TransPerfect Music City Bowl News Conference Transcript | Dec. 29

KIRK FERENTZ: Thank you. I really appreciate being here. Good afternoon to everybody. It's great to be back in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl. We had a great experience here two years ago, and this one has been equally good.

Fortunately, we didn't bring the snow with us this time, but everybody has been great. The hospitality extended, it's just been a tremendous experience for our players, for our staff. We're simply thrilled to be here representing the Big Ten.

Just an overview real quick, a lot is written about bowls and said about bowls, and these are changing times in college football, but each one of these games is significant. Anybody that's ever competed I think realizes any time you go out there and put whatever it is you do on display, you are going to try to do your best. That's certainly what this is all about.

This is our 22nd invitation to a bowl game since I've been at Iowa, and each one has been special, and they've been important. So, again, we're just thrilled to be here.

I think our players have done a nice job. Bowls are really interesting. You've got the bowl week, which quite frankly, is a story in itself, and that's a different challenge, but you get the month.

So it's a long time for the players. The initial part, you know you're bowl eligible and you don't know where you are going or who you are going to play. Then you get to the place where the game is two, two and a half weeks out. It's tough to focus specifically on your opponent at that point. Then you get into the phase where you are onsite. You have to navigate through being in a hotel, being in a city that's probably got a little bit more to offer than what our guys are used to on a daily basis. So they have to navigate that.

I think the guys have really done a good job staying focused, and it's going to take that to play a good game against Missouri. They've got an outstanding football team.

Just a couple of words about them. You look at them on film. They're really good offensively. Obviously very balanced. They have two outstanding running backs, guys we have a lot of respect for. Good offensive line.

They've got a good receiver corps. I know they're miss a guy or two there too, if you include the tight ends, but the guy No. 1 is a really good football player.

The whole key to their offense is a quarterback. He's just done a wonderful job with his career. Really good football player. To me he's the catalyst for their offensive football team.

Defensively they look like an SEC defense. They're big and physically up front. A lot of guys, and they rotate guys through. They have some good guys up there. No. 15 is just a really outstanding player, very productive guy.

Special teams, same thing. Good specialists and good size. Really appreciate what special teams can do to impact the game. They've done a good job there.

I think if you look at a couple of things that I always peek at is just penalties an opponent might have, the penalty situation, their ball security, take-away deal, and the other thing is time of possession. Missouri checks all those boxes. They do a great job which indicates they're very well-coached. They pay attention to things that are important and know what to do there.

As far as we go, I think our team has practiced well. They did a good job handling the month of preparation that way. We're going to have to be. We have to be focused. We're going to have to be at our best to have a chance playing this challenge.

Bowls are important certainly. It's a chance to be together, first and foremost, for another month. Secondly, it gives us a chance for younger players to get work and get some exposure that we wouldn't normally get and watch and see how they progress, that type of deal.

Most importantly, it's a chance for the entire team to be together one more time to compete one more time and the seniors to wear the jersey one more time and hopefully add to the win total that we've had this year. Again, we're just looking forward to the challenge.

A couple of things I'll just share with you personnel-wise. We have three of our players that will not be available medically. Logan Jones will not be able to go. Didn't make it there. Seth Anderson suffered an injury a couple of weeks ago, and he is not going to be able to go. I don't see that happening. Koen Entringer, same thing. We have three guys that won't be able to go, and another guy I just want to mention, Kyler Fisher, one of our seniors, has an unmet eligibility requirement, which is kind of ironic. I can give you a whole commentary on college athletics today. He's a graduate, but he has an unmet requirement there.

He's not going to be able to compete. He's been with us. I just want to take a minute to talk about him because to me he's what's good about college football. We hear about all these crazy stories. A little slip there, so he missed something, an assignment, whatever it may have been. He's chosen to stay with the team. He's a senior and has practiced each and every day, been on the look squad. That was not beneath him. He's been doing a great job working against our defense.

