Northwestern's David Braun embracing Wildcats' 4.5 O/U win total

I THOUGHT THAT SEASON WAS BETTER AND THE EXPECTATIONS SHOULD BE HIGHER. WE WILL TALK TO OUR NEXT GUEST ABOUT THAT,@# DAVID, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY. >> DOING WELL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON. >> LET'S START THERE. I WOULD IMAGINE AS A COACH COMING OFF A SUCCESSFUL SEASON LOOKING FOR MOTIVATION AND A LITTLE EDGE, NOT HARD TO FIND IT WHEN YOU SEE EXPECTATIONS PUT WHERE THEY @#CURRENTLY ARE? >> THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT'S EXACTLY WHERE THEY WANT TO BE. I THINK OUR GUYS DID THE BEST, WE HAVE A LITTLE CHIP ON OUR SHOULDER. THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN HONEST WITH OUR @#TEAM ABOUT, TS SEASON GOING INTO FALL CAMP. THERE'S A LOT OF LESSONS LEARNED FROM LAST YEAR, A LOT OF THINGS THE PROGRAMS ARE PROUD OF IN TERMS OF WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH. THIS IS A NEW GROUP, A NEW COLLECTION OF GUYS, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY THIS GROUP HAS @# YET TO ACCOMPLISH NOTHING. WE HAVE OUR WORK CUT OUT FOR US, WE EMBODY SOME OF THOSE THINGS. UNDERDOG MENTALITY. CHIP ON OUR SHOULDER. >> LESSONS LEARNED YOU REFERENCED TO BE VALUABLE IN THIS SEASON FROM LAST YEAR. AS YOU PREPARE FOR TEAMS WHO WON'T BE SURPRISED THAT YOU @# READY TO PLAY ON SATURDAY, IT'S CLICHE, BUT YOU DID CHANGE THE CULTURE AT NORTHWESTERN AT A TIME WHERE IT REALLY NEEDED IT. HOW CAN YOU TAKE LAST YEAR'S SUCCESS AND NEW ADVANTAGE AND USE IT THIS WAY THIS YEAR? >> FROM A CONFIDENCE STANDPOINT , IT'S CRITICAL @#THE CARRYOVER I THINK THAT WAS THE GREATEST LESSON WE TOOK FROM OUR LATE COMEBACK AGAINST MINNESOTA IS THAT WHEN WE ARE AT OUR BEST WE CAN COMPETE WITH ANYBODY. AS THE SEASON CONTINUES THERE ARE TOUGH LOSSES THAT WERE SPRINKLED IN @#THERE, BUT WE HA A GROUP OF GUYS WHO STEPPED INTO THE ARENA. IT'S PART OF THE GREAT FUNDAMENTALS, GREAT TECHNIQUE. WE WILL GIVE OURSELVES A CHANCE TO FINALLY WIN GAMES IN THE FOURTH QUARTER AND OUR GROUP LAST YEAR I THINK DID SUCH A GOOD JOB OF STAYING FOCUSED ON TAKING IT ONE @#DAY AT A TIME I CONSISTENT IMPROVEMENT THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THIS EVENING, AND THAT IS SOMETHING WE WILL EMBODY AS WE ARE LOOKING TO BUILD OFF LAST YEAR. >> YOU ARE PUTTING IN THE STEPS GETTING READY TO BE HEAD COACH FOR THE FIRST TIME. A @#YEAR LATER, YOU APPEAR MORE COMPOSING CONFIDENT IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE HOW YOU DIFFER NOW A YEAR LATER AS HEAD COACH OF THE WILDCATS? >> YOU DON'T KNOW UNTIL YOU ARE IN THE SEAT, YOU KNOW. IT'S@# A PROFESSION WHERE DREAMING OF BECOMING A HEAD COACH, THERE ARE EXERCISES YOU CAN PUT TOGETHER THE MANUAL, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY THERE'S NOTHING THAT CAN PREPARE YOU FOR THE TRANSITION. I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE THAT LAST YEAR I WAS SURROUNDED BY INCREDIBLE PEOPLE THAT HELPED ME THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND CONTINUED TO BE SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE@# ON THE PROGRAM, SERVIN THE PROGRAM BEST FROM THIS POSITION, I'VE HIRED THREE GREAT COORDINATORS, WE HAVE A GREAT STAFF HERE. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE MOST EXCITING PART OF MY DAY IS GETTING OUT ON THE PRACTICE FIELD WITH OUR GUYS AND BEING AROUND THEM. @# BUT, THIS WILL INVOLVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY INVOLVE DIRECTLY RELATE TO FOOTBALL. THAT'S REQUIRED IN ADJUSTMENT, BUT I STILL TRY TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE CONNECTED TO MY PASSION AND WHY I DO THIS. AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT'S BEING AROUND YOUNG PEOPLE THAT # ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THE GAME OF FOOTBALL. >> THE STYLE OF PLAY WILL BE DIFFICULT FROM CONFERENCE TO CONFERENCE, LEAGUE TO LEAGUE. WHAT WILL THE IDENTITY OF THE NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS BE? >> YEAH, YOU KNOW, @#IT SOUNDS CLICHE, BUT WE TALK A LOT ABOUT NONNEGOTIABLE, YOU KNOW. YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT I THINK GREAT COACHING IS IDENTIFYING WHAT THE PERSON DOES WELL AND PLAYING INTO THAT AND IDENTIFYING LIMITATIONS ON YOUR ROSTER AND FINDING WAYS TO COVER THAT UP AND @#NOT EXPOSE THAT. AT THE END OF THE DAY, YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT WHAT WE WANT PEOPLE TO SAY ABOUT US, THIS GROUP PLAYS WITH UNCOMMON EFFORT. THEY PLAY EXTREMELY HARD. A GROUP THAT PLAYS REALLY FAST AND WITH CONVICTION,@# WE'VE GO A LOT OF INTELLECTUAL GUYS THAT ARE SMART, CAN DIGEST INFORMATION, BUT IT DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT-- EMPOWERING YOUR GUYS TO MAKE DECISIVE@# CONDITIONS, NO FEAR FAILURE. IF WE MAKE A MISTAKE IT BETTER BE WITH SPEED AND PHYSICALITY INTERESTING THAT YOUR TEAMMATES WILL HELP. AND WE WANT TO PLAY TEAM FOOTBALL. BE HIGHLY EFFICIENT AND IN UNDERSTANDING IT COMES IN @#A L OF DIFFERENT FORMS. THE UTAH GAME, DEFENSIVE BATTLE WENT 14-7. IT LOOKS DIFFERENT. WE STRUGGLED TO GET STOPS IN THE SECOND. BOTH OF THE GAMES RESULTED IN WINS, AND IT'S NOT ABOUT HAVING THE BEST OFFENSE OR THE BEST DEFENSE, @#IT'S ABOUT PLAYING K FOOTBALL AND FINDING A WAY TO WIN GAMES ON SATURDAY. >> WE DON'T KNOW WHO YOU WILL START AS QUARTERBACK, I DOUBT YOU WILL TELL ME, BUT YOU HAVE TWO GUYS YOU TRUST. WHICH DOES EACH I OFFER@# IF TH SEE ACTION IN THE OPEN? >> I'VE BEEN SO EXCITED ABOUT BOTH MEN OVER THE COURSE OF CAMP. YOU ARE CORRECT, THEY HAVE BEEN MOVING@#, BUT I'VE BEEN IMPRESS WITH THEIR DEVELOPMENT, PLAYING FROM THE POCKET, EFFICIENCY ON THE DEEP BALL. JACK, SOUTHSIDE CHICAGO KID, HE'S ONE OF THE MOST DYNAMIC LEADERS I'VE EVER BEEN AROUND. AND HE STILL HAS THREE YEARS LEFT, BUT HE@# CARRIES HIMSELF THE WAY YOU WOULD WANT YOUR STARTING CORNERBACK TO CURE HIMSELF. MIKE WRIGHT, HE CAME IN HERE AS A TRANSFER, HE STEPPED IN, BUIL# CREDIBILITY, BUILT RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR TEAM, HE HAS CONTINUED TO IMPROVE AND HAS TAKEN AN INTENTIONAL EFFORT , AND HE'S AN ABSOLUTE FOOTBALL JUNKIE, WHICH