Hawkeye players react tp Saturday's 40-0 shutout of Illinois State

um did something flip at halftime did you guys make any adjustments what what changed I think we really started gain some momentum at the end of that second quarter when we were able to go on a decent drive we weren't able to you know finish with a touchdown but I think overall like when stuff wasn't going our way at the beginning we were kind of you know really our Tempo wasn't very good and I think once we were able to gain some momentum and gain some Tempo um that really set us up really good for the second half looks like you might have binged your hand at one point did you hit a helmet or something no I started cramping there's a few of us that started cramping today but um the trainers had me drink a bunch of stuff and I was good do you remember the past at worth you kind of scrambled out through 31 31 play can you walk me through kind of what happened there you had basically no time to throw well they they did a really good job especially in the first half of pressuring us I mean they brought a lot of field pressure and Edge pressure today and you know kudos to them they you know it was pretty tough to deal with in the first half but I think um really in particular that play um they brought some good pressure and I couldn't I can't remember I have to go back and look at the play whether I was hot or not if I should have got the ball out earlier honestly but um honestly it was just awesome to see you know once I was able to get out of the pocket and or was able to you know keep the play going I was kind of waiting on him for him to make a decision whether it was a block or if it was to take off and he took off and it I thought it was a great decision and all I had to do is just lay it up for him I guess I just wondered like last year when you with the quad for example I know if would you have gotten out of that no I wouldn't have you know um you know today felt really good to be actually healthy and run around a little bit I wasn't expecting to run as much as I did today but it felt good and you know some confidence was built with that and even there a couple times I'm like dang I could have maybe stayed on my feet a little bit longer and try to make a Juke but um but I I'll I'll play it safe for First full bit but um yeah I mean I this time last year I mean I really didn't even I wasn't able to do a full week of practice you know dealing with my quad and um for me to be able to do a full week of practice and then come out of this game healthy and everything you know it's it's huge has your chemistry and practice with Rees Vander been as good as it looked today or did you kind of surprise yourselves with how well you guys look together today um it was a little bit surprising you know I think he he's he really started gaining a lot of momentum towards the end of camp and I mean as you guys were able to see it his ability to go up and get it and make plays was you know something that he was gaining some traction through and um I'm just so stoked for him because you know as a true freshman you don't know how guys are going to react you know in game situations and you know even for like me or Luke you know like you know this is our first time being back there you know in a while too and there's nerves and there's anxiousness but um I'm just so proud of him the way that he was able to perform and something that's so impressive to me is just how he unfazed he is by everything that touchdown past did this feel like old times for you and when you were rehabbing after your injury in midseason were there ever any times when you questioned if you able to have moments like this again um I think moments like these and I'm really like picturing myself having moments like this is what got me through rehab I think you know having a rehab a second time was very difficult because I was you know wondering what I didn't do the first time you know and for me to um a lot of that motivation was being able to you you know what it was like you know possibly to go out there as 100% again cuz I know last year I played and I wasn't 100% And I wasn't able to you know move around the pocket as much and for you know a lot of visualization and mindset and really just relying on my teammates and those relationships was huge for me during that process I'm the touchdown pass to to Jacob Gil you you really led him on that I mean he looked like he was covered but the spot that you get threw it to you know was was perfect I mean was what was what did you see on that play how did it develop and and ultimately to put it in that spot yeah well we ran a similar play earlier and we were able to we were kind of just looking at how the safeties were playing it and um really when we've practiced that play it hasn't played out like that usually um usually you know the Jacob is able to kind of stay skinny through the middle of the field but because we called it lower in the Red Zone um kind of force his angle to be a little uh thicker and for um usually I'm kind of throwing in the first window but kind of the way they played it it was a little unique and I mean that's the kind of thing about a new offense is like sometimes the first time that you see something is going to be in a game and that for you know example that that was today with that how long did it take for you all together to heal from your last injury the 9 months 10 months before you felt like you were 100% yeah I think