These are rough quotes and notes from Kirk Ferentz's 8 minutes on the Big Ten Teleconference today. As always, this is media from all over the country asking questions, so you get a lot of variety in topics. We'll get more Iowa specific stuff, like injury updates, at Kirk's press conference this afternoon.
---
Opening Statement
We were really pleased to get the victory Saturday. It was a hard fought, road win. Turned our attention to Pittsburgh yesterday. They're a good team and well coached, so going to be a challenge certainly.
Q: What do you make of this narrative of choosing Beathard is a new you, a gutsier Kirk Ferentz? I guess I haven't heard that narrative. But it was a new season for us in January. I think we all spent a lot of time soul searching and re-evaluating. You do that every year, but especially coming off those disappointing losses like that. Our players have worked really hard and we've seen leadership really start to develop. Seems like we're going in the right direction right now.
Q: Tried the fake field, which goes along with that narrative. What was the thought process there? We wouldn't have run it if we didn't think we could score, so that was the thought. We're 0/2 on those, but 2-0 so maybe we've got something going there.
Q: What were the qualities in Beathard that made you decide to go with him and what have you seen from him in the first couple games? First all of, when we recruited him and he got here, always had a live arm. That was never a question and a tremendous young man too. The turning point was he started to mature and develop. Probably his worst practice was the Thursday before the Pittsburgh game last year. Ironically, he came off the bench and helped us pull off a second half comeback. But since that bad practice, we've seen him grow and continue to mature. Can't say enough about what he's done in the spring and summer, really developed and matured, and come into his own.
Q: What does his arm strength do to help your offense? He's got good arm strength, he's had that, and has the confidence to feel like he can fit it in there. The thing I'm most impressed with is just his poise and ability to keep an even keel on the field, which is easier said than done. On Saturday, he never looked bothered. He kept his focus where it needed to be.
Q: I wanted to ask about CJ's personality, do kids kind of gravitate toward him? Yeah, probably the best way I can describe it is, the comparison I would make is Brad Banks, not as quarterbacks, but as people. When Brad played here, people were just drawn to him. Easy going demeanor and a way about him that instilled confidence in others. CJ kind of has that too.
---
Opening Statement
We were really pleased to get the victory Saturday. It was a hard fought, road win. Turned our attention to Pittsburgh yesterday. They're a good team and well coached, so going to be a challenge certainly.
Q: What do you make of this narrative of choosing Beathard is a new you, a gutsier Kirk Ferentz? I guess I haven't heard that narrative. But it was a new season for us in January. I think we all spent a lot of time soul searching and re-evaluating. You do that every year, but especially coming off those disappointing losses like that. Our players have worked really hard and we've seen leadership really start to develop. Seems like we're going in the right direction right now.
Q: Tried the fake field, which goes along with that narrative. What was the thought process there? We wouldn't have run it if we didn't think we could score, so that was the thought. We're 0/2 on those, but 2-0 so maybe we've got something going there.
Q: What were the qualities in Beathard that made you decide to go with him and what have you seen from him in the first couple games? First all of, when we recruited him and he got here, always had a live arm. That was never a question and a tremendous young man too. The turning point was he started to mature and develop. Probably his worst practice was the Thursday before the Pittsburgh game last year. Ironically, he came off the bench and helped us pull off a second half comeback. But since that bad practice, we've seen him grow and continue to mature. Can't say enough about what he's done in the spring and summer, really developed and matured, and come into his own.
Q: What does his arm strength do to help your offense? He's got good arm strength, he's had that, and has the confidence to feel like he can fit it in there. The thing I'm most impressed with is just his poise and ability to keep an even keel on the field, which is easier said than done. On Saturday, he never looked bothered. He kept his focus where it needed to be.
Q: I wanted to ask about CJ's personality, do kids kind of gravitate toward him? Yeah, probably the best way I can describe it is, the comparison I would make is Brad Banks, not as quarterbacks, but as people. When Brad played here, people were just drawn to him. Easy going demeanor and a way about him that instilled confidence in others. CJ kind of has that too.
