Opening comments:
All right, we’ll get ourselves ready to roll. From my end, I’ll let you guys if you guys have any questions any more about last week. I kind of said my piece after the game. I feel really comfortable with that after watching the film and evaluating it. We move forward. Yesterday, had a really good practice in knowing – like I told you Saturday – this is a really big challenge for this football team. Number one, going on the road. Number two, certainly playing in a different environment. And number three obviously, I think the biggest thing is this is an Akron team that’s got a four-year starter at quarterback. A young man, like I told you, is a really talented football player. Ohio State transfer at tailback who has done some good things in the first two games. And a very veteran defense. When Akron has been at their best, especially in the conference last year, they had some really bad injuries down the road – the quarterback got hurt – (and) ended up being a 5-7 football team a year ago. But when they played their best and Coach Bowden’s kind of swung the tide there a little bit, they’ve really had a veteran football team. And they certainly have that right now. So it’ll be a really good challenge for us and look forward to the challenge at hand. But that said I’ll certainly open it up to you guys for any questions you have for me.
On doing anything different with kickoff return team:
Number one, I just think that’s certainly an area that I’ve challenged our football team and our staff with is our kickoff return team. Not to say it was bad because I think the first game, Michael (Warren) was able to bring two outside the 35-yard-line. We made a bad decision on Saturday one time. We were deep in our end zone; we shouldn’t have brought the ball out. That’s not just on the returner. That’s really on the halfbacks back there as well who kinda help navigate that. As well as I thinking physically we just kinda were not able to create some of the creases that we were the first week. So I think we’ve got to continue to evaluate that unit. That’s a really important area for us. Our starting field position wasn’t great for our offense on Saturday and it’s something we must get better. I think we’re all researching how can we be better at that and do we have the right people where they need to be and continue to get ourselves better in that unit.
On Johnnie Lang still being an option to return kickoffs:
I think Johnnie will always be an option. Johnnie needs to play more football for us. Johnnie didn’t get many reps – any reps to be honest with you – on Saturday. Again that’s one of those games where, was it the right situation, was it not? I think we all sat here on and said, not only Johnnie but we’ve got to continue to get more people to play. Our starters and our first string guys played a lot of snaps on Saturday and if we go at that rate, we won’t be a very successful football team this year. So Johnnie’s one of those names just period that’s got to get on the field somehow, some way, for us.
On a Big 12 school playing at a MAC school and his thoughts from both sides of it:
I don’t know if I have any thoughts. I think the biggest thing for us is I do like the opportunity to get on the road and the opportunity that this team has to go play on the road. If you’re going to have a chance to be an elite team in college football you’ve got to go win football games on the road. This is an opportunity for us to do that and play a veteran football team that’s got some really talented players. This will be a good test for us. But I think from my end of it, I don’t know if I think anything of it other than we kinda play who we play and we get ourselves ready to go.
On Kamari Cotton-Moya’s availability for the Akron game:
I think Kamari’s day-to-day right now. The thing we’re really positive about is the fact – I think I said this after the game a little bit – that it wasn’t anything lengthy. I know I think I said after the game it was his shoulder. It’s more of his elbow than it is his shoulder so I don’t want to misspeak on that. The biggest thing right now is seeing if we can get him ready to play by Saturday. I don’t know if that’s the case. But he looked pretty good [Sunday] and we’ll see if we’re able to get him into practice to be able to play this weekend.
On Iowa State’s better pass protection through two games:
I think it’s a little bit of both (QB and OL) for sure. I think Jacob (Park) has done a really good job getting rid of the football, making his reads and distributing the football where it needs to be. I think the offensive line, Sean Foster came in the game Saturday, I thought had a really good performance. Maybe played 50, 60-some snaps, was able to do a really good job in our pass pro game. Jake Campos maybe played his best game that I’ve seen Jake Campos play. So that was really positive. We used our backs a little bit in protection as well last week. They have some very talented defensive ends that can rush the passer. So I think it was a combination of everybody so far this season. Certainly knowing who our identity is and what’s at least our game plan to give our team success early. I think that’s allowed us to maybe protect the quarterback a little bit better as we start the season this year.
On Foster’s increased role and playing time:
I think just Sean getting better and he’s got the ability to flip to both sides and give Jake a blow. And certainly what continues to happen on the right side is those guys are battling for playing time, which is great. It’s great to have competition. It’s great that we have two guys that can play and it’s great to have a swing guy like Sean, too, that can go to both sides. I think you’ve seen him mature. His game wasn’t perfect Saturday but I think it was really good for him to get into that game, have some success, have a little bit of failure, see where in his game that he still needs to grow to be the type of player I think we all think he can be. But a lot of progress from Sean Foster right now. Really excited about what his future entails and excited that he is playing and making a really positive impact on our team.
