Nov. 21, 2006

Recap |  Final Stats |  Notes

Toledo vs. Bowling Green
Nov. 21, 2006

Toledo Head Coach Tom Amstutz

(General Comments)
"I really felt happy tonight, especially for our seniors. This win was a great way to end their season. This group has been great leaders the whole season. A good leader shows great leadership in tough times and great times. This is a great time for our seniors. They have championship rings and have been to a bowl game. This year they have proved their leadership abilities."

(Comments on Barry Church's Interception Return for a TD in the Second Quarter)
"It was a really important play for us to get that next touchdown. Barry Church is what an NFL player looks like as a freshman. He makes big plays. He's a special football player. I'm really thankful he's here and that he has three more years at Toledo."

(Comments on Aaron Opelt Running)
"It depends on where you are in the game. There are certain points in the contest you are playing against the clock. You want to run the ball and keep the clock moving, and that is what he did tonight."

Junior RB Jalen Parmele

(Comments about the Rushing Attack)
"During halftime we knew the running plays we were going to do. Then we just executed them in the second half and it turned out to be a big success."

(Comments about Ending the Season on a Positive Note)
"I think it was a big sting. We had a lot of goals during the season. Most of them could not be reached, but as always the last goal is to beat Bowling Green. Tonight we got our last goal. The seniors leave on a good note. I'm proud of that win."

(Comments about ending the season with three wins in the last four games)
"We just practiced harder and a lot of attitudes changed. As the season wore on, we also meshed a lot more as a team. We have quite a few guys returning on offense and that will help out. Aaron Opelt and Clint Cochran will have a lot of experience back at quarterback."

Toledo junior FS Tyrrell Herbert

"We were aware they were making short passes but it was taking time off the clock. We just wanted to keep the clock running and avoid giving up the big play."

"It feels great. That's three years in a row that we beat BG. It's a special feeling. It was important for us to send our seniors out on a good note."

Toledo freshman QB Aaron Opelt

"It's always nice to have a lead, especially when you have a great defense. Our offense wasn't pressured to do anything because we could count on our defense."

(on his first UT-BG game) "It was great. I wasn't expecting this big of a rivalry. BG week was crazy from the first day of the week. Everyone prepared for it and we were ready."

Bowling Green Head Coach Gregg Brandon

"We were fighting up hill most of the night. I give Coach Amstutz and their team a lot of credit for getting up on us early. It was tough sledding for us most of the night. My kids battled hard and it's been a grind this season. I just don't think there's any gas left in the tank right now."

(on switching QB's during the game)

"We've talked about that all season. Anthony (Turner) has sputtered and been erratic but he stepped up for us in the second half. He made some nice throws and our receivers made some great catches to keep us in the football game."

(on Toledo's running game)

"We had some problems because we were pressuring them. Anytime you do that you have a chance to get caught out of your gaps. We knew they had done that on film and we figured that was the best way to stop them but a couple of times it cost us."

(on sophomore WR Cory Partridge)

"I thought he was outstanding. He's a competitor and he catches the ball with guys whacking him. He runs great routes and his punt return really set us up. I'm glad that we have him back for two more years. He's a special player."

Sophomore WR Cory Partridge

(on being able to get open)

"They ran a lot of man-to-man defenses with blitzes. That gave me a lot of time to work one-on-one and anytime you know where you're going and he doesn't it makes it pretty easy for you."

"We made too many mistakes tonight. We were put into a good position to win. The coaches we're calling the right plays. Our mistakes added up and they ended up killing us."

"Every time we come up here we know it's going to be a battle. You're going to come out and play hard every time. It kills you not to win and this one really hurt."

Sophomore LB Erique Dozier

(on Toledo's effectiveness running the ball)

"I feel that their effectiveness dictated the game. They were able to establish a good running game and they did what they wanted to do. It was their execution and their big plays along with our missed tackles that hurt us."