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Opening Statement
KIRK FERENTZ: Good afternoon, everybody. Appreciate you being here. Just looking back quickly, as I said Saturday, we are really happy to get the win. We certainly got stressed and put in some pressure situations by Colorado State.
Just overall pleased with the response of our team, especially in the second half. I thought they did some good things and were able to do some good things, especially in the third quarter. That was good to see.
You go through the tape, and it shows some things. There's an awful lot of details that we need to keep working on. I don't think anything specific other than it's just a cumulative effect. It's really what the slide edge concept is all about. It's trying to build and see if you can't at some point get things to go the way you want them to go.
Overall, good weekend. One side note, just happy for Jack Campbell. He played an excellent game. Happy to see him get recognized by the Big Ten, certainly worthy of that. He's playing at a real high level, so happy about that.
As we transition out for the Maryland game, our captains are Tyler Linderbaum, Matt Hankins, Jack Koerner and then Jack Campbell will be the fourth captain. Those four guys will go out for the toss.
Certainly a tough challenge on a lot of levels. First of all, it's a short week. We're playing a night game, being on the road, playing a Big Ten opponent. That's the biggest factor is that we're playing a good Big Ten football team no matter where it is, but certainly with the other conditions prescribed, it makes it a big challenge for us now.
Coach Locksley has been there now, third year in the program. They've got a good staff. They've clearly recruited with a vision, recruit a lot of good athletes. They've got good size, good speed, and their schemes are really what they're looking for and what they want. I think 37-plus points a game right now, giving up 14. So clearly, they're in good shape there and doing a good job on special teams.
As we look at it, it's going to be a big challenge. I think first and foremost, you start with the quarterback. He's a really good football player. If you think about it a little bit, I remember I don't know where I was that they played a Friday night game. I think his first game to open the season a year ago, and it wasn't a good outing for them or the quarterback necessarily.
Just look at over the last year and a half, how that thing has just changed and he's playing at a real high level right now, as is their team. So tough start to the season a year ago, and the transformation they've gone through is really, really impressive.
Again, short week for us. We started cranking pretty hard on Sunday, I'm sure just like they did. Things get squeezed down. Our off day will be on Saturday. We're trying to get a lot done right now before we have to travel on Thursday and then wait around for the game.
All that being said, we know we have a big challenge and hopefully do a good job.
Last but not least, our kid captain is a nine-year-old from Des Moines, BraeLynn Krisinger will be our kid captain. Our best to her certainly. Throw it out for questions.
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