Iowa coach
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00:00 First of all, we're just really looking forward to representing the Western Division and just
00:05 excited for our players.
00:06 They've earned the right to play in the championship game.
00:09 They found a way, it's been challenging, but they found a way week to week to be successful.
00:14 So they certainly deserve a lot of credit.
00:17 As a program, we just try to work to improve daily and simply by doing the right thing
00:22 and just putting an honest days in effort in every day.
00:26 So again, just I want to congratulate our players, really impressed with the result
00:31 that they've demonstrated all season long, really.
00:34 And now our focus is strictly on the on the championship game Saturday.
00:39 It's our second, excuse me, our third trip to Indy.
00:43 Second time we'll be playing Michigan.
00:44 That was only two years ago.
00:46 So we feel like we have a familiarity with them, certainly played them last year during
00:49 the regular season.
00:50 Nothing but admiration for them the last two years and then this year as well.
00:57 Outstanding players, very well coached and they've had great success now three years
01:01 in a row.
01:02 So we know we've got, you know, a real challenge in our hands.
01:06 Our goal is to compete and win the football game.
01:08 So we're going to be at our absolute best to have that chance.
01:12 Thanks, coach.
01:13 We'll take some questions now.
01:15 A reminder, if you would like to ask a question, please raise your hand in the chat.
01:19 Before you ask, please state your name and your affiliation.
01:22 Our first question this afternoon will be from Scott Docterman.
01:26 Hi, Kurt, Scott Docterman with The Athletic.
01:31 Hope you're doing well.
01:33 Wanted to ask you just about mental preparation for this game.
01:37 It's been discussed for a couple of months that the West Division champion will not compete
01:43 in this game.
01:44 I'm sure your players have heard that.
01:46 How do you approach that mentally with them?
01:48 Is it something that you'll discuss at your team meeting at the beginning of the week
01:51 and then let it go?
01:52 Or is it something that you have to discuss at all?
01:54 Yeah, I don't know.
01:56 I mean, it's you discuss every week, every game at the beginning of the week.
02:00 No question about it.
02:01 Try to set the tone for what we're looking at.
02:04 And, you know, whether it's the championship game, you know, 25 years, we've been underdogs
02:07 an awful lot.
02:08 And so it's not like an unfamiliar territory for us.
02:12 And all we try to do at the beginning of the week is lay out what the challenge is, you
02:16 know, with the things we have to do well to have a chance to be successful.
02:19 And then, you know, start that process of trying to go about having a good week of preparation.
02:24 And then most importantly, you got to show up and compete.
02:27 I don't know a lot about this year's team, Michigan's team, but at this given point,
02:33 but certainly do from the last two years and just watching them from afar.
02:37 I know they're an excellent football team.
02:38 It's going to be a huge challenge for us.
02:41 And again, we got a lot of respect for them.
02:43 We'll do our best to be ready to compete at eight o'clock on Saturday.
02:51 Our next question comes from Chad Lystico.
02:55 Chad Lystico, Des Moines Register.
03:00 I assume you got a chance to watch the Michigan game yesterday, Michigan, Ohio State, somewhat
03:06 anyway.
03:07 I know you said you might.
03:09 What in particular do they do so well that is going to be a challenge for you guys?
03:13 They look like the team we've seen the last three years.
03:16 And again, this year, it's been more exchange games.
03:19 Did watch the game yesterday.
03:20 You know, they're very, very impressive in every position, extremely well coached, and
03:26 they've got really good players.
03:27 That's not a new phenomenon, at least my 34 years playing against Michigan.
03:31 So the bottom line is, I mean, they're really good up front on both sides.
03:36 They're good on special teams, quarterbacks playing excellent.
03:39 So it's just gonna be a total team challenge for us.
03:42 We're at the first of all, do our best to stay competitive in this whole thing, and
03:47 then most likely have to find a way to try to get it over the top at some given juncture.
03:52 They don't look like they leave the door open a lot.
03:55 So it's gonna be a challenge, but that's what you expect in a championship game.
04:04 Our next question is from Adam Jacoby.
04:10 Adam Jacoby, Go Iowa Awesome.
