Indiana University Athletics
Player Quotes
8/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 19, 2006
Junior Quarterback Blake Powers
On the scrimmage:
BP:"Everybody has to focus on their position and execute and just come out here and compete, and I think everything else will fall into place. The passing game has a lot of potential. I missed a couple of throws that if we're going to be the team we want to be, I can't miss. From an outsider's perspective, we probably had a good day, but when I go back and look at it there will be a lot of things that we could have done better, and that's how we have to approach it tomorrow in the film room."
On what the scrimmage meant for the younger players:
BP:"This is why we do this scrimmage two weeks before the first game. It's a game situation. It's easy to stay sharp mentally during practice because it's repetition. You do the same thing everyday. But once you get put in a live situation, it's a lot harder to keep your focus. Everybody made some mental errors today, including myself, and we've got to get those fixed. That's why we scrimmaged today - to limit the mistakes and go back and watch the film and learn from those mistakes."
Senior Wide Receiver Jahkeen Gilmore
On whether the offense is a wide receiver's dream:
JG:"Definitely. We go out there and make plays. There's a lot of guys on this offense that go out there and have a lot of ability, and it's just the right offense for the right guys."
On competition amongst receivers:
JG:"There's a lot of competition. We all know our positions. There is a lot of speed and a lot of talent. We've got a lot of big-play ability at that position."
On his confidence in Blake Powers:
JG:"He's one of those guys that likes to throw the ball a lot, and he likes to watch us score touchdowns. He's a great guy, he's got a great receiving corps."
Senior Wide Receiver Lance Bennett
On getting some scrimmage time in today:
LB:"It was fun. Obviously we've been going against each other for the last two weeks, but to bring in officials and bring in some crowd, that just adds more pressure to it. I think we got off to a good start. I think the offense could get off to a better start, but it's hard going against the same guys every day for the last two weeks. But I'm liking where we're at right now."
On throwing the ball all over the field:
LB:"It's the Big Ten and it's college football. If you can't run the ball, you can't set up the pass. I don't think we'll be gun-slinging for the whole season. Obviously we want to have a balanced attack, but that receiving corps is outstanding."
On what is different about this season:
LB:"Belief. Belief. I wouldn't say we weren't confident, but it was more of a false sense of confidence in the past. But now it's like we really know we can play 13. We really know we can go to a bowl game. That belief is there. I see it more so in the younger guys. Because the older guys believed in past years and last year, but I see it in the freshmen, I see it in the sophomores. They're talking, they way they're picking older guys up and younger guys up. I just see this going in the right direction now, not just in the future."
Redshirt Freshman Safety Austin Thomas
On the play of wide receiver James Hardy:
AT:"Hardy is unbelievable. (Quarterback) Blake (Powers) has been throwing well all camp. Obviously he threw well today, and when they have that kind of connection, it's tough to stop."
On the defense's play against the run:
AT:"We've been working on involving our safeties more in our run-stopping scheme, and I think we played pretty well against the run today."
Sophomore Kicker Austin Starr
On the effort today:
AS:"This whole thing is a team effort. I know that I can be a weapon, the special teams can be a weapon for this team and can help us win."
