University of Iowa Football

Media Conference
Saturday, November 21, 2015

Kirk Ferentz
Postgame
Iowa - 40, Purdue - 20
KIRK FERENTZ: Just to start out, needless to say,
we're really thrilled and very, very proud of our players.
They've done a great, great job all season long, and I
want to credit some other people, too, just on the front
end. You know, it was a cold day out there, a little bit
windy and what have you. I can only imagine how cold
it was through the night for the crews, the many people
that worked through the night, and it was a significant
number of folks that just worked nonstop to keep the
field in great condition, people that help people park,
concessions, all that stuff, so there were a lot of people
that had to battle this. All we had to do was show up
and play, so I want to express my appreciation to those
folks.
And then also our fans. We pulled in whatever it was,
about 8:50, 8:45 today, and things looked pretty quiet.
We came out kickoff and it was great, the stadium was
great, and they were great all the way through. Just
wanted to say thank you to them, as well.
Again, just really proud of our football team. They
worked hard, competed hard, fought hard out there.
We knew this would be a tough ballgame, another
tough conference game, and one thing about this team,
they've done a great job responding to the challenges
week in and week out and all season long. It's just
kind of been the nature of things, and today we
certainly had more of those to face.
Got off to a great start in the ballgame, and then
Purdue really grabbed momentum. They had been
playing hard as a football team, and they certainly did it
again today and really battled us. It was like a 20minute period there or a 25-minute period where they
had us on our heels a little bit, but our guys, again,
fought back. That 90-yard drive into the wind was
certainly, I think, a real big part of the game, and the
defense coming up with a couple -- forcing them to take
field goals a couple times inside the 10 there and 4th
down stops, so there were a lot of positive things.
But all in all, just really proud of the team, and you think
about what's been accomplished now, to go 7-0, I think
it's the second time in history in Kinnick. We're 7-0 in
the league, first time to be 11-0, and all those good

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things are just really the result of our great senior

leadership. For us to have a good football team, I've
said that many times, we need our seniors to play their
best, and they're doing that, and then also they've got
to lead, and they've done a great, great job. To me
they're the players of the game, if you will. Just really,
really proud of them, and very, very happy for them.
Q. You mentioned 7-0. You've been 10-11 at home
the previous three years. Where did this 7-0
journey start?
KIRK FERENTZ: January. It's like everything we've
done; I think that's when this class, these 21 guys,
became seniors in my mind. Maybe not
chronologically, but as football players they moved to
the front of the room. They were the seniors that were
going to lead this team, and you know, they've really
been committed going back to January. For the most
part every step along the way has been pretty positive.
Maybe a little step back here and there, but just they've
done a great job, and then we've had fortunately some
younger guys, too, that are acting like seniors, guys like
C.J. Beathard, guys like Josey Jewell, so there's been
really great buy-in, but to me starts with those guys at
the front of the room.
Q. You've not trailed in the fourth quarter this
season, which would mean you haven't given up a
fourth-quarter lead. How have you accomplished
that?
KIRK FERENTZ: I don't know. It's funny, today we won
by 20. It didn't feel like that. In fact, we had to remind
ourselves of that looking at the stat sheet. I'm not sure.
We've just kind of been pushing away and working
hard. If we do get down in the fourth quarter, I'm
confident we'll come back. That's one thing about this
group; they just keep pushing.
We may not have been behind, but we've been in a lot
of really tight ballgames, tight situations, and the guys
have fought through it.
These guys keep battling. That's one thing that's been
pretty consistent. They play hard and respond to
whatever happens to them.
Q. The trophy presentation, did you do that in
private as a team thing. Was that because there's
more work on the table you didn't want to make it

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seem like the be-all, end-all?

