IAFB Offense 101023
Iowa offensive players 10-10-23
Transcript
00:00 Have you had much communication with them?
00:03 Yeah, a little bit. We text here and there. We've been texting throughout the season, mainly with Kerry.
00:07 He was my best friend. We were very close.
00:10 This week it's been a little, you know, excited to see you guys, but I've been trying to focus on my team here
00:16 and what we need to do to prepare.
00:18 How do you approach this mentally? I'm sure you've answered some of these questions.
00:21 Yeah, I think the biggest thing for me is don't make it too big, but also don't make it any less than it is.
00:27 Obviously it's a Big Ten West game. Respect the game for what it is, but don't make it any bigger than it has to be.
00:33 But obviously don't take away from what it is.
00:36 You've seen the rivalry from both sides. Is it equally intense from both sides?
00:42 Yeah, I think it's equally intense. There's a lot of respect between each program.
00:45 Long-standing rivalry. Very two gritty organizations, or programs, I should say.
00:52 So yeah, I think it's intense, but there's a lot of respect between the two.
00:55 Do you see a lot of similarities to approach, mindset, things like that with both of these programs in terms of physical football?
01:01 I think everything's kind of similar when you're going to a rivalry or a trophy game.
01:06 But yeah, the intensity's definitely there.
01:09 You referenced footwork from last week, things that you're trying to clean up going into this week.
01:14 Anything else stick out from the film immediately that you're really focusing on going into this game?
01:19 I think the biggest thing was footwork, because your footwork ties into your throws.
01:23 If you're too much open, then your ball's going to sail on you a little.
01:26 If you're too close, it's not going to get there.
01:28 So I think footwork ties to an umbrella of your throwing, your ball placement, and all that.
01:34 If you have the kind of arm you do, how hard is it to take something off it, like a touch pass or a shorter pass?
01:40 I think it's just don't overthink it. Just put it in a spot that's catchable for the receiver.
01:45 Help him out.
01:47 Because location and catching it's a two-sided street, I've got to give them a chance.
01:53 If they help me out a little, I'll help them out a little.
01:57 So yeah, I think it's just don't overthink it. Just get the guys involved.
02:02 Does it feel like you're going home in a way, or does it not feel like that?
02:06 Kind of.
02:07 You're there a year and a half, probably, right?
02:08 Yeah. I mean, I wasn't there for super long.
02:12 I guess it's just going to a place that's familiar to me.
02:16 In a stadium, though, you have to probably feel like that's comforting for your first road start that you've been there.
02:21 Yeah. We practiced in Camp Randall when I was there.
02:25 Obviously, it's going to be a little bit different setting.
02:28 But yeah, I'm excited to be there.
02:30 How do you guys get better at third downs? It's been a trouble spot for you guys in big 10.
02:33 Yeah, I think it's just executing.
02:36 It's down to execution, giving the guys the ball, getting them the ball, catching, blocking, all that stuff.
02:42 It ties together. But I think execution is just a big thing.
02:44 Do you expect the fans to cheer for you when you're out there, or do you think it's going to go the other way?
02:50 I have no idea, and I'm honestly not too worried about what the fans are thinking.
02:54 The only people's opinion is that I admire Tamir and his building.
02:57 Any favorite memories from your time at Wisconsin?
03:01 Probably just hanging out with the guys.
03:04 During fall camp, me and Karen would watch a movie every Tuesday night or something.
03:09 Probably just spending the time with the guys.
03:11 Favorite movie that you've seen together?
03:14 There were so many. We had a big argument about the Cars movies, which one was our favorite.
03:20 He said two, which is completely false.
03:24 Those are just the funny ones.
03:27 Yours is one, right?
03:29 Oh yeah, the original. Nothing beats the original.
03:31 Three wasn't bad. It was nostalgic, but two was not my favorite.
03:35 How much carryover is there from the coaching staff?
03:41 I think there's a decent amount of what they do.
03:45 Coach Leonard had the number one run of defense in the country last year, so I think he takes some of that.
03:52 But they're also going to run their stuff that they've been running for a while, down in Cincinnati.
