Kirk Ferentz: University of Iowa Football Media Conference
Kirk Ferentz: University of Iowa Football Media Conference
Media Conference
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Kirk Ferentz
KIRK FERENTZ: Good afternoon. Thanks for being on our veterans hopefully to help those guys through.
here. Certainly, we're pleased to be 2-0 right now and But for them to be in a hostile environment, they might
coming off a game where I think we played a real solid as well get used to that. That's going to be part of the
football game in all regards in our Big Ten opener. year as we go along.
Happy to be at that point. Now our focus is squarely on
getting ready for Iowa State, tough preparation here. It gets down to us. We have to go over there and be
focused, really concentrating on the task at hand, and
Captain-wise, we have the same four guys. We have that one is certainly significant. Again, pleased with the
Nate Stanley, Michael Ojemudia, Kristian Welch, and start and know we have a big challenge ahead of us. I'll
then Brady Ross is special teams. Injury-wise, throw it out for questions.
Merriweather won't play again. Geno Stone is fine. He
came out of the game fine. He'll be ready to roll.
Q. How about Cole Banwart? Is he back?
KIRK FERENTZ: Yeah, he's back practicing now. I
It's my 30th year in the rivalry now. There are a couple
think it's fair to say he'll be able to play.
of things that are always certainties in this ball game
over the years. First of all, it's going to be a really
Q. Are you going to work him in?
tense, competitive football game, always a challenge.
KIRK FERENTZ: Yeah, he'll be in the rotation at some
And the other thing, it's always going to be in an
point. Not sure what that will be yet, but he's ready to
excellent environment. I think it's true whether that's
go.
here or there. That's always been the case. So that we
can count on.
Q. Is Hankins okay? He came out a little bit dinged
up.
We've got tremendous respect for Coach Campbell, his
KIRK FERENTZ: Yeah, we've got a couple of guys that
staff. They've done a wonderful job over there. They've
are hurt right now, like every week. We'll just ride it out
got players that clearly enjoy playing the game and
and see where it goes.
enjoy playing for the staff. When you look at the tape,
you can see a couple of things. They've got good
players, first of all, they are very well coached. They Q. Any update on Alaric? Do you think he'll be back
compete hard. The other part about it, they're going to for Middle Tennessee?
be a rested football team. We know that going into it. KIRK FERENTZ: I have no idea. He's doing better
every day. We've got next week to figure out all that
They're a very veteran football team. A lot of returners stuff, but he's getting better.
not only in the starting lineups but in the two deep.
Q. Nate talked about having -- that last year he kind
One commonality we've seen over the last couple of of maybe bought into some of his own hype. Did
years, they've been playing good team defense. That's you guys discuss any of that with him postseason,
helped them be a factor in the conference the way they or is this all kind of his mentality and focus these
have been. first couple weeks?
KIRK FERENTZ: With all due respect, I didn't know
And the thing that's new for us is the quarterback. We there was a lot of hype. Seems like there's been a lack
didn't have the opportunity to face him last year. He of it sometimes. I wasn't aware of that, no. We didn't
certainly has given them a great boost and just has talk much about it.
had a tremendous impact on the football team, great
leader. You can see that just from watching the tape. As I said pretty consistently, my emphasis to him or my
They're an excellent football team. encouragement would just be to enjoy his senior year.
Relax a little bit and enjoy it. He's done a good job and
On top of that, it's our first road contest. So that's a worked hard. Thus far in two games, he's really looked
unique challenge. I think for a lot of our younger guys like he's been in control and command out there, better
that's going to be an experience for them. Have to rely than at any point in his career.
Last year, right there in contention, and they will be That rule is officiated a little bit more liberally in college
again this year. 16 wins the last two years, that's not than maybe in the NFL, so it just makes it a little bigger
easy to do anywhere. Credit goes to them, the players challenge. Whatever your responsibility is, you've got to
and the staff. stick to that first and then play the secondary one
second.
Q. What kind of challenges does Ray Lima present
and the way he plays. You have a young center Q. You guys aren't an RPO team. What would be
who's played very well, but he's still learning. the sticking point? Why wouldn't you guys
KIRK FERENTZ: Yeah, it's a big challenge. You talk consider that, use that?
about a veteran player who's playing good football. KIRK FERENTZ: I don't know. There's just only so
They're veteran on both lines, not only, again, the much you can do some sports. It's like anything else.
starters, but if you look at the two deep the last couple We pick black uniforms. Some people pick red. It's just
of years, there's a lot of familiar names in there. He's what we do.
one of their most improved players -- I'm looking over a
bigger window, not just the last couple of weeks. He's a Q. Iowa State's offensive line has five starters with
leader on defense, certainly a leader up front. It's going 114 starts. Obviously, experience is experience, but
to be a heck of a challenge. what does that mean, having 114 starts in a line?
KIRK FERENTZ: I think I read somewhere they left six
You're playing a team where he's going to get mashed starters too, which is not an exaggeration. But that is a
up under center a lot, and that's no easy task. That's point that I would emphasize, again, not only the first
part of playing in the Big Ten and playing college line guys, but their backup guys have been there for
football too. And Tyler knows that, so I'm sure he'll work quite a while. It's the same thing on the defensive line.
hard this week. There's no downside to continuity, no downside to
experience, especially with the group that plays so
Q. You had big performances from Duncan and cohesively like an offensive line. That's always a good
That's the reason everybody needs to take ownership, Q. How is your tight end group coming along, do
and that's, I think, one of the big challenges in football, you feel? You have three catches this season out
quite frankly. When you're a backup, a lot of times of that position.
backup players will fall guilty of, hey, you know, I'll be KIRK FERENTZ: They're doing fine. Probably the first
okay. Or if I have to play it on the road, that's when I'll thing that comes to mind are the catches Shaun made
really crank it up and get ready. It's a bad mentality. It's a couple of weeks ago. Hopefully good for his
just a loser's mentality. You can't do that. It hurts the confidence because he doesn't have a lot of playing
team if guys are thinking that way, and certainly Jack experience. So I think that's certainly a positive. Nate's
didn't take that approach. doing a good job, and Drew and Shaun are coming
along behind trying to gain on the fly. We'll keep
Q. What is the wide receivers' experience level this pushing those guys, and hopefully they can help
year? You talked many times about Ihmir and contribute this week.
The worst thing is, if you come up short and know that Q. I mean, can any major college program be a
you didn't do the things you should have been doing to winning program?
give yourself a chance to be successful, that's when it's KIRK FERENTZ: Sorry, I was thinking stadiums and
really tough. environments. I don't know if I can say yes,
unequivocally yes, but it's a lot easier in some places.
Q. Did last week's preparation and then game It's never easy, but some places, obviously, have a little
against Rutgers help you in any shape for this team better opportunity.
that also plays a three and a four-man front?
KIRK FERENTZ: I don't think it hurts at all. This is a Start with Ohio State. I've told you that story. Went over
very unique defensive package, I mean, very unique in there, and they were winning so decisively in the
our minds. But the fact is, yeah, they play with three championship game, whatever year it was, if you