On WR Hakeem Butler coming out this year with Allen Lazard gone:
I’d say Hakeem Butler was pretty good last year. So from his standpoint, I think it’s proven a little bit. The proof’s in the pudding. You’re talking about a guy that, explosive plays, plays downfield, maybe was the best guy on our football team last year doing that for us. So I think for him, again, confidence in his game, how do you become in that consistency level, continue to take that up another level. But obviously Allen, those two being a great compliment to each other a year ago, who are those other guys now that get a chance to step into the picture and join Hakeem and Allen in terms of being main focal points for our offense.
On Julian Good-Jones and Bryce Meeker proving to be cornerstones of the OL:
Those two have a very unique opportunity in my opinion right now. When I challenge the offensive line, it starts with those two. My reasoning for that is those two have played football. Whether they should have or not early in their career, they have. Because they were the ones that at least had the talent to do it. One of the hard parts with the early part of their career is there wasn’t much around them to challenge them to be the best version of themselves they can be. And so you talk about changing a culture as a team, you have to also talk about change happens in small groups. And in each position group, that culture has got to change in its own sense. In a lot of those position groups it has. To be honest with you, that group is still trying to get to that point. Who’s the one that’s going to finally draw the line in the sand, or the group that’s going to draw the line in the sand, and say this is who we are and this is where we’re going. I think that’s a really unique challenge for those two. We’ve talked about it, those two know that. I think they would tell you I express that probably in a very unique way at times to those two. But those two are very talented. Those two have the ability to become very good. What an amazing opportunity to leave this program in two years and say, you know what, look what we did? We changed culture of what it means to play O line at Iowa State. One thing I do love is I do love both of those young men. They’re young men that do care. They’re working really hard and I think it will be a really powerful opportunity and a moment if they have that ability to make that change. Because they’ll have done it without leadership in front of them to show them how.
On the number one stat for analyzing last season:
Number one was turnovers. We started every fall camp meeting, we start our number one meeting to start every season, is that number. We’ve got eight criteria that we study of what over the test of time, whether it’s the NFL or college football, what are those criteria that drive your percentage up to win football games. You know, those hidden criteria that are really successful. The number one stat in all of football at any level is obviously the turnover margin. And certainly we were able to take another very positive gain in that opportunity last year. Not just the fumbles statistic, but our turnover margin in general. Went from 60, 70 our first year here to pushing it finally to being in the top 20. And we could have been even better at times. A fascinating stat, we’re 10-2 in the last two years when we’re +1 or better in the turnover margin. I think it tells you what I’ve said is our margin for error, the people we play and the consistency of the people we play, is still minimal. And we have to understand that it all starts with that. So that was number one. And then we certainly get into a lot of other statistics where we’re still trying to get ourselves to. But that’s a fascinating stat to me. That was the most telling stat in all of our analytics over the last two years that has stood up in those eight criteria. That one had the greatest correlation to winning and losing football games for this program.
On using advance analytics as well:
We do. I think it’s, for me, where is the gap? Where is the margin? Where are we still missing the boat? How do we continue to push this forward and how do we know where to attack? Where do we put our focus? If it’s important, then you’ve got to make it important and then how is that reflected in the program by what you do, how you practice, all those things. So we will, we use that. And then we’ll use it even weekly as we prepare for our opponents. Is it what drives everything? No. I still think football’s a field game, in the moment. But I think there’s some great statistics out there that can help you guide and navigate your football team.
