Rutgers Head Coach Greg Schiano
Opening Statement
GREG SCHIANO: Thanks for coming out. Appreciate you guys covering us. Obviously a really tough, tough loss. I feel awful for our seniors. Senior Day, we have a group of young men down there that gave so much though program. Believed in us when there was no reason to believe in us. We came back and this is the group that we signed in 11 days, and we're very blessed to have those kids. We have potential NFL players in those guys we signed in 11 days. But more importantly, leaders that we built this program on their hard work and their example. And they are definitely leaving a legacy. We have one more game, a regular season game to play and we have a Bowl game to play. But this was our last game at SHI Stadium, and I really, really wanted to send them out as a winner at home in their last game. But they are winners. The things they have done here, the things they have learned here, they are going to be big-time winners in life, and I guess I just wish that we could have done a little bit more. Illinois, hats off to them. They made one more play than we did, and as I said to the team, in the Big Ten Conference, it's really good football that's played, and they coached a little better and the played a little better; literally a little better, and they won the game. That's what we have to deal with. It's not easy, but you know that when you get into it. So I will try to answer your questions. But I am really, really proud of what these seniors, these guys that came in and really, really built this program, rebuilt this program. We're forever indebted to them.

Q. With the conditions and the distance on that 58-yard field goal attempt by them, how does that weigh into the decision of whether or not to call time out at that spot?
GREG SCHIANO: Yeah, certainly, retrospectively, I wish hadn't, right. But been doing this a lot of years. Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don't. We were going to make sure -- we were going to call time out, anyway. Maybe I should have done it before he kicked the ball, so it wouldn't have told them, oh, geez, that wind is strong; we can't make that kick. But we had to make sure we went over what we were doing. I said, we have a timeout, there's no more media timeouts, so we've got to go. So that's all right, we're going to call a timeout here in a second. But again, you do it and win the game, it's right call. As I've said to you guys over and over and over again, that's what makes sports great. People love to talk about and debate, and certainly, it's worthy of that, right, because it had a part. But there was so many things in that game, so many. Like that game had more twists and turns, and I tell you all the time, every game has a life of its own. This one certainly did. But you know, I'm not going to sit here and say I wish I hadn't because it didn't work out. If it worked out, I would sit here and say, yeah, I'm glad I did. I've said before, it was a good call because it worked. I've stood up here and said it's a bad call because it didn't work. That's the way it goes. You have about 12 seconds to make decisions, and you make them.

Q. What happened defensively on that last-second touchdown?
GREG SCHIANO: Well, you know, we came after them and they got the ball off and then a really good player ran through our guys. Now, could we have had more guys? Yeah. I mean, that's another debate you could have, when it works, and it has before. You know, you're great; you came after him. If you lay back, what are you doing -- the No. 1 thing fans like to talk about is the "pre-ven," right. Again, it's right when it works and it isn't when it doesn't. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I wish we could do it again because it didn't work today. But again, you make the decisions with the information at the time. Didn't work out. I feel bad for the guys. But again, I always say this, if a guy drops a pass or a penalty, you know, that one play didn't decide the game. There's a whole list of plays that make up the game, and they take on a life of their own. I don't defend, nor do I pat myself on the back when they are good decisions. That's your job is to make the decisions. You're a decision-maker. I just feel, like I said, the biggest things I feel pain for is those guys, it was their last game in that stadium, and they couldn't leave with a W. They accomplished a lot, but I really wanted that for them. But we don't always get what we want in life.

Q. They scored a touchdown in the last four drives, touchdown in five of their last six drives. What were they doing to be so successful offensively and what were you doing defensively to stop them?
GREG SCHIANO: Well, I'm going to watch the tape, but as you look at it, it seemed like the quarterback, they protected better in the second half. The quarterback throughout the game is a slippery guy. You know, he's a good athlete. He was able to get out of some trouble. We had some unusual things happen in the secondary that usually don't happen to us. You know, we had six penalties. That's unlike us. I'm not sure, you know, when you look at it, you make your own decision what you think. But it is what it is. When they are called, they are called. I don't argue because they are called. What are you going to do? Once in a while I get heated but that's not going to change.

Q. Was the defense ready on that last play? Looked like there was a lot of scrambling around before the ball was snapped. Was there a decision to call a timeout before that play was snapped?
GREG SCHIANO: Well, first off, you can't in college football call back-to-back time-outs, so had (already) called in on the -- but no they were a hundred percent ready. That's a stem; so what we do is we were off, and we shifted into a blitz. So everybody ran into it for effect and for positioning.

