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PURDUE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 8, 2016

Gerad Parker

West Lafayette, Indiana

GERAD PARKER: Thank you, sir. Welcome, gang, good to see you all. Well, another week. Headed into week four of this different undertaking as it's been. Certainly so thankful for where we're at and the opportunities I've been given and all those things.

I stated after the game due to No-Shave November, I wanted to make sure and hold up to my part of the deal. Cancer has affected my family, our family, and I said after the game one of those first impacts was losing Kandi's father, John "Hop" Brown, and the next guy that I would like to mention lost his life in 2003 is Wallace Dillon (phonetic), who I had stated prior to a couple weeks ago was one of the most influential men and coaches in my life, and he lost a tough fight with cancer as well.

So always want to make sure to give some recognition to those people, people that are missed, people that are still missed by their families and want to do that, so I'll continue with this look of no shave, and it's with reason.

Last week another tough one. What a great showing we had in the first half. Certainly would be remiss to not say the second half as well. Didn't go the way it should have. You certainly would love to play cleaner, but what our football team did is found a way to have a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter, and I think that's the biggest difference. I think to the court of public opinion, as well as everybody and fans, we're not pleased with the loss at all, but at the same time, with three-and-a-half minutes left and three timeouts, we had a chance to go win that football game.

So it wasn't the same. We have to play cleaner in the second half, but it wasn't the same. And we've got to continue to build on that. Proud of the guys, man. Their effort, how they're responding to this. The coaching staff, and how they've responded. They're working, working harder and harder every week and giving their souls to this thing, not knowing their futures.

And the players have been phenomenal. Their leadership and how hard they've worked and how hard they played on Saturday should be recognized and applauded, and really appreciate them. Our practice last night was as good a Monday as we've had since we've done this new thing. It was a fun time last night. We had a lot of fun.

I told those guys last night that's our therapy to be able to get out of the office and get out there around guys you care about, and run around in some cold air under the lights and get to act like kids and enjoy a great game. We're all very blessed to do this and be around this group for another three weeks. It's been a great time. So couldn't be more pleased with that and how their approach has been nor our staff.

Moving forward this week, we've got our hands full again once again in this fourth game of this new deal. We know what's in store for us. Coach Fitzgerald has been a mainstay at Northwestern. His personality is all over that football program. He was tough as a player. I remember watching him. His program's tough. Their special teams phase is great. Their defense is tough. They're a zone team that keeps the ball in front of them that does not give up a lot of big plays. They stop the run and force you to have to earn every yard you get.

On offense, they play in space more. They've had to throw it more than what they have in the past. They put you in space, and that's going to be a challenge for our defense. They're going to play fast and put the ball in the air and attack you in ways and try to put the ball over your head.

So we have our hands full once again in the Big Ten this week. We're up for the challenge. Our guys have started off the week great, and we'll keep pushing through the week to put ourselves in position once again to go win a football game on Saturday afternoon and give these fans and these players something, again, that they'll be pleased with as we move forward. So with that being said, we'll open it up to any questions you may have.

Q. Coach, the first thing, David Blough's development. What's been the key to him?
GERAD PARKER: Well, I would say two things right offhand. Number one, David Blough continuing to grow up as a leader because he's a strong leader. As with anything, it's like me, in a quick span I don't have this thing figured out, but in week four, week four feels a little different than week one. You've got to remember, David played last year in those games before he couldn't finish the season and he's kind of playing in the zone where he's finally, where you would call it played a full year of football in the Big Ten as a quarterback. And he's kind of entering his second year playing maybe the 15th or 16th game of his career. So number one, he's been out there a lot and started gaining experience, which is invaluable. Number two, Tim Lester is a phenomenal football coach.

So you put those two things together in a guy that gets it, that's played at a high level and does a good job with him, and communicates great and does what he's done with him, I think you pair up two things that work pretty well. Their personalities match, and how they communicate match, and it's put him in a position to be very successful and do a lot of things that have allowed us to be in games.