it was I was cleared at either seven or eight months but I really started kind of feeling like myself through Camp because once I'm able to you know you can rehab and you can have as much strength as you possibly can but um when you're out for that long you have to gain like kind of your athleticism again you have to feel you know what comes second nature for you and for me I was able to gain some of those movements um in C because as a quarterback whether it's like kind of the smallest things whether it's like rotating out of Center or you know like maybe pivoting off a pitch like some of those little weird movements you don't realize that how much that you actually do that in a game until I'm actually thrown in there well tell us what you said in the locker room at half time um well for me I just I didn't say much you know but I think for me my message was that you know we just have to you know keep going I mean there was we missed some opportunities but I really emphasized kind of what I said earlier was you know um just our Tempo once we were able to you know pick up our Tempo and we were you know flushing the last play and able to move on then you know we started gain some momentum at in that second quarter and I just wanted to you know re-emphasize that to the guys what were the conversations like in game and postgame with with Tim first time out with you guys yeah it was cool I mean sometimes you know I feel like we still need a little practice with the mic um sometimes like I had my helmet like my volume was on Max and um I feel maybe it wasn't it hasn't been that loud in practice so I think um overall like our communication was really good I think you know for us to have the iPads and you know with the coaches that are on the sideline versus in the Box it was really I mean um coaches really put us in good situations in practice for us to practice those things like we've had Stadium practices and we make sure that we're using you know the headsets and everything throughout practice every single day but I think overall our communication was very good and I think it was really cool for me to like because usually um I mean this is my first game day with Coach ler and for him and the stff to all all of us to be like in sync and for us to communicate as soon as we got off the field and you know if there's something to look at on the ads um we looked at it but I think what was really good that we did as a unit very well today was um you know if something bad happened and then we would watch it on film we flushed it we weren't you know you know overthinking or thinking about those plays that happen bad if something bad happened we basically like just took a peek at it and then we moved on say much pregame or what is it Set Fall pregame speech like um kind of just like what you expect you know I think um he had he had us fired up and I think he really had us fired up at halftime and I think something that St out to me was when we were on the field and once the offense started gaining some momentum I could tell like how much more fired up he was because then we're huddling up on the sideline and then I'm trying to call the play and then I got coach Wallace saying let's go and like getting the guys and like we got to you know keep going and like whatever kind of motivation he was giving me and and to the entire offense like as I'm trying to call the play on the sidelines so I thought it was that part was fun just to you know see his passion and I mean usually I mean don't talk to coach walls that much on a game day so um that was pretty awesome if this is game one and obviously it's still early but just what is what is putting 40 up like kind of make you feel about what the offense could become um I mean honestly the points doesn't really matter to me I thought overall like that wasn't our best today I think you know we don't want to start a game like that you know I you know we have a lot of guys you know new system new new offense new coaches you know guys who haven't played guys who have been out guys you know I think overall you know it took us a little bit to settle in and I think you know we're not really too worried about the 40 points I think we're more worried about you know how can we start the game fast and not you know l or stall and how can we get it going earlier not anym reys did you think you'd be here after game one um to be honest I didn't um I just I credit my Lord and Savior Jesus Jesus Christ for just giving me this opportunity um um a lot of a lot of things fell fell into place for me to to be here um and and I I just get all my confidence from him uh and yeah I just prayed that he gave me confidence and he I went out there and and I I showed that today so were there any nerves today to be honest not not really um I I kind of never really been a guy to get nervous uh I just kind of trust my preparation and go out there and have fun has this all set in for you yet you know two touchdowns in your first ever college game um not really no I just I just had fun going out there and playing um but um yeah I'm trying to move on the next week and yeah you think not having a a spring practice spring practices is a disadv you know disadvantageous to you or did that affect you any coming into uh fall workouts um yeah it was a little I I was a little behind um I actually came in with an injury um that put me a little behind too but um no I I was I got caught up to speed pretty fast uh it W buffer a few