Inside NU - Northwestern-Indiana Gameday StreamRoll Damn 'Catshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52532/insidenu_fav.png2016-10-25T16:02:03-05:00http://www.insidenu.com/rss/stream/131317172016-10-25T16:02:03-05:002016-10-25T16:02:03-05:00Pound the Talk: Northwestern vs. Indiana review, Matthew Harris retirement
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<figcaption>Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>We discuss both the positive and the negative of the past few days.</p> <p id="IZbhwi"><em>Zach Pereles and Josh Burton are in the studio to recap a sad but successful weekend for Northwestern football. First they address the sad: Senior cornerback Matthew Harris has retired from football due to concussion issues. They talk about his absence and the concussion issue as a whole. How big of a problem is it, and will it ever change? They then focus on the happier things: Northwestern won again! That makes it three in a row for the Wildcats. What went right versus Indiana, and what can be improved ahead of Ohio State?</em></p>
<p id="lcMKn7">Listen below, or <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-nus-pound-talk-wnur/id1019007360"><strong>subscribe, download and listen to the podcast on iTunes.</strong></a></p>
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https://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/25/13410412/northwestern-vs-indiana-final-score-recap-matthew-harris-retirementZach PerelesJosh Burton2016-10-23T11:36:07-05:002016-10-23T11:36:07-05:00Austin Carr sets school record with six straight games with TD<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/NUFBFamily/status/790228955408244737">Austin Carr sets school record with six straight games with&nbsp;TD</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p><p>Austin Carr has now caught a touchdown in six straight games, a new program record. He was tied with Teddy Johnson (five in a row in 2000). Carr leads the Big Ten in receptions and receiving yards.</p></p></div>
https://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/23/13372432/austin-carr-sets-school-record-with-six-straight-gaes-with-tdZach Pereles2016-10-23T11:24:29-05:002016-10-23T11:24:29-05:00Kyle Queiro INT named SportsCenter’s top play
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<p>Just beautiful.</p> <p id="0obMRj">After a wild Saturday of college football, one play stood out above all of the rest: Kyle Queiro’s unbelievable one-handed interception. Here is the full Top 10 from Saturday night:</p>
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<p id="PILLKF">Queiro <a href="https://twitter.com/Kyles_Style/status/789660486526795776">tweeted</a> “thanks for the int” on Friday night, which has become <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/18/13309128/northwestern-football-godwin-igwebuike-jared-mcgee-interception-twitter-instagram-defensive-backs">a tradition</a> for Northwestern’s secondary. Queiro’s tweet then interception was the third such this season, following in the footsteps of fellow safeties Godwin Igwebuike (Duke) and Jared McGee (Michigan State).</p>
<p id="9Kzko9">The incredible interception immediately took off on social media, especially on Vine and Twitter. ESPN proclaimed it one of the greatest interceptions of all time.</p>
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<p id="TiCGVF">Queiro’s pick came at a crucial time in the game as Northwestern’s offense sputtered in the second half. The junior safety, playing with a cast on his other hand due to injury, recovered nicely after initially advancing on the play rather than sinking back, and the rest... Well, the rest says top play of the day.</p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/23/13372318/kyle-queiro-interception-northwestern-sportscenter-top-10-one-hand-odell-beckhamZach Pereles2016-10-23T09:03:02-05:002016-10-23T09:03:02-05:00Player grades from Northwestern’s 24-14 win over Indiana
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<figcaption>Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It’s a mixed bag, much like the game was.</p> <p id="akSzmH"><em>Every Sunday after a Northwestern win or loss, we'll be handing out player grades as a way to analyze the Wildcats' performance from an individual perspective. Rather than rush out the grades on Saturday, we'll sleep on them, and wake up Sunday ready to accurately evaluate NU's players, coaches and opponents.</em></p>