Q. And Posey had a breakthrough game. Can he, not necessarily sustain the numbers, but can he sustain the level of play?
GERAD PARKER: Absolutely, he better. That's what we're demanding of him. So I give him a hard time all the time about him being from Boca and throwing a pair of sandals on you and start to chill a little bit during practice. So it's my job to make sure he plays fast all the time, because when he plays fast, he's a gifted guy and can make plays at a high level and change games. You're seeing him do that, and we've got to continue to demand of it him so the seniors and the guys in our pass game continue to play at a high level.

Q. Is Replogle to a point where he's at full strength now? Can he play 30, 40 snaps?
GERAD PARKER: Sure hope so. It will be a week-to-week, day-to-day thing, and it's something we'll continue to evaluate. Obviously when he's out on the field, we're a better football team.

Q. Then lastly, Northwestern's defense gives up like 22 points a game. They've been very solid. What makes them strong?
GERAD PARKER: Yep, same as last week. Minnesota was the same way. They gave up about 22 a game. You would call them very similar. They both stop the run very well. They've got a bunch of hats in the box. They've got a bunch of eyes on the football. This team is a little bit different in the back end in how they do it.

But they're a very similar football team. They're really good in the red zone in making you have to throw the football, but they've got more hats there around it and those things. So I think more than anything, they stop the run, force you to throw it, and keep everything in front of them. Make you earn every first down and try to not let the ball over their head, which gives you a chance to stay in games.

Q. Okay, thank you.
GERAD PARKER: Thank you.

Q. You've got more of a sample size now with the three games and just after the Nebraska game. But you guys have played so well in the first half. You're plus-nine against three pretty good teams. Is there a commonality or are they all different in what's happened in the second half?
GERAD PARKER: Some things are common. The things you all see, we all see. Number one, turnovers in the second half. We turned the football over. We haven't been able to -- so on offense if you start there, we turn the football over, which never helps you. Our turnover margins in the second half compared to those teams is nowhere near where it should be where you're going to win games in the second half, so I think that's the number one issue.

I brought up after the game, your running game's always going to be a factor in the second half. Depth's going to be a factor in the second half. And again, I've never used it nor will I, but let's also remember we've played three teams with six combined losses. They're good football teams. Welcome to being a head coach.

So, again, we'll fight it, and I'm all good. Believe me, I sleep good at night when I finally do go to sleep. But there's reasons for everything. Our depth, our turning the ball over, them being good football teams, and us not being able to respond on defense very well to those sudden changes. You look at us when those sudden changes have happened, within three plays something bad has happened right after it as well. We have not handled the sudden change very well and given up big plays afterwards that turn into scores. That's a huge factor in it too.

So in a nutshell, we can't turn it over and when we do or something bad does happen, we need to handle it a little better on defense, get some stops and not let it turn into points instantly and I think that will help us. Again, this half, I thought in the second half of this game we finally got over the hump, didn't lose our breath, so to speak, came together and had a chance to win the football game at the end of it.

So we've got to continue to be better in every phase, and when we do that, our confidence level will grow as we get into fourth quarter games with a chances to win.

Q. You said you guys seemed to have fun last night. Your record is not what you want it to be, but it seems there's an energy or at least guys are still having fun playing this game. Sometimes in November you know yourself, teams can go south if they're not getting victories. What's it about this team that they've stayed this positive?
GERAD PARKER: Right, well, we've been through tough -- this has been a tough run of three-and-a-half, almost four years now. They've been through some tough stuff, and we have as coaches too, especially the guys that have been here throughout. So what is the sense in feeling sorry for ourselves and not having fun with this staff and these players for the last three weeks that are all we're guaranteed to work together again, to be around, to have a chance to coach players. That's all we're guaranteed. Everybody on this staff is in question on whether they're going to be here or not and odds are against us.

Everybody understands that and has taken it on professionally. I can't say, again, how thankful I am for that. But to the players as well. So the biggest thing is we've held it together by saying you better do things the right way so you don't make it things are in question for you too with change. We've done that with a fun approach. We've changed things up. We haven't come in and been doom and gloom as a staff.