04:11 Kirk, thanks a lot for your time this afternoon.
04:15 The elephant in the room with Michigan is the whole scandal with Jim Harbaugh, Connor
04:21 Stallions, all that.
04:23 Given that you've faced the Wolverines twice in the last two years, Michigan won both those
04:29 games pretty handily.
04:32 How do you talk to your players about that whole situation with the signs?
04:37 Does it change the way you prepare for Michigan in any way, shape or form?
04:41 And I guess any other thoughts that you've got on that situation?
04:44 Yeah, I mean, full disclosure, I really haven't paid that much attention to it.
04:50 We've been in the middle of the season, and we've been fighting for our lives every week.
04:54 So that's kind of where our focus has been.
04:55 That's where it will be this week.
04:57 And I think that stuff's kind of, it's a separate category.
05:00 It really doesn't affect our team, our players.
05:02 We'll try to be as smart as we can, moving forward here with those things in mind.
05:09 But it's not going to really impact us.
05:12 What I've been impressed with is how their players play on the field.
05:16 Those guys are very aggressive.
05:17 They're very well coached, good technique, and they're very talented.
05:20 And again, that's not a new phenomenon for Michigan, but that's where our focus is.
05:25 I think we're going to have our hands more than busy and more than full, just trying
05:30 to take on what they do so well.
05:32 Our next question comes from Andrew Kahn.
05:38 Hi, Kirk.
05:41 Just to kind of follow up on that, as the most tenured coach in the Big Ten and one
05:47 of the longest tenured coaches in the country, what is your thoughts on the allegations against
05:53 Michigan and their head coach eventually being suspended because of it?
05:59 Yeah, again, I really don't have much thought on it other than, if you want a bigger picture
06:04 of view, this is something that probably could be corrected really easily.
06:09 Whoever's got to get together just to have a vote.
06:11 It allows us to have different technology.
06:14 And that's been talked about, it seems like, for maybe not quite a decade, but close to.
06:20 And it'd be a simple way to fix everything.
06:22 I know baseball had some issues.
06:24 I think they've got that fixed.
06:26 We could have fixed this probably a decade ago.
06:28 But it's like a lot of things that happened in the NCAA and college football.
06:34 We're a really slow moving train when it comes to being progressive, trying to improve things,
06:40 just improve the quality of the game.
06:42 So it kind of fits in that category.
06:44 And between now and Saturday, that's really hardly a concern of mine.
06:48 But one of these days, maybe we'll take the steps needed to be taken just to take this
06:55 off the board as a topic for anybody.
07:02 Our next question comes from John Step.
07:05 Hi, Kirk.
07:06 Good to see you.
07:07 I wanted to ask about the wide receiver health situation.
07:12 Any update on Deontay Vines and Kayla Brown?
07:14 And how optimistic are you that they could have a shot to play on Saturday?
07:18 Yeah, I don't know if I engage how optimistic, but I'm optimistic.
07:22 So we'll know more tomorrow, Tuesday.
07:25 We'll give you a report on Tuesday afternoon.
07:28 But I'll just leave it at this.
07:29 I think they both have a chance.
07:31 So that's positive news.
07:32 And we'll see how it looks as the week goes on.
07:39 Next question is from Elliot Clough.
07:51 There we go.
07:52 Can you hear me, Kirk?
07:53 Yep.
07:54 Okay, there we go.
07:55 Apologies.
07:56 Elliot Clough, Rivals.
07:57 Thanks for your time today.
07:58 I appreciate it.
07:59 But the kicking change that you made late in the game with Marshall Meeder to step in
08:07 there with a small amount of time left.
08:09 Are you thinking that you'll roll with Marshall on Saturday?
08:13 Or will you revert back to Drew?
08:15 Well, we'll see how the week goes.
08:17 But as I said, right now, my plan would be Drew.
08:20 Drew's played really well for us.
08:22 It seems like he's been here longer than he has.
08:24 He's only been here two years.
08:25 He's done a lot of good things for us, really good things.
08:28 And on Friday, it just wasn't working for him.
08:31 It became pretty obvious.
08:32 And I don't pretend to know anything about kicking or golf, either one.
