Opening statement:
"Just to recap a little bit of last week, when you are playing a team that's undefeated and you have the opportunity to go into their place to play them, you just can't not score when you get the opportunity in the red zone. You have to do more than just kick field goals, and you have to play 60 minutes of football. We gave up a couple big strikes in that second quarter. I was proud of the way the kids continued to play throughout the football game, but it wasn't good enough to defeat a team like that. My hats go off to Ohio State and what they've done, and now it's up to us to build from there. We have three remaining games. We're excited about being back for Dad's Day, we're excited about being back for Veterans Day in Memorial Stadium. We want to do some things maybe a little different that haven't been done here before to showcase the dads that are very, very important to our football players and this football team, and also to do some special things for the veterans."
How is Jonathan Brown doing?
"We'll see this afternoon. I'll have a little bit more finalization on how he is. But he's having an appointment this afternoon. I'll know more tomorrow morning."
On Corey Lewis' return to the field:
"Yeah, I told him he was going to play. You know, to me again, that's what the college game of football is all about. It's not about anything but the players to me. That's a story in itself. A young man that battles back. People don't understand the rigors that that guy went through to get himself prepared to even get a chance to play again. What he's done to improve his body, not just physically but mentally to step out there on the football field and play. Very happy with what he did, and able to get in the 20-plus plays. We hope that number can just continue on (up) and hopefully, we can see what we can do to get him back in the Orange and Blue next year."
Thoughts on Terry Hawthorne's progression as a returner:
"Well, I was glad to see him back there, because he definitely made some plays. Again, I think it's - as you're well aware of going in throughout the season - being healthy is very, very important. We think we're getting Terry back to 100 percent, so we put him back there. I think Ryan Lankford did an exceptional job, too, back there in leading the way. Terry also understands that there's 10 other guys blocking, doing what they're supposed to do. At the time, Ohio State was one of the top kickoff coverage teams in the Big Ten, so I was happy with what our players did. We did make strides in that category."
What do you expect in Minnesota?
"A Jerry Kill football team. You see them get better and better each week. (They're) very competitive, (a) defense that's very, very aggressive. Offensively they're playing with a quarterback that has really taken over the last three games for them. Played Michigan very good, I thought. Their Purdue win was tremendous as you watch it on film. But they're progressing; they're getting better and better each week. You can see those first four wins that they had really pushed them to where they're at right now."
On former quarterback MarQueis Gray:
"Yeah, you see MarQueis out there, all 250 pounds of him, out there at wide receiver. He's a special athlete, special talent. They're utilizing their talent. They're fitting; they're doing the same things that we're trying to do. Fit this here and fit that there and make sure you have your 11 best football players on the football field. That's basically what you try to do as a football coach each week."
How important is getting another win this season?
"Huge, huge. Each game is important. I want these players, not for me, I want these players to win. We're in this game - I hope you guys are, too - in this game for the players. Because that's what this game is about. We wouldn't be here, none of us, if it wasn't for the players. That's what we're here for. I want these seniors to win (in) the worst way. They need to experience what it's like to win again in the Big Ten. That's why I do my job. I assume that's the same reason you guys do your job, for the players, to make sure that our players are successful. I would love to see nothing more then them to go out and win these next three football games."