I think the story, the depth of things and why this is important. Walked on here from a small town in Iowa. We've had a real history of walk-ons doing special things for us.

Three years ago I wasn't sure he liked football, quite frankly, just watching him in the weight room and watching him in our program. It's not that he wasn't disinterested. Just didn't look like he was really enjoying things.

I'm not sure what happened to him, but this happens to a lot of guys in college. Somewhere along the way, somewhere year two and three, something just happened for him, and he's just done an unbelievable job.

Hasn't started. We've had some pretty good linebackers. Hasn't started on the inside positions, but he was our starter outside and has been an unbelievable player in special teams the last couple of years.

A great leader. Everything he does is first-class. I just want to single him out. It's unfortunate he won't play, but he's been here doing a great job, and he'll be on the sidelines with us tomorrow.

It's been a really good team to work with. Special teams each and every season you know there are going to be challenges, things that are going to happen. You don't know what they are. You don't know what the challenges are going to be. Injuries, whatever it may be, but these guys have responded in a real admirable way each and every turn. That to me is how you evaluate a team.

We're just happy about that. Obviously excited about this opportunity. We've had our work cut out for us, so we're looking forward to that.

Then least at least for our local media I want to appreciate you guys being here and your coverage during the course. I know our fans really appreciate that.

With that, I'll open it up for questions.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Kirk, with Logan out, assuming Tyler Elsbury goes in there, what's the benefit of having a fifth year senior like that that can you plug in there like Nick DeJong did at the end?

KIRK FERENTZ: You just stole my answer right there. I just talked about Kyler Fisher, a fifth year senior. Last year Tyler stood in there I think for four games when Logan missed. He got injured and had to come out. Els did a great job, really good job. That is a real benefit. It's a luxury item, quite frankly, to have him available. Nick DeJong did a great job when Dunk was out, and we didn't miss a beat.

It's hard to replace a guy like Logan. Logan is not only a really good football player, team leader, he will be on the sideline tomorrow and can't go, unfortunately.

Tyler will do a good job. Great opportunity for him. I know he's excited about it.

Q. With Kyler's unmet eligibility requirement, at what point did you find that out? I assume probably Jaxon Rexroth will be filling in in that lead-off spot unless you have something else planned?

KIRK FERENTZ: Was your first question when we found out?

Q. Yeah, what was the timeline?

KIRK FERENTZ: We saw it coming maybe a couple of weeks ago. Somewhere in December. He made every effort to make it to the finish line, but just wasn't able to. It's unfortunate.

I've got a son who graduated -- I have three sons that have graduated from Iowa, and one, I remember in May, just asking distinctly, You sure you got this thing measured up because I was just watching what he was doing, and I wasn't quite sure. He made it maybe by that much. The irony here is Tyler is a graduate. That's just part of the deal.

It's a tough break. Nothing malicious, anything like that. He's the one that's hurting him more than anybody, but we'll be fine. Rexroth will be out there, and we'll be fine.

Q. I want to ask about a former player. Yesterday Marshal Yanda was named one of the 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. If he gets nominated and he is in there, he would be your first former player to be a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Tell me about maybe a memory of Marshal and what he means to you, what that would mean to have him in the pro football Hall of Fame?

KIRK FERENTZ: I've got a million memories. Somebody told me last night that would be the first one, which I hadn't really thought about. First of all, when they start out with that initial list, I look at it every year, there's not anybody on there that's not a great player.

So I don't think the average person, average fan really appreciates how tough it is to make any Hall of Fame whether you are talking about the College Football Hall of Fame or you talk about the NFL Hall of Fame because there are so many really good players that aren't in it.

So for him to make that final cut, I think it's 15, that's unreal. It's even more impressive because of the position he plays. It's kind of an underappreciated, devalued position, if you will, although there are a couple of guys that have already gone in. Russ Grimm, who I was with in 1980, one of the best players I've ever been around. I think left guard from LSU for the Steelers, Alan Faneca, is also in.

