Derrick Harmon played a pivotal role in his team's win over Ohio State Saturday, highlighted by a crucial fumble recovery that helped swing momentum. When asked to describe the play, Harmon credited the defense's strategy. "Just playing the defense," he said. "Coach put me in a good position to make the play."

The play itself, where Harmon ripped the ball out and it seemingly fell into his lap, was a rare moment. "Not in the game," he mentioned when asked if he had experienced something similar before. "We practiced a few times at State. You know, I have a vision of just ripping the ball out."

The defensive stop came after a play that should have been an interception by Jeffrey Bassa, which wasn't reviewed. Harmon noted the importance of their next defensive series, saying, "The defense had to come up. We knew it was going to be a tough game to shoot out. Those guys had good players over there. They got a good team over there. And we knew it was going to be a defensive game for us. And up front, we knew it was going to be on us to win that game for us."

Reflecting on the season so far, which included big matchups like Michigan State and Ohio State, Harmon remains focused. "I mean, I'm really in season mode. I'm really not trying to hear all the outside noise. I'm just trying to focus on the season and do my best to help my team win," he explained.

When asked how he maintains his focus week to week, Harmon was quick to acknowledge the strength of his team and his faith. "Just knowing that I got a good team around me, just staying with God. God got my back, so that's pretty much it for me."

Preparation in the offseason laid the groundwork for his strong start. "No, just working, man. Nothing really changed for me, just I know this year I had to show up, really. For me, I've been in college, it's my fourth year, just got to show up. It's my senior year, so."

One of the challenges this season has been playing without key teammate Jordan, but Harmon believes the team has responded well. "It hurt, of course, but he's going to come back and help us out soon, sooner than later for sure. It hurt us, though, but the guys had to step up, next man up mentality."

The intensity of their practices hasn't wavered despite challenges. "It's been intense. We don't want guys to fall off because we don't want to take this game lightly. It's a big game. Every game we have is a big game to us," Harmon said. "Every week we're just practicing hard."

Playing a Friday game this season brought back memories of high school for Harmon, but the preparation was more compressed. "It was like going back to high school more, playing on Friday, but nothing really changed. Just a shorter week, so you try and get everything in, in almost like two days, really."

Reflecting on past matchups and stadium experiences, Harmon recalled a freshman year trip to Purdue. "They're trying to win. That's how I feel about any Big Ten team that's losing in the conference. Like, every week they're still trying to win the game." He added, "Michigan State was ranked three that year. We went in there, and they started whooping us."

As the season progresses, Harmon isn't dwelling on the past but focusing on the task at hand. "I was thinking like that, but like I said, I'm still focused on the season. We got one season ahead of us, so taking this one game at a time."

Harmon praised their opponent's running backs ahead of the next game. "He's powerful, he's explosive, he's hitting the gaps, great player. They got two good running backs back there. They both hit in the hole, they're very explosive. So that's gonna be the guys we need to stop."

The opposing quarterback also caught Harmon's attention for his dual-threat capabilities. "I've seen the quarterback, but he impressed last week with his legs a little bit. He's going to use his legs for sure. You give him a lane, he's going to take it and try to hurt you in that area. So just keeping him contained in the cage, that's our ability."

As Harmon and his team study film from past games, they're mindful of how teams evolve throughout the season. "Purdue, yeah, I guess they changed their OC or something like that. So, we're really just watching the Iowa game from last week. They put up 49 points."

For Derrick Harmon and his team, every game is a big game, and the focus remains on taking each challenge as it comes.