Indiana University Athletics
Postgame Quotes: Spring Game
4/15/2016 9:45:00 PM | Football
Indiana Head Coach Kevin Wilson
On the takeaways by the defense…
"It was good to see for the defense. We have protected the ball pretty well on offense. The Big Ten is very fundamentally sound. The conference creates less turnovers because Big Ten teams do not turn it over as much. It was nice for Marcus Oliver to get the strip. Last year, in our league, we had the fewest fumbles, so it was good to see the defense get a couple. I hope it is not a trend that our offense is getting sloppy. Coach Allen wanted five, so he would tell you he is disappointed."
On the quarterbacks…
"I guess they played okay. We got down in the scoring zone a few times and didn't finish. Richard [Lagow] started very well, and I was very pleased with his poise. I did not think that he forced too many things. I thought that Danny [Cameron] had a couple nice drives. He has been consistent this spring. Austin [King] has some talent. He did not have a ton of great opportunities tonight. Richard and Danny have gotten the bulk of the work down the stretch. Austin still has a bunch of talent. It will be exciting to get Zander [Diamont] back in the mix, because he is the guy that has made the most plays. We will need a good May and rest of the summer."
On the defense's confidence…
"I think Coach Allen has a lot to do with that. We spent three hours talking about how to get people to believe, play hard and play with passion. How do you get the players and coaches to buy in? I think it really starts with him. He has a great personality and a great deal of self-confidence. The way he was raised, his morals, his values, the energy he brings every day, his lack of acceptance for poor play, and his consistency are what the kids have bought in to. Starts with him and filters through to his staff. I think he has done a great job of getting the staff to embrace him. I am very excited with what I have seen."
LB Marcus Oliver
On the defensive success…
"There were some opportunities that we missed, but it's something we keep working on each and every day, and we're getting better. We're seeing more takeaways from other guys, not just the same guys. It's good to see."
On his strip fumble that he ran back for a score…
"He just wasn't paying attention to me. It's second nature to go for the ball, so I did."
The offense didn't get a touchdown until the red zone drill. How did you guys feel that you played?
"We gave up some big plays, but the jump balls down the field can go either way. It's up to us on the front seven to get to the quarterback sooner so they don't have to worry about that. As a whole defense, it's on all of us, not just the cornerbacks."
On the pass rushing…
"I think they're doing a really good job. I think the depth is getting there, and we've got a few guys that were banged up who are coming back healthy. We also have [Robert McCray III] who isn't out there, and he's a really good pass rusher, so it's getting there."
On the team's improvement in tackling…
"I think we're emphasizing taking the extra step, using the sideline, using the guy outside of us, and I think that's helping a lot. Just better technique in tackling, better angles, better body position, and foot position. I think that's a big deal."
On the defense's three takeaways in the game…
"They went over in the meetings beforehand who had the most takeaways this spring. Three guys had five, and Jonathan Crawford had six. Tegray [Scales] and I were out there today trying to get our sixth and seventh takeaways. It's more of a competition between us, and that's the mentality you need as a defense. Everybody goes after the ball."
Who's leading that competition after today?
"Tegray and I are tied, but I scored on mine."
On the defense's aggression and attitude…
"It's a lot different from any other year that I've been here. There's a lot more confidence, and guys aren't backing down. There's a mindset to win this play and every play, and that's something we haven't had before from all of the guys. We might have had it from some, but now everybody is starting to get that. It's a swagger that everybody is getting."
What has Coach Allen done to instill that confidence as you're learning the new scheme?
"He's making sure that everybody does everything right. Even if I mess up on a little thing, it's the biggest thing in the world. It's showing that nobody is perfect on the field and everybody has to do their job because it's crucial for everybody. Having everybody play with an edge, it's given a lot of guys confidence and effort is higher than any other year."
On the fan involvement…
"I think they had a lot of fun doing it. It was nice to see, and it's not something everybody gets to do every day."
On the keys to the remainder of the offseason…
"Everything that we've started to put in now, whether it's fundamental drills or the plays and concepts we have. It's critical that even in May we're working on the fundamentals of tackling, footwork, body positioning, understanding your jobs, and doing preparation in the offseason because it doesn't just come in the fall. You have to do it all year long. You have to know your opponent."
On the offensive performance…
"They took a lot of shots today, so they were really aggressive. Simmie [Cobbs, Jr.] made some plays, the offensive line did what they do, and it was nice to see the quarterbacks have a little bit of success."
Who impressed you the most?
