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INDIANA UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCEOctober 10, 2016Kevin WilsonBloomington, Indiana KEVIN WILSON: Good to go here. The last game our champions performances players of the game, defense, A'Shon Riggins, three tackles, past play couple and third down interception. Played well as a true freshman. Really challenged in that game, too, good speed, great performance there, several defensive guys played well he was our champion player. No one on offense, guys battled hard. But, again, competitive plays. Didn't make enough, gotta keep getting better there. Good defense, but gotta get better, special teams play Joseph Gedeon, two good punts inside the -- I think last time we had one snap for the season inside the 5. Today we've made opponent snap 11 snaps inside the 5, so that's nice. We're pinning them deep. Gotta hold 'em down there and flip the field. One of the times we held em 'em down there and the kid had a 32-yard punt. So we pinned them down, but with their punter they flipped the field on us. Had some great scouts last week, started last Monday, gotta get a good go today. We're talking about team that's getting deeper, sometimes that means your scout teams and your freshmen. A lot of those freshmen receivers aren't playing, but they're giving you looks and to get the speed that you need when you play the upper level teams and it's been outstanding. Zander Diamont was our quarterback last week because of what they do at Ohio State and Ricky Brookins and Alex Rodriguez. Those are guys that travel and play for us, but they did a great job of the attack look last week and Allen Stallings on defense. The game itself, played strong, solid. A lot of respect for Ohio State. Very good team, talented in structure and scheme, really good, outstanding team. We had some mistakes, and you're always going to have some, but we had some critical mistakes in a strong opponent it haunts you more than -- not that you're ever going to be perfect because you're not and the games is not, but your margin of error is pinched a lot, turnover inside attempt by Richard not protecting the ball, one hand on the ball, not moving fast, getting rid of it, put him if a better situation, get him an easy score. Kickoff return we made it 17-10 inside the 10 so we gave them two easy field positions, be frayed to see our defense hold 'em to a field goal. They got put in two tough spots, 14 points, twice we had the ball on the 4 yard line and didn't score, one situation we were running it, one situation throwing it. Didn't score, so you got a first and goal. We had 2 or 3 times on the 35. One time a 35 and 37 had a delay, 35 had an off-side and we pooch punt, sky punted. So we had 10 yards of aggressive penalty that ended the drive with the delay. As a matter of fact on the delay Richard had 6 seconds to get the count off and not didn't see the clock. That lost time. First time he's played quarterback since he's been here because of the stress of the arena and the stress of the opponent and the speed and the size and the windows and first time he's really played quarterback. He's taken snaps and ran plays, but that's a game -- you can talk all the game situations you want but until you're out there and it is really, really loud and hard to communicate, and man those guys are fast and there's some windows and you got to get rid of it. So great situation for him. He played well, but he could play better. We played solid D, but we need to keep improving. Our kicking game was good, but we need to improve. So solid kicking game but not enough. Fourth quarter where we're playing -- I think that team was winning an average of 49. We got a chance in the fourth quarter with critical mistakes to make it a one-possession game at the 10-minute mark but we don't. Lot of things we can improve. We've shown that. We're off to a good start this week, and Nebraska comes in. I don't know if the polls are out yet because of the hurricane issues, and we send thoughts to a lot of people down there. We gotta lot of family and fends, players have friends and family in North Florida, Central Florida, up through the Carolinas. All of our families are well, but that being said, that's delayed the poll. Nebraska was 12th. I assume they're going to be 8 or 9. So top-10 teams coming in, 5-0, really solid on offense. Three guys running the ball for 60 yards a game, both are tailbacks, newbie, Ozigbo, I think if I'm saying it right, fast, strong runners, quarterback is running for 58 and change, 59 yards at game. Three guys at 6 yard a game running balls at 230, 240. Tommy makes them go with the quarterback position, long arm, good running attack with good running backs. You add the quarterback into the run game. There is a dynamic runner and he's throwing the ball really, really, really well. We have not faced these guys