<p id="zxlBYj"><em>It wasn’t necessarily pretty, but Northwestern got the job done for the third game in a row, and the Wildcats should have some newfound confidence defensively after holding Indiana to just 14 points.</em></p>
<h2 id="a1lazK">Clayton Thorson: B+</h2>
<p id="RS9t21"><em>24 of 43, 285 yards, 3 TDs, 2 sacks; 8 carries, 34 yards</em></p>
<p id="UBBNjD">Thorson played A football in the first half, but his second half was a major struggle. He missed on several easy throws and generally looked like the quarterback he was last year. Still, his stat line was really good (save for the completion percentage) and he once again avoided turnovers. His A first half holds more weight than his C- second half because NU was able to pull out the win.</p>
<h2 id="ypcRGU">Justin Jackson: B</h2>
<p id="YcLWG8"><em>28 carries, 94 yards; 5 receptions, 34 yards</em></p>
<p id="dx4Xud">Jackson didn’t find quite the room he had the past two games, so his numbers aren’t that great, but he was solid overall and very good in the first quarter. He still makes yards out of nothing, but he simply didn’t have enough room often enough to have a huge impact for the majority of the game. It was nice to see him so involved in the passing game.</p>
<h2 id="tk225A">Austin Carr: A</h2>
<p id="KS4S3W"><em>7 receptions, 125 yards, 1 TD</em></p>
<p id="LyMuYc">This guy is just incredible. He had his first drop of the season, but he’s still fantastic. He’s great on third down. He’s great on first down. He’s just great. He has a touchdown reception in six straight games.</p>
<h2 id="W1PeBt">Flynn Nagel: B</h2>
<p id="mtRwV6">Nagel was solid as Northwestern’s second option once again, as evidenced by his career-high six receptions. He had one drop on what would have been a tough back shoulder catch on the sideline, but he also had a couple really good catches and was solid in the return game once again.</p>
<h2 id="qRdbJa">Offensive line: C</h2>
<p id="3NhK3x">It was an up-and-down performance from the guys up front. The group was very good early, but the play slowly declined as the game progressed. It didn’t help that blocking extraordinaire superback Garrett Dickerson didn’t play, and Brad North was banged up as well.</p>
<h2 id="XAmwKR">Anthony Walker Jr.: A-</h2>
<p id="qMEEAt"><em>11 total tackles, 2 TFL</em></p>
<p id="7VQ4dT">This was the Anthony Walker Jr. of 2015. He was all over the place, blowing up plays in the backfield and chasing down Devine Redding. He’s clearly a different player than what he was early in the year.</p>
<h2 id="rsIvdY">Cornerbacks: C-</h2>
<p id="cDCLHd">The numbers don’t look too bad considering how many times Indiana threw the ball, and Montre Hartage had an amazing pick, but this is a position that is really in need. Alonzo Mayo left early, leaving Marcus McShepard and Hartage as the only two healthy scholarship cornerbacks that were on the team last year. Richard Lagow missed a lot of throws, throws that better quarterbacks will take advantage of. But still, considering how this team is absolutely scrambling at the position, the CBs managed to string together a viable performance.</p>
<h2 id="lgpPbX">Godwin Igwebuike: A-</h2>
<p id="2Xcnk9">Igwebuike was all over the field coming up with several huge tackles on third and fourth downs. He’s holding this young secondary together and playing a bunch of different roles. He lined up in his customary safety position as well as outside and inside corner.</p>
<h2 id="CqmhIC">Kyle Queiro: A++++++++++++++++++</h2>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Holy cow!<a href="https://twitter.com/NUFBFamily">@NUFBFamily</a>'s Kyle Queiro just out-did <a href="https://twitter.com/JourdanJD">@JourdanJD</a>'s INT.<br><br>More video » <a href="https://t.co/Afb2pFbefb">https://t.co/Afb2pFbefb</a> <a href="https://t.co/igOEAFZnss">https://t.co/igOEAFZnss</a></p>— Northwestern On BTN (@NUOnBTN) <a href="https://twitter.com/NUOnBTN/status/789908064736382976">October 22, 2016</a>
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https://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/23/13369710/northwestern-wildcats-indiana-hoosiers-football-score-stats-player-grades-clayton-thorsonZach Pereles2016-10-22T19:16:18-05:002016-10-22T19:16:18-05:00Big plays, veterans lead Northwestern defense
