Matt Farniok Quotes - 9/9

Nebraska Football
Weekly Press Conference
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, Neb.)
Monday, Sept. 9, 2019
Pre-Northern Illinois

On the offense as a whole on Saturday
“We just failed one quarter. We started that third quarter and it wasn’t good, it wasn’t us. For whatever reason we came out slow and that third quarter killed us offensively.”
 
On what the key is to getting over the hump and winning close games
“Just keep going. That’s all it comes down to. For whatever reason we throttled down and that’s what happens when you throttle down. It’s been preached to us time and time again that you’ve always got to go and we failed to do that. In the third quarter we failed that and that’s on us. We’ve learned our lesson. There can’t be a let up for any reason, no matter what the scoreboard says. There’s no such thing as a throttle down and that’s where we failed.”
 
On what he’s seen from Adrian Martinez as a leader
“He’s just a fighter. At the end of the day it is what it is, but he’s never one to get down. He’s always going to keep going. He always wants to keep improving himself and the others around him. For a young guy to have that trait already, it’s pretty rare and pretty special. He’s a fantastic football player, but he’s also a fantastic person. He’s not one to blame, he’s going to put it on himself before he ever points a finger. He’s the real deal when it comes to a man and it’s nothing but respect. Especially for such a young guy to understand that. He doesn’t point fingers. He’ll put it on himself before anyone else.”
 
On what he remembers from the 2017 Northern Illinois game
“We lost. We didn’t play that well and for whatever reason we just weren’t really who we were supposed to be and we lost. That’s really all I remember.”
 
On the difference between the team that lost the 2017 game and this one
“A better understanding of the offense. I’d say we’re a little more physical, we play a lot faster. It’s just, as it’s gone on, as time has gone on we’ve gotten better. We’re a better team than we were two years ago.”
 
On how much attention Northern Illinois is going to get from the team since losing to them in 2017
“Honestly that’s not ever what we do. The past is the past and whatever happens it’s written in stone, we can’t change it. What we can change is what we’re going to be today and tomorrow. How are you going to be today, how are you going to practice today, how are you going to attack practice tomorrow? Whatever happens in the past is in the past. It is what it is. What are we going to do to change tomorrow has really been the emphasis. We’re attacking today. It doesn’t matter how you feel or how you think. Attack right now and let’s go.”
 
On what needs to happen to run the ball better in the middle
“We had a ton of those. It was one guy was off for whatever reason. One guy just didn’t quite get their job done, didn’t quite get to the standard that we preach. When one guy fails we all fail, and I mean that’s just an emphasis, especially for this week is we’re in this together so everyone needs to execute their job to the best of their ability.”
 
On if the feeling this year is the same as last year or if there is a different approach
“We have the 24-hour rule. It hurts for 24 hours. There’s no if, ands or buts. You can be mad, you can be angry about it but once that 24 hours is up, now it’s time to get to work. You've got to throw away your feelings and you've just got to attack the day, attack tomorrow and that’s really all that matters. You can’t brood over the past. Like I said, the past is the past you can’t change it. Change today.”
 
On practice today
“It was really good. Our tempo was really upbeat. I would say it was one of the best Mondays we’ve had and maybe that gut punch was what we needed to understand what it takes to dig a little deeper and find more of ourselves.”
 
On if guys got comfortable with a 17-point lead
“I think so. We gave them a chance to get back in it and that’s exactly what they did. We failed to come out with the same intensity and focus that we had when we started the game, and we let them back into it and the results are because of that. That’s on all of us regardless. Like I said earlier, we can’t throttle down, it’s got to be an attack mentality four quarters regardless of the situation.”
 
On how Coach Frost’s handled the loss
“I think he did a great job. He understood that we were all upset and angry about what happened. We lost that game. We gave it away and so he understood it, but he also knew that we have to attack now. We understood that we need to be a lot more defined and a lot more focused in everything we do. In practice, in film, in everything. And now it’s just been an even more of an attack mentality.”
 
On running back Dedrick Mills and how to get him going
“It’s that one step. We’re so close to breaking him away because we see those break-away runs, we see him getting through the gaps. For whatever reason we’re just one step short and honestly it’s on the offensive line. When the run fails let’s just put it on the offensive line. That’s on us. Regardless of however it is whatever happens. As an offensive line we just have to find a way to make it work. Regardless if the play is a horrible play or not. We have to find a way to make it work."
 
On what kind of mistakes the line is making
“I would say it’s a little bit of technique and a little bit of communication. We have a lot of young guys, a lot of guys that are first-year guys and they’re learning. They’ve been doing a great job of learning and attacking. They’re going to make mistakes. This is their first time ever really playing, for some of them it’s their first time starting and they’re just going. They’re learning how to attack and the communication is an easy fix. That’s one that’s never going to be a real worry for us because we communicate every day. Technique, that comes with time as well. So there’s no issue of physicality because everyone is trying to hit. It’s just we've got to make sure we’re hitting the right way.”
NU Athletic Communications