Iowa DC Interview
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00:00 Well, thanks, guys, for being here.
00:02 I know we can't be, you know, guys,
00:04 at the office, but everybody that's in here
00:07 on the Zoom call, the way the world's going.
00:09 Just a little bit about where we're at.
00:12 You know, obviously, we're 3-1.
00:13 We're not very happy with the last week's game.
00:19 Obviously, we had a lot of opportunities
00:20 to get off the field on third down, which we didn't do.
00:23 Need to improve on that.
00:25 Need to get off the field.
00:26 Them long drives really hurt, and some fourth and ones got us.
00:29 But I think overall, our guys have been positive.
00:33 We're looking forward to this game against Michigan State,
00:35 which is a very talented team.
00:37 And it'll be interesting.
00:39 They're coming off, you know, a loss, too.
00:41 And so, it sees how everybody responds to the way,
00:46 you know, you get a little bit of diversity.
00:48 And as far as, you know, how can you get back
00:52 on your feet and get going?
00:53 And I think our guys did a great job this week
00:55 of just going back to work and can't do anything
00:57 about the last game.
00:58 We got to move forward to this game.
01:00 Three weeks from Wednesday, we got, what,
01:02 three days already in the prep,
01:04 and we're basically done with all our installs.
01:07 So, everybody knows the game plan.
01:08 It gives an opportunity to rest a little bit.
01:10 It was a long trip back,
01:11 and I think everybody seems to be fresh right now.
01:16 I'll open it up.
01:18 -Coach, your first question is from Tom Caker.
01:22 -Hey, Phil. Good to see you.
01:25 Wanted to ask about turnovers so far.
01:28 Down from where you guys have been,
01:30 how do you start to generate more of those moving forward?
01:34 -Well, I think there's a lot of things to do with that.
01:36 Sometimes, you know, you get lucky.
01:38 The last couple of years, we've been in good spots
01:40 and letting it happen and more experienced guys
01:43 and knowing exactly what they're doing.
01:45 I think when you go back and a little bit of,
01:49 "Hey, you're trying to keep on pressing
01:51 and trying to make the plays like you think you have,"
01:54 and all's we're just asking to do is go ahead
01:56 and play your position, get lined up,
01:58 and I think play faster,
01:59 which would kind of simplify the game plan,
02:02 and that makes them a lot easier to think
02:04 and a lot easier to play and react.
02:06 So, you know, obviously, we're down.
02:07 We're not where we have been, but, you know,
02:10 that's the way football goes.
02:11 Sometimes you get them, sometimes you don't.
02:13 Obviously, that's -- you know, we keep on coaching
02:16 and looking for that, but, you know,
02:18 they'll come to you when they come,
02:19 and sometimes you get them at different times.
02:22 -All right, Coach, next question is from Chad Lystico.
02:26 -Hey, good morning, Phil.
02:27 You mentioned the long drives in your opening statement.
02:31 Do you feel like there's a conversation to be had
02:35 about being more aggressive,
02:36 maybe to try to get off the field quicker
02:38 to get your guys, you know, to avoid those 13, 15 play drives?
02:43 -Oh, yeah, obviously, we had them in a couple last week,
02:46 a third and seven, a third and eight,
02:48 and, you know, it's just a little bit here.
02:50 Everybody's, you know, when they're working hard at it,
02:52 which I thought were a good thing,
02:55 you got to execute, and it's hard.
02:56 They did a better job than we did on third down,
02:58 so I think there's some times that we had them behind,
03:02 you know, third and six, third and seven,
03:04 third and eight, that's pretty good.
03:05 It's not like they had any explosive plays on us,
03:07 that they were running the ball real well
03:09 or they were getting it just a little bit at a time.
03:12 They were just picking away at us
03:14 and, you know, finally caught up to us in these long drives,
03:17 but, you know, I think you got to make sure you call the game
03:21 as when you got the feel of the game and where you're at
03:23 and what your kids can execute,
03:25 and I think our guys are, you know,
03:28 they're all looking forward to improving what they have.
03:30 I mean, we're 63, 64.
03:31 I don't know exactly what percent.
03:32 Our goal is 68.
03:35 You know, you'd like to be 70.
03:36 If you're 70, you're doing real well, you know, so,
03:39 but you just got to keep working on it.
03:41 You can't, you got to get a little bit better
03:43 on everybody's fundamentals.
03:44 You know, I, you know, a lot of times I discipline is big
03:48 and, you know, and they're a good football team,
03:50 so, you know, this week is a little bit different story
03:53 as far as, you know, now we're at home.