On Iowa being a barometer game for the defensive line:
I think the thing that you walk away from Saturday’s football game (with) as a real positive is both sides of the line being able to compete and really play at a high level against what you say is a very veteran group on both sides and a very talented group on both sides. I thought the defensive front from really Ray (Lima) to certainly what Vernell Trent has done. What Vernell Trent’s done in the last two games has been nothing short of what you hope a senior playing his final year, who’s battled back from injury and now is finally healthy, can play and look like. He’s done a phenomenal job. And then honestly J.D. Waggoner and JaQuan Bailey, bar none his best performance of his career so far, too. So all things that you want to see. You want to see those guys be able to play against the run and be physical and be able to attack. I think the only detriment to that group is, again, those guys played a lot of snaps. What you saw is when you maybe needed them at the end of the game, they played so many snaps that we couldn’t get those guys at a fresh rate when we maybe needed them the most. And so we’ve talked about it and you certainly understand it. You challenge some of those young guys. I thought Eni (Uwazurike) did some good things when he got in there. He’s got to continue to play more football. Jamahl Johnson we didn’t have. We’re really excited to hopefully get him back this week cause I think he can be a major factor for us. Kamilo (Tongamoa) did some good things in the game. I think you saw him go from seven reps to fifteen reps to hopefully you’re starting to get him into a consistent rotation. And then same thing on the outside with some of those guys. But I couldn’t be prouder of that defensive line group. I think they’re really starting to come into their own and I think their future’s bright. The key for us though is how many guys can we play and how fresh can we keep those guys. I think the fresher we are the better we’re going to be.
On safety Reggie Wilkerson not playing against Iowa:
He got dinged up at the end of that UNI game; was a hamstring. I don’t know if you guys remember the play, it was kind of like the third quarter, maybe early in the fourth. There was a post route and (he) just kind of tweaked his hamstring. We took him out and was not ready to go. Practiced a little bit on Friday; was kind of a game day decision. Just thought it was in the best interests for him to hold him back so we could get him ready to go. He will be available this week. But that was it. Again, there’s having a little bit of depth. Obviously Evrett (Edwards) went in, thought he did some really good things. And Lawrence White, obviously when Kamari went down, got his first major reps. And honestly Lawrence did some good things in the football game. But it will be great to get all those guys back so we can have a good rotation in that group.
All right, we’ll get ourselves ready to roll. From my end, I’ll let you guys if you guys have any questions any more about last week. I kind of said my piece after the game. I feel really comfortable with that after watching the film and evaluating it. We move forward. Yesterday, had a really good practice in knowing – like I told you Saturday – this is a really big challenge for this football team. Number one, going on the road. Number two, certainly playing in a different environment. And number three obviously, I think the biggest thing is this is an Akron team that’s got a four-year starter at quarterback. A young man, like I told you, is a really talented football player. Ohio State transfer at tailback who has done some good things in the first two games. And a very veteran defense. When Akron has been at their best, especially in the conference last year, they had some really bad injuries down the road – the quarterback got hurt – (and) ended up being a 5-7 football team a year ago. But when they played their best and Coach Bowden’s kind of swung the tide there a little bit, they’ve really had a veteran football team. And they certainly have that right now. So it’ll be a really good challenge for us and look forward to the challenge at hand. But that said I’ll certainly open it up to you guys for any questions you have for me.
On doing anything different with kickoff return team:
Number one, I just think that’s certainly an area that I’ve challenged our football team and our staff with is our kickoff return team. Not to say it was bad because I think the first game, Michael (Warren) was able to bring two outside the 35-yard-line. We made a bad decision on Saturday one time. We were deep in our end zone; we shouldn’t have brought the ball out. That’s not just on the returner. That’s really on the halfbacks back there as well who kinda help navigate that. As well as I thinking physically we just kinda were not able to create some of the creases that we were the first week. So I think we’ve got to continue to evaluate that unit. That’s a really important area for us. Our starting field position wasn’t great for our offense on Saturday and it’s something we must get better. I think we’re all researching how can we be better at that and do we have the right people where they need to be and continue to get ourselves better in that unit.
On Johnnie Lang still being an option to return kickoffs:
I think Johnnie will always be an option. Johnnie needs to play more football for us. Johnnie didn’t get many reps – any reps to be honest with you – on Saturday. Again that’s one of those games where, was it the right situation, was it not? I think we all sat here on and said, not only Johnnie but we’ve got to continue to get more people to play. Our starters and our first string guys played a lot of snaps on Saturday and if we go at that rate, we won’t be a very successful football team this year. So Johnnie’s one of those names just period that’s got to get on the field somehow, some way, for us.