On looking ahead to this year immediately after bowl win:
After our last regular season (game) last year, I was in conflict in two ways. Part of it was, I wanted to do everything in my power to push that senior class and give them the right to go win this football game. And that’s what we did. But I think the other conflict in me was knowing, how do we grow? What’s the next step for this program? Win or lose in Memphis, we gotta get on that plane and we gotta come back and this program, everything’s gotta be focused on taking the next step. As I watched our team practice in those bowl game (practices), I started to get excited about some of those guys that hadn’t played, some of those redshirt guys. Excited about where I thought the future could go. But also at that time, we had no idea about Kyle (Kempt). There was also some, there was a little bit of uneasiness still with our football team with where we were. But knowing that we were still a really young football team and I couldn’t wait to come back, get in the weight room, get a plan for the off season that best fit this team. That’s what’s great about our sport. Every off season can’t be the same. Every off season’s gotta be detailed cause that’s what’s one of the funnest things about college football. Every year your team is completely different. The dynamic changes. And you have to be ready as a coach to adapt to that dynamic and make sure those margins are filled in. I was really excited for the challenge about this team. You’ve heard me say this a number of times, the number one challenge was squashing any ego to think we did something or we accomplished something. There was still a lot left on the table and there was a lot of areas that needed to get fixed and needed to grow. The compliment goes to, I think that sense of urgency. Our players felt that sense of urgency from the time we got in the locker room there and got on the bus and the plane to come home to really when they came back a week later from their break that they got. They’ve attacked it that way and I appreciate that and so does our coaching staff.
On the defense being more multiple this season:
Well I think the reality is it’s got a lot of pieces and hopefully even with these young guys that are coming in we can continue to add to the multiplicity of what we need to be. I’ve sat and studied NFL football, you talk about playing football at a really hard level, that game’s hard to play defensive football because of the rules and some of the things that happen. I think one of the neat things about our level of football is you have the ability to create this kind of multiplicity to what you do because the rules allow you to do that. Still being able to get hands on offensive guys, still being able to do different things. I think speed is such a huge piece of that, whether it’s the D line level or whether it’s the secondary level. So I think the thing that we have gotten is we’ve gotten faster. I think we have got the ability to continue to add some dynamic pieces to the puzzle. Still about critical situations in defensive football and I think the neat thing for us is we’re going to have the ability to show a lot of different things and help put ourselves in the best situation to eliminate match-up concerns that maybe would exist in a game. But also give us the ability to create match-ups for success from a defensive standpoint. Which may be the first time we’ve been able to do that defensively since we’ve been here. And that part I’m excited about as well.
I’d say Hakeem Butler was pretty good last year. So from his standpoint, I think it’s proven a little bit. The proof’s in the pudding. You’re talking about a guy that, explosive plays, plays downfield, maybe was the best guy on our football team last year doing that for us. So I think for him, again, confidence in his game, how do you become in that consistency level, continue to take that up another level. But obviously Allen, those two being a great compliment to each other a year ago, who are those other guys now that get a chance to step into the picture and join Hakeem and Allen in terms of being main focal points for our offense.
On Julian Good-Jones and Bryce Meeker proving to be cornerstones of the OL:
Those two have a very unique opportunity in my opinion right now. When I challenge the offensive line, it starts with those two. My reasoning for that is those two have played football. Whether they should have or not early in their career, they have. Because they were the ones that at least had the talent to do it. One of the hard parts with the early part of their career is there wasn’t much around them to challenge them to be the best version of themselves they can be. And so you talk about changing a culture as a team, you have to also talk about change happens in small groups. And in each position group, that culture has got to change in its own sense. In a lot of those position groups it has. To be honest with you, that group is still trying to get to that point. Who’s the one that’s going to finally draw the line in the sand, or the group that’s going to draw the line in the sand, and say this is who we are and this is where we’re going. I think that’s a really unique challenge for those two. We’ve talked about it, those two know that. I think they would tell you I express that probably in a very unique way at times to those two. But those two are very talented. Those two have the ability to become very good. What an amazing opportunity to leave this program in two years and say, you know what, look what we did? We changed culture of what it means to play O line at Iowa State. One thing I do love is I do love both of those young men. They’re young men that do care. They’re working really hard and I think it will be a really powerful opportunity and a moment if they have that ability to make that change. Because they’ll have done it without leadership in front of them to show them how.
