Oct. 12, 2004
Joe Tiller, Head Coach
On last week's game at Penn State and the upcoming game against Wisconsin...
"We feel fortunate, having gone on the road last week and (playing) against a very inspired and hard-hitting team, to come out of Beaver Stadium with a victory. We knew it would be a difficult game. We were very impressed with Penn State. I made a comment to their quarterback after the game, that if they kept their team together they could win out. I really think they have improved every week. I think they played very well against us. It took everything we had to come out of there with a win, and for that we feel very fortunate. This week, we're going to play a Wisconsin team that perhaps has been coach Alvarez's best team ever up there. I do know one thing: I can't imagine them having had a better defense than the one they're putting on the field this week. This (will) be the ultimate test for our football team."
On defending Wisconsin's running game...
"I think against Wisconsin, because of their desire to run the football, you need to take the approach that you're not going to shut them down. You want to try and limit a great talent, like Anthony Davis, to 150 yards. I think if he has a career day against you, then you're in trouble. I don't think we go into the ballgame saying, `This is what we must do,' because we've learned in the past that sometimes those issues become irrelevant as the game moves on."
On Taylor Stubblefield...
"I think Taylor is just playing with a greater sense of urgency, this being his last year, than he has in the past. I think that he feels like he really needs to find the end zone if he's going to be recognized sometime in the future as being an outstanding receiver. I really don't think he's thinking about himself, so much as he's thinking about his opportunities to get in the zone to give our team the best chance to win. I think he's playing more confident now than any time he's been at Purdue, and as a result he's going for it in a more aggressive manner than he has in the past."
On Wisconsin's defense...
"I think it is better than both Notre Dame and Penn State's front seven. I think it's the best defense we'll see in all probability all year. I do think at this stage of the season that it's safe to say. They have four senior defensive linemen that are at the top of their game. I think their linebackers are much improved. I think they're more athletic than the linebackers we've seen at Wisconsin in the past. One constant at Wisconsin is that they're a physically dominant team. That hasn't changed in all the years. But one thing that has changed is they're a little more athletic in the linebacker corps. I would give the edge to this front seven over our previous two opponents."
On the hype surrounding the Wisconsin game...
"We've almost tried to ignore it, but we haven't ignored it (because it would be) almost impossible to do. We haven't put any special emphasis on it because we like to maintain the routine we're in. We would like to stay in the routine, and not come out of sequence in what we're doing in terms of our preparations. Certainly when this happens and (ESPN Gameday) comes onto your campus, it's huge for your university and community. It's a big deal, but we do have a game to play. I think it's important from a preparation point of view that we don't stray far from our routine."
On Anthony Spencer...
"I think he's a guy that came into the program with a tremendous amount of potential. We thought he'd be a good player. We redshirted him his freshman year. I think he really would have played as a true freshman had he not dislocated his shoulder. That set him back, and really brought about the redshirt year. Last year, he dealt with the ankle in the spring, and had surgery over the summer. As a result, he really wasn't ready to play until October. Once again, I think he was overshadowed by the guys on the team at that time. I think what he's doing is performing at a level that we expected him to perform at. He's athletic, he's strong and I've made the comment before that he is the strongest in the weight room of all the defensive front guys. He's playing on the edge. The first half of the Notre Dame game is about as good of a half we've had played by a defensive end since I've been at Purdue, and we've had some good defensive ends."
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Kyle Orton, Quarterback
On expectations for the rest of the season...
"I think as a team we've really progressed a lot. We've become a lot better football team than what we were when we started out. We're playing hard every single week, and we're playing pretty close to mistake-free football right now. Hopefully we'll just keep winning the tight football games and get better as a football team."
On Wisconsin's defense...
"I think they're similar to the defenses we've seen this season, in the fact that their strength in their defense is their defensive line. They're big and physical, a lot like the last two teams we've played. I think the one thing that sets this team apart is that their secondary, in my opinion, is better than the two teams we've faced the last couple weeks. It's going to be another physical game. We're going to have to be ready to play for the entire game."
On Purdue's wide receivers...
"This is really the first year that we've got eight or nine guys, including running backs and tight ends, that can make really big plays for us and do it on a consistent basis. We've really got the entire offense working now on all cylinders."
On being 5-0, the best start for Purdue since 1945...
"You've got to take care of each win. With each win you're getting closer and closer to the team's ultimate goal. You've got to take a step back and say, `This is this week, and this is the most important game of the year.' Each game and each week is the most important game for us. I really do believe that if we keep taking that same approach then we'll win a lot of football games."
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Charles Davis, Tight End
On playing in Ross-Ade after three weeks on the road...
"It's definitely going to be fun to play in front of our crowd again. It's been three weeks since we've been there. It's been three tough games on the road. It's going to be fun to get back in front of the fans."
On his success at Penn State...
"From a receiving standpoint, I am catching a few more passes here and there. I think my freshman year was pretty solid. This year I just want to do what I can to help the team. If I have to block, that is what I am working on. I want to be more key in the blocking game. I guess my role has increased, so I have to be able to step up and accept it."
On having more confidence this year...
"I think it was a lot of work in the off season that brought this. This summer the receivers were meeting by themselves working on catches and routes. (Running back Brandon Jones and I) were catching balls with each other. I think that we are just reaping the benefits of what we set in the summer. I think it is, of course, building our confidence. We want the ball now. I want the pressure situation, and yeah I want it because I have a good feeling that I will come down with the catch."
On the atmosphere of this upcoming weekend...
"This is a big game for the school and for the athletic program at Purdue. The thing is that we have to eliminate all of those distractions, and we have to remember why we are 5-0 and why we are ranked so high; (it's) because we work to win the game from Tuesday until Friday. What we do from Tuesday until Friday shows on Saturday. I think that if we come out with the same intensity that we've been having in practice for the past six or seven weeks, I think that will carry over on Saturday and help us win the game."