I think those guys have appreciated an honest man's work toward the approach and said, hey, let's go ahead and have fun with this. And there are several teams, we talked about it last night, there are several teams in the country right now in the same position we are or worse. We've still got three games left, plenty to play for. Going down the stretch and finish with something to be proud of. There are a lot of teams fighting to be bowl eligible and have something to finish on.

So I think in knowing that you're not by yourself, why not lay it out there, have fun with it and see what you can come up with these last three weeks and see where we're at. But there's a lot to build off of. I really believe there's been a sense of energy and an approach to these three weeks that they know and they can put their hands on and say it's different. I think you guys can too. I do. I think it's there. I think our fans see it.

As long as we can keep them and I can keep them charged up and having fun and playing hard, then you all are going to be pleased with the result. The fans will be pleased. Our parents will be pleased. The players will be pleased. That's the only thing I can control. There are so many things that I can't control, but I know we can control how hard they play, how much fun they have, and putting them in position to believe they can win.

Q. In a way this is an audition for you, and again, it would depend on who the next guy is, but you've had fun with these receivers. That group has performed very well. Would you, in the right circumstances, like to stay at Purdue or are there too many variables to answer that at this point?
GERAD PARKER: Yeah, I mean, tough question, no doubt. But my family loves it here. I've loved working here. I believe in this place. I believe in the community. I believe in how we've been treated here. You know what I mean? All those are reasons to obviously want to move forward here if something happens.

I'm also realistic in it. There are a lot of things we don't know. And that's hard to imagine, and for the most part I've done a really good job of trying to keep that out with the advice of a lot of great people around you. That's all we can do.

So kept that part out. It's hard, because you've got a staff that you're trying to do that as well. Take care of that staff because at the end of the day we know in three weeks there's a lot of uncertainty, and that's hard. I don't care what you say. That's a hard approach to being able to look at families and kids and your families and all those things and say, you know, we're probably going to be looking for work in three weeks. That's tough. But it's reality. We'll keep on facing it.

There's worse situations, but this is tough in relative terms to our staff and for me personally, but certainly, why would I ever -- I've been happy here. This has been a good job here. I've certainly enjoyed coaching the men that I've gotten the chance to coach at this university here, and I would love to move forward if it fits right in those things. But I'm realistic about those odds.

Q. When you look at the statistics, Northwestern's near the bottom in terms of rushing offense, but they have a running back who is top three. Do you feel maybe their statistics as a team don't really represent necessarily the skill they have at that position or their capabilities there?
GERAD PARKER: Yeah, sometimes numbers, for a lot of it, especially nine games a year, the numbers don't lie. But at the same time, special players, they have a chance to keep you in games. And I think he's a guy that can keep them in games and get them where they want to be. Though the numbers collectively aren't great; his are. When you get a chance to have guys wherever they are on the team that make special plays, they can take off and keep you in the game. You know what I mean?

I hope that answers your question. I think he's a great player, and can keep them in games and win games for them regardless of their numbers. They're a smart coaching staff. They're going to find ways to kind of dissect what you're doing and how you're going to guard certain things in the pass game as well, and try to find ways to complete balls over your head to finish games.

Q. You mentioned how they're going to force you to throw the ball, but that's something you guys do pretty well. Do you look at that matchup as in a way favorable for you guys? They're one of the teams worse in defending the pass.
GERAD PARKER: Yeah, obviously, you're always looking to match up right. We've also got to run it better. We're going to keep battling ways to run it better and we will. Also, it is a strength. We talked about this last week here, last week in our passing game, we did it well. In the first half we had four touchdowns and had huge plays that got us a chance to have the lead in the half.

So we've got to continue to find more and we've also got to find ways to run it better and be creative with what we're doing in order to give us a chance to finish it. You know what I mean?

Q. More of a big picture question. When we were here last week you said we played six good quarters and two not so good. When you look at the last four, how would you evaluate those? Is it as simple as too good, too bad, or do you feel like you made some steps in the second half?
GERAD PARKER: You mean the last game?

