TicketsDantonio Disappointed in OSU Game
Contact: Tom Hathaway
9/7/2004
Comments from Mark Dantonio?s Media Conference
September 7, 2004 ? Miami Game
?In regards to the Ohio State game, we are very disappointed. We felt that we had a chance to win. Our players were very well prepared mentally. We knew that we would have to play a perfect game to win. We made too many errors. We didn?t capitalize when we had the opportunity. We?re disappointed because we had the opportunity to do something very special. I think that would have happened if we had played to our abilities.
?It?s only the first game. We can regroup. I look forward to getting ready for Miami of Ohio. This is a great rivalry game. I?ve not yet experienced that yet but I have already felt the rivalry throughout the community, everywhere I go.?
About Miami
?Miami is an excellent football team. They?ve got excellent skill players. They have eight returning starters on defense. On offense, they return all of their wide receivers. Obviously, they?ve got to replace their quarterback, but they also return some running backs who have played and their offensive line is solid. They are very good on offense. Their game against Michigan was probably very much like ours (vs. Ohio State). They were in the game all the way until the end. They were competing. They obviously fell short as well. It should be an excellent game. We?re looking forward to it.
About Miami?s Defense
?They were a defense which last year capitalized on turnovers. With Coach Narduzzi there, they had 39 take-aways last year. This year, based on their game with Michigan, they are down right now. They had quite a few turnovers in that game and you can?t turn the ball over and expect to win. Their defense is very similar to ours. They have excellent corners. They have a great linebacker. They?ve got eight guys back from a very successful defense that led the conference in four categories. They will hit you. They tackle well. The corners are good cover guys. It should be zero-zero at the end of the first quarter, just like our game (last week).
Hiring Pat Narduzzi from Miami
?When I got the job here, I wanted to hire someone with Ohio ties, someone who knew the area recruiting and someone who had success defensively. Pat expressed interest in the job. We sat down and talked. I felt that we had very similar philosophies. And Pat is a good person. I wanted someone who understood the running game and how to stop the run.
More about the Rivalry
?If you want to be a good team, you?ve got to play well against your rival. It?s like Ohio State vs. Michigan. Ohio State were 11-2 last year, but we lost to Michigan and you would have thought we were 6-6.
?It?s a special game. We?ve got to be ready to play. Rivalry games are what college football is all about. It?s one of the oldest rivalries in America. You should be able to get up for it as a player and as a coach and take it just a little more personal. That?s what football should be. It should be an emotional game.?
On Linebacker Jamar Enzor
?I think Jamar (Enzor) is capable of playing excellent football. He can be a dominant player for us. He can play better. But I can coach better. We can all be better than we were (on Saturday). There were some very positive things to build on. He?s explosive. He?s got great speed. He?s got good ball skills. He can run like a fullback (referring to his gain on the fake punt). On the field, he has the confidence to make plays and not worry about making mistakes. I don?t think he?s intimidated by any situation.?