"They're all good, so it's hard to pick a side. I'm just excited for them to keep competing and see who comes out."
On the most challenging part of the offense, as a defender…
"I think their tempo, which we didn't see a lot of today. Their tempo is one of the things where you have to get the defensive call and get the line adjusted quickly. The offense knows where their ball is; we have to react off of them. I think that's something that just comes in time for the defense."
WR Ricky Jones
Overall thoughts on the game…
"I think the defense stepped it up a lot today, they played pretty well. The offense was doing a few different things to see what worked and what didn't, but we played pretty well."
On the quarterbacks improvement from the start of spring practices…
"It's awesome. They've been able to read the defenses for a while now. I'm proud of every quarterback we had out there."
Who impressed you the most?
"I can't say who impressed me most, I think they all did really well."
On Richard Lagow's 46-yard completion to Simmie Cobbs, Jr…
"That's big time. That's just a preview of what we're going to do this season, so I think it's awesome that he could show all of you that on camera. I hope we're not giving away all of our secrets."
On the success on defense…
"They were just mixing up a few things, blitzes and different coverages. I'm just proud of them, they were stepping it up."
On the confidence from the defense this spring…
"It's confidence and swag. They're playing with a lot more swag this year, and it's awesome to see. Every time they make a tackle for a loss or a turnover, they get this burst of energy. You've got to make sure you're careful on the offensive side because it can get you down in a funk."
With those turnovers, is Coach Allen going to make you do pushups now?
"Yes, definitely. We're a high-powered offense, so we have to do pushups as well."
On the change brought by Coach Tom Allen…
"He's a different type of dude. You would think he's 20 years old, the way he acts. He's jumping on top of the guys. He added a lot of swag to us this year."
Do you think the offense is that same swagger, or what will it take to get there?
"We definitely have to pick it up. Coach Johns and Coach Allen are two different types of people. Offensively, we're a high-powered offense, so we always have that swag with us."
On taking the offense to the next level…
"We just have to keep going with the quarterback situation, and get the quarterbacks and wide receivers on the same page. Once we can get that to a good level in the summer, that will definitely show us how we're going to do this season."
What do you think worked best today?
"We got the running game going pretty well, got a few balls completed. It was a good game. We didn't show everything, being the spring game, but it's been pretty good over the last few practices."
On the takeaways by the defense…
"It was good to see for the defense. We have protected the ball pretty well on offense. The Big Ten is very fundamentally sound. The conference creates less turnovers because Big Ten teams do not turn it over as much. It was nice for Marcus Oliver to get the strip. Last year, in our league, we had the fewest fumbles, so it was good to see the defense get a couple. I hope it is not a trend that our offense is getting sloppy. Coach Allen wanted five, so he would tell you he is disappointed."
On the quarterbacks…
"I guess they played okay. We got down in the scoring zone a few times and didn't finish. Richard [Lagow] started very well, and I was very pleased with his poise. I did not think that he forced too many things. I thought that Danny [Cameron] had a couple nice drives. He has been consistent this spring. Austin [King] has some talent. He did not have a ton of great opportunities tonight. Richard and Danny have gotten the bulk of the work down the stretch. Austin still has a bunch of talent. It will be exciting to get Zander [Diamont] back in the mix, because he is the guy that has made the most plays. We will need a good May and rest of the summer."
On the defense's confidence…
"I think Coach Allen has a lot to do with that. We spent three hours talking about how to get people to believe, play hard and play with passion. How do you get the players and coaches to buy in? I think it really starts with him. He has a great personality and a great deal of self-confidence. The way he was raised, his morals, his values, the energy he brings every day, his lack of acceptance for poor play, and his consistency are what the kids have bought in to. Starts with him and filters through to his staff. I think he has done a great job of getting the staff to embrace him. I am very excited with what I have seen."
LB Marcus Oliver
On the defensive success…
"There were some opportunities that we missed, but it's something we keep working on each and every day, and we're getting better. We're seeing more takeaways from other guys, not just the same guys. It's good to see."
On his strip fumble that he ran back for a score…
"He just wasn't paying attention to me. It's second nature to go for the ball, so I did."
The offense didn't get a touchdown until the red zone drill. How did you guys feel that you played?
"We gave up some big plays, but the jump balls down the field can go either way. It's up to us on the front seven to get to the quarterback sooner so they don't have to worry about that. As a whole defense, it's on all of us, not just the cornerbacks."
On the pass rushing…
"I think they're doing a really good job. I think the depth is getting there, and we've got a few guys that were banged up who are coming back healthy. We also have [Robert McCray III] who isn't out there, and he's a really good pass rusher, so it's getting there."
