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INDIANA UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 31, 2015

Kevin Wilson

Bloomington, Indiana

COACH WILSON: "Again, it's great to be here on game week. Guys are well into our preparation, whether it be out of preseason, your recovery, nutrition, some rest that you need, kind of getting legs back, schemes adjustments.

"Real deal is coming together as a team. We really went through last week and you're still practicing and competing and now you've got to play the guy you've been fighting against trying to beat every day, now he's really helping you. So it's trying to get these guys to understand how to play for each other and how to put offense and defense together. The spring and preseason you always -- inaudible -- we did have a lot of banter with some give and takee on both sides, but now it's getting these guys playing together.

"Again as we went through the preseason, just some updates. Again, just to review a few guys, J-Shun,Donovan Clark, Garrett Welch who was a walk-on, are all out for the year. Ty Smith has been a medical. We have talked about that. It's all kind of history. Tommy Mister left the program. Got Camion Patrick in the academic redshirt situation he's in.

"We had added Wesley Green at defensive back, and we have also added one more player, Ja'Marez Bowen who is an offensive lineman that we recruited out of Shaker Heights, Cleveland, Ohio. Spent his freshman year at the University of Cincinnati and we've added him. He's starting school and is with us as an offensive lineman, happened just at the end of last week.

"So both he and Wesley will have to sit out at transfers, like I say, a young man that we had recruited hard, 6-4-plus, five, pushing five, 312, 315, athletic, D-Lineman, has the body type and can grow into being an offensive line guy. One of our thoughts with getting upper-ended with some very good junior and seniors. We thought about taking a J.C. lineman. We are kind of taking this as a J.C. guy we have here every day to train instead of getting a guy midseason or next year, so excited to have Ja'Marez join us up.

"We'll add a few late walk-ons. Been through it last week when school starts. You can't exceed 105. We'll add 12 or 15 kids, give or take here, and we'll do that this week. Those guys typically are practice guys and really don't get into the mix a lot but you like them to help you.

"Going into camp, a few bumps and bruises but standard deal as far as helping our team. Had a strong, positive camp and again, I think we are in good health and we are good shape. We have more depth and we are stronger. We had a 45-minute lift yesterday and we'll have a 45-minute lift tomorrow morning before we practice. We are doing a lot to try to keep our team strong and up to shape.

"I think we are practicing hard but we are not over-practicing. I think our time on the field is getting less because we are going at it pretty hard. Like I say we had a great week of practice last week. I think that third week at camp is a little hard. Get me to game week, get me on the field or I'm tired. I'm tired of seeing you and practicing, tired of listening to the coach, tired of drills. You get a little mundane.

"We had our best week last week which is very, very, very encouraging. I think we are prepared for the journey, the 2015 season, looking forward to it.

"Week one, Southern Illinois, opponent one. To me, a winning, prideful program and has been for decades. FCS program, yes, but historically those teams have matched up. I don't know if you can call them upsets anymore with the balance and development of football. I made a comment, I think they have had as many guys drafted as we have in recent years. They have guys recruited in the NFL and they have guys that were recruited by SEC and Big Ten schools and the bounce-backs transferred out for some reason.

"They have got some talent and players and they have draftable guys and they have a veteran staff, well coached. Dale Lennon, their head coach, been there eight years. Their OC is an O-line background guy. They are always good up front. You will know their D.C., David Elson, who I believe is a Chatard alum. Used to be head coach at Western Kentucky and actually worked for me my first year in recruiting and was a part of Coach Lynch's staff. So they have got some ties to our area and always big recruiters over here.

"It will be a big game. Their kids know it will be on tape that those kids that want to play pro football, the scouts are going to look at. So you know you're going to get great effort and you know you are going against good guys.

"Spread, no-huddle offense, kind of standard issue. Gives us a chance, and them the same way. You kind of work against yourselves and almost do your scouting report. The quarterback is a veteran. They do have a transfer from Northern Illinois that mixes well, but they have a veteran fifth-year quarterback. Last year's tight end was drafted, and this year's tight end is the most draftable player on their team that the scouts and everyone is looking at; they return five starters on O.

"Defensively, top 30 last year, middle linebacker is one of the top linebackers in the country in tackles which goes with that position. They have returned six starters.

