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INDIANA UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 16, 2015

Kevin Wilson

Bloomington, Indiana

COACH WILSON: Michigan game recap, defense, we had 17 big plays we gave up after third downs, four third down quarterback scrambles. Some good things. We had two inside the ten-yard stops, holding them to field goals, which kept us in the game. A red zone turnover kept us in the game. We had potentially 21 points and held them to 6, which kept us in the game. Third quarter shutout. Our run defense was good against the base running except for the quarterback scrambles. Seven tackles for loss and some quarterback hits.

Offensively, some good stats. From a statistical standpoint, except points, as far as points per play, points per yards, that's got to pick up. For the first downs and yardage, we're not getting the points that parallel that.

We were very impressed with Michigan and how hard they played. I thought our kids played very, very hard. I thought they matched that effort, which was good to see. It still wasn't enough.

Had no turnovers. Some good yards after contact in the run game. Our pro was decent. We had no three and outs, which was very good and played pretty physical. We had the ball four times inside the 10 yard line and got three field goals at the end of the game. It was really the difference from their perspective.

Six offensive penalties. Third down conversions were fair. It needs to be better, just didn't finish.

Players of the game on O and D -- with good grades in performances, two on defense, Oliver and Shaw. Player of the game was Marcus Oliver. Austin Dorris, our freshman tight end from Ohio, was scout team player of the week.

Offensively, several winning grades. Up front, the offensive line, all five guys did well. Michael Cooper is playing well at tight end. Two running backs, Howard and Redding, Nate and Ricky Jones. There were several guys offensively that graded well, winning performances.

Players of the game, of the five O-linemen in Jordan. Scouts were Reakwon Jones and Gabe Estes. Gabe's a linebacker freshman.

Special teams, kickoff, had a couple of returns. Wasn't as good as it's been. That last kick came out to the 35 on their score. Our kick placement was well. Punt return, Donovan Hale and Damon Graham did a great job. We had the return for the touchdown by Mitchell, which was huge.

Not much on the punt. We had a great sky opportunity. Our coverage wasn't allowed, but the kick was good. You know we're punting good because Fisher hasn't asked a punt question all year. So he's matured and done well. Griffin Oakes this week made a 51, 52-yarder, whatever, was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week. I think he had 15 points, second most in the conference. That's also a product of red zone field goals versus red zone touchdowns, and we need touchdowns in games like that. We did recognize Mitchell and Griffin Oakes as special team players of the game.

Maryland coming in, kind of like us, in their last, they played West Virginia and Penn State that aren't ranked, and if you look at -- the playoff poll's not out yet, but on the AP poll, they played 2, 6, 9, 14, and 21 rated teams. Three top tens. They played basically the teams we played -- Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa and Wisconsin on top of that. Their Penn State game was 31-30, which to me shows a lot because Penn State's defense is very solid, very good. We for sure struggled. They had 466 yards on Penn State.

So their record is kind of struggling like us, losing here several in a row. They've played some outstanding games. The last four games they've given up 48, 110, 117, and 141 rushing. That's 104 yards a game. That's pretty good defense. In the last three games passing, it's 183, 188, 121, and that's against Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan State. Those are three ranked teams. That's 123 yards a game. So they're giving up 287 here their last three games and playing really good football defensively.

Got a great returner, Will Likely. Got two punt returns, kickoff return for a touchdown. Their kicker was excellent although he's got a fractured wrist or something. I don't know if he's playing. But Likely has been dynamic as a great defensive back. One of the premier guys in the conference, they're using him a lot like Michigan used Peppers. He's playing a hybrid offensive position, throwing him the ball. So he's a tremendous player as well.

Offensively, they have 466 on Penn State. Run the ball and no huddle spread like we do. Their leading rusher is their quarterback. Quite honestly, they played some really good football except some turnovers have haunted them in some of these close games. Much like us, they're a very talented defensive team, very talented team. They've played some good guys and haven't been able to get over the hump. So expect a challenge.

Our kids came back, and I think we had good preparation today trying to get a jump on those guys. I liked the routine from last week. I thought our kids embraced that. We had as much energy and effort for four quarters in overtime. We'll try to build on that because we've got to go get a road win and get one this week.