KIRK FERENTZ: Yeah, it's kind of two things. I got to
thinking about that, I've never been involved with
winning the division, so that's a little different, just like
our expansion has been historic in the Big Ten. I guess
you've got to figure out how to respond to that a little bit
better.
But the other part was, yeah, we're not downplaying it.
It's a significant accomplishment to have an opportunity
to play in Indianapolis. It's really thrilling for all of us,
and we're really pleased about that.
But at the same time we're six days out from playing
again, and we're playing a team that's been sitting back
all week watching us. We've got some ground to make
up tomorrow. We'll get to work on that in our meetings
and what have you, but really proud, and it's a real
significant accomplishment, but we've still got to finish
this season out, and that's our goal.
Q. Beathard was able run out there.
KIRK FERENTZ: Yeah, and fortunately I can't explain it
medically, but he's been gaining ground the past
month, and the last couple weeks he's moved around
pretty well and continues to get better. That gives us a
little bit more arsenal, if you will, a little bit deeper
arsenal, and C.J. is a guy who's just played extremely
well for us and did a good job again today. Had that
one turnover; that's very uncharacteristic, and probably
stems from him maybe not practicing, plus we don't
whack him in practice. But he more than made up for
that, I can assure you.
Q. You used four running backs on the opening
drive. Is that how you envision it going now?
KIRK FERENTZ: Yeah, you know yes and no. Not
totally by design, but our two marquee guys -- LeShun
and Jordan -- they're a little bit more proven and what
have you, although Derrick has been doing a great job
in his role, more of a third-down back, and Akrum has
won us over. We were a little concerned about his ball
security, but to me ever since that trip to Chicago he's
really grown up a little bit, too, and that's been great to
see.
Q. When your seniors came to lift weights this
summer, they found a trophy case smashed in the
middle of the weight room, symbolic, of course,
after not winning a trophy last year. I can't imagine
you'd be more pleased with the way your team has
responded to that challenge?
KIRK FERENTZ: They really have, and trophy games
are important because it is, it's all about winning and
losing. They've responded. They've done it every
week, whether there's a trophy involved or not. The big
thing and our goal, it's like every year, you just want the

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team to line up each and every week well-prepared,

and then you want them to compete as hard as they
can. If you come up short, you can live with that, and
we've had games like that.
I'll go back to last year, 2013, that was the Wisconsin
game. We prepared, we played and competed, but we
weren't good enough that day, and you can live with
that. But when you can't check those boxes off, that's
where it's difficult, and if you're going to win a trophy
game, you'd better take care of those items. You'd
better take care of each and every one of them.
Q. You took care of the ball today again -- had to be
awfully hard to hold onto it.
KIRK FERENTZ: The conditions were tough today.
They really were. I'd never admit that to the team last
night or this morning. Now I can say it publicly. They
were tough out there. Not as much the cold; the cold is
-- you've got to concentrate a little bit more, but the
wind was really a factor today, and I think that showed
up probably in the statistics. I haven't looked at that
quarter by quarter. But the two quarters, they really
kind of had us going a little bit. They had the wind, and
that's why I say that 90-yard drive into the wind was
really -- that was significant, and it was a great job, plus
we needed it right then, so good response.
But the weather was a factor today, there's no question
about that, and wind to me always the number one
thing that influences a game.
Q. Where do you think you got the momentum
from? Was it just the 90-yard drive, or what were
the keys for you to get that back?
KIRK FERENTZ: That was really big, and then there's
some other plays in there, too. Dillon did a nice job
punting into the wind. That was a big -- I thought a
really big play certainly. But a lot of little things along
the way, you know, that just make a difference certainly.
But that drive at least, I think, kind of put us back where
we needed to be.
Q. What was your message to the team during that
trophy celebration?
KIRK FERENTZ: Well, you know, be proud. I mean,
everything I just mentioned a minute ago, being 11-0,
7-0 at home, you can't do any better than that, and 7-0
in the league. Right now it's as good as we can be.
And then to secure a bid, and again I've never been
involved in divisional stuff. I know this: No matter what
it is, you'd rather win something outright, no matter
what it is you're doing.
So be very, very proud of that. They even got hats and
tee shirts, all that stuff. Coaches didn't get any, but
they got them. But you know, they've earned that.

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They've earned that, and I want them to really enjoy

