Quoted: Purdue
11/21/2023 10:00:00 AM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––– As the days near closer to Indiana Football's week 13 matchup at Purdue on Saturday (November 25), Indiana offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Rod Carey, defensive coordinator and safeties coach Matt Guerrieri and select student-athletes addressed the media inside Memorial Stadium.
Below is a partial transcript of the press conference, while video of the media sessions can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Rod Carey | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
On the continued progression of Brendan Sorsby…
RC: There has been progression as he has grown with the game reps. He started out pretty slow and he would admit that too. He did some really nice things as well. It wasn't enough. That's the bottom line to it. we didn't have enough good things over the course of the game to get over the hump as far as getting the win. As far as his progression, it continues. You're getting to a point where he does have a good rep base now, but it's still not a complete body of work. He still has a lot of stuff to learn. We've got a long way to go, but I like where we are heading.
On the success in the run game against Michigan State…
RC: Our inside three guys played really well. It starts and ends there. We said a few weeks ago that we need to get more production out of our run game for the commitment that we are putting into it, and we did this week. It has a lot to do with the guys up front, the tight ends, and the backs. When it was working like it was, we weren't going to go away from it. it felt like we had good control of it that way, as far as moving the ball with the run. I'm really happy with it so far. Obviously, that's one game, so we've got to do it again.
On the benefit of having multiple rushers to help a young quarterback…
RC: It takes a lot of pressure off when you get to a second-and-six and you miss a throw and still have the run available on third down, or if you run it on first, get a second-and-six, and miss the throw. You still have the run available. You're still in third-and-medium, which when you have the run game going, it provides you a lot more options. That is great comfort from everybody on that when you are in that situation. The key is that we have to stay in that situation, and it still has to be productive.
Matt Guerrieri | Defensive Coordinator/Safeties
On what the defense needs to improve to finish the half…
MG: It's finish. How we coach those situations are all a bit unique. Some of them are true two-minute situations where it's a known throw. There are other times where there are three or four minutes on the clock, and it is normal offensive operations. It's about finishing plays and finishing drives. We did not do it well enough in either half this past week, which was the big theme for us. Our meeting Sunday with the defense was all about finishing.
On making changes of the defensive struggles looking at next season…
MG: I take it week by week, play by play. We know what we are doing well. We do a weekly self-scout of what's been good or not been as good from there and try to address those. It goes back to what the players do best and how we put them into positions to be able to that. We work really hard at that. The results at times have been what we want. The results at times have not been what we want. We expect a high-level defense and a really high-level product on Saturdays. We will continue to work hard to put us in a position to do that.
On learning the importance and history of the Indiana-Purdue rivalry…
MG: It's been great to be able to learn about it. There is a lot of tradition and history behind this game. I'm aware of it, being in the Big Ten before, and being aware of it from being a college football fan growing up and loving rivalry week. It's been great to be able to learn the in-depth tradition from coach (Mark) Deal. Being able to hear that from him has been awesome, and on my own. On Saturday night I was reading up on it. It's a yearlong thing anytime you have a big rival to play this week. This week it's a concentrated focus.
Below is a partial transcript of the press conference, while video of the media sessions can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Rod Carey | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
On the continued progression of Brendan Sorsby…
RC: There has been progression as he has grown with the game reps. He started out pretty slow and he would admit that too. He did some really nice things as well. It wasn't enough. That's the bottom line to it. we didn't have enough good things over the course of the game to get over the hump as far as getting the win. As far as his progression, it continues. You're getting to a point where he does have a good rep base now, but it's still not a complete body of work. He still has a lot of stuff to learn. We've got a long way to go, but I like where we are heading.
On the success in the run game against Michigan State…
RC: Our inside three guys played really well. It starts and ends there. We said a few weeks ago that we need to get more production out of our run game for the commitment that we are putting into it, and we did this week. It has a lot to do with the guys up front, the tight ends, and the backs. When it was working like it was, we weren't going to go away from it. it felt like we had good control of it that way, as far as moving the ball with the run. I'm really happy with it so far. Obviously, that's one game, so we've got to do it again.
On the benefit of having multiple rushers to help a young quarterback…
RC: It takes a lot of pressure off when you get to a second-and-six and you miss a throw and still have the run available on third down, or if you run it on first, get a second-and-six, and miss the throw. You still have the run available. You're still in third-and-medium, which when you have the run game going, it provides you a lot more options. That is great comfort from everybody on that when you are in that situation. The key is that we have to stay in that situation, and it still has to be productive.
Matt Guerrieri | Defensive Coordinator/Safeties
On what the defense needs to improve to finish the half…
MG: It's finish. How we coach those situations are all a bit unique. Some of them are true two-minute situations where it's a known throw. There are other times where there are three or four minutes on the clock, and it is normal offensive operations. It's about finishing plays and finishing drives. We did not do it well enough in either half this past week, which was the big theme for us. Our meeting Sunday with the defense was all about finishing.
On making changes of the defensive struggles looking at next season…
MG: I take it week by week, play by play. We know what we are doing well. We do a weekly self-scout of what's been good or not been as good from there and try to address those. It goes back to what the players do best and how we put them into positions to be able to that. We work really hard at that. The results at times have been what we want. The results at times have not been what we want. We expect a high-level defense and a really high-level product on Saturdays. We will continue to work hard to put us in a position to do that.
On learning the importance and history of the Indiana-Purdue rivalry…
MG: It's been great to be able to learn about it. There is a lot of tradition and history behind this game. I'm aware of it, being in the Big Ten before, and being aware of it from being a college football fan growing up and loving rivalry week. It's been great to be able to learn the in-depth tradition from coach (Mark) Deal. Being able to hear that from him has been awesome, and on my own. On Saturday night I was reading up on it. It's a yearlong thing anytime you have a big rival to play this week. This week it's a concentrated focus.
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