08:39 But I think sometimes you start maybe playing games in your own mind too much.
08:43 And I just kind of got the feeling he might be at that point.
08:47 He's got a really good resume.
08:48 He's an outstanding performer.
08:49 I'm confident he'll bounce back here and be ready to go on Saturday.
08:58 Next question to Tyler Tachman.
09:01 Tyler Tachman with the Des Moines Register.
09:04 Eric, hope you're doing well.
09:06 I wanted to ask about LeSean.
09:10 As far as his recruiting, did he get on your radar because of Sebastian and recruiting
09:15 him?
09:16 Because I know they went to the same high school.
09:17 And then how well have you just kind of seen him develop over his time in Iowa?
09:22 Yeah, both.
09:23 I mean, we liked Sebastian in high school and LeSean the same way.
09:28 And I remember visiting his school.
09:32 He was already committed to us, but just sitting down and talking with him a little bit.
09:35 He just made some comments that made me feel really good about just things that he was
09:40 cognizant of and aware of just in terms of his performance, nutrition, the way he trained,
09:46 all those kinds of things.
09:47 So it's really good when you recruit guys that like football first and foremost, and
09:51 then also are working at it on the field and off the field.
09:56 And LeSean struck us as that kind of guy.
09:58 He's been great in the program.
09:59 And I think the highest compliment I can pay him, which I think I did this on Friday, was
10:03 just that he had a really bad play in that Michigan State game.
10:07 And ever since that bad play, he's done nothing but play really, really well.
10:12 He's playing his best football of his career.
10:14 And that's what we hope all of our guys do.
10:16 Mentioned Sebastian being from the same high school.
10:18 He's clearly playing his best right now during his time here.
10:22 And we just talked about Drew Stevens.
10:24 I'm confident he'll bounce back from a tough day too and do the same thing.
10:28 And that's part of football.
10:30 When you're competing at this level, not every day is going to go the way you want, not every
10:33 play is going to go the way you want.
10:36 So if you can't deal with that, it's going to be tough to have a good career.
10:40 Certainly LeSean's done that.
10:41 Certainly Sebastian's done that.
10:42 I think Drew will do the same thing.
10:45 And we're going to need all those guys because we've got a big challenge on our hands this
10:49 weekend.
10:52 Our next question is Aaron McMahon.
10:54 Aaron, your mic is open.
10:55 Aaron McMahon with the Ann Arbor News and I'm live.
11:00 Kirk, I know Kate McNamara and Eric Hall are injured and unable to play on Saturday.
11:05 I'm wondering if you've gotten a sense of how much they might have been looking forward
11:08 to a rematch against their old team?
11:11 I think they were 10 months ago, but that's ancient history right now.
11:16 And I can't say enough about both guys.
11:19 They've been just excellent in our program.
11:21 Great personalities.
11:22 This new world of free transfers, all that kind of stuff.
11:27 We're kind of on the front end of it all.
11:30 But all the guys that have come in, be it mid-year, some guys in June, they've all just
11:35 jumped in and they've had both feet in the water and been full fledged.
11:39 So that part's worked out really well.
11:40 The unfortunate part is both of them have been injured.
11:43 And you hate to see that for any player.
11:45 I haven't asked them that question, but I'm sure that'd be a big thing for them.
11:51 But right now, it doesn't matter.
11:53 What does matter is the rehab getting better.
11:54 And in the meantime, they've been out there every day.
11:57 They're supportive of their teammates.
11:58 They've just both been first class in the program.
12:01 So I can't say enough about that.
12:05 Obviously we wish they were playing.
12:08 They wish it more than us, because any player who gets injured, that's stuff to go through,
12:12 that missing time and just not being able to be involved.
12:17 That's hard.
12:18 >> Next question from Nathaniel Finch.
12:24 >> Kirk, thanks for your time.
12:26 Nathaniel Finch with Wish TV in Indianapolis.
12:29 What makes Jay Higgins so impressive on the field?
12:31 And how have you seen him grow over the course of his career?
12:34 >> Well, Jay's just a tremendous young person.
12:37 We felt like that during recruiting.
12:39 We kind of thought he was being under-recruited.
