Louisville HC Jeff Brohm Recaps Murray State, Previews Indiana (9/11/23)
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00:00 >> Well, I think our guys are excited to play a very competitive football game
00:05 coming up this week against Indiana.
00:08 I think Indiana's playing good football, Coach Allen's done a good job.
00:11 Definitely played tough on defense, that's always been a strength of theirs.
00:17 That Ohio State, probably one of their most unproductive days in a long time.
00:22 So they're playing really good right now.
00:26 On defense, offensively, they found two quarterbacks that they liked.
00:29 They've got a dynamic playmaker in the backfield.
00:31 So we're gonna have our hands full.
00:34 We've gotta play good football, have a good week of practice, and
00:37 get ourselves ready to go.
00:38 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:45 >> Yeah, Jeff, unless something changes in the next hour when Allen talks,
00:49 they haven't announced the starting quarterback yet.
00:51 What differences do you see between Soar's being Jackson?
00:55 And is it any more difficult to prepare a 14 when you don't know which guy's gonna
00:58 be the quarterback?
01:00 >> Well, I think they've done a good job getting both guys ready to play.
01:04 Jackson, we recruited at Purdue, very talented quarterback, can throw and run.
01:08 The other quarterback is a good athlete as well.
01:12 I think the dynamic back they have in the backfield is very fast and elusive.
01:18 They've been able to mix in some option concepts as well as their normal
01:25 running and passing offense, so it makes you defend a lot of different elements.
01:28 Every year we've played on you in the past,
01:33 it's been a very tight football game, and it goes down to the wire.
01:37 So I just think it makes you prepare for
01:40 a lot of different things that they can throw at you.
01:42 >> Yeah, Jeff, you kind of hit the point there.
01:45 In that game against Ohio State, the D-backs were really strong against one
01:48 of the better wide receivers in the entire country.
01:51 What stood out to you about that, and
01:52 what are some of the challenges you guys are gonna have to throw the ball this week?
01:55 >> Well, Indiana's always done a really good job on defense, and
01:59 they've had some really good years.
02:01 They've played at a high level, put up good statistics.
02:04 They've come at you a lot of different ways, and
02:08 given you a lot of different looks, and clips from a lot of different areas.
02:12 And I think when they're able to balance that with a productive offense,
02:18 they can be dangerous.
02:19 I think so far, they have talent on the offensive side of the ball as well.
02:24 And so it's made them play some really good football to this point.
02:29 So our team needs to know that we've got to play and
02:34 execute at a high level in order to win.
02:36 >> Jeff, you said after the game last week that you wanted to see Jack throw with
02:41 more conviction.
02:42 It doesn't seem to me like he's throwing it in the wrong places.
02:45 How do you get a guy to make the right throws with more conviction?
02:48 >> Well, I thought Jack made improvement from week one to week two.
02:51 I thought he had a tremendous week of practice.
02:53 We worked on a lot of small things that I think helped him.
02:57 As you look back on this game, between a few coaching errors and
03:03 things that we can get cleaned up, and continuing to work on just
03:08 throwing on time and driving the football and trusting what he sees.
03:12 That's what we gotta do.
03:14 I just think that we've shown the ability that we can run the football.
03:19 We have good running backs.
03:20 We have a couple of weapons that we like on offense and
03:23 some others that are continuing to improve.
03:25 He's gotta be the leader and the general of it.
03:27 And we need him to be efficient and to play with conviction and
03:31 to play with confidence and trust what he sees and drive the football in there.
03:37 So we'll work again specifically on a couple of things this year to make sure
03:41 that we're continuing to improve there.
03:42 But he's a great kid.
03:44 He works really hard.
03:45 He wants to do well.
03:46 We just gotta put as much pressure on him in practice to make all these throws
03:51 on time, stand in there, keep his feet on balance,
03:58 and carry that over the game.
04:01 >> Jeff, a little more on Indiana.
04:04 Not being from Indiana, when you were at Purdue,
04:06 how long did it take you to get into that rivalry?
04:09 Do you still feel it?
04:10 And then third, would you like to continue to play them?
04:14 There's been a lot of talk that they wanna cancel the series.
04:18 >> Well, I think for our fans' sake,
04:21 anytime you can play some in-state rivalries and some true rivalries regionally,
04:28 it's always great to play.
04:30 It's great for the fan base.
04:31 They wanna see it.
04:32 They're gonna come down and watch and support it.
04:34 Sometimes there are players that know each other as well.
04:36 So I'm all for any type of regional rivalry.
04:40 We can continue to keep and even add to the mix.