I think it's really tough for a guard, but it speaks to Marshal. My first memory of him is, Boy, we made him a mistake. Recruited him out of junior college. He recruited us, quite frankly. Got here in January midyear. I watched him in the out-of-season program. I thought, Oh, boy, this might not have been a good decision. Wasn't the prettiest car on the lot.

It wasn't until we started practicing in pads, real football, all of a sudden I said, Okay, went from being a redshirt pocket to maybe our best lineman. That would have been spring of '06, I think.

Better than the way he plays is his attitude. He's absolutely unbelievable. He was our honorary captain for the Wisconsin game, and his message was one probably every human being should hear but certainly every athlete should hear. That's who he is. He realizes failure is part of improvement and growth. He's fully appreciative of that. He's battled through a lot of things, whether it was setbacks on the field, injuries. But his attitude is just so strong and powerful. That's the beauty of him.

He and his wife, Shannon, are raising three young kids right there near Iowa City, about 25 minutes away. It's really fun to watch. Really fun to watch. We just keep our fingers crossed and wish him all the best with the selection.

Q. It's obviously no secret, you guys brought in Hank brown, you're potentially looking for another quarterback in the portal. How have you seen Brendon Sullivan embrace that competition, embrace a change to showcase what he can do now that he is fully healthy? How have you seen him attack it?

KIRK FERENTZ: He's attacked everything since he showed up in June. I think that's maybe one of the most impressive things he's done. He got here late -- it's late in the game to get here in June and miss spring practice, but he works through everything diligently, physically, mentally. He's a sharp guy. He was a graduate when he got here.

So it's not an issue. His want to and will power, they're really impressive. I think he's his own worst enemy at times because he tries so hard and competes so hard, so we have to get him to play calm a little bit. Each and every step has been so important for him, and the good news is he's been pretty much healthy since we got going a couple of weeks ago.

I think we watched him the first couple of practices, but other than that, he's been full speed and had a really good morning this morning, so that's encouraging. He has to go out and play.

It's like every position, but quarterback it's easier to say it than do it. He doesn't need to win the game. He needs to play his position and play it well and let the team help out to do their part, and that's everybody's job. He does a really nice job. Really pleased with where he is heading.

Q. Kaden Wetjen said the other day he is still not on scholarship. I was curious --

KIRK FERENTZ: He is or isn't?

Q. He said he isn't.

KIRK FERENTZ: We're still contemplating that, but yeah. No, I'm joking.

Q. How do you see the offense being different without Kaleb Johnson in this game?

KIRK FERENTZ: Well, I mean, it's obvious. He's one of our best football players. If you would have asked the same thing in '08 when Shonn Greene was playing, you're going to be different with him not being in there.

We've had guys historically step up, and that's what we're counting on here. I'll go back to Jermelle Lewis stepping in when Fred Russell might have been out. I'm going way, way back. Look that one up in the archives.

Thinking about last time we played Missouri, we had a freshman running back running for 219. I did look that up to make sure I had my facts straight. That's the great thing about bowl games, the great thing about football. Everybody has an opportunity, and we have a couple of guys between Kamari and Jaz, who are eager to have that opportunity.

For any of us to think they're going to be Kaleb, that would be mistaken on our part. They don't have to be. They just have to be themselves because they're both good players. We have a couple of other guys too that may end up in there. We'll see how that goes. I would be perfectly happy if the two of them could split the load.

If we are going to win the game, we're going to have to run the ball a little bit. They know that. We know that. We have to find a way to do that. Obviously we're going to run it and we're going to have to throw it. This is not rocket science, but that's the key.

I'm confident those guys will do a good job. They've been really pretty much on task. I've talked about Kaleb a lot this year, and I could say the same thing about both of those guys. They're different players than Kaleb, but they've been totally focused and had a good chemistry, the three of them, and now three is two, so here we go.

