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00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:02 >> Jack, for you, just what was the conversation like at halftime?
00:07 It seemed like you guys had some opportunities that
00:10 left by the wayside in the first half.
00:12 What was the conversation at halftime and
00:13 then the mindset going into the second half that helped you all break it open?
00:16 >> I think we were pretty calm at halftime and
00:19 we had a feeling that we could move the ball on them.
00:23 And we were doing a couple things,
00:26 maybe shoot ourselves in the foot a little bit in the first half.
00:29 But we just stay calm and we know that at any point we can get explosive and
00:36 just start putting drafts together.
00:38 And so nothing really crazy at halftime, we talked about,
00:42 we just talked about what plays we were gonna open up with.
00:44 And then from there just going out and executing them.
00:47 >> Jack, this is your third time at three schools facing Notre Dame.
00:51 It's the first time you get the win.
00:53 What does that do personally for you?
00:54 And then just knowing the gravity of an opponent like that,
00:58 what do you feel like that does for this team this season?
01:01 >> Yeah, I think, yeah, my third time playing them,
01:05 three different schools, probably never gonna happen again.
01:08 I don't know, it's kind of weird, but it was good to win.
01:11 And obviously, I'm not winning the game, the whole team's winning the game.
01:16 So defense played great, I mean, only giving up, what was it,
01:20 20, 13 points for most of the game.
01:22 And us being able to capitalize on that as an offense and the O-line playing well.
01:27 And running backs running the ball, receivers making plays.
01:30 So it's a team game, but it does feel good to come out with a win and
01:33 maybe give us confidence boost going into next week.
01:35 >> Hey guys, crowd storming, sold out crowd, noise throughout the whole game.
01:42 Just how would you describe what this atmosphere was like to play in,
01:45 in front of all those fans?
01:47 >> I mean, it's really a blessing to have everybody show up, first and foremost.
01:51 We appreciate all the fans, all the support they've been giving us.
01:55 And it was just electric once they started to feel,
01:59 you could feel the adrenaline, and we're just thankful for this day.
02:03 [BLANK_AUDIO]
02:08 >> With all the fans coming out, we appreciate it.
02:11 We know that we had something special that we could do tonight, and
02:15 we got that done, and we wanna do that for the fans.
02:17 [BLANK_AUDIO]
02:27 >> I feel like the statement we made tonight is we can compete with anybody.
02:44 And it don't matter who we play, we're gonna give our best effort every time.
02:48 So I feel like we showed the nation what we can do, and
02:50 we're just gonna keep going from here.
02:52 [BLANK_AUDIO]
02:55 >> I think at the end of the day, we've had some gritty wins.
02:59 And people are saying, hey, you didn't win by enough points.
03:03 But at the end of the day, there's only one stat that really matters,
03:07 is did you win the game or did you lose the game?
03:08 So right now we've won six games and lost none.
03:11 And we're just trying to keep adding to that one game at a time.
03:15 And just coach always preaches just one game season.
03:17 So we're only focused on the next opponent, and that's it.
03:21 Try not to look ahead and just take care of business every single day.
03:25 And then just let it stack upon each other.
03:28 And when the season's over, we can look back and then evaluate it.
03:31 [BLANK_AUDIO]
03:39 >> [INAUDIBLE]
03:49 >> We knew what we did against them last year and
04:00 what happened when we got pressure to them.
04:02 So obviously, we wanted to get more pressure to them.
04:05 And when we did that, you've seen what happened.
04:07 So just going to this game, we had a game plan.
04:12 We just knew we had to execute, and that's what we did.
04:14 >> [INAUDIBLE]
04:18 >> Yeah, I just think we played really good team ball as a defense tonight.
04:21 I think we came together, we played a good game.
04:24 Obviously, we wanted to affect Sam Hartman, and I think we did that tonight.
04:28 And I think that contributed to us being successful.
04:31 [BLANK_AUDIO]
04:41 >> What's it like for you to watch Jowar out there as a running back and
04:46 just the explosive plays that he's made?
04:48 And just, I guess, how impressive is it for you to watch him?
04:51 And even for you, Jowar, just how much confidence do you have in yourself in
04:54 terms of the running backs in this country?
04:56 So start with you.
04:58 >> Yeah, I think it's awesome just to see him at any moment.
05:04 You can hand him the ball and then it's just like that.
05:07 He's down the field and making guys miss.
05:09 And then once he gets in the open field, just the speed.
05:11 I don't think people are gonna have a hard time catching him out in
05:16 the open field.
05:16 So yeah, I'd put our guys up with anyone in the country.
05:20 So I think it was exciting, a good game for Jowar.
05:24 And just hopefully the whole country took note of that.
05:26 [BLANK_AUDIO]
05:30 >> Yes, sir.
05:31 Really, I'm just doing what God gave me the ability to do.
05:35 And that's just go out there, play football, play fast, physical.
