Inside The Hawkeyes
  • 2 years ago
Iowa players talk about loss at PSU
Transcript
00:00 go right for you guys offensively?
00:03 I think it was a summary of a lot of things.
00:05 I think a little bit--
00:09 I mean, there were some things that were out of our control
00:12 that didn't go our way.
00:13 It was tough to get some momentum.
00:17 Credits to them, they played really good defense.
00:20 But I think there were just some situations that
00:23 it was pretty unlucky, honestly.
00:25 I think there were some things that were unlucky
00:29 and it kind of took the air out of us.
00:30 But I don't see this as--
00:34 I see this as a learning experience for our team.
00:36 I can promise you that this is not a reflection of our team.
00:40 We will be better because of this,
00:42 and our offense will be better because of this, too.
00:46 Was there much trouble communicating
00:49 with all the noise coming on and all that?
00:51 No.
00:53 I thought our communication was good.
00:55 We only have-- I mean, we have, I think, one or two hiccups,
00:59 but that's OK.
01:00 We can deal with one to two hiccups.
01:04 But overall, I thought from a standpoint of us
01:11 getting to play and us running to play and us--
01:13 our communication level with one another,
01:15 I thought we did a solid job of that.
01:18 Now this is back to back games where you've played less than
01:21 half of your passes.
01:23 What do you attribute that to, and why will that get better?
01:28 I mean, it's kind of the same thing.
01:30 It's a combination of a lot of things.
01:31 I got to play better, too.
01:34 And I think there are some things that--
01:38 I mean, that completion percentage
01:40 is a summary of a lot of different things.
01:42 And tonight was a tough night from a defensive standpoint
01:47 that we were facing.
01:48 And also, there were some elements, too.
01:51 But it will get better.
01:54 I can promise you that.
01:56 I can promise you that.
01:57 [INAUDIBLE]
01:58 Why are you guys running 33 plays out of 97?
02:03 How did that discrepancy, I guess,
02:05 take you guys out of what you wanted to do?
02:07 Maybe you can give us something to play.
02:10 Yeah, it's tough.
02:11 I mean, when you run that few plays,
02:12 we got to be able to get some first downs.
02:15 And when you're running so few plays,
02:19 it's hard to get into a rhythm.
02:20 So I think that's what occurred, too.
02:23 How difficult was it when first down wasn't going so well,
02:27 and then end up in third and long situations?
02:31 I think that's just what that defense is designed to do.
02:35 They have some talented players.
02:37 And when you're in third and long,
02:41 it's difficult to block six guys when
02:43 they're bringing the pressure.
02:45 It's difficult to get the ball past the six
02:48 when they're expecting that.
02:50 So I think if we were able to move the ball a little bit
02:54 better on first and second down, I
02:55 think we could have put ourselves
02:56 in some better situations.
02:57 But we kind of played to their defense a little bit.
03:02 So I think that's why they had a lot of success on third down.
03:06 Two more questions.
03:07 You mentioned you believe this will help the offense get
03:10 better.
03:10 Do you think it will expand that?
03:13 What's your thinking behind that?
03:15 I think this team can beat that team.
03:17 I don't think this tonight is a reflection
03:20 of the offense, the defense, or the special teams.
03:22 This team is better than what we played tonight.
03:25 I believe that with my whole heart.
03:27 And I can promise you that we will be motivated
03:32 for the rest of the season.
03:33 But we have to get better after today.
03:36 And this is a tough pill to swallow.
03:39 For a lot of the guys on this team,
03:43 this is the worst feeling in the world.
03:45 I mean, I don't remember the last time
03:47 I've ever felt this bad about a game,
03:49 let alone a day in my life.
03:51 So I think it's going to be some serious motivation for us.
03:55 But I do have an extreme amount of confidence
03:57 that this team will see success this season.
04:00 How do you balance that when it was such a drastic result,
04:05 31-0, I think only two trips to Penn State territory all night?
04:09 Yeah, I mean, I think just like what I said,
04:11 I don't think we're going to come together as a team.
04:15 I mean, this was a result that I could have done better.
04:19 And then we all could have done better to help ourselves
04:21 tonight.
04:22 And I think we're going to be better because of it.
04:27 The first drive in the third quarter,
04:30 you guys are down 10-0.
04:31 You probably feel like you're kind of where you want to be.
04:34 You're close to where you want to be.
04:35 What happened in that drive that really put you guys back?
04:41 Yeah, we just tried to focus on getting off the field.
04:44 And obviously, we didn't get that done.
04:46 I mean, it really starts with some communication with myself
04:50 and making sure everybody's on the same page.
04:54 We got so many moving parts.
04:55 And it's just really up to the mic backers
04:59 to make sure that defense is on the same page.
05:03 And I mean, we were just out of space,
05:07 out of the right position.
05:09 What were you seeing out of the fourth and one?
05:11 What was working on the play from that day?