that and encourage them to do it until we get together
tomorrow.
We're going to have to make up for some lost time
once we get together at 12:30, but between now and
then, as long as they're smart, I want them to feel good
about what they've done. They should. They've
earned that.
Q. Any more enjoyable coming off the way last year
ended?
KIRK FERENTZ: If you're involved in sports, if you're
involved in anything competitive -- if you think every
day is going to be a parade, you're in for a tough life.
You've got to endure some tough times, and I never
thought we were off that far last year, but you know,
being off that far sometimes makes a big difference.
I wouldn't rule it a total catastrophe. We won seven
ballgames. But I'll go back to that last game in Kinnick.
It just didn't feel good.
I mentioned the Wisconsin game. It was a heck of a
football game. That last game was not a heck of a
game. That was hard to live with.
To avoid those kind of performances, that certainly was
a goal, and it gets back to just doing things right,
preparing right, competing, and then you live with the
results.
Q. The last game last year, at home, it obviously
seems like it really stuck in your craw. Does that
play any factor as you get ready this week?
KIRK FERENTZ: It wasn't their fault. It's like a lot of
things that happen, and I've said that forever. One
good thing about sports, it's not like real life; pretty
much you get what you deserve. If you go out there
and don't play, you're probably going to get nailed, and
it's just as simple as that. Sometimes you get away
with it if you've got the best players and all that stuff.
So that's to me what sports are all about. And that
wasn't our opponent's fault. For us to turn the ball over
in that red zone, to tee up their first touchdown, not
cover a punt, that's ownership. That was really the
issue there.
Q. Would you say every game from here on out is
the biggest for Iowa?
KIRK FERENTZ: No, it's like picking your favorite play
or your favorite moment. They're all significant, and
you know, when you do this -- it's like that "ugly win"
term, there's no such thing. When you win a game,
you go home feeling pretty good because you realize
how tough they are, and I just mentioned one where

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we played pretty good and lost.

You learn to appreciate everything. You really do.
More so I'm just really proud of our guys, really proud
of their effort.
Q. The trophy case in the locker room, was that you
or was that -KIRK FERENTZ: I couldn't smash anything. Maybe an
egg or something. I don't know, and I never asked, and
I didn't have anybody investigate. But I think the
message was there, and again, it just wasn't those
games, it was just more so about if you're going to win
trophy, you've got to go earn it, and you've got to do
things right. You've got to be thorough, and you know,
give yourself every chance going into the game, and
you've got to compete. That's what the game gets
down to.
Q. Earlier this week when we asked you about the
trophy presentation you were very clear and you
said you're not done yet and you want it outright.
You guys have been more outward with that kind of
communication this year.
KIRK FERENTZ: The goal back in August was to line
up prepared every week, which that means you've got
to do things right for seven days, and then when the
kickoff comes, whether it's 11:01, 2:35, 3:35, 7:12, I
think that covers the gamut that we've had this year.
Whenever they tell you you're going to kick it off, you've
got to be ready, no excuses, and you've got to go
compete.
That's been the challenge, and that's about as simple
as we've tried to keep it for our players, and it's easy to
talk about that. I mean, every coach in the world tries
to do that. Again, the credit goes to those guys that
have done it, and it starts, again, with those 21 seniors.
They're the ones who really bought in and they've lived
it; they've pushed it. We haven't been perfect by any
stretch, but our record is perfect. It's just, if we're a
little off here, somebody else jumps in there and helps
respond, and that's kind of how we've been playing all
season long.
Q. Has this team felt any pressure?
KIRK FERENTZ: The only pressure I ask our guys to
feel is you go out and perform and you play for each
other. You're doing it for that reason.
To me what sports and athletics teach is giving your
best, and you do it, and if you're involved in a team
sport, every guy in the room is counting on you,
coaches, players. Everybody has got a responsibility.
Everybody has got a job. The pressure is to not let the
rest of the group down. That's the pressure. External
stuff, you live with the good and the bad, but it's all

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what we have amongst each other.

Q. It's been unusual season.
KIRK FERENTZ: It's easy to get caught up in the
scoreboard. It's easy to get caught up in whatever may
be out there. But with every win, there's more out there
to get caught up with. So it's easy, again, for a coach
to talk about that, but for the players to stay focused on
what really counts -- I'll share this with you, too. This is
how lucky I am and the kind of day I had yesterday.
I go to an I-Club luncheon, honoring the seniors, and
you've got Hap Peterson and Marv Cook address the
audience, okay, so that's the start. I get back here, we
have a chapel, which is voluntary, okay, it's not
mandatory, it's a voluntary chapel. Aaron Kampman
presides over that, and then our honorary captain,
Sean Considine. How does it get better than that?
How does it get better than that? Every one of those
guys really embodies all that's good about sports.
Go back to our first honorary captain, Dave Porter. If
you go right down the list, all those guys have really
delivered messages about what's important, and again,
it gets back to just the -- what it means to be on the
team. That's all it is. So again, the buy-in is with our
players. That's where it all goes.

Rev #2 by #177 at 2015-11-21 21:55:00 GMT

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