BIG 12 CONFERENCE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: OKLAHOMA VS IOWA STATE

December 19, 2020

Matt Campbell

Iowa State Cyclones

Q. Matt, what was the difference in halves, in your estimation?

MATT CAMPBELL: Gosh, I don't even know. I just felt like, man, we were really close most of the game, and I think just -- I think the biggest thing is, in terms of going up against a really good team like that, man, it's hard to win.

I feel like, you know, we just kind of had to settle in a little bit. That's kind of happened against that team now twice. Once we settled in, I thought we found our rhythm pretty well.

Q. Was that nerves, do you think, at the beginning of the game, having not been this far?

MATT CAMPBELL: No, I don't think so. I think, if you go back to the first time we played them, it was very similar. So, I don't think that has much to do with it.

Q. Matt, how big was losing Isheem Young there in the second play of the game?

MATT CAMPBELL: You know, a challenge, but I feel like that's kind of where we live. The obstacles in the way, and you know what, you have to overcome it, and we did. Those guys that came in played outstanding. Quite honestly, I'm really proud of some of those guys. You hate to lose a good player like that, but that is what it is, and you take it and move on from it. Boy, it gave some other guys a great opportunity to get in and really kind of show their growth, so I was really proud of some of those guys.

Q. The confusion on that last play, was there any thought on calling a time-out there before the snap got off?

MATT CAMPBELL: No, I think we felt like we had a good play, and I think there was a little bit of pressure. Brock [Purdy] did a great job of kind of giving us an opportunity to create down the field, but, no, I don't think there was -- it wasn't so much the confusion as it was the clock coming down, but we had everybody set where we needed to have them set.

Q. Coach, I feel like we've asked this question a few times this year, but what can you say about the fight and resolve of this team? You were obviously down pretty big at the half, but then you come clawing back.

MATT CAMPBELL: Really all I asked our kids in this game is just be who you are. So, I guess the reality is exactly we are who we are, and I think that's what makes this program really special. I think it's what makes this team really special.

You know, you hate it that you're a couple of points short in this game, but, boy, oh, boy, you leave pretty damn proud that the culture, the character, and really the leadership that this program and this team has and the resolve it shows pretty much has showed up each and every day and each and every week from the start of the season till the end of the season.

So I guess mission accomplished. We were who we were.

Q. Just speaking about you are who you are, I mean, I thought about this when I asked the question. Like I said, you've talked about playing all four quarters, but you played all four quarters the entire season, if you know what I mean. You kept fighting the entire season, more than just all four quarters.

MATT CAMPBELL: Well, I think from our deal -- and I've said this a lot in our program -- is this is not a results-oriented football program. I think we're result aware, outcome aware, but I also really believe that the investment of our leadership team from our coaches to our players is process and really culture driven.

And when you live like that, then you don't reside in the highs and the lows of what the scoreboard tell you or what, you know -- and I get it, it's your job to write articles, and what the press tells you or what mom and dad tell you, what you become is you become the best version of yourself you can be.

And I think there's no question, at the end of the day, this football team has become the best version of itself it can be, and that's really hard to do in our sport. It's really hard when you've got 18- to 22-year-olds, really hard in a year like this.

But, boy, oh, boy, I don't know if I could be prouder of what these young men have done and what they've accomplished.

Q. Coach, going off that last point, obviously, like you mentioned, they showed the fight there in the second half. Just how tough is it knowing they probably left some plays out there in the first half to not -- so they wouldn't have to claw back in the second half there?

MATT CAMPBELL: I don't know. To me, like I said, I don't know if that's tough for me. It's a football game, and it's four quarters, and you're playing, as we know, in a very talented, outstanding football program.

If you expect perfection, I think you're a fool. If you expect that you're going to play a game that's going to have highs and lows and your ability to weather the storm and continuing to fight, then I think you have some realism as to what this sport is and what football is.

I think, for me, I've got great realism that what I just witnessed was the character and the heart and really the soul of Iowa State football today.

Q. How would you evaluate Brock [Purdy]'s performance today?

MATT CAMPBELL: Man, I still think Brock was really good. It's like I've said since he took over two and a half years ago, like that guy gave us a chance. You know, I know there's times that the ball got turned over, but there's pressure, and he's got this unbelievable escapability.

To be honest with you, we're nowhere close in that football game if Brock Purdy is not our quarterback, and obviously, we're not even sniffing this football game if Brock Purdy is not our quarterback.

Q. Matt, on that last offensive drive, you guys were moving the ball pretty well, but how much did those false starts kind of get you off schedule from what you were doing?

