Quoted: Preseason Camp – Oct. 7
10/7/2020 12:15:00 PM | Football
Below are partial transcriptions of Zoom press conferences with Indiana offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan and QB Michael Penix Jr. on Wednesday, Oct. 7.
Offensive Coordinator Nick Sheridan
Q. On the scrimmage this past weekend…
SHERIDAN: I think Coach Tom Allen mentioned this, but I was encouraged because it was a relatively clean scrimmage. There were not a lot of balls on the ground, there were not a ton of penalties pre-snap or procedural things. It was not perfect, but I think we are trying to eliminate the bad football so we can start playing good football. We know you need to go through the process of guys getting the signal, guys lining up, guys being confident in what the call is, playing fast and eliminating negative plays. If you can eliminate those negative plays, they allow you to be a good offense. There were some signs of us trending in that direction. I think there is still more to be done, more work to be had, but I like where the group is at. There is really nothing to compare it to, this is a year unlike any other. It is hard to compare it to what a typical calendar year would be relative to training camp, etc. I think our guys have focused on being 1-0 and improving every day. I like where we are at, so we will just keep working to get as good as we can. Hopefully that continues throughout the season and does not just stop when we start playing games.
Q. On the running game…
SHERIDAN: No surprise that the running back coach [Mike Hart] would mention running the ball. He was that way when we were teammates, too. The one thing I will say is I am confident in that room, without a doubt. We are going do whatever it takes to win. I know that's a little coach speak, but if we got to throw it 70 or run at 70, we really care about winning around here. So, depending on what the game looks like, what your opponent looks like, what the conditions are, I think you need to have some versatility in your offense where you feel confident that when we have to pass it we can pass it and we have to run it we can run it. Like I said, I know there is a little coach speak as far as taking what the defense gives us, but it is the truth. There are defenses that structurally make it very challenging to run or throw, and if you cannot do the other, I think that that makes it tough. We definitely do not want to be one dimensional. We want to do whatever it takes to get first downs, score points and ultimately help our team win. That is really what we care about. I will say that Coach Hart has done a fantastic job recruiting that room and developing that room. We feel confident in the players that are in that room and look forward to them contributing a significant role.
Q. On Michael Penix Jr.…
SHERIDAN: I think Michael has developed physically. I think he is bigger, stronger. I also think his communication has really improved. I think that comes from time. He came in, and despite being a super talented freshman, it is a little bit different. He was 18-year old kid and he was coming into a locker room full of 22-year olds. I just think he has really grown into that. I think he is very well-liked and respected by his teammates. I think that is probably where the biggest growth has come, certainly the ability is there. I think his consistency has continued to improve. I have already told you guys several times on what I think about Michael Penix Jr., so it is our job to continue to push him and put him in the best situations to be successful. But I think his leadership and communication has grown. I think that just comes with time and being comfortable with the guys and getting to know the team better. But the sky is the limit for Michael. I know I have told you guys that many times, so we are very excited.
QB Michael Penix Jr.
Q. On what working with Coach Sheridan is like…
PENIX: What makes him stand out for me is the same for the whole team, Coach Sheridan always brings a lot of energy. He brings a lot of juice. He always comes into meetings excited. He is always asking as what we are going to do, basically he is trying to get us hyped up for the day. He always pushes us to our fullest, and that is something that the guys like. He brings that energy every day. That is always consistent.
Q. On the execution in the scrimmage…
PENIX: I feel that we have been executing well with everything that we have going on right now. I feel like everything has been really good. We have to make sure that we are finishing our plays. That is one thing that we are stressing this year. Coach Tom Allen is stressing that we finish everything that we do. Last year, we fell short in the bowl game and we did not finish. That is something that Coach Allen always preaches to us, to finish. We want to make sure that we execute at our best.
Q. On improvements in his IU career…
PENIX: Since my freshman year I have been able to slow the game down. I understand everything that has been put in. I have always known the playbook, but now I am at the point where I understand why we are calling certain plays and why we are doing certain things. That is one area in which I have gotten better, just slowing the game down, understanding the defense and taking what they give me.
