Indiana University Athletics
Head Coach Terry Hoeppner's Weekly Press Conference
8/30/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 30, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana head coach Terry Hoeppner met with the media today for his weekly press conference.
Opening statement:
Good afternoon. I don't know exactly how many days it has been since I was up at the top level of the Hoosier Room looking out to you for the first time. A lot has happened since then. Before we start talking IU Football, I just want to say the rain today gives us a little bit of a sense of what the people down south are going through. We are directly affected by that. Some of our families, Dean Kleinschmidt has a home down there. His family had to move out. Joe Palcic's parents, with his dad coaching with the Saints and his mom with the other Saints' wives, was also affected. They found a hotel up north someplace. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them. It is sobering for us. I was feeling bad that we couldn't practice exactly where we want to practice today, since we have to go inside. Big deal. We are very fortunate. We can only hope for the best for them. I haven't seen many reports, but I have listened to the radio on what is going on.
In our world, I have gained the ability to do this at Miami. We played Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday games. I convince the staff and players that this is Wednesday and that tomorrow will be Thursday in our football world. We will depart on Friday and play the game on Saturday. It just makes more sense for what we do. We do that for a purpose. Even though we haven't gone through it with our team, there is a traditional normal Wednesday routine that we will go through. This is establishing that routine. Sunday was our Tuesday routine. That is so we could have a normal Tuesday practice, as we would do throughout the season, since we will be playing on Saturday throughout the rest of the season.
We went to class yesterday and again today. That is an element that I remember as freshman in college. I didn't handle it very well. I was at football practice and all of the sudden I have these other obligations. I speak to our freshmen from experience. You need to get off to a great start. You need to go to class and we are confident that they did.
On how many players are going on the trip:
We are taking 70 on this trip. All 70 are expected to play. Probably the latest addition to the able-to go list is James Hardy. Again, by design, I was talking to the doctors and I just said for us to quit messing around with him and get him well so that he is not two steps forward and one step back. I saw James yesterday and he said it felt good. He will be able to practice today and play a limited amount. I am not expecting him to go out there snap one and play the entire game. For a guy that has not played in a game, to be able to phase him in - even if it is 10 or 12 snaps - I think it will be a bonus for James and for us.
On whether James Hardy is ready to go:
I am not going to put him out there if he is not ready to go. Dean wouldn't allow it. We are anticipating him being ready to go. He feels good. He has been doing underwater workouts with the treadmill in Assembly Hall. We have been able to keep him in a degree of conditioning. He just isn't in football shape. He needed camp. We plan for the unexpected and work the plan. He came out of the shoot with such a good couple of practices early on. He was really into it. He really wants to. That is half the battle. His role will be limited, but he is a pretty talented guy. I would like to see him out in the game.
On how he feels about holding Blake Powers out of practice:
I think that was a good move. It is tough as a coach to make yourself do that. It was a cooperative effort. We were limiting his pitches, as we said. We were being careful with him. I finally said to take a couple of days off and see where that gets us. It turned out to be a good move. When he came back on Friday, he felt good and he has felt good since. We are still monitoring him. He just needed time off. He was pretty good throughout the summer. He had some days when you overload them in the early part of camp. It was a good move. It is hard to do that. As coaches, you want your guys practicing. You want your quarterback, who needs all the reps he can get, to be practicing. Discretion was the better part of valor there for sure.
On the readiness of the underclassmen for the first game:
One of the reasons this game is a special day, with the three days of great significance. Signing day, so much goes into getting a recruit to sign on the dotted line. Years, in some cases, of effort. Then, when you get the team to the first day of fall camp. The anticipation that you have for that first day. Then, the element of the unknown for us. You don't know your team. How is that team going to be? Once you step between the lines, how is that team going to do this year? The 2005 version of the team. Then you combine that with the unknown of the opponent. Even if you have played them before, we have seen this team on tape against us. I have played against Central Michigan and have been at their stadium, but they are going to be different. They are going to do some different things with their players. Some of their players are gone and some of them are a year older and you would assume they are better. When you throw all that into the mix, then there is that anticipation. It has also been so long. I love playing games. That is the best part of my reasoning behind saying that this is such a special day. It has been a long time since we have played a football game. Then, the learning curve involved in going through a game with this staff and this team. That is why we did what we did on Friday. We tried to, to the minute with kickoff at 7:34; we took the field at the same time we will take the field on Friday. We tried to organize it to the minute. It was new for some of the coaches and the players. That is why we did the dress rehearsal.
