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00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:02 >> Go ahead, Jeff.
00:03 >> Well, good morning.
00:04 We're definitely excited about this week.
00:07 I know our players are looking forward to playing a top quality opponent like
00:11 Notre Dame.
00:12 We're gonna have a great atmosphere at our stadium.
00:15 And it's just a tremendous opportunity for our football team this Saturday night.
00:19 So once again, we gotta learn from the last game and
00:24 how to correct some mistakes and get better and be more efficient.
00:27 Try to play as solid as we can for 60 minutes.
00:31 We'll work hard on this week on doing that and also preparing for Notre Dame.
00:36 I think when you look at Notre Dame, extremely talented, very good on film,
00:40 very, very strong on defense, strong athletic, will cover you.
00:45 You know, ranked in the top in the nation in a lot of categories.
00:50 So it'll be a challenge for us to be efficient in using the football.
00:55 And on offense, they're gonna pound you to run the football and
00:58 utilize their experienced quarterback, really good running back, and
01:02 tight end and work from there.
01:04 So we'll work hands to foot.
01:06 We're gonna have to win a lot of the small battles, not turn the ball over,
01:10 be efficient, be good in the red zone, find ways to get turnovers.
01:15 And that's gonna be the recipe for trying to come out with a victory.
01:20 But I know we're looking forward to playing a really high quality opponent
01:24 on our home field.
01:25 [BLANK_AUDIO]
01:35 >> What was NC State able to do to make it as hard as it was to run the ball
01:40 compared to the previous year's quarterback?
01:43 >> Well, NC State blitzed us and they blitzed us a lot.
01:46 And they had everybody up there stopping the run and getting after the quarterback.
01:49 And obviously, we didn't have enough good answers to counter that.
01:54 I think as we look back on it,
01:56 [BLANK_AUDIO]
02:00 Finding ways to have answers for all that pressure.
02:02 This was all out pressure, cover zero pressure that I could have done a better
02:07 job of helping us protect some things up and throw the ball over their head.
02:11 I think when we finally made plays, it was throwing the ball over their head
02:15 because they were sitting on routes, stacking the box and coming after the quarterback.
02:20 We missed a few things protection wise, but you know what?
02:23 We could have had a better answer for all that as we look back on it.
02:27 So that's all me.
02:29 So we gotta make sure that, we gotta help our quarterback.
02:32 Anytime the quarterback gets hit a lot, it's gonna affect them.
02:36 It affected their quarterback as well.
02:37 So I just think it was a good defensive battle that luckily we found a way to get
02:42 enough plays in the second half to get some points.
02:45 But it was tough to get running yards with all those guys stacked up in there.
02:49 >> Jeff, when you have a ranked matchup, sold out crowd, prime time TV,
02:56 all the fans there, how do you keep that from being too much of a distraction
02:59 to practice and keep the guys locked in?
03:02 >> I actually don't think it'll be a distraction.
03:03 Our guys have worked really hard.
03:05 They know what's ahead of us.
03:07 We try to treat everything as a one game season.
03:09 That's why this is an unbelievable opportunity for
03:13 our football team to go out and play a high quality opponent.
03:16 And as I've said earlier in the season,
03:20 the schedule just continues to get tougher and tougher and more challenging.
03:23 Which means we gotta get better and better.
03:25 And we have to get better each and every week in order to win.
03:28 That'll be a constant throughout the rest of the season.
03:32 And it'll start this week.
03:34 But you have your fans behind you and on the field and loud and in the stands.
03:38 You gotta feed off that.
03:40 So we gotta find ways to be efficient, make some plays, get up behind us,
03:44 affect the other team and use that as ways to gain an advantage.
03:47 >> Hey Jeff, how does it make you feel being the older brother and
03:52 seeing your brother get the recognition that he so rightfully deserves this coming
03:55 weekend?
03:56 >> Well, I'm glad you remind me.
03:57 I forgot all about that.
03:58 >> [LAUGH]
04:02 >> Brian is our little brother, but
04:05 yes, he's very talented and he's accomplished a lot.
04:09 I think he was a great player and I think we all got a chance to watch him play.
04:13 Just a tremendous passing quarterback who did a lot of great things.
04:20 And I think now that we have him on staff, he's bright, he's very smart.
04:26 He's always had great toys in the pocket, very calm and like myself.
04:31 So I applaud him for that.
04:34 And he helps our quarterback.
04:35 So I just think any great players that we've had come through here,
04:40 it's great to recognize and obviously Brian did some great things.
04:43 So we're definitely very happy for him.