Offensive Coordinator Nick Sheridan
Q. On the scrimmage this past weekend…
SHERIDAN: I think Coach Tom Allen mentioned this, but I was encouraged because it was a relatively clean scrimmage. There were not a lot of balls on the ground, there were not a ton of penalties pre-snap or procedural things. It was not perfect, but I think we are trying to eliminate the bad football so we can start playing good football. We know you need to go through the process of guys getting the signal, guys lining up, guys being confident in what the call is, playing fast and eliminating negative plays. If you can eliminate those negative plays, they allow you to be a good offense. There were some signs of us trending in that direction. I think there is still more to be done, more work to be had, but I like where the group is at. There is really nothing to compare it to, this is a year unlike any other. It is hard to compare it to what a typical calendar year would be relative to training camp, etc. I think our guys have focused on being 1-0 and improving every day. I like where we are at, so we will just keep working to get as good as we can. Hopefully that continues throughout the season and does not just stop when we start playing games.
Q. On the running game…
SHERIDAN: No surprise that the running back coach [Mike Hart] would mention running the ball. He was that way when we were teammates, too. The one thing I will say is I am confident in that room, without a doubt. We are going do whatever it takes to win. I know that's a little coach speak, but if we got to throw it 70 or run at 70, we really care about winning around here. So, depending on what the game looks like, what your opponent looks like, what the conditions are, I think you need to have some versatility in your offense where you feel confident that when we have to pass it we can pass it and we have to run it we can run it. Like I said, I know there is a little coach speak as far as taking what the defense gives us, but it is the truth. There are defenses that structurally make it very challenging to run or throw, and if you cannot do the other, I think that that makes it tough. We definitely do not want to be one dimensional. We want to do whatever it takes to get first downs, score points and ultimately help our team win. That is really what we care about. I will say that Coach Hart has done a fantastic job recruiting that room and developing that room. We feel confident in the players that are in that room and look forward to them contributing a significant role.
Q. On Michael Penix Jr.…
SHERIDAN: I think Michael has developed physically. I think he is bigger, stronger. I also think his communication has really improved. I think that comes from time. He came in, and despite being a super talented freshman, it is a little bit different. He was 18-year old kid and he was coming into a locker room full of 22-year olds. I just think he has really grown into that. I think he is very well-liked and respected by his teammates. I think that is probably where the biggest growth has come, certainly the ability is there. I think his consistency has continued to improve. I have already told you guys several times on what I think about Michael Penix Jr., so it is our job to continue to push him and put him in the best situations to be successful. But I think his leadership and communication has grown. I think that just comes with time and being comfortable with the guys and getting to know the team better. But the sky is the limit for Michael. I know I have told you guys that many times, so we are very excited.
QB Michael Penix Jr.
Q. On what working with Coach Sheridan is like…
PENIX: What makes him stand out for me is the same for the whole team, Coach Sheridan always brings a lot of energy. He brings a lot of juice. He always comes into meetings excited. He is always asking as what we are going to do, basically he is trying to get us hyped up for the day. He always pushes us to our fullest, and that is something that the guys like. He brings that energy every day. That is always consistent.
Q. On the execution in the scrimmage…
PENIX: I feel that we have been executing well with everything that we have going on right now. I feel like everything has been really good. We have to make sure that we are finishing our plays. That is one thing that we are stressing this year. Coach Tom Allen is stressing that we finish everything that we do. Last year, we fell short in the bowl game and we did not finish. That is something that Coach Allen always preaches to us, to finish. We want to make sure that we execute at our best.
Q. On improvements in his IU career…
PENIX: Since my freshman year I have been able to slow the game down. I understand everything that has been put in. I have always known the playbook, but now I am at the point where I understand why we are calling certain plays and why we are doing certain things. That is one area in which I have gotten better, just slowing the game down, understanding the defense and taking what they give me.
Players Mentioned
QB
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