Oct. 19, 2002
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Purdue head coach Joe Tiller
"This game was a tough loss. We had the opportunities and good field position, but were unable to take advantage of our chances on too many occassions."
- on the turning point of the game ...
"I don't think there was a turning point in this game. To me, a turning point is a play where one team takes over and the other fails to respond. We were able to respond during the game, so I don't believe there was one definable play that you can identify as a turning point."
- on the quarterback change during the game ...
"Michigan did a good job of stacking the line when we were in a run formation and dropping back eight or nine people to defend our passing plays. We felt that we needed to throw the ball down field. Brandon (Kirsch) had missed enough checks and open receivers that made us decide to give Orton a try. Unfortunately, the move didn't work for us, so we went back to Kirsch."
Purdue quarterback Brandon Kirsch
- on his first collegiate start ...
"I was nervous before the game because I didn't know if I was going to start until two hours before kickoff. Once I saw all the fans in a packed Ross-Ade, it made me feel good."
- on his performance ...
"I think I played well, but there were times when I could have been much better and could have made some different decisions to help us win."
Purdue defensive end Shaun Phillips
-on holding down the Michigan offense ...
"We pride ourselves on our toughness. Coach Spack preaches that to us constantly. We play a physical style of football every week and every play. We never gave up against Michigan but, unfortunately, we were unable to come up with a win."
- on the Michigan offensive line ...
"They were max protecting most of the time today. They are a good offensive line. However, when you play in the Big Ten, you will go against some of the best offensive linemen in the country on a weekly basis."
- on what the team will take from this game ...
"We just can't quit. We need to keep playing until the final gun. We will forget the outcome of this game and turn the page, because we need to get ready to play Northwestern next week."
Purdue wide receiver Taylor Stubblefield
- on Michigan's defense ...
"They were a physical unit. That is what they strive on, the ability to be physical. I feel that our offense stepped up to the challenge. We were just as physical as they were and they did not overwhelm us at all."
- on the quarterbacks' tendency to throw the ball to him ...
"If you look at the times I was thrown to, especially at the end of the game, you'll see that our quarterbacks (Kirsch and Orton) were often scrambling. I was simply trying to stay open as long as possible and give them a chance to find me."
Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr
"This is a very good win for our team on the road. Ross-Ade Stadium is historically a very difficult place for us to play. We had some guys banged up, but I think our guys responded with a good effort. Purdue is a good football team. They are very good defensively, and offensively they can throw the football. I think we did a good job tackling after they caught the football. We didn't give up big plays, and that's the name of the game."
- on Purdue quarterback Brandon Kirsch, the Purdue offense and Michigan defense ...
"He really kept us off balance. We would rush three or four, just trying to keep him in front of us. He would break out of there and kept the chains moving. Their offense is really a clock-control offense, and eventually most defenses tire. The one thing I was very pleased with defensively was that I thought we continued to play hard and rush the quarterback."
- on Michigan offense ...
"We felt going into the game that we had to get some plays out of our wide receivers. Calvin Bell on the reverse play made the biggest play of the game for us. We moved the football; we just had trouble scoring the points that we probably should have with that number of yards. I credit Purdue there. They have an outstanding defense."
Michigan wide receiver Braylon Edwards
"Purdue's secondary played really well. Coming here we knew about Stuart Schweigert. We have studied him. We knew what we had to do to get open. Purdue is a 3-5 team, but they could easily be 8-0. We understand that they're a very dangerous team, especially at home. I respect them a lot for making the game go down to the wire."
Michigan wide receiver Ronald Bellamy
"We understand that we have to play collectively as a team. Purdue has a great offense, but we had to be better. We were very confident coming into this ballgame and accomplished what we wanted to."