your name as a passing quarterback so much. Talk about that smile on your face when I said that, and do you think they'll finally recognize it now?
TROY SMITH: It doesn't really matter to me. I think what matters is as long as people respect our offense as a whole, and respect us to know that I am the leader of our offense, we're going to go out there and try to put up points and execute our game plans, and that's fine with me.
Q. Coach Tressel, the play that was a fumble that was returned for a touchdown and later overruled to be an incomplete pass, Coach Weis described as the play of the game, very critical to them. Do you think the play was equally critical for your team to have it go your way?
COACH TRESSEL: That was a hard one to see. The game is so fast, and I wasn't sure if it was an incompletion or it was a -- one of those questions as to does the ground cause the fumble, can the ground cause a fumble, all these kinds of things.
It looked to me like an incompletion, but I don't know, I suppose that was about a 70- or 80-yard play. I was looking down here on the stats, we had 617 yards, so there was some other important plays.
Q. Jim and AJ, talk about the bounceback nature of your defense after Notre Dame's opening drive?
COACH TRESSEL: You talking about our defense. AJ will answer that.
AJ HAWK: We always talk about our next play is the most important. We knew Notre Dame was coming out to make plays. They have a ton of talent and great coaching staff. That shows the kind of leadership we have and heart our defense has. At San Diego State they scored the first play of the game on us and we just have to calm down and play our game. Guys might be a little excited coming out, but you've got to give them a lot of credit too. That's happened a lot to us this year.
Q. AJ, can you talk about the pressure you guys were able to get on the quarterback and how those two sacks on Brady Quinn felt?
AJ HAWK: Any time you get a quarterback, it feels good. That was our game plan. We wanted to come out and pressure them. We felt if we could do that, we could do some things in the defense, come down and have our DBs make the guys throw the ball quick, and that's what they did. When we needed to make plays, we did. That's our game plan and tonight we got it done with the help of our offense.
Q. Troy, could you talk about, you know, sitting out last year's Bowl Game and now becoming the offensive player this year, the range of emotions?
TROY SMITH: First I want to let you know that sitting out of last year's Bowl Game, I didn't think about that as much as you probably think I did. Today, this year's group of guys on the field was most important sending them out with a victory today.
Going home on the plane, that's a long plane ride, I would rather go home happy than sad. You just go out and try to execute to the best as a team. Not like myself. I don't like taking a lot of the credit for what goes on out on the field. It takes 11 guys, everybody on the field, everybody's effort to get this win today.
Q. AJ, what was it like to see half of the stadium there at the trophy presentation flapping their arms after you got named MVP, what does it mean to you personally leaving that mark?
AJ HAWK: I didn't really notice it until the very end. That's something some of the guys on the team started and I guess it caught on. The media and fans have been great to me since I have been here, and I'll miss it a lot.
Q. Talk a little bit about Troy's composure to hit the third-down plays in the fourth quarter and the 60-yard touchdown to put the game away.
COACH TRESSEL: The key to any great performance is your key players have to make plays. What Troy Smith does is he has a great command of our offense. He's old-school and knows what he needs to do. When it doesn't go just right, he can improvise. They have a good defense. They have a chalkboard too and can figure out things well and do different things and he can improvise. He can adjust. He's very competitive, and, you know, he was 75 percent or 67 percent third-down conversion, plus all of those big plays, that's -- obviously he did a great job.
Q. For Ted and Troy, how do you think this victory sets things up for next season, and, also, do you know where the National Championship Game will be played next year?
TED GINN: First, it says a lot. We're going to go out all season and work hard and go back to square one and do everything right, come back and just try to make it out here. That will be our goal and we have to practice and play ball and look forward to next year.
Q. Troy?
TROY SMITH: The National Championship is here next year. We like that. And hopefully next year it sets us up pretty good. You know, probably for the last four or five years, we have been known as a defensive team, you know, I'm sure we will still be known as a defensive team, even though we lose key and major guys. Now it's going to be more of a balance, the defense and the offensive team hopefully.
Q. Coach Tressel and Troy Smith, Santonio Holmes said he's going to move into the National Football League. Any discussion you have had with him and thoughts about his career? And, Troy, what has he meant to you personally?
COACH TRESSEL: Santonio talked about it many times. I've even inferred it quite often as I've talked publicly. He's a fourth-year guy and well along towards his degree. I think it's the right time for him to go. I think he's proven it. In my mind, I don't know how many guys would be drafted ahead of him. He's a play-maker, blocker, return man, and I always tell my guys, "If you're going to be in the first round, you probably need to go and Santonio is going to be in the first round."
Q. Troy, on Santonio, please?
TROY SMITH: Santonio means a lot to the whole offense, and for me as a quarterback, he takes a lot of burdens and situations off my shoulder, because he's a student of the game as well. He understands and sees things just the way I do, and Santonio is going to be greatly missed, you know what I mean.
From day one, he's been a great receiver, he's been a great guy, team leader, you know, and like the coach said, it's time for him to step up and go to another level. He's did pretty much everything we've asked of him here.
Q. Question for Coach and AJ. Talk about winning three Fiesta Bowls here in four years, and what's the secret to your success here?
COACH TRESSEL: Well, the secret to the success is AJ, Troy and Teddy and Will Smith and Craig Krenzel and all the rest. We have a great coaching staff and great players. Why we have been so blessed to be here at the Fiesta Bowl, you have no idea. It's the most wonderful Bowl you can possibly be a part of it. We've enjoyed every minute of it. The people here are extraordinary, and anyone that gets an opportunity to play in the Fiesta Bowl is fortunate.
AJ HAWK: I think you have to give a lot of credit to the coaches. I was thinking about what everyone was saying about giving Coach Weis four weeks to prepare. What about giving Coach Tressel four weeks to prepare for you? He's four out of five on the Bowl Games. That's where I think the focus should have been from you guys. I think our coach did a great job finding the perfect balance.
Q. Troy, why were you guys so successful in putting out those kinds of numbers today?
TROY SMITH: I think one starts up front. Without the guys up front bearing down and settling in for four quarters to get the job done, none of this happens. Two, the execution of the game plan. We set out to do the things that we needed to do, assert ourself within the offense, make big plays and complete the deep passes, things like that. Everything was accomplished today.
Q. Question for Coach and Troy. Troy, you have been pretty open about saying that you have Coach on speed dial and that you guys have really built your relationship throughout the season. I want to know how instrumental you both think that is in getting where you guys are today and where the team was today.
COACH TRESSEL: I think the credit really lies with Troy's efforts and Joe Daniels' efforts, and I get a few calls too. Mine are more "Coach, what time is the meeting? Do we lift today? What time do I meet with Coach Daniels?
To me, the credit lies with Troy's initiative to be the best he can be and Coach Daniels' work with him and Jim Bowman and the whole offensive staff.
TROY SMITH: I think first off, you know, your relationship with your coach, head coach, assistant coach, means a lot. You know what I mean? You are sort of a miniature -- not miniature, but you are the coach on the field, you know. Naturally teams and people watch you, and the way you demonstrate and play on the field is pretty much a reflection of your coach, and everybody out there is pretty much, cool, calm and collected when we play, and that's the way Coach Tressel coaches.
He gets after us sometimes, but for the most part, mistakes are going to happen, we all know that, it's about bouncing back and taking the game to a win.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much, guys.

End of FastScripts...
About ASAP Sports • FastScripts Archive • Recent Interviews • Captioning • Upcoming Events • Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297