Head Coach Jason Candle
Opening statement…
“In the first half we produced a lot of yards, but not points. In the third quarter there was a little bit of a lull. We didn’t make some of the tough plays, I thought, in the second half offensively. Too many penalties, self-inflicted, on both sides of the football. When that happens against a really good team…it caught up to us today.”
On dropping four straight bowl games…
“I think each game is individually different. Each game is. Obviously, we aren’t preparing to lose a bowl game. Obviously, there are things we didn’t do well today and that we probably did well in the other games, and vice-versa. Too many penalties today and too many mistakes and too many self-inflicted things, and we couldn’t overcome them.”
On his overall thoughts on the season…
“When you start the season out, everybody wants to end up in Detroit and with a MAC championship. Only one team gets to do that. Every other team is disappointed. So, we are disappointed that we didn’t win a MAC championship. It’s disappointing we didn’t win a bowl game. It’s not disappointing that we didn’t win a MAC championship or it’s not disappointing that we didn’t win a bowl game for anybody else other than the people in that locker room. These kids have worked their tails off. We have done a really good job of weathering some very tough storms here over the last 18 months in our football program – really the last two years – but for these guys to stick together and even be in this situation, to even be playing football right now is unbelievable. You want it to go very well and if it doesn’t you always try to find ways to fix it and adjust it. Like I told the team, you have 13 opportunities to play football. The other 352 days out of the year these guys are great people, great students, do things right off the field, and really representing our football program and their families in the right manner, and we will continue to invest in that and try to get better, and move on.”
Junior Linebacker Dyontae Johnson
On the difficulty of walking into the locker room after the loss…
“It’s hard. All those seniors are my best friends that I’ve built relationships throughout my four years here. It’s hard to look them in the eyes, to see their faces and know that we won’t be together any more. It’s just tough to deal with.”
Junior Running Back Bryant Koback
On his feelings after the loss…
“These seniors have been here five, six years, especially with the Covid year. So, the brotherhood in the locker room is tight. Watching them sit there and bawl and know this is going to be their last game…that hurts.”
