8/31/2010: Kirk Ferentz teleconference transcript (premium)
Posted on 31. Aug, 2010 by admin in Iowa Football
By Brendan Stiles
HawkeyeDrive.com
Below is a written transcript of Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz’s teleconference on Tuesday with the Big Ten media:
Ferentz’s opening statement:
“It was good to get back to practice a few weeks back, certainly. Probably like most coaches and most football players, I think we’re all eager to get started. Practices have kind of gone along now. It would be good to get back on the field now, I think, and start competing a little bit, and learn more about where we’re all at. And that’s certainly where we are right now. We’ve had a pretty productive camp in terms of injuries and that type of thing. So I think we’re fairly healthy, and that’s a positive, and I think the guys worked hard. Now it’s time to get lined up to see what we can do.”
When asked about any memories he has of facing Spoo when he was an assistant at Purdue:
“I sure do, very well. Bob and I were both in the Big Ten as assistants for probably about seven or eight years, I guess, it would have been, throughout most of the 80s. One specific memory I have, I’m a little faulty here, but I think it was ’86 or ’87, they came in here. I think Scott Campbell was their quarterback. We had a pretty aggressive defensive football team. I just remember watching as an offensive coach, I’m on the sidelines watching, I think they ran about 10 play-action passes out of the first 12 plays they ran against us, and just took the football right down the field. They got our linebackers to step up, and they threw it behind them. I just remember watching the ball go from our left down to the right pretty quickly. Scott Campbell certainly was an excellent quarterback. They had a good plan for us, and Bob is a tremendous guy, a tremendous football coach. He obviously has done a great job at Eastern.”
On Josh Koeppel’s status after his accident on Monday:
“We’ll wait and see. We’re certainly not going to take any crazy chances. It’s really unfortunate what happened, and I think from what I’ve heard, he’s probably very, very fortunate it wasn’t a little more extensive than that. That’s one thing to play football. It’s another to take on a pick-up truck. Again we’re very, very fortunate. Fortunate that he didn’t hit his head or have some kind of real issue. As you might imagine, he has got some scrapes right now, some bruises, some significant soreness. He’s walking around. I saw him yesterday, walking out of the building. And I saw him this morning. Everything’s checked out, so that’s all positive. We’re just really most of all, just healthy. That’s the biggest thing, and we’ll just take it day by day.”
Asked about Adrian Clayborn’s presence on the defensive line:
“Well, Adrian has played well for a couple of years for us now. Last year, he really emerged as a strong team leader. Both he and Rick Stanzi as juniors were strong team leaders. He has done a fantastic job on the field for us certainly, and also has accepted a strong leadership role, and that has grown since last year. We’re very pleased about that. And the fact that we have three seniors gives us a bit of a good leadership base up front, and that’s something we’re very appreciative of.”
On the status of Shaun Prater:
“Well, we’ll know more as the week goes on.”
On the cornerbacks:
“We lost three excellent defensive players. All three of them are in NFL camps now. We’re not taking anything for granted at any of those spots. I think the corners have worked hard. They have competed well. We’re optimistic, but all that being said, we’re not the most experienced group out there.”
On the mentality of his players with facing an FCS opponent like Eastern Illinois:
“Well, a couple of things. The first thing is I think you have to look long-term. Bob and his staff have done a great job. They’ve had a long tenure there with both coordinators in double-digit years and Bob being there 20-plus. They’ve got an established program. They’ve been very, very successful historically, not only in their conference, but with being a playoff contender. They had an excellent football team last year. We looked at the film, and it’s like any first game. You’re never quite sure what the personality of a team is going to be with new players, and I think they’ve got about five new players on each side of the ball, and in some critical areas. We’re trying to project and speculate like I’m sure they are doing with us. We’re very impressed, obviously. As far as an FCS team, we just have to look at our opponent last year. I don’t have to say much more. We were very, very fortunate to come out with a victory against Northern Iowa, and Eastern certainly competed on that same level. They’ve had great success as well. We really need to make sure that we are ready to go on Saturday.”
His thoughts on the idea of playing preseason games:
“That’d be fine with me. I’m not sure if that’s realistic. I’m not sure what kind of issues that would raise regarding spring practice if you tried to do that. I think conceptually, it has got some merit, but I haven’t really thought about it a whole lot, either. I got to be honest with you.”
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