I LOVE TO SEE. WHETHER IT IS MIKE OR @#JACK OU THERE, BOTH COULD PUT US IN A POSITION TO WIN. >> WHAT DO WE EXPECT ON THE TEMPORARY LAKEFRONT STADIUM? HOW DO YOU USE THAT TO THE HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE? >> YEAH, I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS SATURDAY, FOR OUR@# FAN BA TO SHOW UP. WE ARE REALLY CONFIDENT OUR FAN BASE IS GOING TO SHOW UP WITH A GREAT DEAL OF ENERGY, PASSION, EXCITEMENT AROUND A TEAM THAT I THINK EVERYONE CAN GET BEHIND, AND ANOTHER UNIQUE VENUE@#, EXCITED TO CALL HOME, CALL HOURS. GETTING THEIR ENERGY IN THE STADIUM, BUT WE HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL TO LOOK FORWARD TO, BUT THERE'S NO DOUBT IN MY MIND @# ANYONE SKEPTICAL ABOUT THIS ON THE LAKEFRONT IS GOING TO BE DRAWN TO IT. IT WILL BE ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE EXPERIENCES IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL. OUR JOB IS TO MAKE SURE WE PUT OUR GUY ON THE FIELD, THAT THE FANS ARE EXCITED TO GET BEHIND, AND THIS @#IS OPPORTUNITY FOR U TO CREATE HOME ADVANTAGE, NOT JUST BECAUSE OF OUR FANS, BUT JUST THE UNIQUE SETTING ON THE LAKE AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WILL COME WITH THAT. >> YOU DID THE JOB WELL ENOUGH YOU WERE ABLE TO SECURE CONTRACTS, PERMANENT COACH OF NORTHWESTERN AFTER THE COACH JOB YOU DID. I KNOW IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR @#Y AND YOUR WIFE TO MAKE A SIZABLE DONATION TO THIS STADIUM PROJECT, A SIX-FIGURE DONATION. WHY WAS THAT IMPORTANT TO YOU? >> IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS, WHERE IT'S GOING ALONG, AND IT GOT TO A POINT THIS IS CLEAR THIS IS SOMETHING WE COULD DO, BUT THERE @#WOULD BE POTENTIALL SOME RAMIFICATIONS THAT WERE GOING TO FALL BACK. MYSELF AND OTHERS ARE SPEAKING BOLDLY ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT WE THOUGHT THIS WAS FOR OUR STUDENT ATHLETES, OR CAMPUS, FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED. MY WIFE, KRISTIN @#AND I, WERE OUT TO DINNER ONE NIGHT. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT, AND IT WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE THERE WAS CONVICTION FROM BOTH OF US THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT HOW BOLDLY THIS IS IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO PUT OUR MONEY WITH OUR MOUTH IS AND CLOSE THE @#FINANCES THAT WERE REQUIRED TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. SOMETHING I WILL BE PROUD TO BE PART OF. SOME PEOPLE PLAYED AN INTEGRAL ROLE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANOTHER INSTITUTION THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BAND TOGETHER IN A SHORT TIME TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. I'VE BEEN PROUD OF EVERYONE @# INVOLVED. >> DAVID, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. GOOD LUCK, SATURDAY. >> CHUCK MARTIN DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB. VERY WELL- COACHED IN ALL THREE PHASES. THIS IS A DARN GOOD COACH@# TO COME IN. FOR THE FAN BASE TO SHOW UP