Oct. 25, 2014

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Illinois Postgame Quotes
Illinois 28, RV/#24 Minnesota 24
Memorial Stadium // Oct. 25, 2014 // Attendance: 44,437

Illinois Head Coach Tim Beckman

Opening statement:
"I just want to first start out talking about these football players. It's been a long time no question about it and I can't tell you what fight that they've put up from day one on June 10 to where we're at right now. The fight, the competitiveness, the belief that we can be successful if we just play four quarters and if we don't beat ourselves, and that's exactly what they did."

On DB V'Angelo Bentley's performance:
"I've known V'Angelo for many, many years prior to him even coming here. When you see him reap the benefits of a big play, you can't be more proud of him. It's almost a father feeling. He'll be the first one to tell you that it was the players that did it."

On getting the victory on Homecoming:
"I've been blessed to be around a lot of winning and when you don't, it's hard. But to see the smiles on their faces and the celebrations and it's Homecoming, this university deserves it. This is about representing the University of Illinois and our football team has done that."

On celebrating the win:
"These seniors deserve to celebrate. It's a great feeling to be 4-4, but we're not done. We'll have a big challenge. We played a very good and very well-coached football team today. I'll always have the utmost respect for Jerry Kill and have the utmost respect for what he's done at Minnesota. The credit goes to these football players and the way they played."

On moving forward from today's game:
"We tell them every week that we've been our own opponent. We don't make plays at times when we can make those plays. We can be as successful as we want to be, and it's a great feeling knowing we have four games left and we're sitting here at 4-4 right now."

On QB Reilly O'Toole managing the game:
"Unbelievable. I thought he was very consistent with what he did. He was efficient. He's not the only one that won that won the football game for us, but he really had a lot to do with us being successful on offense."

On the defense's success:
"This football team, just to see them successful and to have four quarters of success. That what's been kind of the Achilles' heel, the four quarters of success. We haven't had those. We had it today and the defense had a lot to do with that today from the first play to the last."

On the defensive stops against Minnesota:
"We talked about being successful in the red zone and I think we were on offense. Defensively, of course, the big stop where they missed the field goal would have changed the complexion of the game. There's no question. We said we needed to make a stop in the red zone and they did it."

QB Reilly O'Toole

On the significance of today's win:
"Especially now, with the season winding down, we need the win. It's a Big Ten win against a great team that's now 6-2. Also it's just a lot of fun celebrating with teammates that have been together as long as we have."

On the team's confidence and game preparation:
"We're a really confident team and I think having that bye week was really nice to get our bodies and minds back in gear and have an extra week to prepare for Minnesota. We had a great game plan, Coach Cubit and those guys did a great job putting it together and we executed really well. Obviously, there are some plays here and there that we wish we could have back, but for the most part I think we did a great job."

LB Mason Monheim

On Illinois' defensive execution today:
"We just executed. We weren't giving up the huge plays. I think a lot of the yards they gained on the ground came on one play and we can't let that happen. But for the most part, I thought we put together a full four-quarter game; the best one this season. We never felt like we were down and out in this game and we've just been focusing on working hard, trusting each other and getting it done."

CB V'Angelo Bentley

On today's defensive focus for the Illini:
"We knew that they were going to put the ball on the ground at times in between their passing game so we knew we just had to fit our gaps and tackle. We wanted to make them throw the ball and, when they throw it, make the defensive play and tackle. We know Cobb is a good running back - he's one of the best in the Big Ten - so stopping him and making him one-dimensional was big for us."

On becoming the first Illini to return a TD four different ways:
"I'm honored, but there's still work to do. I just want to make plays for our team to win, however they come, getting points or setting up points."