12:42 I think he had all Mac offers, just about every Mac offer there was, but I don't think
12:46 any big 10 ones.
12:48 We just really liked him as a person.
12:50 Thought he was a pretty good football player too.
12:53 And the rest of the story is that he has improved with each and every phase of the program.
12:58 He works extremely hard, very detail-oriented.
13:02 And he's having a really good year.
13:04 I think we were all confident that he would play well this year, but I'm not sure any
13:09 of us could have predicted he'd play at the level he is playing at right now.
13:12 He replaced one of our best all-time players in Jack Campbell.
13:16 And I always talk to our guys about, if you want to get better, pay attention to people,
13:20 know what they're doing.
13:21 And Jay was taking notes, there's no question.
13:23 He was taking notes from Jack.
13:26 Our other inside backers, Benson was a senior.
13:29 Both those guys were great leaders.
13:31 And Jay's been phenomenal as a leader, and he's really playing at a very high level too.
13:35 So it's just great to see someone who works so hard and has such a great attitude, be
13:41 rewarded in his play.
13:43 And Jay's certainly a good example of that.
13:48 Our next question goes to Alex Bubke.
13:55 Afternoon coach.
13:56 History has been the name of the game for the Iowa program under your leadership, both
14:00 on the offensive, defensive side of the ball.
14:03 My question for you today is, how would you say you've changed schematically from the
14:06 beginning of your coaching career to how the game's changed throughout and kind of where
14:11 you're at today with the team?
14:12 You know, overall, not a heck of a lot.
14:16 That may be the wrong answer, but it's a truthful answer.
14:18 You know, we had certain things that we really believed in 25 years ago, and the broader
14:24 base things haven't changed in the least.
14:27 The world we live in changes, obviously.
14:29 I don't think players have changed a lot, at least the good players I've been around,
14:33 whether it was back here in the 80s, my six years in the NFL, the good players I've been
14:37 around want to be coached.
14:38 They want to improve, they care about their performance.
14:41 And so we've been really fortunate here the last 20 plus years to work with a lot of great
14:45 guys in that regard.
14:48 But yeah, there are certain things we just believe in.
14:50 I think if you look at us just kind of broad based, we haven't changed a lot of offensively,
14:54 defensively, or special teams.
14:56 Outside of maybe our punt unit, I was a little stubborn on that one.
14:58 And we went to a different form of punting probably eight years ago, just to take advantage
15:03 of the college rules.
15:05 But outside of that, nothing major.
15:08 And to me, it's all about building a team and then trying to figure out how do you adjust
15:12 what you do to match the opponents that you have to play.
15:16 Certainly we have little adjustments, little tweaks that we've made that maybe don't look
15:19 the same as they were 15 years ago.
15:21 But overall broad based, not a lot of dramatic change, quite frankly.
15:30 Our next question is from Adam Rittenberg.
15:32 Hey, Kirk.
15:33 I know obviously you guys don't make your schedule, but the fact that you haven't faced
15:38 Michigan, how much are guys looking forward to this challenge to face a team like this
15:44 in such a big game?
15:45 Ironically, we've played them two straight years now.
15:48 This will be our third straight year.
15:49 So only one was scheduled.
15:51 We had to earn our way to the other two.
15:54 And it's no big surprise that this is their third straight year.
15:58 My overall impression is they, for whatever reason, we're supposed to play them in 20
16:03 during the pandemic year.
16:04 And I'm going to give you a quick aside.
16:06 I'm sitting here.
16:07 I feel like I'm slumped over in this chair.
16:08 It's a soft chair.
16:09 I'll probably fall asleep.
16:10 But I feel like I'm back in the pandemic years because, you know, this Zoom stuff.
16:16 But anyway, you know, in 20, they had their struggles.
16:21 I can't remember what the record was.
16:23 We were supposed to play them, I think, week 10.
16:25 The game never took place.
16:27 But the last three years, they have played at such a high level.
16:30 They've been very, very impressive.
16:32 It's no coincidence that they've been in the college football playoff the last two years.
16:36 And, you know, they're just a very, very impressive football team.
16:39 So I feel like we know them a little bit, at least, you know, playing the last couple
16:44 years and see them on exchange film during the course of the year.
