Media Monday: Idaho
9/6/2021 2:05:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Entering the first home weekend of the season, Indiana head football coach Tom Allen spoke to the media inside the Memorial Stadium on Monday (Sept. 6) to recap the game at Iowa and look forward to the home opener against Idaho.
Below is a transcript of the press conferences from Monday, Sept. 6. Video of the full media session can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Tom Allen | Head Coach
Opening Statement
TA: Good morning. let me check something first here. Yeah. Making sure Indiana is spelled right on my hat before we get started. We appreciate you guys being here. We watched the film and am just as disappointed as I was after the game. So, that doesn't change.
We had a good day yesterday with our guys and had some open, honest conversations and heart-to-hearts about where we are and what we've got to do to get where we want to be. I thought the guys responded well in regard to our meetings yesterday and lifting and moving on to our next opponent.
Bottom line for me is it's how you respond to this kind of situation. That's going to be the focus and love our guys, believe in them and am excited to see them learn from the things that happened on Saturday and press on and move forward.
We are excited about Saturday's opportunity. The first home game for us and our program and really excited to get our fans back into our stadium. It's going to be 7:30 kickoff so want our fans to be able to enjoy the tailgating piece and getting here early and being able to enjoy the atmosphere. I know our guys can't wait to perform in front of them, so that really is a big deal. Obviously everything we've all been through this last year and not being able to be part of it and getting our fans back in the stadium is going to be huge for our guys. We are really looking forward to that.
We do want to recognize some guys. We do not give out players of the week when we don't win, but we do still recognize our scout team and the work that they do for our team. Our defensive scout team player of the week was Maurice Freeman. He's a young man that's really just practices so hard and does a great job of giving our offense a great look. Then as offensive scouts, we had David Holloman and Nick Marozas. David is a guy I mentioned before, he's a freshman running back and continues to practice really hard. I appreciate Nick's leadership and what he's doing for our team, as well. Special teams scout of the week was Andrew Turvy, a young man from Carmel High School here in-state. He just practices really, really hard.
We appreciate these guys and what they do for us every single day as they develop as players and as we continue to move forward. At this time, I'll take questions.
On what the mood in the locker room on Saturday and meetings on Sunday was…
TA: The [flight home], the locker room was pretty somber. They're a group of guys that have invested a lot and they were just really [upset]. You wake up the next day … and you just got this sick feeling in your stomach and you wake up feeling awful. You do.
We do a lot with them on Sundays and when they leave the building that night, I want to make sure that the experience is flushed, good or bad. We're now ready to move on to our next opponent. That's what we did.
In the past, we've actually had Sunday's off the last couple of years. We moved to Monday as our off day for the players. So we were with them yesterday, which I think was a good thing. To be able to go through and actually get on the field again, that's the last thing we do, about a 40-minute practice with our guys. We were able to introduce, do some corrections from the game and then introduce our next opponent. Just to be able to get their mind [right] -- prior to getting on the field, we have a 20-minute meeting about the next opponent. You just really have a chance to kind of work through the previous game, good or bad, and then get your mind right and get your focus on the next opponent, which is really most important at this point.
On what he saw from Michael Penix Jr. on the film…
TA: I think going through and just getting him [comfortable in the pocket]. As you watch, you see a lot of high throws and just getting comfortable in the pocket. I am just being very transparent. I think you've got to go through and he's got to work through the process of being live.
I just think in practice, you can say what it is: you're not live at this point and you're not going to make it live. I don't think -- there's no way you can go back and ever do that. But, until [game action] is live , it's really not the same. I just think that he just wasn't obviously himself. You guys can all see that. I saw that. You saw that. But, there is no wavering whatsoever within him. He just needs to continue to work through that process, the confidence in that. He's definitely 100 percent, in regard to the knee, and just being able to play that way.
I think that's the process you've got to go through and he's going through it with us, and we're going through it with him. Obviously, everybody is in this together. So, yeah, the first [interception] was a tipped ball. The receiver slipped and then ball was tipped and, obviously, we saw the result of that. The one [interception] to me was supposed to be thrown out of bounds and just got away from him, to be honest with you. The receiver wasn't even turned around. So, it was just kind of an odd thing to happen. I've really not seen him ever do that before.