days and then um was able to get to work and go out there and have fun you on the first touchdown you were kind of running an over route with with uh Luke kind of underneath you I mean what was kind of your Vantage Point of that and when you saw the ball when you know anything go through your mind at that point yeah no um we ran a play like that earlier in the game um where it was just a little behind me and I knew I was going to be there again U so I just had to get to my spot and Kade Kate threw a good ball and we we we connected so when did it I guess when were you told that you'd be started in in this game uh not I didn't really know um until well like I I was running with the ones for for about a week and then I kind of um yeah just work my way into it I think what did it feel like out there it was amazing yeah I the atmosphere is is crazy uh at first it was a little it was a little daunting I guess but I got over that and um I went out there and yeah me and my teammates we had fun out there I think so was there a moment in the second half where you guys sort of things turn and and got the ball rolling for you yeah just coming out of that coming out of halftime we just knew we had to be patient with the game plan um it was all going to fall into place if we just stuck stuck with it and adjusted a few things um but yeah once we once we got that got in the end zone that first time things really started clicking um and and you guys could see that so all night uh second touchdown it was kind of a contested ball I mean I I couldn't tell if it was you or Luke at first who caught it but what uh kind of take me through that play and then kind of being able to to wrestle it around and and grab it yeah I know clock was winding down he was actually going to switch it to a different play um and that's what I heard and then he kind of just um said all right we we don't got time we got to go to a different uh keep the play on um so yeah I just I just um went in there is uh play action and uh sneak out a little bit and uh saw the ball hanging up there I was like all right I'll go get I didn't even know Luke was there but uh I was just going up and get it and do my thing so how long did you play baseball this summer I ended up not playing baseball yep I I got hurt um in track so that cut my track season uh short and then I decided um it was it was it wasn't worth it to try to get injured again during baseball so I I cut that off which was hard for me um just cuz I've always been a baseball guy but it was it was it was the right decision and um yeah the Lord the Lord provided for me when I came down so do I have this right or did you not play receiver last year yeah no I played quarterback last year I mean but but you switched a quarterback from Receiver right yeah I I always grew up being a quarterback uh and then I switched a receiver Zack lmer uh who played here is our quarterback um so yeah I I moved back to quarterback my senior year um and but yeah it was it was good so is this your first game at wide receiver and what like 2 years then yeah yep was there any kind of learning curve there or um no I don't know I just going um we got a lot of reps and practice and it was rough for the first first week or so but I got back into it um just trusting my technique and at the end of the day you just got to go be an athlete and and have fun with it who are some of the teammates that sort of helped guide you to this spot and you know help you get back from missing all that type of injury yeah I mean everyone um that as I stepped into more a bigger role um everyone kind of came came alongside me and uh helped me through it um so I would just credit all the all everyone like defensive guys offensive guys um they're all making sure I'm good um so yeah it's really nice to be surrounded with the I mean the top athletes in the country um supporting you you said fall Camp started a little slow for you when did you when did it kind of Click I mean I mean literally just started the game so you must made a climb there something yeah I mean the first week I was actually I was kind of limited uh just working my way back from injury um and then yeah after that it kind of clicked I just running running my routes and they were coaching me up um and then I kind of clicked after that I would say unless you feel like Northwest Iowa football can helped you prepare for college football um yeah for sure it's huge uh especially where I'm from uh they they teach toughness and grit and exactly what what they teach year doing the little things right um so yeah Central lion um they prepare me incredibly well for this um question sorry yeah yeah it was great yeah I know this program has a history with players from Northwest Iowa how much pride do you take in that part of the State uh extreme Pride uh yeah I I take extreme Pride from being there uh shaped who I am uh yeah we do we do the things right up there and yeah extreme Pride extremely prideful from being there what did L what did lber say to you after the game or during the game you I don't know it was just like kind of best friends back in the um High School like just going out there and playing on the biggest stages it was pretty pretty crazy then Graham comes up uh Graham Ean comes up to me and he's like yeah I'm so happy for you like it's crazy so um but yeah we we're focused we're ready for the next game and um yeah ready to go Jay Higgin suggested that you get some ice cream as a celebration