Indiana University Athletics
Quoted: Aiden Fisher & Zach Horton
10/1/2024 6:30:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––– As Indiana Football's Week 6 matchup at Northwestern on Saturday (October 5) approaches, junior linebacker Aiden Fisher and senior tight end Zach Horton addressed the media inside the Don Croftcheck Football Team Room on Tuesday (October 1).
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.
Aiden Fisher | LB | Jr.
On what he's seeing from Northwestern on film…
AF: They're a good team. They're physical. They like to get downhill in the run-game. They have a good running back, and a good O-line. They are figuring it out on offense so it's a game that we're expecting to be physical.
On playing a team that has been dealing with quarterback struggles…
AF: Both quarterbacks are good players at the end of the day. They are both settling in and figuring out their roles in the offense, so they are not to be taken lightly even though their numbers might not be there. They're not getting a lot of the talk around the country, but it doesn't matter. They are still great players, so we have to prepare for them like they're the best quarterbacks in the country.
On being ranked in October and how to block out the noise…
AF: The biggest thing is to realize that the opinions outside of this building don't make any decisions inside the building. We don't let those opinions sink into us.
On staying hungry for more success…
AF: I block out all social media. There's no point in reading anything. You can read something good, or you can read something bad. It has zero effect on you and how you play. I keep everything in-house. Listening to my coaches and teammates and seeing what I need to improve on, instead of hearing other opinions on how good or bad I am on Twitter, Instagram, stuff like that.
On what the defense needs to do to improve…
AF: We left a lot of explosive opportunities on the field. Me myself, I know there have been a couple. In the UCLA game, I think there was a sack and an interception that were left on the field. If you go to each position group, everybody will tell you firsthand that there's been opportunities that they've missed and that they wish they could get back. That's all part of football.
Zach Horton | TE | Sr.
On the excitement of being ranked in the top 25…
ZH: Oh yeah, but we can't get lost in that. There's my sophomore year, we got ranked and we went and played Georgia Southern and just like that we lost the ranking so we can't get caught up on that stuff, and just keep playing our brand of ball.
On what makes Elijah Sarratt stand out…
ZH: He's just a hard worker, a really hard worker. He's constantly up to practice working, and he always brings the energy to practice. I've noticed that since JMU (James Madison University), so it's really nice to have him on our team rather than go against them. That's all I know, it's really nice to have him.
On Coach Bostad's coaching process…
ZH: He coaches everybody the same, he's hard on everybody. He's kind of an old-time football guy, really physical. Bring the fight to them. So, that's what I like to hear. So, it's fun learning from him and all the experience he has.
On where the offense has improved the most…
ZH: I would just say, I find our wide receivers really pay attention to details. That's one thing I noticed. I would say most of the offense being able to pay attention to detail and really learn from our mistakes, but it's really hard to pick just one thing.
On the key to developing a selfless culture…
ZH: You never know what names are going to be called. That's one thing the coaches really preach so everybody is going to have opportunity to play. I mean, you've just got to really focus on what's coming up.
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.
Aiden Fisher | LB | Jr.
On what he's seeing from Northwestern on film…
AF: They're a good team. They're physical. They like to get downhill in the run-game. They have a good running back, and a good O-line. They are figuring it out on offense so it's a game that we're expecting to be physical.
On playing a team that has been dealing with quarterback struggles…
AF: Both quarterbacks are good players at the end of the day. They are both settling in and figuring out their roles in the offense, so they are not to be taken lightly even though their numbers might not be there. They're not getting a lot of the talk around the country, but it doesn't matter. They are still great players, so we have to prepare for them like they're the best quarterbacks in the country.
On being ranked in October and how to block out the noise…
AF: The biggest thing is to realize that the opinions outside of this building don't make any decisions inside the building. We don't let those opinions sink into us.
On staying hungry for more success…
AF: I block out all social media. There's no point in reading anything. You can read something good, or you can read something bad. It has zero effect on you and how you play. I keep everything in-house. Listening to my coaches and teammates and seeing what I need to improve on, instead of hearing other opinions on how good or bad I am on Twitter, Instagram, stuff like that.
On what the defense needs to do to improve…
AF: We left a lot of explosive opportunities on the field. Me myself, I know there have been a couple. In the UCLA game, I think there was a sack and an interception that were left on the field. If you go to each position group, everybody will tell you firsthand that there's been opportunities that they've missed and that they wish they could get back. That's all part of football.
Zach Horton | TE | Sr.
On the excitement of being ranked in the top 25…
ZH: Oh yeah, but we can't get lost in that. There's my sophomore year, we got ranked and we went and played Georgia Southern and just like that we lost the ranking so we can't get caught up on that stuff, and just keep playing our brand of ball.
On what makes Elijah Sarratt stand out…
ZH: He's just a hard worker, a really hard worker. He's constantly up to practice working, and he always brings the energy to practice. I've noticed that since JMU (James Madison University), so it's really nice to have him on our team rather than go against them. That's all I know, it's really nice to have him.
On Coach Bostad's coaching process…
ZH: He coaches everybody the same, he's hard on everybody. He's kind of an old-time football guy, really physical. Bring the fight to them. So, that's what I like to hear. So, it's fun learning from him and all the experience he has.
On where the offense has improved the most…
ZH: I would just say, I find our wide receivers really pay attention to details. That's one thing I noticed. I would say most of the offense being able to pay attention to detail and really learn from our mistakes, but it's really hard to pick just one thing.
On the key to developing a selfless culture…
ZH: You never know what names are going to be called. That's one thing the coaches really preach so everybody is going to have opportunity to play. I mean, you've just got to really focus on what's coming up.
#NeverDaunted
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