Q. Yes.
GERAD PARKER: Obviously what we did in the first half was really good. There are things you've got to fix. There are things that could be better always, we know that. But we cannot be disappointed about now a seven-win team whom we, again, had three timeouts and three and a half minutes to drive that sucker down and win a game.

So a lot of teams -- that would have been ugly, but if we won that game, everybody would have been fine. You have to win ugly and go find those. That's the game we need to get. That's the one we need to finish on. So it wasn't pretty. You sure as heck would not have the freak interception and those things happen to begin the half. And those things, but you almost got to grit your teeth and smile and say, That's about right. You know what I mean? That's about right. So we'll get it fixed and keep on improving it.

But I'm very, very proud of our effort. You know what I mean? Our execution not always, but our effort was great. Again, we were in that, we found a way to play back and forth, punt the ball, be smart, do all those things to get us in a game and have a chance to win that game when it mattered. So I'm very pleased with those four quarters and all I can do as a head coach is try to continue to inspire belief and put us in a position to make sure we're going to win a game, and we did that last week.

We had a chance to win a game and now we've got to win a game. That's our mantra for the week is have a winner's effort. Work like a winner this week. Work everything you're doing, work like a winner. So I'm very, very pleased where we're at, but I'm not pleased we didn't win.

Q. I know you don't want to talk specifically about injuries, but how do you feel about the running back depth you have remaining?
GERAD PARKER: Probably how you do. Again, we'll see where we're at. Hopefully I have all of them. The film is there. So depth's always a concern there as it is in every spot we have. So we'll keep looking at it, trying to get them back to game day and see if we can't make something work.

Q. What went into your decision to put Kimbrough back as the punt return guy?
GERAD PARKER: Just decisions during the game that come up during a game that would force you to do that.

Q. Instances like the fourth down call in the first quarter and some of the other more aggressive play calls, how much of that is tactical in the moment? And how much is wanting to maybe use those things to sort of instill a confidence in the team in a larger way?
GERAD PARKER: Yeah, again. You can't be forced to being involved in recruiting enough. I see social media. I get it, ha, ha. But, come on. What would I have been had we not gotten the fourth down at the end of the half? Everybody would have chastised me and said I was crazy too and we got it. So then we get chastised for, I get it, fans are fans, and I know. But I slept good, you know?

I thought I did not want us to get in position to not have that. It was six inches in that first one. I thought that was a smart play to sneak it. Didn't get it, I look like a fool. Didn't take it, I hate that we put Ross in that position. That was a bad position to put him in. We get the fourth down at the end of the half and we go up 28-23, everybody's awesome.

On the flip side of that, me and Matt were talking on the way over, they're getting booed. My goodness. What are we doing? They're a seven-win team now, and were six wins then, and we're up 28-23 because they make one little mistake and their home fans were booing them.

So it's a little bit of a tough world we live in. But I stand behind it. We're certainly, I've told you three weeks ago we'd be very, very aggressive. I hope people respond to that more so the right way.

Again, obviously, we had to go for the fourth down we didn't get at the end of the game, but the one at the half was the right play to go after it, be aggressive. Our guys' energy in the locker room at halftime after getting that was amazing. It was so much fun. That's a memory those guys appreciated us not kicking a field goal there and getting a touchdown, you know?

Q. That was the question I was trying to ask. Do you feel like those opportunities are sort of instilling some confidence in the players when you're saying we're putting this on your shoulders rather than taking an easier route?
GERAD PARKER: Sure, yeah, I believe that wholeheartedly, I do. I think our guys are more confident right now. There are things they believe in. They're fighting for something bigger than themselves. They're playing faster. The way we transition from first quarter to second quarter from third to fourth at practice, that's starting to become contagious. We're filming it. You can see our strength coach is running like crazy, our managers. Everybody has embraced the pace.

We're making it fun; we're making it quirky. It's a good distraction, but it's all positive energy when you move fast somewhere. Guys are appreciating our effort in what we're doing, and it's instilling confidence in what they're doing and why they're doing it. So I think those chances are good for them and they enjoy standing up and fighting for maybe me and any of the other coaches to take some chances like that.

