Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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were not able to get any hold on the field. "It was hard, it had a hard frost on it, and then the sun began to soften it up. There were some areas that were a bit slick." Senior wide receiver TJ Jones … On winning his last game: "It feels great. It's the only way that you'd want to go out in your last game in the uniform. You don't want to work your butt off for 15 practices to lose. Being able to win is a great feeling." On the team he leaves behind: "There are bright futures for all the young receivers and bright futures for all the young running backs. The guys who played showed they have the ability to make plays, and once they get comfortable in their skin in our offense it's going to be great." Fifth-year senior left tackle Zack Martin … On winning the game's MVP award: "It's a great honor, and I couldn't have done it without the rest of the offensive line. "I was giving Tommy [Rees] a hard time because I think he got snubbed a little bit." On the plan to beat Rutgers: "The game plan was to spread them out a little bit and to toss it around. But at the end of the day, I know our room wants to have our number called and close out games, and we're very happy we were able to do that." On advice he would give to junior defensive end Stephon Tuitt: "Obviously it's his decision, and he's going to make it for the right reasons. But it's special to come back and be a senior at Notre Dame. "Whatever he decides I wish him the best, but it's special to come back and spend your senior season with the guys you came in with." Senior quarterback Tommy Rees … On winning close games: "We've had a lot of those over the four years. A win is a win. But that shows the perseverance and the kind of character we have on this team to close out some tough battles." Junior tight end Troy Niklas … On running a faster-paced offense: "I always like doing it, and I think Coach likes doing it. I feel like it puts the defensive coordinator for the other team on his toes. He's got to make fast decisions. "We've got plays that we know we can run quickly. I think that's pretty effective for us, and you saw that in the game." On what he gains from today's game: "It was fun to play one last game with our seniors, and play next to Zack, and playing with Tommy has been a really cool experience for me. "I'm definitely going to miss that. It was a 'one last hurrah' kind of thing."