Denzel Burke's first game against Oregon didn't go to plan.
In perhaps the worst performance of his career, the Ohio State star cornerback allowed 179 receiving yards and two touchdowns, per Pro Football Focus. He's had a much better second half of the season since, but defensive coordinator Jim Knowles believes he'll respond to his struggles in the Buckeyes' first meeting with the Ducks as they prepare to meet in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff.
Meeting with the media on Friday, Knowles also praised the play of his defensive ends, saying JT Tuimoloau "does everything" for Ohio State and said he believed Kenyatta Jackson Jr. was wrongly called for roughing the passer against Tennessee.
Defensive end JT Tuimoloau, linebacker Cody Simon, cornerback Jordan Hancock and defensive tackle Ty Hamilton met with the media after Knowles' time to discuss where the Buckeyes' otherwise dominant defense needs to be better from its first matchup against Oregon, a 32-31 loss.
Jim Knowles
- On what he's seen change the most in his defense since the last time Ohio State played Oregon: "It's been a pretty good season. That game, we gave up a few plays that we shouldn't have. ... A renewed intensity to get lined up faster and do your job. But I think it's been pretty strong, we had a subpar game."
- Knowles said the defense's struggles against Oregon were both self-inflicted and a cause of playing a great offense. "They're really good, they challenge you in a lot of ways, but we can better and we have to be better."
- On Denzel Burke: "He's steady. He's a great player, great person. That job that he does – and he'll be doing it for many years – you're on an island. ... Our trust in him has always been the same ... he's a guy that's always going to bounce back."
- Knowles said he does see differences in Oregon's offense now to what Ohio State played the first time.
- Knowles said Burke has stayed consistent in his approach. "Same as always. Professional resolve, competitive. ... He's always competing and no matter who we're playing, he's trying to get better."
- On what he's seen from freshman defensive tackle Eddrick Houston: "He's got great strength and competitiveness. He's one of those guys that comes in early and it's not too big for them. ... Eddrick is a guy who's got great personality and great energy, he just keeps going."
- On what gives him confidence in the defense. "There's an edge. ... There's no panic, if we give up a play or something negative happens, there's no panic. ... There's a lot of resolve to do whatever it takes to win the game. Whatever happens in the game, our guys don't flinch."
- Knowles pushed back some on the notion that Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau haven't been as productive together as they were on Saturday before. "They're both great players and great young men. You couldn't find better guys. ... I know you guys and the fans tend to just see the highlights, but they've been consistent throughout my tenure here."
- Knowles said it's critical to constantly evolve as a coach. "You always have to grow and get better. ... It's just a matter of seeing what's wrong and fixing it."
- On Jermaine Mathews Jr.: "Jermaine should play and we trust him. He's been getting in there more and we consider him a starter. ... We can put him in any time that we need to."
- Dillon Gabriel's escapability is "really good," per Knowles, and Ohio State will need a plan to contain him.
- On Tuimoloau: "JT does everything. You couldn't ask for a better player in terms of the combination of skills that he has. ... He does it all with a very consistent demeanor and leadership skills, and everyone looks up to him, including me."
- Knowles didn't think Kenyatta Jackson Jr.'s hit on Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava that was flagged for roughing the passer, negating an interception, was the right call. "It wasn't late. It wasn't dirty. It was clean in my eyes. So we highlight it."
- Jordan Hancock's ability to play deep safety has opened up Ohio State's defense for different looks, Knowles said. "You have a guy like Caleb Downs, a lot of times you don't want to get him removed from a position to make plays, because Caleb is a guy who can track the run and play the pass. ... He can make plays."
JT Tuimoloau
- Recording sacks against Gabriel, unlike the first game between the Bucks and Ducks, will take a better effort from Ohio State's defensive line as a "collective four," Tuimoloau said.
- Tuimoloau spoke glowingly of Gabriel. "That's a very talented quarterback."
- On the mentality of the defense: "Hungry and thankful. We know how the last time went, we have a chip on our shoulder. ... We know what's at stake."
