Sept. 3, 2005

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QUOTING ILLINOIS HEAD COACH Ron Zook...

...on today's overtime victory:
"It really wasn't pretty. We felt that one of the biggest questions that we've talked about since we've been here was what we were going to do under adversity."

...on if today's victory is a spark for the season:
"No, I don't think so. It's a great win but we still have a long way to go. In that first half we were awful, but we kept playing, we kept going. We did a great job hanging in there."

...on the blocked field goal:
"It was big. That was the first time I felt the momentum was really ours. There were so many turning points in that game, and that was definitely key. I think a lot of confidence was built by that play."

...on the 2nd half performance of Tim Brasic:
"I could see the confidence in his eyes. I could tell after the first half that he was fine. He's a competitor, and that's what you've got to have."

...on whether it makes a difference winning from behind:
"There's no question. There's those game where you're hot early and shut it down. I'm just proud that the players did what we've been preaching and pounding into their heads. Obviously we've got a long way to go, but we did do something today that was a major hurdle for us in building a successful program."

...on the key catch and run by E.B. Halsey to set up the winning touchdown:
"That's E.B.; he's a winner and a competitor. In these kinds of games, players have to play, and they have to step up."

QUOTING ILLINOIS PLAYERS:

QB Tim Brasic...
"I can't say enough about Coach Zook, our Quarterbacks Coach Zaunbrecher, and our team. Every time I came off, coach was like 'Tim, you're OK, keep your head up.' When you have that confidence after you make a mistake, you feel like you can go back out there."

"I knew there was no way our offense was going to let this team down. Our defense was giving them bad position. We just kept fighting. At halftime, if you guys were down there, it was like it was 0-0."

...on Rutgers getting tired compared to Illinois:
"I can't say enough about Coach Lou Hernandez, our strength program in the summer. All those days running bleachers, you can tell it paid off."

RB E.B. Halsey...
...on his cutback run on the final drive:
"I saw an opening, so I just took it across, got some crushing blocks. I know I needed a Gatorade when I got to the sideline."

...on the comeback:
"Coach Zook was running up and down the sidelines saying 'Believe, believe.' That's not something we just say. Rutgers is a great team, but we were making mistakes. We knew that once we started to get into a rhythm, we started clicking as an offense, we started to look better.

"A lot of people don't realize it, but this was quarterback Tim Brasic's first game as a starter. He came out, he was a little rocky in the beginning, but he kept his composure and did a great job."

QUOTING RUTGERS HEAD COACH GREG SCHIANO...

...on the last 26 minutes of the game:
"I don't know if you can look at it separately from the last 26 minutes. We've been involved in a lot of games like this. When you miss a lot of opportunities like we did early on, and you leave a team that's at home with a lot of energy in the game, you're playing with fire. I think that they (Illinois) did a good job. Offensively, they were doing some things that were unique. But we need to be able to stop them."

...on building a winning program:
"The education never stops because people come in every year. Maybe your seniors learned it, but you have new freshmen that need to learn it. But that isn't really the issue. The issue is that we need to cash in on those opportunities. We had some great opportunities where we came away empty and some where we just got three. We need to score in those areas, and then we need to be able to stop them."

...on all of the missed opportunities in the red zone:
"As a defensive coach, that's a great job. As an offensive coach, it's hard to win when you do that. You don't get down there that often. We dropped a pass, we got a penalty. It's a hair away from being caught, but you have to be able to execute and make the play. It's a game of inches, and we need to make sure we get that inch."

...on the defense's conditioning:
"They were on the field quite a bit in the second half. It doesn't matter how good of condition you are in, if you're in play after play. When the momentum shifts and you're playing on the road, that's what the home field advantage is. We weren't gassed; we were just a little off-speed. That's when you miss some tackles you could have made."

QUOTING RUTGERS PLAYERS:

QB Ryan Hart...
...on Illinois:
"They definitely made some adjustments, we just didn't convert. We've already said that, and we're not pointing fingers. But, we've got to give them credit."

...on his emotions: "This is definitely the worst loss I've been apart of, and my teammates feel the same way. We were sad because we had the lead, but we gave it up in the end. But we are not going to quit, we've got a lot of leadership. And we are going to come back next weekend and be ready to play."

DE Ryan Neill...
...on the rest of the season: "I'm not concerned. I can't wait to get to practice and play. I think we really let one go, they played great. They did a great job. But, I'm excited about this team as I've ever been. I think this is the best team we have ever had."

...on Illinois offense:
"It's a little different than what we see in the Big East, there are things that are different. But we prepared for it, and we should have been able to handle it."

RB Ray Rice...
...on his performance in the first game: "I would say I was pretty confident, I didn't go in with any worries. I got a lot of reps in throughout the week, and the coaches put a lot of pressure on me, but at the same time they made me confident. I know I can do better, and I know there are a lot of things I need to work on. But as far as running the ball, I feel comfortable."