The other [interception] was just a misread coverage-wise. A guy jumped it and it was just a mistake. But, those are costly. I mean, turn the ball over on offense -- the turnover ratio, explosive play ratio: that's really what defines games. We talk about it all the time, and everybody knows the stats. When you win those two categories, you pretty much win close to 80 to 85 percent of your games you're going to play in. We lost the turnover battle to them and that's how you lose games.
On not seeing Luke Haggard or Zach Carpenter on the offensive line at Iowa…
TA: Unfortunately, Luke got dinged up. We really expected him to be a starter. So, we've just got to work through that and hopefully get him back. That, to me, is something that we were hoping to get him ready for the game and he was there on an emergency basis, but even going through warmups he just didn't feel like it is probably a good idea. It's nothing long term or serious, but we're hoping to get him back.
And then just get Zach, just bring him along too. We're definitely looking at all options at that point. I think those guys are definitely going to be [in the mix]. You have to get the best five out there and whoever those best five are, whatever combination it is, we're going to figure it out and that's who we're going to go with.
Just watching the film, we just didn't block good enough. Just call it what you want. We didn't sustain our blocks. We were working with the right people most of the time but just not able to stay on them. To me, it was receivers, it was tight ends, O-line. It's everybody; quarterback carrying out his fakes. All the little things you've got to do. To me, that wasn't to our standard. We have to get better and it's being addressed and will be addressed.
On Michael Penix Jr.'s getting comfortable running the football…
TA: I think, just being fair, I think you've got to be open and honest about things and [Michael and I] had good conversations. I think it's something he's got to keep working through. There's no doubt about it. We all know the history and you've got to work through that. That's part of this process to me, but we all know how we have to play this game and he understands that as well. So, to me, that's something that every day, every game, every rep, everything we do, you continue to gain confidence and we've got to get to that point.
On how much playing a clean game with no penalties will be a point of emphasis this week…
TA: Huge emphasis for sure. There were two personal fouls that were both what we call selfish penalties. We already – the one with the quarterback – had shown video from the previous week. It happened to a team that played week zero, where it's not the hit on the quarterback, it's the driving him into the ground. We showed that to our team and then we made the exact same mistake. So, that's being addressed.
The same with the one for the offensive line on Michael Katic. It is just inexcusable. So, those are being addressed. Then the false starts, you can't have those. Those are costly, very costly. The holding penalty, the one we had on the O-line, to me are more you talk about self-inflicted. It's technique. It's positioning. Usually, the holding is your about your feet. Your hands get caught doing the holding, but your feet are what get you in trouble.
So, it's a lot of variables for that, but you've got to eliminate mistakes. Those just kill drives, especially on our offense. It just really, really set us back and put us behind the chains and made it really difficult, especially in that environment against that defense. We talk about playing fundamentally sound and not making mistakes, and we didn't do either one.
On the Marching Hundred being back in Memorial Stadium for the first time since 2019 this weekend…
TA: I love it. To me, when I hear the bands playing, that's what I think makes college different than the professional game. It's just an awesome part of the atmosphere. I love that part of it and am excited to have them back and wanted to have them back. I want this place to be loud and rocking. So that, to me, is all part of it.
We're all in this together and that's why I've tried to do everything I can the last few years here to encourage that and to thank them publicly and appreciate them because I do. I know the role that they play and how important it is in getting the people, the fans, the players, everybody engaged and feeling the energy and electricity of the stadium.
On if there is an update on Devon Matthews…
TA: They did keep him [in Iowa], but he's been released. We were able to get his mom up there with him, so they're on their way back this morning. So, got a lot of good news from that.
So, it's just an upper body injury. I don't know the short term as far as return to play status yet, but I do know we've got a lot of good test results back, which was very positive. I've spoken to him already several different times and messaged him and his mom. So, we are encouraged by his progress.
On how he felt Josh Sanguinetti played after Matthews' injury…
TA: Josh stepped in and played over 50 snaps. We challenged our guys in that very possibility. You never know who it's going to be. I gave them a story last week about one of the players I used to coach at a previous place that was a third string guy in the opening game of a top 25 match-up. That third string guy had to play the entire second half because the two guys in front of him ended up getting knocked out of the game.
