It’s a short week, but Coach Braun is ready for the challenge.
Northwestern suffered a 41-24 loss to No. 23 Indiana on Saturday afternoon, but the team has to move forward quickly. The Wildcats will travel to Maryland for a Friday night bout involving a pair of squads seeking their first conference victories. Here’s everything David Braun had to say about the weeknight showdown.
Note: These quotes have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Opening statement: “Obviously disappointed with the result that we experienced on Saturday, also very encouraged by some of the things that we’re seeing. Not only in some performances on Saturday, but also the way that this team has transitioned and gotten right back into Maryland prep. Had a great practice this morning and excited for the opportunity that’s ahead, going on the road for a Big 10 contest against a team that has the ability to play at a really high level. Another explosive offense that we’ll be dealing with, and excited for the challenge on a short week. To be honest with you I think our football team is as excited about the short week, excited to get right back into practice. Had a great walkthrough last night and really proud of the way that our guys transitioned into into this morning.”
On losing two games at home: “I think the way we’re looking at it right now, you know, we’re sitting at two and three. You know, can’t do anything to change where that record is at. But I think this football team is very confident that we have more within us, and I think the challenge in front of us is to go be at our best on the road against Maryland, and do everything in our power to make sure that we return back to Evanston at three and three at the halfway point of the season. But it is a point of emphasis to protect our home field, you know. And unfortunately, twice this year we haven’t been able to do that. But, you know, we’re worried about taking care of that here in a couple of weeks when Wisconsin visits.”
On defending the middle of the field against RPOs: “Obviously, you know, some of the RPO stuff that that we’ve seen this year against a couple of our opponents. That’s something I really prided myself on for a long time, was studying RPOs, how they’re structured. There’s been some new, creative ways of attacking an RPO. And, you know, I’m excited about some of the conversations that are happening in our defensive staff room over the last couple days. And you know, to be honest with you, that’s something that I’ve got to do a better job of. You know, being the guy that’s coached in the back half before and worked with safeties and DBS, helping us find some some answers to take our guys out of conflict. Still being effective against the run game, but, you know, ensure that we’re not opening up some of those windows that are being attacked in RPO, but that’s something that we have to get fixed. We have to do a better job. We have to do a better job of forcing the quarterback to process post-snap. And from the conversations we’ve had over the last couple of days, I’m confident that we’re gonna get that correct.”
On which RPO tactics have been most successful against the defense: “I’d love to talk with you offline on that, but, you know, I don’t want to be giving anyone answers to the test on this one.”
On Martin Stadium: “So much of the motivation behind backing this project was, you know, what it was going to be like for our student athletes to be able to play on campus. And then secondly, giving our students an opportunity to engage. You know what fired me up, honestly, was seeing our student section. I mean, it was packed. It was ready to roll. You know, my challenge to Wildside is bring that energy again for Wisconsin. And let’s send you off at the end of the game with with a victory. But really proud of the way that our students showed up.”
On Jack Lausch’s improvement through Big Ten play and what he can learn from opposing quarterbacks: “I think the most important thing for Jack is just to continue to learn and improve and evaluate how we’re structured schematically. But a credit to those three guys [Washington’s Will Rogers, Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke, and Maryland’s Billy Edwards Jr.], I think they have a great command of the offense. I think they play with a lot of confidence, and I think they do a good job of taking what the defense has given them and not trying to force things. And, you know, I’m so stinking excited about the progression we’re seeing out of Jack. It’s a credit to him. And anyone that knows Jack knows that, like, he is one of the hungriest, humble, you know, has a thirst for continued improvement. And we’re seeing that out of him. It was really fun to see that show up on game day, because those are the things that we’re seeing in practice.”
