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INDIANA UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 24, 2016

Kevin Wilson

Bloomington, Indiana

COACH WILSON: Hi, guys. Northwestern game, offensively, three guys with some effort we thought was good. Westbrook in the perimeter, Devine Redding and Devonte Williams made some plays we like. Again, lack of touchdowns, went three and out twice into the first half, gave them a chance to get a field goal at the end after a blocked punt, we go four and out.

They made two really nice plays on an interception. I don't know if those balls were horribly thrown. One I actually thought was going to be a touchdown, and the spin of the ball kind of brought it back to the DB on a deep post route, but good play by the one kid. Not the great play, the other play. First one actually had a chance to be a big play for us, and we just missed the throw.

Again, a lot of work to do offensively. Getting the line, tight ends, run game going. Get our quarterback playing better.

Defensively, a really good game. Nile Sykes had two tackles, one tackle for loss, 82 percent. He needs to play like that more often. That's been there. He's a very inconsistent practice guy, but when he wants to and he's home, we've kind of challenged him. I don't think anyone here was surprised it was really good. Our team needs that, needs to continue to be more consistent in its preparation and daily habits because he's got some talent and some speed on the edge. Sometimes we lack in need. It was great to see, great performance.

Michael Barwick played really well, two tackles, one assist, one sack, one hurry. I think he had 32 snaps. The guy is one of those rotating guys that's kind of giving us -- like we said a week ago, the D-line is by committee, playing really, really hard and doing a really strong job. Michael played his best team. Most snaps, played his best game. Tegray Scales, ten tackles, three tackles for loss, quarterback pressure.

Those three guys on the defense, no one in perimeter. Probably didn't play as well as we've played at corner and safety. Not horrible, but needs to be better.

I did have a good show from Dameon Willis. Didn't play as much as Barwick, but coming in spot playing and working out with Marcus Oliver. Good to see him. It was his best showing. We'd like to see him grow with that.

Defense had 11 tackles for loss and 3 sacks, which was good. They only had 3 conversions out of 17 third downs. One in the second half. That was actually a reviewable one. Even on the review, I still don't know if he got to the line, but whatever, they gave it to him. That's the one he got in the second half.

I really like the way our defensive guys had the third down stops. They kept us in the game in the second quarter. When they had the fake field goal drive and holding them to three because that game could have gone 35-3 if we're not careful. So defense really battled, even though they did some bending right there.

I think part of our problem early -- and Northwestern historically and always, each week, not a new wrinkle, but the way they're going to attack you. You watch how they played Michigan State, watch the week before against Nebraska, watch the games, Iowa, how do they attack? We do the same thing offensively. What's your setup, and what plays get featured?

I think the offense's inability to get going early really hurt the defense because I don't think our defense had time to make the adjustments. We go a quick three and out, they score, and then we go a quick three and out. They score again, and we go another quick three and out. Once we got the adjustments in the second quarter and the offense got going, it really helped the defense. So I think the offense's ineptness early really led to them getting up 21-3.

Two weeks ago, it was 17-0. It wasn't 21-3 at the end of the first quarter, but it was right out of the gate in the second quarter. So we're down three scores in our last two games out of the gate. We're playing catch-up. We can't do that.

Maryland comes in. I think they've scored 54 points in the first quarter and given up 10 or 52 and given up 14, something like that. So Maryland coming in is a very good first quarter team, and we have a chance of starting -- we tell our team all the time, ESPN Classic, they show all the come from behind games because that don't happen a lot. That's why they show all those great come from behinds because, when you get behind -- we tell our students, when you start off with a bad first semester, it's hard to have a great GPA. Everyone talks about the fourth quarter, but when you get off to a good start. We'll address that and got to get it figured out. It's hurt us for sure the last couple of weeks in a row.

Again, we like the resolve in the defense. The thing that got the defense, they had three dropped interceptions. Two of which led to ten points. One is the second play of the game. Drop pick. Drop pick right before the half in the end zone. We had another dropped interception. They made two great interceptions on great physical one-on-one plays. We got a chance to make the play three times, don't, it's a ten-point swing with points they got.

I think we're thinking a little too much. We've got to start a little bit faster, and we'll move forward with that.

Our players of the game, Westbrook on offense, combination of Scales and Niles Sykes, Tegray and Nile on defense. Ricky Jones on the cover team had a couple of great tackles, a blocked punt, two great tackles on kickoff coverage. The kid is a senior, all the catches he's playing. Guys want a chance to have an NFL look, you've got to be good on special teams. For him to show up as a senior and the year's not going probably the way he drew it up, and here's a guy that's playing well. That's a great, great sign.

Jacob Attar, Johnny Albomonte and Gavin Everett were our scout defensive players, our look guys, as was Danny Cameron, Trevor Stover and Ryan Watercutter.

