Postgame Quotes: Indiana vs. Maryland
11/21/2015 6:28:00 PM | Football
Postgame Quotes
Indiana vs. Maryland
November 21, 2015
Indiana Head Coach Kevin Wilson
Opening Statement:
"This was a good win. The defense really settled down. We were giving up a bunch of cheap stuff early. But we settled down and played three strong quarters on the road late in the year. I'm really proud of the kids, it was a good win. The kicking was solid, they loaded the box on defense, forced us to throw, and we made some nice pass plays. It was a good win for us, proud of the guys."
On winning their first Big Ten game this season:
"We've been playing well. It's just nice for the kids to get a victory. Win, lose or draw you have to do it again. You are playing some good teams every week. I expected our kids to have a better week of practice and they did. I showed them clips of other teams and our coaches talked about how they prepared and our guys say they're a good team, so we prepare like it and we just had another good week of preparation. I liked how we weathered the storm because the game could have gone south. But I think it just shows that we have a great group of guys who believe, and that's why we've been battling so well and keep coming back every week like we do, even though the end result sometimes isn't ideal. We've played enough good football that slowly but surely our team is getting some confidence and we were able to get it done"
On the team's mindset after being down 21-3:
"I just told the offense that we've got to score 100 points, then we settled down. But I did make a comment to the team at the hotel this morning that if it was 28-3, we're up, or 21-3, we're down, we've got to keep playing. We've been complacent when we've been up sometimes this year and we've got rattled. No matter what's happening, if we continue to improve and we play good games here late in November, and when you're a good team you're going to play well, and when it doesn't go well or if it is going well you're just going to keep playing. I would have preferred the other choice of being up 28-3, but they took other advice when we were down. But I appreciate the kids continuing to play and I think it shows maturity. Our coaches settled down, our kids settled down, and the offense got a bit of rhythm and made some plays."
On running back Jordan Howard's injury:
"He's got a slight knee injury. He tried to practice and get through it, and it kind of glitched him up. Quite honestly I think that he could have played, but in reality the running game was kind of null because if you had six people blocking, they had seven or eight because they were playing man coverage one high, or man cover no high. They were putting a lot of people up there and forced us to throw one-on-one."
On the offense's slow start:
"The execution and getting a true feel of where they were the main issues. We knew that there were going to be a bunch of guys in the box and they did it a bunch of different ways. Just getting a feel for them and then Nate (Sudfeld) to settle down and really they got hot and we made some pass plays against the one on ones which was huge."
On team's preparation for the game:
"That's just how good team's prepare for games in November; every game counts. We've played some close games and coming up short. But we keep saying that we are a good team and if you are, you finally start pushing through that. So we've tried to coach and prepare our team because we think we've played enough good football the way a winning football team prepares. It has not been very negative; it's been very strong preparation. We showed some video last week during meals of just us playing on TV. We've played some good football. Now we don't like some of the outcomes, but we've got a team that has played some good football. To go on the road and win, you've got to play good football. I think it's a sign of good things and I think it's one of the better comebacks in school history. But again what happened for three quarters is the best team ball we've played since early in the year and it's good to see, and credit that to the seniors, they're a great group of guys."
Indiana Players
Indiana Wide Receiver Mitchell Paige
On the key win...
"It was great. It has been a tough six weeks. It was really good to just get a win. We are working and pushing so hard and just coming up short. But it feels awesome. It feels really good for how hard we have been working. It is a great group of guys. It just really feels awesome, especially going into The Bucket."
On Coach Kevin Wilson's pregame speech...
"It was kind of weird how that happened. He said '21-3 if we go down or ahead it doesn't matter we are just going to keep playing.' Obviously it happened. It was just really good to keep playing."
On going into the Bucket Game next week...
"We love that we still have something to play for in November. Meaningful games in November. That is what we have been trying to play for. Just having games that mean something and to keep pushing for stuff. It is obviously the Bucket Game, a huge rival (Purdue). It is a big game already but the fact that it is going to be for a bowl game makes it even bigger."
Indiana Quarterback Nate Sudfeld
On Coach Kevin Wilson's pregame speech...
"It was weird how he called it. But nobody was panicking on the sideline. We all knew that we could go out and score. We didn't feel like that they had stopped us. It was really our game. We kept on stopping ourselves."
On the onside kick...
"Anytime we can steal possession is big for the team."
On offensive productivity:
"It is awesome. The offensive line did a great job and Simmie (Cobbs Jr.) had some great catches."
Wide Receiver Simmie Cobbs Jr.