The only stat, like we said after the game, there's good stats and bad stats, but ultimately you've got to put it together and get a "W." It would be really great to go get one on the road this week.

Q. On kicking to Will Likely.
COACH WILSON: Well, you want to kick to him in one phase and the other phase not at all. I hope they won't have a lot of punt opportunities. We try to directionally kick, and we'll figure that out. Kickoff, like last game, I think the whole first half and early, Griffin kicked them all out of the end zone. Actually, his last two had areas where our coverage wasn't as good. So you have built-in things this time of year where you can not kick to them. But 3-2, we just need to be smart about it and make the plays.

I know the coaches that are involved with punt and kickoff, and we'll have the game plan. That's what we worked on today. We'll talk about it and address it, but he's a dangerous player. And bottom line too, because he's so good, they're good as a team. Their team feels like we can score on this play, so they get good effort from their punt return team and their kickoff return team.

We'll need to match that, and we'll make the adjustments if we need it. He's a very good one, though.

Q. In that vein, is Griffin at least top ten nationally?
COACH WILSON: He's first. He's No. 1 is. He's got a chance to be Big Ten kicker of the year. But you've got wind this time of year, elements. We'll see what the weather looks like. Sometimes it's like the Home Run Derby. The other day we kicked off, fortunate enough to kick off enough. You notice the kicks got shorter at the end. It's some stamina. Those are big swings. There's a strength factor there.

That's where your strategy in kicking, you can be too smart and outsmart yourself, but, again, there's different types of kicks between putting it on the ground and different kicks and bloop kicks and high kicks.

Coach Inge would tell you he'd prefer him to kick it really, really high and hang time and try to pin them inside the 25 because he'd like to start on the 18 if you can cover it good. We're not trying to be cute on that play. We tell him to kick it out when he can. What's he got, like 70 percent or something like that, I think? He's good.

There's going to be some elements sometimes that get you. Sometimes too, he's a kid, and sometimes he gets a little geeked up. He's like fired up and excited. He'll hook one or just mis-hit it. You just hit it a little thin, hit it a little fat, it's a swinging action. But he's a very good kicker.

Q. How have they changed since the coaching change?
COACH WILSON: It's hard to say offensively. Coach Locksley was the offensive coordinator. So it looks comparable. Defensively, there's some subtle changes. Is that from the opponent and how they're getting attacked, or is that still the same defensive coordinator? I know Coach Edsall's background was probably defense. Maybe he's saying, hey, I want to you do this, where Mike might be saying, I got the offense, you got the defense.

So maybe some things are emphasized more or less because I know Randy's background was defense. They've played very, very well, though, since that change defensively. Statistically well enough to win. We've played some good defenses. They're playing as good as the other guys we've been saying is good, so it's going to be a challenge. Blocking, one kid's got 12 1/2 sacks. The other kid's got 6.

Pressure the quarterback, play very fast, some man coverages in zone, a lot of blitz, they pick their spots. But they're very aggressive and assertive, and they play very confident defensively.

Q. How has the team continued to bounce back after these close calls?
COACH WILSON: For me personally, I see consistently how hard they prepare, practice, and play that it's encouraging because I don't feel like I'm fighting them to do the process right now. Whether it be execution of a play or other play calls. Things you second guess a decision you made or the execution of a player or whatever. The way they go about their business, it's hard to come in and not be in a good mood working with these guys.

We've gotten past, we don't think it's bad luck or karma. We've got to get playing and get better because it's not what we want. We recognize what we think is a lot of good football. Just we're not able to put enough good together against some really good teams to get the outcome you desire, the victory. So the process of preparing and the way they play. So, again, do we fatigue? Is it play calling? Is it the bounce of the ball? Whatever. But the way they go about their business.

So, again, we came in yesterday, and these are things we like. These are things we need to correct. We talked about like we thought we could be a good team. Good teams keep getting better. We're going to coach it like a good team. We're not going to over practice, but we're going to be very direct. This needs to get corrected, whether it be schematically in doing other things or you need to try to execute better. We're going to practice that and work on that.