So, never knowing if that's going to be you and being ready for that. Obviously, Josh was the number two and he ended up playing 50 snaps. That wasn't what he was expecting to play, but I thought he was really solid. I thought he did a really good job. I want to continue for him to develop and communicate at a higher level, but he made some plays for sure.
I thought Raheem Layne played pretty well, but he's rusty. He hadn't played in over a year. He was so excited, he made some mistakes, without question, but a lot of them were over-aggression and just energy. I think once he calmed down, he made fewer of those, but he still wasn't as good as he's going to be.
Marcelino McCrary-Ball was the same thing. it's his first game in over a year. At the same time, the secondary did a lot of good things, a lot of areas to work on for sure, not 100 percent pleased with everything there, but they did some good things, enough to build off of without question.
I thought our defense was very solid, as I said, even after the game, watching the film. We just have to eliminate some of those major mistakes. The effort, I thought, on defense was what you want. I thought our defensive line was very productive and secondary played well, but we could play better and we're going to play better.
On if the offensive line was set prior to Luke Haggard not being available…
TA: We did. That was kind of what we thought it was going to be for most of fall camp, and then just one of those things. It happened in practice, and so that changed all that.
At the same time, we're going to definitely have competition there. I don't know if it's open for every position but we're always trying to find the best combination. To me, it's find the best five guys and the combination which that includes will be looked at this week … I want guys that are going to play physical and that are going to execute and that are going to finish.
On where the special teams – particularly James Evans – can improve…
TA: I thought James, he punted very poorly. His first three punts weren't very good, but it was his first game of his entire [American football career]. Others have had that same situation, he just didn't respond very well initially. I thought the more he kicked, the better he got, which is what you want to see. There's no question that he needed all those reps for sure and was encouraged by how he responded.
I feel really good about where he's at and he needed those reps. We tried everything we could to simulate the game situation, live situation, both the crowd noise, pressure and hitting him with shields and just trying to rough him up a little bit to feel the pressure. He's the third one we've had in this situation, and it was pretty new for all of them. So, we are just trying to create that environment. He didn't respond as well initially but then calmed down and did a better job. Then we were two for two on field goals.
The two other things that stuck out to me negatively were the first kickoff coverage guys didn't execute the call. They jumped things. They assumed some things and didn't read and react. Then the kickoff out of bounds is just inexcusable. That's their job, so do your job. That cannot happen.
On if he was pleased with the run defense after the first long run…
TA: Yeah…That's what the video showed, and that's what I felt I saw during the game, but you can't erase the play. It's obviously a huge part of the game. It was momentum. It was a lot of things, you know. But, big picture-wise, moving forward, which is the whole point here in what we're talking about, yeah, you definitely feel with [Iowa] that is what they do. That's what they hang their hat on. That's where the strength of their team lies … It was something that we've emphasized, something we knew we needed to get better at in order to play the way we want to play in this conference and to be able to do things we want to do. I believe we can do and will do it in this conference. You have to stop the run and I was very encouraged by that. Like I said, it's a collective group effort with that and that was a very positive thing for the future.
On his expectations for the crowd this weekend…
TA: It's a home game, so I understand the impact that fans have on the game and the atmosphere that you have for both teams. [It creates] encouragement and energy from us and then just to be having to deal with the noise on third downs, especially for opposing team's offense and communication and all of that, affects guys jumping offsides and being slower on the snap count. So, those are all things that play into outcomes of games.
As we always have said, home field advantage gives you an advantage. That's why they call it that. It's because there's fans. It's not just because you're playing at home. It's the fans in the stands that give you that home field advantage. So, yeah, it's important for sure and we are excited for everybody to get out here and enjoy some great Indiana University football.
On how much can be fixed over the next four days before Idaho…
TA: I think that's where -- as we often say, game day's coming and the clock's ticking so we have to have a sense of urgency with that. That's why yesterday was so important to not only flush things out but to be open and honest about where you are with things and address them. That process is continuing even into today as a staff and then tomorrow's practice is huge: the way our guys come and approach their opportunity at 7:00 a.m., our first team meeting in the morning, and be able to have the right mindset and to have a great Tuesday morning practice and film study and walk-through and everything that goes into this to be able to give us the progression that we have to have.