On the team's improvement in tackling…
"I think we're emphasizing taking the extra step, using the sideline, using the guy outside of us, and I think that's helping a lot. Just better technique in tackling, better angles, better body position, and foot position. I think that's a big deal."
On the defense's three takeaways in the game…
"They went over in the meetings beforehand who had the most takeaways this spring. Three guys had five, and Jonathan Crawford had six. Tegray [Scales] and I were out there today trying to get our sixth and seventh takeaways. It's more of a competition between us, and that's the mentality you need as a defense. Everybody goes after the ball."
Who's leading that competition after today?
"Tegray and I are tied, but I scored on mine."
On the defense's aggression and attitude…
"It's a lot different from any other year that I've been here. There's a lot more confidence, and guys aren't backing down. There's a mindset to win this play and every play, and that's something we haven't had before from all of the guys. We might have had it from some, but now everybody is starting to get that. It's a swagger that everybody is getting."
What has Coach Allen done to instill that confidence as you're learning the new scheme?
"He's making sure that everybody does everything right. Even if I mess up on a little thing, it's the biggest thing in the world. It's showing that nobody is perfect on the field and everybody has to do their job because it's crucial for everybody. Having everybody play with an edge, it's given a lot of guys confidence and effort is higher than any other year."
On the fan involvement…
"I think they had a lot of fun doing it. It was nice to see, and it's not something everybody gets to do every day."
On the keys to the remainder of the offseason…
"Everything that we've started to put in now, whether it's fundamental drills or the plays and concepts we have. It's critical that even in May we're working on the fundamentals of tackling, footwork, body positioning, understanding your jobs, and doing preparation in the offseason because it doesn't just come in the fall. You have to do it all year long. You have to know your opponent."
On the offensive performance…
"They took a lot of shots today, so they were really aggressive. Simmie [Cobbs, Jr.] made some plays, the offensive line did what they do, and it was nice to see the quarterbacks have a little bit of success."
Who impressed you the most?
"They're all good, so it's hard to pick a side. I'm just excited for them to keep competing and see who comes out."
On the most challenging part of the offense, as a defender…
"I think their tempo, which we didn't see a lot of today. Their tempo is one of the things where you have to get the defensive call and get the line adjusted quickly. The offense knows where their ball is; we have to react off of them. I think that's something that just comes in time for the defense."
WR Ricky Jones
Overall thoughts on the game…
"I think the defense stepped it up a lot today, they played pretty well. The offense was doing a few different things to see what worked and what didn't, but we played pretty well."
On the quarterbacks improvement from the start of spring practices…
"It's awesome. They've been able to read the defenses for a while now. I'm proud of every quarterback we had out there."
Who impressed you the most?
"I can't say who impressed me most, I think they all did really well."
On Richard Lagow's 46-yard completion to Simmie Cobbs, Jr…
"That's big time. That's just a preview of what we're going to do this season, so I think it's awesome that he could show all of you that on camera. I hope we're not giving away all of our secrets."
On the success on defense…
"They were just mixing up a few things, blitzes and different coverages. I'm just proud of them, they were stepping it up."
On the confidence from the defense this spring…
"It's confidence and swag. They're playing with a lot more swag this year, and it's awesome to see. Every time they make a tackle for a loss or a turnover, they get this burst of energy. You've got to make sure you're careful on the offensive side because it can get you down in a funk."
With those turnovers, is Coach Allen going to make you do pushups now?
"Yes, definitely. We're a high-powered offense, so we have to do pushups as well."
On the change brought by Coach Tom Allen…
"He's a different type of dude. You would think he's 20 years old, the way he acts. He's jumping on top of the guys. He added a lot of swag to us this year."
Do you think the offense is that same swagger, or what will it take to get there?
"We definitely have to pick it up. Coach Johns and Coach Allen are two different types of people. Offensively, we're a high-powered offense, so we always have that swag with us."
On taking the offense to the next level…
"We just have to keep going with the quarterback situation, and get the quarterbacks and wide receivers on the same page. Once we can get that to a good level in the summer, that will definitely show us how we're going to do this season."
What do you think worked best today?
"We got the running game going pretty well, got a few balls completed. It was a good game. We didn't show everything, being the spring game, but it's been pretty good over the last few practices."
Players Mentioned
FB: Spring Game - Postgame Press Conference
Thursday, April 23
FB: Bray Lynch - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Drew Evans - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Nico Radicic - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21