Kirk Ferentz News Conference Transcript | Nov. 3

KIRK FERENTZ: Good afternoon. So, a little bit last weekend and move on to this game coming up.

You know, with Jack Campbell, we all became aware on Sunday shortly after what was going on there, and I want to share our support certainly to the family and, most importantly, to Jack.

Been in contact with the family, expressed that to them, and they've kept us updated, but we're going to respect their wishes right now. They'll handle the information that comes out. When they think it's appropriate, they'll release that information and go from there.

I think all of you know just how impactful Jack was in our program, what a tremendous person he is, what a tremendous player he's been for us, and now he's moved on and done the exact same thing in Detroit. Not only playing really well, but just a tremendous leader and tremendous addition.

We're all keeping him in our thoughts, and certainly hope everybody that's a Hawkeye fan does the same.

Briefly about last week's game. Played really well in all three phases. Had a good plan going in, but most importantly, the players executed, played well, really clean football. So big contrast to the week before; happy about that.

I want to congratulate Hank on being named Big Ten Offensive Player Of the Week and also DJ for being recognized by the Mackey Award as Tight End of the Week. Two nice side things coming out of that game.

Then turning our sights to this week. We have the same four captains: Montgomery, Lee, Lutmer, and Ostrenga.

I don't think Cael Winter will play. We'll see, but not optimistic there. Then we have a couple of other guys banged up. It's that time of year, so we have some guys nursing injuries. Hopefully they'll make it by game time. Optimistic they will, but we'll wait and see how the week pans out on that one.

Playing a really good Northwestern team. They're a good team and really playing well this season. They've been playing well right from the start.

It's kind of interesting. We didn't play them a year ago, and it feels like it's been about five years since we've played. A little bit like that gap we had with Illinois a while back, but it hasn't been that long, quite frankly.

Some things haven't really changed. They're still really well-coached. They play hard and have good players. They have had some changes, primarily some coaching changes. Chip Kelly is the coach running the offense and a couple of guys that have been with him are there, and they're having a real positive impact.

Maybe as equally as important, some of the players they've got. They have a lot of guys that have been there that have really grown and done really well and then some additions. The quarterback, the receiver from South Dakota State, just to name two. Guys that are really good football players. The running back is an excellent player, and he's been there.

Then defensively, they're a really good team. They have some very good players. Most of them home-grown and playing at a high level. Same thing about their special teams. It's a really good football team.

One thing I think that's interesting is perception and reality sometimes, and this kind of caught me yesterday. Looking at this from last week, the game notes, and you have Northwestern, 6-1, versus Oregon, 4-3. I can't help but be amused sometimes about if anybody had predicted that back in July or June when everybody was talking about what was going on to happen, I doubt anybody would have hit that one on the head. That's the reality of the whole thing.

They're a really good football team, playing well. Got a new stadium. Something we've never witnessed or experienced. That's going to be a new thing for us. More importantly, they have a really good football team, and it's going to be a tough contest for us out there on the field. So doing our best to have a good week of preparation.

I want to note the Kid Captain Ellie Walker, a young lady from Clinton, who is no longer with us. I'll touch on her story a little bit. She was healthy, active as a 3-year-old and then fell ill, and they discovered a very rare cancerous tumor on her brain that required a 13-hour surgery. Pretty aggressive treatment.

Then they got good news that it was in remission, and then sadly, the cancer came back. Probably the happiest part about the whole thing is at least she got to experience the Hawkeye Wave one last time back on the 4th of July when the Bananas were here, and then a couple of days later they lost her.

A really sad story obviously, and we'll carry her memory with us this weekend when we go out there and compete. We want to pay tribute to her certainly.

As I understand it, her fight, her spirit left a really lasting impression on the doctors, nurses, and the care team at the hospital. You've heard me talk about the connection that gets established typically in kids medicine is really unique and rare. Just want to touch on that.

Then we turn the page here again. We're in the thick of it right now coming into November in Big Ten football, and each and every week is going to be really competitive and tough. So we're doing our best to get ready and anxious to see where it all goes.

Q. Nobody can imagine what Drew has been through over the past three days. Have you gotten the chance to speak with them? How have you seen the team rally, because you always talk about mature, young men when they leave the program more than football. How have you seen them kind of rally and be there in support of Drew, again, during this unimaginable thing that's happened to them?

KIRK FERENTZ: We got great, young guys on our team, and they all care about each other, and they're close. Certainly everybody has been there for Drew. It's just a tough thing.

Your whole world stops when there's a medical issue typically in the family, so I think everybody is being respectful of that and appreciative. We're doing all we can to help him out. What we're all hoping for is good news with each and every day.

Q. You mentioned Cael Winter is likely out. Does that mean we're going to see Myslinski?

KIRK FERENTZ: Yeah, Mike jumped in and did a really good job Saturday, not surprisingly. I think he's our most veteran player, quite frankly. Just had a 25th birthday last week.

He did a great job Saturday, and every confidence he'll play really well this weekend.