04:46 And hopefully we can have a good day on Saturday.
04:49 >> Yeah, Hartman's a very experienced guy, been around for a while.
04:54 He had one of the worst games of his career here last year.
04:57 When you go against him, what are the things that you have to be most aware of?
05:03 And what does he do most effectively?
05:08 >> Well, anytime you have that experience, it's a plus.
05:11 And he definitely utilizes that.
05:12 He's very calm in the pocket, he's played a lot of football.
05:17 He's played a lot of different offenses.
05:19 This offense fits him very well because they run the football,
05:23 utilize the tight ends.
05:25 Ask him to do enough but not carry the football team on his back.
05:29 But when he has to, he can do that for sure.
05:31 So I think as you watch him play, just like every quarterback, and
05:36 just what they did to him here last year, you can apply some pressure and
05:40 get after him and make the decisions harder for him.
05:44 Cover receivers tighter and get in the backfield, it affects everybody.
05:47 It definitely affected him this past year when they played him.
05:51 So that's a key for everybody and definitely for
05:54 a guy with this type of experience.
05:55 If you look at the last game against Duke, he was very efficient.
06:01 There was a period there where they got after him and blitzed him quite a bit.
06:05 And they had him on his heels.
06:07 And then when they dropped eight on fourth and
06:10 16 to try to seal the game, he made a pay for it.
06:13 So I just think he's very smart, very intelligent, he's played a lot of football.
06:17 And if you make one or two mistakes, he's gonna capitalize and score and
06:21 turn it into touchdowns.
06:22 >> Jeff, a couple of questions.
06:26 Number one, defensively for Notre Dame, are they similar to NC State or
06:32 do they do things totally different?
06:35 And when you were at Trinity and got to be a senior, I know Notre Dame came after
06:38 Brian and wanted him, did they talk to you in any?
06:42 >> Well, going back to Notre Dame defense,
06:46 this would be the most talented defense we'll play today, without question.
06:49 I mean, they've got talent and size and athleticism at all the positions.
06:56 Up front, they're big and stout and stop the runs.
07:00 When they get after the quarterback, the linebacker, the corers,
07:02 athletic, they can run and tackle.
07:04 And it shows up on film and the secondary.
07:05 Some really, really good players led by a dominant corner on one side,
07:13 and they don't give up any yards in the passing game.
07:15 So they're gonna guard you, and man you up, and
07:19 gonna apply pressure at the same time, and not give up a lot of easy completions.
07:22 So this will be a great challenge for us on offense to be efficient,
07:28 move the ball, and get points.
07:29 When it comes to Notre Dame, I think anytime you go to the high school we went
07:34 to, Notre Dame was a part of the action, and yeah, they recruited me.
07:37 At the time, I had a scholarship offer there, but
07:43 they had Rick Meyer as a commitment, who's the number one quarterback in the country.
07:48 So even though I'm not real smart, I knew that, you know what,
07:51 I probably shouldn't go there.
07:52 Rick Meyer's going there, I wanna see the field, so that ruled that one out.
07:56 But, you know what, a ton of history, a ton of tradition, won a lot of football
08:01 games, and I think anytime you get a chance to play them, it's exciting for
08:03 your players and your fans.
08:04 >> Thank you.
08:05 >> Gary.
08:06 >> Jeff, even though the yards weren't there for Jawar,
08:10 what kind of things did you see on tape where he was trying to adjust to that?
08:16 Making him try to push harder, and
08:18 how do you feel like an experience like that will help him going forward?
08:23 >> Well, Jawar did a fine job, there just wasn't a whole lot of holes to open,
08:26 excuse me, a whole lot of holes to run in.
08:29 We tried to establish a little bit of run early on, got a few chunks here and there.
08:34 And then I think they just kind of bottled this up, and then of course got a lead,
08:38 which does affect the amount of runs that you're gonna be able to run if you're
08:42 trying to make a comeback.
08:44 I think we finally made a few plays in the passing game in the second half to
08:48 help kind of get us going.
08:50 But yes, we'd like to find a way to get him a little more space to run the football,
08:54 cuz that's when he's at his best.
08:56 But he played hard, he hung in there, and it was just one of those games where
09:00 the running game wasn't as efficient as we would like it to be.
09:04 And I think that's why you gotta be good at both.
09:07 And it doesn't mean you gotta be 50/50, you just gotta be good at both,
09:12 cuz you never know when you're gonna have to use each and every one of those.
09:15 So luckily, we had some success in the passing game to help us come back and
09:20 get a lead.
