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TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL: KANSAS STATE v OREGONDecember 30, 2012Ifo Ekpre-OlomuGLENDALE, ARIZONA THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Seems like you made a lot of plays in the open field. IFO EKPRE‑OLOMU: Tackling? Q. Yes. IFO EKPRE‑OLOMU: Of course. That's something that our defensive back coach emphasizes every day. You can be one of the best cover corners around, but if you're not going to tackle, you're not going to play. That's something we emphasize. Q. How tough is it to stay with your man? IFO EKPRE‑OLOMU: Well, our coach tries to tell us to be a great player you have to be able to play away from the ball, be able to play without looking at the ball. I think as long as we read our keys and we do our job, try not to do extra, then I think we'll be fine. Q. Lot has been made of Harper playing against Oregon again. Are you looking forward to that matchup? IFO EKPRE‑OLOMU: Yeah, I'm looking forward to it, just knowing he was a player that played at Oregon before. It's going to be a great challenge for me. But I'm sure I'll rise to the challenge. Q. What stands out about Dion on film? IFO EKPRE‑OLOMU: I think he weighs over 230. He's a big, physical receiver, wanting to go up and catch the ball over corners. I think we just have to be able to get to the ball and make sure that once the ball is in the air, we can come down with it. Q. The last couple of games, the defense has kind of been the pivot for the outcome, positive and negative. You've been in the thick of that. Coming into it, what do you take away from that? IFO EKPRE‑OLOMU: Well, like our coach says, our coach says every game we're going to win the game on defense. Our offense, they can put up as much points as they want. If we don't stop them, it's going to be a game every single time. I think that's what our team prides ourself on this year, is playing great defense. Unlike a lot of teams, we have to stay on the field a lot longer. We have to pride ourselves in getting stops. We have to get those third‑down stops when they're necessary, capitalize on every opportunity we get. Q. You got a pretty crucial pick in the OSU game. Can't really anticipate that kind of stuff. IFO EKPRE‑OLOMU: I feel that's one of my strengths. When a ball is up in the air, I feel like I'm able to locate the ball and make plays on it. Q. When you look back at the beginning of the season compared to where you are now, are you where you thought you would be? IFO EKPRE‑OLOMU: I always gave myself goals every day at practice, every day for games. I always knew where I could be just from last year coming into this program. I just built on that this year. Every game I felt like I was able to build more confidence. Feel like I'm at the place where I know I should be. Q. Much like two yeast ago in the national championship game, many people said it would be a shootout. Does that get to you guys? IFO EKPRE‑OLOMU: I mean, that doesn't really get to me. At the same time our offense is one of the best in the nation. So is Kansas State. They expect a shootout. The team averages 40 points. If we put them under 40, that's under their average. But that's not what we're expecting to do. Q. What are you expecting? IFO EKPRE‑OLOMU: Me personally, we just want to be the type of team in defense that we know we can be. We have great players on defense. We're able to play against any offense in the country. I think that we should be able to make a lot of plays and help our offense. Q. You played really well for your very few years. How much has Coach Neal helped you in that position? IFO EKPRE‑OLOMU: I think Coach Neal has helped me immensely. He's the type of coach that brings out the best in every player. He's not satisfied with anything but your best. He's going to bring that out every single day at practice. If you're not going to bring that out at practice, you're going to sit on the bench. That's the type of coach he is. That's why our defensive backs in the last couple years have been so successful. Q.  What do you attribute defense, six forced fumbles? How much do you preach strips? IFO EKPRE‑OLOMU: We work on strips at least twice a week as a drill. That really helps us. Open‑field tackling, just tackling, I think I was able to just make plays on the ball because my helmet was able to hit the ball. I think that all is working on tackling fundamentals. Q. Coach was talking about the country and city approach. Is that a good way to teach? IFO EKPRE‑OLOMU: I mean, kind of (laughter). It's a funny little saying. It's always all right. Q. How key have the turnovers been for this team? IFO EKPRE‑OLOMU: I mean, that's what I think CoachAliotti prides himself on, creating turnovers, capitalizing when the ball is in the air. We work on those types of things every single day. It's almost a second nature now. Q. Is it more difficult playing a team who is throwing a ball down the field constantly or a team like K State that is setting up? IFO EKPRE‑OLOMU: I think it's more difficult playing a team that doesn't throw the ball downfield every day. A team that plays air raid, you're expecting it. A team that's able to balance their offense, it's harder, because you're not expecting to break on deeper routes. It's a lot different. Q. Have to maintain your focus, not get lulled into sleep? IFO EKPRE‑OLOMU: Yeah, because a receiver can come off the ball really lazy five, six times in a row. Then all of a sudden, you're going to fall asleep and they go deep on you. That's something you have to keep your focus on every single play in the game and you'll be fine. Q. They don't have the biggest receivers. How is it defending the smaller guys? IFO EKPRE‑OLOMU: A lot different defending bigger receivers that are 6'4". These small receivers want to beat you off the line and get open in space, while the bigger receivers want to beat you at the end of the route. It all comes down to technique and fundamentals, I think. Q. Such a contrast between the two offenses. A real contrast. IFO EKPRE‑OLOMU: Almost exactly the opposite. At the same time they both are great offenses. It's going to be ‑ I can't think of the word ‑ weird to see how the game starts out, how it goes. I think it's going to be a great game. Q. A matter of which team can control the tempo. How big will the tempo be? IFO EKPRE‑OLOMU: A lot of teams, every team you play, they want to try to control the tempo. I think when you worry about controlling the clock too much, you kind of lose your focus on offense rather than controlling the clock and trying to get downs. I think creating plays, big plays, is sometimes a better thing to do. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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