04:44 I think it's great for our fans and for our team.
04:47 As far as being at Purdue in the rivalry, yes, you notice it right away.
04:53 The fans are into it.
04:54 It means something to them.
04:56 I know it's the last game of the year, but people look forward to it and
05:00 they want their team to win.
05:01 So I think that us being right down the road, it's very similar.
05:08 And I know we haven't played a lot in the past, but
05:12 you know what, they're a really good Big Ten football team that plays good football.
05:18 I know our fans will wanna go up there and watch the game.
05:22 >> Any carryover for you coming here?
05:25 >> Well, I think I have a lot of respect for Indiana, Coach Allen and
05:29 the football team.
05:30 You gotta put the work in.
05:34 You gotta coach in order to win at a high level in the Big Ten,
05:39 Indiana and Purdue, I understand that.
05:42 Coach Allen loves the game.
05:43 He has great passion for his players.
05:46 And we've gotta go up there and win the football game.
05:50 Nothing will be handed to us.
05:52 It'll be a tough contest.
05:53 They play great competition every year, so they're always battle tested.
06:00 And when you get them at the beginning of the year, they're gonna be fresh and
06:03 have a lot of guys healthy, ready to go.
06:04 So when you watch the video and turn it on,
06:08 they've played very well through two games.
06:10 And we're gonna have to step up our level of play.
06:13 >> Jeff, on defense, the safety position has been one.
06:17 We've talked about being short on guys since MJ and D'Angelo got hurt.
06:22 What did you see out of those guys in the first two games?
06:25 Any update on Minkins?
06:26 And I guess Devin, he was one of the first transfers you got.
06:30 He really stepped up big the other night, the first half.
06:33 >> Well, yes, we have been hit there to a certain degree.
06:36 I think Devin Neal plays extremely hard.
06:39 He can tackle.
06:40 He's played a lot of football in the past.
06:42 He'll give us everything he's got.
06:45 I think Cam, Kelly did some really good things.
06:52 There was a couple times we'd like for him to trigger faster on certain calls we
06:56 have, so we gotta continue to work through that.
06:57 He had a great week of practice last week.
07:00 Anytime you learn a new system, it takes a little bit of a while to get going, and
07:03 he didn't get here until after the spring.
07:06 So he's gotta continue to speed up that process.
07:09 When it comes to Josh, we're continuing to try to progress him.
07:13 Whether he's ready for the game or not is still too early to tell.
07:16 >> Jeff, just kinda looking back,
07:18 I think you only lost one time against Indiana while you were at Purdue.
07:22 I guess, what would you say has been the cause of that success?
07:25 Or how were you able to win those games?
07:27 And what do you kind of, I guess, see in terms of translating that over here to
07:31 a little more?
07:31 >> Well, that's a rivalry game, and it was always the last game of the year.
07:36 So you gotta try to get to that game as healthy as you can, and
07:40 you gotta hope that there's something riding on that game.
07:43 Even more so than the rivalry, but a bowl game, which was the case multiple times.
07:49 What type of bowl game was the case a few times as well.
07:53 So, and then last year, the Big Ten Championship game,
07:58 what's riding on whether we won that game.
08:00 So I just think that you prepare that way, or we're used to that game being a lot.
08:06 And this year, that game's gonna mean a lot.
08:08 This is a great non-conference opponent for us that plays good football, and
08:14 it's up in their neck of the woods.
08:16 And so it's an away game for us, which is always a tough one to go on the road.
08:22 We didn't play as good as I would like the last time we went on the road, so
08:26 we need to improve in that area.
08:27 So it'll be a competitive football game that our guys need to understand that.
08:35 We better be preparing hard and well this week.
08:38 Otherwise, it'll be a long Saturday for us.
08:41 >> And when you look at just the conference so far this season,
08:44 you had Miami A&M, LSU, Florida State, just the success of the ACC so far.
08:51 How important is this weekend in kind of keeping that trend along and
08:54 keeping the ACC kind of in that national conversation?
08:57 >> Well, I think everyone can see that there are a lot of really good ACC
09:01 football teams, certain teams that really stood out and
09:03 played at a high level for two weeks.
09:06 Of course, you always wanna represent your conference as well as you can.
09:09 And when you play a Big Ten opponent, it's important to try to win the game.
09:14 So we will prepare that way.
09:17 And I think our guys understand that there's a lot of work to be done,
09:24 a lot of preparation to be done.
09:27 And if they wanna win, we're gonna have to play good for
09:30 four quarters and not just for two.