03:57 I think it's a little bit of both.
04:00 People are going to want to know why you left, so what's your explanation on that?
04:04 After Coach Chris left, a little bit before that, I felt that it had nothing to do with the program.
04:11 I love that program to death. It was a big part of my life for a long time.
04:15 It just felt like I was outgrowing the place, both in life and just in football.
04:20 So I felt that I just needed a fresh start somewhere else.
04:24 There's no animosity towards Wisconsin football at all.
04:27 I love those guys. I love that talent. I love that program.
04:30 Is there some comfort going back there on Saturday?
04:33 I think somewhat. Obviously, you're going into enemy territory.
04:37 But I think there's a little bit, just seeing some familiar faces, some familiar sights.
04:42 What did you think when you looked at the film again?
04:45 Probably a couple of times after Saturday.
04:48 Did you feel like you made some good throws, or did you look at everything objectively and pessimistically?
04:56 Yeah, I think there's a lot of watching it with a critical eye
05:00 and really owning up to what you did well.
05:03 I think there was good, there was bad. There was both sides to it.
05:06 I think it's taking the bad and learning from it, but also taking that good and helping it build your confidence forward.
05:12 But yeah, obviously there's a lot to learn from that game.
05:15 But yeah, there was good and bad.
05:18 What was the process like after you entered the portal?
05:21 Did I hear right that you were training just at the University Rec Center during that process?
05:26 Yeah, so I trained, I lifted probably in the mornings, or late at night.
05:32 Depending on when there was not a lot of people around, that's when I would go.
05:35 Just so I could get all my sets in.
05:38 My trainer back home would send me to work out, so I'd go work out at the Rec.
05:41 I lived like a block away, so I'd walk down there.
05:44 And then Marcus Allen entered the portal a little bit later, with Stephon Gracie.
05:48 And so we'd go throw at the end of middle fields just to get some routes going in.
05:53 What was that process like, going from the really nice football facilities to just there with any other student?
05:59 Yeah, I mean, the NIC, that's what we called it, the Nicholas Center.
06:03 It was great, it was state of the art.
06:06 It's a great place, the basketball courts, all that stuff.
06:09 There's a door track.
06:10 And so, I mean, the materials were basically the same.
06:13 It was nice, it was just finding a rack that was open, stuff like that.
06:17 But I wouldn't really start my workouts until I knew that I'd be able to get through a hole.
06:21 There was so much talk in the offseason about all the changes coming to Wisconsin and everything, Air Raid and all that.
06:28 But do you see that much difference from them, at least in the defensive side?
06:31 I mean, trusts more or less aren't--
06:33 Yeah, I think there's some change that they brought, but I think there's also a decent amount of the same.
06:38 Coach Leonard and all of them recruited their guys in, so then they're great players.
06:42 And so I think you've got to play to both their strengths, like their players' strengths and your own strengths.
06:46 And so I think they're doing a little bit of both.
06:48 It's a new regime for them.
06:50 On film, what have you seen them change from your standpoint?
06:54 Yeah, obviously Coach Fickle did a great job at Cincinnati.
06:57 He came over there, and they've done a great job so far.
07:00 So offensively and defensively, they're a little bit different, but they're still a good physical football team.
07:05 Coach Ferentz brought that up.
07:07 On film, we've seen that they're definitely a three-down team.
07:10 They have a couple other guys that play outside backer and stuff like that, and they definitely can go to four-down too.
07:14 We think they haven't faced a bigger team or maybe a team that goes as many tight end and full back as we do up to this point.
07:21 But we're sure they're going to be ready for it.
07:24 We're just expecting a couple different looks.
07:26 I'm sure there will be a new wrinkle just like every week with every team, but it's about us and what we execute out there.
07:31 So what happened with the lateral that it was supposed to go to?
07:34 It looked like you were gearing up for a catch there.
07:37 Yeah, the play call came in, and I definitely--my stomach just dropped as I was going wide.
07:42 I was like, "Oh, my gosh, oh, my gosh."
