After regular starter Josh Haldi went down with a stress fracture in his right foot, sophomore quarterback Phil Horvath stepped to center stage.

A Naperville Central graduate, Horvath, 20, airs out his views after his first collegiate playing time.

Northern Star: What kind of quarterback are you?

Phil Horvath: I’m more of a pocket passer. I don’t have the best physical attributes, but I think I’m a hard worker and a smart quarterback who does the research.

NS: What was it like taking some hard hits for the first time since high school at the Maryland game?

PH: There were a couple hits that shook me up a bit, but I guess you could say it knocked some sense into me.

NS: What happened in that last play?

PH: I really didn’t know what was going on. The referee said he had started the clock, and I was pretty much waiting for him.

NS: Did you think you’d get a play off, or were you trying to stop the clock?

PH: At first, I thought we’d have two plays, but when I was snapped the ball, I looked up at the scoreboard and there were only six seconds left, so I tried to stop the clock.

NS: How nervous were you when you first took over for Josh Haldi?

PH: I wasn’t too nervous, but I was kinda too worked up. I wasn’t seeing things the best. I was frustrated after those two picks. After that, I learned that those windows close a lot quicker than they do at practice.

NS: Did the team’s attitude change at all after Jason Hawkins returned a fumble for a touchdown?

PH: I thought we were going to win the game. I was on the bench when I heard the hit and saw him score. At that point, I thought for sure we were going to win. After that play, it was completely different. It gave us hope.