"Special teams they are solid. Their punter is back. They average about 13 yards of punt return. And early in games, kicking blunders, kicking mistakes, sloppy football can haunt you and can be excellent for you, and that will be one of the challenges. But a quality opponent, excited to play. Had a good camp and ready to roll."

Q. On Indiana's wide receivers:
COACH WILSON: "Really good. And I think we made some strides. I mean, yesterday we kind of went around the room with the players and talked about who we thought had done well. And a couple of the offensive coaches were very complimentary of some of the freshmen DBs. That's as good a freshman DB as I've ever competed against.

"It was kind of good -- that being said, you say your receiver is good, well, hey, their DBs are weak or they have these young guys and are struggling. We are very pleased where the secondary is and how it's going.

"But the offense has done well. Now I think last week our defensive front really got going, getting some pressure and really starting to make the quarterback feel a little bit more uncomfortable. I thought the first two weeks our offense was really good. I thought the last week, the defense made a huge jump and really challenged the offense. It was great to see.

"But again we have had a much better summer, preseason. The vibe in the room. Simmie Cobbs has been his best. Ricky Jones is back to what we thought he was as a young guy. There's a lot of other guys in competition but those are the two best outside guys and we'll play six, eight, 10 guys.

"That tight end group is going to complement that pass game a little bit. Jordan Howard catches the ball well. Devine Redding catches the ball well. Hopefully we can spread it around and get that ball not just to one guy like we used to; have probably five, six, seven guys getting three, four, five touches a game. That would be ideal if we could get that and have a chance to."

Q. Talking about Ricky, when he was younger, you guys saw him and now he's moved outside for about a year. What's that move like for a guy that maybe doesn't have size, particularly as a quarterback, that likes to use the boundaries?
COACH WILSON: "Well, that's a good question, because every strength or weakness you have at receiver position, can be used positively or negatively based on where you go.

"So a smaller guy inside is really kind of a problem as a blocker because he's matched up against bigger bodies but then he's a better route runner. Outside, with some of the corner size, sometimes you miss the guy that maybe can go up and get the big jump ball play. And Ricky has got good vertical. He doesn't play small to me. He's a 5-11 kid, he's not 6'3, but he doesn't play like a tiny kid. He is strong, very strong. He is a fourth-year kid and he's very, very mature.

"But what he gives you is the speed that sometimes the big guy doesn't have the speed. So the big guy can make the jump ball but the smaller guy can separate. So bottom line, you just kind of find those routes that he likes. Some guys are good at post and some guys like comebacks and some guys like speed-outs. You have a bunch of offense and you attack the coverage and Ricky has a few things that he's really good at.

"He's very well rounded. He's just a little bit more of a speed guy instead of being 6-2 or three. A lot of 6-2, 6-3 guys are able to gain, but he creates some coverage problems because he's a little quicker, harder to get your hands on. Everybody's different. But he's had a good camp and it's kind of nice to see and hopefully that's going to translate into a consistent year and he'll be good for another good year."

Q. Quarterback who has been running offense for a couple of years -- how does that change the way that you approach -- because maybe you have a guy that you trust?
COACH WILSON: "Another good question. Again we don't want to over-practice. I think we are veteran enough. We are trying to really challenge our coaches to think in their preparation and be a little bit more strategic in meeting and walk-throughs so you're not wearing your team out but still have timing with the receivers.

"So even though your quarterback is a veteran, you have to get that trust factor: Where he is, I feel him, I see him. He understands that I know he's not going to beat him deep, so I'm going to put it behind him; or he's got him beat, I'm putting air on it.

"And the same with those DBs, your defensive front seven has a lot of experience, but your DBs aren't. So there's a little bit of give and take there. So Coach Shelby and Coach Joseph, Coach Johns have to be pretty creative in how to accomplish some of that timing with receivers and that schematic deal that those young guys have but in going to a first game with kind of a veteran team, that we don't over-practice.

"So it's good to have the veteran side. But we still have -- Zander Diamont needs snaps. Danny Cameronneeds snaps. There's a balance we are working on and trying to be more creative and be a better walk-through and meeting team instead of standing on the field three hours every day. We are talking to the kids about less volume but more energy and effort when we are going and try to do a better job of teaching."