for this uh first big game you know how you're going to be celebrating with your family afterwards now yeah yeah for sure how how so um yeah with me and my family uh we got a little ice cream business that um we we we sell to around areas around Rock Rapids um so yeah we might might have to bring them down to Iowa City um for a few games here boy this we in the media talk about Tales of two halves a lot but this was uh kind of the exact definition of that boy what what happened at halftime to woke this offense up yeah no know coach Wallace did a great job of really huning playing together coming out there fast um and I don't know it was great uh you know it took some time to gel and um you know I think it's gonna turn out to be good for us so what did Coach wall say at halftime it's all about coming out together uh firing off the ball playing fast um being physical uh so yeah just really being together was a big message help you out get a little something oh do I I don't know someone said I had a bunch of turf on think you got it it's probably what it was there you go how about the tight ends today the you guys I was so proud of the uh the tight ends and the whole the whole group group um everyone that played I thought really blocked well and um when the ball came our way you know we protected the ball got fought for yards and uh really proud of Addison and Zach they did a great job nervous at all today uh you haven't played in a long time were you nervous at all uh a little bit um you know coming like before uh getting on the bus uh in or in the hotel in Cedar Rapids I was a little more nervous than I usually am but once I got here kind of all the nerves went away I thought the first play would be a little bit more nerve-wracking but um it's just football at the end of the day and uh you know the nerves went away soon a lot of Hawkeye fans starting to learn about Reese vandery boy what what a game that guy guy had today yeah super excited for Reese uh he he's he's come in here put his head down and really worked um you know he's super quiet you don't really hear him talk a lot but he is uh always working he he always shows up on film and practice and uh you know he he obviously showed up today how about Kate in the second half what he was able to do yeah super excited for Kade uh he's uh come a long way um obviously last year with you know the injury and um you know I'm just I'm just super excited for him and the way he's done what changed for you guys after half time you know really just coming out there playing together was a big thing for us uh yeah just you know obviously the the first half um you know we wasn't our best but uh you know that's it's a new offense we're we're trying to get better as we go and you know always showed that coming out of the second half and really a credit to uh you know the coaches and making us stay together do you feel go ahead let's has to give you some confidence for next one yeah absolutely um you know right now we're really just trying to enjoy this one you know that's they're they're a good football team um and uh you know they they really uh gave us gave us their best and um you know we got to give our respects to them so right now we're just going to enjoy this one and uh you know we'll think about next week tomorrow cont it seems like when you guys get rolling offense can be contagious was it contagious out there one thing s of rolling every s yeah absolutely it definitely can um you know I there's a different type of energy um you know in that second half and uh you know it was cool to to be out there and be able to provide that a little bit do feel like you guys proved something today I mean there was a lot said of the offense last year but in the second half today seems like you guys really showed what you're capable of yeah we're you know it absolutely um it all it all comes down to just coming out there and and executing the game plan um you know there there were times we killed ourselves a lot I I mean I um had the illegal Motion in the first half and on a Cage's really good run and you know I kind of killed killed the momentum there and um you know just trying to find different ways to help out and we we we were killing ourselves a lot in the first half laugh and um you know as long as we get on the same page uh it's good um to to be doing this Media stuff after you guys 40 points it's got to feel good talk about that offense especially in the second half man I'm I'm not going to lie like we all came together as a team bro so I like with him over there defense you know just us having a maintain throughout the week you know staying focused doing the little things right so us as a team to o line Kay had a great day o line had a great day everybody have a great day so now we just looking forward on to Iowa State and fix little fixing the little things and you know coming together more as a team and you know battling it out so how ready were you at in the second half after you didn't get to go in the I was I was amp I was ready to go man I was ready to go but like I said first half cheering my teammates on you know every time they get a little little big run or something like that cheering Kamari on Kamari did a great job Sean did a great job like I said K online everybody did a great job so about that first long run man that felt good that felt good it felt real good man so I I'm just so glad to be back on the team be back with the team you know helping us