Indiana University Athletics
Quoted: Ohio State
10/20/2021 4:00:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – As Indiana football readies for No. 5/5 Ohio State in front of a sold-out Memorial Stadium in primetime on Saturday (Oct. 23), the Hoosiers talked to the media throughout the week and below are quotes from coordinators Nick Sheridan and Charlton Warren, along with student-athletes Noah Pierre and Jack Tuttle.
Below is a partial transcript of the press conferences, while video of the full coordinator media session can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Nick Sheridan | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
On attacking the game plan versus Michigan State…
NS: I think each week is a little bit different on where you are trying to attack. I thought early in the game, try and get [starting quarterback] Jack [Tuttle] off to a good start, get him into some good rhythms. I thought he was able to do that. Saturday, in the throw game at least, is that we just missed some balls down the field. We had some one-on-ones in the deep part of the field. Whether it was an inside receiver, or Ty [Fryfogle] early in the game ran a tough inside fade route in the slot and we just didn't connect on it. We had Javon [Swinton] down the sideline a couple of times. I would say in the pass game relative to that, your point's well taken as far as some of the inside receivers and some of the crossers and those types of things are things Whop [Philyor] had a lot of success with [last season]. But you're trying to cater to the players that you do have now. Each year, each group is a little bit different. When I look back at the game Saturday, I thought we missed some opportunities in the deep part of the field. There were just some missed opportunities whether it was the throw or being able to come down with [the ball]. We drew a couple of pass interference penalties, were able to get one-on-ones there and our guys fought for the ball, but we have to be able to hit those. Those are explosive plays and those lead to points. I didn't necessarily think there were a ton of opportunities. There were some shorter, intermediate throws to the tight ends that we probably could have hit, but the thing is I felt in the pass game we missed some opportunities for some one-on-ones on the perimeter.
On why there have been offensive struggles in Big Ten games…
NS: A couple main points. Number one, our quarterbacks have turned the ball over too much, period. That's pretty evident to everybody, so that can't happen. That's led to us losing games. We've turned the football over too much. And number two, we haven't scored touchdowns in the red zone. And it's really not much more complicated than that. We've had opportunities in the red area, and we haven't scored touchdowns. And ultimately, that leads to no points. I also think the explosive plays have not been what we wanted them to be. And those are the two factors when you're talking about points and production in that red area. We've had moments we've moved the ball. We've gotten first downs. When you're talking about putting points on the board, though, you have to have explosive plays and you have to score and finish drives in the red area. We just have not done that. So, it's not for a lack of trying or problem solving, it just hasn't come to light in games, and we just have to do a better job. If we we're able to do that on one drive Saturday, we would have won the game. We had an opportunity to win, but we didn't. So, we need to be better there as a staff and as players and find a way to score touchdowns in the red area and not turn the ball over like we have at the quarterback position.
On Donaven McCulley as a passer…
NS: I think he's a talented passer. A little inconsistent but working on that each and every day. I think there are a couple layers when you're a young quarterback. Sometimes young quarterbacks can look inaccurate when they're not totally sure what they're doing, or they're not fully confident in what the read is, what the drop is, the timing. I think he's made progress. I think he's a talented kid. He has a strong arm. He is accurate. It's just making sure that he feels comfortable in those moments on a lot of levels: the protection, the read, the throw, etc. He's making progress every day and I think the sky's the limit for him. And certainly, moving forward, if he's in the game, he can't just run the ball every time that he's in there and he knows that. We have to execute those plays, as well. We expect him to do that, and I know he's just excited to continue to grow, continue to develop, and continue to get better.
Charlton Warren | Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
On how he would describe Noah Pierre…
CW: Probably the word is resiliency. He played safety two months ago. He's played husky. And then three weeks ago, you ask him to play cornerback, and then he goes into the game and plays versus the second-most productive pair of receivers in the Big Ten. They go after him, and he ends up with nine tackles and a big interception at the end to give us a chance to win the game. So, the kid's resilient. He's competitive, and I thought his teammates did a good job on the sideline if he gave up a play or a pass, of just encouraging him. Then, the kid goes out there and plays like that. Couldn't be more proud of him, and this really tells you that's the character and core of our team, guys like him. So, big hats off to him, a guy who's a third-string safety and now he's a starting cornerback versus some pretty good football teams.
On the importance of the front seven staying consistent versus Ohio State…
CW: They [Ohio State] do about everything perfect. Run it, pass it, protect it. But I think when your front seven can give you some havoc and some negative yardage plays, when they can squeeze gaps and get the ball, contain so your guys can run to the ball on the perimeter, I think that's huge. I think between the defensive line, the linebackers, the apex players, we have to continue to find ways to make sure our defense doesn't get split down the middle, build edges and allow our team speed, hustle, and effort to run balls down inside out. We're a gang-tackle team. I don't want a lot of plays where it's one-on-one tackles there. So, I think the more we can do that and the more we can keep the ball sideways and run it down, the better we'll be.