MATT CAMPBELL: Yeah, obviously, those penalties hurt, and they've got great edge rushers. I think it pulled a couple of those guys offsides. So, again, I do think our detail at times, in this game -- you know, in all phases, it wasn't as good as we needed it to be, but I still felt like, again, we've given ourselves every opportunity to go win the game. But that certainly -- that hurt us there at the end.

Q. Responding after losses has not been a problem for this team, but what do you expect, or what do you hope to see in the couple weeks before whatever Bowl came comes your way?

MATT CAMPBELL: You've got to grow, right? The season's not over. Obviously, the regular season now is, and the championship game is, but I love the character and the humility of this team. I know what the senior leadership and the elite junior leadership that we have in this program, and I expect us to continue to respond and continue to grow.

Again, this group has never disappointed me once, and I would certainly be shocked if they disappointed me now.

Q. Any thought or hope of where you guys might land?

MATT CAMPBELL: No, I'll be honest with you. I don't even know what Bowl games are being played or what the process is. To be honest with you, we'll worry about that sometime tomorrow. Really could care less. Just hope this team gets another opportunity to play football.

Q. Coach, what did you see from Oklahoma's defense that contained Breece Hall and got pressure on Brock Purdy relatively often tonight or today?

MATT CAMPBELL: Yeah, I thought it was -- give those guys credit. They found some unique ways to get an extra hat in the box. We struggled to create great vertical run seams and consistently doing those things. So I thought they did a really good job. They've played outstanding on defense really for the majority of the year, and hat's off to obviously Coach [Alex] Grinch and certainly Oklahoma.

Q. Matt, talking about the OU defensive line for a minute, they were outstanding, outstanding today, the OU defensive line. How much did it hurt your offensive line when [Jake] Remsburg got hurt very early in the game?

MATT CAMPBELL: From really the first offensive play, Randy, you know. That was tough losing Jake [Remsburg]. I'll have to go back and watch the video and see how Joey played. I think the positive is you've got a guy like Joey who actually started against Oklahoma last time.

So I don't know if it was that big of a deal other than the fact that Jake has played really good football for this team, and we're really, really proud of what he's done and accomplished as a red-shirt freshman.

Q. Coach, you obviously have a lot of guys who -- I mean, I know you have to play a Bowl game, but you have a lot of guys who will be coming back next year. Do you envision coming up short in this game being a thing that will drive them going into the off-season?

MATT CAMPBELL: I don't know. It just depends what kind of team we have. I think it's going to be really interesting to get to the end of the season. Obviously, continue to evaluate our year and then figure out what kind of team is coming back. To me, it was the senior leadership of this year's team that allowed greatness to occur.

It will be fascinating to me to see what the character, what kind of leadership we will get from next year's group. That's, I think, really early to kind of figure that out and truly understand that.

But I do know there's some great young men that are coming in to be seniors next year for this program. Certainly look forward to evaluating next year's team when it's appropriate to do so.

Q. Matt, what can you say about Xavier Hutchinson's performance today? He showed flashes of Hakeem Butler, Allen Lazard, and even his own personality out there today.

MATT CAMPBELL: I'd almost tell you guys, I told you so. I think I've been tell you about this guy from before the season started. Like I said, I think my favorite thing about X is from the day that I met Xavier and from the day that he showed up on our campus, he has worked as hard or harder than any of the players in our football program.

When you have great talent and you're willing to have an elite work ethic next to that talent, then in the biggest moments, your God-given ability shines, and for X, he shines.

You know, I think, to me, that's exciting. You're proud to be able to coach a guy like that. You know a guy like that brings out the best, not only in himself, but those around him. So I'm really grateful that he's in our program, and he's certainly made Iowa State football a lot better.

Q. Matt, lastly, your defense was stellar today, especially missing Isheem Young early, and especially with the three picks. How proud were you of those guys of rallying and really being that key to the second half comeback and forcing OU to punt and obviously holding them to a field goal on that last drive?

MATT CAMPBELL: Man, what those guys did today on defense -- and they've done it all year. It's not just today. But when you've got a great defense, they give you a chance to win football games, and they give you a chance to play really high-end football. Obviously, you look at that senior leadership on that side of the ball, and the Greg Eisworths and the JaQuan Baileys and Eyioma Uwazurike and Jake Hummel and Lawrence White, we're blessed to have so many amazing humans on that side, and not only amazing humans, but great players.

What I love about them is they never flinch. They never flinched today. They haven't flinched all year, and they've given us an incredible opportunity to have great success and do the things that this team and this program has done this year.

I can't sing their praises high enough because what they've done is they've established excellence within our program.