On the number one stat for analyzing last season:
Number one was turnovers. We started every fall camp meeting, we start our number one meeting to start every season, is that number. We’ve got eight criteria that we study of what over the test of time, whether it’s the NFL or college football, what are those criteria that drive your percentage up to win football games. You know, those hidden criteria that are really successful. The number one stat in all of football at any level is obviously the turnover margin. And certainly we were able to take another very positive gain in that opportunity last year. Not just the fumbles statistic, but our turnover margin in general. Went from 60, 70 our first year here to pushing it finally to being in the top 20. And we could have been even better at times. A fascinating stat, we’re 10-2 in the last two years when we’re +1 or better in the turnover margin. I think it tells you what I’ve said is our margin for error, the people we play and the consistency of the people we play, is still minimal. And we have to understand that it all starts with that. So that was number one. And then we certainly get into a lot of other statistics where we’re still trying to get ourselves to. But that’s a fascinating stat to me. That was the most telling stat in all of our analytics over the last two years that has stood up in those eight criteria. That one had the greatest correlation to winning and losing football games for this program.
On using advance analytics as well:
We do. I think it’s, for me, where is the gap? Where is the margin? Where are we still missing the boat? How do we continue to push this forward and how do we know where to attack? Where do we put our focus? If it’s important, then you’ve got to make it important and then how is that reflected in the program by what you do, how you practice, all those things. So we will, we use that. And then we’ll use it even weekly as we prepare for our opponents. Is it what drives everything? No. I still think football’s a field game, in the moment. But I think there’s some great statistics out there that can help you guide and navigate your football team.
On looking ahead to this year immediately after bowl win:
After our last regular season (game) last year, I was in conflict in two ways. Part of it was, I wanted to do everything in my power to push that senior class and give them the right to go win this football game. And that’s what we did. But I think the other conflict in me was knowing, how do we grow? What’s the next step for this program? Win or lose in Memphis, we gotta get on that plane and we gotta come back and this program, everything’s gotta be focused on taking the next step. As I watched our team practice in those bowl game (practices), I started to get excited about some of those guys that hadn’t played, some of those redshirt guys. Excited about where I thought the future could go. But also at that time, we had no idea about Kyle (Kempt). There was also some, there was a little bit of uneasiness still with our football team with where we were. But knowing that we were still a really young football team and I couldn’t wait to come back, get in the weight room, get a plan for the off season that best fit this team. That’s what’s great about our sport. Every off season can’t be the same. Every off season’s gotta be detailed cause that’s what’s one of the funnest things about college football. Every year your team is completely different. The dynamic changes. And you have to be ready as a coach to adapt to that dynamic and make sure those margins are filled in. I was really excited for the challenge about this team. You’ve heard me say this a number of times, the number one challenge was squashing any ego to think we did something or we accomplished something. There was still a lot left on the table and there was a lot of areas that needed to get fixed and needed to grow. The compliment goes to, I think that sense of urgency. Our players felt that sense of urgency from the time we got in the locker room there and got on the bus and the plane to come home to really when they came back a week later from their break that they got. They’ve attacked it that way and I appreciate that and so does our coaching staff.
On the defense being more multiple this season:
Well I think the reality is it’s got a lot of pieces and hopefully even with these young guys that are coming in we can continue to add to the multiplicity of what we need to be. I’ve sat and studied NFL football, you talk about playing football at a really hard level, that game’s hard to play defensive football because of the rules and some of the things that happen. I think one of the neat things about our level of football is you have the ability to create this kind of multiplicity to what you do because the rules allow you to do that. Still being able to get hands on offensive guys, still being able to do different things. I think speed is such a huge piece of that, whether it’s the D line level or whether it’s the secondary level. So I think the thing that we have gotten is we’ve gotten faster. I think we have got the ability to continue to add some dynamic pieces to the puzzle. Still about critical situations in defensive football and I think the neat thing for us is we’re going to have the ability to show a lot of different things and help put ourselves in the best situation to eliminate match-up concerns that maybe would exist in a game. But also give us the ability to create match-ups for success from a defensive standpoint. Which may be the first time we’ve been able to do that defensively since we’ve been here. And that part I’m excited about as well.