On the turnover battle (Maryland is +11 on the season): “Yeah, you got to find a way on Friday night to flip that narrative. Because it’s an impressive stat. It’s a credit to all three phases of their game in terms of protecting the football and finding ways to take it away. And we know for us, the equation for winning football here at Northwestern is to win in the turnover margin. Against Indiana, there were some opportunities for takeaways that we didn’t capitalize on. And you know, those potential takeaways could have played a critical role in a different outcome. Impressive by Maryland. We got to be aware of that. But on Friday night, that has to be a different story.”
On Jackson Carsello, who started at center: “Yeah, I think Jackson’s improving. Full context, you know, started against Nebraska last year, following game did not start. I think sometimes that can affect a guy’s confidence. I’m not saying it did for Jackson, but the thing I’m excited for Jackson in terms of moving forward, is that he had a chance to step in against Washington, you know, did some things against Indiana that were positive. There’s still a lot of room for improvement. But I think for a young guy to know that ‘this is my role, and I’m gonna have an opportunity to just continue to improve and build some confidence,’ is something. Jackson is so prideful. Wants to do such a great job. Building some confidence and just letting him cut it loose. Strong, powerful kid, heavy handed, excited for those things to continue to show up on film, especially on game day.”
On offensive line coach Bill O’Boyle: “You know what you’re going to get out of Coach O’Boyle. He’s going to coach you really hard. He’s going to be incredibly demanding [regarding] fundamentals and technique, things that we preach about all the time. He totally buys into it. But he’s going to love you. I mean, he works to create a genuine relationship with every single guy in that room. And again, I’ll be honest, that group is still a work in progress, but there’s no other group in the country I’d rather see going through that process. From guys like Caleb Tiernan and Josh Thompson, Ben Wrather that are vets all the way down to some of our first year guys that we’re seeing growth. That group is trending in the right direction. It’s a credit to the men in that room and a credit to Coach O’Boyle.
On Xander Mueller: “Yeah, gosh, I get the opportunity to talk with pro scouts almost every day about Xander, and those are such fun conversations, because all I have to do is tell the truth. And I always preface it like guys, ‘I’m not overselling you. I’m just telling you what I experience every day.’ His consistency, his energy, his passion, it’s not fake, it is every single day. One of the first guys in the weight room going through his pre-practice routine. He knew going back to a couple years ago, he had a lot of areas he needed to improve on, and he intentionally attacked those things. His willingness to speak up and have hard conversations, and just his humility and a heart of service. In a day and age in college football where it’s becoming more and more about, ‘what’s in it for me, what’s in it for me,’ Xander Mueller is the ultimate team player. And I won’t get into details on this, but some of the opportunities that have come Xander Mueller’s way because of his performance and who he is, he has found intentional ways to pour those things back into his teammates, specifically some of the walk-ons on this team, and I think that just speaks to his character and who he is as a man. Any NFL organization that I talk to, I tell them: ‘You will be a better football team and a better organization because Xander Mueller is in your building.’”
On what specifically Mueller has improved on: “When I first got here, I think it was lower-body strength that was something he needed to work on. He had some things coming in when he first got here to Northwestern that were out of his control, health-wise, that he had to work on, that maybe limited his ability to develop his lower half. He’s taken strides in that area a great deal. Some of his change of direction and comfort level playing in space, especially against some of these spread teams that we play, and some things we ask him to do in our system, you can just see him playing with a lot more comfort in those situations. In space, his ability to play in the box and assess run game, the instincts that he plays with are things that are are incredible strengths of his that we continue to see improve. And what we really challenged him this year, with Bryce Gallagher no longer with the program and graduating, moving on, was the leadership piece of it, and the communication piece of it, and he’s stepped into that role and done an exceptional job.”
On the pass rush against Maryland’s Billy Edwards: “It’ll be critical. He’s a really good quarterback that has tremendous weapons out of the perimeter, and we’re going to have to find ways to affect him. If we don’t, it’ll be a long evening.”