Maryland comes in playing solid at 5-2, really good. Running the ball well. One of their running backs has over ten yards a carry. Another running back, over seven yards a carry. Perry Hills at quarterback. Runs it, runs it well. He's the third leading rusher. Throwing it well.

Coach Durkin's background is defense. Very aggressive and challenging what they do. Got a lot of energy. They're off to a really, really good start. It will be a good challenge. It will be a great challenge. Our team has struggled. We're 1-3 in conference play. We've dropped, what, three in a row now, and we got to get back on track here at home.

Tough challenge, tough game, off to a good start with our week. I like the way the kids practiced last week. Don't like the way we started. We'll try to figure out that and get better. Hopefully, we'll have a better week because we'll need one to move forward and get a victory.

Q. Are you giving other a chance to work on some of the snaps at quarterback this week, or are you just moving forward full steam with Rich?
COACH WILSON: It's Rich. Everything's open, but he's the guy.

Q. (No microphone). I know that it's partly your receivers as well have to run correct routes, is it just more attention to detail? How do you get a little more efficiency in the pass game?
COACH WILSON: Again, it's all protection. Again, it goes to the run game. When you're one-dimensional running, it's easy to tee off on the quarterback, it's easy to rush in the pocket. To me, it all goes back to line of scrimmage play, tight end play, running back play. If you run the ball four weeks in a row, you run it 60, 70, 80 yards, so when you're a one-dimensional team, you're easy to defend.

Part of it, I think, is the defense mode, and we got to find the ability to run the ball. Because I think that will definitely -- to me, when you do both, you're a lot easier.

Northwestern ran the ball a little bit better than we did the other day. They ran for about 120. We ran for about 80. But their running game early in the first half -- when their run game went away in the second half, they were pretty easy to defend. We held them to 31 yards, but when they had the run game, they had 380 yards. If we find the run game, the pass game is easy. When you can't throw it, it's hard to run. When you can't run, it's hard to throw. If we can get both going, we'll be a lot better. We've got to keep fighting and pushing toe do that.

Q. You were kind of able to review it with him on Saturday. Where do you think Dan picked up where he left off before the injury and where you feel like maybe he needs to get --
COACH WILSON: He's okay. He missed a lot of time. He basically went -- like we work out all summer June and July, and then we have 29 practices. When you come off a concussion, he's got five weeks to stand around lightly jogging. It's not a good formula to come out and play good. He's got a long way to go to get his play back to the way he's capable of.

That's just the product with that injury. They've got to totally shut you down to get you right. It's one thing to keep your conditioning level, but we go through eight weeks of training, four-plus weeks of practices to get you right. But he did okay, but there's a lot of rust in him, probably also a loss of self-confidence and some things.

He's a good player, and when he falls off, his play is still really good. But you can tell him being back in there, that running game really popped up to 80 yards, and that made a big difference.

Q. How much of a difference --
COACH WILSON: He plays guard. I played guard. Anybody can play guard. I played guard. If you can't play guard, you're in the band.

No disrespect to the band. I was in the band too. I don't want to get the band guys mad. I played the trumpet and the sues phone. And I played that so I could get out of elementary fifth grade and one hour to go and sit and listen to the teacher. So everybody volunteered for band so you didn't have to sit and pay attention to social studies. You got an hour out a couple days a week.

Q. How important is it to get you back as you talk? Especially about the young guys, playing next to Brandon, who's getting a lot of snaps there at right tackle. Just having his presence back in the room with a guy like Coy too.
COACH WILSON: To me, again, when they go through that injury deal, it's almost like you get isolated. Like today in our practice at the end of the day, making some comments to the guys that were going on the field about better first steps. So then just his presence back out there.

So whether it's physically because he's standing beside B. Knight in the game and standing up there with Wes and talking as they're playing, which is not an extended conversation, or you're on the sideline, and you're going through and trying to settle down, what do you see? What do you think? Blah, blah, blah.

But really just to be around in practice because, again, the way that injury goes, you really get kind of removed from practice, and it's kind of -- it's really hard. You're a team leader. So to me, it's just his presence in the locker room and his presence on the practice field, even more so than game days. Always been a great practice player, but just getting him back and getting him in the flow.

We had him back the week before he played, kind of practicing, not really full going. So we've kind of had him back two weeks with the team, and he's back one week playing. He's got a five-week run where I think he needs to, for his self-confidence and his self-worth get his play back up. That goes back to preparation, taking care of your body, having a good practice, and playing well.

Him being back is really, really good, probably more for practice and the locker room than game day because he has a great presence on our team.

Q. You mentioned the slow starts with the offense. What do you think the reasoning is for that?
COACH WILSON: Slow start for the defense too now. Again, we have -- last week we did some things early. We made an emphasis all week of the right rest, that we were really trying to hit the rack earlier because we knew it would be on a Saturday. We went a little bit earlier on Friday than normal to get them up going for an early kick. We had a very extended, long morning session with them early at the hotel to get them up, get them out, get them awake.

