What did coach Braun have to say ahead of Northwestern’s Big Ten opener?
After beating Eastern Illinois 31-7 on Saturday night, David Braun sat with the media to discuss the win, Jack Lausch and Northwestern’s upcoming matchup against Washington. Here’s what Northwestern’s coach had to say in his presser Monday afternoon.
Note: These quotes have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Opening statement: “Excited about the growth and development we saw from our football team on Saturday. Have had an opportunity to get back in and review the film with our team. Clearly still a lot of areas that we look forward to improving upon as we continue to, you know, develop as a football team. Incredible challenge ahead of us. With our first Big Ten contest this upcoming weekend, travel out to Washington, very good football team, well-coached. I know they’re coming off a difficult loss in a rivalry game, but it’s going to be an environment that we’re going to have to prepare well for this week. Work through some of the logistics of the length of travel and prepare for a really talented opponent that is a challenge I know this team is looking forward to. The team will be back this evening to start and get into our game plan and have an opportunity to practice briefly tonight. It’s a challenge that I know this group is is looking forward to.”
On what he saw from Jack Lausch after reviewing the film: “I mean, you could tell it was his first start in the first half. Just in terms of getting into rhythm and getting comfortable, but really proud of the way that he managed that two minute drive at the end of the first half and the way that he came out in the second half. I mean, just his timing, his comfort level, his confidence. You could start to see just the confidence building around him with his teammates excited about not only the growth that we’ve seen in Jack this last year, but really excited even just in terms of the maturing process we saw happen before our very eyes on Saturday night.”
On Washington QB Will Rogers: “I mean, really talented player, very experienced player. Performed at an extremely high level in his time at Mississippi State. He’s within an offense at Washington that I mean, he’s really well coached. Coach Fisch, the job that he’s done for four years, structure and offense and find ways to stress defenses. You’ve got a very talented, experienced quarterback with a really talented coaching staff. It’s a scary operation. There’s talent out on the perimeter, talent in the backfield. They’re going to find ways to stress their opponent. And, we got to do a great job of forcing him to process post snap and we got to do a great job of affecting him in the pocket. If he’s comfortable in the pocket, he’s scary.”
On special teams effort with blocked kicks: “Some of it’s just effort and guys playing really, really hard. Give our special teams staff, Coach Creighton and Coach Opsal and everyone that’s working with that group. You know, a lot of credit especially in the Duke game of making some adjustments in game to give our guys that opportunity. But I think what you see is, whether it be Najee [Story], as a defensive tackle that, you know, typically defensive tackles aren’t super locked in at special teams meetings, but I think you got a group of guys that are just fully bought into every single rep whether it be offense, defense or special teams rep. And the thing I’ll give our staff a lot of credit, we do a lot of circuit work especially in spring ball and fall camp of working certain techniques and diving into those fundamentals that can create those opportunities. To see that showing up in production is really exciting.”
On run defense: “Fundamentals, technique, really sound scheme, guys playing really hard, guys never being satisfied with being blocked and just holding their gap. Block destruction is so critical. It’s amazing how you can play really sound defense even with, a lighter box just with guys that are creating knock back and getting off blocks. It’s a credit to our front seven. It’s a credit to our guys in the back end. We get our DBs involved in run fits frequently. Their tackling fundamentals and technique continue to show up and that’s something that we’re going to have to continue to do a great job of. And I know it sounds cliche, but it all starts off with fundamentals and technique. And there’s no doubt that from a scheme standpoint, our staff’s understanding of run fits and how they’re structured is really high level.”
On coaching against Jedd Fisch at North Dakota State: “I do have memories. They’re not good ones. I mean, that was a tough loss on the road. I do remember walking away from that game not only in the prep for the game, but but also postgame, feeling like we were going against a really well coached operation that understood how to stress defenses. I thought the quarterback play was really high level and well coached and that one was a tough one to swallow. Tremendous amount of respect for Coach Fisch and his staff and you know especially when you got a quarterback like Will [Rogers] that is as talented and as experienced as he is, we’re going to have to be at our best for sure.”