09:32 >> Jeff, on that bet on Maurice Turner, how's he feeling as well as Keywon Brown?
09:37 Did he show you some things that might put him a little bit more into the rotation
09:40 as well in the back foot?
09:41 >> Well, Maurice probably could have played if we wanted.
09:45 We wanted to get a little more healthy with his injury.
09:48 So I do think he should be ready to go this week,
09:52 which is important to be able to utilize him.
09:54 Keywon is a young running back that really has shown us those same things in
10:01 camp that you saw in the game.
10:03 He'll run physical, he'll run downhill, he'll run hard.
10:05 And I just think that he gives us depth.
10:10 We'll see about how much he plays in the future, but he'll be ready to go.
10:15 And to this point, I've liked our running back room,
10:19 we gotta continue to make sure that they get the ball.
10:21 >> Jeff, kind of piggybacking off of that a little bit,
10:24 because of Maurice not playing, Isaac got more opportunities.
10:27 He seemed like he runs with bad intentions.
10:29 How much do you, with a home run hitter like Jouar and
10:33 then a couple of those other guys, does that give you options as a play caller?
10:38 >> Well, it for sure does.
10:38 I mean, really, it's nothing more as a play caller than who are our best
10:44 playmakers and let's make sure they get the touches.
10:46 And if that's running backs, tight end, receivers, they gotta get the touches.
10:49 And if we're any good coaches at all, that's the simplistic way of doing it,
10:53 it's just making sure the ball hits their hands.
10:55 So I think Jouar is definitely a split display of playmaking ability.
11:00 Isaac runs hard, he has good hands,
11:03 he lowers pads and try to run people over.
11:07 And then Maurice is a good player as well,
11:10 kinda has a little bit of both those skills.
11:12 And so getting them in the game is critical and
11:17 making sure that we're aware of who's in there, what they do well.
11:21 And like I said, when the game's over,
11:23 their hands need to be on the ball so many times.
11:25 Otherwise, we've not done a good job as a coach.
11:28 >> Jeff, when you're playing a school and
11:31 a coach that you've played a number of times before,
11:33 how much do you rely on past tendencies versus what you see on film for this year?
11:40 >> Well, we have a lot of video of us actually playing against Indiana and
11:45 what they like to do.
11:46 Some of the things are similar, some of the things they've adapted and changed.
11:51 Like I said, I think at this point, they're playing good football.
11:55 They've always been really good on defense.
11:57 They've shown that by how they held Ohio State to one of its lowest
12:03 point totals in a long time.
12:05 And now they have legitimate weapons on offense and
12:07 both quarterbacks have the ability to play, which makes that dangerous.
12:10 And a couple of productive receivers that we recruited at Purdue,
12:15 they're doing a good job.
12:16 And then a dynamic back in the backfield that's always tough when you got somebody
12:20 that quick and fast.
12:22 And we'll have to make sure we contain him and get him to the ground.
12:26 Because he's definitely proven that he has playmaking skills on offense and
12:31 special teams.
12:32 >> Yeah, Jeff, after two games,
12:35 are there any things about your team that surprised you in a good way?
12:39 And are there any things in particular you've been concerned about?
12:41 >> Well, we tried to correct things from week one,
12:46 which I think we made some progress there, obviously.
12:50 Now the competition heats up and we'll see exactly what we're made of.
12:55 So defensively, getting lined up and
13:00 getting set, letting our guys play.
13:02 It sounds simple, but we have to make sure we get that done.
13:07 Finding ways to get after the quarterback and pressure the quarterback more is
13:12 important that we find ways to get that done.
13:14 And creating some turnovers I think will be critical,
13:19 just making sure we figure that out.
13:22 Offensively, I think it's just trying to be as efficient as we can,
13:27 eliminate some silly penalties that we had.
13:31 When we have the opportunity for big plays, we gotta hit them.
13:33 So I think we need to continue to work through that.
13:38 Because as we play the teams coming up on our schedule,
13:42 you have to hit those plays when they're there.
13:44 So I just think working through that, we've been pretty steady on special teams,
13:50 at least gaining a slight edge each week.
13:53 So if we can create a couple of huge plays there, it would be beneficial.
13:57 But if not, at least being consistent and
14:00 getting a slight edge will be vital to success.
14:03 I just think all three components matter.
14:05 We continue to look in the mirror and try to fix some problems we've had as coaches
14:12 the first couple weeks and put the best plan together to get ready for this game.
14:17 >> Jeff, you mentioned how critical it is to get the running backs involved.
14:23 Through the first two games,
14:24 you've actually ran the ball a lot more than you guys have passed it.