On the atmosphere of the first home game with students: “I thought it was awesome. You could just tell there was a buzz on campus. Some of us on staff have a routine on game day to get into the facility early and get a workout in together and just kind of build into the day. And you’re here early in the morning, you can already start to feel the buzz. And then as we returned to campus with the team, you can tell it’s starting to get to its peak. And to look up in that student section and to not only see it full, but to see it energized and ready to go. I think the disappointing part is we didn’t get to send the student section home with the win. We want to celebrate with our students. We want to sing the fight song with the band. And you know, there are some opportunities there late in the game, 27 to 24 we have the momentum. And, you know, the those students are really starting to factor in the game with crowd noise. Those are things that we look forward to capitalizing on, using to our advantage in the future.”
On Jordan Knox: “Jordan’s no longer enrolled in classes, and that’s all I’ll share. But with him not being in classes, he no longer can participate in football.”
On whether the coaches have been approached by any players asking for a transfer: “We have not. We have not. I think that’s a credit to our team. You know, you see a lot of that stuff going on right now, and we’re not where we want to be. We know there’s more within us, but to know that we got a group of guys that are fully committed to continuing to improve. And if you would have had a chance to be out at practice today, typically, Monday is a very light day — meetings and a little bit of a walkthrough. We ran a full padded practice today, and the tempo of practice, we shortened it up. But you got a group that’s fully committed to doing something really special this season, and it’s got to start with with a great week this week.
On special teams: “It’s going to be critical. It’s going to be critical. It all impacts. That field position game not only affects the offense, but also, even if it doesn’t result in points for your offense, it can help flip the field and create a long field for your opponent when they have the ball. But I’ve been really pleased with you know, not only Joe [Himon II], but everyone’s support around him. Excited about what’s going on with AJ [Henning] back there as a punt returner. Special teams plays a direct reflection of the selflessness that exists in your locker room. You can turn on the film on special teams and really tell a lot about the personality of a team, and the success we’re finding in those units, that needs to continue, is a reflection of the way our guys are buying in and the job that Coach [Paul] Creighton has done.”
On how the Friday game against Duke helped him prepare for another short week: “It’ll be a little bit different with travel, but since we stay in a hotel when we’re at home as well, I think there’s a really delicate balance of making sure that everyone is trending and starting to really focus and laser in on game time. But at the same time, you can’t ask your guys to be in game mode 12 hours before the game. And I think we found a good routine. We get the guys up early, breakfast, special teams meeting, a walkthrough, followed by position meetings, and then give them some time after that to really relax. You know, with it being a Friday game, you don’t get your chance to watch other college football, but relax, unwind, spend some time together. And then we’ll bring them back, a little bit later in the afternoon, and get into our routine that we’d have, whether we’re playing at 11 o’clock or at 8 o’clock of getting right back into a walkthrough, position meeting, pregame meal, on the bus, and off to the venue.
On Joseph Himon II’s growth this season: “Joe’s done a great job in the weight room this offseason. I mean, just really turning himself into an every-down back, and a guy that can be really durable and handle a higher load. Really impressed with the things that he’s done for us offensively, and then for him to really find, like, this niche role on special teams, and really be able to put on full display his explosiveness. When you look at some of those returns, I think the thing I’m most proud of Joe for is, something about a return that’s so critical is that you really have to trust it. There’s gonna be tight windows, and you have to trust those windows and hit it. And it takes courage. When you turn on the film and you watch Joe operate, I mean, that is a courageous dude, that’s trusting the guys in front of him, hitting it with conviction. And it’s showing up in a lot of production, and it’s something that we got to make sure continues. But you can tell there’s, like, a certain vibe with that group, that there’s confidence walking down the field, that at any moment, something really special could happen.”
On Carmine Bastone and Cam Porter: “Carmine was a full participant in practice today. I’m fired up about that. Cam was a full participant in practice today. Again, fired up about that too. That’s something you get worried about as a guy that was kind of trending as a game time decision and then was able to play, but how’s he going to respond, especially on a short week? Cam — full participant in practice today, which was awesome to see.” (On whether he expects Porter to be the workhorse on Friday): “I do.”