On Northwestern’s front seven depth: “It’s really exciting. I mean, it’s something that I learned in my time at North Dakota State of how valuable it is to play with depth. You always talk about development, but especially with the D-line position, sometimes that development can really be forced just by having an unwavering belief that we’re going to rotate guys in, keep them fresh, those game reps start to add up. It builds confidence. And it’s also credit to coach Smith, just his willingness to develop that entire room. I think sometimes the misconception is that sacks come off of just one individual’s great pass rush ability. And in reality, sacks come from, number one, doing a good job in the back half of forcing the quarterback to process, having good coverage but also working as a front four to build a pocket that keeps the quarterback in the pocket so we can finish. But again, I think Dylan Roberts’ sack is a great example of just a room that just continues to improve not only individually but collectively.”
On Northwestern’s depth at wide receiver with injuries: “I mean, we’re hopeful that we’ll be able to get some of those guys back here in quick order. Hopeful that Frank [Covey IV] will be able to go this week. I’m certainly glad that that we’ve developed a lot of great depth in that room. the nature of Big Ten football is you’re going to get nicked up as the season goes, but we’re going to have to lean on that depth now more than ever. We look to get those guys back that do have an opportunity to get back here in short order.”
On what Jack Lausch needs to do against Washington: “It starts with practice habits, which Jack is always going to be fully engaged in and urgent in all those things. The environment is something that we need to prepare for and will prepare for, but it can’t be an excuse or an explanation for us to not execute at a high level. And Jack, I’m fully confident will come in there with poise, with a lot of confidence, operate through the offense and have confidence in the guys around him. I think the thing that was was fun to see, even when some of those passes early on weren’t hitting, just the confidence that he has in his teammates. He makes a really good throw to Marshall Lang on third down in a tight window. The ball that he puts up early to Bryce Kirtz, on a shot play, he gives Bryce a chance. Really good coverage by Eastern Illinois. But it comes down to great preparation and doing our best as a staff to prepare him and the entire group for the environment that we’ll be walking into.”
On left guard position: “Getting Nick [Herzog] back to full health. Nick is someone that we will continue to lean on, need to continue to lean on, is a huge part of that offensive line group’s success and development. But, Cooper [Lovelace], to be honest with you, was just the guy that had the most consistent practice because he was available, had played in the Duke game, had a full week of practice walking into Eastern Illinois and was our best option at that position for Eastern Illinois. But we’ll continue to evaluate that spot. But what I can say with confidence is Cooper continues to bring a lot of value in bumping down from tackle to guard. I think he’s done a really good job. But Nick is someone that we need to continue to utilize and find opportunities to get on the field as well.”
On if Braun knows if Herzog or Lovelace will start vs. Washington: “No, not as we sit here right now, no.”
On the logistics of traveling to Washington: “I’ll start off by saying, thank goodness for Alex Knisely and Jimmy Meussling and everyone in our support staff that handles all that. They take so much of off of our plate. I remember the days I was at Winona State. I was the defensive coordinator and the travel coordinator. I mean, you’re worried about making sure that everyone had enough food for pregame meal and getting ready to call a game. But I think the most critical thing is all the logistics that you’re juggling, just trying to keep our guys in as much of a consistent rhythm pre-game as you possibly can. Giving them some time once we get into Seattle Friday night to just really unload, relax, enjoy some time with their teammates, get back up Saturday morning, fully engage back into the game plan all our meetings, walkthroughs. Friday script will be taken care of here in Evanston, but just keeping our guys in a consistent rhythm and routine.”
On the importance of Lausch’s first career start before a hostile environment in Washington: “Really excited about the way that he performed, especially just the way that he remained resilient, confident and steadfast. And his reads is progressions. And to be honest with you, something we talk about a lot, we want to understand our opponent. We want to respect our opponent. We want to study our opponent. But at the end of the day, the way that we move and operate through this week should be no different than the way that we moved and operated through last week. And then it’s just applying the context to the environment we’re going to be playing in. So there’s going to be a different stimulus out in Washington. So we got to provide that stimulus in practice and make sure that our guys feel fully prepared to go engage in that environment. But, I think the more that you get into who your opponent is. Yes, we want to understand, study and respect, but at the end of the day, it comes down to our preparation, our process. And I think that’s something our guys have really bought into. And when you do that now, now the things that are in your hands are the things that you actually can control, the things you’re focused on are the things that you can control. And again, it’s Big Ten football. We know the margins are tighter, but we just got to get back to work, just like we did last week, go have a great Monday, followed by a great Tuesday. And through that preparation, building our confidence into gameday.
