Indiana University Athletics
Quotes from Cameron: Preview Minnesota and Looking Back at Michigan
10/17/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
2000-2001 News Update
Cam Cameron Weekly Press Conference
Bloomington, Ind. -- Cam Cameron addresses the media each Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. to discuss the previous week's game and the upcoming games for the Hoosiers.
Opening Statement:
"Going back to the Michigan game, again - give Michigan credit. As I told you after the ball game, we went back and looked at it. It looked exactly like we thought it would look. There are no excuses from our standpoint. No one on our football team played anywhere capable of us winning a ball game or they were capable of playing. We've spent a lot of time with our football team these last couple days getting them regrouped. We will get back on the practice field today. Minnesota, obviously, is a very good football team. They are a better football team than they were a year ago. That is probably as well I've seen a team play in Columbus in some time in all three phases. They block a punt, they played extremely well defensively, and especially did some great things offensively in the second half. As you know, any time anything happens like it did on Saturday you start to focus on yourself, what you've got to do to get things corrected in all three phases. That's what we'll do today at practice."
The mood of the team after the loss:
"About the way that you would expect it. They were upset on Sunday. I don't know how talented we are but I know we have character on this team. We've got leadership. Some things took place on Sunday that were positive that came from within the team...things that were not previously encouraged upon by the coaching staff. It wasn't something we (the coaching staff) tried to get done; they did it on their own. I think they are upset. They are embarrassed, I think they are disappointed, which you want them to be. We met as a team this morning to talk about what we have to do from this point forward. We've got five games left. We've got to challenge every guy. Obviously, it is not real pleasant."
How painful was it to watch the tape? Do you watch it once and get rid of it? Can you learn something from that?
"It's all of the above. Everything you said it true. A) It's painful, B) You'd like to throw it away and get rid of it but it's there. So you go back that this is our team, that this is a team that I coached, this is a team we coached - that is us. To be blind of that would be a mistake. I want to look at the guys, individually, and see how they are responding. How is a Sione Ohuafi, an Anthony Oakley, a redshirt freshman responding? How is Craig Osika responding? Our two tackles, Enoch DeMar, A.C. Myler, played right down to the end and played hard as they could play. How did our tight ends respond? Our receivers? Our defensive line? What did Steve Williams do that in that situation? What does Herman Fowler do? Scott Genord, a redshirt freshman do, how do they respond? What did Duane Stone, a freshman, and Clarence Young, a freshman, Joe Gonzalez, a sophomore, respond? You learn about guys, I am not trying to make the point that there are
a lot of young guys out there but a lot of young guys got to play. You find out a lot about a guy. Johnny Anderson flew around to the minute the horn blew. Every opportunity he got to hit somebody he did. So that doesn't surprise me. Yeah, you go back and look at it."
What you came away with after watching the tape?
"Well, No. 1, you can't get a punt blocked and run it in for a touchdown. Secondly, you can't drive down to their 20-yard line, take a sack, than snap the ball over your head and wind up with a 3rd and 43. That's two. You can't take a routine play, where you are faking it to a back and drop the ball on the ground. David Terrell (Michigan wide receiver), we recruited him, we recruited most of the guys on that football team that we played against. Marquise Walker (Michigan wide receiver) was in our summer camp. We can't let two, big, good-looking guys jump up and go behind your secondary, jump up and catch the football. So you have those two touchdowns. The blocked punt and those mistakes..."
How do you go about correcting those mistakes?
"You go back right at it. You don't hide the fact. You put the expectation on the guys to get it corrected. It would be no different if one of you guys were out there. (Editorial Note: Cam asks if there are any student reporters in attendance?) You know the things that are in the minds of people your age. Say we take you two people out there in front of 110,000 people and you make a couple mistakes. All of a sudden, it goes against you. We just couldn't get it stopped. All of a sudden, you are trying to cover David Terrell. We didn't do a good job of covering him. Just like that is our student-athletes, that could be either of you, two guys out there. Am I right? That team could do that to a lot of people. When you are dealing with young people, you have to get right back out there. We are going to put them in those situations today. We are going to run those plays right back at them. Minnesota is going to look at that tape. They are going to run the same plays. That is what most people do.
"There is a delicate balance, but how simple can you make it your game plan, so you can it execute it better. But that it is so simple you don't give yourself an opportunity to take advantage of the defense that you are playing against. We were able to do some good things early. I mentioned it to you earlier in the season, we didn't want to outsmart ourselves with a young offensive line. This is why you don't see some of the stuff you saw even last year. That tends to catch up with you a little bit. We went in and maybe put in too many adjustments, trying to keep the offense alive. We haven't executed because we put in some stuff and we have young people in there up front, that is a part. Northwestern did a great job of pressuring the quarterback and we turned the ball over against Michigan. Opponent offenses have scored only three touchdowns in Ann Arbor all year long."