So from a preparation standpoint, I don't know what I'd change, but from a performance standpoint, I don't know what we were doing play calling. I thought defensively we got a little rattled. We didn't get a chance -- and I made a comment to coach in the game you should blitz or do something because what's happening is we're just sitting on our heels. Everybody is like -- we're sitting back. We're not aggressive. Everybody over here on the sideline, you coaches are complaining. Calm down and get them going forward.

I think the same thing offensively. What can we do to create some positive momentum of attack? So is that maybe, as coaches, you don't realize it, but maybe you've coached enough there's a little bit too much thinking early, and you've got to be careful you don't simplify your plan or you're sitting ducks. There's tendencies -- they know your runs, know your blitzes, know your plays. But at the same time, even if they know it, if you don't know what you're doing playing as fast.

Again, our practices have been always typically not too bad. Last week I thought was really good. We're off to a good start. As soon as we do it, I guess we do it well. I do like the way the guys have been practicing. I do think it's going to transfer into winning and playing well.

You sit around and you talk about it, you make the problem bigger than it is, but very few teams can dig holes and come out of it. We've got to quit digging ourselves a hole for sure.

Q. Last year there was a hole dug against Maryland too, and you guys lost six straight, many of those very competitive games. But you lost six straight, and you get down 21-3. Then you score 48 straight points, I think. What did that team have that gave them the ability to do that? Can any of that translate to this team? A lot of the same players back.
COACH WILSON: Again, they made a couple plays early, popped a couple runs, if I recall. We haven't looked at that as much. A lot of times you go back and watch last year's game, but with the new coaching staff, it's kind of different schemes. So it's a lot more of watching this year's team. I haven't really studied last year's game.

I do think we had a really good drive. Mitchell made a crossing route on I think it was a fourth down play. Good pressure in the face of the quarterback. Nate made a nice shot, got a touchdown, and we started clicking after that. One play, one injury. Kind of thought they had a chance to make it happen Saturday when it was 21-3. Same deal. We had a chance to make some pass plays, and we just didn't get it clicking. Defense did. That second half is a solid performance now.

Maybe Northwestern's got the lead, but in this day and age, you talk about last year's game 21-3, you look at where we were against Nebraska and all those games, I don't understand how many leads are safe, just the way the game's managed, all the spread offense, all the open field, the ebb and flow of games. You get a little too big for your britches and quit playing hard. If you just keep playing hard, you've got a chance. There's a lot of football to be played. Play is in the kicking game.

Obviously, this past week in the Big Ten, play's in the kicking game. A lot of plays you can do to stay in games. That team last year just kept playing. For the most part, I thought the other day we did. We had 280-ish yards in the second half, holding to 30. We just didn't find the end zone. We've just got to find ways to get across the G-line and score some touchdowns.

Q. Did you sense during the game if there was anything off with their energy? If so, how do you avoid that going forward?
COACH WILSON: Had them up at 6:30, 45-minute walk through, thought it was pretty good going in. Just I give credit to Northwestern. They started with some things. We got on our heels. Offense didn't execute. Here they come again on our heels, offense didn't execute, and it just kind of happened quick. Once we settled down, we were good.

Credit the guys for settling. Credit to Northwestern's execution and our lack thereof. I think our offense's ineptness early really led to the defense getting exposed. Once defense tightened down and got a handle and made their adjustments, they really played brilliantly. From about the ten-minute mark of the second quarter on, they played three quarters of really good football. But then the team started playing a little better.

Initially, they got a little rattled, offense wasn't good. I think that really hurt our defense. We didn't put them in bad situations. We just didn't give them a chance to catch their breath. You understand what I'm saying? Line up here and tweak. So much of offense and defense is just subtle tweaks.

Coach Allen said going into this game, hey, the key to this game is northeastern has a tendency, like a lot of teams, they're going to show you the flavor of the week. Once we get our ability to adjust, understand and go play. It took us a little bit longer to get there than we needed. Once we got there, offense needed to score.

We had many, many chances to score, and we didn't. We were down to 20 on the fourth down. Crossing route that gets caught for a negative 1 against man coverage when you're trying to run people through traffic. We had another fourth down, second and third down we run it, don't get it. Fourth down boot. We had several, several chances to leave points on the board, tried. We'd go for it on fourth down, don't get it. Try a long field goal, don't get it.

That's why we went for two when we were down 12, we thought get it to a one touchdown game. Instead of going to the last, we knew right then we needed either one or two touchdowns. You kick the extra point, that's 11 points. Still got to go for two sometime. Our thought was, hey, we're not scoring a lot of touchdowns. Let's go for two now, get it to ten. It didn't matter because we didn't score again.

Anything else? All right, guys. Have a great one.

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