Indiana University Athletics
Thursday Takeaways: Old Oaken Bucket
11/24/2022 4:00:00 PM | Football
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Prior to the Indiana football program's season finale versus Purdue, Indiana defensive coordinator Chad Wilt and offensive coordinator Walt Bell talked to the media. A quartet of student-athletes also talked with Austin Render in front of the Hoosiers and Boilermakers 3:30 p.m. contest Saturday (Nov. 26) on Big Ten Network.
Below is a partial transcript of the coordinators press conferences, while video of the full media sessions can be found near the top of this story or at IUHoosiers.com/watch.
Chad Wilt | Defensive Coordinator
On the resilience the defense showed at Michigan State…
CW: That's a course of 10 months of work, a course of 20 years of work for some of these parents. You look at what is inside of these young men. We saw it early on in the season during the Illinois game and how we had to battle and fight. Even Idaho wasn't easy; didn't start well. Western Kentucky; had to take that into overtime.
These young men have a resiliency to them. They fight, they have grit. You guys have asked me over the course of these weeks what did you see in them, I've answered their toughness and grit. Those things don't change that's in these young men's DNA. We are going to show up and fight there, go to battle regardless of the circumstances and they found a way. Really proud of them. It's their DNA.
On Bryant Fitzgerald's versatility…
CW: It's certainly a process and there were mistakes. We're not going get caught up on those and through the course of the season, you guys wouldn't know this we have actually practiced Fitz since Cam Jones got hurt at linebacker. He's done this a little bit, it was an emergency situation, the third or fourth guy who would go in. So, he's gotten some practice reps as we've gone on through the season and you knew that he had an understanding of it.
We have talked to NFL scouts, even this fall, about Fitz. I just tell them give him a chance. He's really smart, he's really competitive and he's going to do everything right that you ask him. It's in his DNA. I think mentally he can play any position on our defense, and he would know what to do. He's just that smart and intelligent. We're not going to ask him to go play nose guard, but he has that type of mental capability just football savvy and awareness and luckily the position he moved into is who he works behind in the free safety position so there is an awareness of walking up six more yards to play that position from where he was playing. He knows the job and the responsibilities and that certainly helped him also.
On halftime adjustments…
CW: We talked about that this morning, when we went into halftime, we didn't make any schematic adjustments. We pointed out this is what they are doing, what we were seeing, what formations you're getting plays out of, this is what you can expect. Let's just go execute and I know that sounds a little cliche or coach talk but, really we had one pressure that we had not called that was in our game plan that we called in the second half and we called it twice.
It wasn't new, just hey this is how we need to execute this better, this is the formation, this is the call or check, how can we execute this better. It was just getting the guys locked in on what they were seeing and go execute against these formations and packages and the guys really responded to that.
Walt Bell | Offensive Coordinator
On the offensive line having a good game at Michigan State after all it has gone through…
WB: Just the payoff for those guys. Those guys have been through a lot. They have hurt a lot and put a lot of pressure on themselves. They have a lot of pride, and you know we got a new quarterback. You know you're playing in big wind, really cold, injuries at wide out. For those guys to really own the game and put the game on their shoulders and know we had to run the ball successfully to win the game and they did a great job.
If we had not stepped into one or two sacks and cost us it could have been a 300-yard rushing day. The good news is there is still more to be had. There are still things that could have been a 320, 330, 340 on the ground type of day but just really proud of those guys. Without those guys we don't win that football game
On the process of calling the pass in double overtime…
WB: You get in that situation in overtime, they went first and we blocked the kick. We ran the ball really well to put ourselves in a position, you know Charles [Campbell] is so good you just know if we get this thing kind of center, if we just get it down there, he will go and win the game.
We had the field goal blocked and just had the attitude lets go win the game right now. We were setting that up all day. A big heavy 12 personnel look where we had been almost 100% run and we wanted to go get that in right now, go end the game right now. We were able to punch it in with big power there from the one. Then the two-point play that's a menu of things that we've carried the whole year. We have practiced it and repped it a bunch of times and Dexter [Williams II] did a great job finding the tight end late.
On what Dexter Williams II has brought to the table the last few weeks…
WB: I think first and foremost is the physical arm talent. He can really drive the ball down the field, he has a big, big strong arm. He is a really good reactionary thrower and what he does really well, the elements are kind of precluded to that and I think the conflict he can create in the C gap with his legs.
He's a guy that can win on third-and-medium by scramble attempts or when things don't go your way the athleticism that he has. He plays the game really tough. There are some times where he needs to do a better job of taking care of himself but ultimately his versatility. He's a guy who can do a bit of everything and he's still learning. He's a guy who missed a lot of football with an injury, so he's still a really young player and as he continues to grow and through next spring, he's got a chance to be a really good player for us.