The Minnesota defense:
"Minnesota's defense has improved from last year. They wound up with the No. 1 defense in the league last year at the end of the season. They have seven seniors on defense. I think they have the best corner in the league (Willie Middlebrooks). Maybe he's not the most talented but he plays the best. He is a big 6-2, 200lb., guy who just locks up on you man-to-man. He's run with every guy in the league for the last few years. We all know that if you get one corner
on one side of the field that could do that it really helps the other 10 guys. It frees up the safeties to support the run because you don't have to give the guy any help. That is an improved defense."
About the strength of the Minnesota offensive line, are they pro-potential?:
"I don't know the exact height and weight. You watch how some of the guys play and they play that way. Hamilton is an All-American. There aren't many centers that can snap the ball and pull around or athletic enough to pull all the away around the tackle and block linebackers. I have seen him do that a couple of times against Ohio State. Obviously, he is a good athlete. I saw where Glen said they are better than they were from when they lost a couple of early games this year - is that they are blocking better up front. I would have to agree with him on that."
How does the Minnesota's offense stack up in comparison to our other opponents?
"It doesn't get any easier. If you get one good wide receiver, you've got to find a way to get a back. Obviously, their quarterback has been extremely productive. They are doing some good things. They did a great job of keeping Ohio State off balance. They'd come in with four wides (receivers), three wides. Cole has a good understanding of what they are trying to do when they have a no-back, one-back set. When they come in with two backs, they do a good job of keeping you out of balance."
Is this team psychologically fragile?
"We must be. That's one thing we've addressed. We've been talking about mental toughness and the way winners think. We obviously have to get over that hurdle, mentally. You all have heard that before, mental is to physical as four is toone."
Satisfaction with tailback Levron Williams?
"At this stage we are not pleased with anyone. We were doing some good things in the last two weeks but we just haven't executed. Our quarterback hasn't executed. Our backs haven't executed. We are not playing as well as we have played. The guy calling the plays isn't calling the plays as well. All those things. When you get to this point in the season people know who you are. Getting into league play, people are more familiar with what you are doing.
October 10, 2000
Cam Cameron Weekly Press Conference
Bloomington, Ind. -- Cam Cameron addresses the media each Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. to discuss the previous week's game and the upcoming games for the Hoosiers.
Opening Statement:
"Going back to the Michigan game, again - give Michigan credit. As I told you after the ball game, we went back and looked at it. It looked exactly like we thought it would look. There are no excuses from our standpoint. No one on our football team played anywhere capable of us winning a ball game or they were capable of playing. We've spent a lot of time with our football team these last couple days getting them regrouped. We will get back on the practice field today. Minnesota, obviously, is a very good football team. They are a better football team than they were a year ago. That is probably as well I've seen a team play in Columbus in some time in all three phases. They block a punt, they played extremely well defensively, and especially did some great things offensively in the second half. As you know, any time anything happens like it did on Saturday you start to focus on yourself, what you've got to do to get things corrected in all three phases. That's what we'll do today at practice."
The mood of the team after the loss:
"About the way that you would expect it. They were upset on Sunday. I don't know how talented we are but I know we have character on this team. We've got leadership. Some things took place on Sunday that were positive that came from within the team...things that were not previously encouraged upon by the coaching staff. It wasn't something we (the coaching staff) tried to get done; they did it on their own. I think they are upset. They are embarrassed, I think they are disappointed, which you want them to be. We met as a team this morning to talk about what we have to do from this point forward. We've got five games left. We've got to challenge every guy. Obviously, it is not real pleasant."
How painful was it to watch the tape? Do you watch it once and get rid of it? Can you learn something from that?
"It's all of the above. Everything you said it true. A) It's painful, B) You'd like to throw it away and get rid of it but it's there. So you go back that this is our team, that this is a team that I coached, this is a team we coached - that is us. To be blind of that would be a mistake. I want to look at the guys, individually, and see how they are responding. How is a Sione Ohuafi, an Anthony Oakley, a redshirt freshman responding? How is Craig Osika responding? Our two tackles, Enoch DeMar, A.C. Myler, played right down to the end and played hard as they could play. How did our tight ends respond? Our receivers? Our defensive line? What did Steve Williams do that in that situation? What does Herman Fowler do? Scott Genord, a redshirt freshman do, how do they respond? What did Duane Stone, a freshman, and Clarence Young, a freshman, Joe Gonzalez, a sophomore, respond? You learn about guys, I am not trying to make the point that there are
a lot of young guys out there but a lot of young guys got to play. You find out a lot about a guy. Johnny Anderson flew around to the minute the horn blew. Every opportunity he got to hit somebody he did. So that doesn't surprise me. Yeah, you go back and look at it."