Q. With the stance you've taken regarding injuries, but because of the nature of the injury, when it comes to Replogle, how is the decision made it completely shut him down? Is that a medical staff decision, or something the coaching staff or he himself?
GERAD PARKER: I would say all of the above. When something like this comes up and those things, and not too get too technical, but it's all of the above thing. The number one concern is Jake Replogle, his health, and he's a warrior. He's been a warrior for this program. What a great kid and great leader. So he has leeway in that. We're going to make sure we do right by him, and we'll continue to the rest of the season.

Q. Was there any kind of thing going on the sidelines as far as preparing Jack Wegher for that moment? I know he was on the field, but going into that drive, was any extra attention paid to that? Just because this is a kid that's never taken a hand off before Saturday?
GERAD PARKER: Sure. You're looking at a guy that gave up his red shirt with six games left. Now he's back there in a pretty big situation. So nothing different than just running, which is all the more reason for what we got called and what we did. It was something we had done, and he'd done. Time and time again, didn't work.

We'll always look at ourselves to continue to be better. But that was the more reason for that call, you know? And him being in that position, you probably certainly wouldn't have envisioned that, but that's sometimes where you're at.

Q. Did you see something from him in those first six weeks that led you to want to give him a bigger role like this? Beyond him coming to you?
GERAD PARKER: Yeah, absolutely. It was more to it than that. We knew far along he was physically in a good position with where his body was. He was a mid-year guy that had been in the system. He knew those things. Our depth at the beginning of the year was in that position. It's much better than it is now. So in the beginning, it's probably smart, let's don't do that. Now with our special teams and certain things with depth and issues like that come up, we wouldn't have done that. He said he wanted to volunteer to get some experience, then you don't turn that opportunity down for a kid that wants to do that.

Q. In terms of when you look at who is going to lead this team in the locker room going forward, where does Markus Bailey fit into that?
GERAD PARKER: I would say his leadership skills and his abilities are going to put him in the same position as Ja'Whaun Bentley's was at his age.

Q. Why what do you think is in his make-up that makes you say that?
GERAD PARKER: Well, number one, I won't say that, not number one -- the first thing is what a great kid he is, how he handles himself. How he prepares. How he works and all those things. And number two, you've got to be a great player too now.

Let's don't disregard Markus Bailey as a great player who will continue to get great and be an even better player. You size those two things up and you have the makings of a wonderful leader.

Q. What do you see from him right now in terms of playing linebacker and how he's executing that, especially coming off a pretty significant injury a year ago?
GERAD PARKER: Yeah, sure, for what he's done, the medical staff has done to get him in position to where he's at health-wise and playing as fast as he is, is phenomenal. The other thing is he's coming in the zone learning how to prepare, Coach Freeman, Marcus does an awesome job. He's reached him and got to him and done a phenomenal job with him. To go along with it again, Markus is gifted. He's taking those tools both fundamentally and what he has in God-given ability is starting to match up. You get confident. You start playing at a high level and you expect that every week, which again, is something we're trying to instill in the whole team.

We can get there. Sometimes our path to get there to be winners will be different from some teams. But if our grit will continue, if we continue to push on this, if we'll continue to be going fast, have some fun, get some involvement from everybody in the community, these two home games and get going, something special will happen, and you have to expect that to happen every single week.

We need that from everybody outside the program, we need it inside the program, and that's what's happened with Markus. He has continued to play at a high level. He gets more confident each week, and now his expectation is to play at a high level each week.

Q. You're facing one of the Big Ten sack leaders this week, your quarterback got sacked six times last week. But obviously as you've said, personnel issues both on the offensive line and back field, can you get creative, I guess, for lack of a better term and how you pass protect going forward in order to help back there?
GERAD PARKER: Sure. Something you're always looking at is trying to give guys help in what we're doing in our protection plan, and we'll have to continue to do that not only this week, but the last two as well, to make sure we take care of guys and put ourselves in position to protect and get our best players the football. So it's something we're always looking at.