03:55 Now you got to be focused a little bit more
03:56 and how do you handle the loss and how do you move forward?
04:00 And I think our guys have really done a great job
04:03 the last three days here.
04:04 So I'm looking for, you know, a good finish on Friday
04:07 and then, you know, Saturday, another day waiting,
04:11 almost another day to get ready to play at night again.
04:14 - Next question is from Sky Dockterman.
04:19 - Yeah, Phil, I know that disruption is paramount up front.
04:22 In passing situations, sacks are kind of one B
04:25 out of that scenario.
04:27 What do you think about your disruption in the passing game
04:29 from your past rushers
04:32 and is it getting there enough for you right now?
04:37 - Well, I think there's a lot of things that make it.
04:40 I mean, I think there's a lot of guys
04:42 are getting it out.
04:42 They understand who we are
04:44 and they're doing little things to try to maybe
04:47 help themself out, execute when you're playing
04:50 and getting the ball out a little quicker.
04:52 Sometimes you don't have time to get there.
04:53 So there's, you got to play well in coverage instead of,
04:56 you know, if you can't get there in time enough
04:59 when they're trying to get the ball off that fast,
05:01 then you got to use your coverage and make sure you get it.
05:05 Obviously you want disruption.
05:06 And I think there's, you know,
05:08 our guys have been working hard.
05:09 You really see the way they've been playing.
05:12 I'm happy where they're going.
05:13 I just think we just need to clean some things up
05:15 in the back end and be more exact
05:17 and be in better positions
05:19 where you can make those plays
05:20 and finish the plays that you need to finish.
05:22 'Cause when it comes down third down, you could be,
05:24 you know, you might not have a great fundamental play on it,
05:28 but how are you finishing the play?
05:29 And I think that's what the, you know,
05:31 that's going to be interesting to see how we respond
05:33 to this week of finishing plays.
05:35 - Next question is from Tyler Cashman.
05:39 - Hey coach, I hope you're doing well.
05:43 Obviously Jay Higgins has had a really good first
05:46 four games of the season.
05:48 What all do you just enjoy coaching about him?
05:51 - Well, he has this enthusiasm, his leadership,
05:53 how he does it and how he understands the game of football.
05:56 And, you know, you talk about the guys that groomed him
05:59 before with Jack Campbell and Seth Benson
06:02 and the way he goes about his business.
06:04 I mean, football is important to him.
06:06 He loves the game of football
06:07 and this is the positive attitude that he has all the time,
06:11 you know, going out there and getting guys lined up
06:13 and making some calls.
06:14 And I think he's done a great job so far.
06:17 And, you know, we're sitting here at three and one
06:19 and we're coming here and playing a Michigan State team
06:22 and it's two and two and they're very athletic.
06:24 And I think, you know, he's doing a great job
06:27 of just leading our team right now.
06:29 And along with some other guys on our defensive unit,
06:32 just keeping things positive.
06:34 I thought we had a really good practice today.
06:36 So looking forward to a good practice on Friday
06:39 and finish it up.
06:40 - Good, next question is from John Steppe.
06:43 - Hey Phil, good to see you.
06:45 Speaking of Jay Higgins, when you've had kind of a run
06:47 of really good people at that middle linebacker spot
06:51 with him, Campbell, Welch, Jewell kind of going down
06:54 the line, what does it allow you to do defensively
06:57 when you don't really have to worry about that spot?
07:00 - Well, you know, I think when you have somebody out there
07:04 that's like a coach out there, that's like,
07:06 you have an extra guy on your staff basically
07:09 that helps you out and gets you in the right things
07:12 that you need to do.
07:13 And he sees things a lot better than a lot of other guys do
07:15 when you're younger and the older you get,
07:17 more mature you get, you start seeing things.
07:20 And it's just like all of us.
07:22 I mean, we're sitting in here doing things
07:24 in our profession and once in a while you start saying,
07:27 hey, I seen this before.
07:29 And then it starts, how are you going to react to it?
07:31 How are you going to respond to it?
07:32 And I think that really helps when you have that confidence
07:36 of the guy going out there.
07:37 And it's just like Jamari Harris is another guy that,
07:39 you know, probably didn't play in 18 weeks or months
07:42 or whatever it was.
07:43 And all of a sudden he comes out there,
07:45 you just feel confident that he's out there.
07:46 He knows what's going on,
07:48 along with a lot of other guys.