09:21 And I just think we have to continue to execute both the running and
09:27 passing game.
09:28 Without question, our best players, including Jordan,
09:31 have touched the ball quite a bit.
09:32 >> Jeff, just curious, Marcus Freeman was on the staff that you guys replaced at
09:38 Purdue.
09:38 >> Who'd you say?
09:39 >> Marcus Freeman.
09:39 >> Oh, yeah.
09:40 >> I'm just curious if you guys had any conversations during that kind of
09:43 crossover, talking, or was there any consideration of bringing him on the staff
09:48 when you were at Purdue that first year?
09:50 >> Well, sure there was.
09:50 I think Marcus is a really, really fine coach.
09:53 He's coached a lot of football.
09:54 He was a great player.
09:55 Anytime he'd come in as a new staff, he'd talk to everybody and
09:58 see where everything stands.
09:59 And he had opportunities and
10:04 things didn't happen where we kept him on there.
10:08 But he went and had great success since.
10:10 And he's done a great job as a defense coordinator and as a head coach.
10:13 He's at one of the most prestigious schools in the country,
10:16 leading them right now.
10:17 And they're playing really good football at a high level.
10:20 So I think he's done a fantastic job.
10:22 So he's got really good coaches on his staff.
10:25 And we're gonna have our hands full.
10:27 We're gonna have to coach well, play well, and really be efficient in how we're doing
10:32 things in all three segments, because this is a well-coached football team led by
10:36 Coach Freeman.
10:37 >> Now obviously you guys have a lot of transfers coming,
10:39 a new system and everything.
10:40 But I guess what do you attribute to just things working as well as they have in
10:44 terms of just guys making big plays and
10:46 the defense coming up the way that they have been able to last week?
10:49 >> Well, I think one of the things,
10:51 we really don't talk about all the new players we're gonna have this past year.
10:55 Cuz I think it's gonna happen every year.
10:56 I think every year you're gonna have new players arrive with the way this
11:00 transfer portal is set up.
11:01 So what you do is you get them here as fast as you can.
11:04 Hopefully get them here in the spring.
11:05 If not, get them here in the summer.
11:07 There's times in the summer months to kinda get them on the field on their own
11:10 and get a plan together where they can work on their own without us
11:13 legally being out there.
11:14 And what you have to utilize, and then in fall camp,
11:17 you gotta put it all together.
11:18 And you've gotta get as many reps in as you can.
11:21 I think that our guys have practiced a lot.
11:25 They should understand what we're doing.
11:26 Obviously, there's some nuances that we gotta continue to correct that
11:30 does take a little time.
11:32 There were some things in the past game we weren't as precise on that
11:36 we need to be better at and crisper at.
11:38 So we gotta work hard and get even better at that.
11:42 But these guys have worked hard and they play hard.
11:45 And they play with the end.
11:46 So I give them all the credit.
11:48 They hung in there when things didn't look good at halftime and
11:51 we hadn't scored a point.
11:52 We're down by ten points and they were positive.
11:55 They knew we've kinda been there before, down at halftime and
11:59 up at halftime when things didn't go as well.
12:00 So we just had to figure it out and play hard.
12:03 But they were into it.
12:05 And I give them all the credit.
12:06 They played hard to the very end.
12:08 They finished the game.
12:11 They didn't give up.
12:11 They don't point fingers.
12:13 And they know that, if we talk about it,
12:14 they know that every game is probably gonna be like that.
12:19 If we can have some of ours, that's great.
12:21 But every game is gonna go down in the wire and
12:23 you've gotta be able to just hang in there and play tough for 60 minutes.
12:26 Block out a couple of negative things that happened along the way and
12:30 just kinda try to overcome it.
12:31 And when it's over, you look at the scoreboard and
12:34 hope that you have enough points.
12:35 But these guys have done a good job at this point.
12:37 >> Three part question.
12:40 In a state that historically produced a lot of elite prospects,
12:46 you and Kentucky are both 5 and 0, both ranked.
12:49 How do you explain that?
12:51 Do you think it's sustainable?
12:52 And how much does NIL play in that?
12:56 >> Well, I just think that I can speak for us.
13:01 If you try to put a plan together, go out there and try to win football games.
13:04 And in five games, we've been able to do just enough to get that done.
13:08 So beyond that, I don't know what's gonna happen the next week or
13:12 the next week.
13:12 So I just think we gotta continue to get better and work through it.
13:15 And we'll see what our record is at the end.
13:19 And that's kinda how we approach it.
13:21 But if they're old, they've got a good start.