Below is a partial transcript of the coordinators press conferences, while video of the full media sessions can be found near the top of this story or at IUHoosiers.com/watch.
Chad Wilt | Defensive Coordinator
On the resilience the defense showed at Michigan State…
CW: That's a course of 10 months of work, a course of 20 years of work for some of these parents. You look at what is inside of these young men. We saw it early on in the season during the Illinois game and how we had to battle and fight. Even Idaho wasn't easy; didn't start well. Western Kentucky; had to take that into overtime.
These young men have a resiliency to them. They fight, they have grit. You guys have asked me over the course of these weeks what did you see in them, I've answered their toughness and grit. Those things don't change that's in these young men's DNA. We are going to show up and fight there, go to battle regardless of the circumstances and they found a way. Really proud of them. It's their DNA.
On Bryant Fitzgerald's versatility…
CW: It's certainly a process and there were mistakes. We're not going get caught up on those and through the course of the season, you guys wouldn't know this we have actually practiced Fitz since Cam Jones got hurt at linebacker. He's done this a little bit, it was an emergency situation, the third or fourth guy who would go in. So, he's gotten some practice reps as we've gone on through the season and you knew that he had an understanding of it.
We have talked to NFL scouts, even this fall, about Fitz. I just tell them give him a chance. He's really smart, he's really competitive and he's going to do everything right that you ask him. It's in his DNA. I think mentally he can play any position on our defense, and he would know what to do. He's just that smart and intelligent. We're not going to ask him to go play nose guard, but he has that type of mental capability just football savvy and awareness and luckily the position he moved into is who he works behind in the free safety position so there is an awareness of walking up six more yards to play that position from where he was playing. He knows the job and the responsibilities and that certainly helped him also.
On halftime adjustments…
CW: We talked about that this morning, when we went into halftime, we didn't make any schematic adjustments. We pointed out this is what they are doing, what we were seeing, what formations you're getting plays out of, this is what you can expect. Let's just go execute and I know that sounds a little cliche or coach talk but, really we had one pressure that we had not called that was in our game plan that we called in the second half and we called it twice.
It wasn't new, just hey this is how we need to execute this better, this is the formation, this is the call or check, how can we execute this better. It was just getting the guys locked in on what they were seeing and go execute against these formations and packages and the guys really responded to that.
Walt Bell | Offensive Coordinator
On the offensive line having a good game at Michigan State after all it has gone through…
WB: Just the payoff for those guys. Those guys have been through a lot. They have hurt a lot and put a lot of pressure on themselves. They have a lot of pride, and you know we got a new quarterback. You know you're playing in big wind, really cold, injuries at wide out. For those guys to really own the game and put the game on their shoulders and know we had to run the ball successfully to win the game and they did a great job.
If we had not stepped into one or two sacks and cost us it could have been a 300-yard rushing day. The good news is there is still more to be had. There are still things that could have been a 320, 330, 340 on the ground type of day but just really proud of those guys. Without those guys we don't win that football game
On the process of calling the pass in double overtime…
WB: You get in that situation in overtime, they went first and we blocked the kick. We ran the ball really well to put ourselves in a position, you know Charles [Campbell] is so good you just know if we get this thing kind of center, if we just get it down there, he will go and win the game.
We had the field goal blocked and just had the attitude lets go win the game right now. We were setting that up all day. A big heavy 12 personnel look where we had been almost 100% run and we wanted to go get that in right now, go end the game right now. We were able to punch it in with big power there from the one. Then the two-point play that's a menu of things that we've carried the whole year. We have practiced it and repped it a bunch of times and Dexter [Williams II] did a great job finding the tight end late.
On what Dexter Williams II has brought to the table the last few weeks…
WB: I think first and foremost is the physical arm talent. He can really drive the ball down the field, he has a big, big strong arm. He is a really good reactionary thrower and what he does really well, the elements are kind of precluded to that and I think the conflict he can create in the C gap with his legs.
He's a guy that can win on third-and-medium by scramble attempts or when things don't go your way the athleticism that he has. He plays the game really tough. There are some times where he needs to do a better job of taking care of himself but ultimately his versatility. He's a guy who can do a bit of everything and he's still learning. He's a guy who missed a lot of football with an injury, so he's still a really young player and as he continues to grow and through next spring, he's got a chance to be a really good player for us.
Players Mentioned
Thursday, August 13
Thursday, August 13
Tuesday, August 11
Tuesday, August 11