Q. I guess on the field goal attempt, is the situation part of it in the consideration for you when you are making that decision? What goes through your head when you're calling that? And the fact of the length and wind and all of the conditions and rush time, was there anything that snapped up and said, you know what, this is a go?
GREG SCHIANO: Well, no, because I did it. But yes, you consider all that. I never have said, I think you always ice the kicker, nor do I say you never ice the kicker. I think there's a feel thing involved in that, and you've got to go with what you think at the time. You know, the wind had switched during the game. So right at that point it was teetering back and forth. So I just felt like all those factors, and the other factor; I wanted to make sure that our block, everything was sound in case they ran a fake or something. Just go over it. You know, like I said, maybe if I had to second-guess myself, it might be do it before he kicks the ball. There's no reason I have to let it get that late. But you've covered the games when I've done that back in the day when you could call back-to-back timeouts. I've iced guys three times and they have missed kicks, and man alive, what a strategic move that was. Just you've got to do what you feel, and sometimes you win, sometimes you don't.

Q. What did you say to those guys in the locker room when you walked in?
GREG SCHIANO: That stays between us, you know that. But I care about them deeply. I love those kids. Now they are young men; they are not kids anymore. They came here kids. That's it. That's what I feel about them.

Illinois Head Coach Bret Bielema
Opening Statement 
Bret Bielema: I'm really proud of my guys. I give a lot of credit to Rutgers obviously, great football team up at the end. You know, we tried to give that one away, I thought we won it. There's no doubt in my mind that was a pick at the end, we've got to flip that baby back and then just obviously a great play at the end with Pat Bryant. Luke Altmyer continued to make great plays. Give a lot of credit to our resiliency, our coaches, just really stayed with the plan. There's a wholehearted effort by all three phases, offense, defense, especially with Hank Beatty and that big return at the beginning of the year, or beginning of the game. Felt like a year ago. And obviously, only got 3 points out of it. But just a lot of credit to our guys. We got one more left. Gotta rivalry game against Northwestern this week. To get to 8 wins is absolutely awesome, with an opportunity to make it a big week this week.

What is it about QB Luke Altmyer and WR Pat Bryant that allow them to make big plays late in games?  
Bret Bielema: You know, I think it goes back all the way to last January. You could see those two start to develop a relationship beyond what they did last year and continue to put themselves all spring, all summer, timing, resiliency. I think that's the third winning touchdown, end-game, play. He's still not in the Biletnikoff (list), so if we can have a write-in campaign, holy Jesus. Like, he's literally one of the best receivers in the country. We can't get him on Biletnikoff. So Biletnikoff, please hear me. Just really, really, a really intelligent player. Pat is so aware of his surroundings. You know, just that last play. I thought he was going to the sidelines. You know, he saw that corner right and he took off and knew he could get there. We said it was a play that we had to have. If we got the first down, we need to–we call it a church play where they got to get down, but he saw the end zone and had 4 seconds to spare. 

Was it a no-brainer to go for it on fourth down with 14 seconds left?  
Bret Bielema: I mean, as soon as Greg called the timeout – I knew I could see him over there and I we always tell our guys to hit the field goal, right? The operation Is to hit it. So, Charles hit one from 60 plus in in practice, but that one was going to be a stress. And obviously, when he missed that bad, I knew he couldn't come back and hit from there. So that's when we went with the play and that was a deep dig and then it just, you know, they got out leveraged there and a really good play.

Were you expecting Rutgers to ice you with a timeout on fourth down at the end of the game?  
Bret Bielema: Yes. I knew that they had those to burn over there, he was definitely going to ice them. I didn't expect the result of that. Then a quick audible there and definitely made the right call in that situation.  

What did you like about the offense on the last three scoring drives? 
Bret Bielema: Well, I thought we can tie them, in the air, right? We really liked our matchup on the perimeter. Well, I thought they were getting a little handsy, so we knew we're going to get some holding calls too, and those were big in the second half. Give a lot of credit to those officials, they did a hell of a job. So, I think the big thing for us, right, is just take advantage of the plays that we got and make it.

How uncharacteristic were the penalties in the game today?  
Bret Bielema: I think we were 8th in the country in fewest penalties, and they were 7th. Right? But we definitely held up our end of the bargain. We got a lot of them. The self-inflicted, obviously, they're inexcusable–inexcusable one from Gabe, had them stopped. There's a lot of things to clean up, a lot of things that we left on the field out there, but I'm excited about the result.

What did you think of the way you ran the ball?  
Bret Bielema: Josh and Aiden had that nice bounce on there in the goal line. Again, I just give a lot of credit to our running back room. Thad does a great job of those guys. Khalil got in there. All three of those guys added in there. I thought our offensive line all week felt good about the run game. And then I'd tell you the big run by our quarterback there at the end when he kept it. You know, he's a very dynamic runner. A lot of people don't give him credit for that, but he's a very gifted athlete. He can run. 

Is running an underrated part of QB Luke Altmyer's game?  
Bret Bielema: I think so. You know, he's got that, you know, that frat boy look, right? Kind of pretty boy, just kind of always has that moxie to him. But, you know, he's a really great kid from Mississippi. He plays with a little chip on his shoulder, and he definitely has the ability to run.