On the senior class:
I have said this class will always have a spot in my heart, because of the way they have helped get us to this point. You can only do so much. They are the ones, especially during the summer, that are with their teammates much more time than we are by legislation. We can't be with the players during the summer. We can't practice or run them. This senior class, they have made this transition, better than I would have thought it might be. I owe them a lot. I have challenged the underclassmen and the staff for us to do whatever we can for them. The senior year is a special year. Then you have these changes thrust upon you. Change is difficult. I am probably as close to John Pannozzo as any senior on the team. When we went to the women's soccer game, John asked to ride with me. Early on, he would have made sure he went with anyone but me. They have experiences as a college football and traveling and I will remind them of that as they continue to lead us throughout the season.
On placekicking:
At one point, I thought it was a little bit like our quarterback situation in that we had talent but some inexperience. It is even greater with these guys, because none of them has taken a kick in the college game. Quoting Tiger Woods, Ranger Rick can do it on the driving range, but can you do it on the course where it counts? Can you do it on the field? We tried to simulate a lot of things with the freshmen hollering at them and singing the fight song. I've walked in front of them. I've threatened them, cajoled and pleaded. I've tried to put them in as many game situations as possible. I think the guy who has kicked most recently in a game appears to be the most game ready. The guy I have started to recently call Johio, Joe Kleinsmith. Even though he is a real freshman, when you think about it he kicked in a game this summer. He has kicked in a game. Where Austin Starr has a great leg. He gets the ball up and kicks it high better than any kicker I have been around and any NFL kicker I have seen. He hasn't been as consistent as I would like. Kevin Trulock has been consistent at times. He seems to have lost a little pop in his leg lately. I think he is getting that back. We have had some competition. I have done that before. You get to a point where you finally have to make the call. Joe is going to go out and kick the first extra point and field goal. Austin Starr will kickoff. Kevin Trulock will be on the ready. Mike Hines can kick. He will make the trip also. He is really improved as a backup punter. Tyson Beattie is our punter. I feel really good about him. I also feel really good about Tim Bugg. No one asks about the long snapper. Maybe his mom. You ask me about the kickers all the time, but not one time have you asked me about the long snapper. You just take him for granted. I don't. Tim Bugg has gained my confidence to the point where he is part of our scholarship group now. He is an outstanding young man and excellent student. I am fortunate to have that guy. Mark Naaman is also a senior linebacker who also improved a lot since spring. Almost like Mike Hines as a punter, Mark Naaman as a snapper. They work together. We have some quality there. We have a number of guys. Joe is a real freshman. Part of that decision was if we were going to use Joe. If you use Joe one play, that is one year gone. He has a great attitude about it. He has a real simple solid swing. If he misses, they are not really far off. That part of it has given me the confidence to go with him. It is going to be exciting.
On the holder:
We have a plethora of competent holders. That is part of the reason we have to call him Johio. Our number one holder is Rhett Kleinschmidt. Fisch would struggle with Bugg to snap, Kleinschmidt to hold and Kleinsmith to kick. He can just say like everyone else, Johio. He knocked it through. Tyson Beattie, you like to have your punter who has good hands. What I have done with those guys is who do you like best as a holder? Rhett will go out there first. They work with different guys. Graeme McFarland is also a holder and does a good job with it.
On whether he is able to infuse enthusiasm into a group that hasn't had it before:
That is easier for someone else to say and comment on than me. I think so. I think what I have observed and I have talked to my wife about how much I like this team. It hasn't taken me very long to become very fond and enjoy being around these guys. Their enthusiasm for Indiana University and the football team has been good. It is natural and is not a staged thing for me. Very few times have I had to say that we need to pick it up. They are very enthusiastic for this first game. They want to go. They want to play. The seniors want to lead. I like where we are right now mentally going into this.