Q. You mentioned social media. Since you became head coach, are you still reading Twitter?
GERAD PARKER: Good question. Not that much. I don't go through it as much as I used to. The biggest thing is because of recruiting is at a stand still right now for the most part. So not as much. But you see the pop-ups and the notifications and the adds where it's like, oh, Geez, that's about right.

But it has been awesome to deal with and see and smile at and those things, because I get it. Everybody's fans. I get it. I understand it. But I certainly haven't been staying up at night, rolling through it, writing notes and crying myself to sleep over it either.

Q. You mentioned a lot of teams are fighting for bowl eligibility. Are you talking about that with your team?
GERAD PARKER: Absolutely. Yes, we have to. Again, if we aim small, we are going to miss small. Throw opinions out there and everything else, but we have to change the way we look at things. How you look at it, what you expect. What you want to talk about. Now you have to work that same way. We get that. You've got to work that way, keep on performing and push.

But we have to aim big. We have to aim big. We have to. We have to go win a game this week, but we're certainly going to mention the potential of the season left, and you can't just hide behind things and act like it's not there or, hey, let's not whisper about that. That's not the problem. Aim big, think big, you'll get big results as you keep on pushing doing it the right way.

Q. Before the season a lot of the guys said the season is a failure if we don't get a bowl game. Just with all the odd things that have happened this season, I mean, do you look at this season as success/failure? How do you define it?
GERAD PARKER: Well, before the year, yeah. I mean, before the year I would agree that this whole thing has changed a lot of things in it. You know, it will be something interesting after it's all said and done here, and, again, I believe special things will happen in these next three weeks. How many? I don't know. But I do believe special things will happen. But it will be interesting take whatever at the end of it and sit back and say, what was success? Our effort, how we played, our energy, how our guys responded to negative things, that will be success, you know what I mean?

Us winning some games would sure help me and make me feel good but that's selfish. For the players and the seniors, I hope they see that's what they can get out of this because that's what they deserve. So some success in that end and wins loss are there as well. But there are other ways to measure success in how these guys move forward to be who they want to become here after we're gone.

Q. Who is your best cover guy?
GERAD PARKER: Good question. I think to answer it, I would say Da'Wan Hunte. I think Da'Wan is. I really do. I think those other guys have battled. I think they're continuing to battle. But if you had to make me label one and ask the question, I'll give you the non-injury answer, since it's not an injury question and tell you Da'Wan is a trustworthy guy. He's learned how to be a worker.

I hate that he was injured earlier in the year, but he's coming into his own, competing his tail off and a guy that's a leader. I think he's made those other guys better and we need to continue to do that. That's what good guys start to do. Make those other guys better and keep on improving, but I'm proud of him and where he's at.

Q. Northwestern has the Big Ten's leading receiver. Will Da'Wan Hunte cover him?
GERAD PARKER: Good question that I won't answer, right. But you knew that already. But he is a good player. They do a good job with him.

Q. He's an inside guy?
GERAD PARKER: Yeah, he's an inside guy, but I'm sure they'll find ways to move him around. They're going to move him around, get him the football. You watch cut ups and find ways they've got him in some bunt sets different things, they do a good job of hiding him, getting him free runs and releases. They do a good job of hitting him, he's a quarterback that puts it there on the money.

Q. You typically have not moved your defensive backs around with receivers; is that true?
GERAD PARKER: That's true. I shouldn't say I haven't. I don't know. But I guess that falls on me to answer, huh?

Q. Because you're playing elite level player, would you consider doing that?
GERAD PARKER: I'm sure it will come up. That's good though. That's good. We can play it like tennis.

Q. Kimbrough was a punt return because Blough hurt himself?
GERAD PARKER: I don't know.

Q. Blough did play some 20-some snaps after that?
GERAD PARKER: He did, tough kid.

Q. DeAngelo, has he had the senior season you really hoped he would?
GERAD PARKER: Yeah, I was shocked. There were some things that have been neglected that this has happened. You certainly wish that his receptions would be higher. But his productivity is one up. Averaging 20 yards a catch, I think he has seven touchdowns right now. Us being better around him in what we've done in the pass game has probably allowed him to get away and not be bracketed as much as he was last year. And it's given him a chance to be a seven-touchdown guy.