07:44 I just got out there, and Ellsbury had worked on it during the week, and I had worked on it a little bit in the hotel and stuff.
07:50 So just out there, just worried about getting behind them was the biggest thing, so it was an actual legal test.
07:56 I think I kind of was, and they blew it dead, I'm pretty sure, but it might have been a live ball or something.
08:01 But, yeah, I told Deke I could have just shot put the thing over.
08:05 I think he just had to put a little more air.
08:07 But I'm sure everyone's going to be scouting for it now, so we'll have to bring it back somewhere down the road.
08:11 Maybe I'll be here, maybe I won't.
08:13 It was definitely something exciting we were talking about all week, but, you know, stinks we couldn't get it done.
08:18 But we had a couple plans for celebrations if we did.
08:21 Was that supposed to be a pass? Were you going to throw it then, too?
08:24 No, no, no, no. I was just telling him that he could have just shot put it in.
08:29 Literally just throw it up, throw it a little bit higher.
08:32 That was my guy that I let go, so it was kind of give and take on that one.
08:37 You think he would have got in? It looked like he had some blockers lined up.
08:39 No, we saw on the field there was no one out there.
08:41 So definitely I had an entourage of Russey and Logan and Connor that were all ready to do whatever it takes to get in.
08:48 You even want the bad wheel you would have made?
08:50 Oh, yeah, no, I had no doubt the Adrenaline would have kicked in, right?
08:53 I just had to make sure the only thing I had to do was just catch the ball, right?
08:56 And you could score.
08:57 How are you doing?
08:59 I'm good, how are you?
09:00 Good, how are classes going?
09:01 It's going good. Still passing all of them, so it's good.
09:03 Glad to hear it. How are you enjoying the weather?
09:06 It's great. I love it cooling down a little bit.
09:09 Starting to become fat boy weather.
09:12 You were battling some injuries the last few weeks. How are you feeling right now?
09:17 I'm feeling good. Just doing what I can every day to get back for the guys.
09:22 How do you enjoy the scheme, the kind of alterations to where you guys are on so much more counter?
09:29 And it kind of gives you a free shot sometimes in the guy as opposed to trying to hit an 8-pointer.
09:36 I mean, it's fun. Just being able to seal our gap and tee off on people.
09:40 I mean, that's always enjoyable, but at the same time we're also getting after people in the inside zone game too.
09:45 So, it's just finding that balance. I think we're doing a good job of that.
09:50 I want to say on Caleb Johnson's touchdown, not only did you seal your guy, but you kind of sealed off another guy too.
09:56 I mean, kind of taking it for your advantage.
09:59 So, originally I was supposed to be working with Logan to that frontside backer.
10:05 But I kind of reached out at the guy, the nose shifted over.
10:10 And from that point, it's just a one-step check. I just go in and go behind.
10:13 Just try to cut the defense somewhere.
10:16 I was just trying to do my job and it worked out pretty well.
10:19 That looked to be as well-blocked as any play I've seen in a long time for you guys.
10:23 Logan got his guy out past the hash marks.
10:27 Rusty got his guy in front of the goal.
10:30 What's that like?
10:34 I think it's just...
10:38 What's the word?
10:40 It's just a play where it all came together.
10:42 What we do every day.
10:44 Just focusing on us and just trying to get better at what we do.
10:47 You guys saw it on Saturday more than a couple times.
10:50 It just shows that the way we were putting it is slowly starting to see the payoff.
10:56 What's it like having Caleb back?
11:00 His talent seems pretty... he's up there.
11:03 Yeah, he's a great player.
11:05 But at the same time, all the running backs, they can run the ball just as well as him.
11:09 As long as we give them holes to run through, they're going to be successful.
11:12 We've got a lot of running backs back there.
11:15 It's a challenge going up against those kinds of defenses.
11:18 It's a different look than you've seen in the past.
11:20 A lot of it's kind of the same.
11:22 We still run the same kind of Okie defense.
11:24 Obviously physical up front like always, so we've just got to be executing
11:29 and get our stuff done so we can get the running backs the holes that they're looking for.