There's obviously guys that didn't play that we hope to get back to play to get them healthy and get them part of what we're doing. That's part of it, as well, but it's just continuing to go through the process that we've got to get where we want to be. There's no question. I mean, obviously, everybody knows that it wasn't what anybody wanted and it's my responsibility. The buck stops with me, and I have to own it, and I do. It's my responsibility to get it fixed. So that's where we're at.
We are excited for our guys to be able to have the opportunity -- that's one thing that is great about this awesome game. It was a game, but it was one game. So now we've got to move on to our second opportunity and that's the beauty of this sport. You've got to be able to respond, and you've got to be able to look yourself in the mirror, and you've got to be able to make honest assessments and evaluations, and you've got to go fix them. There's a lot of pride in this football team. A lot of guys that have worked extremely hard, but we've got a lot of work ahead of us. We're excited about the opportunity to get back out there on Saturday and represent our university.
Q. Ryder Anderson led you in a lot of categories, sacks and TFLs and even solo tackles. else pretty good for a debut for him, wasn't it?
TA: I tell you what, we're not surprised. He was the defensive MVP of us for our defense in the spring. We saw a lot of those same things out of him and he also brings a lot of leadership to that room. I think I said that before when we brought him here. We expected him to do that and he's done that. He's just such a steadying force in there. He's not just a big guy, he's also physically strong and he moves well, but he's also got maturity to him. He backed it up with his play, which is what I expected him to do. Now we just want other guys to follow suit.
I thought Weston Kramer -- I actually mentioned him to our whole team yesterday because of how hard he plays. I mean, just his effort. he's that way every single day. I don't know if I've ever seen a kid at this level practice as hard as he does every single day: it does not matter.
To me, that's infectious. It's contagious and I love it. I want it to infiltrate everybody. It's not that we didn't play hard. I'm just saying that kid takes it to another level. He's not a massively big guy, but he has a massively big motor and that's an awesome thing because he controls that. That's what makes it so powerful because he can't control how tall he is, but he can control how hard he plays and how tough he is. That's what I love about him. So thankful that we brought him here and really excited for his opportunity. I thought Ryder did a great job and expect him to continue to be very productive for us.
Have a great day. LEO.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
112197-1-1822 2021-09-06 16:01:00 GMT
Below is a transcript of the press conferences from Monday, Sept. 6. Video of the full media session can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Tom Allen | Head Coach
Opening Statement
TA: Good morning. let me check something first here. Yeah. Making sure Indiana is spelled right on my hat before we get started. We appreciate you guys being here. We watched the film and am just as disappointed as I was after the game. So, that doesn't change.
We had a good day yesterday with our guys and had some open, honest conversations and heart-to-hearts about where we are and what we've got to do to get where we want to be. I thought the guys responded well in regard to our meetings yesterday and lifting and moving on to our next opponent.
Bottom line for me is it's how you respond to this kind of situation. That's going to be the focus and love our guys, believe in them and am excited to see them learn from the things that happened on Saturday and press on and move forward.
We are excited about Saturday's opportunity. The first home game for us and our program and really excited to get our fans back into our stadium. It's going to be 7:30 kickoff so want our fans to be able to enjoy the tailgating piece and getting here early and being able to enjoy the atmosphere. I know our guys can't wait to perform in front of them, so that really is a big deal. Obviously everything we've all been through this last year and not being able to be part of it and getting our fans back in the stadium is going to be huge for our guys. We are really looking forward to that.
We do want to recognize some guys. We do not give out players of the week when we don't win, but we do still recognize our scout team and the work that they do for our team. Our defensive scout team player of the week was Maurice Freeman. He's a young man that's really just practices so hard and does a great job of giving our offense a great look. Then as offensive scouts, we had David Holloman and Nick Marozas. David is a guy I mentioned before, he's a freshman running back and continues to practice really hard. I appreciate Nick's leadership and what he's doing for our team, as well. Special teams scout of the week was Andrew Turvy, a young man from Carmel High School here in-state. He just practices really, really hard.
We appreciate these guys and what they do for us every single day as they develop as players and as we continue to move forward. At this time, I'll take questions.
On what the mood in the locker room on Saturday and meetings on Sunday was…
TA: The [flight home], the locker room was pretty somber. They're a group of guys that have invested a lot and they were just really [upset]. You wake up the next day … and you just got this sick feeling in your stomach and you wake up feeling awful. You do.
