Kansas Head Coach Turner Gill Meets with Media Following Practice

Sept. 7, 2011

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas head coach Turner Gill met with members of the media on Wednesday afternoon, following the team’s practice in preparation for Northern Illinois. Below is a transcript of that session.

Kansas Head Coach Turner Gill

Opening Statement:
“I thought our guys started out a little slow in practice today, but they intensified as we got toward the middle and end of practice, so that was good to see. I think we’re now getting a little more understanding what we need to do defensively against Northern Illinois. They’re really picking it up now and they’re not being quite as hesitant. That’s good to see and it’s good to finish strong. We’re looking forward to getting ready for this ball game.”

On why recruiting quiet players appeals to him and his staff:
“Usually that type of person is a little more analytical and able to dissect things in their brains and put it to use performance-wise. I think those types of players do a good job of leading by example. That’s the key thing about a quarterback or a producer. You have to show your teammates that you can do things instead of just being a loud guy or someone who talks a lot. I think that’s one of the things that’s a good attribute to have.”

On the game plan for Northern Illinois:
“You have to look at a lot of different things with them because they have mostly a new staff. They’ve got an entirely different type of offense, so we’re looking at what they’ve done while he (Northern Illinois Head Coach Dave Doeren) was at Wisconsin. It’s a little bit of a guessing game. Are they going to do what he did at Wisconsin or are they going to tweak some things and do a little differently because they’ve got different personnel and a different group of kids? We’ve seen a little bit of anything and everything in our camp.”

On Northern Illinois Head Coach Dave Doeren’s reputation in the coaching community:
“He’s a solid coach that understands defense. He’s very detailed in how to do the techniques, particularly in the linebacker position and really all positions. He’s well respected around the country in that he understands how to coach the defensive side of the ball.”

On if the fact that they are underdogs is being used as motivation:
“No not at all. We’re just focused on what we’re doing to get better as a football team. That’s always our approach. It’s not just about understanding who the opponent is, but trying to make sure we get better as a unit in every phase of the game.”

On if the receivers have settled into a rotation:
“They’re settling into a flow. We’ve had different people playing different positions throughout camp. Always preparing ourselves for different things that may happen during the season and that’s at any position. It’s really not that big of a change. Obviously we may lose Daymond (Patterson) in our offense if he does not play, but I think we can still make plays with the personnel that we have.”

On how senior wide receiver Daymond Patterson has responded after his injury:
“He’s obviously been a little down this week but that’s human nature. He’s definitely a team guy and is still encouraging all the other guys.”

On how he would describe Mid-American Conference (MAC) football:
“The thing that stands out most is that teams that usually win that conference have an excellent quarterback. That was one of the reasons I went to the MAC and took the job at Buffalo, because I believed that I would be able to recruit a quarterback and if you’re able to do that then you’re able to build a successful program in the MAC conference. It’s almost always an offensive oriented league. There are always good players in every position. If you check the history there’s always a lot of good players that come out of that conference and a lot of outstanding coaches too.”