Indiana University Athletics
Head Coach Terry Hoeppner's Weekly Press Conference
9/12/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 12, 2006
Head football coach Terry Hoeppner met with the media today for his weekly press conference. Below is his comments on the upcoming game with Southern Illinois.
Opening Statement
"I can't come up with a better word than escape. After looking at the tape of the Ball State game and meeting with the players, I think we learned a lesson. We weren't surprised, but I was taken aback by how well Ball State executed in the first half. I've been on both sides of the situation. Normally, I am the last one to speak to the team on Friday night. I asked Bill Lynch to speak to the team last Friday because of his unique ties to the game. He recruited a lot of Ball State's players. He did a great job of setting the stage from a personal perspective. I told the team we better match their emotion. We made some mental mistakes that were unfathomable.
At halftime, we were able to regroup. I called the team together and said I believe we can win the game. The defensive coaches made some adjustments that worked. Offensively, Kellen Lewis was going in on the third series anyway. I was most proud of the way he played in a very pressure-packed situation. For him to manage the game and the clock the way he did, down to the last play, was remarkable. He made three of the best passes I have ever seen under pressure. I've seen him throw the ball and run the ball, but could he do it in a game? The game was an opportunity for us to find out, and he excelled."
On the depth at quarterback:
"We are trying to develop quality depth at every position. The fact that we have another quarterback that can play well in a game is good. We need to be fair and that will sort itself out at practice. Hopefully, everyone is ready to go."
On the focus this week:
"The challenge this week is to play fast, physical and smart. That is a formula I have used before and I know it works. We haven't been playing smart. We had way too many penalties. We need to coach them better and have to avoid doing the things that beat ourselves."
On playing a I-AA team:
"I think an upper echelon team in I-AA can play with anybody. I-AA is just a label. Look at Marshall, who came into the MAC and made an impact. This is a football team, and they are going to put 11 guys out there who are going to be good. The NFL is full of guys who came from I-AA. Any given Saturday, it can be anyone's game. If you don't quit, you have a chance."
On Southern Illinois:
"This will be a good game. They have had a lot of time to prepare, and we need a great week of preparation. They will be well-rested, fired up and well-coached. They are used to winning. They have had a lot of success recently. They run the ball really well. We get to play at home and that's good for the Hoosiers."
On the use of the instant replay:
"You only get one. Unless it happens right in front of you, you don't have access to the replay. At the beginning, I wasn't really in favor of it. Unlike the NFL, where the coaches can call down and call for a review, college coaches don't have that luxury. I am going to be very careful, especially in the first half, using it. Sometimes it's better to save your timeouts."
