Indiana University Athletics
Postgame Media: Indiana at Rutgers
11/6/2016 5:34:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana football team (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten East) defeated Rutgers, 33-27, on Saturday.
Head coach Kevin Wilson and players met with the media following the game. Below is Wilson's transcript.
On getting the plays they needed: "The sky kicks didn't hurt us. It would have been nice to take advantage of them. The defense did a great job. The field goal team was not very good going into the wind. We bogged down a couple times, but we played trying to get it back. Defense got it back. We kept it at a close enough game. The one drive where we hit the swing route to Devine (Redding) was huge to break it open a little. We didn't run it very well. We didn't block very well. We thought their strength was their line of scrimmage. Their D-line did very well against ours. I think both D-line's seemed to play well. I think their D-line did better compared to ours in the running game. I think our D-line did a good job. We did run it 44 times. We were off schedule and didn't run well which meant we had to play uphill making it harder for us. The turn overs were bad. We had four. You are lucky to win on the road with that. With the kicking errors we had in the PAT and field goal team, we are very fortunate to win. The kids played hard. The defense was awesome with the three and outs and stops. Our defense played really well. I was proud of those guys."
On winning despite turnovers: "There were some one-on-one plays. Ricky Jones recovering the fumble may be the biggest one-on-one play of that day. I don't know how he got it because it was their ball, I thought. He just outfought a guy because of his will to win. Which is sometimes what you need, a spirit and a will to win. I think today we didn't play smart all the time. We didn't play horrible. There was some good football. There was also some negative football. I think our will to win especially defensively and couple of those kids making those one-on-one plays. I think that was the difference."
On the kicking game: "Protection broke down. We have an issue with the holder and kicker. The confidence issue. We started the game with our other kicker and he didn't kick well, although he's done well in practice. Those guys are good but they are a little psycho right now. Down the stretch we are going to need to kick well in the three weeks coming. This time of year with weather, wind and the opponents you're playing, we are going to need to kick it better. They have the talent to. Those guys can do it. Sometimes those mental demons and psychologic barriers are more cumbersome then the physical barriers. We have to get those guys cleaned up. The kicker can't hide. He either makes it or doesn't. Everyone knows. If the hold or protection is off a little bit it affects him. Both of those kickers are good. Griffin (Oakes) has been awesome and he made some great kicks down the stretch and we are going to need him to kick well moving forward. We just have to fight through it."
On Dan Feeney playing at Right Tackle: "He is in our best five. Delroy (Baker) is going to play. We can get DaVondre Loveplaying as well. (Jacob) Bailey is a good player. Even if Dan was injured, when your back up is a five year veteran with many starts it's hard not having him in your best five. We want to play Delroy. We do think Jacob Bailey is good, maybe not playing the whole game. We have a lot of confidence in those guys."
On the defense putting the offense in a good position: "They (Rutgers) go early and have the one big play and then Zander (Diamont) fumbles and they scoop and score. Then we fumble on a kick off. That is three touchdowns on a 20-yard drive. Rutgers came in early running the ball very well. I think our ability to stop the run and making them throw more than they would have wanted too, it made it a little easier. We ran a lot. I think our defensive line did good defeating blocks. They came in as a decent running team and I think our ability to keep them one dimensional helped us. We were able to make some great one-on-one plays and we did run it enough that they couldn't tee off on the quarterback and that helped."
On the seniors at halftime: "They didn't say a whole lot at halftime. They were talking to themselves on the sideline as a group. They say a lot to our team during the week with how they approach practice and how they are living and doing their business. When we do our captains work on Thursdays we talk about the mental side of the game and getting yourself right. Dan Feeney and Mitchell Paige and Rickey (Jones) stand in front of our team. Rickey's challenge every week is someone play harder than me. He looks at Feeney and says I'm going to outplay you today. Those guys having that senior fun, of not walking down memory lane but enjoying every second playing as hard as you can. I love those guys. They've played great for us."
On Camion Patrick's touchdown: "He can make plays. I think psychologically, like our kicker, I think he wants to be a little father then he is coming off the injury. We've seen that early in practice prior to the injury. Post injury it's been a little up and down. It has been inconsistent. There is a little frustration, he wants to be playing more. Sometimes his practice habits are okay, not as a great as they can be. He's still on the climb. He's not back yet."