So to me, we've got great leaders. Jerry Shaw, A.J. Rayner. It's hard sometimes the guys you want to pick to go out for the coin toss. It's a good group of dudes. The guys, just the energy they bring into the building, just sitting at meetings and looking at them, they've got a great look in their eye and body language and it's kids you want to work with.

My deal is we're going to keep working still. If we're doing it right, this will be the best week we've had yet. I think we've gotten better the last couple of weeks. That's our deal. Really good teams get better. We don't have the outcome we want. There's victory and only victory, but we see progress, and we've got to keep pushing to get victory because ultimately that's what you need and want is victory.

That being said, it's kind of easy. I think because we're coaching that way, I think the kids to some degree have some confidence in themselves. Like we expected last week to play well and to have a good game, and it just wasn't good enough.

Q. On the defense.
COACH WILSON: It's a little bit sometimes -- you know, as head coach it falls on you. We structure our staff, a lot of places there's five offensive coaches. And then there's four on defense. Me being an offensive guy, we spend more time. We put five over there. Sometimes I feel, because we're not doing well, my presence needs to be with those guys, just with passion and energy.

To me, I take it personal the way we play. Even though my background says offense, I'm the head coach. We give up a bunch of points, we give up too many plays, we have some issues, whether it be injury or youth or whatever, but my whole thing is there's an energy and passion and attitude to run the ball. There's energy and attitude and passion to play good team and team defense. And that's what I've been trying to embrace these last three or four weeks with our guys. We're getting a little thin and a little beat up and a little youthful on the back side and give up some cheap plays, but the kids up front keep battling.

I thought they had a hard time last week blocking our front. We've still got to find ways to get pressure on the quarterback. When we blitz, we don't get home and we leave voids in coverage or get beat man to man. If we four-man rush, do we get there? The other day, the quarterback has three scrambles. That means they're covered. I told the defense yesterday, how can you say you're not covering when there's three critical third downs on third and 10 and 11 where now you guys maintain integrity of your rush lanes and keep the quarterback hemmed in the pocket as you rush.

So I think there's a little bit of pressing by the kids and coaches. I've tried to work hard to keep it simple, but ultimately, I just believe there's an attitude that I think the game's played with that we need to play with, and we're still fighting to get there on defense, and that's my job. I'm working hard to see if I can -- I'm offensive oriented. Get the attitude to play better defense. We're going to need it. And just to be a better team.

Because I promise you this, we do not have a divided team. I think we have one side is a little bit more confident than the other. One side is a little bit more experienced. But there's not like an "O" versus "D" thing in that locker room. It is a team deal. Those offensive guys will tell you, they need to score more points, and those inside the 10 yard field goals was the reason. And the defensive guys say we've got to get more stops. And the kicking guys say I've got to make a play in the kicking game. So it's still a team down there.

Q. On the secondary.
COACH WILSON: Again, we play a lot of freshmen every year. We play 60. They're not freshmen now. If they're worn down, they're worn down. In practice, we try to be smart in what we're doing. There's a psychological side of that. There's also a rest side of that. We talked a lot last week as we changed up it would be great to get great rest on Wednesday and Thursday night and sleep well, just from a coverage standpoint.

We put a lot of education in front of those guys with diet, nutrition, rest, practice, lifting, the way we're doing things. They need to take care of their bodies, but there's a lot of other teams playing freshmen guys. Michigan State is playing several freshmen in the secondary. Other guys are playing them. Ohio State plays as many freshmen as most people. The better players play. Whether they're worn down -- a lot of people worn down. But when you're playing Big Ten football, I thought it was very, very encouraging last week against a very physical football team. We played a very physical game last week.

I don't know how worn down we were. We made some plays on the perimeter. We played a physical team, and we physically played some decent football.

Q. On how to develop young players.
COACH WILSON: We're not winning, so I guess we're not developing the way we need to. We need to develop more.