It's only 60-some plays, so not that big of deal. John McKay said, The ball is not that heavy. So here we go.

Q. Just feels like every year the vast majority of your guys really look forward to playing in the bowl game. You don't see very many opt-outs. Two years ago Jack Campbell, Sam LaPorta, Riley Moss, all those guys decided to play, and this year, same case. Why do you think your players continue to make this choice because there is the inherent risk of playing in a game obviously, but why do they continue to make the choice to suit up?

KIRK FERENTZ: I remember in college one of the best players on our team finished his career and blew an ACL crossing the street. Literally misstepped on a curb and ended up playing for the Jets for a little bit. So in my four years that was the only guy, for the record, that went on to the National Football League. We didn't have a lot of abundance of players, and I would be the showcase of that.

I think our guys play for the right reason. The good of the game is just a chance to be together and go out and compete together and go through the work leading up to competition. I think that's the big -- if you don't like that part in football, you are probably in the wrong sport because for baseball 162 games, basketball 80-plus, so you are playing a lot more than you're practicing or working.

So that's kind of the nature of football, and I think the nature of being part of a team, all those kinds of things, talk to any former player, the good ones, that's what they miss. That's what you miss when you are done playing. I think we've been very fortunate. We've had a lot of really good young guys in this program. A bunch of them on this team too, same way.

Q. I know you mentioned seeing some of the young guys go through the bowl prep and see who is standing out, see who is progressing. Any names come to mind?

KIRK FERENTZ: You don't want me to share those, do you? It's funny. In fact, I was walking in. We had an event last night, a bowl event, which I'll put a plug in. The TransPerfect Music Bowl, we get to go to the Opryland. This is unsolicited. It is easily the best bowl event. I've been to a few bowls. I think 30. I counted it somewhere this week. 30 in my career.

It's easily the best event for head coaches to go to. I haven't been a head coach 30 times. It's just a really neat thing. So how I got on that?

Coming out of that event, one of my friends, a guy I used to teach cool ask with a hundred years ago, and we are walking down the hall and we walked one of our younger players, a freshman. Just said, This guy might be one of those guys. I'll let you guys figure that out somewhere next fall. I hope I'm right. We'll see.

It's been fun to watch the guys work. There's good and there's bad. You watch the guys work that maybe have been on the scout team. You don't get to watch every day doing what we do. That's kind of fun and exciting. Then there's some anxiety too where you are looking at some guys that are going to have to replace some of the seniors we're losing, and you're, like, Oh, boy, I don't know if this guy -- name a guy, Jay Higgins or Mason Richman.

We still have until next September to get those guys ready, but just in general, the guys work with a good attitude. They've been out there trying to get better, and they have been getting better. When you are too close to it and seeing it every day, not every day, but you are seeing it day after day, it's like anything. It's like your own kids. Then when you are gone for a week and come back, it seems like they grew an inch or two.

So, anyway, it's interesting, but we'll see what spring ball brings. More commentary maybe at the end of spring. We'll see what it looks like. Hopefully guys will keep growing.

Thanks very much.

THE MODERATOR: We have Defensive Coordinator Phil Parker and Offensive Coordinator Tim Lester. We'll start with Coach Lester.

TIM LESTER: I appreciate everyone being here. For me it's been an unbelievable first season to be with Coach Ferentz and the staff. When I got here in February, I threw a lot at these guys, a lot of new.

They've done a great job of coming together. This senior class has really led us. It's exciting for us to be at a bowl game. It will be our last time with these seniors. They've meant a lot to this program, meant a lot to me especially coming in and putting a lot of new stuff in. I'm excited for them and excited for their opportunity tomorrow.

The last thing would be, it's been a great month for us putting in a new offense and having a chance to really have some focused practices in the last month and watching our guys continue to get better, the young guys getting reps and getting better. It's been very valuable for us as a program, and we're excited to be here. We're excited for the game tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: Coach Parker.