16:47 You know, faces change, players change, but they still, boy, they're playing really well
16:54 at a very, very high level.
16:55 >> Our next question is from News Stitched Media.
17:02 >> Fedco Franklin III with News Stitched Media.
17:06 Coach, what does it mean to you to see the growth in this team this season and how they
17:10 overcame adversity?
17:11 >> It means everything.
17:12 I mean, that's why you coach, in my opinion.
17:16 And it's especially true in a program like ours because, you know, we don't recruit maybe
17:21 at the same level as some other programs in our conference or in the country.
17:26 So we tend to be, I coined the term developmental years ago, at least I think I did, I don't
17:31 know.
17:32 But that was the best way to describe our program going back to the initial days in
17:36 the early 2000s.
17:38 And if you look at our best players historically, and we've had some really good players come
17:43 through here, not many of them showed up in a limousine at our place.
17:47 Most of them, you know, drove in or in a used car, a clunker, that type of thing.
17:51 And they've all got a lot of good stories, but they also have a lot of parallels amongst
17:55 them and just talked about Jay Higgins, wasn't highly recruited maybe, but boy, he's got
18:00 a great attitude, great work ethic.
18:02 And, you know, so we've done pretty well with guys like that.
18:07 And players aren't improving during the course of their time in our program, then we're not
18:11 going to have a chance to be playing in December.
18:14 And if they're not, our team's not improving during the course of the season.
18:18 It's the same story.
18:19 And, you know, I said this a while back to our local media, you know, back in 2002, you
18:26 know, had we played Ohio State, they end up being a national champs that year, if we'd
18:29 played them in September, probably lost by five touchdowns.
18:32 If we played them in November, I think it would have been a hell of a game.
18:35 I really do.
18:37 So you know, it just, we need to be getting better.
18:40 And, you know, for a team to get better, for a team to improve, it just, you have to have
18:44 the right kind of players.
18:45 And we do, our guys have been just so dedicated that they've really come to practice and work
18:51 every day with a good attitude trying to improve.
18:55 And I think what makes this team maybe a little different is if you take in consideration just
18:58 all the, I mean, we've had an inordinate amount of things happen that you could never predict.
19:04 And injuries to key players just start there.
19:07 Most recently, Cooper Dejean, you know, two weeks ago.
19:10 So I've never been through a year where, you know, I've seen so many bumps in the road.
19:14 Yet the players just show up and, you know, somehow, someway, we found a way to win last
19:18 Friday on the last, you know, last play of the game, basically.
19:22 And, you know, so it's been really gratifying.
19:25 But we, again, we know we've got a big challenge this week in front of us.
19:31 Our next question is from Scott Docterman.
19:34 No, Curt, given the success that Cade McNamara had at Michigan, how much do you rely on him
19:41 this week to maybe walk you through some situations, probably both mostly on offense, but also
19:47 on defense to try to figure out some things about Michigan?
19:51 Yeah, yeah.
19:52 I mean, two things I can tell you for sure.
19:56 We have not had any staff conversation, although in our defense, I mean, you know, we haven't
20:00 really done a lot of game planning yet.
20:02 You were just kind of the initial phases.
20:05 But I can tell you this, in my entire career, I just, you know, it was more so in the NFL,
20:11 you get a guy from a different team.
20:13 I don't even want to know.
20:14 I don't even want to know because it just, you know, it does is clutter your mind.
20:19 I've never been one to call other staffs like, you know, let's just say, school A played
20:23 school B, we don't call school A the next week and ask them, you know, what were your
20:28 impressions and maybe some more guys on the staff.
20:30 I don't speak for everybody else.
20:31 I don't do that.
20:32 All that does is screw up my thought process, quite frankly, I'd rather just look at the
20:36 film and look at what, you know, what we see on tape and try to believe that.
20:41 And, you know, this time of year, we both got each other's 12 games worth of tape.
20:45 So that's really your DNA.
20:48 And my preference is just to stay in that lane and go, you know, my experiences, people
20:54 that really do a lot of that probably hurt themselves more than they help themselves.
20:59 That's always been my belief.
