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RUTGERS UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 16, 2019Nunzio CampanilePiscataway, New Jersey Ohio State 56 Rutgers 21 HEAD COACH NUNZIO CAMPANILE: You know, obviously a tough game. Super opponent. Really talented team. Very well-coached. But I thought our kids played really hard. They played really hard throughout. They competed for four quarters, all the things that we're asking them to do, and I think that when you do that, you're just going to get better. You're going to get growth. We still have a lot of young players out there but they are playing really hard and a lot of those older guys are playing really hard. I thought we did some good things in all three phases. Gave us a chance to score some points and I don't think we've come close to that in the past few years. I'm really proud of the way the kids played and just their belief in each other, the way they carried themselves today. I thought they did a good job and hopefully there's a lot to build off these next two weeks. Q. What do you focus on now? HEAD COACH NUNZIO CAMPANILE: Pretty much the same thing it's been all the time. It's just really about going out and getting better every day. Going out and competing for each other and making sure that you're trying to improve for the future. I think I've said it a bunch of times that all of these reps matter because it gives them a chance to be more prepared for the future, you know, when we are maybe a little more ready to be a higher-level, competitive Bowl-type team, which I believe that we will be in the future. I just think that, you know, we're just trying to grow every week and I think if we do that, you see some good things. Obviously we hurt ourselves with a lot of things today, turnovers, turnovers early, a couple penalties at times, just really inopportune things. A few missed tackles on defense in situations, but there was a lot of good things, too, and I think you see certainly a lot of fight and a lot of effort out of the guys. That's pretty much what I tried to focus on. Q. Curious with 14 left, drop of the hat, turning it over twice in four plays, how they were going to respond to that? HEAD COACH NUNZIO CAMPANILE: I guess so, because I guess the easy thing to do would be to just kind of pack your bags. I mean it was a phenomenal play on the interception, kind of threw it into the wind, it was a little short and the kid tipped the ball up to himself, and Isaiah was trying to make a play and get up the field, and obviously that turned into points right away, so that's not great. I mean, they don't really need any help. I mean, they are a pretty good team and we decided to give them a lot of help to start the game. Eventually our guys settled in. At least they made some plays. We talk to them all the time on special teams about trying to steal a possession, get one extra possession a game and we got the turnover there that set up the first touchdown, and I think that was huge, because they felt like, okay, we can settle in and maybe make a few plays. Q. No one has scored three touchdowns against this team all season, to do that at the end of the game, the emotion when Johnny pushed that one into the end zone? HEAD COACH NUNZIO CAMPANILE: What I told the kids was if you see the people in the stands, I think they are really proud, the people that were still there, are really proud of the effort that those guys are giving. I guess there was a point where I heard a lot of people saying, oh, these guys have quit. These guys have not quit at all. They are playing really hard for each other. You just see the forced turnover, pick it up, almost run it back for a touchdown and then to finish the drive. So from that standpoint, I think the kids feel really good about, they know what we are talking about in practice and the meetings, they are bringing to the field. Obviously the execution isn't perfect, but I think they are really proud of that to be able to go out there, and as I told them, we haven't put 21 points on a lot of teams, so to put 21 points on them is a good day I guess in some ways. Q. How do you get them to believe, everything during the season, everything went through in the first quarter -- HEAD COACH NUNZIO CAMPANILE: The No. 1 message I have given since the day I was put in this position and really, the entire time I've ever been a head coach is: You show each other how much you care by how hard you play. So you put it on tape; if you really say, "I love my team," then you'd better go out and play really hard. You'd better put it on tape. I think that these guys they really do care about each other. They have worked really hard together for a long time and the results haven't really been what they wanted to be, but I think they are starting to see that if you just stick together and never quit, never flinch when things go bad, there will be improvement, and I think seeing a little improvement, I think the Liberty game helped. I think the way we played against Illinois, you know, you can't take these six plays out of the game but if you take the six plays out of the game, we are right in it. It's 10-10 at halftime and they felt really good about that. I think the message has just been consistent. Play hard, believe in each other, play hard for each other. They are good kids, so that's what they are doing. Q. Looking broadly at the program, what do you think needs to happen here so the record can be competitive in the Big Ten? HEAD COACH NUNZIO CAMPANILE: We need to have some consistency, players, coaches, everything. We just need to -- you know, we got a lot of young guys playing. We've got to keep them playing together and growing and getting better. We've got to get to a point where there's a lot of consistency on the coaching staff so the schemes are similar you and learn and grow from it. I think when you do that, you have a chance to really be successful. You know, consistent message, same guys building together. You watch really good programs are filled with juniors and seniors that are playing that worked their way up, and you know, there's a lot of programs out there that you'd say you like to model and do that, and we need to do that. There's probably been too much turnover in a lot of ways, so hopefully limiting that in the future will give us a chance to be successful. Q. In a perfect world, being in this area, what would you say would be the -- should be the identity of Rutgers Football? HEAD COACH NUNZIO CAMPANILE: Toughness. Effort. To me, if you go around and watch New Jersey high school football, that's what you see. A lot of really well-coached teams that play really hard and really tough. When we go on the field, they need to see that when we're playing. You know, I was a high school coach for a long time, so I know what guys want to see when they come back. They want to see just what they are being taught to be the same thing. I'm not saying that wasn't being taught or anything. I'm just saying that's what the product has to be. That's the calling card of New Jersey and New Jersey football is a tough place. I think people take pride in that. I think people need to see that when they come watch us play, and I think when they do see that, I think they will be proud of it and give it an opportunity to grow. Q. Any pregame speeches -- HEAD COACH NUNZIO CAMPANILE: No, but it was great to have all those guys here. A lot of great players. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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