PHIL PARKER: Thank you everybody for coming, and I appreciate it. I know some of you guys that had to travel here to cover us. I really appreciate you guys doing that. I heard a couple of stories already, but I would really like to thank the bowl committee here that selected us. It's nice to be down here in Nashville. It seems like I've been here many times over the years, whether it's a convention or whether it's a football game.

It's really been a good week. We just finished practice. Our last one was today. It looked like the kids were polished. Really happy for them.

We have a lot of seniors that -- we have seven seniors that are going out, and this is going to be their last time together to play. We're looking for a good outcome for this.

Obviously through the years, this year we had some up and downs during the season, and I like the way the guys responded. There was a point in the season there where it could have went the other way, and coming back and getting eight wins is very significant.

I think to win nine in college football nowadays with all the things that go on and how things are moving around in college football, but we're looking forward. It's going to be a tough matchup for us. They're a good football team. They're well-coached, and it's going to be a challenge for us. We have some guys out; we have some guys out.

Looking forward to any questions you guys might have.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You mentioned seven seniors. What have you seen from some of the younger guys as you prepare for this bowl game that have stepped up and your thoughts on some of their performances?

PHIL PARKER: One thing about it is we have eight guys coming back, and a lot of these guys you've been seeing them, but it was a great opportunity to get a guy like Lutmer some reps and Koen to get some reps and see them grow as a guy that's the upcoming guy that's going to be on the field a lot next year.

Then the linebacker group, we have a lot of young guys in the linebacker group that was getting a lot of work. You go back for this whole month of how many reps you can take and then wait for spring ball to come and see their growth, which has really been important for us as a program that's a developing program.

We have to make sure that you keep your guys in our building and make sure they're all on the same page. I think they're all working hard, and I think this is a good event to send these seniors out on a good game tomorrow, Monday.

Q. Tim, it's been no secret. You guys went out and got Hank Brown. You have been exploring the possibility of adding another quarterback in the room. Brendan Sullivan, how has he looked just attacking, knowing that there are other quarterbacks that could potentially still be recruited? How has he looked since he got back from his injury? And what's it to say about him to say no matter what happens, I'm going to stay at Iowa and compete, and this is what college football is all about?

TIM LESTER: He's an unbelievable young man. I think you get that when you meet him and you watch the way he plays the game with the passion that he plays with.

It's ironic because I brought him in here in the offseason to compete with Cade. No surprise that you want competition at the most important position on the field. He's ready for it.

It's been great to have him back. He's back. He's healthy. He tried to come back as fast as he could. It's hard when you are a mobile quarterback, and you're not mobile.

He's moving around great again, throwing the ball. His feet are getting better. He is more comfortable within the offense. He got here in July, late June/early July. It's not like he even had a spring ball. This month has been huge for him and really for everybody.

We talked about the young guys and how many reps they've gotten, but he's sharp right now. I'm glad that Jackson got the reps that he got late in the season too. We're who very fortunate that they had it. Now afterwards it's great to look back and see how many reps guys got and should help us moving forward.

Q. Tim, for seeing Hank Brown, what that has stood out to you about him since he got here I think last Friday, and also kind of what you saw on film when you were evaluating him in the portal?

TIM LESTER: I think the biggest thing with quarterbacks, you know, when they come to practice for bowls, I mean, they are spinning, right? Coach does a great job. We talk about being a development program. So we were able to get him and Jimmy, our two new quarterbacks. They can't play in the game, but at the end of practice we always do a devo period, a development period. I just threw them in, both of them. They had literally been there 24, 48 hours, and I got them running the show.

Those are invaluable, for the next month before they actually show up where they're at now compared to where they were six days ago, such a huge opportunity for them. I'm excited for both of them. They both had ups and downs in their six days here, but they've definitely showed some promise.

