CFP FIRST ROUND: NOTRE DAME VS INDIANA

December 20, 2024

Mike Katic

Kurtis Rourke

Justice Ellison

Notre Dame Stadium

Indiana Hoosiers

Postgame Press Conference

Notre Dame - 27, Indiana - 17

Q. Mike, I'll ask you to pull together six years in 30 seconds probably, but you saw this program rise and then dip and then rise again. How do you sort of, if you are giving someone the elevator speech of what Indiana football is capable of based on what you've experienced and been a part of, what is it?

MIKE KATIC: I know the history of Indiana football and I'm really excited about the future of it. But just a gritty group of guys that come to work every day and put everything into their body of work and just really proud of this team and how we came out this season.

Q. Kurtis, it looked like it was just difficult to get in the kind of rhythm that you're accustomed to being in this year. What was Notre Dame doing to make it difficult to achieve the rhythm?

KURTIS ROURKE: Just there wasn't really anything new that we expected them to do. They came out and did what we expected. And just a lack of execution on my part and just didn't help finishing some drives. I just gotta be better in finishing those drives like we were able to in the fourth quarter, but I just need to be better.

Q. Kurtis, what did you see in the early interception? Did it take you a minute to get back in sync after that or a little while to kind of get in the flow of the game?

KURTIS ROURKE: Yeah, it was just man-to-man coverage. Just trying to get them just with a tempo play. And just threw it a little bit too far and the defender made a nice play. But didn't need to make that throw in that situation.

Q. Justice, you said you came to Indiana to be a part of something bigger than yourself. Do you feel you set the future for the Indiana football now?

JUSTICE ELLISON: Without a doubt. I got a little emotional at the end of the game because I feel like Indiana university, Bloomington, it gave me an opportunity. I was on my full fifth year, and I took a chance and I came to a town, I was like, hey, I want to be able to make something out of it.

So I believe that this year it's hard as a competitor to kind of like be settled with what you've done in the past. But we've done a lot. I think the foundation is something that I wanted to start. Leave a legacy with the guys that come in every single day working hard, loving each other, sacrificing -- blood, sweat, tears, every single day. And I plan to come back and see how far the foundation has grown.

Q. Mike, what are you proudest of?

MIKE KATIC: As a whole, I'm so proud of how this team has played this season as usually the underdog. A lot of people doubted us all year, but we kind of stuck to us. We kind of just relied on each other in each room. And we proved a lot of people wrong.

And there's so much more to be proud of. But I don't want to get too emotional up here.

Q. What made Notre Dame's defensive front so difficult to deal with tonight?

MIKE KATIC: I think up front, they're not the biggest group, but they're super twitchy and fast. And they're bringing a lot of different packages and movements and bringing the linebackers, cross dogs, arrows, kind of all that different things.

And up front they really didn't play us straight all game. They were always moving and doing different things. But that's kind of what I saw up front.

Q. Kurtis, I guess what are you most proud of? And how emotional is it that it's over?

KURTIS ROURKE: I'm just proud of the guys and this journey. A lot of us have been new to this program this year. And the guys that have been here for years, like Mike, just so proud of how we've come together as a team and been able to make a memorable season like it has been.

Although it wasn't the way we wanted to end it, glad we were able to do it together and kind of start the dynasty of Indiana as it moves forward. And I was looking forward to watching it, but it really hasn't set in for me that this was lit for me in college. But it definitely hurts.

Q. Kurtis, you mentioned lack of execution tonight. Was that something that they were doing specifically defensively that led to that?

KURTIS ROURKE: I just didn't play in rhythm myself. My eyes weren't in the best spots sometimes, and it's easier to play when you're in rhythm. And I didn't help myself that way. And Notre Dame definitely has some great players and schemed well. But I feel like I hurt the offense more than they stopped us.

Q. Mike, what would you remember most about this team, this group of guys? And how should fans remember this team?

MIKE KATIC: I'm going to remember this team as the closest team that I've ever been a part of. Just a group of guys that came to work every day and left everything out there.

I'm so happy that I could have been a part of it. I'm so happy that I made the decision to come back.

And I think fans and everyone should see what we did this year. We changed the trajectory of Indiana football. We changed the way people think about Indiana football.

And I'm just so happy that I could have been a part of it. I'm so thankful to all these guys and all my teammates and coaches that we -- it's just awesome to be a part of and I'm so happy and blessed.