Indiana University Athletics
Media Wednesday: Michigan
11/4/2020 1:15:00 PM | Football
Below are partial transcriptions of Zoom press conferences with Indiana CB Tiawan Mullen, TE Peyton Hendershot, DB Devon Matthews, and LB Micah McFadden on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
CB Tiawan Mullen
Q. On successful blitzing…
MULLEN: I think it was successful because we disguised it well. I did not show any details that I was coming. When it was time to come, I improvised and got the quarterback down.
Q. On Michigan QB Joe Milton…
MULLEN: He is a very explosive guy. He is a big guy and has a strong arm. They have a great receiving group. We have to go out and execute whatever call defensive coordinator Kane Wommack makes. We just have to go out there and play. They have a great offense, but we have a great defense. At the end of the day, you just have to go out there and make plays.
Q. On speed and athleticism helping in blitzing…
MULLEN: I was practicing the blitzing throughout the week and kept getting better. I am a much better blitzer than last year. That was something that I wanted to work on and I showed a bunch of progress. When my name is called to go get the quarterback, I am going to get the job done.
TE Peyton Hendershot
Q. On Michigan's defense…
HENDERSHOT: It all starts up front, just like it does in every game. Big men lead the way, especially in this game. Michigan has a really good defensive line. It starts up front. If we can do our job by blocking their defensive ends and tackles well, then everything else will fall into place.
Q. On getting into the end zone last week…
HENDERSHOT: It felt good. I felt like I went into the game against Penn State trying to do too much. I talked to Coach Nick Sheridan and they got on me pretty hard. You would not want it any other way, if you want to be a great player you want the coaches to coach you. We talked about playing for my teammates and going out there and taking it one snap at a time. I feel like that is what I did on Saturday. I played a better game because I was not out there trying to do too much. My focus for this week, and for the rest of the season, is to just take things one play at a time and playing for my teammates.
Q. On starting faster this week…
HENDERSHOT: It is very important to start fast at the beginning of the game and the start of the second half. It sets the attitude of the game. I feel like we came out too slow, not that we have put ourselves in a deficit, but it would make our lives a lot easier if we came out stronger early. I think that we are going to focus on taking it one play at a time and executing better. I do not think that our execution has been as good as it needs to be. We are going to need to have our best game of execution this week.
S Devon Matthews
Q. On his impact on the defense…
MATTHEWS: We are just buying in to what the coaches are telling us to do. We are just doing our job. That is really it, just doing our job.
Q. On the safeties open field tackling…
MATTHEWS: Tackling is very important. If you do not tackle, you do not win games. Especially at the safety position, you are the last man of defense. If we do not make a tackle, nobody else is going to make a tackle, it is a touchdown. As long as we are tackling and keeping plays in front of us, we are going to be good.
Q. On how well the secondary is playing right now…
MATTHEWS: I think we are playing very well. We are all comfortable back there, we have got experience. Like I have been saying before, experience is key to our defense. We all know what to do. We all are just doing our job. We all are just buying into what the coach is telling us to do, go out there and play our game and come out victorious.
LB Micah McFadden
Q. On what is key against Michigan's offense…
MCFADDEN: I think they have a good running game. A lot of guard pulls and stuff like that, getting the perimeter game going. We have to have good edges to our defense. We have to be good on the back end, knowing where our fits are, and what the safety rotation is. And also, just protecting inside seam throws. [Joe Milton] likes the middle of the field. That is where he is pretty comfortable throwing, so we have got to protect that.
Q. On his success at Indiana…
MCFADDEN: I remember they offered me spring time after my junior season. I had a decent junior year, but I did not really play like an inside backer position that would help me get recruited to a division one program playing middle back like I am now. They definitely offered me earlier than I would have expected a Power-5 school to offer me, or you know if any. But I think they saw just a little bit a physicality in my game and just having a nose for the ball. I think during the spring time they really saw a few plays that I made, and I think it made the difference for them recruiting me.
Q. On the confidence against Michigan having beaten Penn State…
MCFADDEN: It definitely brings a lot of confidence. I think the mindset of this team is we take it one week at a time. Each week we are dominating that opponent, it does not really matter what the name on the helmet is or anything like that. It is more about what we do and how physical, how hard we can play our game. Along with doing our assignment, communicating on the field, and just playing sound defense. I think that is the important thing, but definitely being a physical football team will make the difference this game and just trying to dominate our opponent. That will make the difference in bigger games like this.