win so what happened at halftime what was said that kind of spurred that second half surge on offense it was it was just like us just like you know fixing the mistakes and fixing what we did wrong in the first half and making it 10 times better going even if we mess up going 110% so that's what we did today and I feel like second half you know we did a completely great job so now like I said we go back and we look at what we did wrong and you know keep moving forward the defensive guys are in here smiling because they pitched a shut out and they're not even the story of the game it's the offense how nice is it to to be the top great hey Jay over there he talking so you know he over talking so it feels great just to know like we put 40 points on the board and it wasn't just them so I'm just so happy to be part of this team and you know just be happy to be back lot of different people too talk about the tight ends the wide receivers it seemed like it was a full team effort especially second it was yes it was it was all the team like I said everybody did everything right everybody like I said everybody did everything right but like I said first half you know had a little hook hiccups and all that but second half came back you know did 11% at the win how hard was that for you in the first half to have to sit that one out and just kind of watch watch it all fold in front of you I I was hurt because you know I love football so much so it was just for me just not to be out there and you know playing it just like it hurt to me so you know just cheer my teammates on and you know you know just waiting till the second half so can you describe maybe what Tim Lester has done behind the scenes leading up to today in the preseason that you like kind of help you allow to have a performance like this as a as a unit um you know just the little things you know just our aiming points where we need to be at the running backs where we need to be at you know o line where they need to be at who they need to guard and all that so it just feel like he just know everything every little thing that we need to do and like I said we got to go back and you know fix up some things that we did in the first half so did in the first half it seemed like everybody was was one play One Missed assignment here one screw up here and and it really H you guys back in the second half it seemed like those plays came together and there was a confidence that you guys played with how can you describe how that felt to know you went out there and everybody was kind of like all right we're rolling now um I felt really good because like I said like we came back in here and you know everybody know what they was doing wrong we you know we had little Tabit and everybody went back and see what they was doing wrong and you know came back second half everybody calmed down and chilled so came back like I said came back second half% on everything we did come with the win so was there anything today that felt different having Seth Wallace you instead of Kirk fence anything about game day that was different or felt to you no no no it wasn't nothing nothing was different with him so you know it's us and the staff so it's really us out there going to play so you know he you know coach Wallace man he he's he's a good he's a good guy I love coach Wallace even though even though you know we have a little bit beef because he's on the defensive side and you know he over there but still like that I love that man he's cool so I can't wait for Coach F to come back and we all be together as a staff as a team again so that's great it just kind of seems like you're a little more maybe boisterous joyful than we've seen you in a while post game tell me how how are you feeling two touchdowns your performance obviously was was pretty good um I feel great man I'm just you know I'm no it just be over the years just like you know just getting used not being nervous in front of you guys so you know just come just coming in you know talking to you guys like normal people and you know just telling you guys what's what it is what happened so what's going on so okay we're kind of normal kind of just normal just normal we don't laughing talking so it's good man you know I I just can't wait for Iowa stay get back you know into the you know lessons and learning what we did wrong and get back on the practice field and you know Co get ready fire state so obviously he couldn't have done it up there by himself I know his his three other down guys are helping him up front but a guy who can disturb the disturb plays like that I mean that's that's all we ask for tackle for loss uh getting the offense behind the sticks I mean those are those are big plays to help the entire team is it important for you guys to get a shut out today the second team in there you Roo for them yeah we're we're trying to we're trying to get uh shut out every time we take the field and um it's good when those those backup guys get in there and play clean football and it shows that we we trust them a lot um I mean I'm sure they were nervous uh Herold and Shire they probably weren't nervous um but you know it's I I know what it's like being that second mic you know and I I know what it's like giving up a late touchdown when you really don't want to it just like you still win the game but it just it tastes a little different when you give up a late touchdown um but yeah I'll get the the backup some donuts too so all right last question