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<figcaption>Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>After giving up 71 points in the past two games, the Wildcats defense held Indiana to just 12 on Saturday.</p> <p id="Mv72L9">Northwestern’s first two Big Ten victories were all about offense.</p>
<p id="rOWQMQ">The Wildcats somehow turned into a scoring juggernaut against Iowa and Michigan State, putting up 92 combined points to win a pair of shootouts. Those offensive outbursts made it easy to overlook the performances of the defense, which struggled in both games. Northwestern entered its homecoming matchup with Indiana on a two-game winning streak largely because of its offense and in spite of its defense.</p>
<p id="12ENI9">In the second half on Saturday, those roles did a 180-degree flip.</p>
<p id="Putwtl">With Clayton Thorson and the offense <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/22/13367132/northwestern-wildcats-indiana-hoosiers-northwestern-offense-stats-clayton-thorson-justin-jackson">unable to move the ball after halftime</a>, the defense came up with numerous big stops as Northwestern hung on to win, 24-14. The unit came up with two sacks, two interceptions and held the Hoosiers to just 84 yards on the ground.</p>
<p id="KAzu9J">“We came in with the mindset that we wanted to put a complete defensive game together,” said Anthony Walker Jr. “We took it as a personal challenge to step up no matter what.”</p>
<p id="weaSbN">It was by no means a complete, dominant defensive performance. Indiana racked up over 400 yards of offense, routinely picking on Northwestern’s young cornerbacks. But the secondary fixed one of its <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/20/13343654/northwestern-secondary-improvement-hurry-struggle-bad-igwebuike-hartage-trae-williams-mayo-mcgee">biggest problems so far this season</a>: It didn’t get beaten deep.</p>
<p id="2LdwXm">“Our communication was improved in the secondary,” said coach Pat Fitzgerald. “This goes back to the way that they prepared.”</p>
<p id="YSn0Mx">Facing the Big Ten’s second-most prolific passing attack, the Wildcats surrendered just one completion of 20+ yards, a 33-yarder that led to a field goal. In fact, several of Indiana’s long passing attempts turned into highlight-reel turnovers. In the first half, CB Montre Hartage made an incredible diving interception on a deep ball, getting a bit fortunate that Hoosier QB Richard Lagow underthrew his man.</p>
<p id="9hkBko">Then, with Indiana trying to rally late in the fourth quarter, safety Kyle Queiro made <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/22/13367464/kyle-queiro-one-handed-interception">the catch of the season</a> with a momentum-killing pick. </p>
<p id="dGdBA5">Not only was Queiro’s interception impressive due to the level of difficulty required, but it was also the third time this season a Northwestern DB has successfully predicted their own interception. Quiero tweeted “Thanks for the INT” late Friday night and deep into Saturday’s game, it happened.</p>
<p id="fq8tJJ">“We’ve talked about basically speaking it into existence,” Queiro said.</p>
<p id="CxX3Af">The picks were especially huge considering how ineffective the Wildcats’ offense was in the second half. Northwestern picked up just 37 yards and failed to score at all in the final two quarters, giving Indiana plenty of opportunities to mount a comeback.</p>
<p id="B4ZBU8">But the defense wasn’t having any of that.</p>
<p id="foXBtj">“We lost momentum in the second half and had to respond a bunch of times defensively to get some big stops,” Fitzgerald said.</p>
<p id="OYJ7WD">The interceptions made the national highlights, but other plays come to mind as well. With Northwestern clinging to a 24-12 lead early in the fourth quarter, Indiana had a 3rd and 9 at the NU 27 yard-line. Lagow dropped back to pass and was crushed from behind by Ifeadi Odenigbo for the DE’s seventh sack in the last three games. The nine-yard loss caused the Hoosiers to have to try a 53-yard field goal, which missed badly.</p>
<p id="rF7d8C">On Indiana’s next possession, it had a 3rd and 7 near midfield and Lagow was sacked again, this time by Joe Gaziano. Those two plays exemplified one of the biggest themes of the day for the defense: its ability to get off the field by getting stops and third and fourth down. Indiana converted just 5-of-19 third down attempts and 3-of-6 fourth downs.</p>
