Braun just wrapped up his weekly presser, here are my initial notes. A takeaways piece will go up this afternoon.
Sullivan starting on Saturday
No surprises here but Sullivan is getting the start again. Braun was the bluntest he's been about Bryant, saying openly he won't play for the first time. Still signaled there's hope he'll be back by the end of the year.
Braun excited to play at Wrigley
Braun, who grew up in Wisconsin, saw his first baseball game at Wrigley. It's another surreal experience for him in a season full of them.
"I've had a lot of these moments in the last year, but it's just another pinch yourself moment."
"First baseball game I ever went to was with my dad at Wrigley Field. Mark Grace, Shawon Duston, Joe Girardi, Ryne Sandberg. All those things, an opportunity to be part of a football game at Wrigley Field? What a unique, special experience to say that I'm getting the opportunity to coach in that game."
Braun broke down goal line stand vs. Maryland
Northwestern stuffed Maryland three times from the one yard line in the second quarter, a sequence that would win the game. Not only did the NU DL stuff two runs, they also swatted away a pass on 4th and Goal from the 1.
"It's really difficult, you're picking your poison," Braun said about his defensive playcalling in those situations. "Honestly, we anticipated on fourth down that it would be a pass but you start to ask yourself, 'Are we willing to call a defense that plays to a pass then they hand the ball off and walk in for a touchdown?' We're going to make them earn every inch. Credit to Xander for making a huge play in that situation for us and the rest of the defense for getting ourselves to that point.
"In that moment, I'm asking myself the same question. What are you willing to give up here?"
It was also a huge stand for a defensive line that has been nagged by injury. First it was Matt Lawson early in the season, then Brendan Flakes and Richie Hagarty. With health hanging in the balance, it becomes even harder to prepare a team for those high-stakes, high-intensity moments.
"What the D-line has been able to do this season is such a reflection of what you hope is happening all over this team right now. It's banked reps from double repping in fall camp. It's investment paying off in terms of our development...in terms of those situations, you have to be really careful of how you practice those high intensity scenarios. It's really hard to replicate. The only time we really practice those scenarios live is maybe an isolated practice or two during fall camp. Then in scout team sessions, it's at about 80% so you keep people on their feet and healthy."
As a former lineman, Braun is loving his DL's progression and the performance from his true freshmen
The DL was anticipated to be one of this team's weak points, but it really fueled their win against Maryland last week. Two key parts of that were true freshmen Michael Kilbane and Dylan Roberts. Kilbane played 30 snaps as NU's third DE, Roberts played 18 as their fifth DT.
"Part of it was out of necessity, in terms of a depth perspective," Braun said. "They earned that opportunity with their practice habits and how they're performing on scout team. Kilbane last week was the scout team player of the week and turns around a few days later and he's playing 30 snaps of Big Ten football. What it comes down to isn't one flash practice like 'Oh my gosh! He had a great day!'
"It's consistency and this guy's getting better and better one day at a time. It comes down to a certain element of trust that you put that young man out there and trust he's going to be able to execute at a high level for his teammates and the guys around him."
Something that might have spurred their development is having not just Christian Smith, who seems to be a position coach star in the making, but Braun, a former lineman himself, helping them train and prepare.
"Christian will be the first to tell you, Logan McCormick who is our defensive GA who played for us at NDSU, watch out. When you get me down in defensive line drills, I might stick around for awhile. I get passionate about that position," Braun said. "I won't micromanage that position, we hired Christian Smith for a reason...I think the greatest gift I can give to Christian is my perspective...I feel like great D-line play is guys playing free. Not the mentality of don't get reach, don't make a mistake. I'm going to play vertical, knockback, aggressive football. If I make a mistake, I'm going to make it fast and violent. That's great D-line play."
He gave a great window into his conversations with Smith about their preparation for Maryland.
"Sometimes Christian will come to me with questions, concerned about I want to make sure this is how Dave wants it," Braun said. "Talking about Taulia [Tagovailoa] and preparing for him, [we said] we've got to find a way to get to him, get him off his spot. I know pass rush lanes are critical but no one's getting to him [on tape in past games]. We have to find a way to get to him and affect him, play fast and play with conviction. I think that's showing up in our play and I can't speak highly enough of Christian."
Quick aside: I've never been more disappointed we can't talk to assistants this year, I'd love to pick Smith's brain on his work this year.
Braun takes joking shot at Entz for having to play DeJean
Cooper DeJean, a menace as a returner and defensive back, will weigh heavily on the minds of Braun and his staff this week. DeJean is one of the best defenders, and players, in the country. With gamechanging speed and ball skills, he's a one-man wrecking crew. Braun jokingly jabbed at his old boss, Matt Entz, at NDSU, for having to face DeJean this week.
"My first conversation was with Matt Entz at North Dakota State," he said. "We offered [DeJean] and I really would have appreciated it if Matt Entz could have closed him so we didn't have to deal with him now."
"All kidding aside, he's such a model for what the Iowa program has stood for...he is a dynamic, talented, instinctual football player and [he] will be absolutely critical piece of our game plan."
Halloween plans for the Brauns
Braun was quick to give credit to the brains behind the operation, his wife Kristin, for his kids' costumes tomorrow. Last year, his sons went as the Wet Bandits and this year they'll be Mario and Luigi, along with newborn Blake, who will be Princess Peach.
"I'm not very creative but you can count on Kristin Braun...[she's] got that all lined up, it's going to be a fun week for the family."