but you see them from afar, probably don't know them as well as Ohio State, but there are similar traits offensively with line play, running game a great quarterback that can make a lot of plays and speed on the perimeter. Defensively, solid, 160 running, 190 passing, 360 yards a game. They're not giving up big plays. They're making you snap it again. Just like Ohio State, they're 36 minutes time of possession. They keep the ball from you and they do great on offense which helps their defense. They are plus-4 on the turnover ratio. So they don't turn the ball over. Don't give up big plays, great combination on offense. So, again, they'll be a really, really tough challenge. It's homecoming. I would expect the way we're playing -- I thought the crowd last week against Michigan State two weeks ago was awesome, and our kids said that crowd Saturday was awesome and that thing got loud Saturday, really loud and it was really good. I know it affects your team and I think our kids enjoyed it. I thought against Michigan State our fans were critical in the forth quater. I think there were some communications issues and the weather, is the weather holding? We will find a reason between the weather and the highway, but you can put on a parka and come a little early. Great team coming in, top-10, 5-0, historically one of the premiere brands in college football. Our team is getting better. Our fans were awesome last time, would like more fans be pack it up, fill that arena and go the stance. We've got a chance if we play well to be a fourth quarter team again, great opponent, great challenge. We just gotta keep working to get better. Q. You talked about the two times you got down to the 4 yard line and I know you guys have struggled in the red zone. Is conservative play calling down there or just not being able to match-up when you get down there? KEVIN WILSON: In that game, you know, early we got down there, we wanted to run it, not let 'em tee off. So we ran, we thought we could cram a couple and didn't, 30 and 1 we throw it so is that conservative? What's conservative? If it works, it's good. If it doesn't work, it's bad. We tried to run it and throw it and those guys have only given up four touchdowns in five games, and we got two of them. We haven't given up a rushing touchdown yet, tough sledding, heck of a defense. We have had some blunders, previously, as far as not finishing. We have talked about that and we can execute better. But that was a stout opponent and you gotta give credit to those guys, too. We can call some better plays, when it doesn't work you should always do something else. That defense, I think they are second in the country in defense and third in the country in offense. For us to win a game, we gotta make it go. So whether that means pad level running through trash and when you execute a pass play you get the route and get the shot. We just didn't get it done Saturday, credit to them. Q. Is there any benefit to scheming and game planning, preparing for Barrett and then preparing for Tommy Armstrong. Is there anything about having it back-to-back, there? KEVIN WILSON: I don't know. Sometimes they see the way you do it or they see some things that Barrett did. I don't know. Maybe you can ask Coach Allen that. I approach it one at a time. I do think when you're playing an option team if you see a back-to-back or a throwing team back-to-back there is some carryover. But at the same time, in my mind I like it when I see people that would do stuff we do offensively. So you can say, okay, look, it looks like they're playing it this way and that way. Then you gotta come back and say, wait a minute. In our structure or in things we do, here is how they're going to attack us. They might be doing this, but we're different on O and D. So those are the chess match deals, but I would say Coach Allen would say running quarterback week-to-week there will be carryover, and that's difficult. They ran the quarterback 26 times. I think their comments were, the passing can get a little bit off. It was Saturday and we were loading the box, so you include one more guy and that's the benefit of when you can throw it like these really good guys can, and you add the quarterback running threat it makes defense even more and more stressed. College football you have to account for the width of the field, the depth of the field, every player and every runner, it's a tough, tough game defensively. Q. Rashard was shaken up after he caught the -- from behind on the kickoff return, physically, how did you come out of that game? KEVIN WILSON: Good, last two weeks, hardest we played and the healthiest we played. A little bit of hammer and the nail deal. When you are doing the hitting, our kids are playing hard, practicing right and practicing hard without overdoing it and our kids are strong. We have had some earlier injuries, but last couple of weeks