Indiana University Athletics
CAM CAMERON'S TUESDAY PRESS CONFERENCE
10/27/1998 12:00:00 AM | Football
CAM CAMERON'S TUESDAY PRESS CONFERENCE
"They (Ohio State) have a similar front to Michigan. You look at seven guys that are big and can run. Just like the Michigan guys, you can block them but they don't stay blocked. The biggest step we have to make in our offense whether we're going option or throwing is that we have to block. Ohio State is as good defensively this year as Michigan was last year. Michigan was the number one defense in America last year. I think Ohio State is ranked second in the country (defensively) and first in every category in the league. We're spending an awful lot of time to come up with ways where we can get positive yardage, because they are the best team in this league at creating the negative play. We've got to be extremely sharp on special teams. They're the best special teams team that we have played because their cover teams have great speed. They're return guys are dangerous. Offensively, they are loaded. (Michael) Wiley's now playing like the Ohio State running backs like (Eddie) George and some of the other good backs there. The tight end (John) Lumpkin might be the best tight end they've had. John Cooper says (Joe) Germaine is playing the best of any quarterback he's coached. Dee Miller (OSU flanker) is a nice complement and he can kill you if you concentrate too much on (David) Boston. Their offensive line is the most improved part of their football team from a year ago. We've got our work cut out for us. These are the kind of football games that you find out a lot about where you are. Everybody wants to talk about how improved we are and all those things. Now you really find out how much you've improved or if you've improved because this is a legitimate top five football team. I can't wait to see how our guys respond, because we didn't respond real well offensively in the second half against Michigan."
Ohio State's offensive pressure
"Any team that has the ability to run the ball down your throat
creates problems for you. It doesn't create problems for scheme-wise, it
creates a physical problem for you. Those (problems) are very difficult
for a young team to handle. Going back to the Michigan game, they brought
in (Anthony) Thomas and they ran it down our throat for one series. It
was the first time that I can remember a team running the ball on us and
we came back and got it stopped. It didn't just continue and continue.
Ohio State is going to do that but obviously they want to get that ball
to Boston and Lumpkin. They will not be one-dimensional. They are going
to mix it up. You've got to stop both against Ohio State. They're not
going to come in and just run the football. They want to throw the football
and once you commit to the pass they will take it and run it down your throat."
Ohio State QB Joe Germaine from last year to this year
"Their whole offense has gotten better. Anytime your offensive
line improves, your quarterback is going to improve. They are running better
so that takes the pressure off the quarterback. Anytime you run the ball,
it simplifies the defenses. It simplifies the number of looks the quarterback
will get in terms of coverage. Secondly, the minute you pass protect better
the quarterback is going to be more accurate. I think he's improved, but
I think it's a function of the offensive line."
Germaine's accuracy and poise
"Again, he has more time to throw so he's more accurate. I think
he has more poise and you gain more poise the more you play. He makes some
difficult throws even when he is under pressure. We got some pressure on
him last year and I'm sure they're going to look at that. People aren't
getting much pressure on him this year."
Ohio State's defensive success
"Linebackers that are big, physical and fast guys. When everybody
is single-blocked, they have enough players in the front that something
is going to give. They also rotate a lot of guys through their defensive
line which keeps guys fresh. There are times when you get them blocked
and you're running downfield and the linebacker runs over and makes a tackle
for only a three yard gain. If you get them (lineman) blocked, the linebacker's
going to make the tackle for only a three yard gain. The linebackers give
them the ability to recover and fix any mistake that they do make."
Indiana's passing offense
"The biggest problem we're having throwing the football is a function
of our protection. When you have a quarterback like Antwaan Randle El,
a lot of guys may not block as long because they think he's going to bail
them out by scrambling around and making plays. We have to get back to
protecting the quarterback when we go to throw the football. We had people
open the entire second half (against Michigan), but when you have a guy
in your face every snap you can't see those open guys. If we block better,
we're going to run the ball better and if we block better we're going to
protect better. At Ohio State, they're protecting better so it makes their
quarterback better. I think our receivers can make the plays."
Importance of this game
"Because played so bad offensively in the second half at Michigan,
Ohio State is the furthest thing from our mind today. It won't be by the
time the game starts. It doesn't matter who we are playing on Saturday,
we need to go out today and get those things corrected from the second half
of Michigan or it's not going to matter. We're going to get to where we
are zeroing in on Ohio State as the week goes on. It doesn't matter who
we are playing this week, if we don't get these things corrected, we aren't
going to beat anybody. That is our approach going into today. We are
working on Indiana and once we get things corrected then we'll really start
zeroing in on Ohio State. That's just where we are right now."
