Outside the walls of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, news and updates for Michigan's alleged sign-stealing operation are the talk of the town. Inside it, however, it's business as usual for the Buckeyes as they look for another win on Saturday.
After Ohio State's midweek practice on Wednesday, eight players met with the media to discuss the Buckeyes' top-10 win over Penn State and look ahead to the Buckeyes’ road matchup with Wisconsin. Those players were quarterback Kyle McCord, wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., safeties Sonny Styles and Josh Proctor, cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr., offensive tackle Josh Fryar and defensive ends Kenyatta Jackson and Caden Curry.
Among the many topics discussed, McCord called himself his "own biggest critic," Harrison said "a lot of work needs to be done" for Ohio State's offense to improve, Kenyatta Jackson said the Rushmen are playing "great" and Fryar described his role this season as "special."
Videos from the eight players’ media sessions and bullet-point recaps of what the players said can be found below.
QB Kyle McCord
- On how he feels he’s progressing: “Obviously I feel from week one to week seven, just looking at it from a grand scheme of things, I feel personally I’ve gotten more comfortable in the system, more comfortable in my leadership and in all facets of the system. At the same time, as good as it is that we’re 7-0, there’s so much room for improvement for not only myself but offense and the team.”
- On how he self-assesses himself when he misses throws: “Regardless of what any coach or anyone from the outside world has to say, nobody is harder on me than I am. I’m my own biggest critic. I know if this team is going to accomplish the things we want to accomplish, I have to take my game to the next level. I don’t think that’s a secret. So I take it as a challenge every single day.”
- On what happened on the double clutch against PSU that led to a fumble for a touchdown that was negated by a penalty: “Marvin was really the first read on that play, and I obviously got held up there. So I got out of the pocket trying to extend the play. We were on that fringe range so I was trying to throw it away and avoid taking a sack, because if we took a sack, I felt like we’d be out of field goal range. But I have to do a better job of getting rid of that ball earlier or living with a sack if worst comes to worst.”
- McCord said Carnell participating in spring football helped the pair develop chemistry together. He said it was evident that Carnell was advanced as a player right from the jump.
- On Jermaine Mathews Jr.: “Jermaine is probably one of the most competitive kids on the team. When he got here, it didn’t matter if he was going against Marvin Harrison Jr. or a freshman receiver, he was bringing the same intensity on every rep. It reminded me of Denzel (Burke) his freshman year. His eyes lit up at the opportunity to play good competition.”
- On Wisconsin’s defense: “I think coach Fickell has got them playing really well. He’s had a great track record, regardless of where he’s been. He’s got (defenses) playing well. They’re super well-coached, you can see it on film. They have a good scheme on top of that and they play hard. They’re going to be a big test.”
WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
- When asked how Kyle McCord has grown in 2023, Harrison said, "Kyle is a natural-born leader. I've kinda seen it since high school. When Kyle questions come up like, 'How have you seen him grow or change?' You have to remember that I've known him since he was 15 years old. Nothing's changed for me because I've always known who he was.
- On Jermaine Mathews Jr.: "He's done great. He's done a great job. I think he was the (Maxwell Award) freshman of the week. He definitely earned that. With Denzel (Burke) being down, he stepped up big time in that game against Penn State. His first start, undefeated team, all the lights were on us, and he showed up big time. That's the kind of character guy he is."
- Harrison said he realized "early on" that Mathews was ready to play. "These guys come in now as freshmen – I wish I had half the talent they come in with. He's a talented guy. You see that right away from the first play that he played." Harrison said Mathews separates himself with a "dog mentality" that allows him to "compete every play."
- Harrison said Ohio State has to "keep building" after its top-10 win over Penn State. "Last week was a great win. We've had a pretty great season so far. But, offensively, we didn't play great last game. We can't be out here pounding our chest and being super proud of what we've done. We know a lot of work needs to be done."
- On Lincoln Kienholz: "He's developing really well. Obviously, I don't get to throw too much with him, but he definitely has the arm talent, for sure. With any kind of quarterback, the college game moves faster for you and you have to take that first year to learn everything." Harrison said Kienholz is learning behind "great quarterbacks" in Kyle McCord, Devin Brown and Tristan Gebbia. "He's definitely growing."
- Harrison said he has liked that Ryan Day, Brian Hartline and Ohio State's other offensive coaches have trusted him to play the X, Y and slot. Harrison said it's "enhancing my skills" to be moved around to the different spots and shows his "versatility."