<p id="rnxzFd">Beyond the big plays, perhaps the most important aspect of Northwestern’s stifling defensive performance was the play of its stars, Anthony Walker Jr. and Godwin Igwebuike. Walker played one of his best games of the year, leading the team with 11 tackles and two tackles for loss, and Igwebuike was all over the place with 8 tackles and a huge fourth-down pass breakup in the third quarter.</p>
<p id="nldAeu">“Especially with the way we’ve played defensively in a handful of games this year, it’s great to have two of your best players play their best game,” Fitzgerald said. “They’ve been trying to do a little bit too much, and it looked like today they just did their jobs.”</p>
<p id="B3QVRu">On Saturday, Northwestern’s defense relied on its veterans leaders, along with some timely big plays, and put together its best game of the season.</p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/22/13368118/northwestern-football-defense-stats-kyle-queiro-interception-highlights-indianaWill Ragatz2016-10-22T18:03:57-05:002016-10-22T18:03:57-05:00A tale of two halves: NU offense goes dormant after strong start
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<figcaption>Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Wildcats came out of the gate hot, but were stifled in the second half.</p> <p id="IzVVWv">Appreciation is a very relative concept. </p>
<p id="xasxTs">Five weeks ago, Northwestern got its first victory of the season against Duke, scoring 24 points and gaining 406 total yards.</p>
<p id="IAgru4">On Saturday, Northwestern got its fourth victory of the season against Indiana, scoring 24 points and gaining 408 total yards. </p>
<p id="lroM7I">After Duke, the offensive output was remembered as one of the best in recent memory, as Thorson hit multiple receivers for deep touchdowns. Despite some inefficiency, the Wildcats were finally hinting at being a dual-threat offense. After Indiana, it’s still a positive offensive showing, except this time with a bit of staleness in the air. </p>
<p id="RQy00A">It’s all about a difference in perspective.</p>
<p id="NOshkY">Against Indiana, Northwestern rocketed out of the gate, scoring two touchdowns on the first two possessions. Clayton Thorson completed a 17 yard pass to Solomon Vault and a 34 yard pass to Austin Carr as part of a red-hot start. Then on the first play of the second quarter scored its third TD of the game on a 32 yard pass to Macan Wilson. </p>
<p id="xzmd3P">In 15 short minutes, Northwestern led by 21 and the offense appeared to be picking up right where it left off in East Lansing. But in the next 45 minutes of game time, the Wildcats would only score three points and be forced to hang on for dear life against the Hoosiers. </p>
<p id="GCL3BX">“I thought we started the game the right way,” head coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “But obviously lost momentum in the second time and had to respond a bunch of times.” </p>
<p id="mtugTs">The first quarter (and change) was one of the best starts, offensively, Northwestern has had in a long time. Scoring three touchdowns on four possessions is something we’ve seen this offense do the past two games, but rarely have the Wildcats done it to start the game. </p>
<p id="pueixc">“I think everything worked well for us in the first half,” Thorson said. “We threw for a bunch of yards, we ran for a bunch of yards, we were really balanced, and when we’re like that I think we’re tough to beat.” </p>
<p id="sQC2kf">Northwestern has shown for much of the last three games that when the offense is spreading people out, it’s almost impossible to stop. Iowa couldn’t stop it, Michigan State couldn’t stop it and Indiana couldn’t stop it — for the first half.</p>
<p id="AdJ2xC">However when the second half began, Indiana had made some adjustments, and the Northwestern offense started to stall. </p>
<p id="eUGBbM">“In the second half, a lot of missed opportunities,” Thorson said. “Just little things here or there, it’s not like it was one possession group or one guy every time, but we just got to clean it up and play a full four quarters again.”</p>
<p id="O3gniy">After the victory against Michigan State, we all now know how potent this offense can be, and watching it struggle like it did in the second half brings back memories of 2015. It’s unfair to be too critical of the playcalling; Mick McCall has been brilliant for much of the last three games, but when Indiana began to adjust to what Northwestern was doing, it simply reverted to what it had done so many times last year. Running the ball and hoping the defense could hold out. </p>