CB Tiawan Mullen
Q. On successful blitzing…
MULLEN: I think it was successful because we disguised it well. I did not show any details that I was coming. When it was time to come, I improvised and got the quarterback down.
Q. On Michigan QB Joe Milton…
MULLEN: He is a very explosive guy. He is a big guy and has a strong arm. They have a great receiving group. We have to go out and execute whatever call defensive coordinator Kane Wommack makes. We just have to go out there and play. They have a great offense, but we have a great defense. At the end of the day, you just have to go out there and make plays.
Q. On speed and athleticism helping in blitzing…
MULLEN: I was practicing the blitzing throughout the week and kept getting better. I am a much better blitzer than last year. That was something that I wanted to work on and I showed a bunch of progress. When my name is called to go get the quarterback, I am going to get the job done.
TE Peyton Hendershot
Q. On Michigan's defense…
HENDERSHOT: It all starts up front, just like it does in every game. Big men lead the way, especially in this game. Michigan has a really good defensive line. It starts up front. If we can do our job by blocking their defensive ends and tackles well, then everything else will fall into place.
Q. On getting into the end zone last week…
HENDERSHOT: It felt good. I felt like I went into the game against Penn State trying to do too much. I talked to Coach Nick Sheridan and they got on me pretty hard. You would not want it any other way, if you want to be a great player you want the coaches to coach you. We talked about playing for my teammates and going out there and taking it one snap at a time. I feel like that is what I did on Saturday. I played a better game because I was not out there trying to do too much. My focus for this week, and for the rest of the season, is to just take things one play at a time and playing for my teammates.
Q. On starting faster this week…
HENDERSHOT: It is very important to start fast at the beginning of the game and the start of the second half. It sets the attitude of the game. I feel like we came out too slow, not that we have put ourselves in a deficit, but it would make our lives a lot easier if we came out stronger early. I think that we are going to focus on taking it one play at a time and executing better. I do not think that our execution has been as good as it needs to be. We are going to need to have our best game of execution this week.
S Devon Matthews
Q. On his impact on the defense…
MATTHEWS: We are just buying in to what the coaches are telling us to do. We are just doing our job. That is really it, just doing our job.
Q. On the safeties open field tackling…
MATTHEWS: Tackling is very important. If you do not tackle, you do not win games. Especially at the safety position, you are the last man of defense. If we do not make a tackle, nobody else is going to make a tackle, it is a touchdown. As long as we are tackling and keeping plays in front of us, we are going to be good.
Q. On how well the secondary is playing right now…
MATTHEWS: I think we are playing very well. We are all comfortable back there, we have got experience. Like I have been saying before, experience is key to our defense. We all know what to do. We all are just doing our job. We all are just buying into what the coach is telling us to do, go out there and play our game and come out victorious.
LB Micah McFadden
Q. On what is key against Michigan's offense…
MCFADDEN: I think they have a good running game. A lot of guard pulls and stuff like that, getting the perimeter game going. We have to have good edges to our defense. We have to be good on the back end, knowing where our fits are, and what the safety rotation is. And also, just protecting inside seam throws. [Joe Milton] likes the middle of the field. That is where he is pretty comfortable throwing, so we have got to protect that.
Q. On his success at Indiana…
MCFADDEN: I remember they offered me spring time after my junior season. I had a decent junior year, but I did not really play like an inside backer position that would help me get recruited to a division one program playing middle back like I am now. They definitely offered me earlier than I would have expected a Power-5 school to offer me, or you know if any. But I think they saw just a little bit a physicality in my game and just having a nose for the ball. I think during the spring time they really saw a few plays that I made, and I think it made the difference for them recruiting me.
Q. On the confidence against Michigan having beaten Penn State…
MCFADDEN: It definitely brings a lot of confidence. I think the mindset of this team is we take it one week at a time. Each week we are dominating that opponent, it does not really matter what the name on the helmet is or anything like that. It is more about what we do and how physical, how hard we can play our game. Along with doing our assignment, communicating on the field, and just playing sound defense. I think that is the important thing, but definitely being a physical football team will make the difference this game and just trying to dominate our opponent. That will make the difference in bigger games like this.
Players Mentioned
TE
/ Football
DB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
DB
/ FootballFB: 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