Terry Hoeppner Quotations

We started the game with two backs in the backfield, ... It was all very subtle changes on the offensive line.

What he did to that (cornerback), it was clean and legal, but he knocked his helmet off. Then he ran the length of the field. We as coaches said, 'Wow!' He was running by some of our other guys.

We're a work in progress right now, but we've improved from week to week,

There are a lot of dimensions to Lance Bennett. He's deep and wide.

The prognosis for recovery is great . I feel badly that I have not had the chance to talk to the players, but I want them to know that this is going to be a special year for us.

We made adjustments all through the game, ... The one thing we didn't do was stop their big fullback (sophomore Broderick Cole). That's a tough football team and they know how to run the football.

Many people will say, Division I-AA, gosh, why did Indiana struggle? But this is really a good football team. They played very well. Their defense gave us problems, and obviously they ran the ball way too much.

I was talking to the doctors and I just said for us to quit messing around with him and get him well so that he is not two steps forward and one step back,

He really wants to (play). That is half the battle. His role will be limited, but he is a pretty talented guy.

He's given us some really exciting plays. He's one of those guys that makes you hold your breath.

He just does some things ... you just kind of marvel at because he really appears to be a natural at the position,

It affects you. Either you get stronger or you don't. Obviously, it made him stronger.

I think you're seeing the fact that you've got to have a quarterback who's talented, who can throw the ball, and if he can run it, that adds another dimension,

I think we won a bunch of our games (over the years) for him on his birthday, so this one was for him, ... All he ever asked for was a win, and that's what we were able to do.

It gives us, as a program, encouragement that it's possible,

James was truly an unknown quantity, ... He was really, physically drained in the spring and he got dinged in the fall. We brought him along slowly, but he has a great future. He's a natural receiver.

I saw James yesterday and he said it felt good. ... For a guy that has not played in a game, to be able to phase him in, even if it is 10 or 12 snaps, I think it will be a bonus for James and for us.

I said it to somebody in the spring, we didn't know if we were going to be able to throw the ball. We thought we might have to run every play. ... It wasn't Blake, it was the terminology and learning.

Payton is a guy with great potential. He'll challenge for a spot. He'll give us that quality depth, at least.

Some of the patterns he runs you kind of marvel at because he really appears to be a natural at the position and I haven't seen too many of those, especially as a young guy in college. It's a pretty mental position.

Some of those throws were great. Just because the guys were a little bit open you've still got to make that throw and that catch, and I thought we did that several times today.

That was a pretty athletic move. I don't know if a lot of quarterbacks make that play.

I would invite (skeptics) to go ahead and line up against these guys,

Wisconsin hasn't always been Wisconsin. At one point, they were in the lower levels. They ended up going to the Rose Bowl and did it pretty quickly.

We were made aware of the situation early this morning. We're currently in the process of gathering all the facts in the situation. We will proceed when the facts are complete.

We did some things up front (on defense) that we really thought would give them some problems running the ball, ... We played a lot of guys on defense and they came through. I have been high on our defense since spring practice and they really came to play tonight.

We are light years ahead of where we were at this time last spring. I think that's evident, but we have a long way to go before Sept. 2.

You lose a guy like that who, even though he hasn't been 100 percent every game, has found ways to make plays most games. It was a big deal not to have him, but we're confident we'll have him Saturday.

We'd like to have had him out there, we need every rep we can get, but discretion was the better part. He'll have a great summer working with the quarterbacks. Like I told him, if he keeps doing what he's doing, he's going to be illegal.

We knew we had to do it right now and not delay. So I threatened, cajoled and pleaded this winter, and our guys seem to have really responded. They spend a lot of time in the weight room and I think that shows.

We have been pointing to this game for our program, ... I think the (OSU fans making the trip) will be shocked at the enthusiasm and the vociferousness of the Hoosiers. They'll think, 'Where did these guys come from? They must have stayed up all night waiting for this game.'

When you have as many penalties as we had and you have a score in the kicking game, that's a lot to overcome.

You can't coach tall. A 6-7 guy who has a knack for going up and getting the ball, he's got a great, great future ahead of him. We really feel one of our strength positions now is becoming wide receiver. ... But they've all got to be a threat.

We wanted to send a message to our team and their team, ... Let's go get that first down. I have confidence that you need to execute that play.

You have to physically execute and pick up the blitz. They didn't sack Michigan State 12 times just with their line rush.

To me, it was a done deal -- Big Ben in the Big Apple. I was wanting the best for Ben. I thought he was the best quarterback available and the best player.

Vince Lombardi had the seven blocks of granite. Well guess what? We have the seven blocks of limestone.

We are going to have 200 motorcycles leading us down (Indiana) 37. They are going to be leading us back into Bloomington.

Blake has improved, as a player, probably the most. He might be first and second.

There's no question we have to get better running the football. I expected us to be better at this point, but we'll continue to work on it and hopefully be better against Kentucky.

I've said that crowds win games and this crowd helped us win this game,

Compared to where we were last year, you can measure that in 40(-yard dash) times and bench presses and all of that, but how does that translate to whether we're better on the field? I think it's obvious to a certain degree right now that we're much better, but it won't be fully revealed until Sept. 2 when we open the season.

That's how much ahead you have to work.

A lot of people will be looking for an alternative. I think it will be one of the most watched games on ESPN this year.

They do some good things. Now we are going into a second game with the unknown. What are they going to do this year? I would rather have the advantages we have than the disadvantages they have.

They really need to play the game, as you can imagine. Just for the mental health of their players and everyone else involved. They want to play a football game. Obviously, we want to play a football game.

It's encouraging for the coaches, because we made adjustments and the guys just keep executing.

It's a challenge, but -- and this is unique for me because I haven't been in this position in the college level,

It's not anything you can check out of the equipment room and give the guys. You can wish for it, (but) they have to gain that confidence themselves.

It takes a special athlete to compete at such a high level in both football and basketball. James came here to play both sports, and I admire the way he handles the dual role. Wide receiver is one of the more complex positions on the football field, so to have that much success in his first season speaks volumes about James' talent and potential.

They are mostly a triple-option type of team. They have a veteran quarterback as one of their captains. They have had a number of transfers. The advantage of being I-AA is that there are guys from LSU, Toledo and Cincinnati that are eligible to play on their team.

They are mostly a triple-option type of team, ... They have a veteran quarterback as one of their captains. They have had a number of transfers. The advantage of being I-AA is that there are guys from LSU, Toledo and Cincinnati that are eligible to play on their team.

They have to execute and play to the best of their abilities. They have to learn from their mistakes.

I need to coach better, and they need to play better, ... Part of it has been the opposition, and part of it has been us. ... I think the passing game will continue to grow, and if the running game picks up a couple notches that changes everything.

I just told James they paid him the ultimate compliment by paying so much attention to him.

If you watch his tape from high school, you'll see what we were thinking.

I had guys use up a year and a half of eligibility in one game,

I'd rather have him get to the end zone than the sideline.

He's making all of the reads and hearing all of the calls. That's going to pay off.

James was truly an unknown quantity. He was really, physically drained in the spring and he got dinged in the fall. We brought him along slowly, but he has a great future. He's a natural receiver.

The best compliment I can give Blake is just to say that if I hadn't inherited him as the quarterback, he would have been a kid I would have recruited. I think he has all the tools to be very successful in our system.

Hardy thinks they're cheering for him. I'm not going to tell him differently.

These are correctible things. These aren't physical things where our guy just wasn't good enough.