21:00 And, you know, maybe I'm hardhead in that regard, too.
21:03 I just I just don't I'd rather make up my own mind on what I see and then, you know,
21:08 go from there and hopefully our staffs doing the same thing.
21:13 Plus you got to assume the player you're talking to, whomever you're talking to, knows what
21:17 the hell they're talking about.
21:18 That's probably a 50/50 shot, too.
21:20 So you know, it's a lot of downside to it, potentially.
21:26 Our next question is from Chad Lysakow.
21:29 Hey, Kirk.
21:31 Coming back at the 2021 box score from Indy, you got four returning four guys that started
21:37 that game.
21:38 Connor Colby, Mason Richman, Logan Lee, and I'm forgetting the other one.
21:43 But what what does that experience do to help you guys in any way?
21:50 What do you feel like lessons were learned or was there motivation potentially?
21:53 Oh, Jermari Harris is the motivation potentially.
21:57 I don't know.
21:59 What can you take from that game two years ago?
22:01 Maybe I'll give you two quick ones.
22:03 Watch the halfback pass.
22:04 And then one thing I walked away was, you know, pretty sure we didn't match up with
22:09 Hutchinson real well.
22:11 Which is probably why he was whatever he was for a second draft pick in the draft that
22:15 next next April.
22:16 But, you know, we went into the game knowing that was a concern, certainly.
22:22 And the halfback pass.
22:23 I'm pretty sure I saw that yesterday.
22:24 So we may see it again or the double pass, whatever.
22:29 But the bottom line is, you know, just that they're a really good football team.
22:32 I think probably the biggest takeaway.
22:34 We drove the ball early.
22:36 We also tried to gadget player trick play where you want to call it exotic to quote
22:42 coach Fry.
22:43 And we didn't execute ours.
22:46 And I know this, my guess is, you know, if you ask me Wednesday, my guess is, we're gonna
22:52 have to execute anything that might have opened itself up.
22:55 We better be on top of it because there's not gonna be a lot open.
22:58 Like this is a really good football team.
23:00 They're very well coached.
23:01 So any little windows of opportunity to do to show up, we've got to be there to take
23:05 advantage of them.
23:07 And then we can't give them anything easy.
23:09 And that's, you know, that's a challenge.
23:11 I mean, they got two outstanding running backs just start right there.
23:13 They got a quarterback that's playing really great.
23:16 They've always had good receivers, their lines are really dominant.
23:19 So it's gonna be a challenge on all fronts.
23:22 And we just gotta do our best between us to get ready to play our best game.
23:30 Our next question is from John Steppe.
23:33 You were mentioning along those lines, you're mentioning earlier this being your third trip
23:37 to NB 2015, obviously a very competitive close game, had a pretty good chance there at the
23:42 end 2021.
23:44 Not so much.
23:45 What's the key to having a more 2015 ask showing or better than 2015?
23:51 Ask showing versus repeating what happened two years ago?
23:54 Yeah, I mean, you know, every game is a unique, unique situation or matchup, if you will.
24:02 Michigan State had an outstanding team, they were college football playoff team.
24:05 Basically, the winner in this game is going to be that type of team.
24:10 You know, so you just know what you're up against.
24:13 And you've got to make every play count.
24:14 What I just said in the last answer, our margin fair is always pretty thin.
24:19 And I think given our roster right now, guys that aren't playing versus who are playing,
24:25 you know that that margin just keeps narrowing a little bit.
24:27 So we got to make everything count.
24:29 And we know that we know who we are and what we are.
24:31 I think we're comfortable with that.
24:34 And again, the challenge is you're playing a team that's it's pretty endowed in every
24:38 position and they're well coached.
24:40 So yeah, that's a challenge in front of you.
24:43 You know, we've been here before.
24:45 We've actually won a couple games like this in the last 25 years.
24:48 So yeah, we just got to figure out, you know, how do we best approach it.
24:52 And then most importantly, we've got to play our best football.
24:55 And you know, anything's possible in sports.
24:57 I think we've all seen that.
24:58 So yeah, that's where we've got to be.