On how he will feel playing at Central Michigan:
I can't wait. I thought about it the other night. When we get under the goalpost and run onto the field. It is one of my favorite things to do. My mom will be there and she stills gets goose bumps when she sees me run onto the field with the team. I will, too.
On what he has heard from fans about the game:
Like President Herbert reminded me. We are going to see how good of a hire it was starting Friday night at 6:34 Indiana time. He will find out how good a job he did picking a football coach. I told him you and the rest of the world. The Hoosier Nation, as evidenced by some of the phone calls we got last night on the Don Fischer Show, there are a lot of people from Louisville, Warsaw and I know Fort Wayne. The rest of them that won't be there are going to be watching. They will find someplace with ESPNU and make sure they check us out. They are hoping. I have been telling them we are going to win. Let's see what this team has.
Is stating that they are going to win his first guarantee:
We are going to win with a winning season. That is what I believe. If you think you can or think you can't, you are right. If you are reading into it that I am guaranteeing a win, you have been doing this job way too long.
On Central Michigan:
I think they will be improved. The fact that they played here last year. The fact that they have us here at home. I said on the teleconference today that many times in the past as the coach at Miami, the greatest difference between the Mid-American Conference and the Big Ten is outside the lines. The size of the stadiums. The resources that you have to draw upon. The perception of the public and the media. The difference isn't as great as you think. There are a number of guys at Miami who could be playing at Ohio State. There are a number of guys on Central Michigan's team that could play on our team. They have some guys that are outstanding football players. They have a coach that has a great tradition of winning and knows how to win. He is infusing that winning attitude into his team. Don't get premature. There are 60 minutes of football to play. When we step between the lines, we better be ready to play 60 minutes of football. I have been on the flip side of it and I have seen teams that we played against. We had one game I remember in particular that guys knew each other on teams. Some of their guys told our guys that their coach was saying they would only get to play the first half. If he really said that, he shouldn't of said that, because we won the game. Sparks are going to be flying out of our eyes. I can't wait to see Chris Mangiero go block somebody for real, and Adam Hines just keep blocking them. Watch that defense get after people. I love football games. I love to be on the sideline of football games. I haven't really watched that many from the stands. I love my view.
On whether the MAC is as good as it has ever been:
Hard for me to say. Joe Tiller said it a few years ago when we were getting ready to play Bowling Green. He said your league has benefited most from the reduction of scholarships to 85 and the trickle down effect. I think they got beat by Bowling Green that first game. When you look at the NFL with how many MAC players are in the NFL. Miami might have eight legitimate draft choices. That would be a record for the MAC. That is a lot for any team to have. I think it is a league where you aren't going to out-coach anyone. You aren't going to out-coach a Joe Novac. I don't anticipate us out-coaching Central Michigan's staff. We have our hands full. What time of a road team will we be? My teams at Miami played pretty well on the road. A few years ago, we changed our nickname over there. I just said to change our nickname to Visitors. I like playing on the road.
On whether this will be Hoeppner's one-and-only Friday night game:
If I have my way, it will be. I thought I was going to be a high school football coach. Friday nights are special. I never wanted to do. I don't have any problem with Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. I like those games. That was Monday Night Football for us. We were the only game on. It is amazing how many of my buddies in coaching would flip it on. Not Friday night. I am not criticizing Central Michigan. I have great respect for them. This is a unique situation there. It wasn't even done for television. Television was an afterthought. They wanted to open on a Thursday night, because they had the Labor Day Weekend to have extra days to prepare for the next opponent. I always tried to get that at Miami. In reality, it is Saturday for us. I never want to do it here for sure.
On the defense:
They have been going against scout teams for awhile. The defense is healthy. I want to see John Pannozzo play the game as a middle linebacker. I want to see these corners. I want to see Vic Adeyanju. I can't wait to see Vic play a game. Russ Richardson and Greg Brown. Greg is a young talent you haven't seen. Also, Ben Ishola. Wow. He has come a long way since I've been here. He is an improving football player. I am really anxious to watching our defense play.
On whether left-handed quarterbacks cause any changes to the offensive plan:
Not really. Left-footed punters cause more changes because the ball is spinning. Left-handed quarterbacks don't really make an offense left-handed, necessarily. He is very talented. He came in and played last year. He took off after that. He has experience. That is a good asset at that position.
