Sept. 21, 2002

Recap?|? Final Stats?|? Notes

RON TURNER QUOTES...

...on the Illinois defense:
"We're not getting pressure on the quarterback like we need to, unless we are bringing extra people. We're not covering people the way we are [used to], whether in zone or man, we're not executing very well at all. We're not playing the disciplined kind of football you have to have."

...on team chemistry:
"We have got to have better team chemistry. We don't have real good team chemistry right now - not as good as it needs to be. We have got to get better leadership."

...on junior quarterback Jon Beutjer's performance:
"He played very well. He saw the field well, executed well and threw the ball well. I thought he played extremely hard. He handled two two-minute situations very well. They were pressure situations; I really like the way he competed and ran the offense."

...on his team's effort:
"I thought the effort was fine. We just aren't executing and doing our job. We're not making tackles when we need to make them; we're not putting pressure on the quarterback when we need to. We had our chances to make plays and we're not making them. It's not a lack of effort."

ILLINOIS PLAYER QUOTES...

Jon Buetjer, QB... ...on defense not producing:
"We just need to come together as a team. Coach Turner emphasized that too in that this just isn't the defense's fault but rather the whole teams."

...on possibly looking past this game to next week v. Michigan
"Not at all. We were really focused on San Jose State, we were really focused on what we had to do today and we just didn't execute. Starting now though we will focus on Michigan and Michigan only this week like how we do every week for whoever we play."

...on the mood of this team now
"It is something we have to deal with right now. We have to find a way to turn this negative into a positive. Everybody needs to stay positive or if we don't it turns into a cancer and infects the whole team."

Aaron Morehead, WR...
...on the offense and his performance
"It's nice to have a good game but at the same time it makes you upset with the the outcome was. I know everybody today expected to leave with a win. This does show what we still need to improve on and we start a new season next week, so anything can happen."

...on if these problems can be fixed going into the Big Ten
"Definitely, we have a whole week of practice and preparation ahead of us for Michigan. This team has been through a lot and I think we can get through any adversity that we face."

Matt Sinclair, LB...
...on executing right now
"We aren't executing like we should be right now. The chemistry I think is there and there are some new guys in some spots for us but those aren't excuses for the mistakes we have been making."

...on players trying to do to much too early
"I think some guys have tried to do things they maybe shouldn't be doing in our scheme. I think we need to just do our assignments and not try to take over for people. Once everybody settles down and takes their role on this team then we can get back on track to where we wanted to be all along."

COACH QUOTES - Fitz Hill, San Jose State...
...on his team's slow start
"Our guys worked very hard and believed in what we've been talking about. We started out really slow early. Really out of our routine and one reason I attribute that to our trip here. We got here late and were out of routine and our guys are routine guys."

...on what his feelings were coming into the game
"We knew coming in to this game after watching tape that we could beat Illinois. I talked to my old college teammate from Arkansas St. last week and asked him about Illinois. He felt like their team [Arkansas State] was intimidated early in the 1st quarter and had they not been, they could have played a better game. He told me that he thought we could beat Illinois."

...on Trestin George's performance
"Trestin George did double duty for us; he played both ways. We don't have enough Trestin Georges on this team; he's a big time recruit."

...on the San Jose St. defense and causing three turnovers
"Our defense really stepped it up and got us three turnovers. I think that our win has to be attributed to that."

...on his plan going into the last drive of the game
"I knew we moved the ball well on them all day, and I knew our passing attack was good. I just told Scott [Rislov] to make good decisions and if we have to go into overtime, then we will go into overtime."

...on Illinois' defense and their pressure on quarterback Scott Rislov
"I think Scott took a beating today. Our quarterback took a beating today and for the safety of the game you have to look closer at that. I'm going to make sure that I send that [the tapes] in. I'm going to go back and make sure, but that kid should have never taken that type of beating."

SAN JOSE STATE PLAYER QUOTES...

Nick Gilliam, PK...
...on kicking the game winner
"I always know right away if it's good or bad; as soon as I kicked I knew it was good, I wasn't surprised, but I was so excited. It made me feel good coming through for my teammates and letting them know I'll make plays, too."

"This is my Super Bowl beating a Big Ten team with a field goal; it's a dream."

Scott Rislov, QB...
"Our receivers are outstanding and we match up with anybody speed wise and today they were open, and we got the ball to them."

Kendrick Starling, WR...

"Man-on-man they were good. I tak my hat off to those guys, but we have a very nice wide receiver corps, and they underestimated us a lot and we went out and focused on what we had to do and put the hype behind us."

"I knew when I caught the ball we were in field goal range. I was not trying to make big plays. I just wanted to help my team out and get us in field goal range."

Lamar Ferguson, RB...
"We knew that coming into this game our offense had to improve rushing wise. We've been getting the job done in the air, but we were missing a ground attack. We practiced real hard this week on our ground game and it paid off."