It's just how you respond when you care a whole bunch and things don't go the way you want them to, for a variety of reasons. To me, it's more about once you have a chance to address it and watch the film and talk about it openly and honestly. I think it's really critical the way they leave [after Sunday] and that, to me, is what I was focusing on is how they walked out of the facility at the end of the day.
We do a lot with them on Sundays and when they leave the building that night, I want to make sure that the experience is flushed, good or bad. We're now ready to move on to our next opponent. That's what we did.
In the past, we've actually had Sunday's off the last couple of years. We moved to Monday as our off day for the players. So we were with them yesterday, which I think was a good thing. To be able to go through and actually get on the field again, that's the last thing we do, about a 40-minute practice with our guys. We were able to introduce, do some corrections from the game and then introduce our next opponent. Just to be able to get their mind [right] -- prior to getting on the field, we have a 20-minute meeting about the next opponent. You just really have a chance to kind of work through the previous game, good or bad, and then get your mind right and get your focus on the next opponent, which is really most important at this point.
On what he saw from Michael Penix Jr. on the film…
TA: I think going through and just getting him [comfortable in the pocket]. As you watch, you see a lot of high throws and just getting comfortable in the pocket. I am just being very transparent. I think you've got to go through and he's got to work through the process of being live.
I just think in practice, you can say what it is: you're not live at this point and you're not going to make it live. I don't think -- there's no way you can go back and ever do that. But, until [game action] is live , it's really not the same. I just think that he just wasn't obviously himself. You guys can all see that. I saw that. You saw that. But, there is no wavering whatsoever within him. He just needs to continue to work through that process, the confidence in that. He's definitely 100 percent, in regard to the knee, and just being able to play that way.
I think that's the process you've got to go through and he's going through it with us, and we're going through it with him. Obviously, everybody is in this together. So, yeah, the first [interception] was a tipped ball. The receiver slipped and then ball was tipped and, obviously, we saw the result of that. The one [interception] to me was supposed to be thrown out of bounds and just got away from him, to be honest with you. The receiver wasn't even turned around. So, it was just kind of an odd thing to happen. I've really not seen him ever do that before.
The other [interception] was just a misread coverage-wise. A guy jumped it and it was just a mistake. But, those are costly. I mean, turn the ball over on offense -- the turnover ratio, explosive play ratio: that's really what defines games. We talk about it all the time, and everybody knows the stats. When you win those two categories, you pretty much win close to 80 to 85 percent of your games you're going to play in. We lost the turnover battle to them and that's how you lose games.
On not seeing Luke Haggard or Zach Carpenter on the offensive line at Iowa…
TA: Unfortunately, Luke got dinged up. We really expected him to be a starter. So, we've just got to work through that and hopefully get him back. That, to me, is something that we were hoping to get him ready for the game and he was there on an emergency basis, but even going through warmups he just didn't feel like it is probably a good idea. It's nothing long term or serious, but we're hoping to get him back.
And then just get Zach, just bring him along too. We're definitely looking at all options at that point. I think those guys are definitely going to be [in the mix]. You have to get the best five out there and whoever those best five are, whatever combination it is, we're going to figure it out and that's who we're going to go with.
Just watching the film, we just didn't block good enough. Just call it what you want. We didn't sustain our blocks. We were working with the right people most of the time but just not able to stay on them. To me, it was receivers, it was tight ends, O-line. It's everybody; quarterback carrying out his fakes. All the little things you've got to do. To me, that wasn't to our standard. We have to get better and it's being addressed and will be addressed.
On Michael Penix Jr.'s getting comfortable running the football…
TA: I think, just being fair, I think you've got to be open and honest about things and [Michael and I] had good conversations. I think it's something he's got to keep working through. There's no doubt about it. We all know the history and you've got to work through that. That's part of this process to me, but we all know how we have to play this game and he understands that as well. So, to me, that's something that every day, every game, every rep, everything we do, you continue to gain confidence and we've got to get to that point.
On how much playing a clean game with no penalties will be a point of emphasis this week…
TA: Huge emphasis for sure. There were two personal fouls that were both what we call selfish penalties. We already – the one with the quarterback – had shown video from the previous week. It happened to a team that played week zero, where it's not the hit on the quarterback, it's the driving him into the ground. We showed that to our team and then we made the exact same mistake. So, that's being addressed.
