Northwestern University Athletics
Gary Barnett Press Conference Quotes
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Monday, September 14, 1998
Nicolet Football Center - Evanston, Ill.
Head Coach Gary Barnett on last Saturdays game vs. Duke
"We got beat handily. They had a nice scheme on offense that we had not seen. They did a nice job of keeping it under wraps, caused us some real problems. Combine that with the quick tempo, up-tempo game that they played. We lost our poise on defense and never regained it. Poise comes from not being surprised, and our guys were surprised. They were extremely effective on offense. They had a nice little scheme where we didnt cover the bubble."
Barnett on red-shirt freshman QB Gavin Hoffman
"Right now where we are is as our quarterback goes, so goes our offense. Gavin has to play with more consistency, which he will. Our offensive line has got to continue to make strides so that when we get into a situation where our quarterback's having a bad day that we just dont hang it up, count the points up and go home. The only answer to it is just work and practice. I want our guys to know that I haven't lost confidence in them. As long as what they want to get done this year is still really, really important to them."
Barnett on preparing for Rice
"We did have a nice work-out indoors (on Sunday), turned the blowers off indoor to try and create a little humidity in there and make it as much Texas-like as we could. I'd rather get toasted by the heat than the way we got toasted last Saturday. I think what we've got to do this week against Rice is simulate the stuff that we don't see very often and that is just numerous, numerous, numerous cut-blocks."
"Basically this offense is made up of the same people they had last year except their quarterback and the fullbacks are different, but the fullbacks have put up big numbers. Their system is such that theyre going to run the ball and they're very, very good at it. They're very patient at it. It's the most creative and without question the most sound wishbone scheme in the country. Kenny Hatfield's spent his life developing this thing and he's done a great job with it and all his coaches know it inside and out. It really is a piece of mastery to someone in the football world. It's a thing of beauty."
"Wishbone people have a motto: Famine, famine, feast. They are just the most patient people in the world. You don't even letter if you're on the other side of the ball. On defense, you can't be overaggressive. You have to be patient - east/west. You can't blitz. We've got to be so disciplined this week. It's really a challenge and Im looking forward to it."
Fifth-year senior linebacker Barry Gardner
"You never plan for Saturdays like that, but it's what you learn from it. This team still has a positive attitude. As a team, we have to regroup. I'm not at all alarmed. Last week was last week. We've just got to get ready for Rice and play the kind of defense we know we can play."
Gardner on Rice's style of play
"If you dont play disciplined football, they'll run the ball up and down on you all day. We'll watch a little bit of last year's film, but mostly we'll watch the two games they've had already against Southern Methodist and Purdue. You basically want to see what they've done this year, thus far, and then that's basically what you can go on. You look a little bit to their tendencies from last year and how they game-planned against us, but basically you have to just watch the film that we have right now and build a game plan around that."
Sophomore strong safety Mycal Jones
"I played strictly special teams against Rice last year. I'd like to be out there, I mean who wouldn't want to be out there? I'm still young. I'm trying to get accustomed to being out on the field. By playing last year on special teams it kind of eased me this year to be on field whereas I'm not that nervous. When my opportunity comes or my number's called, I'll be ready."
Senior placekicker Brian Gowins
"I've got pretty much the same job this week. You take very little good things away from the game last week. True, I did set the kick-scoring record, but you're still not really happy when there was a game like last weekend."