Smart, good feet. Hopefully just trying to build that room to have a bunch of competition in the room. It's always the most important room to have good competition in, and I think we're going to have that.

Q. As you're building the room, kind of how do you evaluate your level of need moving forward still in the portal?

TIM LESTER: We're always hoping. The world is changing, right? So we're always looking to see what opportunities we have to continue to build the room. We still don't have enough in there. I would like to have five to six. I think we're at four or five right now. If the right person comes along that we think fits our culture and Iowa, then we'll definitely go after them.

I'm looking forward. I'm excited about the guys that are in there. I'm excited about the competition that's going to come.

Q. Tim, you talked so much about the Shanahan offense, how it's predicated on timing. How much was this month good for your passing piece of the offense and just how much growth did you see there? Does it give you more confidence to call passes on Monday?

TIM LESTER: Well, really this whole month you try to work on the things you need to work on, right? We're definitely going to be a different team.

Kaleb had an unbelievable season. It was so much fun to watch him play. So we'll be without him. The offense is going to change to a point, but that's really what we worked on.

Tried to get better with the pass game, get better at our timing. I really think receivers are starting to understand the timing of the whole thing along with the quarterbacks. The only way to do that is to practice it, right? Time on task is a real thing, and we've taken a lot of time over the last month to work on those things. So, yeah, our timing has gotten better.

We have to find a way to be explosive, right? This year sometimes handing inside zone to number two was our most explosive play. That's my job as the offensive coordinator to find a way to be explosive in every game, no matter how that has to happen. We have on to find a way again tomorrow.

Q. Tim, regarding receivers in particular and talking about the young guys that you have seen emerge over this time, any of those guys -- because, I mean, it's a young group, right?

TIM LESTER: Yeah. The ones playing are young.

Q. Any guys that have continued to grow in particular over this month?

TIM LESTER: Yeah, I think a lot of them. Getting Reece back, he's a true freshman and played quarterback in high school. He was just kind of hitting his stride as a receiver and then got hurt and was out I think six weeks.

He kind of had to reteach himself. He's been coming along. Really all the young guys. KJ Parker is a guy who redshirted who had has a ton of reps, which I was excited to watch him out there. He's been out with Phil. It's been fun to have him out there. Dayton Howard has gotten better. They really all have.

When you are at the Green Bay Packers and bring in all the rookie wide outs, it's about how fast can they learn it because they stop thinking and start playing, and you started seeing that with some of the young guys. It's obviously harder when the lights are on tomorrow at 1:30, but we've seen a lot of growth from the receivers.

The tight ends as well. There are some young guys there that we think got a lot better in the last month. Hopefully it shows tomorrow, but I've been really encouraged by the last month and watching the whole unit, the passing unit get better.

Q. Phil, I wanted to ask you about Nick Jackson. So much is made about the transfer portal these days, and this guy comes into your program and seems to really fit right in and gives you two years of a strong production. Can you talk about maybe the impact that he's had on your program and maybe somebody with similar qualities you would like to maybe bring in in the portal sometime soon?

PHIL PARKER: Well, right now, I tell you, Nick, when we first recruited him and going down and visited with him, which was kind of awkward going to visit guys that are at a different school, but it was a unique situation, and he was just the right fit for us.

He matched our guys. He came in and blended in with our guys. He learned a lot of football, and he became a good leader in that aspect of it. Jay helped him along the whole way.

I think Coach Wallace does a good job with those guys, and they're really like coaches on the field. So it's really excellent.

But, you know, right now I don't know if we're going to go out there and experiment in the portal to try to bring in another linebacker. I think we have a good group of guys right now that we're working with. You have to be very careful that you bring in the right guy into your program and don't want to disturb the locker room.

I think that's the most important thing right now in college football. As you can see, it's definitely different. I think it changes, and you can see the quality sometimes might be slipping a little bit just for the lack of guys being together.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you both.

 

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