Indiana Quarterback Connor Bazelak - Week Eight Q&A (Rutgers)

start us off with Connor yeah I guess just to start I mean what um you know when you kind of look back and evaluate and evaluate it just tape from Saturday just what kind of stood out um especially as far as you know taking a while getting kind of a slow start before you guys got wrong um I think overall big picture wise I think the offense we did a pretty good job of scoring points moving the ball um you know obviously the turnovers uh you know those hurt us definitely uh and then some misplays uh some you know two intentional groundings uh well the first one it probably could have been been avoided second one I was either that or sack so um but overall I thought offensively played a pretty pretty solid game and but we gotta find find a way to make you know a couple more plays limit limit the negative plays more you had one of your if not the best game against a Big Ten opponent this year through for nearly 70 percent um you mentioned the two turnovers early in both halves what did you learn from those two and was the better offensive play the result of better offensive line play uh yeah first uh the first turn of first interception uh I just got to find a way to get the ball to the tight end uh just threw it a little high um you know got tipped and uh gotta find a way to get it to him and then the second one um you know kind of all week we talked about we knew that they're DBS they've been called for a lot of pass interferences um so we knew just given the receiver a chance that was big and um a one-on-one matchup and gave him a chance so um you know those things happen so and then secondly often it's a Vine I thought was great um you know still a couple issues but uh it's always always going to be issues all these mistakes happen and that's what that's what you watch film for you try to limit those things correct them on the field um but those guys keep fighting working every single day coach Kerry's done great with them so go back up on your right hey Connor um Emory Simmons seems like lately he's maybe just been a little bit more involved as far as production not that you weren't looking at him early but is it just a case of um it's just the way that things are going in the offense or you're just getting more comfortable with working with him and I guess kind of talk about what he brings I'm obviously that big catch in the first half where he got the 50 50 Ball but just how he's kind of seems to be a little bit more involved when you're looking for receivers yeah he's uh he's super tough um he does really really well on the perimeter uh perimeter screens blocking run blocking so he's great in that stuff too he's you know reliable uh doesn't drop many passes and you know he stepped up when DJ got hurt so um it'll be fun when both of them are healthy be able to both have them in at the same time and um you know that's that's scary if you ask me as a quarterback as leader of this team when you see four consecutive losses how much of a burden do you feel personally to try to keep the mental psyche and the motivation of this team up um I think it's definitely it's definitely big to try to you know like you said motivate and keep guys focused um you know taking one game at a time and I think you know what's different about this team uh is I think we know that we're good we're a good team um and the only people the only teams that have beat that have beat us are ourselves um you know mistakes and turnovers uh whatever um but we beat ourselves and you know we're the ones to blame and um if we can limit mistakes be more explosive on offense um fine ones find ways to win games like the first first three games you know we easily could be five and one six or what would it be six and one yeah yeah 7-0 obviously you see him in practice we haven't really seen him in games yet but uh since you've been here I guess how have you seen Dexter kind of progress and what are you seeing from him kind of oh wait obviously away from game day uh he's awesome uh he's super talented he's got a cannon um he's great in the locker room uh supportive and um you know couldn't say enough good things about him Connor when you said Dexter like has a cannon was there any throws like he made during the summer or anything where like you realize like he just had a really good arm uh you know as a quarterback you kind of know when someone has a strong arm good arm um I mean right when I came in and saw him throw I could tell that he freaking Zips it in there so um that's I think that's kind of his one of his best traits and um yeah thanks