On his mindset trailing 21-3...
"There was still plenty of ball left to play. We weren't nervous. We knew we just had to make some plays. Early in the game, we weren't making the plays we needed to make. We left some plays on the field. Finally, we got into our motion, and started scoring."
On the team winning its first conference game...
"We play a lot of great opponents. Maryland is a great team. I'm just glad that we got the victory today."
Running Back Devine Redding
On having to replace the injured Jordan Howard...
"It was just like normal. As Coach always says, the next guy has to step up. Our defense was pretty tough, and we knew we were going to pound the ball on offense. It was just about being the next guy up."
On the team getting its first win...
"It's always nice to get the victory, especially as you get closer towards the end of the season. It's just going to lift the team up so we can keep rolling."
On playing a rivalry game with bowl eligibility on the line...
"It means a lot. It would be my first bowl, so that would be great. Next week will be a good team experience for everybody."
Wide Receiver Andre Booker
On the team's performance today...
"We just came out and we played today. It's as simple as that. In all facets of the game, we came to play and continued to play to the end. That's what Coach Wilson has been telling us all week long, to keep playing whether we're up 28-3 or down 28-3. That's what we focused on today."
On erasing an early 21-3 deficit...
"We just know that they have players too, scholarship players just like us. We know they're going to make a play, and we know that we have to respond. We can't focus on the scoreboard; we have to be focused on our job and our task at hand, and we know we have time. When they got the quick jump on us, we knew that we had time to respond, because we have guys capable of doing that."
On Nate Sudfeld's play today, especially his touchdown throw to Booker...
"I didn't [have to break stride]. He put it out there perfectly. He has that sweet arm, and the guys up front gave him great protection and a lot of time. He gave me a good ball, and all I had to do was run under it."
On the standout performance by his receiving counterpart, Simmie Cobbs Jr., who had a great game but failed to get in the end zone...
"We were on him on the sideline about it [laughs], but he was playing his butt off, he was killing it. He was really running out there and giving it his all, and that's all we ask."
On playing Purdue next weekend, and what the game means to him...
"It means a lot. We get the opportunity to go and get three [wins against Purdue] in a row, which hasn't happened here in a long time. It's going to be a big time game. You can throw all the records and stats out the window when it comes down to this rivalry game. It'll be a fun game, anything can happen, and we're ready for it."
Indiana vs. Maryland
November 21, 2015
Indiana Head Coach Kevin Wilson
Opening Statement:
"This was a good win. The defense really settled down. We were giving up a bunch of cheap stuff early. But we settled down and played three strong quarters on the road late in the year. I'm really proud of the kids, it was a good win. The kicking was solid, they loaded the box on defense, forced us to throw, and we made some nice pass plays. It was a good win for us, proud of the guys."
On winning their first Big Ten game this season:
"We've been playing well. It's just nice for the kids to get a victory. Win, lose or draw you have to do it again. You are playing some good teams every week. I expected our kids to have a better week of practice and they did. I showed them clips of other teams and our coaches talked about how they prepared and our guys say they're a good team, so we prepare like it and we just had another good week of preparation. I liked how we weathered the storm because the game could have gone south. But I think it just shows that we have a great group of guys who believe, and that's why we've been battling so well and keep coming back every week like we do, even though the end result sometimes isn't ideal. We've played enough good football that slowly but surely our team is getting some confidence and we were able to get it done"
On the team's mindset after being down 21-3:
"I just told the offense that we've got to score 100 points, then we settled down. But I did make a comment to the team at the hotel this morning that if it was 28-3, we're up, or 21-3, we're down, we've got to keep playing. We've been complacent when we've been up sometimes this year and we've got rattled. No matter what's happening, if we continue to improve and we play good games here late in November, and when you're a good team you're going to play well, and when it doesn't go well or if it is going well you're just going to keep playing. I would have preferred the other choice of being up 28-3, but they took other advice when we were down. But I appreciate the kids continuing to play and I think it shows maturity. Our coaches settled down, our kids settled down, and the offense got a bit of rhythm and made some plays."
On running back Jordan Howard's injury:
"He's got a slight knee injury. He tried to practice and get through it, and it kind of glitched him up. Quite honestly I think that he could have played, but in reality the running game was kind of null because if you had six people blocking, they had seven or eight because they were playing man coverage one high, or man cover no high. They were putting a lot of people up there and forced us to throw one-on-one."
On the offense's slow start:
"The execution and getting a true feel of where they were the main issues. We knew that there were going to be a bunch of guys in the box and they did it a bunch of different ways. Just getting a feel for them and then Nate (Sudfeld) to settle down and really they got hot and we made some pass plays against the one on ones which was huge."