05:13 What were you seeing?
05:14 They had a lot of guys replace.
05:18 Like a lot from last year, basically the last five years,
05:23 they get in the same look.
05:25 And they can pretty much run it, half back pass it, tunnel.
05:31 They could do whatever.
05:32 So my job was to make sure we didn't give up the big one.
05:35 I mean, we're a disappointing team.
05:38 I'd rather them get the one-yard game
05:40 than the pop pass for a touchdown.
05:45 How do you bring everybody together after this?
05:48 Is it going to be tough, or is it something
05:50 that you feel like everybody is bought in
05:53 that it won't be difficult?
05:55 Yeah, it'll be easy.
05:57 I mean, I just feel like that's the culture we have.
06:00 I don't know if that comes from Coach Ferenc
06:02 or just a group of guys we have.
06:04 But I mean, the locker room will rally together.
06:08 And I mean, just being a leader on this team,
06:11 I look at those guys, and I know that they're
06:14 completely bought in.
06:15 And kind of like Joe said, I'm just
06:17 really excited to watch the tape,
06:19 because I know we'll learn from it.
06:21 I know the coaching staff do a great job of learning from it.
06:26 We'll just, across the board, players top down.
06:30 I mean, I feel like our defenses were good,
06:32 because we know how to adapt.
06:34 So now it's time to adapt and see what we can do.
06:37 And as a team, the minus four turnovers,
06:40 I know that's probably the exact opposite of what Coach Ferenc
06:44 preaches.
06:45 And how hard is that to overcome?
06:46 No, definitely.
06:47 And we try to focus on all three phases,
06:50 being a part of the team.
06:51 And sometimes that ball just doesn't
06:54 slip towards our guys.
06:56 And I mean, all we can do is continue to be around the ball.
07:03 And sometimes that ball is slipping to the right hands
07:06 eventually.
07:07 How do you feel about that competing
07:10 battle in competition from the defense
07:12 all the way through to the fourth quarter?
07:14 And did you guys kept up that intensity the way you wanted?
07:17 No, definitely.
07:18 We try to maintain a standard at all times.
07:22 And sometimes our best sometimes isn't enough.
07:30 And I feel like tonight was a situation
07:32 where I could have did a better job putting our defense
07:35 in a better situation, better situation to win.
07:40 So I mean, hats off to the way my guys competed.
07:44 It's just really just up to me to get this defense going.
07:47 What do you view your role as, like,
07:49 this leadership role of trying to keep guys together?
07:53 I mean, it's easy to keep them together
07:55 because I don't really have to tell them
07:57 that.
07:58 Guys in the locker room know that we're a team.
08:01 And when you set your--
08:03 when you wake up every day, this is all you do.
08:07 You're so invested in this.
08:08 I mean, it's easy to do everything
08:10 for the guy next to you.
08:11 So I'm not really worried about guys dividing.
08:15 I know we've got a good coach.
08:16 I know what guys are thinking in the locker room.
08:19 I know what type of team we have.
08:20 So I'm not worried.
08:21 Is that where things went wrong because it's kind of paid off
08:24 in the second half?
08:26 I thought we did a great job in the first half, like you said,
08:28 just being able to come out and put the fire out.
08:32 We knew that we needed to come out and have a good first drive,
08:35 and we weren't able to do that.
08:36 So all starts there, and that's on us.
08:40 That's not on anyone else.
08:41 We just need to be better in that aspect.
08:44 How challenging was it just to get
08:46 off the field for the third down and to be able to--
08:50 what did you see there?
08:52 I mean, give credit to Penn State.
08:54 They're a great team, very athletic, very physical.
08:58 But I mean, it's all on us again,
09:01 just being better, fundamentals, getting the play calls,
09:04 and just executing.
09:05 Is the fatigue out there for-- well,
09:08 the defense in general is out there for 97 plays.
09:12 I don't think-- we train so hard,
09:16 and we take pride in that.
09:18 And so I don't know if it's a fatigue thing,
09:20 but I just think, honestly, all together,
09:24 we just need to be better.
09:26 Joe, you mentioned a couple of things.
09:28 You guys weren't able to get off the field on the third down,
09:30 and that's a team that goes off the ground, has 33 plays,
09:33 Penn State are up 97.
09:34 How do you guys--
09:35 not a lot of things on Broadway, and how do you
09:37 kind of keep that locker room together
09:39 when there's such a big play discrepancy?
09:43 To be honest with you, we don't ever think about that.
09:45 And I'll tell you one thing.
09:47 This team will not divide.
09:49 We're going to be together the whole season.
09:52 That's something I honestly don't care about at all.
09:56 A few more questions.
09:57 You've been through these before, last year,
10:00 and when Jack kind of rallied people.
10:03 What needs to happen now, whether it's flush it
10:06 or learn from it?
10:08 What eyes forward?
10:10 How do you do that?
10:11 How do you get back on track mentally as a team?
