What Bret Bielema Said After Illinois' 63-10 Loss to Indiana Football

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Illinois coach Bret Bielema met with the media after the Fighting Illini's 63-10 loss to Indiana on Saturday night at Merchants Bank Field inside Memorial Stadium.

Here's what Bielema said in his near-nine-minute press conference ...

Opening statement

"Obviously extremely disappointed, but first to give credit to Indiana, not only their football team, their football coaches, their staff, but to that entire stadium, to their administration. Anything that they did, I think this is a very impressive venue. Obviously, we didn't start off good, which added fuel to the fire. But I've been around this league a long time and that was a very, very impressive atmosphere to be in, to give credit to them.

"And then anything we did -- if there's one thing that I saw right away, right, like the momentum swung and we just never able to get anything back on us. Offense, defense, special teams, obviously the punt miscue, we actually only had 10 players out there on the field which threw our guys' count off and freed up a guy on the backside edge. And we walked into it in our direction of our punt. Defensively, they really attacked some of our leverages.

"And some of the things we'd obviously put on film, they had a good plan for. I thought this staff has really traditionally over time over watching them the last couple years have taken advantage of what you give them as good as anybody. So, got to really assess what we do defensively.

"And then offensively we just never got anything going. Had too many second and longs, which led to third and longs. Obviously too much pressure on Luke (Altmyer). We can't play a game like this. So, we got to really look at our protections and what we're asking our guys to do. We can't have him get hit the way he was and have any success. And obviously, we got to be able to run the football a little more consistently. However that has to happen with the personnel groupings or the schemes or the plays, it's definitely a recipe for failure when today happens.

"So, at a loss for words, I really, I mean, I've never been a part of anything like that. The thing that
jumped out to me as we began to unfold in the second half was we just didn't have answers for what they were doing and they kept pouring it on, which was exactly what they should do.

"So, I don't really have any injury updates. I've never been a part of anything like that. We lost, I believe, six of our seven top DBs. One before the game, obviously Xavier's still getting some information gathered on that. We'll probably have an announcement on Monday, see exactly where that's at.

"But there were still some things that we were considering or he was considering. I'll try to give information on that as soon as we can. But those guys that left the ball game today, I know a couple of them were x-rayed. I believe Caleb got an X-ray. His was negative, but it couldn't return. Mac Resetich was almost able to go back in, but he couldn't.

"Matt Bailey was with a head concussion and Torrie Cox got knee'd in the stomach over there. Miles Scott obviously had to leave with a targeting call. I know he was trying to lower his head. It's just a really tough part of football. I don't think that was intentional. I get why they had to call it. I thought it was his shoulder, but he got his head involved there.

"I guess the only thing that's left to do is just literally go low, right? Which I don't think that's healthy for our game either right there. It's a part of the game that unfortunately you got to live with right now and when they're in that RPO world, that's just something that is kind of a natural byproduct of it the way we play defense in the middle-field hitter there.

"So I don't have any updates on injuries other than that."

On Illinois' struggles on the offensive line

"Well, I think two things. What we were asking them to do, we have to make sure assessment wise. I also give Indiana a lot of credit. But we definitely can't live this way.

"So, whether we're we're going to have to change up schematically, that's one opportunity. I really do feel that we have some good players up there. But obviously, we're not playing that way and the numbers don't speak that. So, we got to find the right answers in a short amount of time."

On Illinois not adjusting well in second half

"Yeah, I think when they scored right away in that first drive in the second half, again, a couple same things that hurt us in the first half. Some big play opportunities, obviously, I think we just kept constantly playing behind the sticks. It seemed like they were second and medium, second and short, and converted on third downs.

"I know there was a 3rd and 4 right there to start the second half that really kind of caught us on our heels. And then obviously the fourth down conversion was a big one as well."

On running back Aidan Laughery's absence

"Yeah, he cleared -- he went through warm-ups, but I think coming out of the warm-ups, he just didn't feel like he could open up and go. I know he was real close. He actually practiced Wednesday and Thursday. He got a little bit sore during that, but I think he felt he was going to be able to go. But when we got through with pregame warm-ups today, we obviously didn't put him out there."

On concerns about not getting answers in-game

"Well, obviously, we did a lot to get to this point. I told our guys driving over here yesterday on the bus, I was excited to see this team play and excited to play in this environment. But the way it unfolded, it looked like we just didn't belong in that moment. And that was the concerning part to me.

"And I think the biggest thing that we have to do is, if we have good players, which I think we do, we have to be able to let them play fast. If we're giving them too much and they aren't able to perform because we're clouding them with anything that's in their head before the ball is snapped, I think that's something we got to really look at closely.

"I would rather do very few things and do them very, very well and be efficient what we're doing than try and do too much."

On the balance of playing corners

"Yeah, we literally didn't have any corners. Like, seriously, I think we brought 10 DBs and seven of them left the game, or six of them left the game. We had some guys that we were planning on just using them in special teams, but yeah, I've never been a part of anything like that.

"Unfortunately, Matt was out there and he got a concussion, but we're also trying to make a stop and because Saboor (Karriem) was his backup, Saboor was now playing at free safety after we lost Miles and Mac Resetich and then actually the third free safety is Grayson Griffin. We lost him as well, too. So the only three free safeties -- usually bring three guys at every position -- and those three guys were lost at that one position."

If there's a connection to slow starts in all four games

"Well, obviously, I was kind of excited when we hit the big touchdown play on the play action pass. So, defensively we did some things early, but obviously not enough to sustain it. So, yeah, I mean, it's an easy assessment, but not only did we not play well in the first quarter, second quarter, third quarter, fourth quarter, we stayed pretty consistent."

On missed tackles

"There was a conscientious effort, I think, for guys trying to punch the ball out, which I think can also be counterproductive. But there was too many times today where we just had too many yards after contact, not just at the running backs but also wide receivers.

"There was a last touchdown there where it looked like we just broke down in open space. But I also got to think about what we're asking our guys to do. Like some of those guys, Mac Resetich had a missed tackle that was very similar to a play that Xavier had in game two that were just -- it's a tough angle for someone to come over there and tackle someone with ability. And so, I think what we're asking our guys to do kind of plays into it a little bit as well."

On rebounding from the loss

"Well, I obviously have never had myself against two ranked opponent teams like play like that. So, that's uncharted waters. But, I do know this. I told our guys in the locker room, like, we have to own this moment. And the thing that we do need to take in account is our response, right?

"Like, the response is what's going to define us. Today happened. I get it. I understand it. It's something that we got to live through. Very disappointed for our football team, our coaches, our fans, anybody that had supported us to get to this point.

"We took a long time to build ourselves to get to this point. And we got to have the right response because USC is going to obviously take advantage of everything they see on film and a very talented football team and a homecoming crowd that I know is excited to see their team play.

"So, we have to have the right response. But, I think the response that we're looking for is -- one of our three goals this week was to win 'your and our opportunity.' And I was kind of trying to put it into a phrase to have both all the players be accountable and how the accountability of each of us individually affects all of us. And I think this is going to be the defining moment for sure."