- Tuimoloau has seen a lot of growth from Jackson this season at defensive end. "No matter where we're at in the game, he's just hungry."
- On his relationship with Sawyer, who's also been his roommate for four years: "That's my brother. We're different but very alike. ... We'll do anything for this team. We'll die for our players."
- On the balance between takeaways from the first time they played Oregon and evaluating what the Ducks have done since: "It's pretty 50/50. ... They've made some changes for sure. ... We've just go to continue to watch those games, dissect those games."
- Tuimoloau said knowledge of what other positions are doing has been a big reason why Ohio State's gotten more pressure on the quarterback in the second half of the season. "I think it was more just, understanding the defense as a whole. ... Understanding what plays we have more freedom in. ... We all know each other's job and we continue to ask each other questions."
Cody Simon
- Simon also stressed the importance of containing Gabriel when he uses his feet.
- On Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson: "He has a big frame, big, tall player. He's a good player. It's really just about following our rules. ... It's going to be about matching up well and doing what we do best."
- On Sawyer and Tuimoloau: "They're some of the best in the country. ... We're thankful to have those guys because they really create a lot in our defense. ... I'm confident in them."
- On cracking the helmet of Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava: "It was pretty cool. I've never seen that happen before."
- On the changes made after the first Oregon loss: "The most prominent change is really just that attitude and that mindset. ... Sometimes you need a little juice. ... Schematically, stuff was changed, but on defense we had to get the mentality that we've gotta win the game no matter what."
- Simon said safeties Caleb Downs and Lathan Ransom are great at talking out and fixing any issues in pass coverage. "They've always been really great problem solvers throughout this whole year. I think our communication has been strong between drives. ... They're really good at that stuff."
- On whether the defense's lapses at Oregon earlier in the year were on itself or the Ducks just being a great offense: "It's a little bit of both. We definitely did not play to our standard ... but they also played a good game. ... It's gonna be on us to be able to execute and to do our job to the best of our ability. ... When we get to that moment we've got to do it right."
Jordan Hancock
- On what's allowed him to play more free safety: "That's Coach Walt, Coach Knowles. ... The preparation that I put in, the film study and just me being a natural athlete. ... It just brings a lot of flexibility to the defense."
- On the balance of defending Oregon's RPO game: "We can't let them run free. They're very talented over there, so we have to trust our skills, trust our technique."
- Hanock feels his experience playing deep has improved his play. "It helped me a lot to go back to safety, go back to nickel."
- On what the defense needs to change to prevent explosive plays in the passing game from the first Oregon game: "Just the same mindset. We've got to challenge these receivers. Maybe some people didn't have their day that game, but you still play with the same confidence, same technique."
- On Burke: "He's super stoked for this rematch. ... He always had his confidence and we're gonna see a big game out of him this week."
- Hancock is reviewing both the Ohio State's Oregon game and the others the Ducks have played since. "I watch what I did, things I did well, things I didn't do well against them. ... Every game matters."
Ty Hamilton
- On what Ohio State has to do better to sack Gabriel: "We just have to hone in on the small things we can do to get past offensive linemen ... and just rushing as four."
- On the increased creativity and pressure of Jim Knowles' defense in the second half of the season: "It allows us to have more pressure. ... It really mixes up the pass rush for us."
- More on Gabriel's ability to evade sacks: "He's definitely a quarterback who can get outside the pocket. ... Being able to cage him, really slow him down and keep him inside the pocket will be important."
- On defending the RPO game: "Just putting pressure on him, getting back there. ... And playing to their tendencies."
- On Oregon running back Jordan James: "I think he's definitely one of the better running backs in the country. ... He's hard to bring down. ... We have to figure out how we're gonna stop them ... make them one-dimensional."
- Hamilton said the key for him as a defensive lineman defending an up-tempo offense is getting the call and getting aligned as quickly as possible. "Just getting set. If you're not set, it makes it hard to do your job."
