Interviews: OC Cubit | DC Banks | WR Dudek | QB O'Toole | DL Teitsma| DL Ward

Head coach Tim Beckman met with the media at his weekly press conference on Monday. Selected quotes are below.

Opening statement:
"First of all, I'll say I'm honored for those seniors and to be their head football coach. To see the emotions, to see all the work that went into that victory last week, the seniors stepping up in that football game, it was outstanding to see as a football coach. [I'm] honored and proud and we're really looking forward to this next week. We've got to definitely play better on the road, it's something that we have not done well, and it's a challenge for this football team. It's something we're going to challenge them with when we meet tonight as a football team and as a family. We've got to play better on the road. It has not been one of our best scenarios this year, but I know the players are excited. It's an opportunity to continue to play by winning a football game and it's also an opportunity to play against a respected rival. We're looking forward to it and looking forward to getting after it tonight."

On the quarterback situation:
"I think that all three quarterbacks bring a different dimension and you have to prepare for all three of them: one does this, one other does this better, the other does this better. [All three] are very capable quarterbacks and it's a great scenario and situation that you have here because you have three very capable quarterbacks here. The one that's been running our scout team is not bad either. I look forward to him competing this spring."

On the impact of OL Michael Heitz:
"It was Michael Heitz's best football game he's played in so far. And I know Michael is proud of the way he played and led that football team because we needed him to."

On adjusting to injuries in the secondary:
"[Caleb Day] came in on Friday and had the bad foot so there goes one your backup cornerbacks and a starter on a bunch of your special teams. Then, V'Angelo [Bentley] goes down, so now the rotation is off. Instead rotating five guys, I'm down to only three now with Dillan Cazley really being the fourth we could get in there. Davontay Kwaaning came in, played the field side corner, and did an outstanding job; very proud of the way he played. He would have graded out, but you have to play more than snaps to grade out. I really thought Darius Mosely came into the football game [and played well]. We were playing field and boundary corners against Penn State so we had a lot of field to cover and I thought he played a good football game. I'm proud of the way they responded and I think we need to continue to get better."

On using both Josh Ferguson and Donovan Young at running back:
"We have to utilize both. They have to step up and be prepared to play. This is it. This is almost like the playoffs, you have to win to keep playing and so do they. That's what this is about. It's a great rivalry, one well-respected, as I've said before, and the players understand it's sixty minutes of your best and you've got to leave it out on the football field."

Expanding on the rivalry with Northwestern:
"I think it's huge, it's what college football is all about. They're in our state and they have had a very successful program as of late. I've played against them at other institutions multiple times in the MAC and the Big Ten. I have respect for that program. I think that's what college football is about, though. I've been blessed to coach in the Iron Bowl, Ohio State [versus] Michigan, and Oklahoma [versus] Oklahoma State. I've been in those games, I've seen my dad coach in the Cleveland Browns [versus] Pittsburgh Steelers games. That's what football, to me, is about, that rival. I think it would be great to be considered one of the top ten rivalries."