KF Illini PDF
KF Illini PDF
Media Conference
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Kirk Ferentz
KIRK FERENTZ: Good afternoon. Appreciate accomplished coach. His resume speaks for itself and
everybody being here. Just looking back for one he's had success a lot of different places.
second real quickly, it's obviously a very good win for
our football team over a quality opponent, and I think From my vantage point, outside looking in, he went
probably just taking away from things, just really there with a plan four years ago and stuck with that
pleased with the balance our football team showed. I plan. Their administration believed in the plan, they've
thought we played hard and aggressively. stayed the course and you're really starting to see it
pay dividends for them right now.
Those are all positives, and we're going to have to do
exactly the same thing this week to have success. Defensively they've had an identity all the way through,
and obviously with Coach Smith's background in
Another quick note, I am just pleased any time defense I think that's not surprising. It's the second
anybody is recognized for an accomplishment, so tip of year for their offensive coordinator, and his impact I
the hat to AJ Epenesa certainly for being the Big Ten thought was very significant last year and continues to
Player of the Week. He'd be the first to tell you a lot of be, and on special teams, you look at them, they're
the guys on the defensive line did a good job and were very, very impressive. They're top of the Big Ten in
getting some good coverage back there, too, which several categories, punt team I think is second, kickoff
enabled those guys to rush. That certainly is something coverage as good as anybody, and I think they're fourth
we're all happy about. in kick returns, so they're doing a great job special
teams wise.
Captains this week will be the same four as last couple
weeks. We have Nate Stanley, Toren Young offensively, Like I said, they've got a lot of familiar faces to our guys
Christian Welch on defense and Brady Ross on special and the media. Not only are they familiar from an
teams. experience standpoint, but a lot of those guys are in
their 30s in terms of starts during their career, so
Injury-wise, I think it's encouraging that both Brandon they've played a lot of football.
Smith and Mike Ojemudia are back working, and I don't
want to say they're full speed but at least they're And I think the other significant factor is they've
moving in the right direction. Hopefully they'll be able to supplemented the football team with a significant
play at least partially on Saturday. We'll see how the amount of transfers, six of whom are starting right now
rest of the week goes, but it's encouraging from that and have really provided that extra benefit, if you will,
standpoint. and you can really see it's all coming together right
now. They're playing well, and there's a lot of
We face Illinois this week, and obviously they pose a momentum.
really significant challenge for our football team. Right
now they're the hottest team on our side of the division Probably the two things that impress me the most quite
or our side of the conference, playing with great frankly are the way they're winning. Two of those four
momentum, four straight wins, and just playing really wins they won in the not only the second half but the
good football. I think one of the first points we made to fourth quarter, the Wisconsin game and the Michigan
our football team was this is a totally new Illinois State game, so I think that shows you about the
football team. Anything that we may remember from attitude of their football team, their belief in each other,
the past or seen on film from the past really you can their ability to remain competitive regardless of what it
kind of discard at this point because they're playing at a may look like. Then the other thing that really stands
really different level right now. A lot of the same faces, out, jumps out at you right away is their
but they're playing at a much higher level right now. turnover/takeaway margin. They're right at the top of
the league, and I think that really indicates the way
And I think it all just starts, you go back when Coach they're playing, the way they're coached, and right on
Smith got hired over there. Lovie is a tremendous through.
football coach, tremendous human being, and a very
Yeah, if we can cherry pick guys from anywhere where Q. I know recruiting takes you a million different
there's talent -- and one thing about Georgia places. Moville, Iowa, I don't know if you --
unofficially, I don't have statistics to bear this out, but KIRK FERENTZ: Oh, yeah. Quite a breakfast, as you
If you go in the school and then you see how people in Q. You mentioned Ryan Schmidt. We talked to John
the school feel about them and how they're respected Milani. Those guys are Iowa guys, they're never on
as young people, and then the home visit was just a the two deep, they're probably not going to see the
totally delightful day. It was a lot of fun and a lot of good field on offense or defense. Why do they stay?
food. KIRK FERENTZ: John is doing a lot on special teams
for us. Schmitty, quarterbacks it's tough to get them in
You're meeting neighbors, family members, all that kind there. It's one of those deals. I don't want to speak for
of stuff. There's a lot of things about recruiting you those guys, but I'm standing here thinking about Will
don't like. It's not as bad now because my kids aren't in Lack, who I was thinking about last week for a different
the house, but the travel when you have kids, that type reason. But I asked Will that one time because he was
of thing, but the good part about recruiting is you get to working over at the hospital, he's trying to get into med
meet a lot of great people around our country and you school and he's got to go out and get his brains beat
learn a lot about how good the people are in our out by Colin Cole twice a week, Tuesdays and
country as a rule. We've got so many good people and Wednesdays, on a routine basis. So I said, why do you
so many diverse places and from diverse backgrounds, do this, just out of curiosity. You could be better
and I think that's a lot of fun. investing that time studying, working a part-time job,
make some money, all that stuff. His answer was really
To me, small town Iowa is about as good as it gets. simple. He said, to be part of the team. It kind of goes
That's pretty good. back to what we were talking about earlier. It gets in
your blood, and it's something that's hard to separate
Q. If you look at Illinois, it's just right across the from, and then it's something you really miss or chase
river, but the Quad Cities are an hour away, kind of the rest of your life because it's really hard to
Chicago is closer than Moville. How do you look at find, at least my experience is in real life. Not that I
Illinois? Do you look at it almost as an extension of know much about real life, but it's hard to experience
Iowa or is it in that priority zone? things on the outside where the bonds are as close
KIRK FERENTZ: It is, yeah. Absolutely. Anybody that and the emotions are quite as intense.
can drive here is in our priority zone, and then you
mention Atlanta. At least now we have nonstop flights. There's something inherently sick about football in
That gives you I think a little better opportunity general. I can't explain it. But people seem to be drawn
sometimes. Although as years go on, I think maybe the to it. Certainly the players and coaches are. So I think if
travel barriers aren't as steep as they used to be. you ask them, that's probably the answer they'd tell
Social media has probably got something to do with you.
that. But yeah, Illinois is a home state area for us, and
to your point, you can drive to Chicago and back by the Q. We saw the video of you postgame in the locker
time you get up to the far northwest corner of our state. room celebrating with the team. They said one of
So to me -- but there's a lot more people in there the reasons you came to Iowa was to play for a
recruiting, too. The competition is a little bit steeper. coach such as yourself who is pretty open with his
Although it's changed dramatically in our state, as you emotions. Have you become more comfortable
know. There's so many schools that come in here now, being genuinely emotional in the locker room and