Indiana University Athletics
Head Coach Terry Hoeppner's Weekly Press Conference
11/8/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 8, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana head coach Terry Hoeppner met with the media Tuesday, Nov. 8, for his weekly press conference.
On the status of Russ Richardson and James Hardy:
"I am pretty sure we won't have Russ this week. We are still hopeful that he will be able to play against Purdue. I am not ever going to rule out James Hardy. He has not been a 100-percent healthy all year. He is a pretty resilient guy. He tries to find a way to play the game."
On injuries to the team:
"We have an unusual amount of bumps and bruises. As all physical games are, sometimes it is easier for it to become an accumulative thing. Going into week 10, everybody is a little bumped and bruised. Right now, I think we will have everybody but Russ."
On the wide receiver situation:
"It is an opportunity for someone else to step up and play. We have other guys. At this point, I am not going to take anybody's redshirt off. That is another issue. For example, Nick Polk. He is with us and not on the scout team. He knows the offense and could go in and play. He could go in and play very well at every position, but I can't play him in games. At this point, I am not going to sacrifice an entire year of eligibility for him. We have other options and personnel groups. Matt O'Neal played a lot last week. We can use some of the other tight ends. Instead of playing four wide as much as we want, we will play three. That is part of the challenge at this time of the year."
On Michigan:
"They are a few plays from contending for the Big Ten championships and being ranked in the top five. The advantage Michigan has is the consistency in their coaching staff and program. I know a lot of their coaches and coached against them last year. Chad Henne's first game in college was against us in Miami. Watching them and seeing how they played against Notre Dame and Wisconsin. What they haven't done is panic and depart from the way they do things. They do things the Michigan way. The fact that they have been together and are going to do things the way they have always done them and the players know that. At some point, the players start making those plays that make a difference. Notre Dame made a few more plays than they did. Wisconsin obviously made a big play with John Stocco's run. If they tackle Stocco, that is the difference in an outcome. All of the sudden, Michigan wins that big game. That is where we want to be. I think we have accomplished a lot towards that end this year. We aren't there yet. The way we played in the third quarter last week is evidence that we are not where we need to be as a team. We need to be able to respond. Even after they scored in the third quarter, we were still tied with them. We need to be energized by that and make a drive. We drove the ball, and I thought we should have more points than we had in the first half."
On the impact the wind had on the game against Minnesota:
"It was critical for us to get the ball out from under the shadow of our goalpost because of the wind. We talked about as a coaching staff. We are going to take the ball, what are they going to do? Are they going to take the wind in the third quarter or save it for the fourth quarter? I have done things different. If I am ahead, I have given the team the wind in the third quarter and said we need to win the third quarter. Then we really have them. If you are behind, then you don't want to lose it. Even though the wind wasn't that great of a factor, it affects the kicking game tremendously. Their kicker had two touchbacks going into that game. He had four in the second half against us. They took advantage of the wind and we are starting at the 20."
On trying to withstand a momentum change:
"We need to get to that point. The beauty of our game is that it is a coaches' game, but you also can't really call that basketball-type timeout to stop momentum. You have to do it on an individual basis with conferences on the sideline. Then, you need to take the field and make plays that turn it back around. We didn't do it. Then, we threw the pick. All of the sudden, it snowballs. A mature team with a coaching staff that has been together for years finds ways to respond to that and not let the game get out of hand like we did."
On Michigan's success as a program:
"Michigan has stayed the course, and that is how it appears to me. They didn't change quarterbacks. They have had some injuries, but they are to the point in their program that they can put in a third tailback and he is still pretty good. They can withstand some injuries to starters and still be pretty good. They aren't going to change dramatically. What we see on tape from them is something we will probably see. When you add the atmosphere they have, I think I was probably thinking about playing Michigan when I came up with `Crowds Help Win Games.' That is an impressive place to play. It is not the loudest stadium, but it is like you feel you are going into the old Roman Coliseum. There is only one way in and one way out. If they block that exit out, we can't escape. Your bench is right at the end of the tunnel.
Last year, they took the field first and then allowed us to take the field. When I was up there the first time, we were told to get on the field and then get out of the way, because the horde of Wolverines is going to come charging down that tunnel. We got on the field and went down in the corner and watched them come on the field. I remember my first game there as head coach. It was Ben Roethlisberger's first game in 2000. We were coming down the tunnel and get out to our bench area. We went down in the end zone, but we sauntered onto the field. I walked by one of my associate athletics directors at the time and said `Check it out. We are sauntering on the field.' We weren't scurrying down in the corner. It didn't do us any good, but we were trying to have a sense of confidence.
Then, we went up there last year with the nation's longest winning streak fully intending to win the game. If you stop the game at the end of the first quarter, you would have said `Wow, that team in white is the team with the nation's longest winning streak. They are probably the better team in this game.' We dominated the game. We played it on our end. We returned a punt for a touchdown that was called back, but we are winning the game. A couple turnovers, then we are behind 10 at halftime. That game got away from us."
On bouncing back during practice this week:
"We are going to have a great week of practice. Watching us last week, we were practicing with enthusiasm. You want to be able to say, `See guys. That paid off.' The effort and enthusiasm we practiced with. We can't say that. We didn't win the game. We played a decent first half and a horrible third quarter. How does that change things? It doesn't. We have to come back this week and practice harder and even better with more energy and enthusiasm. That is the challenge for any football team that is not winning and having positive momentum at this stage in the game. Our seniors are very determined. I am confident that the younger guys will respond and not write this off. That is the beauty of our game. It gives you another opportunity. I know what I am going to do. I am going to do the same thing as the previous nine weeks and a little more. I am coming in on Monday and the coaching staff is going to do the same. At this point, it becomes inevitable that you have more games and tape available. You have more information that you can access and evaluate. At this point, we don't want to leave any stone unturned. I am not a big telephone guy, but I have talked to a couple people who have played against Michigan. We have shared some things. I have done what I normally do and a little bit more. I have challenge our guys to do the same. How about an extra set in the weight room? How about some extra effort in practice? We are going to have a great practice today. I am going to demand that we have a great practice. The players I have talked to are eager and excited. The attitude of this team continues to impress me. It hasn't dropped in the last month. I still love this team and am proud of them. I challenged them to not hang their head or slink around. Stick your chest out and your chin up. Walk around and be proud you are a part of this football team. Nobody else on this campus can do what you are doing."