Practice without over practicing because we don't want to hit the wall. Double edged sword. Those kids put a phenomenal amount of time of study, prep. Talk about being confident with the quarterback, you can't play on eggshells. You're going to get beat. That three technique goes the wrong way a lot, and you guys don't see that, do you? That right guard combo gets the wrong back, you don't see that one. But you're out there DB, it's a different world. When you're that quarterback, when you're the kicker -- our kicker everyone thought was a goat a few weeks ago, he's the best in the Big Ten. Some guys stick out. It comes with the territory.

I don't know if it's the wall as much as the youthfulness of I'm out here on the island and here I am, and having the maturity to consistently answer that call is tough. It's tough. It's called growing up. It doesn't mean it's fun. It's just being able to handle it.

Q. On playing freshmen.
COACH WILSON: A little bit because it gets exposed. You look at it like Andre Brown didn't dress last game. He's out. Devonte Williams hasn't played since he got a knee injury. Those two guys started early. Jameel Cook played a lot. That was your fifth guy.

So you got three initial starters where you started didn't dress last game, and that's created more young guys who, to them, like for Tyler Green, that's Game 2 or 3. Even though it's week 7, 8 with experience time, he actually started Sunday on the scout team. Every team's got some hiccups. We just are young, and it is what it is.

But when the game's on the line, the pass rush we had at the end of the first half and the pass rush right down here on third and three and four on two downs was the difference. The key to a great secondary sometimes is a really good front. When our front line's up and gets after it, they create some problems.

Like I said, we're getting down to a stop or two. It would be nice if some of those guys could just -- I thought Zach Shaw's effort was awesome. Darius Latham played as good as he's played in a long time. It was good to see. The longer those guys keep playing will help those young guys.

Q. What is Devonte's injury?
COACH WILSON: He's got like a numbness thing or whatever, where he didn't have the surgical deal needed, but he kind of got like a nerve kind of damage thing with the bruise deal. He can't go on it long enough. Like he could go, but short term. So with so little, here's a guy that started and played a couple three games, hopefully, we'll be able to get him back as a freshman. It would be nice not to have to play him down the stretch. We're getting thin, though. So we'll see.

Andre Brown dressed today. So we're getting there. We'll see what we have of guys.

Q. On creating turnovers.
COACH WILSON: I'd like to be that way all the time, but aggressive soundness. Recently, we did get one the other day, but we haven't had as many. It's a sign of inexperience. It's a sign of injuries. It's a sign of, quote, getting worn down. That's always a key factor. It would be great for us to take care of the ball.

Like we played the other day with no turnovers and no three and outs. You'd like to think your defense is not put in bad situations, that they'll play well for you. If the other team has turned it over, it doesn't mean we're going to get it. I know they're working hard not to turn it over.

On the road, kicking, we talked about a return guy, turnovers, big plays. Those are all factors. We're not going into this game saying we go into every game wanting turnovers, and we started down the year with many and down the stretch -- you play better teams. Good teams typically don't turn it over. They're better with the ball.

We'll see. Again, we need to be very good with the ball on our end, throwing it and protecting it, and like I said, it would be nice to get some. But to say we're trying to get them. That's not the only thing. We need to quit giving up the big play and stop the run and not give up the big pass play. Then it would be great to get some if we're fortunate enough to do so.

Q. On Jacob Bailey.
COACH WILSON: Jacob's kind of every year. He's a fourth year guy. Limited skill set as far as athleticism per se for a big guy. Strong but not over strong. Big but not massively big. He's very, very smart. That's his greatest attribute. He's a business dude. Very smart as a football player. Very aware. Kind of like a fungus or virus, he kind of wears on you. The more he's around you.

We started Wes Martin earlier who's got a lot more talent but is kind of inconsistent. Jacob is maybe not as good, but you can just count on him. You've got him every day, and he kind of wears on you. He cares a lot. He comes from a phenomenal program, Cathedral, great family. And he gets those stops that make guys a great player. He cares a lot. He's got a lot of pride. He fights and scratches, and he's done well. It's a tribute to him.

Q. On Cook and Brown.
COACH WILSON: Jameel will be out. He had foot surgery. Andre's back dressed, and we'll see how that goes. Anything else, guys? Appreciate you coming.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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