13:25 They're a well coached.
13:25 They have success.
13:27 They can run the football.
13:28 They play great defense.
13:29 And I think anytime you can play great defense and run the football,
13:32 you're gonna have a chance to win.
13:33 So if you can get those elements going and
13:36 find a way to be effective in the passing game to create big plays,
13:39 you should have a chance to win in every game, as long as you're doing the small
13:42 things.
13:43 Other than that, it's nothing more than trying to do our part as coaches and
13:50 our part as players and go out there and compete to win.
13:53 Right now, we got off to a pretty decent start, so it's all day.
13:59 So we just gotta continue on our part.
14:01 We have bigger challenges ahead of us.
14:03 We gotta figure out ways to win the next football game.
14:06 >> Great.
14:08 You guys are on the rank for the first time in a long time.
14:11 Is there a sense of pride that comes with that number next to your name?
14:13 Or is it something you just look at and just keep moving up anything else?
14:19 >> Well, I think for our fans, our players' families,
14:23 anything like that is always great for us.
14:25 The ranking at the end is what matters.
14:27 We understand that.
14:28 I've been on teams where we started 6-0 and we lost the next 6.
14:31 I've been on other teams where we started bad and
14:34 we found a way to win a lot of big games.
14:36 So this thing can change really fast.
14:39 And as soon as you think that you're comfortable going in the right direction,
14:43 then you're gonna get hit in the mouth and knocked to the ground.
14:46 So we gotta push forward.
14:49 This team we're playing, if we're not really ready to play and
14:54 hitting on all cylinders, it'll be a long day.
14:56 And we have to play really good football in order to win.
14:59 I think we know that some mistakes we've made in the last few weeks,
15:03 we've gotta correct them and try not to allow them to happen again.
15:06 And really play a tough brand of football if we wanna win, like it's her name.
15:12 >> Yeah, with the 5-0 start and this is a national TV game against
15:17 a team like Notre Dame, have you noticed more response from recruiting
15:23 to what you guys are interested in?
15:25 How big of a showcase will this game be for what you wanna do?
15:29 >> I think so.
15:29 I think the recruiting's always important.
15:31 That part has gone pretty well to this point.
15:34 Everything matters, developing relationships, winning football games,
15:40 showing to them a plan for them to help them achieve their goal,
15:43 get to the next level.
15:44 And we just gotta continue to work through that as we're playing during the season.
15:47 And then of course, whether it's high school recruits or transfer recruits,
15:52 we've gotta be in the ballgame and ready to compete.
15:57 So yes, winning matters.
15:58 So I think it's important that we go out and
16:00 play a good brand of football this week and try to find a way to win.
16:04 And if you just keep pushing forward, the recruiting can pick up even more and
16:10 we've got a good plan together to try to do the best job to continue to
16:16 bring in great prospects that wanna be a part of it.
16:19 And we've got a lot to sell, a tremendous stadium and great fan base.
16:23 Good young, hungry players and coaching staff, I think,
16:27 works really hard to help develop our guys and do it the right way.
16:30 So everything matters.
16:32 And of course, winning football games is very important.
16:36 >> Last one.
16:37 Jeff, how much did you maybe deliberate doing something other than kicking a 53
16:41 yarder and any hesitation in sending Brock out there?
16:43 I've heard of this one.
16:45 >> Well, you know what?
16:47 I always wanna kick cuz I feel confident that Brock can kick it out there pretty
16:51 far and he's got experience.
16:53 I mean, anybody that can punt and kick and do all those things,
16:55 he's a really tough young man and athletic.
16:57 When we decided, there was a little debate of whether that was too far.
17:02 And I think Carl had said to me, are you sure you wanna kick?
17:05 And I said, you know what, I'm not gonna say I was 100% for sure.
17:09 But I said, no, we need to go try to make this kick.
17:11 I've seen him kick it this far before and try to get some points.
17:15 Luckily, sometimes it works, it doesn't.
17:18 But the one he missed earlier, he didn't hit it solid.
17:22 I thought he rushed it just a tad bit.
17:24 And it was from there, it was just like, just get a solid foot on this thing and
17:27 kick it out there.
17:28 And he got a solid foot on it.
17:30 So of course, it helped us win the game.
17:33 But Brock's been steady.
17:34 I mean, I know I missed the one, but he's been steady and works really hard.
17:40 And he's a valuable component to us winning football games.
17:44 He helped us win the Georgia Tech game.
17:47 And he's just been a really good kicker for us to sit through five games.
17:51 >> All right, thank you.