The same with the one for the offensive line on Michael Katic. It is just inexcusable. So, those are being addressed. Then the false starts, you can't have those. Those are costly, very costly. The holding penalty, the one we had on the O-line, to me are more you talk about self-inflicted. It's technique. It's positioning. Usually, the holding is your about your feet. Your hands get caught doing the holding, but your feet are what get you in trouble.
So, it's a lot of variables for that, but you've got to eliminate mistakes. Those just kill drives, especially on our offense. It just really, really set us back and put us behind the chains and made it really difficult, especially in that environment against that defense. We talk about playing fundamentally sound and not making mistakes, and we didn't do either one.
On the Marching Hundred being back in Memorial Stadium for the first time since 2019 this weekend…
TA: I love it. To me, when I hear the bands playing, that's what I think makes college different than the professional game. It's just an awesome part of the atmosphere. I love that part of it and am excited to have them back and wanted to have them back. I want this place to be loud and rocking. So that, to me, is all part of it.
We're all in this together and that's why I've tried to do everything I can the last few years here to encourage that and to thank them publicly and appreciate them because I do. I know the role that they play and how important it is in getting the people, the fans, the players, everybody engaged and feeling the energy and electricity of the stadium.
On if there is an update on Devon Matthews…
TA: They did keep him [in Iowa], but he's been released. We were able to get his mom up there with him, so they're on their way back this morning. So, got a lot of good news from that.
So, it's just an upper body injury. I don't know the short term as far as return to play status yet, but I do know we've got a lot of good test results back, which was very positive. I've spoken to him already several different times and messaged him and his mom. So, we are encouraged by his progress.
On how he felt Josh Sanguinetti played after Matthews' injury…
TA: Josh stepped in and played over 50 snaps. We challenged our guys in that very possibility. You never know who it's going to be. I gave them a story last week about one of the players I used to coach at a previous place that was a third string guy in the opening game of a top 25 match-up. That third string guy had to play the entire second half because the two guys in front of him ended up getting knocked out of the game.
So, never knowing if that's going to be you and being ready for that. Obviously, Josh was the number two and he ended up playing 50 snaps. That wasn't what he was expecting to play, but I thought he was really solid. I thought he did a really good job. I want to continue for him to develop and communicate at a higher level, but he made some plays for sure.
I thought Raheem Layne played pretty well, but he's rusty. He hadn't played in over a year. He was so excited, he made some mistakes, without question, but a lot of them were over-aggression and just energy. I think once he calmed down, he made fewer of those, but he still wasn't as good as he's going to be.
Marcelino McCrary-Ball was the same thing. it's his first game in over a year. At the same time, the secondary did a lot of good things, a lot of areas to work on for sure, not 100 percent pleased with everything there, but they did some good things, enough to build off of without question.
I thought our defense was very solid, as I said, even after the game, watching the film. We just have to eliminate some of those major mistakes. The effort, I thought, on defense was what you want. I thought our defensive line was very productive and secondary played well, but we could play better and we're going to play better.
On if the offensive line was set prior to Luke Haggard not being available…
TA: We did. That was kind of what we thought it was going to be for most of fall camp, and then just one of those things. It happened in practice, and so that changed all that.
At the same time, we're going to definitely have competition there. I don't know if it's open for every position but we're always trying to find the best combination. To me, it's find the best five guys and the combination which that includes will be looked at this week … I want guys that are going to play physical and that are going to execute and that are going to finish.
On where the special teams – particularly James Evans – can improve…
TA: I thought James, he punted very poorly. His first three punts weren't very good, but it was his first game of his entire [American football career]. Others have had that same situation, he just didn't respond very well initially. I thought the more he kicked, the better he got, which is what you want to see. There's no question that he needed all those reps for sure and was encouraged by how he responded.
I feel really good about where he's at and he needed those reps. We tried everything we could to simulate the game situation, live situation, both the crowd noise, pressure and hitting him with shields and just trying to rough him up a little bit to feel the pressure. He's the third one we've had in this situation, and it was pretty new for all of them. So, we are just trying to create that environment. He didn't respond as well initially but then calmed down and did a better job. Then we were two for two on field goals.