On Micah McFadden…
CW: Smart kid and he plays with a relentless motor. When you combine those you get a guy like him. He studies, he takes extra time in the film room, he comes up and meets with me one-on-one, he takes notes, and he's a guy that practices the same way he plays. So, as a coach, I have to slow him down in practice and take care of him. But, when you get to game day, he can see it like a coach on the field. And when he sees it, he knows how to react, he knows how to set a play up, he knows what the strengths and weaknesses of that call are going to be versus that formation. They get in this formation; he's eliminated two or three things that he knows they are not going to do so he can play faster. So, he's a coach on the field, but more than anything, the way he leads our team, the relentless effort he plays with, and you combine that with a really smart kid that studies the game, and you get a guy that can affect the game. That's the kind of player Micah is.
Noah Pierre | CB | Jr.-R
On making the transition from position to position on defense…
NP: The transition was easy. I feel like moving around helped me a lot as far as learning different pieces in the defense. Moving to safety helped me know where my help is. Moving to corner or husky, the same thing.
On being targeted early by Michigan State…
NP: Being the new guy, I felt like Michigan State was trying to target me or prove a point. Talking to coach [assistant head coach/cornerback coach Brandon] Shelby before the play really helped settle me down. I was kind of getting agitated, so just talking to him really helped me keep my head level, and then making a play was really big for the team and try to put us in a position to win
On what keeps him motivated…
NP: My teammates, my family, my coaches, God. I pray a lot. I'm a man of God, so that just really keeps me motivated, keeps me determined. Those guys [on our defense] are great players so that motivates me to be better.
Jack Tuttle | QB | Jr.-R
On what he saw in his performance after watching the film…
JT: There were some good things and bad things obviously. Too many bad things in the game. I've had three starts now and every time I look over those games I learned something different. After, I go back and try and implement and try and work on what I did wrong in practice. I feel like I become a better player. You know losing is not okay, but the one thing I do gain from it is improvement and things to work on.
On what things he took away from his Michigan State start to work on…
JT: I just think fundamental things like my feet. Even when the pocket is breaking down, setting my feet and being really smart with the ball, even under pressure. It's tough sometimes, guys are up and down the field, you want to be the hero sometimes and you can't do it. You have to take care of the ball and some other things I'm not going to rant on about.
On if the short passing game is something he can lean on…
JT: Absolutely. In football, people don't really understand in the big games like that it's this much. This is the difference between winning and losing the game. It can be getting the extra yard, a first down or scoring on the drive, or maybe the ball is a little behind and you don't score on the drive. It's very minute when we play in these big games. Every detail matters, and like I said, I learned a lot from this past game and had a good practice today, and we're very excited and motivated about this week.
Below is a partial transcript of the press conferences, while video of the full coordinator media session can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Nick Sheridan | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
On attacking the game plan versus Michigan State…
NS: I think each week is a little bit different on where you are trying to attack. I thought early in the game, try and get [starting quarterback] Jack [Tuttle] off to a good start, get him into some good rhythms. I thought he was able to do that. Saturday, in the throw game at least, is that we just missed some balls down the field. We had some one-on-ones in the deep part of the field. Whether it was an inside receiver, or Ty [Fryfogle] early in the game ran a tough inside fade route in the slot and we just didn't connect on it. We had Javon [Swinton] down the sideline a couple of times. I would say in the pass game relative to that, your point's well taken as far as some of the inside receivers and some of the crossers and those types of things are things Whop [Philyor] had a lot of success with [last season]. But you're trying to cater to the players that you do have now. Each year, each group is a little bit different. When I look back at the game Saturday, I thought we missed some opportunities in the deep part of the field. There were just some missed opportunities whether it was the throw or being able to come down with [the ball]. We drew a couple of pass interference penalties, were able to get one-on-ones there and our guys fought for the ball, but we have to be able to hit those. Those are explosive plays and those lead to points. I didn't necessarily think there were a ton of opportunities. There were some shorter, intermediate throws to the tight ends that we probably could have hit, but the thing is I felt in the pass game we missed some opportunities for some one-on-ones on the perimeter.
On why there have been offensive struggles in Big Ten games…
NS: A couple main points. Number one, our quarterbacks have turned the ball over too much, period. That's pretty evident to everybody, so that can't happen. That's led to us losing games. We've turned the football over too much. And number two, we haven't scored touchdowns in the red zone. And it's really not much more complicated than that. We've had opportunities in the red area, and we haven't scored touchdowns. And ultimately, that leads to no points. I also think the explosive plays have not been what we wanted them to be. And those are the two factors when you're talking about points and production in that red area. We've had moments we've moved the ball. We've gotten first downs. When you're talking about putting points on the board, though, you have to have explosive plays and you have to score and finish drives in the red area. We just have not done that. So, it's not for a lack of trying or problem solving, it just hasn't come to light in games, and we just have to do a better job. If we we're able to do that on one drive Saturday, we would have won the game. We had an opportunity to win, but we didn't. So, we need to be better there as a staff and as players and find a way to score touchdowns in the red area and not turn the ball over like we have at the quarterback position.