Sullivan starting on Saturday
No surprises here but Sullivan is getting the start again. Braun was the bluntest he's been about Bryant, saying openly he won't play for the first time. Still signaled there's hope he'll be back by the end of the year.
Braun excited to play at Wrigley
Braun, who grew up in Wisconsin, saw his first baseball game at Wrigley. It's another surreal experience for him in a season full of them.
"I've had a lot of these moments in the last year, but it's just another pinch yourself moment."
"First baseball game I ever went to was with my dad at Wrigley Field. Mark Grace, Shawon Duston, Joe Girardi, Ryne Sandberg. All those things, an opportunity to be part of a football game at Wrigley Field? What a unique, special experience to say that I'm getting the opportunity to coach in that game."
Braun broke down goal line stand vs. Maryland
Northwestern stuffed Maryland three times from the one yard line in the second quarter, a sequence that would win the game. Not only did the NU DL stuff two runs, they also swatted away a pass on 4th and Goal from the 1.
"It's really difficult, you're picking your poison," Braun said about his defensive playcalling in those situations. "Honestly, we anticipated on fourth down that it would be a pass but you start to ask yourself, 'Are we willing to call a defense that plays to a pass then they hand the ball off and walk in for a touchdown?' We're going to make them earn every inch. Credit to Xander for making a huge play in that situation for us and the rest of the defense for getting ourselves to that point.
"In that moment, I'm asking myself the same question. What are you willing to give up here?"
It was also a huge stand for a defensive line that has been nagged by injury. First it was Matt Lawson early in the season, then Brendan Flakes and Richie Hagarty. With health hanging in the balance, it becomes even harder to prepare a team for those high-stakes, high-intensity moments.
"What the D-line has been able to do this season is such a reflection of what you hope is happening all over this team right now. It's banked reps from double repping in fall camp. It's investment paying off in terms of our development...in terms of those situations, you have to be really careful of how you practice those high intensity scenarios. It's really hard to replicate. The only time we really practice those scenarios live is maybe an isolated practice or two during fall camp. Then in scout team sessions, it's at about 80% so you keep people on their feet and healthy."
As a former lineman, Braun is loving his DL's progression and the performance from his true freshmen
The DL was anticipated to be one of this team's weak points, but it really fueled their win against Maryland last week. Two key parts of that were true freshmen Michael Kilbane and Dylan Roberts. Kilbane played 30 snaps as NU's third DE, Roberts played 18 as their fifth DT.
"Part of it was out of necessity, in terms of a depth perspective," Braun said. "They earned that opportunity with their practice habits and how they're performing on scout team. Kilbane last week was the scout team player of the week and turns around a few days later and he's playing 30 snaps of Big Ten football. What it comes down to isn't one flash practice like 'Oh my gosh! He had a great day!'
"It's consistency and this guy's getting better and better one day at a time. It comes down to a certain element of trust that you put that young man out there and trust he's going to be able to execute at a high level for his teammates and the guys around him."
Something that might have spurred their development is having not just Christian Smith, who seems to be a position coach star in the making, but Braun, a former lineman himself, helping them train and prepare.
"Christian will be the first to tell you, Logan McCormick who is our defensive GA who played for us at NDSU, watch out. When you get me down in defensive line drills, I might stick around for awhile. I get passionate about that position," Braun said. "I won't micromanage that position, we hired Christian Smith for a reason...I think the greatest gift I can give to Christian is my perspective...I feel like great D-line play is guys playing free. Not the mentality of don't get reach, don't make a mistake. I'm going to play vertical, knockback, aggressive football. If I make a mistake, I'm going to make it fast and violent. That's great D-line play."
He gave a great window into his conversations with Smith about their preparation for Maryland.
"Sometimes Christian will come to me with questions, concerned about I want to make sure this is how Dave wants it," Braun said. "Talking about Taulia [Tagovailoa] and preparing for him, [we said] we've got to find a way to get to him, get him off his spot. I know pass rush lanes are critical but no one's getting to him [on tape in past games]. We have to find a way to get to him and affect him, play fast and play with conviction. I think that's showing up in our play and I can't speak highly enough of Christian."
Quick aside: I've never been more disappointed we can't talk to assistants this year, I'd love to pick Smith's brain on his work this year.
Braun takes joking shot at Entz for having to play DeJean
Cooper DeJean, a menace as a returner and defensive back, will weigh heavily on the minds of Braun and his staff this week. DeJean is one of the best defenders, and players, in the country. With gamechanging speed and ball skills, he's a one-man wrecking crew. Braun jokingly jabbed at his old boss, Matt Entz, at NDSU, for having to face DeJean this week.
"My first conversation was with Matt Entz at North Dakota State," he said. "We offered [DeJean] and I really would have appreciated it if Matt Entz could have closed him so we didn't have to deal with him now."
"All kidding aside, he's such a model for what the Iowa program has stood for...he is a dynamic, talented, instinctual football player and [he] will be absolutely critical piece of our game plan."
Halloween plans for the Brauns
Braun was quick to give credit to the brains behind the operation, his wife Kristin, for his kids' costumes tomorrow. Last year, his sons went as the Wet Bandits and this year they'll be Mario and Luigi, along with newborn Blake, who will be Princess Peach.
"I'm not very creative but you can count on Kristin Braun...[she's] got that all lined up, it's going to be a fun week for the family."