What you came away with after watching the tape?
"Well, No. 1, you can't get a punt blocked and run it in for a touchdown. Secondly, you can't drive down to their 20-yard line, take a sack, than snap the ball over your head and wind up with a 3rd and 43. That's two. You can't take a routine play, where you are faking it to a back and drop the ball on the ground. David Terrell (Michigan wide receiver), we recruited him, we recruited most of the guys on that football team that we played against. Marquise Walker (Michigan wide receiver) was in our summer camp. We can't let two, big, good-looking guys jump up and go behind your secondary, jump up and catch the football. So you have those two touchdowns. The blocked punt and those mistakes..."
How do you go about correcting those mistakes?
"You go back right at it. You don't hide the fact. You put the expectation on the guys to get it corrected. It would be no different if one of you guys were out there. (Editorial Note: Cam asks if there are any student reporters in attendance?) You know the things that are in the minds of people your age. Say we take you two people out there in front of 110,000 people and you make a couple mistakes. All of a sudden, it goes against you. We just couldn't get it stopped. All of a sudden, you are trying to cover David Terrell. We didn't do a good job of covering him. Just like that is our student-athletes, that could be either of you, two guys out there. Am I right? That team could do that to a lot of people. When you are dealing with young people, you have to get right back out there. We are going to put them in those situations today. We are going to run those plays right back at them. Minnesota is going to look at that tape. They are going to run the same plays. That is what most people do.
"There is a delicate balance, but how simple can you make it your game plan, so you can it execute it better. But that it is so simple you don't give yourself an opportunity to take advantage of the defense that you are playing against. We were able to do some good things early. I mentioned it to you earlier in the season, we didn't want to outsmart ourselves with a young offensive line. This is why you don't see some of the stuff you saw even last year. That tends to catch up with you a little bit. We went in and maybe put in too many adjustments, trying to keep the offense alive. We haven't executed because we put in some stuff and we have young people in there up front, that is a part. Northwestern did a great job of pressuring the quarterback and we turned the ball over against Michigan. Opponent offenses have scored only three touchdowns in Ann Arbor all year long."
The Minnesota defense:
"Minnesota's defense has improved from last year. They wound up with the No. 1 defense in the league last year at the end of the season. They have seven seniors on defense. I think they have the best corner in the league (Willie Middlebrooks). Maybe he's not the most talented but he plays the best. He is a big 6-2, 200lb., guy who just locks up on you man-to-man. He's run with every guy in the league for the last few years. We all know that if you get one corner
on one side of the field that could do that it really helps the other 10 guys. It frees up the safeties to support the run because you don't have to give the guy any help. That is an improved defense."
About the strength of the Minnesota offensive line, are they pro-potential?:
"I don't know the exact height and weight. You watch how some of the guys play and they play that way. Hamilton is an All-American. There aren't many centers that can snap the ball and pull around or athletic enough to pull all the away around the tackle and block linebackers. I have seen him do that a couple of times against Ohio State. Obviously, he is a good athlete. I saw where Glen said they are better than they were from when they lost a couple of early games this year - is that they are blocking better up front. I would have to agree with him on that."
How does the Minnesota's offense stack up in comparison to our other opponents?
"It doesn't get any easier. If you get one good wide receiver, you've got to find a way to get a back. Obviously, their quarterback has been extremely productive. They are doing some good things. They did a great job of keeping Ohio State off balance. They'd come in with four wides (receivers), three wides. Cole has a good understanding of what they are trying to do when they have a no-back, one-back set. When they come in with two backs, they do a good job of keeping you out of balance."
Is this team psychologically fragile?
"We must be. That's one thing we've addressed. We've been talking about mental toughness and the way winners think. We obviously have to get over that hurdle, mentally. You all have heard that before, mental is to physical as four is toone."
Satisfaction with tailback Levron Williams?
"At this stage we are not pleased with anyone. We were doing some good things in the last two weeks but we just haven't executed. Our quarterback hasn't executed. Our backs haven't executed. We are not playing as well as we have played. The guy calling the plays isn't calling the plays as well. All those things. When you get to this point in the season people know who you are. Getting into league play, people are more familiar with what you are doing.
Thursday, August 13
Thursday, August 13
Tuesday, August 11
Tuesday, August 11