On team's preparation for the game:
"That's just how good team's prepare for games in November; every game counts. We've played some close games and coming up short. But we keep saying that we are a good team and if you are, you finally start pushing through that. So we've tried to coach and prepare our team because we think we've played enough good football the way a winning football team prepares. It has not been very negative; it's been very strong preparation. We showed some video last week during meals of just us playing on TV. We've played some good football. Now we don't like some of the outcomes, but we've got a team that has played some good football. To go on the road and win, you've got to play good football. I think it's a sign of good things and I think it's one of the better comebacks in school history. But again what happened for three quarters is the best team ball we've played since early in the year and it's good to see, and credit that to the seniors, they're a great group of guys."
Indiana Players
Indiana Wide Receiver Mitchell Paige
On the key win...
"It was great. It has been a tough six weeks. It was really good to just get a win. We are working and pushing so hard and just coming up short. But it feels awesome. It feels really good for how hard we have been working. It is a great group of guys. It just really feels awesome, especially going into The Bucket."
On Coach Kevin Wilson's pregame speech...
"It was kind of weird how that happened. He said '21-3 if we go down or ahead it doesn't matter we are just going to keep playing.' Obviously it happened. It was just really good to keep playing."
On going into the Bucket Game next week...
"We love that we still have something to play for in November. Meaningful games in November. That is what we have been trying to play for. Just having games that mean something and to keep pushing for stuff. It is obviously the Bucket Game, a huge rival (Purdue). It is a big game already but the fact that it is going to be for a bowl game makes it even bigger."
Indiana Quarterback Nate Sudfeld
On Coach Kevin Wilson's pregame speech...
"It was weird how he called it. But nobody was panicking on the sideline. We all knew that we could go out and score. We didn't feel like that they had stopped us. It was really our game. We kept on stopping ourselves."
On the onside kick...
"Anytime we can steal possession is big for the team."
On offensive productivity:
"It is awesome. The offensive line did a great job and Simmie (Cobbs Jr.) had some great catches."
Wide Receiver Simmie Cobbs Jr.
On his mindset trailing 21-3...
"There was still plenty of ball left to play. We weren't nervous. We knew we just had to make some plays. Early in the game, we weren't making the plays we needed to make. We left some plays on the field. Finally, we got into our motion, and started scoring."
On the team winning its first conference game...
"We play a lot of great opponents. Maryland is a great team. I'm just glad that we got the victory today."
Running Back Devine Redding
On having to replace the injured Jordan Howard...
"It was just like normal. As Coach always says, the next guy has to step up. Our defense was pretty tough, and we knew we were going to pound the ball on offense. It was just about being the next guy up."
On the team getting its first win...
"It's always nice to get the victory, especially as you get closer towards the end of the season. It's just going to lift the team up so we can keep rolling."
On playing a rivalry game with bowl eligibility on the line...
"It means a lot. It would be my first bowl, so that would be great. Next week will be a good team experience for everybody."
Wide Receiver Andre Booker
On the team's performance today...
"We just came out and we played today. It's as simple as that. In all facets of the game, we came to play and continued to play to the end. That's what Coach Wilson has been telling us all week long, to keep playing whether we're up 28-3 or down 28-3. That's what we focused on today."
On erasing an early 21-3 deficit...
"We just know that they have players too, scholarship players just like us. We know they're going to make a play, and we know that we have to respond. We can't focus on the scoreboard; we have to be focused on our job and our task at hand, and we know we have time. When they got the quick jump on us, we knew that we had time to respond, because we have guys capable of doing that."
On Nate Sudfeld's play today, especially his touchdown throw to Booker...
"I didn't [have to break stride]. He put it out there perfectly. He has that sweet arm, and the guys up front gave him great protection and a lot of time. He gave me a good ball, and all I had to do was run under it."
On the standout performance by his receiving counterpart, Simmie Cobbs Jr., who had a great game but failed to get in the end zone...
"We were on him on the sideline about it [laughs], but he was playing his butt off, he was killing it. He was really running out there and giving it his all, and that's all we ask."
On playing Purdue next weekend, and what the game means to him...
"It means a lot. We get the opportunity to go and get three [wins against Purdue] in a row, which hasn't happened here in a long time. It's going to be a big time game. You can throw all the records and stats out the window when it comes down to this rivalry game. It'll be a fun game, anything can happen, and we're ready for it."
Players Mentioned
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