we've played as hard as we can play. We played physical teams, and we're matching, you know, the contact version of it and everybody is going to get a -- there will be a bump or bruise. But that's Big Ten East football, and we trained for that and I think our team it up for that. Q. Anything new on injuries? KEVIN WILSON: Feeney is doing more. We'll see if we can get it back. Jacob Robinson doing a lot more. Cole Gest is out there running on that ankle injury. Robert McCray got in that game. We cot to get Camion going. We're no worse and in some ways we're probably stronger than we have been. Q. (No microphone.) KEVIN WILSON: He's in the academic center writing a paper last I saw. That's what he told me. He had a paper due today. Q. (No microphone.) KEVIN WILSON: He needs to. I don't know, sometimes I think we're -- I listen to Ohio State guys how they're playing so many different guys and in our world some of those young guys when they're coming off the injury like Camion. When they're not practicing as cleanly as you want what's the trust factor and then because you don't have the trust factor then you're overplaying some other guys. I think Devine is a better player if he doesn't have get too many reps. He's stronger, faster as good and solid as he's been and we gotta keep bringing Mike Majette and Tyler Natee and Devonte Williams in the fold. And we got to get we gotta get Ian Thomas coming along. We need a lot of those guys and we've been talking for about a month, but it's kind of -- I put it on the coaches again yesterday, please practice those guys more that you will get them on the field, because honestly sometimes it's just a trust factor. That lack of trust can result in fatigue and wear down when you're playing, not just this game but in the season. Gotta keep pushing them along. I'm not discouraged. I would like to see not just Camion but some of those guys playing better. I think when you're a second or third year guy, when you're not getting the snaps, you can get moody. A really god team. Those guys are hungry. They are fighting. As a coach, you gotta reward them and get 'em on the field, and as a player you've got to not let the coach down. So you keep the momentum and it keeps building. Q. Talk about A'Shon and his progress through the season, getting him the first start. KEVIN WILSON: He's very smart. Got a lot of traits, similar to Rashard Fant. He's bigger and longer than Rashard, but Rashard is intellectual, very smart, and I think A'Shon is the same way. I think with intelligence sometimes you can play faster because you can see it, process, and anticipate. So for a young player he's got a good head on his shoulder, he's level headed. He is big and long. Where we've had trouble in years past our secondary has been smaller. We're better there. Tackling in better space. Playing with leverage and keeping the play in front of us. As a young player he's very mature, same high school as Marcus Oliver. Solid program, good bracket of football in Cincinnati, coming out of Hamilton High School, very good basketball player in high school, good receiver, good ball skills. Sometimes, you know, years ago when the games evolved in high school, but years ago if a guy was playing high school DB you wondered why. If you're a defensive back and you're going to play in this league and you can't play on your high school basketball team, what's wrong? No disrespect to other athletes in the school, but if you're a good enough athlete to play Big Ten corner or safety you think you could be a good high school basketball player on the track team. You're catching punts when you're watching a DB and he's not returning a -- what are his ball skills like. So he came in as a well, all-around athlete and the game is played in space so much those guys have to be acrobatic out there, as far as torquing and making plays on the ball. Very, very smart, longer, bigger guy and well-rounded athlete that makes him for a young kid playing pretty good. Q. Tyler Green, you're talking a longer kid that is able to play corner for you. Has he come a little bit? KEVIN WILSON: Tyler is a little different because he's more of a track guy, so more of that straight line speed where being from the D.C. area, why aren't you playing basketball? DeMatha guy, right? I remember when I went there, I spent 30 minutes running around. They ran me out, looking at all the teams and playing Lew Alcindor back in the day. And I was in a "Who's Who." I was lost in a time warp. That was a great visit. They got this iconic -- it was pretty cool. Tyler is more of a track, straight line guy, where A'Shon has more ball skill and the way the game is thrown around it's nice to be big and long. But you gotta have skill and the more Tyler plays, his mom was a track star, she was a great track athlete, so Tyler comes in as a long body, good speed, but maybe not as ball skilled as other