Professional Documents
Culture Documents
KF NW Post PDF
KF NW Post PDF
Media Conference
Saturday, November 10, 2018
Kirk Ferentz
Northwestern - 14, Iowa - 10 an All-American, yet he's not on the field in some
of the most critical plays on a game where you got
KIRK FERENTZ: So obviously it was a tough loss
300 hundred yards or less of offense?
against a team that's really been playing very well and
KIRK FERENTZ: Yeah. I think it was 330. 333. But
they outplayed us tonight, especially in that second
anyway. So, yeah, we're playing the guys out there
half. I told our players last week that we write our own
that we feel are best in the situations that's given to
history and that really hasn't changed. It gets decided
them.
out on the field. So tonight we came up short against a
team that's been playing very, very well since their bye
Q. Along those lines, is the key the lack of targets
week. They outplayed us tonight. Nobody's more
or something they did today?
disappointed right now than the 115, 116 guys on our
KIRK FERENTZ: No. I think overall they did a good job
football team. They have worked hard, they have
defensively. And to me the biggest story of the game
invested, and I thought they competed hard tonight.
was we couldn't run the ball effectively in the second
But it wasn't good enough. So moving forward the
half and they did. They made it tough on us in every
biggest challenge for us tomorrow is getting ourselves
segment. I know we out gained them yardage-wise,
back up on our feet. We'll go back to work, got to stay
but we never really got in a rhythm outside of the one
together. And then I think the guys have worked hard,
big play to Smith-Marsette. We never really got in a
but what we need to do now is show more
rhythm. Offensively we didn't hit many big plays.
improvement. Hopefully that will translate out there on
That's one of the games where I think our inefficiency
the game field next week. So with that I'll throw it out
on third down and their ability to run the ball was
for questions.
probably the biggest thing.
Q. Noah Fant was in the game for about eight plays
Q. The Smith-Marsette kickoff returns and then the
in the second half including none of which when
catches he made was the highlight for your offense
you guys went to 11 personnel one of the last
maybe?
drives. Is there a reason why he's not playing as
KIRK FERENTZ: Yeah. He's doing a great job on kick
much?
returns, and the whole unit is. Those guys, it's like
KIRK FERENTZ: If you've got 11 personnel, you can
anything else, when a guy's doing that it gives
only have one tight end out there and we got two pretty
everybody else, I think, a little incentive to hold those
good tight ends, so TJ would have been the guy of
block. But he's doing a lot of good things on his own
choice at that point.
too. So that part of our game's really been pleasing
and consistent and he's come along as a receiver too.
Q. He played in the slot quite a bit.
Made a good play on the touchdown.
KIRK FERENTZ: That would be 12 personnel and I
think we had that out there in the second half.
Q. Northwestern was 0-6 on third down in the first
half and they improved on that in the second half.
Q. You did on your touchdowns, but was there a
What do you think was the difference between the
reason why Noah Fant wasn't out there in the
two halves?
second half?
KIRK FERENTZ: That's how football works sometimes,
KIRK FERENTZ: 12 personnel or for 11?
you know. Just because something happens for 30
minutes it can flip. But, again, I go back, I think the
Q. Well, for any play.
biggest thing is they ran the ball with some success.
KIRK FERENTZ: Well, I think we try to feature our guys
They did a really good job that way and we weren't able
that are doing the best, whether it's TJ, Noah, our
to respond. And then conversely we didn't run the ball
receivers. No, I mean we're calling the game as we
very well or consistently. So that is a big big part of it.
call the game and practice the situations we're
practicing.
Q. Finishing games obviously has been kind of the
story of the season. What characteristic maybe is
Q. But the guy has 18 touchdowns and is probably
missing or what can you point to for this team that