Q. On increased trust with the defensive unit:
COACH WILSON: "Yeah, I think so, and I think probably as much as anything, too, I think with our coaches, understanding what they can and can't do. I've been pretty adamant about some things I think they need to do to get that defensive line making plays and to really help those defensive backs.

"Like I said last week, we really worked hard on not just knowing the defense and being where you're supposed to be but creating some havoc. We were working -- you can go as hard as you can but you've still got to make the play.

"So just going hard and being a spot is not defense. You need to get off the block and make tackles. We've been working a lot on disengagement and getting to the ball. Yeah you've got a scheme and have to be in three-deep, two-deep, man coverage, I'm hitting X-gap, it's this blitz; but as I go there, how to get to the ball.

"I think there's a lot more trust. I think our coaches now are teaching technique more than scheme. I think in the first year you're thinking, it's kind of scheme, it was that way offensively for us the first year. It was all scheme, scheme, scheme. And the second year you could really work on developing some fundamentals. And you have guys like Spriggs and Feeney and Sudfeld have been here for four years, so they know the schemes.

"But you can really zero back into some great elementary fundamentals, which really is the key in the game and our fundamentals get sloppy because we get scheme-happy too much. It's nice to have some of the veteran guys you're talking about and I think that's leading to some trust. I think a lot of our trust is the coaches understanding the kids and how to put them in better places, too."

Q. On depth:
COACH WILSON: "Well, again, we are just kind of do a two-deep. We are going to play seven, eight, nine, and very much, we've got a couple, three, four tight ends.

"And I thought, like somebody had an article about four is better than one I read, saw a little a quote from Corsaro which I liked. But he's in a very competitive deal. We're going to play three tight ends or three running backs, and you need them. And whether Jordan or Devine go out there first, we'll still need a third with Ricky Brookins and Alex Rodriguez; and to me, we keep battling.

"Again, we've talked a lot with this football team about checking your ego of who goes out first and being selfish. We need about 18, 19, 20 starters. The best game we played last year was our game defensively at Missouri and we played everybody on the trip except one. Every guy went on the field and played that day, and I think the more we play guys, the better we're going to be.

"Like I say I'm not all giddy on the depth chart. We're going to play seven, eight, nine receivers easy, and I expect to play a couple 20 guys on both sides of the ball, not counting kicking game."

Q. On Marqui Hawkins:
COACH WILSON: "You know, he's a bigger guy, not as fast as Ricky so a little bit easier sometimes, getting off of -- when he's got cushion, he's good but with his size sometimes, learning to get smaller. We've actually played him a little bit as a slash-hybrid running back guy.

"Because we had some situations with Tommy Mister, we actually put him as a bit of a running back/receiver kind of guy. So we are kind of using him as a dual-threat role.

"First practice he's had for us -- he missed all spring. He's pretty good. He's a little bit down the line. And those young freshmen quite honestly are probably as talented or more talented as some of the older guys. And that's one of the rubs is that some of the more skilled kids are some of the young kids. Same thing on the defense live. Some of those young freshmen DBs are really good and their talent is going to get them on the field."

Q. On a potential redshirt for Zander Diamont:
COACH WILSON: "You know, I really thought Zander has been doing really, really good and I guess I've got to come to the decision early. I always like playing guys. I think you just do better. You do better in school. You do better in the offseason. Just the more you play, the happier guys are. He does have a redshirt year; if it's mop-up duty, Danny can do it.

"I think I have got to come to -- I think Zander has done a little bit better, although he still needs to be a little bit cleaner with the ball and be a little smarter from time to time. But he can make some plays, he has more strength and he has got more zip and he can run around and definitely do some stuff. Nate Boudreau, Danny Cameron have both been rock solid. So we are way better across the board with those four guys. We like the freshmen we have brought in.

"But I have to decide this week with Coach Johns early, do we want to play Zander and not worry about getting a year back. My decision would be if I think we need him, we're going to play him. If I'm not sure we need him, I'd play Danny as a mop up and then I would only play Zander if he was best and we had a major problem.

"For example, we were redshirting Nate Sudfeld a couple years ago until the second quarter of the UMass game. And we had a problem; and okay, you're playing in this game right now. And he went from redshirt to playing in 15 seconds. If we got to that point, we'll make that decision.

