Pelini: "Time to Move On" - News, Weather and Sports for Lincoln, NE; KLKNTV.com

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Nebraska Head Coach Bo Pelini

Opening Statement
"We got through this one. I liked our team's approach. I liked the way they came out. They played hard from the start. We talked all week about taking care of ourselves, executing from beginning to end and doing what we need to do. Not worry about who our opponent is, but playing our style of football with the type of attitude we need to bring in and execute. I thought we did that, and now it's time to move on."

On senior I-back Rex Burkhead's return to action
"I thought he did really well. I thought he looked good. He had a really good week of practice. Rex is a special player. I think he felt really good. He felt comfortable. We said going into the game that we wanted to get him somewhere around 10 to 15 touches. We did that and we pulled the plug, so we got out of it what we wanted to get out of it going into it. He felt really good."

On Ron Kellogg III's performance today and the backup quarterback position
"I feel fine with the position. I think the interception Ron threw was as much the receiver's fault as it was his. He needed to flatten that thing out. I have confidence in him. He has a really good handle on the offense. Unfortunately, you get into a game like this and we didn't really let him run the full gamut of the offense and do what he's capable of doing. That's why we tried to get him in there in the second quarter, because as the game went on, we were going to limit the playbook. But I have a lot of confidence in Ron and what he can do."

On what Kellogg did in fall camp to earn the position
"He has a great understanding of the offense. He can really throw the football. He does a really good job in the passing game. He understands where to go with the ball. He's a good decision-maker. We kind of have co-No. 2's between him and Tommy (Armstrong) and the longer the season goes on, the more it clarifies itself and Ronnie's the guy. We're glad he was able to get a lot of snaps today, and I have a lot of confidence in what he can do. He's a leader out there, he runs the offense well and he can really manage the team very well."

What you can learn from a team in a lopsided game
"Not a lot. I said to the team last night, 'We'll find out how mature we are as a football team.' How were they going to approach the game? Were we going to go out there and do what we're capable of doing, regardless of who the opponent was, and to play the kind of football we're capable of playing? I thought we did that early on. It's really easy to have a letdown or look ahead, but it's first things first. You have to have respect for the game and how you play it. I thought our guys did that."

On Eric Martin's improvement so far this season
"Eric's healthy now. Eric Martin is healthy, he's feeling good. He has a dimension, he adds that speed off the edge, he's athletic, he's a guy who can do a lot of different things for you. He wasn't healthy the first two weeks. We didn't have him available, or just for spot action. He wasn't feeling good enough to really give us significant playing time, so it's good to have him back."

On whether the price of a tight secondary is more penalties
"We knew they were going to throw the football a lot. Our style was to get up in people's face and play a lot of press and get our hands on receivers, and that's going to happen. You could see my reaction and how I felt about a couple of those calls. That's how we play, and you're going to have to live with that. But I'm not one who likes to see your guys playing off and not aggressive in the backend, because you're going to give up a lot of yards throwing if you play that way."

On if the team is more prepared for Big Ten play than last year
"We'll find out next Saturday. I'm looking forward to it."

On if the team has more confidence heading into conference play

"We have a little bit better idea of who the teams are and the type of challenges that lay ahead. We just need to keep concentrating on getting us better, keep working better, preparing the way we need to prepare and let the chips fall where they may at that point."

Quarterback Taylor Martinez

On how Rex (Burkhead) ran today

"I thought he looked great." 

On Ron Kellogg and his journey to backup quarterback

"He's put in a lot of work, and I'm really good friends with him. He's a great person on and off the field, and I'm happy that he could get in there, throw the ball, and that he threw the touchdown."

On his reaction to Kellogg's touchdown throw

"I knew when the play call was in, that it would be a touchdown. I just started clapping from the sideline, because I knew it was going to be a touchdown. I couldn't be more excited."  

On where the team is at heading into Big Ten play

"I think we're right where we need to be. If we just keep this momentum going, we will be tough to beat."

On wearing the new uniforms

"I'm excited about them. They look awesome. We started wearing the black helmets Thursday, and we will start to break them in this week."

Wide Receiver Kenny Bell

On if his touchdown was a reception or a run
"It was definitely a catch. I didn't find out until I saw it on the scoreboard, it made me really excited."

On today's win

"There is still a lot of room for improvement, the scoreboard doesn't necessarily show what we will see on film. There was plenty of mental lapses in the game. That is why we will go back and look at film so we can try and be perfect."

On how he feels about going into the Big Ten

"Really good, really excited. We have bounced back from the UCLA game, so I am excited to get these first two games in. Wisconsin and Ohio State are big games."

On if the Big Ten defenses like Ohio State and Wisconsin are different this year

"For the most part, Wisconsin lines up in the same defense, there is not a whole lot of difference in what they did from last year."

Quarterback Ron Kellogg III

On value of playing time

"I thought it was pretty important, just for a backup stand point. I did a lot of mental reps during the first three games. But to go out there and actually fill out a couple of passes kind of helped my confidence a little bit."

On how playing went compared to his expectations

"It was kind of similar to practice, but it kind of slowed down a little bit once we got the first play going, so I felt pretty good after that."

On throwing an interception

"I don't know, it was just a bad read on my part. I told Coach (Tim) Beck I was sorry afterwards. It was something I've got to work on, on film."

On the touchdown

"Touchdown, there were so many emotions that I can't even explain because we'll be here for an hour. It was so much fun being able to get the ball to Steve (Osborne) and celebrate with my teammates."

On how he felt coming into the game

"Coach Beck told me throughout the week to be ready, so I went in with the same mindset, having the mental game aspect down. Being able to go out there and actually perform was something that I've been dreaming about since I could walk, so it was pretty fun."

On being a significant contributor in the game

"I look at it like we won as a whole team unit. Not just from my point, being able to go in and get some yards, but overall it's a team thing and I'm not going to focus on myself. It was a team victory, and I'm very pleased with the results.

On not getting a token to remember the touchdown

"I'll probably get a picture or something. Coach Beck teased me because he said my celebration was a little lame. I'll just keep it. It's a memory for myself. My mom and brother and sister were able to see it, so it was pretty cool. It was a cool moment."

On switching roles with Taylor Martinez

"It was weird being able to see him with a headset on and signaling, because he doesn't really do that, even in practice. It was nice being able to come off the field and talk plays with Taylor. He knows so much about the game, and he just gave me confidence going back in for the next series. It's something that I cherish."

On general feeling of backup players in game

"It's kind of like a relief, but then it's super exciting, but then again, you don't want to mess up because you don't want to have Coach Bo (Pelini) down your throat. Like I said, I've been waiting to do this for a while, so being able to do that today is something I'll always be able to remember."

On keeping on the players, even when winning

"They don't want any mistakes, turnovers and stuff like that. It's something that we preach every day in practice. Be consistent. No turnovers, no penalties and stuff like that and give a good team win."