I told him at the beginning of the year, he should be a 10-plus touchdown guy for the year. So you can say he's on track and put himself in position of where he should be. He's become a guy that can hit home runs, which a lot of people may have wondered if he could. But he's hit home runs this year against good football teams. He's played big. He's played confident. He's been a leader. He's put himself in a great position for his future, but also put us in a position to be very good in the throw game.

So I would say his productivity, and efficiency and what he's done with those catches and touchdowns, you would say be very pleased with where he's at.

Q. Before the year you and I talked and you said he needs to improve on finishing. Have you seen that develop to your liking?
GERAD PARKER: Yeah, I mean, his practice habits have done nothing but continue to grow since last year which has been big for him. With that, he's seen the results much that. We talked about it yesterday in my office. He's seen the fruits of his labors and how he's worked and developed and become a man on and off the field. Him seeing that and becoming a guy that's finished in practice and in the game, but also been a guy that's finished out runs and ran after the catch, there is a huge emphasis for us this summer. We worked extremely hard on it, and you see that.

Q. Northwestern's defense, they pressure a lot, blitz. I mean, that was the thing with Minnesota. They had guys coming from all angles, dropping a guy out, bringing a guy from somewhere else that maybe causes confusion. What does Northwestern look like in terms of pressure?
GERAD PARKER: Sure, Minnesota did it at a higher level in the second half as well. They attacked us, no question. Wouldn't say they didn't. They came at us. Northwestern has been, for the season, has not been that way. They haven't been as attacking with their blitz and those things. But as of last week, we expect them to come at us a little bit more.

Q. Is Mike Mendez done for the season? Is it that serious?
GERAD PARKER: He's not, nope.

Q. Did you vote today?
GERAD PARKER: Not yet, I'm getting ready to go after this. And I will not reveal who I'm voting for.

Q. You saw the mic go up to my mouth. Just the No-Shave November, and part of that, I don't participate in this, so I'm not really clear. But part of that has been donating money to cancer research, right, for the money you would have spent on?
GERAD PARKER: On shaving and all those things.

Q. Do you have a particular charity or fund you like to donate to?
GERAD PARKER: Right. There are all kinds. And each and every year, we do a huge golf scramble in the summer to the American Cancer Society through Relay For Life. It's done through my wife's family, Kandi's family that they sponsor. It's a huge deal, huge event.

Coaches from everywhere I've been have shown up and friends from all over the place. So we usually, not usually, we always contribute a significant amount to that for candy and dad and in her dad's name. That's what we plan to do and continue to do. We just save that money back and push it to that.

Q. How challenging is it to manage Markell so you can try to get him to the end of games? Is there anything you feel like you need to do differently with that?
GERAD PARKER: Yeah, it's tough. I think, I feel like we've really done a good job. DeAndre's done a good job, we all have. Medical staff down during the week. But it's hard during the game. It's hard during the game.

So we'll have to continue to find ways, but during the game is tough because football's football. For him to be a good player, as you know, he's got to be physical and be a downhill guy that's attacking and all those things. Up run into issues with that. So as much as I don't know what else we can do, minus making sure -- we've got to make sure he's protected and safe and continues to get healthy leading up to it. If we're doing that, he'll continue to be there and we fully expect him to compete his tail off this week.

Q. How do you balance wanting to keep your defense fresh as possible late and maybe not wanting to go with more depth early, if that makes sense? In theory you could put a couple more younger defensive linemen early in the game and maybe pressure late, but you haven't been doing that. How do you balance the decision making on that front?
GERAD PARKER: Yeah, it's hard. I guess the old adage, and we told the football game, we can't win the Kentucky Derby by screaming, Whoa. We've laughed and said that and an old coach used to tell me that. If we start in a jog and then try to sprint late, you're going to fall short. So I would probably be on the side of Steve Prefontaine, and just go out and give it hell and let our guys fight their tails off and see where we are at the end of the game and see if we can win a game.

