An Interview With: COACH DARRELL HAZELL 

COACH HAZELL: Let me do a real quick recap from the Penn State game. I thought Penn State did a good job of keeping us off balance, running the zone play and nakeds off the zone. They made a big play to the tight end that really to me was one of the two glaring plays of the football game. One of our safeties slipped, they threw it back inside to the tight end, he ran down the field for a big gain. I thought that was one of the biggest plays. And then our interception was another big play, and the fumble, obviously.

 I thought we had some things going offensively with some of the bubbles and some of the inside run plays, and we weren't able to get to hold serve with Penn State's offense throughout the course of the game. We did make a big play on the kickoff return. That kind of gave us some energy on the sideline and kind of put us back into the game there, but again, we weren't able to get them stopped enough times to be able to hold serve and have a chance to win the ballgame in the fourth quarter.

 As you take a look at Illinois, big game, obviously, playing for a trophy this week, so our seniors' last chance, 21 seniors' last chance to run out into the Furnace, so it's a big game for them, and it'll be a very emotional situation for them I'm sure so we'll have to get recomposed pretty quickly after those guys run out and meet their families.

 But should be an exciting contest. They do a great job offensively. Just watch their numbers and you watch them play, I just got finished watching them play last week against Ohio State and they did a great job of spreading the field. The back is really explosive, the quarterback makes good decisions for the most part. He does a good job of stepping up in the pocket and taking off, so it'll be a very good test for our defense again.

 Q. Can you talk a little bit about Feichter has had some injury issues and stuff this year, but the way he's come back and certainly with the interception last week, what you hope to see from him the last couple weeks, and is the fact that he's overcome this kind of adversity?

 COACH HAZELL: You know, you're so happy for Landon to be able to get back out there and play the way he did last week. He graded out the highest on defense for us. I think it was 80-something percent on defense for us. Just very active guy. We're asking him to play in the box now because we need that box support, but he's all over the place, and he's productive. He's smart. He gets us lined up, and he's -- just to think that he broke his leg early in the season, he's back playing for us, there's something to be said about that young man.

 

 Q. The offense picked up a little bit offensively with Penn State. What are maybe some specifics things you're seeing in terms of improvement and what needs to happen on Saturday?

 COACH HAZELL: Well, I think we've got to continue to stretch the field horizontally and vertically, and I thought that's what we did a little bit better on Saturday. We threw some bubbles and we threw some of those jailbreak screens out to some of those wide receivers. Now you force those guys to run sideline to sideline, but we also had some opportunities at some big plays down the field. We gave up, I believe, six sacks. One of them was a close one. But if you can protect, I think we have some guys that can stretch a little bit vertically, and we hit some of those big plays. The second play of the game should have been a touchdown. One of our receivers lost it in the sun. But those are the plays that we need to make.

 

 Q. I think they asked you about injuries yesterday except for about Normondo Harris. What do you expect from him this week?

 COACH HAZELL: Yeah, Normondo is questionable, but he ran on the treadmill, felt pretty good when he was going forward, had a little bit of pain backpedaling on the treadmill, but he should be fine for his last game at Ross-Ade.

 

 Q. You've only known these seniors for about a year. Just what have been your impressions of this group?

 COACH HAZELL: Well, I think they're fighters. They've gone through a lot of situations, hard situations, and I think they've managed to stay together as a group, these 21 guys, and believing in each other, and they fought hard for us, the new staff coming in.

 

 Q. Is it difficult do you think to be a senior your final season, have a coaching change and then have the struggles you guys have had this year?

 COACH HAZELL: I'm sure, absolutely. You put those guys in that situation, and to have them go through the season like we've gone through, it's got to be hard for them. They're trying extremely hard. We're just not getting the resultsobviously that are desired. But to their credit they come to work every single day and put it in for theBoilermakers.

 

 Q. What have been your impressions of Ricardo Allen in the year you've gotten to know him?

 COACH HAZELL: Well, you love Ricardo, and the game means so much to the guy, and his preparation is probably unsurpassed by anyone on the football team. He comes in, he studies film by himself a lot, but it's very important, and it hurts him, obviously, when we lose. You can tell, you can see it on his face, and you can feel the pain.

 

 Q. Speaking of pain, he does not to us look 100 percent healthy, but he's probably

 COACH HAZELL: Well, Bruce has done a good job for us, trying to keep the glue of that defensive line, trying to glue those guys together, and he's -- I'm sure he would have loved to have had a great season going out his senior year, but that's not the case. But he's been a staple of security for this football team.

 

 Q. Your rushing numbers are not great, but when you take the sacks out of those numbers and when you look at your running game, what are you seeing and is there a foundation there that you've established at all this year?

 COACH HAZELL: Well, I thought Saturday Akeem ran the hardest he has all season. He put his shoulder down and got some of those hidden yards that you always like to get from a running back. I think we're getting better up front, inside with those two young guards and Kugler playing together. We had a three-guard rotation the other day, but I think Jason King is getting better and Bruce is getting better. Not where we need them to be just yet, but you can see the improvement of those guys.

 

 Q. But just with the backs, you talked about Akeem and Brandon. What have they done the last couple weeks maybe as you start to look forward a little bit that will help you in future games?

 COACH HAZELL: I think what we've asked them to do is be more decisive with the ball in their hand. When they see something, go and get it. And I think they've responded pretty well to that, both of those guys.

 

 Q. I didn't see Devin Smith on the depth chart. Are you just going to go with King and Roos as the guards?

 COACH HAZELL: That was a misprint. He should be on the depth chart.