On the offensive line against Washington: “We’re going to have to do a great job of just understanding their front structure. You know, Coach [Steve] Belichick does a great job. They’re going to try and find ways to stress your protection. Very well thought out defensive scheme, has the opportunity to create a lot of one-on-ones in pass protection. We’re going have to win in those one on one situations. Jack is going to have to do a good job of processing information and getting the ball out on time. But there’s no doubt that that group defensively is very, strategic, structured and they’re going to find ways to put stress on your protection.”
On using Mike Wright’s familiarity with Will Rogers at Mississippi State: “I think those are conversations that are fun in the coaching profession whether it be guys on staff that have coached with or coached against certain individuals in the past. And then in this case, guys that have been in the same position meetings and been on the same team. And there’s nothing directly from a scheme standpoint that you’re going to pick up on that. But just a certain understanding of maybe, Mike’s perception. He raves about Will, has a lot of great things to say about him but just understanding his temperament, his demeanor, the things that he really excels at that we got to be aware of are things that we’d be silly not to collect that information.”
On R.J. Pearson’s progression: “Really proud of R.J., and again we talk about being a developmental program and a lot of times that stems back to recruiting young men out of high school and developing them over the course of four or five years. But it also applies to our transfer recruiting. When you looked at our R.J.’s film coming in, we were in need of some defensive tackles going into last season. R.J. had shown some flashes in his time, but so proud of the way that he embraced. We knew he had two years left. He knew that he needed to continue to improve. He’s fully invested in that opportunity. He’s really taken to coaching. Coach Smith has done a great job with him, and we knew that it was within him. But the way that he has continued to improve fundamentally, technically, just the demeanor of play, his effort consistently. Makes an incredible play against counter against Eastern Illinois, just a block destruction effort play. I mean, that dude is playing at a really high level and excited to see him continue to trend in that direction.”
On playing with tempo offensively with a young quarterback: “I think it’s one of those things that when used strategically, tempo can be a great tool. I am not anti tempo, I am anti-reckless tempo. I think it’s a weapon that offenses can use to keep defenses on their heels, especially if it fits the scheme and the personnel. But I think it is a credit to Jack’s ability to get into a rhythm, some good playcalling by Zach [Lujan]. I thought that decision to run the ball with Joe [Himon II] there on the plus side of the 50 was a great play call. We still had our timeouts to use or two of our timeouts to use. I’ll also follow that up. I think a critical piece to our fourth quarter success against Eastern Illinois was our ability to control the clock and win the time of possession and wear our opponent out. We talked in our team meeting today, it’s complimentary football. A few three-and-outs on defense, those three-and-outs can be powerful to a offense’s ability to start wearing an opponent out. So not anti-tempo. I think strategically used as a weapon, it’s something that we’ll certainly continue to evaluate.”
On injury updates to Carmine Bastone, Anto Saka and Jordan Knox: “Carmine [Bastone], we anticipate him to continue to progress throughout this week. And how that progression goes will dictate whether or not he’ll be available for Saturday. Kind of a physical thing. We certainly feel confident that Carmine will be back. I know Carmine would have liked to have been back two weeks ago. We’re just being smart with that progression. I would anticipate and hope that Anto [Saka] will be available Saturday, but we’ll know more once we get through. tonight’s practice and Tuesday’s practice. And Jordan, just day-to-day in that evaluation right now.”
On Jack Lausch protecting the football: “Value the football, make wise decisions, trust his reads, make confident throws. But again, value the football and not try and push and do things that the defense isn’t making available. We won the turnover margin against Eastern Illinois. The ‘Cats are at their best when we’re doing that. We need to make sure that that continues.”
On the support with students trickling back on campus: “I’ve said it to our recruits, I’ve said it to fans, I’ve said it to family, we’re just so excited for our students to be back on campus and now really excited for them to be back in full force. And, especially at this intimate venue that we have, cannot wait for them to fully engage, whether or not they have a ticket in the seats, in the student section or they’re just part of the pregame festivities. I mean, there’s so many opportunities for our students to engage and that’s what makes college football so special. I‘m really looking forward to everyone being back.”