On a Big 12 school playing at a MAC school and his thoughts from both sides of it:
I don’t know if I have any thoughts. I think the biggest thing for us is I do like the opportunity to get on the road and the opportunity that this team has to go play on the road. If you’re going to have a chance to be an elite team in college football you’ve got to go win football games on the road. This is an opportunity for us to do that and play a veteran football team that’s got some really talented players. This will be a good test for us. But I think from my end of it, I don’t know if I think anything of it other than we kinda play who we play and we get ourselves ready to go.
On Kamari Cotton-Moya’s availability for the Akron game:
I think Kamari’s day-to-day right now. The thing we’re really positive about is the fact – I think I said this after the game a little bit – that it wasn’t anything lengthy. I know I think I said after the game it was his shoulder. It’s more of his elbow than it is his shoulder so I don’t want to misspeak on that. The biggest thing right now is seeing if we can get him ready to play by Saturday. I don’t know if that’s the case. But he looked pretty good [Sunday] and we’ll see if we’re able to get him into practice to be able to play this weekend.
On Iowa State’s better pass protection through two games:
I think it’s a little bit of both (QB and OL) for sure. I think Jacob (Park) has done a really good job getting rid of the football, making his reads and distributing the football where it needs to be. I think the offensive line, Sean Foster came in the game Saturday, I thought had a really good performance. Maybe played 50, 60-some snaps, was able to do a really good job in our pass pro game. Jake Campos maybe played his best game that I’ve seen Jake Campos play. So that was really positive. We used our backs a little bit in protection as well last week. They have some very talented defensive ends that can rush the passer. So I think it was a combination of everybody so far this season. Certainly knowing who our identity is and what’s at least our game plan to give our team success early. I think that’s allowed us to maybe protect the quarterback a little bit better as we start the season this year.
On Foster’s increased role and playing time:
I think just Sean getting better and he’s got the ability to flip to both sides and give Jake a blow. And certainly what continues to happen on the right side is those guys are battling for playing time, which is great. It’s great to have competition. It’s great that we have two guys that can play and it’s great to have a swing guy like Sean, too, that can go to both sides. I think you’ve seen him mature. His game wasn’t perfect Saturday but I think it was really good for him to get into that game, have some success, have a little bit of failure, see where in his game that he still needs to grow to be the type of player I think we all think he can be. But a lot of progress from Sean Foster right now. Really excited about what his future entails and excited that he is playing and making a really positive impact on our team.
On Iowa being a barometer game for the defensive line:
I think the thing that you walk away from Saturday’s football game (with) as a real positive is both sides of the line being able to compete and really play at a high level against what you say is a very veteran group on both sides and a very talented group on both sides. I thought the defensive front from really Ray (Lima) to certainly what Vernell Trent has done. What Vernell Trent’s done in the last two games has been nothing short of what you hope a senior playing his final year, who’s battled back from injury and now is finally healthy, can play and look like. He’s done a phenomenal job. And then honestly J.D. Waggoner and JaQuan Bailey, bar none his best performance of his career so far, too. So all things that you want to see. You want to see those guys be able to play against the run and be physical and be able to attack. I think the only detriment to that group is, again, those guys played a lot of snaps. What you saw is when you maybe needed them at the end of the game, they played so many snaps that we couldn’t get those guys at a fresh rate when we maybe needed them the most. And so we’ve talked about it and you certainly understand it. You challenge some of those young guys. I thought Eni (Uwazurike) did some good things when he got in there. He’s got to continue to play more football. Jamahl Johnson we didn’t have. We’re really excited to hopefully get him back this week cause I think he can be a major factor for us. Kamilo (Tongamoa) did some good things in the game. I think you saw him go from seven reps to fifteen reps to hopefully you’re starting to get him into a consistent rotation. And then same thing on the outside with some of those guys. But I couldn’t be prouder of that defensive line group. I think they’re really starting to come into their own and I think their future’s bright. The key for us though is how many guys can we play and how fresh can we keep those guys. I think the fresher we are the better we’re going to be.
On safety Reggie Wilkerson not playing against Iowa:
He got dinged up at the end of that UNI game; was a hamstring. I don’t know if you guys remember the play, it was kind of like the third quarter, maybe early in the fourth. There was a post route and (he) just kind of tweaked his hamstring. We took him out and was not ready to go. Practiced a little bit on Friday; was kind of a game day decision. Just thought it was in the best interests for him to hold him back so we could get him ready to go. He will be available this week. But that was it. Again, there’s having a little bit of depth. Obviously Evrett (Edwards) went in, thought he did some really good things. And Lawrence White, obviously when Kamari went down, got his first major reps. And honestly Lawrence did some good things in the football game. But it will be great to get all those guys back so we can have a good rotation in that group.
