QUOTING ILLINOIS HEAD COACH Ron Zook...
On his overall impressions of the game:
"I really believe last year and the year before we wouldn't have won this game. It wasn't pretty, but we did what we had to do to get the win. The last drive was critical to get the win in keeping their explosive offense off the field."
On the game's intensity:
"There's never a time when you can relax. It was a hard game. Sometimes games are hard to win, and this was definitely one of them. That's why a lot of times teams can't get over the hump and get the win."
On Illinois becoming bowl eligible:
"We won our sixth game, but there's still a lot of football to go. Our players have to understand there's a lot of football to be played. We're back in the Big Ten now with three games left. We have the opportunity to really have a special year. We can't stop here. We have to continue to do the things that we've done and continue to improve. A sign of a good team is one that can improve throughout the entire year."
On Illinois' quarterback situation:
"We had a long talk about it last night and we decided that barring any injury, Juice is going to be our guy. Through practice, that's what we decided was the best for us."
On Illinois' remaining schedule:
"We've gotten to six wins, but we didn't want to set our goal at six wins. When you set a goal, you tend to get to it and feel like you've made it. But we're not there. We have the opportunity to win nine games."
On Rashard Mendenhall:
"I told him in the third quarter that he needed to take this team and put it on his back. He had 189 yards on the day, but I still think he had the opportunity to get some more and get over 200 yards. We know he has that kind of ability and that's why we continue to stand on him."
QUOTING ILLINOIS PLAYERS:
Linebacker J Leman:
On Kevin Mitchell's interception:
"It was a big play. We talk about it all the time. Things are going good, and then something happens. We take pride in helping out the offense. It's our job."
On becoming bowl eligible:
"We're still hungry. We realize that we haven't arrived yet. This is one step in where we're going."
On Ball State quarterback Nate Davis:
"He has two really good receivers and ran more than we thought he was going to run. He's not really a runner. He's an accurate quarterback and a really good ballplayer."
On the team's reaction when Ball State took the lead in the third quarter:
"There wasn't really panic. We've been down before and have come back. We knew our offense was going to get it going"
Running Back Rashard Mendenhall:
On Coach Zook saying he should carry the team:
"Coach Zook will fire you up. He's a fiery guy. That's how he always is. That's happened a couple times earlier in the year. I try to take that challenge every time. You try to go out there and do the best you can."
On the offense clicking in the fourth quarter:
"In this kind of offense, we do so many different things. Our attack is hard for other teams to stop. Getting the passing game going a little bit definitely helps out the offensive line, it helps out the running backs and our team as a whole."
On his fumble:
"It definitely got me going. Being a competitor and a winner, it was my fault and I wanted to go back out there and make up for that."
Wide Receiver Arrelious Benn:
On his 56-yard reception:
"I made a move and saw the field was wide open."
On setting Illinois' freshman receiving record:
"With football, anything I do everybody is watching. This is why I came here. I set goals for myself and that's one goal. I'm going to pick another goal now."
BALL STATE HEAD COACH BRADY HOKE...
Opening statement:
"We had some penalties in the first half when we were trying to get in a two-minute [drill.] I don't think we tackled very well. I think we played a very athletic team, and that can make you look bad tackling. Obviously, in our kicking game, we had some opportunities with some field goals that we didn't execute. That's just like dropping a ball or whatever you want to say."
"There were an awful lot of good things that went on, too. When you're playing a team as athletic as they are, and they're a pretty good daggone team, I think there were some real good things in the way the defense started out the game. In the first half, we kind of held our offense in the game. In the second half, I didn't think, defensively, we held our part of the gameplan."
On missed opportunities:
"The missed field goals are something that we've fought all year, and that's become frustrating for everybody."
On Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall:
"He was hard to slow down. I don't think there's any doubt. You've got to give him credit for that. But I think offensively, when they isolate you one-on-one, because of the style of the offense, that also is something that you can't hesitate at all. I thought that was something that we did poorly. You have to be aggressive. You have to make him make his cuts. You can't let him dictate how you are going to tackle him."
On if there was a letdown after Dorulla's touchdown:
"I don't know if we let down. We went back out and got another fumble that Eddie Burk had. We had some good series after that, but they really possessed the ball too much in the second half. It just seemed like we couldn't get [our defense] off the field. You get a little tired. You try to rotate guys in and out to keep them fresh, but there was not any doubt that [Illinois] had the momentum of the game."
QUOTING BALL STATE PLAYERS:
Linebacker Mike Dorulla
On the momentum swings in the game:
"It was very disappointing to lose momentum after getting a great defensive touchdown. Then we let them come right down the field, with almost all running plays and get their momentum back."
On the Illinois rushing attack of Mendenhall and Williams:
"They are great players, but anytime you don't fit the defense well and don't tackle well, anyone is going to have a big day on you."
On tackling Mendenhall:
"He's a big back and he doesn't go down easy. He doesn't go down with the first hit. He spins, he keeps his legs driving. It's a credit to him because he's a great back. We helped him out a little bit with not wrapping him up and bringing our team with our tackles."
Running Back Chris Clancy
On competing well but not coming up with the win:
"It's very disappointing, but we have Indiana coming up next week, and we are going to prepare for them like we would any other opponent. It's tough going out of conference and losing, but you have to come back and get ready for the next week and that's what we are going to do."
Quarterback Nate Davis
On the offense:
"We just couldn't get anything rolling. The biggest thing is to come back next week and work hard and prepare for Indiana. There were little things, but what hurt us the most were penalties. We have to move on."