25:00 But all the you know, peripheral stuff, really doesn't matter if we're not ready to go, we've
25:05 got to play absolutely our best football.
25:07 That's what our focus needs to be on.
25:11 Got time for one, maybe two more here.
25:12 Our next question comes from Tyler Tashman.
25:14 Yeah, Kirk, I'm curious, just mentioning Eric Hall, have you had any had any conversations
25:21 with him about potentially coming back next season?
25:24 And I guess just where does he kind of stand right now?
25:27 Yeah, so I have not had that discussion with anybody in our roster.
25:30 And we've got, you know, more than a handful that are eligible to come back.
25:34 So you know, I want to put that off until we get done competing.
25:37 Again, talking about our margin for error, I don't want any distractions, even with guys
25:42 that aren't playing.
25:43 But that that's on the list of things to do whenever the season does end.
25:47 And you know, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
25:49 And it's like anything, whether it's a guy leaving for the NFL, or just going on through
25:53 life's work, what they want to do.
25:55 Ultimately, you know, we just want what's best for the player.
25:59 And they're the ones that have to make that decision.
26:01 We're not going to make it for them.
26:02 We'll take one final question from Andrew Kahn.
26:08 Thanks, Kirk for Michigan fans who may have only seen parts of some Iowa games or just
26:15 the scores, what would you say have been the keys to winning 10 games?
26:19 You know, despite maybe not scoring as much as the typical 10 win team?
26:24 Yeah, I don't know what the typical thing is.
26:27 But the point is, that's not our strength offensively.
26:31 We thought we had a chance to have an excellent offense this year, things probably started
26:34 changing on August 12.
26:37 When Cade suffered a quad quad injury, that pretty much lingered up until the time he
26:42 got an ACL.
26:43 So you know, that's kind of representative of where we've been.
26:47 We've had a lot of other guys in and out.
26:48 And it's, it's been a challenge.
26:49 But I can't say enough about the way the guys improved.
26:52 And the guy like Deacon Hill, who's, you know, I was really concerned about in August, because
26:58 he hasn't played at all.
26:59 He's been on the scout team for a couple years at a different Big 10 school.
27:03 But to watch him improve and to watch him grow has been very gratifying, despite representing
27:07 our whole team.
27:09 Despite the obstacles and the hardships that we faced, the guys kept working, they've kept
27:15 getting better.
27:16 And I would not describe us as explosive by any stretch.
27:19 But I think I think our guys are competitive.
27:21 I think they, they're a smart, smart group, and they work hard.
27:26 And we've been able to do some things better than we could do, you know, two months ago.
27:30 So that in combination with special teams and defense, you know, has given us a chance.
27:35 And that's really who we were.
27:37 Ironically, when I got here in 1990, or 81, excuse me, I got here in Coach Fry's third
27:42 year.
27:43 And we were definitely a defensive oriented outfit.
27:46 We had a punter named Reggie Robey, who probably put a 25 years in the NFL.
27:51 We relied on those two things, you rely on your strengths, and then kind of play towards
27:55 those and play off of them.
27:57 So that that's kind of been our strategy here for the season.
27:59 And as the season went on, I mean, it's how our team settled out.
28:03 So you play your strengths like you do any season.
28:06 And we don't have a bunch of guys on the shelf, you know, that look like our guys that were
28:10 starters.
28:11 So you just kind of kind of play the hand stellogen, try to play as smart as you can.
28:15 But none of that works if you don't have the right guys.
28:17 And our guys have, you know, been resilient, they've had a lot of resolve, demonstrated
28:22 that and Friday's game was a good example.
28:24 I mean, it took us, you know, basically the last, it was the last minute of play.
28:28 We threw a pick, they threw one to us, and then we got the ball down a field goal range.
28:33 So it was a crazy, crazy sequence.
28:35 But I think it's just representative of the way our guys, they don't quit, they just don't
28:39 give up, they don't quit.
28:40 And, you know, as long as you got time on the clock, we'll just keep keep pushing, see
28:45 what we can do.
28:46 Coach Ferens, thank you again for joining us.
28:50 Good luck this week.
28:51 And we look forward to seeing you and your team in Indianapolis.
28:53 - Appreciate that, thank you.