Indiana University Athletics
Media Monday: TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
12/30/2019 12:07:00 PM | Football
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Indiana will face Tennessee in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla., on Thursday, Jan. 2, with a 7 p.m. ET kick on ESPN.
On Monday, head coach Tom Allen, defensive back Khalil Bryant, wide receiver Ty Fryfogle and linebacker Cam Jones all met with the media. Below are partial transcripts for all four interviews.
Head Coach Tom Allen
Opening statement…
"Welcome to Florida. Beautiful weather. Questions?"
On recruiting Khalil Bryant and Devon Matthews…
"Well, first of all, Khalil was actually committed to Indiana when I got hired. I had a chance to get a home visit as the defensive coordinator my first year. They had already recruited him. Devon, which is Monster, was a guy that we recruited. He was a really good basketball player and had really not played a lot of football, but we thought he was just an amazing athlete and a better person. He fit with us in every way possible. We recruit the area and we go through and find guys. Our staff did a good job of identifying him, and he was a guy at the time that we thought was going to be a special player and a really gifted athlete. He has proven to be that way. I think his best football is ahead of him as he continues to grow, learn and get better. Those two guys are from this area specifically, but it was kind of the same way we get all of our guys down in this area. We have coaches in the areas that are assigned to certain spots and we recruit those areas over and over and over every year. We have built relationships with high school coaches and are able to identify guys when they are young, even a guy like Monster that did not play a lot of football. He was more of a basketball guy when he was younger and he thought that was going to be his sport. He realized that he had a chance to make a career for himself in football."
On the state of the team…
"I was really encouraged by yesterday's practice. You really never know. We have a lot of new faces that have not been in this situation before. Even just the travel. We had guys coming in from all parts of the country, so sometimes guys get delayed a day or two getting to the bowl site, but that did not happen with our guys. We only had one that had a flight delayed that caused him to be later on that first day, but everyone was here by Saturday. Everybody was here for practice yesterday. I thought we had a really good, focused practice. I thought our speed was good even though it was raining. It was not that great of weather, but I have lived in Florida long enough to know that rain is part of it. Today is sunny and it is supposed to be sunny the rest of the time. I thought it was good focus, which is what you have to have. I thought we had some really good meetings. We had a good meeting last night. We brought in a guest speaker that did a phenomenal job talking to our guys and hitting all the key things about the preparation piece and what it takes to be at your best in these settings in the bowl game. We will know more after today's practice, how that continues to build and grow, but I expect it to.
On the success of the Big Ten during the bowl season…
"We have a lot of confidence in our league, the teams that we play, and the coaches in our league. The talent in the Big Ten is probably, across the board, as high as it has ever been. I think that is showing up in the bowls. It is not really surprising to me for it to be this way. I think there are a lot of good football players in the Big Ten right now. We see those guys each and every week, so it causes you to have to prepare at a really high level, play at a high level, and keep recruiting at a higher level each and every year. That continues to grow the conference. I remember when I was in the SEC several years ago, it was not quite perceived that way. I think that it has changed in the last several years to the point where the last couple of years we have had some good bowl records for the Big Ten. I think that will continue."
On the improvement of Tennessee during the season…
"It shows up. It is all about protecting the football. When you turn it over, I do not care who you are, that is how you are going to get beat. That was one issue for them. They were probably not consistent, which is what we are all striving for. When you do not play consistent enough football, we all play good enough teams, even if a team is a mid-major team, they have good enough players to make you pay for those mistakes and turnovers. They have definitely changed that. Then you start playing with confidence once you start having success. Even if you win in a close game, it really does not matter how you find a way to win a game. It just starts building and building just like you have seen them do. There is a distinct difference when you watch the last five games and when you watch the first five games. They played Alabama really tough and all the teams they had on their schedule. They are a good football team. When you do not execute the right way and make those plays early on, you come up short. They are kind of like how we have been in the past as well. So, it is just a matter of playing at a consistently high level, executing on both sides of the football and protecting the ball. We have to create takeaways and that is something that they want to keep doing as well, and not do it when you are on offense and special teams. I think there is a distinct difference and it is their coaching staff. They have done a really good job and they have really good football coaches and very, very talented football players. This is a good team that we are playing."
DB Khalil Bryant
On being back in Florida…
"It's surreal, unbelievable, to say the least. To have the opportunity to play back in my hometown for my last game is just an honor to be able to play."
On how many family and friends are coming to the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl…
"I've been trying to get tickets since we found out I was playing at home. I have a big crowd coming, trying to pack out the TIAA Bank Field."
WR Ty Fryfogle
On the team's first day in Florida…
"It's been really great just being here in Florida with this weather. We're staying at a really nice resort, just having fun and enjoying our time with the seniors mostly, who won't be here next year. When it's time to work, we're going to work."
On the team's first practice on Sunday…
"I feel like we looked really great out here. Today's a new day, so we have to look past yesterday and get better, have an even better day today."
LB Cam Jones
On practice on Monday…
"First practice felt amazing just to be back out here on the field with my guys, competing, learning and attacking."
On playing Tennessee as a native of Memphis…
"It means a lot for my family. They were die-hard Tennessee fans, my brother actually played at Tennessee. When they found out the news, they told me they were all Indiana Hoosiers fans, wearing Indiana jerseys. It means a lot, especially playing against guys I was playing against when I was really young. It means a lot, I'm excited."
