[Fuller]

Can you just talk about Rashan’s play on Saturday and how far you’ve seen him come this year?

“Yes, it was really good. Both him and Mo Hurst got accolades for the game: linemen of the week, both of ‘em. Mo makes a field goal block and Mo really played good this week, played really good last week.
”Rashan: can’t say enough. I mean, he left it all out there on that field. Was with him walking off the field and the epitome of leaving all on the field. Played great. He really helped, was very impactful, in their quarterback only rushing for 14 yards, and we were really worried about that. As on offense, they got out on the one 31-yarder but rushed for in the 80s. Took away something that had been very, very effective for them. Been saying it for a couple weeks now, Rashan’s gotten doubled, he’s gotten chipped, he’s gotten cut. Probably the ultimate compliment you can pay to a football player is to have that much concern about one guy and have that part of your gameplan. He’s earning that kind of respect.

“And the defense, the defense again was playing really well. You start stacking up some of the things that they’ve done in terms of limiting opponents to total yards; there’s a stat there that we’re one of I think ten teams that have allowed 280-some yards or less in their first six ball games since 2000. Most punts against us of any team in college football this year. Some really great things—three and outs. Our team is playing very well on defense.

“Great to see the turnovers. Lavert Hill’s interception; thought his other interception was a legal play. Didn’t feel like he interfered on that one. Tyree [Kinnel] gets the one in the back of the end zone, that was great. Great effort by Chase Winovich getting the big hit, getting the hustle play, and putting pressure on the quarterback. There’s a lot to be said. Linebackers again played really well; Devin Bush Jr. and Mike McCray are both up in that seven, eight, nine tackle a game category this week, which you expect them to be. But a good rushing team in Indiana and limiting them to the 80-some yards is really good.
”Also, Mike is really, as you’d expect from the captain, getting guys in position. Critical play late in the game, they’re inside the five-yard line, they go for the running play, we had a blitz called and the safety was lined up on the wrong side. Mike was the one that got him and us lined up correctly and we were able to get that run. Been some really good things.”

[After THE JUMP: on the offensive line, Barkley, opportunity, do-stuff-right guys, and Penn State’s defense]

Obviously with Saquan Barkley, pretty talented running back. How much do you feel the importance of Devin [Bush], the importance of Khaleke [Hudson] in terms of containing Saquan and not allowing him to stretch you guys out. How important are Devin and Khaleke in the big picture for that?

“Critically important. They’ll be challenge players on a lot of downs. They’re going to be the challenge player on the down. It’ll be a team effort defensively to go against a great player and a really outstanding offense; really good quarterback, good receivers, line and backs that are hitting on all cylinders. Think our guys are excited for that task.”

Do you feel like this could be a matchup where I don’t want to say highlight themselves but do you feel like it’s a matchup that might show peak Devin, peak Khaleke?

“Uh…”

The matchup with Saquan, do you feel like that’ll bring out the best in Devin, the best in Khaleke, good player against good player, that sort of thing?

“Yes, I do. I do. I truly believe that, yes.”

You had a lot to say about the defense. In the offseason the narrative was 10 starters from last year gone, they’re going to take a step back. Are they ahead of where you thought they’d be at the midpoint of the season?

“Uh…. I don’t put that kind of expectation on it. You put an expectation of where you think you’re going to be and limit the upside, so… let’s have at it, let’s get better each day. Better today than yesterday, better tomorrow than today is our formula. We thought we’d be good, as we’ve talked about in the past. Coach Brown thought we’d be good and our players thought we would be good. We’re playing good and improving.”

With John O’Korn getting two starts, what has that made him able to gain and where have you seen him make some improvements?

“Winning football, 2-1. Really played the majority of the game at Purdue and Indiana and Michigan State, so he’s—think he’s well experienced. I think he’s able to go in and operate well. He’s throwing the ball. He’s—different game-plans for a team, really coming in throwing in the Purdue game and played extremely well. This game: no turnovers, which was huge. Four-for-seven in the red zone. No sacks. Avoided the plays that get you beat, and that was an emphasis and I thought he did a fine job of that.”

Karan Higdon has been a guy you’ve gone to now the last few weeks. What has stood out to you about him and where has he improved the most this season?

“Pass protection, instincts, yards after contact. He’s been a tough, good-balanced runner. Think his balance has improved quite a bit. He’s always been a tough downhill runner, but I think his vision has improved, his balance has improved, his pass protection has improved. I think he’s not at his ceiling either, so I think he’s an ascending player.”

With your defense playing as well as it has been, does that naturally affect how you call an offensive game plan, like avoid risky plays and play to your defense’s strengths and play to maybe even a low-scoring game?

“We play to win the game. Yeah, that’s the emphasis. It’s every week though. Say it’s emphasized this week but that’s emphasized every week with our offense. We want no turnovers, we want no sacks, no penalties, no missed assignments. You’re striving for that perfection. Rarely do you get to perfection. We want to be excellent. That’s where our goals are.”

You mentioned no sacks, Karan’s yardage—do you feel like making the switch with Juwann [Bushell-Beatty] there, do you feel like the offensive line responded or took a step this week toward where you want it to go?

“There was good things with the offensive line. We’re still not humming on all cylinders. There’s still growth to be had and we’re going to be chasing that. Really, as I said in the previous question, you’re trying to go perfect individually and as a unit and we haven’t done that yet. I don’t know, could make the argument that no team has but yeah, want higher excellence individually and collectively.”

What type of problems does a guy like Saquan Barkley pose for your defense?

“He can catch the ball out of the backfield; he can run all the assortment of runs inside the tackles, on the edge; very good pass protector. Can be used as a multi-purpose back that can do everything well.”

Higdon’s someone that’s done a lot of stuff off the field, charity work, [and] he’s obviously very dedicated to helping his family. How much does that type of character in a player help him become a better football player?

“It’s an important thing not only as a football player but as a person to be a high-character guy and I think when you’re a do-stuff-right guy it shows up in all phases of your life. Shows up in the classroom, shows up in the football facility, shows up in the community. Yeah, Karan’s got a great track record of being a do-stuff-right guy. That’s our reputation; we all have that as what is our track record? And we’ve got other guys that are the same way: civic minded and good guys, do-stuff-right guys. Real good evidence from Karan.”

Your run game dominated last week. Is that going to be an emphasis again against Penn State or do you want John O’Korn to open up the passing a little more as well?

“Well, I wouldn’t use the word ‘dominated.’ That was an outstanding run defense that we played. Really very good defense all together. Where we are, three-and-outs, no. 2, Indiana’s no. 3. I didn’t say that, Rachel. I didn’t say we dominated them. I feel like there’s always more improvement to be had and we can play even better, so that’s what we’re chasing.”

MGoQuestion: What have you seen on film from Penn State’s defense?

“Very good defense. Don’t see a lot of big plays right now. Don’t see them giving up a lot of big plays in the running game or the passing game, which means they’re really sound. You can already see really good players in the front seven and in the secondary. They get to the ball, they close up gaps, and they’re rarely out of position. Still looking. Still looking to where the best way is to attack this defense and move the ball and score points.”

You talked about a growing team, a young team, an improving team. Now you’re going into it at night in probably the nastiest place you’ve played all season. Is this an exciting opportunity, a nervous opportunity? How do you look at this going into this week knowing that on Saturday at night it’s going to be maybe as uncomfortable as it’s been for you guys this year?

“Yeah, I’m excited about it and if you talk to the players about how they feel, I feel like they would feel the same way. Excited for the opportunity. They’ve been on the big stage already this year multiple times in big games and having another crack at this, knowing our guys the way I do, they’re competitors, so feel they’d be excited.”