05:39 And I stand on what I said last week or two weeks ago.
05:43 I feel like I'm one of the best backs in the nation.
05:45 I feel like we have one of the better running back rooms as well.
05:48 [BLANK_AUDIO]
05:50 >> This one's for Jack and Jowar.
05:52 What do you think separates your offensive line from other groups in
05:55 the country?
05:56 It looks like they kind of physically imposed their will tonight,
05:58 particularly in the run game.
06:00 >> Yeah, we got a lot of dudes that are gritty and
06:03 they've put in a lot of work in the summer.
06:05 In the summer, they were here all day grinding and
06:08 trying to get better on their own time.
06:11 And also the experience that's up there.
06:15 They got guys that put a lot of games, a lot of starts.
06:18 And I think there's no substitution for that.
06:20 I think the more you play, the better you get, the more crafty you get,
06:24 the more you can recognize things.
06:26 And they work hard.
06:28 I mean, they're in here till about 8 o'clock at night and
06:32 studying film and watching film.
06:34 So I think they're gritty dudes, hard workers, and they wanna be good.
06:39 [BLANK_AUDIO]
06:41 >> I mean, just adding on to that, I feel like we're deep at the position too.
06:46 I feel like not even just our starting group, guys that come in second,
06:52 third, I feel like they can make plays and we trust them out there.
06:56 So that's it.
06:56 >> Jory, you had the two touchdowns in the second half that essentially put
07:01 the game away.
07:01 I mean, is that an opportunity you kind of relish in or
07:03 how do you step up in those big moments?
07:06 Is that something that you embrace or how much does that just give you confidence?
07:09 >> Just being patient.
07:11 Last week, it's not the week I wanted.
07:13 That's not the week we expected in the run game.
07:16 So we just knew that the run game was gonna hit once we was being patient.
07:21 And yeah, we just embraced the moment and
07:25 when our numbers is called, just make the play.
07:28 That's it.
07:29 >> And this is for all of you guys.
07:31 Just leading up to this week, there was a lot of talk and
07:34 conversation about Notre Dame coming in here, taking care of business.
07:36 And Notre Dame fans were very dismissive.
07:39 Was any of that a conversation within the team?
07:42 Did you all use that as motivation to get ready for this?
07:45 Like what was the conversation around it?
07:46 Was this about just showing the world just how good this team was?
07:49 Or how did that week building up to the game work?
07:52 >> Yeah, I think we obviously in this building,
07:57 we know how good of a team we are.
08:01 Like you said about showing other people who we are.
08:06 I mean, yeah, that's important, but we know what we have and
08:09 that's the most important thing.
08:10 So we just go week by week, we play our game, and
08:14 we'll come out with the outcome that we want in the end.
08:16 [BLANK_AUDIO]
08:20 >> Yeah, we knew we had a challenge this week, but we take it one game at a time.
08:26 And we just prepare the same.
08:28 You can't take nobody lightly and you can't over prepare and try to do too much.
08:33 So this week we just treated it like a normal week and
08:36 we show everybody what we can do.
08:38 That's why I feel that.
08:39 [BLANK_AUDIO]
08:42 >> I feel like we've seen a lot of talks about being the upset.
08:46 I feel like we went with the mentality that it wasn't gonna be an upset.
08:50 It's only gonna be upset if you don't believe you're gonna win.
08:53 And we believe we was gonna win, so.
08:55 [BLANK_AUDIO]
08:58 >> Yeah, I think we're not really concerned with the outside noise.
09:04 And to piggyback off what these guys said,
09:05 just knowing what we can do within the building.
09:10 I think that's what really matters.
09:11 And I don't even, you said that I don't even know what the Notre Dame
09:16 fans were saying.
09:16 So just keeping it all in house and knowing what we can do and
09:21 then just executing our game plan.
09:23 >> For Mason and TJ, and not only did you guys have a lot of success getting in
09:28 the backfield, getting after Sam Hartman.
09:30 But you guys had a lot of success against the nation's leading rusher in
09:34 holding him to only 20 yards.
09:36 What allowed you guys in that front seven as a whole to have so
09:40 much success against Notre Dame in the rushing attack?
09:44 >> We felt like if we could stop their run game, we'd have a good shot.
09:48 And we just, we knew he was one of the best batsmen in the nation, and
09:51 we just take that as a challenge.
09:52 And so the D line and
09:53 us linebackers, we just had a plan to stop him the whole game.
09:57 >> Yeah, I think it's pretty well known right now that we're very good at
10:02 defending the run.
10:04 We plan on keeping that going.
10:05 But like TJ said, we figured if we could stop the run,
10:09 we could put the ball in Sam Hartman's hands more.
10:12 And he was gonna make decisions we were gonna get after him, and
10:15 it was gonna work out for us.
10:16 >> Thank you guys.
10:21 >> Appreciate it.
10:22 - Okay.
10:23 [BLANK_AUDIO]