14:27 So far, is that something you expected heading into this season,
14:31 granted how much your offensive scheme relies on passing the ball?
14:34 >> Well, I've learned over the years that in order to win on a high level,
14:40 you need to be able to do both.
14:41 Now, some games will dictate what you have to do more of and
14:46 what you don't have to use more of.
14:48 But you have to at some point be able to do both.
14:50 You'll have games where whatever happens, you're not winning and
14:53 you're behind, you're gonna have to throw the ball.
14:55 So you have to be able to throw the ball at some point.
14:58 You can't just always play from in front.
15:00 That's a great advantage if you can, but you have to be able to throw the ball.
15:04 At the same time, you have to be able to run the ball.
15:08 There are numerous ways people can play coverage, drop guys, extra guys in
15:13 coverage and force you to run the ball.
15:14 You have to be able to run the ball at certain times.
15:16 Third and short, go line.
15:18 When you have a lead, you have to be able to run the ball.
15:21 So I just think you have to be able to do both and
15:25 that's what the great teams can do.
15:28 So who are our playmakers will dictate whether we throw more or run it more.
15:34 And then of course, for example, the second half of Georgia Tech,
15:38 we wanted to come out and run the ball more.
15:40 We were not as efficient passing the ball.
15:45 We wanted to kind of rely on that to kind of get us back in rhythm and
15:50 I think that helped us.
15:51 So I just think you have to work on both and
15:53 be good at both if you want to win at a high level.
15:55 >> Let's say, I guess going to be like playing in two neutral locations in
16:00 NFL stadiums in the first three weeks and being at Lucas Oil,
16:03 would it be kind of closer to the level and more easier for fans to get there?
16:07 >> Well, I think it's a great venue.
16:09 I've been fortunate to play in there.
16:11 I think our fans would love it.
16:13 It's comfortable, it's convenient.
16:15 There's not a bad seat in there.
16:18 So I think that's always great to do.
16:20 I think our players who haven't been in there will enjoy playing in such
16:23 a great dome.
16:25 I mean, the national championship game was played there a couple years ago.
16:27 The Big Ten championship game, actually, I've been to both.
16:30 It had an even bigger crowd.
16:31 So they can pack it in there.
16:34 And of course, the Colts play there every home game as well.
16:38 So it's an easy drive.
16:40 It's early in the season.
16:41 There's a lot riding on this game.
16:43 It's important that we try to find a way to win.
16:47 And they can carry over and continue momentum.
16:50 But we'll definitely have to play really good football.
16:54 And if you take one ounce of anything for granted in this game,
16:58 you will get beat.
16:59 So our players need to understand that this week.
17:02 Because sometimes when you win a game by that score,
17:06 you start to relax just this much.
17:09 Or you start to listen to somebody patch on the back.
17:12 And when you do that, the other team's getting hit.
17:14 And it's gonna cost you the game.
17:15 So we gotta be very cautious that we work extremely hard this week.
17:19 >> Jeff, a big picture kind of thing, when you look at a season, and
17:24 obviously injuries happen, do you have an idea of the guys you're gonna red shirt?
17:29 Or is that something that you change as you go along?
17:31 Some coaches know, some coaches kinda let it play out.
17:34 How do you and your staff do that with some of the young guys?
17:38 >> Well, we always wanna prepare to win, win now.
17:41 And the next game is always the only game we're concerned about.
17:45 With that said, as we prepare and get our freshmen ready to play,
17:51 we will always get them ready to play.
17:53 Now, we're not gonna throw them in there for one play or two,
17:57 just to waste plays.
17:59 But you know what?
18:02 We're gonna get them ready to play.
18:03 So if they can help us win, or help us on special teams, we will utilize that.
18:08 I think now with the four game limit, yes,
18:12 we're conscious of who's going in and who's not.
18:15 And making sure when they do go in, is it gonna be meaningful snaps, or
18:18 is it just one or two snaps?
18:20 So we try to do the best job we can to protect someone's red shirt, but
18:26 at the same time, the priority is winning the football game, and can they help us win?
18:31 So that takes some thought and takes some mapping out.
18:35 In the past, we've done a pretty decent job of doing that correctly,
18:41 even though mistakes have been made.
18:43 And you try to get to the last half of the season with some guys that
18:47 do have four games left, and maybe they're farther along.
18:51 Maybe now you can get them in the mix at least a little bit.
18:55 But in the meantime, if guys are ready to play,
18:59 we will put them in the game right now.
19:00 >> All right.
19:03 [BLANK_AUDIO]