Head coach Kevin Wilson and players met with the media following the game. Below is Wilson's transcript.
On getting the plays they needed: "The sky kicks didn't hurt us. It would have been nice to take advantage of them. The defense did a great job. The field goal team was not very good going into the wind. We bogged down a couple times, but we played trying to get it back. Defense got it back. We kept it at a close enough game. The one drive where we hit the swing route to Devine (Redding) was huge to break it open a little. We didn't run it very well. We didn't block very well. We thought their strength was their line of scrimmage. Their D-line did very well against ours. I think both D-line's seemed to play well. I think their D-line did better compared to ours in the running game. I think our D-line did a good job. We did run it 44 times. We were off schedule and didn't run well which meant we had to play uphill making it harder for us. The turn overs were bad. We had four. You are lucky to win on the road with that. With the kicking errors we had in the PAT and field goal team, we are very fortunate to win. The kids played hard. The defense was awesome with the three and outs and stops. Our defense played really well. I was proud of those guys."
On winning despite turnovers: "There were some one-on-one plays. Ricky Jones recovering the fumble may be the biggest one-on-one play of that day. I don't know how he got it because it was their ball, I thought. He just outfought a guy because of his will to win. Which is sometimes what you need, a spirit and a will to win. I think today we didn't play smart all the time. We didn't play horrible. There was some good football. There was also some negative football. I think our will to win especially defensively and couple of those kids making those one-on-one plays. I think that was the difference."
On the kicking game: "Protection broke down. We have an issue with the holder and kicker. The confidence issue. We started the game with our other kicker and he didn't kick well, although he's done well in practice. Those guys are good but they are a little psycho right now. Down the stretch we are going to need to kick well in the three weeks coming. This time of year with weather, wind and the opponents you're playing, we are going to need to kick it better. They have the talent to. Those guys can do it. Sometimes those mental demons and psychologic barriers are more cumbersome then the physical barriers. We have to get those guys cleaned up. The kicker can't hide. He either makes it or doesn't. Everyone knows. If the hold or protection is off a little bit it affects him. Both of those kickers are good. Griffin (Oakes) has been awesome and he made some great kicks down the stretch and we are going to need him to kick well moving forward. We just have to fight through it."
On Dan Feeney playing at Right Tackle: "He is in our best five. Delroy (Baker) is going to play. We can get DaVondre Loveplaying as well. (Jacob) Bailey is a good player. Even if Dan was injured, when your back up is a five year veteran with many starts it's hard not having him in your best five. We want to play Delroy. We do think Jacob Bailey is good, maybe not playing the whole game. We have a lot of confidence in those guys."
On the defense putting the offense in a good position: "They (Rutgers) go early and have the one big play and then Zander (Diamont) fumbles and they scoop and score. Then we fumble on a kick off. That is three touchdowns on a 20-yard drive. Rutgers came in early running the ball very well. I think our ability to stop the run and making them throw more than they would have wanted too, it made it a little easier. We ran a lot. I think our defensive line did good defeating blocks. They came in as a decent running team and I think our ability to keep them one dimensional helped us. We were able to make some great one-on-one plays and we did run it enough that they couldn't tee off on the quarterback and that helped."
On the seniors at halftime: "They didn't say a whole lot at halftime. They were talking to themselves on the sideline as a group. They say a lot to our team during the week with how they approach practice and how they are living and doing their business. When we do our captains work on Thursdays we talk about the mental side of the game and getting yourself right. Dan Feeney and Mitchell Paige and Rickey (Jones) stand in front of our team. Rickey's challenge every week is someone play harder than me. He looks at Feeney and says I'm going to outplay you today. Those guys having that senior fun, of not walking down memory lane but enjoying every second playing as hard as you can. I love those guys. They've played great for us."
On Camion Patrick's touchdown: "He can make plays. I think psychologically, like our kicker, I think he wants to be a little father then he is coming off the injury. We've seen that early in practice prior to the injury. Post injury it's been a little up and down. It has been inconsistent. There is a little frustration, he wants to be playing more. Sometimes his practice habits are okay, not as a great as they can be. He's still on the climb. He's not back yet."
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