Q. With the Northwestern new stadium, they have something a little bit like the North End Zone here with the Wildcat Wall. I'm curious, just talking with Trevor, he mentioned the importance of getting the silent cadence going. Is that something that you're anticipating having some similarities just knowing how the defense operates with that North End Zone and now --

KIRK FERENTZ: Eager to find out. I've seen a million pictures. Last night we came out to grab something to eat here. They had some kind of like a panoramic view.

It looks like a beautiful facility. It has to be great for everybody there. I just know what moving into this facility did for us and then even the Pacha North End Zone project was really uplifting.

So, yeah, we're prepared for everything. In this conference you have to be. We'll always work on the silent cadence any time we're on the road, but yeah, anxious to find out. More anxious to see how we play, because that's going to be the challenge.

Q. We've seen a lot of your corners really take a final year jump. We saw TJ Hall last year and now Deshaun Lee this year. How have you seen him kind of mature into that role and take on a leadership role in that room as well?

KIRK FERENTZ: Yeah, it's very similar to TJ's ascension really. Talked a little bit about that. You've heard me talk about that with Kamari, just how much better he's playing this year. That's the beauty of experience.

Cherry-pick Bryce Hawthorne. You can name a lot of guys that were getting their feet wet last year that are playing at a higher level. When I look across at their tape as well, it's very similar. A lot of our guys are home-grown guys that with each turn, just keep getting better and better, and that's the beauty of football.

Deshaun has always been a great, young guy, and now he's playing with a little bit more confidence, and that comes with experience. It also comes with sometimes having some failure. But as long as you grow, he's got a great attitude, always had, and great work ethic on top of it. It's usually a good combination. If you can work through the low periods and then just keep pushing forward, that's kind of the reward, playing good as a senior.

Q. I wanted to ask about the month of November. The calendar has turned, and this is a month that you guys always seem to play your best football. How and why does that happen? Do you think this team has the characteristics to have other teams that have done well in this month?

KIRK FERENTZ: We're going to find out. That's one of the great things about it because this is where things get interesting. We have a high number of guys not practicing right now. Not just, like, in the two-deep, but guys in general.

So, you start getting stressed a little and stressed in different ways in November typically. Emotionally, physically, there's a lot of things that beneath the surface that are taking place. Ultimately, you have to be able to perform, find a way to get it done, and that's really what it gets down to if you are going to have a successful season.

I've talked to our players about this every year. If you are going to be successful in a conference, you have to win on the road. You've got to find a way, because you're going play half your games -- and I understand we play an odd number of games, so it's not technically half, but over two years it's half your games on the road. If you want to use that as a crutch, you can't. You're not going to be very successful.

Same thing about November. It's just meeting the challenges, whatever they may be, and every November has got them. Having the right mindset and then you got to go out and play, and we're going to found out. Hopefully it's positive.

Q. Is 2024 Ohio State the only time you faced Chip Kelly, to your knowledge?

KIRK FERENTZ: Probably. I have to think about this for a second. It feels like ten years ago too. Yeah, it was.

Q. When you look at the film, they're second in the country in red zone efficiency. What do you see from this unique offense that you need to prepare for maybe uniquely?

KIRK FERENTZ: I probably could talk for like an hour about him. Just tremendous respect. Let me start there. I've gotten to know him a little bit over the last several years. I think a really good person. Just a brilliant football coach.

If you look at his career, what he's done in his career, the multitude of things and going back to Oregon, time in the NFL, UCLA, he's done a lot of different things in a lot of different ways. You have to be adaptable to be good at anything you do, and he certainly is that. He's got a great football mind.

He's in a new situation. I don't want to speak with great authority, but I would think it's probably a little bit unique and different than what he's been in at several places. Good coaches find a way to make it work, and he's certainly had a real good impact with the program.

We've played against the quarterback, and he played really well against us. Probably wasn't as consistent that year. I don't want to speak for the coaches there, but he's playing really consistent now, and I think that's him being older too and being more experienced. He's with a really good coaching staff. So I can't say enough.

Again, you go that record, that 6-1 record, and they played really well up at Oregon, which a lot of people have not, again, it just speaks to the way they're coached. They're coached really well in all three phases, and Chip is a big part of that.

Q. For Hank, and I know your quarterback situation has been a little different this year. Can you speak to what it's been like for a guy like Hank to not perform great at times and then come out there and stay steady and earn a Big Ten award this season?

KIRK FERENTZ: Yeah. We talked about Deshaun, TJ, and Kamari. It's part of being a young player, and I've been trying to say that since January probably that whoever is going to be a new player playing in a position, you have to understand it's not going to look like it will probably as a senior.

We just talked about the quarterback from Northwestern. I would venture to say he's playing at a much higher level than he was two years ago. Played really good against us. We witnessed that firsthand, but you can't hand experience to player.

Sometimes occasionally guys come in and just play really well right off the bat and go, but usually most good players I've been around are better a year later and two years later after they got started.

Hank has just had a great attitude. He's worked hard, and he's been here two years now, just like Jeremy. A little less time with Jeremy, but still a long time.