S Sonny Styles
- On what makes him effective at his position: “I’m a big guy and I’ve got some speed. I think at times I need to be a little bit better about using my speed. Obviously, our defensive line is really good so the offensive line has enough to handle without us sending someone off the edge.”
- On how he can be better using his speed: “Sometimes as a blitzer, and it’s happened to some guys across the country, sometimes you get a little choppy. That’s just me critiquing myself. That’s all it is.”
- On assessing himself on passing downs: “I think I’ve got some work to do. There’s been a few times the ball has come my way where I could have been better on my technique. It helps going against the best receivers in the country.”
- On Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen (and similar backs): “The biggest thing is just wrapping them up. You can’t try to come tackling them high. They’ll give you a stiff arm. You have to swarm to the ball with all 11 guys.”
- Styles said “the stage wasn’t too big” for Jermaine Mathews Jr. on Saturday and thinks he’ll be “a good player” moving forward.
- On playing next to Lorenzo Styles Jr., his brother, on kickoff coverage Saturday: “I think the first kickoff was a pretty cool moment. He’s probably going to redshirt this year and not play too many games, so for that to be one of his games and us to be out there together, it’s a cool moment.”
CB Jermaine Mathews Jr.
- On playing a big role against Penn State: “I knew the moment was big, and I just really wanted to go in there and do my job and just ensure that we win the game.”
- Mathews said he felt prepared to play a big role in that game because of going up against Ohio State’s receivers every day in practice. “I think it means everything, because if you feel like you're going against the best everyday, there’s nobody that you're gonna go against on Saturdays who’s going to equate to that.”
- On his pick-six against Western Kentucky: “Before the play, I kind of knew that they was gonna throw it over there. So I was getting ready, and when the ball was coming, I thought I was going to just bat it down, but it was getting close so I just grabbed it. Then my only thought after that was ‘Just don't get caught.’”
- Told about the hype surrounding his future, Mathews said “I just want to take it day by day every day, just keep getting better.”
- Mathews said Denzel Burke and Ohio State’s other cornerbacks have helped him “a lot” during his first year as a Buckeye. “We’re all very tight.”
- Mathews said the biggest thing Tim Walton has taught him is “just playing with my eyes, just making sure my eyes are in the right spots.”
- Mathews said his experience on special teams helped prepare him to play on defense. “It's a part of the game that people really don't talk about enough. And it's very important to us here. So I feel like if you’re on special teams and you’re out there, you might as well make a play.”
- On Jim Knowles saying Mathews has “moxie,” he replied: “To be honest, when I first heard it, I looked it up in the dictionary … I guess it's a good thing.”
- Mathews feels it is important to be both confident and focused when playing cornerback. “You gotta have a short memory, you gotta be mentally strong because one missed move, one bad move is a touchdown or it’s a big play so you gotta really be on everything.”
DE Kenyatta Jackson
- Jackson said he “can’t explain” the emotions he felt after making a sack on 4th-and-30 in the fourth quarter that caused Ohio Stadium to erupt on Saturday.
- The biggest strides Jackson has made this season are in his “confidence,” he said, among other things. “I know how to use my hands more. My get-off got better. It’s a mental thing, just my confidence mainly.”
- On why he and Caden Curry saw much more usage against Penn State than in Ohio State’s other top-10 matchup with Notre Dame: “I just feel like we prepared better. I can’t speak for Caden, but for myself, those first couple of games, my confidence wasn’t there. Penn State week, it was just straight confidence. It’s just mindset. That’s why I played more.”
- On how he feels the Rushmen are playing: “Great. Just keep our head down, keep working hard each and every day.”
- On why the pass rush enjoyed such success against the Nittany Lions: “We just stuck to our technique. That’s pretty much what it was. We didn’t want to go out there and do flashy stuff, extra stuff. We just went out there and did our technique.”
- Jackson described JT Tuimoloau as a “great leader.” “Him, Jack (Sawyer), honestly the whole rushmen package, we’re all leaders, all around. We never have one main leader. We’re all main leaders in that room.”
S Josh Proctor
- Did he go into the Penn State wanting to prove something? “I did.” He said the Buckeyes “knew it was going to be a defensive battle.”