for J little bit little bit's barely heard him talk so you going to let him get a big head here or what um I think he comes off humble you know those offensive guys are nice guys you know you know you can tell which side of the ball coach Parker recruits uh so I'm I'm assuming I'm assuming he's a good kid he's a nice guy um I don't know Luke was quiet when he first got here so maybe he's like your luk the Iowa nice I don't know we'll see but he's a good player I'm sure somebody um give him some ice cream for what you have two yeah that's a true freshman it's like this usually old men's game like now you got year five six you got guys who what he's 18 I was 18 a while ago guys a while ago yeah he came in uh isn't that is that like a Iowa thing where the baseball schedule yeah there's nothing like going to practice and they're like oh dudes are gone for the shrine ball they like are they enrolled at iow or not you know guys will will come work out with us for a month and then go back and play high school football that shouldn't be legal it shouldn't be legal and able to produce is this something that you envision coming here yeah for sure I knew my first couple years we had a great D line and so I was probably just going to be in the rotation um and so now that it's my turn um to be in that starting role I'm just going to um work my butt off every week like I like I always do and um just try my best rumor has it there's a football game here next weekend when do you start looking ahead to team that might be coming to town uh we'll start uh we'll start focusing on them on Monday yep we're going to enjoy this one today um watch the film in it tomorrow and then we'll start up on iow State on Monday you've been trained well good job uh you get a little excited when you get a sack what's that like I mean do you like to dance do you like to just cheer or what yeah I think my go-to is just the like the flex right in front I mean I really don't have any other move but yeah I think um just celebrating with my teammates and uh hearing the crowd Roar and all that stuff it's uh yeah super exciting how about uh playing with ya black and how that helped you yeah I mean God W does not get enough credit especially today he had a double team about every single play which allowed me to make plays myself so um I think why does the dirty work and he does it well and um he frees me up he frees up the other guys to do their jobs and so very appreciative of is it kind of a weight off your shoulders when you get those three sacks today just like again having put in so much hard work the last couple years kind of having to be just a backup guy but now you come in and you get to be a little bit of the defensive star today yeah I think um it's very relieving um you know we put in the work since last January and then um to see it to see it come come to fruition today is uh yeah I would say it's very um what's the word humbling yeah rewarding rewarding yeah how much does defense take pride in a shed out keeping that zero on the board I mean is it the defensive equivalent of scoring 40 points basically oh yeah for sure I mean Riley mon is on our sideline today and after I think we're up like 220 or something like that and he was like they don't freaking score one point today and I was like yeah yeah dang right Riley and so yeah to shut him out was super fun yeah very rewarding when's the last time you had three sacks in one half does that ever happen um I say the shrine bow my senior year of high school I had four sacks and two quarters to play so I'd say that was probably my most productive two quarters as Defenders I feel as though we got to no matter the situation we got to go out there and play defense you know it's a mindset more than anything but uh it's nice offenseive scoring um even when they're not like we going to do what we have to do to win the football game at the end of the day does that feel good to get an interception off your shoulders again I mean again it's been a couple years since you had that great season of 2022 so getting a pick in game one of the Season feel like you guys you yourself had kind of a weight lifted off your shoulders um yeah you just you never know going into games so luckily just trust my preparation trust my eyes and follow my instincts and made a good play on the ball um but other than that it felt great it did feel great how much uh does defense take pride in a shut out is that the defensive equivalent of scoring 40 points in a game I mean how much do you guys enjoy just being able to keep that zero on the board I I honestly couldn't tell you the equivalent but I know it feel great it feel great as I can't stop smiling but you know we going to go back in tomorrow and watch the tape cuz we still have a lot of mistakes out there that need to need correcting and you know try to keep it rolling seem like your celebration after the interception was kind of business as usual how what's the expectation for the defense to create as many turnovers um expectations are high you know I think going back seven eight years we leave that we we're up there in the country in that category and last year we lacked in that category so it was really emphasis put on in this training camp you know um some changes being made in practice and I feel as though it worked out for us and we going to try to continue to create turnovers cuz at the end of the day it helps the 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