Oct. 4, 2004

Brady Quinn – sophomore – quarterback

On what Purdue’s defense did that gave Notre Dame’s offense trouble …

When you look at their defense they were extremely fast to the ball. Up front they were doing a good job at closing off the lanes and they really didn’t give us much open space to run the ball. It’s hard to tell but even looking back at the film there were opportunities for us to make plays especially in the redzone. We really didn’t come out and execute the way we were (supposed to do).

On if experience is the key to getting to the level where Purdue quarterback Kyle Orton is right now …

I think so. There’s no substitute for experience and that’s something that he has with him. With more experience the game just slows down even more and I’m sure the game is probably in slow motion for him right now.

Derek Curry – senior – linebacker

On what Stanford has shown him on tape …

They have a really explosive offense. Their quarterback is starting to get poised and really show what he can do. They run the ball well and they have the ability to throw the deep ball.

On the positives that the team can take away from the Purdue loss …

Everything that we did wrong is correctable. Everything that happened last week we can definitely correct. We can see our mistakes and that’s a good thing. It’s not a matter of talent, it’s not a matter of potential, it’s just a matter of getting the job done and executing the game plan properly. That was one of the things that hurt us this past week, we didn’t execute well enough.

Dan Stevenson – senior – guard

On the impact of beating Stanford 57-7 last year and what that means for Saturday’s game …

You really can’t let it have any affect on how we approach Stanford this year. They’ve been very successful so far. They beat BYU, they beat Washington last week just as well as we did, as far as Washington. They played a tough game against USC and should’ve had that game or were close to having that game. So you really can’t focus on a team from the past year. Last year we were 5-7 and this year we consider ourselves a totally different and better team.

On what the offense can do in practice to improve the execution …

You just have to work harder. You have to go out there and make sure you are on top of every play and that you know every facet of the offense. It’s just hard work and making sure that you go out there and get the drive back in you.

On how much the offense is missing injured running back Ryan Grant …

You’ve got to miss Ryan a tremendous amount and not just because of his play on the field but also due to his leadership. That’s something that Darius (Walker) obviously can’t bring you yet because he is a freshman. He does bring leadership don’t get me wrong but Ryan has been here for four years and he’s put in the hard work and the time. He definitely brings an extra element to the game physically and emotionally.

Justin Tuck – senior – defensive end

On Stanford …

Offensively they look like a team that is really jelling. A lot of people bring up last year’s game but this is going to be a totally different team. Coach Teevens has them playing great. They have a more physical offensive line. Their running back is running hard. He’s running real hard. They have a quarterback that is playing really confident. They have excellent athletes at wide receiver so it’s going to be a great challenge for us.

On where the team is at emotionally following the Purdue loss …

We’re alright. Anytime you lose a game of that magnitude especially in our house the leadership has to step up. I’m probably going to call a meeting with our seniors and we’re going to sit down and talk about how we need to focus as far as getting back. We have to put that behind us. Us dwelling on Purdue won’t do us any good because we have a great team coming in here on Saturday. We have to focus and have three great days of practice to get ready for Stanford.

Kyle Budinscak – senior – defensive end

On what the team learned from the Purdue game …

That’s a tough question. We learned a whole lot. When we don’t have everybody executing their responsibilities, and we had errors in every position in the game, and when you come out there and miss assignments, and you don’t do certain things right you aren’t going to win.

On how much of Notre Dame’s struggles were attributed to Purdue playing well …

I do give them a ton of credit. I do give Kyle Orton and their receivers a bunch of credit. They’re a tremendous group of players. But if you go around with the attitude that every game you lose, especially when you lose by 25 points, is attributed to the talent of the other team you won’t get very far. So we had to take a real hard look at ourselves. To come out and play the way we did when we expected to do something completely different is bothersome. I give them a lot of credit but we have to look pretty hard at ourselves.

Anthony Fasano – junior – tight end

On the offense gaining a lot of yards but not scoring a lot of points versus Purdue …

Yeah I think that really tells the story. With that many yards and that many first downs and to move the ball like we did without a lot of points it really shows that we didn’t capitalize on our opportunities.

On the reasons for his big game against Purdue …

I think it was more of what the defense was giving us more than what I was doing. I think coach put us in a good situation and had a good scheme for them. Brady (Quinn) and I just worked it out and took what they were giving us.

On the success of the Stanford defense …

They’re playing with a lot of confidence right now. I think that game with USC really helped them. Hanging in there with them really gave them a lot of faith and that is what a lot of teams need. They have the players that play hard but they just need the confidence and that is there for them now.

Mike Goolsby – senior – linebacker

On the play of the special teams …

It’s extremely disappointing. Especially in the kickoff area because I guess it’s one of the rare parts of football that it’s not about game planning and it’s not about scheming anymore. It’s just about an attitude going down there and making the hit and making the play. I don’t think we’ve gotten that. We’ve had two (kickoffs) returned in the past three games. That’s unacceptable. I think the guys that are on those teams need to step it up and myself included.

On Stanford …

I see another good team. We had great success against them last year but they’re much improved since then. They had the nail-biter versus USC and gave them a run for their money so we know what they are capable of. Their offense is sort of similar to Purdue’s in a lot of ways. They’ll make you lineup in a lot of different formations. They can run the ball. We have a lot to get prepared for again.