That's the way I was raised. That's the way I've approached everything and that's the way we're going to continue to. Because if we just play and aim low and try to hang around, that don't work either. So we're going to keep on grinding it out, keep on asking guys to step up, get our offense to take a little bit better care of the ball in the second half, so they're not out there an extra two or three possessions which has happened, and I think that will help us more than anything. Concentrate on the stuff we can do to keep them off the field by not turning it over. You know what I mean?

Q. Maybe play a little tennis here some more. A week ago you told us Richie Worship wasn't serious, serious. He was one-week serious. Is he two weeks serious?
GERAD PARKER: We'll see. And again, please respect what's going on. But I don't mean it in a negative way, but he's closer and we'll see.

Q. What's David Yancey's status?
GERAD PARKER: The same, day-to-day. But looking good to be available.

Q. Just with Blough, I mean, he's been so good in the first half. Still pretty good in the second, but not quite as much. What does he need to do, maybe, to keep his level the same? Is it more just factors around him that are causing him some issues?
GERAD PARKER: Yeah, I mean, the great thing about him is he'll own -- I mean, think of the things he'll own. He'll take all of it if you let him, and he don't need to take all of it. I need to take it as much as I can to keep it off of him. He'll take every bit of it and he doesn't need to take every bit of it.

That guy's a good, good player that's played at a high level this year. He'll be more accurate in the second half, no question. He'll own that. He'll own all those things. But he has to do things better around him. We've got to find a way to hand the ball off a little more in the second half to be better. All those things make him more efficient, make us more efficient in the second half.

Q. Just the third quarters in particular have been a struggle, not just recently but all season.
GERAD PARKER: Yeah.

Q. Any idea why?
GERAD PARKER: Well, I'll let you know again, previous, it is what it is, we move forward. But these three weeks, I think that we turned it over the last two weeks we've turned over in the first possession, you know? So you could say that that would hurt it. Now the good thing is you take your collective breath. We didn't go in to two, two into three, three into four and all this stuff snow balls. We kept it alive, held serve a little bit, so to speak and got into the fourth quarter with a chance. So that's a step.

So now when you take the next one is the best way to deal when bad things happen is not let any of them happen. We need less bad to happen.

Yes, we've approached it, and we've changed, I've changed. Halftime's up, we're going to create some mental warfare and try to mess with them now and they know it. I'm being very transparent about it. We had cool things said at halftime, we did some things different. We'll continue to look at it.

But it hasn't been our effort and it wasn't our energy coming out. We just haven't executed well, and those first two possessions have been factors, you know?

Q. Something you've changed?
GERAD PARKER: Yeah, so at halftime maybe instead of two weeks back you would say, okay, turn the music on real quick. We turn some music on. Everybody chill a little bit. We're not at war here. You know? So we turned on some music, did some things there.

We've been talking all week about why those players love this game. Why do you love playing this game? Remember that. Don't forget that. Coaches, what do you miss about playing it? So we had a couple coaches step up and ride the halftime saying what do you miss about this? They talked from the heart about what they missed. What a great environment. Guys in tears and it was good. Still a memory.

Again, if we just continue to look at it and say, well, we'll just keep sampling some things and have a little fun. Hopefully one of these days I'll get to be a head coach again and take some notes and say that wasn't very smart. Hopefully more than that will be, hey, I like that.

Our Sunday meals with our families and our players over there on Sunday have been pretty magical. Our Monday night practices, it's neat stuff. We'll keep on playing with it until we get a result. And we'll all say it was because of that when really it was probably because we didn't turn it over, you know what I mean? That helps.

Q. The 4th and 1 at the end, was the strong side linebacker, did he just make a great play to slip through that hole? Is that basically what happened?
GERAD PARKER: Yeah, he timed up the snap really good. We didn't cover A-gap. He got through A-gap and welcome to football, Yep.

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