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NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 28, 2019

Thomas Hammock

Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt - 24 - NIU - 18

THOMAS HAMMOCK: It was a tough game. I thought our players responded. I thought they came out in the second half and with the expectation that they were trying to win a football game. We spotted them 14 points early on things that could have been easily avoidable. We got to make sure we coach them exactly how we want to coach them to get the things done that we need them to do.

Q. What was the response there in the second half in terms of offensive production?
THOMAS HAMMOCK: What do you mean what was the response?

Q. What do you think you guys changed that you started to find some success with or was it things that weren't hitting in the first half that hit in the second half?
THOMAS HAMMOCK: I don't think we changed anything. We attacked our game plan and we was able to get ourself in some manageable situation, get some third downs. Spencer made a big play to start the second half. And in the first half we were moving the ball, we just didn't convert on third down. That's the bottom line. We were 0-6 in the first half.

Q. On third downs it's still been that issue and you guys did make a few plays on third down in the second half. What kind of areas of progress have you seen from that and what needs to be better?
THOMAS HAMMOCK: The run games allows you to be in more manageable situations and I think we did that. I thought we had a nice third down conversion early to Richard that got called back. They said it was a pick, we're not even trying to pick on that play. So, but those are the things that we'll continue to watch the film, learn from, and make sure we can go out there and execute.

Q. I get the idea of why you went for the third down or rather went for the two-point conversion when you did. But take us through the thought process of choose to go do it at that time?
THOMAS HAMMOCK: That is an easy decision. We were down 14, we scored a touchdown. So the two-point conversion, if you get it you got an opportunity to be down six and have a chance to win the game which is what we wanted to do. If you don't get it and you score another touchdown you have another opportunity to go for another two-point conversion. That's an easy call to make, we got the right call and we had the ball at the end of the game with a chance to win the game 25-24 and that's exactly what we wanted to do.

Q. What types of changes did you make up front that enabled you to start kind of slowing them down?
THOMAS HAMMOCK: First of all, the run that got out is a very simple play to make and we talked about making the play that you're supposed to make. So it's not like we needed to change something, he's got to close and he's got the running back. The back to him, he's go the him, inside is on the way. It's an easy play. So we got to make sure we can execute and do the things necessary to tackle the ball. It should be a two-yard run basically.

Q. How much better was kind of the timing of the passing game in the second half you said you already did pick up some offensive yards in the first half but the timing did seem to get better in the second half?
THOMAS HAMMOCK: We didn't come in at halftime and do anything magical. We came in, we stuck to our game plan and guys started making plays. I think when you have the ability to run the football it gets you into some manageable situations, second and six is a lot better than second and ten, and it opens up the play book. So that's kind of what we went with.

Q. With Mitchell, you said the violent yards type thing, things you worked on all off season to pick up yards after the catch. How nice is that to see?
THOMAS HAMMOCK: I think obviously they felt some pressure. They played cover zero five or six times in the second half. So it was a basic cover zero look, Mitchell caught the ball and as soon as that guy didn't make the play it was over. So they did it against LSU, so obviously we were prepared for it. Our quarterback made a nice check, nice signal to him and that got out there and made the play and it was over.

Q. What did Cole show you to respond to that big hit?
THOMAS HAMMOCK: He showed toughness. He got, number one, he got hit extremely hard, and he made the catch and came down with it, we were in first and 25 and he made a 15-yard catch. He gave us an opportunity. And then to come back and respond at the end to make those plays that he made speaks about him, his toughness and his resiliency.

Q. You guys had major changes with the punt unit again this week, or made some changes rather. What were some of the things headed into the bye week knowing that you had to make changes with?
THOMAS HAMMOCK: We know any time you shield a punt what are people going to do, they're going to try to bring pressure up the middle. We made sure we had a plan to execute. We did a couple different things to throw them off, which we got done. We got a lot more things in the package to make sure that we can continue to execute the punt unit. Bowers had a nice punt as well on the quick kick, and I think that gives us the ability to do some different things. So if they send a returner out we'll go for it on fourth down and that gives us an advantage.

Q. You used some early timeouts in this game. Is this a scenario where you're trying to make sure the guys are all together?
THOMAS HAMMOCK: For us you're dealing with 18 to 22 year old young men and as much as they talk about being professionals, they're young men, they get into the moment, they get emotional and all those things. So those critical situations, especially in the first half, we're going to use timeouts and make sure we're in the right call to try to get off the field. I know they were in a second and 19, I called a timeout, to make sure we had the right personnel out there.

Q. You guys down a middle linebacker with Jordan's targeting call. How much pressure is there on these younger guys and how much do you think they can prove they're ready to respond?
THOMAS HAMMOCK: You talk about pressure, I never talk about pressure to our young men. These guys came here to play football, they want to represent our university in a first-class manner. And he was ready for the moment. He went out there and he played his butt off. And that's the thing that people need to understand is this a kid, a freshman walk-on that's been grinding his butt off since June and he's ready for the moment. He went out there and played solid football for us.

Q. Jordan's targeting call, did it not seem like his head was ahead of the ball on that?
THOMAS HAMMOCK: Yeah, I can't, I don't know, I just, they make the call, they reviewed it. If they made a call and they reviewed it, you have to live with the call. So there's nothing more I can say about that.

Q. With the run game a lot more spread out today between touches for your three guys. What are you looking for those guys? Are you still expecting to spread it out?
THOMAS HAMMOCK: They're going to earn their carries and if I don't like what I see then the next guy is going to go out there to play. So they had urgency today. They wanted the ball, they were running tough, making plays, and that's how we have to get better. Competition creates urgency. And we want to run the football better, I thought the line did a nice job opening up some seams and the backs did a nice job breaking some tackles.

Q. Cam making a play with the sack, are you starting to see some things out of the younger guys?
THOMAS HAMMOCK: We got young guys that's competing their butt off. And the great thing about it, when you get an opportunity to play against Nebraska, you play against Vanderbilt, you play against Utah, we're better experienced to get you ready for the MAAC Conference and really those guys are ready to go, they have been locked the last four weeks, and we're ready to go. And it's really The MAAC, it's not the MAAC Conference, sorry, let me correct that. I learned that a long time ago. The MAAC. So make sure you quote that correctly.

Q. Any comfort in knowing that you got an opponent that these guys are used to next week?
THOMAS HAMMOCK: No. The comfort is we got to continue to improve, offensively, defensively and on special teams. I think our kids are excited, we have had some adversity the last three weeks and we responded the correct way. So to meaning everything we want is exactly in front of us.

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