We double-listed him this week for two reasons. I wanted to hear what the public wanted. We've heard it's gone back and forth ample times. I'm joking there, but my point of emphasis is we like both guys. They're both good players.

You can only play one, and obviously what Hank did the other day was really impressive. Right now he's our starter, but we like both players. They both are improving with every week hopefully, and that's what we're seeing at least.

Q. First, it seemed like Tony might have gotten banged up. Is he doing okay health-wise?

KIRK FERENTZ: He's fine, 100%, yeah.

Q. With Mike Myslinski, I know he's been around the program for a while and dealt with health stuff and got the waiver to come back another year. Can you maybe just kind of walk through how you've seen his trajectory of his career here, and what makes him ready for potentially starting?

KIRK FERENTZ: Yeah, the fact that he's still doing this really I think speaks volumes of him because he's dealt with some tough injuries, season-ending injuries. You get the physical rehab part of it, but there's a mental game that gets played too. I have always felt like dealing with injuries is the hardest thing for any player to go through.

So credit to him for working through the lows and the highs, and all he's done this year is practice well. That was just like we got done talking about with the quarterback thing. He and Cael really battled it out, and Cael had him by a nose or whatever, but he was playing really well.

Mike is more than ready to go. He's experienced. He's confident. Everybody on the team believes in him. Just a credit to him to stick it out.

There are two components. You have a physical and a mental, and both of those are very real, and he's done a great job. He's just a really positive, you know, member of the team.

Q. I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on what makes a holder good or not, but I wanted to ask about Tanner, and how does he kind of represent what this program is built on? He's part of an elite special teams unit. He's made a couple of nice plays to get the snap down against Iowa State. He had a high snap that he corralled against Minnesota. He's an in-state kid who came in and humbled himself when he didn't win the punting battle against Boston and still went out there and filled an impactful role for the team.

KIRK FERENTZ: I can't say enough about him, and we've been really fortunate historically with the guys that are the holders. That's a job nobody talks about unless it gets screwed up, just like being a deep snapper, a long snapper.

But he's done a great job with the physical part of it, but then to your point too, I think more impressed with who he is. He's not a bad punter either, I got to tell you that. Our No. 2 punting battle has been a wild ride historically, but he's been pretty good in my opinion. He's done a really nice job there, but every day is a positive experience with him.

He has a great attitude. He's appreciative and does a great job. Being on the team means a lot to him. He backs it up with just the way he acts and how he conducts himself.

Been a great addition. We've been really fortunate to add some really good guys, and he's certainly one of them. To make those holds in tough circumstances, yeah, I mean, whoa, think about how that would alter the outcomes. He's done a great job.

Q. Just curious, will you pay attention at all to the College Football Playoff rankings tonight --

KIRK FERENTZ: Geez, I can't wait! Yeah, that's tonight?!?! Not to be a smart ass, but no.

Q. Does it give you maybe an idea of where you guys stand? Is that a goal for you to make your first playoff?

KIRK FERENTZ: Yeah, we'd like to go. Whenever they started the playoffs, we would have been happy to be in them.

All I've learned in coaching is good things come with winning, so that's really what we need to worry about. Just like this (holds up paper), I mean, I doubt anybody had those two records down in July, so you can't predict any of this stuff. If you are worried about that, you really are wasting time.

I'm a lot more worried about getting ready for Northwestern, quite frankly, and then we'll see where we're at on Sunday. Then we'll turn the page onto the next one.

My experience is if you are looking down the road, it's a good time to really go out there and perform badly. I think a lot of teams suffer from that weekly actually.

So, not to make fun of it, but it's great for TV, right? It's going to be televised? ESPN is loving it. Next time I look at my iPad, I'm sure I'll be reading all about it and can't wait.

I did notice they seem to promote the sports that they carry. Is that correct? I'm figuring that out. You couldn't find anything on the Baseball World Series until the last game. Is that fair? I'm living in the same world, right?

I'm like, are they still playing the World Series or what? Oh, yeah, FOX, ESPN -- I got it, okay. I better watch out because I'm pro-FOX, right? We're a FOX conference and several others, but we're not ESPN, so we probably won't make the rankings. Haven't gone that far, but anyway, I'm not too worried about it.

Speaking of that, I hope everybody voted. I mean, what isn't political anymore? So anyway, okay. Winning. Winning is not political. If you win enough, they can't deny you. If you lose, you're gone. Next contestant, right?

So anyway, the long answer is, no, I won't watch that.

Q. Talking to George Barnett preseason I think his next three in on the interior offensive line would have been Myslinski, Trent Wilson, and Lucas Allgeyer. Maybe not in that order, but those two guys are the injury report as out. This past week you lose Winter. Who would be your next man in interior-wise, I guess?

KIRK FERENTZ: So I just mentioned injuries. We got an appendicitis attack and a severely sprained ankle. Everybody is going to be fine, fortunately, but just things that you're not planning for, and then, you know, six weeks for both guys.

Josh Janowski will be the next guy in on the interior.

Q. Will he play center if something happened?

KIRK FERENTZ: He would probably play center. We'd probably move Mike to guard if something happened on the interior.

 

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