Chattanooga Head Coach Russ Huesman
Thoughts on the game
“That's a fantastic win.  I think it makes it more exciting today because it's a playoff win.  Any win you get now, in the playoffs, is against a really good football team.  Offensively, I thought we were lights-out today.  We blocked, ran, threw, caught the ball and held onto it really well.  We didn't make any mistakes.  They did an unbelievable job.  Defensively, for us to hold them to 178 yards – a team that throws for almost 300 yards every game – is unbelievable.  I think our defense stepped up big time, and the kicking game, other than the field goals, I think did a great job.”

Thoughts on the defense's performance
“I thought they played great.  Holding them to one of 10 third-down conversions is huge.  They probably had 130 yards going into that last drive, and 75 of it was on one play and 25 on another.  We played some pretty good defense, and I am proud of our guys.  We have great defensive players and a great defensive staff.  The coaches are doing an unbelievable job for us, but that's what you expect.  It doesn't surprise me.  We have good players on defense, and I thought they got after it really well.”

On Jacob Huesman's career-high 31 carries
“I thought our offensive staff schemed some really good running plays for Jacob.  You don't want him running the ball 31 times in a game, but we are in the playoffs right now, and we are going to do what we need to do.  If you noticed, we were running the same play and they weren't adjusting to it.  They were giving us a short edge, and he was just taking it for a lot of yards and first downs.  He wasn't taking any shots because he was getting down, but 31 is a lot.  I asked him after the game if he was sore, and he said he wasn't.”

Thoughts on the Indiana State kickoff return touchdown
“We had about nine guys drill the ball carrier on that play.  That's how you cover a kickoff.  It was a mass of humanity, and I can't tell you who knocked it out of there, but that was about as freakish of a play that I've ever seen in my entire life.  After the play was over, I told our team they did an unbelievable job, and they covered the kick well.  They responded the right way afterwards.”

Thoughts on New Hampshire
“I don't know much about them.  We haven't even looked at them, but we will begin that tomorrow.  From playing them for many years when I was at William & Mary and Richmond, I know they are well coached.  Their coach does an unbelievable job.  He coaches them up and they are fundamentally sound.  They are creative in all aspects of the game – offensive, defensive and kicking.  I haven't seen them lately, but I know that from playing them for many years.  They are always well coached.  I couldn't even tell you what kind of players they have right now, but they have always been very well-coached when we've played them.”

Jacob Huesman, quarterback, junior
On Chattanooga's dominating time of possession
“Time of possession is a key component of the ball game.  Not only do we wear their defense down, but we allow ours to get a little fresher.  The longer we're on the field, the longer they are over on the sidelines rehydrating and resting their legs.  We use that to kind of help them out a little bit.”

Thoughts on the early Indiana State turnover
“That was huge.  That just took the air right out of them at the beginning.  It really got the crowd energized and got the offense energized.  It's nice when you're able to go three yards for your first points of the game.  We can't complain about that at all.  As usual, the defense came up big for us.”

Muhasibi Wakeel, linebacker, senior
Thoughts on the Chattanooga defense's performance
“That is huge.  I didn't know it was one of 10, though.  That's huge, especially in a playoff game and in this kind of atmosphere.  Everything counts.”

On continuing to win in the postseason
“That's very important.  You want to leave a legacy here for those who follow you coming into the program to live up to.  It is very important for us to keep winning.  Being a senior, I want to go out the best way I know how to and that's winning a championship.”

 
Indiana State Head Coach Mike Sanford
Thoughts on the game
“I want to give credit to Chattanooga. They deserved to win. They did a great job, and I wish them well moving forward in the FCS playoffs. Second of all, I want to say even though it's a difficult way to end the season for our team, I'm very proud of our team. I'm proud of the way we competed. I'm proud of the way we battled all year. I just say that we didn't tackle well enough and we didn't block well enough today. We didn't defend passes down the field well enough. We didn't catch well enough. We didn't do what you have to do to win.  I thought we blocked field goals well, we punted well, and that's all I can really think of that we did well. I got to give their defense credit. They did a nice job. We didn't take advantage of some things we should have taken advantage of, but I wish them well and hope they go all the way.”

Thoughts on Jacob Huesman
“He's a great player. I looked all over for him after the game to congratulate him. I knew he was good, but he's even better than I thought. He's special and he's a great person, as I expected he would be. He's special. He was a difference maker, and we couldn't stop him today with the combination of him running and the stuff that he did throwing the football. I think our guy's really good. I think Mike Perish is really good, and obviously Tre Roberson from Illinois State is really good, but I think he's the best FCS quarterback I've seen.”

On Indiana State's difficulties today
“I think it was a combination of things. I think we weren't able to get them off the field.  I think third downs, I haven't had a chance to look at third downs, but third downs were big. We were not able to get them off the field on third downs. Didn't seem like we got the ball very much, and then we didn't sustain drives on offense when we got it. We didn't convert third downs like we have to do. Once again I have to give them credit.”

Mark Sewall, defensive back, junior
Defensive frustrations against Chattanooga
“We have to give credit to Chattanooga. They were a very good team. Offensively, their quarterback does a good job at controlling the game and making good decisions. They do a lot of things with motions and running the ball with him. He was just tough to stop, and all 11 guys were doing their assignment. We didn't tackle good enough to win the game.”

On preparing for Chattanooga
“We played some mobile quarterbacks throughout the year, but Chattanooga does a good job. When he runs it they also have an extra blocker to go with him. That's something that's tough to stop.  But the bottom line is if we did our jobs a little bit better and tackled a little better, it would have been a closer game. It would have kept our offense in the game.”

On Indiana State's turnaround from last season to this season
“I'm proud of the team and just the work that we put in in the off season. It hurts to come up a little short of the goals that we set for our team, but I am just really proud of the team in general. I know we fell a little short, but I am proud of the team, the way we worked and the way we competed each and every game.”

Mike Perish, quarterback, senior
On difficulties caused by Chattanooga's defense
“We missed about five or six plays that could have been either touchdowns or huge plays, and that got us behind the chains a little bit. I don't think we converted very well on third downs. That makes it hard to keep drives alive. Their offense did a great job controlling the clock. I think there's a lot of stuff that we could have done different. We were a play, player or step away from having a completely different game.”

On frustration of being unable to score in the red zone
“It was really frustrating. It was either a drop or I threw It about a step to far on a couple of them. It's just frustrating. It just shows it's a game of inches, and I know that's a saying, but it really is. Cut down a couple inches on those 40-yard throws and they're touchdowns. Wish we could have had a couple of those back.”

On the season coming to a close
“It's tough. I thought my season was over after the Western Illinois game, but I don't know. It hurts. I'll have more time to reflect in the locker room with my teammates. But it's rough knowing that I'm a senior and this is my last college game.”