I'm proud of how they played well and handled it with class, giving credit to their opponents when the situation came up even when we were clearly the stronger team. They lived by our motto of fearing nobody but respecting everyone.
This was a solid start for us. Our veterans played well and the freshmen did a great job in their first competition. They had high intensity and they did a great job of putting opponents away when they had the chance.
When we go to Florida, it's mostly to train. Our opponents have to fit our schedule. The good news was guys were very professional in their matches where they had the potential to win big -- and they did that.
That's one of the things you wonder about, when you're winning like that. You never see how your team's going to respond if you're put in that situation.
It's the highest-ranked road team we've beaten in a lot of years, so it's pretty big win. Our guys showed a lot of heart.
They took it very seriously, the guys knew it was a chance to make a statement about getting into the lineup.
The guys are anxious to play; I think they're hungry. But when you're on a stretch when you're not getting to go after an opponent, I think you can get a little sloppy.
Against a good team, that window of opportunity is open for a very short time -- and it has to be shut immediately.
That was just an incredible match, anyone who saw it felt like they just watched two pros go at it. [Illinois has] three guys that are just incredible, but no matter who Mark plays, he has shown he is capable of playing with anybody -- whoever he plays is in for a fight.
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