10:14 Definitely come back and watch the tape tomorrow
10:17 and just learn from it.
10:18 That's a big thing that we're going to do tomorrow,
10:21 just come in at probably about 1 o'clock, watch a tape,
10:24 learn from it, get the guys together,
10:26 just to make sure we're staying together.
10:28 Kate said that he believed that this Iowa team
10:31 can't really beat that Penn State team.
10:32 Do you agree?
10:33 I agree.
10:36 I'm going to take my guys.
10:38 How many guys we have on the team?
10:39 120 guys against anybody.
10:41 And that's if you had her, Kate,
10:42 I know you had her good friends afterwards.
10:48 No, I mean, just we're going to stay together
10:50 and we're going to get through this together as a whole team.
10:54 Stood out to you in terms of handling that,
10:57 especially with all the flips coming?
11:00 Yeah, I think at the end of the day it's about what we did,
11:03 nothing about what they did.
11:04 I think we hurt ourselves.
11:06 You know, for me, for us, it's about our fundamentals.
11:08 So I think there's probably just a lack of those,
11:10 and we'll see it tomorrow on film.
11:11 But, you know, obviously we take pride in that,
11:14 so it's something we'll obviously work on for the next game.
11:19 What was Terp's message in the locker room,
11:21 just kind of after kind of a crazy game?
11:25 You know, I mean, I've had that experience with them,
11:27 and he's just said, "Eye straight ahead.
11:30 Just focus on the next game."
11:31 You know, obviously you want to understand what went wrong here,
11:34 but just focus on the next step.
11:37 In the middle of a performance like that,
11:40 what are you hearing from the coaches
11:41 on the sidelines and between the confessions?
11:44 Like, how are they going to keep you guys
11:46 as close in the game?
11:47 Yeah, I think the mindset never changes.
11:48 If you're down, if you're up, if you're tied,
11:50 it's just focus on the next drive.
11:51 You know, it starts with Coach Ferenc.
11:52 You know, he comes over and tells us,
11:54 you know, the eye straight ahead and everything like that.
11:56 You know, for me, Coach Barnett,
11:57 he's saying the same exact thing,
11:59 just saying, you know, just stay poised
12:00 because that's all you can do.
12:01 Just focus on the next drive.
12:02 The more you dwell about the past,
12:04 you know, the more you're not locked in
12:05 on what's happening right in front of you.
12:06 So, you know, this team, we're obviously the eye
12:08 straight ahead and everything like that.
12:10 That's what this locker room is totally about.
12:12 All right.
12:16 Was there something in the rhythm that got us
12:17 to just three and a half, three and a half, three and a half?
12:20 We're in part returning to the level
12:21 that we got back in the game.
12:23 Yeah, no, I mean, I don't blame it on them.
12:25 I think for us, offensively,
12:27 it was just about getting that first first down
12:29 and obviously just running a stretch there
12:30 where it didn't really happen.
12:33 Yeah, it is tough getting in the rhythm.
12:34 And, you know, we have goals on first down, third down,
12:36 that obviously are hard to accomplish
12:37 when, you know, you're starting off third and long
12:39 and stuff like that.
12:40 So on first down, it's just about,
12:42 you know, getting four or five yards,
12:43 just making sure we don't get to --
12:45 we get to third manageable or, you know,
12:46 a first down and a second down, so.
12:50 What was it about the running game
12:51 that made it kind of tough to slow down?
12:54 The way they were blocking or was it more the running backs?
12:58 I mean, they're a talented team.
12:59 They have good backs. They're good on the line.
13:01 I mean, they're a talented team. They made some plays.
13:03 And we got to be better with our communication
13:06 and our play as well.
13:08 They were in 97 plays offense, too.
13:11 You feel like you were out there a lot.
13:14 I mean, it felt like a normal game, really.
13:19 That's about it. It just felt like a normal game.
13:21 Had some plays that we shouldn't have made.
13:24 This is one of those games where, you know,
13:26 kind of gut check and first-team time,
13:28 all of those things you've been through before.
13:32 How do you guys keep the locker room
13:33 and keep everybody on the same page after the loss?
13:37 I mean, we have more games. We have more opportunity.
13:40 It's -- we're moving forward right now.
13:42 I mean, we got players in the locker room.
13:44 We got great leaders in the locker room.
13:46 We know we'll come back to work tomorrow.
13:48 Two more questions.
13:50 What was Kirk's message to you guys in the locker room?
13:52 Got to move forward. This game's behind us.
13:55 We got to push forward, and we got more opportunity.
13:59 Allard was really efficient early on.
14:01 What made him so difficult to stop?
14:03 What'd you say, sir? Allard? Drew Allard?
14:05 Mm-hmm.
14:06 What made him difficult to stop?
14:08 He was a good quarterback. We knew that going in.
14:10 He made some plays. That's the bottom line.
14:13 All right. Thanks, Kirk. Thank you.