<p id="LwUdyu">Northwestern finished the game with 88 plays run with a perfect balance of 44 runs and 44 passes. But most of those passes came in the first half, as Thorson only threw the ball 12 times in the second half, and only five times in the third quarter when the Wildcats were on the field for just 5:42. The offense got away from what had been successful and starting relying solely on Justin Jackson. </p>
<p id="6sIcWP">This wasn’t the only problem, as the offensive line began to struggle once again following roughly two and a half games of solid protection. The giant holes that Jackson had in the first half were gone, and Thorson was sacked twice in the third quarter alone. It’s unclear why this is the case, considering the perfect protection Thorson had early on in the game. </p>
<p id="T8mjov">To make matters worse, Thorson started simply missing on throws, receivers didn’t have as much separation, and the offense as a whole just looked slow and sluggish. Indiana’s defense improved, but that wasn’t the whole reason. </p>
<p id="rVzfE3">“I think they did make some adjustments at halftime defensively, they did want to scheme some of our routes and I think they did pretty well with that,” Austin Carr said. “But we did make some mistakes, some dropped balls and some routes that I think need to be a little more crisp just to get more separation.”</p>
<p id="5YgLKh">Now all of this is merely an observation of a very strange game of football and in no way a reason to really worry about the state of Northwestern’s offense. The offense has begun making the steps necessary to become an elite unit, but the next step is being able to respond to defensive adjustments. Northwestern knows what will work early, but has to be able to maintain it throughout all 60 minutes. If Indiana figured out how to stop the NU offense, other teams can figure out what to do schematically, too. This is where it’s important for McCall, Thorson and others to remain a step ahead.</p>
<p id="4kBPFL">But as Pat Fitzgerald loves to say, Northwestern went 1-0 this week and has somehow saved a season that appeared to be on life support just a month ago. Saturday’s game may have been a tale of two halves, but in the end it’s what you get when you put it all together that truly matters.</p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/22/13367132/northwestern-wildcats-indiana-hoosiers-northwestern-offense-stats-clayton-thorson-justin-jacksonIan McCafferty2016-10-22T16:44:48-05:002016-10-22T16:44:48-05:00Northwestern vs. Indiana Game Highlights
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<figcaption>Northwestern Athletics on Youtube</figcaption>
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<p>We cant stop watching this Kyle Queiro interception.</p> <p>Courtesy of Northwestern Athletics.</p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/22/13368094/northwestern-wildcats-indiana-hoosiers-football-highlights-northwestern-intercetion-kyle-queiroZach Pereles2016-10-22T16:37:37-05:002016-10-22T16:37:37-05:00Northwestern-Indiana post-game press conference notes
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<figcaption>Northwestern Athletics / YouTube</figcaption>
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<p>Pat Fitzgerald talked marrying his high school sweetheart and Kyle Queiro talked about his amazing interception.</p> <h1 id="qX6bbn">Pat Fitzgerald</h1>
<ul>
<li id="xwgRkw">Fitzgerald said seeing his teammates — the 1996 Big Ten champion team was honored at halftime — was “really something spectacular and something special.”</li>
<li id="CSJEA2">“I thought we started the game the right way... But obviously lost momentum in the second half and had to respond a bunch of times.”</li>
<li id="y9kk3j">Fitzgerald gave a “much improved” Indiana credit: “That was a physical battle.”</li>
<li id="z8iP82">Fitzgerald said the biggest difference was “the way we prepared.” Given the injuries in training camp, the team had to adapt to his new coaching strategies and be more intense in practices, especially after the two losses. “We lost some alpha males and the new alpha male in the room is gonna be me, whether you like it or not.” He also credited his upperclassmen on stepping up.</li>
