Indiana University Athletics
Gibran Hamdan Press Conference
10/8/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
October 8, 2002
Bloomington, Ind. -
Opening Statement: "The team is really excited about the weekend. I have never experienced a week off in the middle of the season quite like it is now. The rejuvenation factor is definitely there. I think we are really excited about playing at home this week and it is a chance to come back to Memorial Stadium and do some things in front of our home fans. From the standpoint of the team I feel that we are extremely excited and I think that you are going to see a great game this Saturday."
Q: What do you remember about the Wisconsin game from last year?
"The Wisconsin game last year was one of those days where everything was just clicking. I can't really explain it, everyone was in the zone. We had a really good game plan going into the game and we executed it almost flawlessly. Those are the kind of games that go down in our mind as playing an outstanding game, and it didn't really matter who we were playing against, we were going to be successful. That was last year, and this year is a different year. I am just thinking about this year."
Q: After last year's game, how do you think Wisconsin will come in this year?
"You want to say that they are going to use last year's game as motivation, but with the way college football is now and the way different players emerge every season, there are different guys. I am sure there are going to be a lot of guys that played in last year's game, but again, from our standpoint we, are a totally different team than we were last year and so we are not looking at last year's game as any predicator for how this weekend is going to go. We are going to prepare for this game just like we will prepare for any other game and we are going to go out and play as well as we can. I believe that that's what they will do too. There is no reason to look back and try to say 'well last year this happened or this didn't happen.' It is a new season and we are both different teams."
Q: Talk about the offensive line in general and what Enoch brings to the table?
"Our offensive line is a veteran group and it is good to have that in an offensive line. The position doesn't get a lot of credit and that is the nature of an offensive lineman, they play the sport knowing that. But any good quarterback, running back or receiver will tell that without them nothing really works on offense. It is good because when you are in the trenches, you really do need experience because often times on one play things might not go your way and you have to rebound the next time through. As for Enoch, I feel that he is the leader of the offensive line and the leader of our offense in a lot of respects. In that he has had experience in the Big Ten, he is our captain, and he has been in those battles before. Enoch is the stabilizing force for our offensive lineman. But you look all the way down, you've got Bobby Brandt who was an honorable mention last year All Big Ten, you have A.C Myler who is a very talented player, you've got Oakley, our offensive line we have incorporated some younger guys. We are trying to incorporated some younger faces, but the older guys are doing a tremendous job."
Q: In order to have success in the red zone, does that hinge on the running backs?
"Definitely, in football the game is won on the line a lot of times. When you put yourself in short yardage situations or the red zone, that is the key, being able to win that line of scrimmage battle in the red zone is very key, you can establish your running game that way."
Q: Is there anything in particular holding you guys back from scoring more points?
"I don't want to say that there is anything in particular, it is the same thing. In every play you have to keep your focus, pay attention to detail, and be precise. Regardless of where you are on the field, that precision comes into play. I think that we are beyond the point that it is one thing that's stopping us every time, which is a good thing, at least we know that we have done all things that a successful offense needs to do. Now the key is just doing it more often than not. The good thing about our offense is that we have shown that we can do a variety of things that it takes for an offense to be successful. It is just a matter of everyone deciding and understanding that we need to do those all the time to score more points."
Q: What changes for the offense when you are in the red zone?
"The field gets a little tighter, there is not enough room to work with, you can't spread the secondary as much as you would like to get as many throwing lanes as possible. Any good defense in the red zone will bear down because it is a victory for the defense to hold the offense to three points. A lot of Big Ten defenses are going to be that type of defense where you drove down on them, but they are the quality kind of defenses that are going to buckle down and focus."
Q: What do you see in Wisconsin?
"Their defense puts a few guys in the box to stop the run, but they have a unique ability to recognize pass and drop into the zone well. They are a very talented team and it should be an outstanding test for us, especially for where we are as an offense, because I think that we will have to run the ball well and throw the ball effectively to win the football game. It should be a good test.