guys. But he's gaining on it. Good to see. That was a big play. Q. How have you evaluated the development of the offensive line in terms of pass protection? There has only been one sack in the last couple of games? KEVIN WILSON: And we've been challenged. Those are good teams. I think we played two defenses that are in the top 20 in the nation of total D of the guys, and Michigan State is not in there now. They've always structured strong. They've had some injury. We're gaining on it. A lot of it is Richard, and putting it together and the ball getting out of hand, the run game. So a lot of it is putting it all together, but you got those young tackles. I'm worried about Coy Cronk. That's a small town high school kid playing linebacker a year ago. Now playing left tackle in the Big Ten East. So you gotta do some things to give those guys some tools so they can operate. It's one thing to draw a circle and say you got him, but it's another thing to give him the tools and the resources and the way you put it together that he can get the job done. It's one thing to have an assignment, but sometimes you've got to put it together where they can function. Q. Do the O line guys take it personal giving up sacks? KEVIN WILSON: We talked about it because we pride ourselves on taking care of the ball and taking care of the quarterback, and we weren't, and sometimes it's not their fault. There are certain keys to winning. Like we gotta run the ball better. The difference of the day is they were good enough to run for 290 and we were good enough to run for 99. And that was -- we've come, but we have not come where -- because it's a tough sled and you still have to run the ball. Running is schematics and running is talent, but it's also a mindset, and we gotta continue to play better run D and play better run offense, and the team coming in is running the football very well and they are defending the run better than we are, and that's a little bit of last week's rub. That's a challenge. Q. Did you talk to Rashard about the platform (No microphone)? KEVIN WILSON: We talked back in preseason about it. We didn't know in our script that, like, you know, it said come out at the 5-minute mark. We come out here at the 6 or 7-minute mark. So we had no clue what was going on. It wasn't on the agenda, so we didn't say anything about it before the game. We did talk with our team, I think it is one thing to be respectful of the people that have served our country, and there are many genders and races that have done that, and let's be respectful of what the flag stands for. But no one tells you whether to salute or put your hand on your chest, sway or put your eyes down or whatever. So I appreciate the fact that our kids stood and what I really appreciate is he plays well enough. It's one thing to talk, but when you play you gotta slightly -- I appreciate the way you play, and I think it's one thing to be a guy talking, but when a guy is performing, I think one of the guys quoted that's one of the more mature, intellectual kids. Our school believes you're a citizen first, but we want to represent our school the right way. I think the way he goes about it, and the way he did it, that's his choice, and I respect he did it in a class way and came out and played a football game, and he didn't know what was going down, and no one else did. We just talked preseason. We would be unified as a team making statements. I appreciate his comments. We're one as a team. We're one as a -- that's what all we talk to our team about, we're one team. And our team gets discriminated against, so deal with it. We get positive or negative publicity, positive or negative calls, positive or negative crowds. Deal with it. It's life. It doesn't hold you back. It's the reality of the world we live in. That's how we try to coach our kids. You deal with it. So I try to tell our kids it's where we're at and the best thing I like about it is we talked about it months ago, that happened, went on. It was good. Anything else? Defensively, before you talk to Coach Allen, the best thing defensively is the kids are playing hard. So as good as Tom's doing, it's the same players. So it's a credit to Tom. But those same guys are the same guys making tackles, covering, getting after it. As a matter of fact, you lost some key guys up front. So the best thing going on defensive, Coach Allen is doing a great job of leading the defense, because you guys didn't want to talk defense today, he's coming up. They're doing well. It was a good challenge, but it's gotta be better. He'll tell you that, and the best thing is what the kids are doing. Coach has done a great job, and staff has done a great job from my perspective. But he'll tell you the best thing about it is how the kids are playing. Thanks, guys. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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