- Proctor said he was “very impressed” by Mathews’ performance against Penn State. “It felt like he was built for that moment, honestly. It wasn't too big for him. He went out there and he played like a vet that’s been out there before.”
- Proctor said it “helps a lot” going up against Ohio State’s receivers in practice every day. “We guard the best receivers in the nation every day … We're confident in what we see and what we practice against to go out there and perform when it's time to go.”
- Proctor says the biggest thing he would tell his first-year self is “live in the moment and just listen to the ones who's trying to help you.”
- Asked if he felt he played excellent against Penn State, Proctor said he didn’t. “There's always room to improve.”
- Proctor said the biggest thing the Ohio State defense has to do against Wisconsin is “play physical,” noting that the Badgers have a big offensive line and a running back in Braelon Allen who is among the national leaders in broken tackles.
- On playing on the road: “I like playing away games. I feel like the villain walking in their house, so I'm definitely excited.”
RT Josh Fryar
- On how he evaluates the offensive line’s performance against Penn State’s pass rush: “I think we handled it well. I think as tackles, me and Josh did decent. Still a lot of things to work on. Going against elite players, you aren’t going to fit them up every single time, you aren’t going to get them up on their right-side pad tip and lock them up and squeeze. Maybe one out of 15 times that they pass rush. But I think the offensive line did well (in pass protection).”
- Fryar said it “feels good” to win in those pass-rush situations, but he still finds things to critique on film. “It’s gratifying because you go against JT (Tuimoloau), you go against Jack (Sawyer), it’s just pass rushers that are elite.”
- On whether it felt like Ohio State had “more” than its 79 rushing yards against the Nittany Lions: “For me, I’m not really looking at the rushing yards. I didn’t know this, but if Kyle (McCord) takes a sack or if it’s a backward pass and Marvin (Harrison Jr.) gets back, that counts toward rushing yards. ... It did feel like more, but at the same time, in those matchup games, you aren’t going to rush for 250 yards because you’re playing against an elite defense.”
- Fryar feels that the key to execution from a schematics perspective is having plays that the offensive line knows well and is confident in. “Alright, we know what we’re doing, let’s just roll.”
- On what it’s like when he gets to pull on a play and lead block out in space: “It’s kind of cool, but at the same time I’m so locked in on like, ‘On this counter play’ – I’m not going to go into detail about it, but I’ve got to get around, I’ve got to look for the second guy, there’s a lot of things going through my head.”
- On how much he enjoys discussing football and the role he’s playing on Ohio State’s offensive line this season: “I enjoy it a lot. I enjoy coming in here, seeing the guys, seeing the coaches. I think football in general makes my life a lot happier than not having football in my life.”
- That role he’s playing this year is “special” Fryar said, but he added that he can’t afford to get overconfident. “I can’t get too big-headed and be, ‘Oh my god, I’m a starter, I’ve got to do this, this and this.’ I try to simplify it as best I can and try to, ‘OK, this pass play, I’m pass-blocking this guy and that’s it.’”
DE Caden Curry
- On the pass rush’s success against Penn State: “I just think we’re all getting more comfortable out there. We’re all trusting our moves now and we’re all playing free. Really just all playing with the motor under us and we’re just getting after it.”
- On JT Tuimoloau: “You just look at JT’s work ethic, it shows. That’s why it shows up on Saturdays. He works really hard and he’s a great player. I love being able to work with him every day and just seeing what he can teach me as a player and what I can take from it.”
- Curry is “definitely” eager to experience Camp Randall Stadium. “Playing in new atmospheres, and plays I've always wanted to play at growing up, definitely. It's very exciting.”
- On Lincoln Kienholz: “He’s a great player, (I’m) seeing him make plays every day. He’s definitely getting better every day going against arguably one of the best defense that we have.”
- On why he and Kenyatta Jackson Jr. saw the field more against Penn State than against Notre Dame: “(We’re) just showing it every day. You’ve got to show them in practice every day and show what we were capable of. And I mean, hopefully I think that’s what they saw, that we were working our butts off to get out there and it definitely showed (in the game).”
- Jackson’s “work ethic” has improved over the course of the season, Curry said. “His work ethic is up there with JT. He really loves the game. He loves his craft and he just shows it every day. He’s working really hard.”
- On where he’s taken the biggest strides: “I’m just working on my steps every day after practice, finding those little edge tips and those little tricks on film, seeing what can take me to the next step.”