On Monday, head coach Tom Allen, defensive back Khalil Bryant, wide receiver Ty Fryfogle and linebacker Cam Jones all met with the media. Below are partial transcripts for all four interviews.
Head Coach Tom Allen
Opening statement…
"Welcome to Florida. Beautiful weather. Questions?"
On recruiting Khalil Bryant and Devon Matthews…
"Well, first of all, Khalil was actually committed to Indiana when I got hired. I had a chance to get a home visit as the defensive coordinator my first year. They had already recruited him. Devon, which is Monster, was a guy that we recruited. He was a really good basketball player and had really not played a lot of football, but we thought he was just an amazing athlete and a better person. He fit with us in every way possible. We recruit the area and we go through and find guys. Our staff did a good job of identifying him, and he was a guy at the time that we thought was going to be a special player and a really gifted athlete. He has proven to be that way. I think his best football is ahead of him as he continues to grow, learn and get better. Those two guys are from this area specifically, but it was kind of the same way we get all of our guys down in this area. We have coaches in the areas that are assigned to certain spots and we recruit those areas over and over and over every year. We have built relationships with high school coaches and are able to identify guys when they are young, even a guy like Monster that did not play a lot of football. He was more of a basketball guy when he was younger and he thought that was going to be his sport. He realized that he had a chance to make a career for himself in football."
On the state of the team…
"I was really encouraged by yesterday's practice. You really never know. We have a lot of new faces that have not been in this situation before. Even just the travel. We had guys coming in from all parts of the country, so sometimes guys get delayed a day or two getting to the bowl site, but that did not happen with our guys. We only had one that had a flight delayed that caused him to be later on that first day, but everyone was here by Saturday. Everybody was here for practice yesterday. I thought we had a really good, focused practice. I thought our speed was good even though it was raining. It was not that great of weather, but I have lived in Florida long enough to know that rain is part of it. Today is sunny and it is supposed to be sunny the rest of the time. I thought it was good focus, which is what you have to have. I thought we had some really good meetings. We had a good meeting last night. We brought in a guest speaker that did a phenomenal job talking to our guys and hitting all the key things about the preparation piece and what it takes to be at your best in these settings in the bowl game. We will know more after today's practice, how that continues to build and grow, but I expect it to.
On the success of the Big Ten during the bowl season…
"We have a lot of confidence in our league, the teams that we play, and the coaches in our league. The talent in the Big Ten is probably, across the board, as high as it has ever been. I think that is showing up in the bowls. It is not really surprising to me for it to be this way. I think there are a lot of good football players in the Big Ten right now. We see those guys each and every week, so it causes you to have to prepare at a really high level, play at a high level, and keep recruiting at a higher level each and every year. That continues to grow the conference. I remember when I was in the SEC several years ago, it was not quite perceived that way. I think that it has changed in the last several years to the point where the last couple of years we have had some good bowl records for the Big Ten. I think that will continue."
On the improvement of Tennessee during the season…
"It shows up. It is all about protecting the football. When you turn it over, I do not care who you are, that is how you are going to get beat. That was one issue for them. They were probably not consistent, which is what we are all striving for. When you do not play consistent enough football, we all play good enough teams, even if a team is a mid-major team, they have good enough players to make you pay for those mistakes and turnovers. They have definitely changed that. Then you start playing with confidence once you start having success. Even if you win in a close game, it really does not matter how you find a way to win a game. It just starts building and building just like you have seen them do. There is a distinct difference when you watch the last five games and when you watch the first five games. They played Alabama really tough and all the teams they had on their schedule. They are a good football team. When you do not execute the right way and make those plays early on, you come up short. They are kind of like how we have been in the past as well. So, it is just a matter of playing at a consistently high level, executing on both sides of the football and protecting the ball. We have to create takeaways and that is something that they want to keep doing as well, and not do it when you are on offense and special teams. I think there is a distinct difference and it is their coaching staff. They have done a really good job and they have really good football coaches and very, very talented football players. This is a good team that we are playing."
DB Khalil Bryant
On being back in Florida…
"It's surreal, unbelievable, to say the least. To have the opportunity to play back in my hometown for my last game is just an honor to be able to play."
On how many family and friends are coming to the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl…
"I've been trying to get tickets since we found out I was playing at home. I have a big crowd coming, trying to pack out the TIAA Bank Field."
WR Ty Fryfogle
On the team's first day in Florida…
"It's been really great just being here in Florida with this weather. We're staying at a really nice resort, just having fun and enjoying our time with the seniors mostly, who won't be here next year. When it's time to work, we're going to work."
On the team's first practice on Sunday…
"I feel like we looked really great out here. Today's a new day, so we have to look past yesterday and get better, have an even better day today."
LB Cam Jones
On practice on Monday…
"First practice felt amazing just to be back out here on the field with my guys, competing, learning and attacking."
On playing Tennessee as a native of Memphis…
"It means a lot for my family. They were die-hard Tennessee fans, my brother actually played at Tennessee. When they found out the news, they told me they were all Indiana Hoosiers fans, wearing Indiana jerseys. It means a lot, especially playing against guys I was playing against when I was really young. It means a lot, I'm excited."
Players Mentioned
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