07:49 Quinn Schulte understands and Cooper.
07:51 I mean, just the guys, how they go about their business
07:54 and the way they love the game of football.
07:56 It's enjoyable coaching the guys
07:58 that love the game of football and want to be good.
08:01 - Next question is from Jack Lido.
08:04 - Phil, good morning.
08:08 - Good morning.
08:10 - I'm going to ask you about the four guys
08:12 who were high school quarterbacks
08:13 that start on your defense,
08:14 Dejean, Castro, Evans and Schulte.
08:17 I'm sure you're not the first guy to recruit
08:19 high school quarterbacks on defense.
08:21 And I'm sure as such,
08:22 this is not the first time you've been asked this question
08:25 'cause you have the previous generation
08:27 like Hesse, Dravos, Micah Hyde.
08:29 What do you see in those four guys that I mentioned before?
08:33 Do you seek out high school quarterbacks
08:35 to play on your defense?
08:38 - Well, usually when you're out recruiting,
08:39 you see guys out there that,
08:41 one, the quarterback is usually your best player
08:44 if on offense, not per se all the time,
08:47 but I think that's majority of the time
08:49 that he's running the thing.
08:50 And when you're at a quarterback in high school,
08:53 you have an opportunity to see things a little bit better.
08:56 And then the guys that I think that we recruited
08:58 that are quarterbacks, they understand the game.
09:01 And when you're on that side of the ball,
09:03 you know what you're trying to do on the offensive side.
09:06 So it really works out of,
09:08 hey, you've been on the other side,
09:10 you know what they're trying to do to you.
09:11 Can you see it and see the big picture?
09:13 And that's one thing about it.
09:14 And really it's the study in the game
09:17 and how you study the game.
09:19 And I think if you're a quarterback,
09:20 you got to know the game
09:21 because there's a lot of different things
09:23 you have to control.
09:24 You're like the Mike backer on defense,
09:26 but in the back end there,
09:28 I think Quinn has done a really good job.
09:31 They're just so aware of what's going on.
09:32 And that's the positive thing about it.
09:34 The more you know what you think that you're going to get,
09:36 the faster you play and the bigger opportunities
09:39 you have to make plays.
09:41 - Coach, next question is from Mitch Fick.
09:43 Sorry, Mitch, I accidentally lowered your hand.
09:45 - Fine. Hey coach, you pointed out
09:48 not a ton of explosive plays against Penn State.
09:51 Does that at least offer some encouragement
09:53 that it's not the machete, it's the paper cuts?
09:56 And is that an easier cleanup effort heading into Saturday?
10:00 - Yeah, I think, you know, obviously, you know,
10:03 you don't give up the big explosives,
10:05 but they start getting a little, you know,
10:08 they're making it manageable third downs at times.
10:10 And when you do that,
10:13 and they want to go forward on fourth down
10:14 and the line changes for some of those guys
10:17 or whether they want to, you know, go forward on fourth.
10:19 So I think it's, you know, it's a little things,
10:23 the details that win games.
10:25 And sometimes you might never notice what the detail was
10:29 because you really don't understand the,
10:31 I'm not saying you in person,
10:34 but I'm just saying that just the small little things
10:36 that happen in a game that you see.
10:39 And it might be this, maybe a stance
10:42 or maybe where's guy's eyes is at,
10:45 or, you know, how come he didn't fill this gap?
10:47 And why is that?
10:48 Whatever it is, whatever the reason is, you know,
10:50 it's just a small little things
10:51 that can push you over the edge.
10:53 And it's not like, you know, I'm sitting there looking,
10:55 there's a lot of guys that are all in four right now.
10:57 And we're lucky to be third and three and one.
11:01 And I think we have a great opportunity
11:02 going into this game and have an opportunity,
11:05 have a chance to go out and play again.
11:08 And that's what our kids need right now.
11:10 - Next question is from Chad Lysko.
11:13 - Hey Phil, don't know if I'll get back in again.
11:15 So I'm gonna throw a two-parter your way.
11:17 Cooper D. Jean hasn't had necessarily a production,
11:21 you know, stat wise, but curious how you would grade
11:24 how he's played so far this season.
11:26 And also you had a decision to make
11:28 when Jamari came back and DeSean Lee played pretty well
11:30 the first two weeks.
11:33 How would you grade kind of where that battle,
11:35 I guess is at the other corner spot?
11:37 - Well, we'll start with Coop.
