Sept. 4, 2007
Head coach Joe Novak, defensive tackle Craig Rusch and kicker Chris Nendick met with the media during Tuesday's weekly press conference. The trio reviewed the Iowa game and previewed Saturday's contest against Southern Illinois. Below are selected quotes from the media session.
Head coach Joe Novak
On last week's game
"It was a good experience for all of us. It was a perfect day to watch a good football game. We couldn't have asked for better weather on such a big day for both programs. Everything went well except the fact that we lost the football game. This game was a good chance for the players as well as the coaches to evaluate themselves against a big opponent like Iowa. I felt that both teams put up a good effort on both sides of the ball and both teams made some improvements throughout the game. On the other side, it was a game of missed opportunities for us where we should have scored and we didn't. In the first series of the game we were moving the ball pretty well but couldn't get the ball in the end zone. In the first third quarter drive we had an opportunity and we ended up missing a field goal there. A lot of times we were in position and things did not go our way and that was how most of the game went for us. We didn't run the football well and to win a ball game you have to be able to do things like that."
On Chris Nendick stepping in as the punter against Iowa
"Chris jumped in and did an outstanding job for us on short notice in a big game. They [Iowa] are an excellent football team and they are going to take advantage of us when things like that happen. To have Chris's first career punt travel 55 yards and put Iowa on their own five yard line is tough for any team to deal with. That was just one of the few bright spots for us the other day."
On playing Southern Illinois
"I think it will be a heck of a game, I really do. I saw them play once last year and they are a sound football team. Anytime we play them [SIU] it can be critical to our success. We can jump in and critique ourselves against in-state competition and see how we stack up to other teams in the area. It should be a good game. Jerry [Kill] has got those guys working hard to try to prepare for us and we plan to do the same."
On Iowa
"Iowa is a team that is very tough up front, especially with their defensive line. They know how to make plays and get the ball into the hands of their offense. We have to try to match those strengths to compete with people."
On where improvements can be made
"We really need to start getting more production out of our receivers after they make the catch. So many times we did the hard part of making the catch in tight areas and weren't able to get anywhere after that. I have a lot of guys that I want to get some time at the wide receiver position so nothing is set in stone. All those things add up in a big game like that. As for our running backs, I plan to split the time between Montell [Clanton] and Justin [Anderson] a little more. Both of them made some good runs in the game but Montell got the bulk of the time on the field. I plan to give Justin a little more time than he had last Saturday. On defense our main concern is to fill up the holes in the field." There were many holes the other day that our guys did not fill and Iowa saw how to take advantage of that."
On Iowa's defense against the NIU offense
"Iowa's defensive front is solid. Dan [Nicholson] took many very hard hits during the game from their defensive line. I would have to say he took somewhere between eight or nine tough hits probably. Our team has to block better entirely not just the linemen, but the backs and the receivers as well. Everybody has to work hard out there to achieve every point. Overall I feel that we are a decent defensive football team holding Iowa to just sixteen points. However, we need to get a lot better at moving the football down the field and like I said before, you improve the most from game one to game two."
Junior Defensive Tackle Craig Rusch
On this week's game against Southern Illinois
"As coach said, it's making improvements from game one to game two. We need to come out and we need to correct things in a lot of positions. We just need to come out there and play a great game because that's what it's going to take to beat them. One of our goals in last week's game was to stop the run or to control it and we didn't do that. An emphasis in practice this week is to work on things like our run defense. We just were not gap sound; we need to be on the same page. There were too many times where we just were not in the right position on defense. We just need to get that all straightened out."
Senior kicker Chris Nendick
On Andy Dittbenner returning as punter
"It is my understanding that Andy should be alright for the game. But if they want me to take some more reps punting, by all means I will. I'm not going to pass that opportunity up. If he wants to take all the reps and feels he will be fine for Saturday then so be it. That's fine."
On the winds at Soldier Field and Huskie Stadium
"At Soldier Field, I kind of got played on that first field goal that I missed. I went back on film and saw that my mechanics were as sound as they can get, but the ball tailed a little bit and the wind out there pushed it a little. This new NIU facility with the new building kind of favors the kicker a little bit by the way it blocks the wind. The two stadiums are about the same and obviously, it's not easy. You'll have your days where the wind is behind you, you will have your days where the wind is coming in from the corners."
On playing Southern Illinois in 2004
"They played us tough my freshman year and I missed a field goal, my first field goal attempt at home that year, but I came back and hit three more. It was a good team effort. They were well coached and played hard, but fortunately enough we came out on top by one point."