"Right now, I guess I just have to sort in my mind, long term, we are going to do what's best for the team this year and then long term, is it best for Zander; can Zander help the team, if that's long term, be playing this year. Or can he still be the second team and mop-up duty can come from Nate Boudreau and Danny Cameron, who we have got a lot of confidence in.

"We have been practicing so much, I had not really thought about it. But it's time to -- we will by Saturday because we don't want to burn a year if he's not ready to. Even if you can play better, I don't want to play a kid five plays and lose a year.

"We think, does it help him grow, does it help him mature to get on the field; are we going to play him some. If we said he's not going to have a role and it's just mop up, I guess we can try to redshirt him. But does he have a role -- he can run around and make some plays, and even as good as Nate is, is it good to have that? So we have got to ponder a few things I guess and get there."

Q. You guys concerned about long snapper, anybody stepping up yet?
COACH WILSON: "Again, that was -- our first year, that spring, we had a kid that graduated the year before and I think we had a non-scholarship player that left the team. That first spring was so bad at snapping. If we had any guests at practice, we didn't do snapping that day because it looked like my son's seventh grade team; it was kind of painful.

"And we found Matt Dooley, who four years never had a bad one. One of the most fortunate things I've ever been a part of and one of the best things, the kid was legit and a great human being, great kid, great leader, great student, high-end.

"We have been training, Josh Pericht has been here two years -- he's from Chicago, Chicago kid. Nolan Guedel, who is from New Pal, played for Coach Ralph over there, heck of an athlete. He's in the mix.

"And we've got a freshman by the name of Dan Godsil that we got out of Ottawa, Ohio that we kind of targeted and he was higher up, so those three guys are in the mix. It's kind of neck and neck. We'll kind of see how they practice this week. If there's a drop-off format, the way they are snapping, it's a slight one and then we put a lot of pressure on him.

"Now they have not been in the arena with the scoreboard and the lights, but we have put a lot of stress on them in practice and with the snap timing, and the consistency of the snap, they have been very impressive. So we have got three, and we have to see this week how it goes. Someone needs to answer the call and I think they are all capable."

Q. On the long snapper competition:
COACH WILSON: "You can. Josh is the bigger of the three. He's about 220 and stronger. One kid is six-couple, 210, 205. The other guy is about six-foot, 195. They are different types. But you know, they can't hit the center -- you get those big bodies on PAT, it's more about snap timing and placement. And you want that snap at .7 and you want that punt at less than .20. You want that extra point at 1.2. You want it down and up at 1.2 because you're not blocking those guys on edge. You're blocking them in timing. So it's really about just speed and accuracy.

"But I like them."

Q. On the competition between the offense and the defense:
COACH WILSON: "Again, last week defensively was awesome and I really think it's true -- the guy that has the most impact on a game is the quarterback. And he gets all the credit and he gets all the blame. But he looks good when everybody does their job; he looks bad when no one does.

"But the quarterback has the ball in his hand, we give you the game -- it's called football. And we give you the football. It's in your hand every play. So the quarterback has the most effect.

"But the line of scrimmage has the greatest effect on the quarterback, whether it be how you're blocking or how you're rushing. Last week our defense did -- it's the best I've seen us playing downhill, pin your ears back, 11 buzzing bees, flying around, it looked like it looked. And the quarterback talked about, hey, they like it. We've done a lot seven-on-seven with pass rush, so instead of the quarterback standing there -- learn to make awkward throws. Learn to be comfortable when it's not comfortable.

"And that being said, our secondary has gotten better, we finally got that front and some depth going. Now there are some kids that can run. Andre Brown looks really good at corner. Tyler Green is athletic. Brown is good. Jonathan Crawford looks really good at safety and Jameel Cook will be in the mix. D-Williams is in the mix, going to be on special teams. All five of those freshmen are in the mix to play and they are going to be playing.

"And Kiante, Tony Fields, Dutra, Noel Padmore, Fant, best he's been, Ben Bach, best he's been, so we have got some depth. It's inexperience, it's going to get tested, we know it, they know it. We have tested them as best we can, and like what we see -- it will be a work-in-progress but it's workable and it's got a chance, so we feel good about it.

"Okay, guys. Thanks for coming.

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