11:39 You know, the one thing about it is, you know,
11:42 he had a really great year last year
11:43 and had a lot of statistics going on for him
11:46 as far as interceptions, returns and stuff like that.
11:49 And then you start going and guys make choices
11:52 over on the offensive side.
11:53 Are we going to attack, try to attack that guy
11:57 or are we gonna go to the other guy?
11:58 And then the first couple of games there
12:00 we're playing DeSean, which is a younger guy
12:03 that went up there and held his own.
12:04 You know, he wasn't perfect.
12:06 There were some opportunities, but he was in there
12:08 because of Jamari was not available.
12:11 And when Jamari came back, he was, I think,
12:15 Harris done a good job and, you know,
12:17 the confidence that he brings out there.
12:19 And I think he brings the confidence to the other guys
12:21 on the unit out there when they're out there together.
12:24 And I think he's a very positive influence on our kids.
12:26 So not saying, I mean, there's times where some guys
12:29 are going to have to go in there and rotate in.
12:32 And especially when you have a lot of plays,
12:34 you're going to might have to rotate more
12:35 than I probably want to.
12:37 - Next question is from Scott Docterman.
12:42 - Yeah, Phil, you know, I don't think I've ever asked you
12:44 about your vantage point in that 2015 final drive
12:49 in the Big 10 Championship against Michigan State.
12:52 Probably the most grueling, physical grueling game
12:55 I've ever covered and 22 plays, nine minutes.
12:58 What do you recall from that?
13:00 And what is it about this series that just seems to be
13:04 rock 'em, sock 'em robots and has been
13:06 since you were a player on the other side?
13:09 - Well, I think their philosophy is the same.
13:12 You know, you might say that, you know,
13:15 we all eat at the same restaurants.
13:17 I think their mentality is the way they play physically,
13:22 offense and defense over there from Michigan State
13:25 and the way that big, you know,
13:27 2015 championship game, it was a battle.
13:32 And it was a guy that's going to last
13:34 and that's who we are.
13:34 You know, you gotta be tough, you gotta be physical,
13:36 you gotta be disciplined.
13:38 And, you know, going back to look at it,
13:40 there's a lot of plays you can go back and look at it.
13:42 And if just one guy makes the right thing, the game's over.
13:46 And, but that's what it's all about.
13:49 You just don't know what five plays in a game
13:51 that's going to make a difference.
13:53 And which is a good challenge for us.
13:54 'Cause I think it's a team that, you know,
13:56 they're going to come in here ready to play.
13:57 I know Harlan Burnett for a long time.
13:59 He was the first year there in '86
14:01 and I was becoming a GA there.
14:03 So I have a good history with him
14:05 and I know that he'll have the team ready
14:08 and I know what he's about and how he played
14:09 and, you know, just as a person.
14:13 So I think he's going to have his team ready.
14:15 So it's going to be, it's really going to be a good game,
14:18 a physical game.
14:19 And, you know, we're looking forward to the challenge,
14:21 but I think that this game is, you know,
14:23 I don't know if it means more than anything else.
14:26 You know, a game is a game.
14:27 Once you play the game, that's it.
14:29 And then you move on to the next one.
14:30 So we're looking for our best and we still have a chance.
14:33 And on our side of the West,
14:35 and you know, there's only eight more games there.
14:37 We're what, a third away done playing this season right now.
14:41 There's a long way to go, but it goes fast.
14:43 - All right, coach.
14:45 Last question will be from John Steppe.
14:48 - Sebastian Castro, what have you,
14:51 or how have you seen him grow since last year's bowl game?
14:54 And what do you see as kind of the next steps for him?
14:57 - Well, I think he's a very interesting guy.
14:59 I mean, he's very quiet, doesn't speak up very much.
15:03 You know, he just does go out and does a great job.
15:05 If you look on film, I see him the other day.
15:07 Matter of fact, it was yesterday's practice
15:09 where I saw him run and it's just totally different
15:12 how he's running to the ball than some other guys
15:14 and say his desire to get to the ball.
15:16 And he's a very physical guy.
15:19 And he's got really good ability.
15:21 And I think he's really moving up the scale.
15:24 I think he's a very productive player
15:26 and he'll probably, you know,
15:27 he'll be seeing more of the field more and more.
15:29 And I think there's a guy that has a chance to,
15:32 you know, keep growing.
15:33 And I really liked the way he's going.
15:36 You know, when he hits you, you hit you.
15:37 And I think he can see things fast
15:39 and he knows how to go get the ball when he has to.
15:42 - All right, perfect.