On Donaven McCulley as a passer…
NS: I think he's a talented passer. A little inconsistent but working on that each and every day. I think there are a couple layers when you're a young quarterback. Sometimes young quarterbacks can look inaccurate when they're not totally sure what they're doing, or they're not fully confident in what the read is, what the drop is, the timing. I think he's made progress. I think he's a talented kid. He has a strong arm. He is accurate. It's just making sure that he feels comfortable in those moments on a lot of levels: the protection, the read, the throw, etc. He's making progress every day and I think the sky's the limit for him. And certainly, moving forward, if he's in the game, he can't just run the ball every time that he's in there and he knows that. We have to execute those plays, as well. We expect him to do that, and I know he's just excited to continue to grow, continue to develop, and continue to get better.
Charlton Warren | Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
On how he would describe Noah Pierre…
CW: Probably the word is resiliency. He played safety two months ago. He's played husky. And then three weeks ago, you ask him to play cornerback, and then he goes into the game and plays versus the second-most productive pair of receivers in the Big Ten. They go after him, and he ends up with nine tackles and a big interception at the end to give us a chance to win the game. So, the kid's resilient. He's competitive, and I thought his teammates did a good job on the sideline if he gave up a play or a pass, of just encouraging him. Then, the kid goes out there and plays like that. Couldn't be more proud of him, and this really tells you that's the character and core of our team, guys like him. So, big hats off to him, a guy who's a third-string safety and now he's a starting cornerback versus some pretty good football teams.
On the importance of the front seven staying consistent versus Ohio State…
CW: They [Ohio State] do about everything perfect. Run it, pass it, protect it. But I think when your front seven can give you some havoc and some negative yardage plays, when they can squeeze gaps and get the ball, contain so your guys can run to the ball on the perimeter, I think that's huge. I think between the defensive line, the linebackers, the apex players, we have to continue to find ways to make sure our defense doesn't get split down the middle, build edges and allow our team speed, hustle, and effort to run balls down inside out. We're a gang-tackle team. I don't want a lot of plays where it's one-on-one tackles there. So, I think the more we can do that and the more we can keep the ball sideways and run it down, the better we'll be.
On Micah McFadden…
CW: Smart kid and he plays with a relentless motor. When you combine those you get a guy like him. He studies, he takes extra time in the film room, he comes up and meets with me one-on-one, he takes notes, and he's a guy that practices the same way he plays. So, as a coach, I have to slow him down in practice and take care of him. But, when you get to game day, he can see it like a coach on the field. And when he sees it, he knows how to react, he knows how to set a play up, he knows what the strengths and weaknesses of that call are going to be versus that formation. They get in this formation; he's eliminated two or three things that he knows they are not going to do so he can play faster. So, he's a coach on the field, but more than anything, the way he leads our team, the relentless effort he plays with, and you combine that with a really smart kid that studies the game, and you get a guy that can affect the game. That's the kind of player Micah is.
Noah Pierre | CB | Jr.-R
On making the transition from position to position on defense…
NP: The transition was easy. I feel like moving around helped me a lot as far as learning different pieces in the defense. Moving to safety helped me know where my help is. Moving to corner or husky, the same thing.
On being targeted early by Michigan State…
NP: Being the new guy, I felt like Michigan State was trying to target me or prove a point. Talking to coach [assistant head coach/cornerback coach Brandon] Shelby before the play really helped settle me down. I was kind of getting agitated, so just talking to him really helped me keep my head level, and then making a play was really big for the team and try to put us in a position to win
On what keeps him motivated…
NP: My teammates, my family, my coaches, God. I pray a lot. I'm a man of God, so that just really keeps me motivated, keeps me determined. Those guys [on our defense] are great players so that motivates me to be better.
Jack Tuttle | QB | Jr.-R
On what he saw in his performance after watching the film…
JT: There were some good things and bad things obviously. Too many bad things in the game. I've had three starts now and every time I look over those games I learned something different. After, I go back and try and implement and try and work on what I did wrong in practice. I feel like I become a better player. You know losing is not okay, but the one thing I do gain from it is improvement and things to work on.
On what things he took away from his Michigan State start to work on…
JT: I just think fundamental things like my feet. Even when the pocket is breaking down, setting my feet and being really smart with the ball, even under pressure. It's tough sometimes, guys are up and down the field, you want to be the hero sometimes and you can't do it. You have to take care of the ball and some other things I'm not going to rant on about.
On if the short passing game is something he can lean on…
JT: Absolutely. In football, people don't really understand in the big games like that it's this much. This is the difference between winning and losing the game. It can be getting the extra yard, a first down or scoring on the drive, or maybe the ball is a little behind and you don't score on the drive. It's very minute when we play in these big games. Every detail matters, and like I said, I learned a lot from this past game and had a good practice today, and we're very excited and motivated about this week.
Players Mentioned
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