<li id="h6s1Vi">Fitzgerald admitted he doesn’t do anything too fancy: “I’m not an exotic guy... I married my high school sweetheart. She’s a babe. I way out-kicked my coverage.”</li>
<li id="KkRmE6">Fitzgerald said the team wasn’t “playing to our standard” early in the season. “We had to force a change.”</li>
<li id="UxwG16">On Kyle Queiro’s tweet: “I hope they all tweet it out next week.” A Northwestern defensive back has now predicted an interception three times this year (Godwin Igwebuike, Jared McGee and and now Queiro).</li>
<li id="4qyKp6">Fitzgerald on what happened after halftime. “No playcalling changes, absolutely not. Win the second half, win the game.”</li>
<li id="1uMSsy">“We’re not a mature team,” Fitzgerald said. “I don’t know how many times I kept saying ‘keep the pedal down, keep the pedal down, keep the pedal down.’”</li>
<li id="Qbe1ZI">Fitzgerald said it’s been crucial to have Igwebuike and Anthony Walker Jr. playing their best football at this point in the season.</li>
<li id="mFkgTb">Fitzgerald emphasized that the team’s preparation these past few weeks has been significantly improved. He shared an anecdote about the defensive backs watching extra film on Thursday night as he was locking up.</li>
<li id="S8YEy0">Fitzgerald likened Carr and Thorson’s development to that of the two Rose Bowl teams. They put in extra work in the offseason on their own. “One of the cornerstones of our program is investment.”</li>
<li id="47WVcs">Fitzgerald also emphasized making the most of your opportunities and that several young guys are getting opportunities. “The minute you step on campus, the sand is running out of the hourglass in your career.”</li>
<li id="Ef8o0I">“I’d vote for [Austin Carr] for President. No debates.”</li>
<li id="P3K2t6">Fitzgerald on Ifeadi: “I love that dude.”</li>
<li id="pLV1ZI">Fitzgerald called his field goal “illogical.” He did add, though, that the play was executed correctly, and there was a man open downfield (he’s right in all three respects).</li>
<li id="eTi6hb">Fitzgerald said it was a “special week” for himself, Kevin Wilson and Kevin Johns, all of whom coached under Randy Walker. “He was definitely looking down on us.” Walker’s wife, Tammy, has a birthday this week.</li>
</ul>
<h1 id="l7VeBK">Anthony Walker, Godwin Igwebuike, Kyle Queiro</h1>
<ul>
<li id="WmzAOG">Queiro said “he felt [the interception] on Friday night. He admitted he actually made the wrong read initially. “I was overwhelmed. I was just grateful... I knew it was gonna happen.”</li>
<li id="Jpti6Y">Godwin on stepping up during the injuries around him: “One thing I really wanted to stress was reaching out to some of the other older guys in there... There’s gonna be that guy, but it comes down to just a group of guys coming together.”</li>
<li id="fxLInk">Walker said “there were still some spots we didn’t always correct... We can’t have those little mind lapses.” He specifically mentioned the long drive Indiana had early in the second half.</li>
<li id="cmswsn">Godwin praised McShepard for his versatility. “It was tough for him going over to receiver and coming back to DB, coming back as a third string DB... There were times when you could tell he was down, you could tell he was kind of going through it.” Igwebuike and some other teammates met with him to make sure he stayed confident. “Really proud of him.”</li>
<li id="ZKitCV">Walker on the run defense: “Coach Fitz challenged us to stop the run. Our whole goal every week is to hold the team under 100 yards rushing... If we make teams one-dimensional, I think that just ends the game right there.”</li>
</ul>
<h1 id="C9oEkY">Clayton Thorson, Austin Carr</h1>
<ul>
<li id="lSh5dq">Thorson said the second half featured “lots of missed opportunities.”</li>
<li id="FSuss1">Carr added that Indiana “made some adjustments” defensively but the Wildcats could have run crisper routes, which got sloppy in the second half.</li>
<li id="Xqt0uo">Carr on the mindset ahead of OSU: “We take it one week at a time. We’re not really satisfied with the way this week ended offensively.”</li>
<li id="rFqaBG">Thorson on OSU: “It doesn’t matter how many hundreds of thousands of people are there, all that matters is the 100 yards in front of us.”</li>
</ul>
https://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/22/13367734/northwestern-indiana-football-post-game-press-conference-pat-fitzgerald-kyle-queiro-interceptionZach Pereles