On not getting stops against Indiana in the second half: “It’s critical. You know, going back and looking at the film, we had plenty of opportunities. We were able to get Indiana into quite a few second and longs, and you gotta turn those into third and longs, third and mediums. We did not do a good job of that. When we did create a third and long at that 27 to 24 juncture, they were able to convert. Too many explosive plays given up. And you know, there’s some tackling, there’s some execution, But also, like I said, I’m so proud of the job that Tim [McGarigle] and our staff have done, but there’s some things with my background and working with safeties and just understanding how some of these RPOs are structured. Like, I’ve got to do a better job of being an asset in that space. And I think if we can calm down some of those RPO windows that all of us are seeing, you know, get people off schedule, it’ll give us opportunities to create more advantageous third down situations that’ll get us off the field. Because early in the game there, you know, that fourth down stop was huge. The touchdown they had in the first half on a fourth down, if we get that thing covered down appropriately, that guy’s covered, there’s a good chance we get off the field on that fourth down situation. And then there’s hopefully some momentum building into the second half. Again, that 27 to 24 juncture, we have an opportunity to create a three and out with all the momentum, it’s so critical. Some in depth conversations over the last 48 hours, but I’m excited about where this group is going, working into Maryland.”
On defending lead receivers like Maryland’s Tai Felton: “You got to be aware of where he’s at. Credit to Maryland and Indiana. I think what makes these guys so difficult to defend is not only just the one primary receiver that gets the most notoriety, there’s a ton of depth in that room at Maryland. Which makes it something where you can’t strictly just game plan around trying to shut down one guy, but you gotta have an awareness of where he’s lined up. And you gotta have an awareness of the intent of the call. And at the end of the day, there’s opportunities to become really aggressive. When you’re really aggressive, it can expose you to some explosive shot plays in the passing game. And then, you know, when you’re playing maybe a little bit softer coverage, you gotta be willing to live with the six yard completion out to the flat and rally tackle it, and you’re on to the next play. But there’s no doubt that that this coaching staff and this team has a tremendous amount of respect for Maryland.”
On the run game: “I think really just continuing to be who we are. You know, even though the run total against Indiana wasn’t necessarily where we’d want it to be, average per carry was at a number that we’d like to see. But it’s the consistency in the run game. Because the consistency in the run game, as we’ve talked about before, opens up other opportunities in RPO and quick game, play-action. Just looking forward to Cam back in a mode that you feel really confident in him coming off a full week of practice. Those three guys [Porter, Himon, Caleb Komolafe] have the ability to be really dynamic and great mix-ups. I think we saw some things out of Caleb Komolafe this past week where, just regardless of whether it was eight yard carry, just some confidence for a young guy. But those three guys really complement one another well.”
On losing back-to-back games: “Yeah, it sucks. Where I’ll give everyone in our program credit is the give-a-crap factor is super, super high. It’s not fun being around this facility after a loss. It’s not fun being around this facility the day after. But there’s a lot of people that were just hungry to learn from it, turn the page. And again, if you had a chance to be around our facility last night into this morning, this group’s doing a great job of transitioning all our focus onto Maryland, and we’re excited for that opportunity.”
On Carmine Bastone’s journey: “ I talked with Cam about it before the game on Saturday. Just to have his presence back, fully padded, ready to go; that was such a positive boost for everyone, just because the guys love Cam and and respect him and are happy, thrilled for him that he’s back and rolling. Carmine is a similar story. Guys have been hurting for him, that he hasn’t been able to be out there with them, and they know that we’re better with him. But all you have to see is Carmine leading our team through warmups today to feel the juice that’s within this team just seeing him back out there. And everything that he’s pushed through, everything that he’s achieved to get to this point, and a little bump in the road here, a little adversity. He’s done a great job of leading and now he’s going to even have a better platform to lead from being back on the field with his teammates.”