The two other things that stuck out to me negatively were the first kickoff coverage guys didn't execute the call. They jumped things. They assumed some things and didn't read and react. Then the kickoff out of bounds is just inexcusable. That's their job, so do your job. That cannot happen.
On if he was pleased with the run defense after the first long run…
TA: Yeah…That's what the video showed, and that's what I felt I saw during the game, but you can't erase the play. It's obviously a huge part of the game. It was momentum. It was a lot of things, you know. But, big picture-wise, moving forward, which is the whole point here in what we're talking about, yeah, you definitely feel with [Iowa] that is what they do. That's what they hang their hat on. That's where the strength of their team lies … It was something that we've emphasized, something we knew we needed to get better at in order to play the way we want to play in this conference and to be able to do things we want to do. I believe we can do and will do it in this conference. You have to stop the run and I was very encouraged by that. Like I said, it's a collective group effort with that and that was a very positive thing for the future.
On his expectations for the crowd this weekend…
TA: It's a home game, so I understand the impact that fans have on the game and the atmosphere that you have for both teams. [It creates] encouragement and energy from us and then just to be having to deal with the noise on third downs, especially for opposing team's offense and communication and all of that, affects guys jumping offsides and being slower on the snap count. So, those are all things that play into outcomes of games.
As we always have said, home field advantage gives you an advantage. That's why they call it that. It's because there's fans. It's not just because you're playing at home. It's the fans in the stands that give you that home field advantage. So, yeah, it's important for sure and we are excited for everybody to get out here and enjoy some great Indiana University football.
On how much can be fixed over the next four days before Idaho…
TA: I think that's where -- as we often say, game day's coming and the clock's ticking so we have to have a sense of urgency with that. That's why yesterday was so important to not only flush things out but to be open and honest about where you are with things and address them. That process is continuing even into today as a staff and then tomorrow's practice is huge: the way our guys come and approach their opportunity at 7:00 a.m., our first team meeting in the morning, and be able to have the right mindset and to have a great Tuesday morning practice and film study and walk-through and everything that goes into this to be able to give us the progression that we have to have.
There's obviously guys that didn't play that we hope to get back to play to get them healthy and get them part of what we're doing. That's part of it, as well, but it's just continuing to go through the process that we've got to get where we want to be. There's no question. I mean, obviously, everybody knows that it wasn't what anybody wanted and it's my responsibility. The buck stops with me, and I have to own it, and I do. It's my responsibility to get it fixed. So that's where we're at.
We are excited for our guys to be able to have the opportunity -- that's one thing that is great about this awesome game. It was a game, but it was one game. So now we've got to move on to our second opportunity and that's the beauty of this sport. You've got to be able to respond, and you've got to be able to look yourself in the mirror, and you've got to be able to make honest assessments and evaluations, and you've got to go fix them. There's a lot of pride in this football team. A lot of guys that have worked extremely hard, but we've got a lot of work ahead of us. We're excited about the opportunity to get back out there on Saturday and represent our university.
Q. Ryder Anderson led you in a lot of categories, sacks and TFLs and even solo tackles. else pretty good for a debut for him, wasn't it?
TA: I tell you what, we're not surprised. He was the defensive MVP of us for our defense in the spring. We saw a lot of those same things out of him and he also brings a lot of leadership to that room. I think I said that before when we brought him here. We expected him to do that and he's done that. He's just such a steadying force in there. He's not just a big guy, he's also physically strong and he moves well, but he's also got maturity to him. He backed it up with his play, which is what I expected him to do. Now we just want other guys to follow suit.
I thought Weston Kramer -- I actually mentioned him to our whole team yesterday because of how hard he plays. I mean, just his effort. he's that way every single day. I don't know if I've ever seen a kid at this level practice as hard as he does every single day: it does not matter.
To me, that's infectious. It's contagious and I love it. I want it to infiltrate everybody. It's not that we didn't play hard. I'm just saying that kid takes it to another level. He's not a massively big guy, but he has a massively big motor and that's an awesome thing because he controls that. That's what makes it so powerful because he can't control how tall he is, but he can control how hard he plays and how tough he is. That's what I love about him. So thankful that we brought him here and really excited for his opportunity. I thought Ryder did a great job and expect him to continue to be very productive for us.
Have a great day. LEO.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
112197-1-1822 2021-09-06 16:01:00 GMT
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