Northwestern Coach David Braun Talks Oregon

This week Oregon starts off conference play with a road game at Northwestern. Per usual the opposing teams coach made some comments at a local media session. Head coach David Braun talked about his upcoming opponent with a much different level of respect than last weeks presser.

Here are some of his top comments from a 30-minute media session. The full video is included at the bottom.

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Opening Statement:

“After having a chance to review the Western Illinois film, certainly pleased with the outcome, pleased with the victory, but there is plenty to work on. Challenged our staff, challenged our team, challenging myself to be really objective with that evaluation and constructive in terms of how we’re gonna move forward and how we’re gonna get better, how we’re gonna control what forward and how we’re going to get better, how we’re going to control what we can control.

Incredible opportunity this weekend with Oregon coming into town, opening up Big Ten play. I’ll tell you what, Coach Lanning has done an exceptional job at Oregon. Not only are they very talented, but they are incredibly well coached. There’s not a single stone that will go unturned by him and his staff.

They’re going to be aggressive. They’re going to try and apply pressure in a lot of different ways in all three phases. On top of being extremely talented, you know, they are fundamentally sound. They’re physical. They play hard. They play hard. They finish plays. I mean, all you have to do is, you know, certainly turn on the tape from last year, but turn on the tape from their first two games.

And it doesn’t take long to, you know, find a profound, you know, respect for the quality of a football team that they have and the task that we have right in front of us this Saturday.”

On Preparing for Oregon:

“And, you know, even challenging our team this morning, like we’re going to acknowledge and respect our upcoming opponent. Different than, you know, the way that we’re going to approach a Western Illinois game from a standpoint of we’re going to respect our opponent, we’re going to understand what they do well, and we’re going to prepare for that opponent.

But what can we control? We can’t control Oregon, but we can control the way that we go about our process and the standard that we adhere to. I think our guys have a sense of ownership in that. Like, no, we’re, we, we, we know what Monday is going to look like. You know, we know what our prep is going to look like this afternoon.

We know that Tuesday’s practice is going to be a knockout drag out. You know, we’re going to get after it. We’re going to prepare ourselves for the arena and big 10 football. And you know, this is what you want. They get, you know, the young men that are on this roster made a decision to come to Northwestern, you know, because they believe it’s the most unique opportunity in all of college football, you know, an incredible degree that will serve them the rest of their life, an opportunity to compete and aspire to win Big Ten championships, you know?

And it’s one thing to talk about it, but what are you doing to actually deliver on that? And what an incredible challenge that we have with Oregon, you know, with our Big Ten opener. Again, you know, in our prep over the summer, there was a tremendous amount of respect for what they do and how they do it. And you watch their first two games.

I mean, it’s like they’re not leaving anything in the tank. I mean, this is a special football team that’s really well coached and will present a ton of challenges for us, but that’s something that this football team is embracing.”

On What Oregon Does Well:

“Yeah, you know, gosh, I mean, we could be here for a long time. The things that really stand out offensively, I just think they’re really well thought out. They allow their guys to play fast. They vary their tempos. They’ve found ways to create a ton of explosive plays. They start fast. I mean, that’s been, you know, something that’s been very consistent throughout Coach Lanning’s time there, offensively starting really fast. You know, coming into it with a new quarterback this year, you’d think maybe there’d be, you know, a fall off there. That certainly isn’t the case. Their quarterback’s playing at a really high level. They’re utilizing all their weapons. They’re lining them up in different places. Defensively, you know, young in the back half, but very talented and they don’t play young. Very veteran up front, two edges that are, I mean, special players, veteran linebacker group.

I mean, you can tell that that group’s playing with a lot of confidence on special teams. You know, sometimes when you face a team that’s as talented as Oregon, maybe like special teams becomes an afterthought. They use it as an opportunity to use the skill that they have and be aggressive. They play in all three phases, tremendous amount of respect for what those guys are doing.”

Reporter asks about World, Thieneman, Sadiq and Matayo:

“Yeah, but both edges are like extremely talented. Stat lines, like with those guys, you can’t pay attention to the stat line. You just turn on the film and both are super talented.

I believe it was last week, maybe it was Montana State, but I think 10 (Matayo) had a two sack game. I mean, just both those guys are showing up on the edge. 18 (Sadiq) I think you mentioned, like they do such a good job at putting them at different spots. Wildcat quarterback, tight end, wide receiver. And again, like it’s so easy to say, oh, they’re talented.

You watch 18 block, like, I mean, he finishes and he’s physical. You can tell these guys are well coached and they bought in.

You mentioned number 76. (World) Correct me if I’m wrong, but transfer that recently got to Oregon. Right, yeah, he came from the Mountain West. Yeah, very impressive. Again, like, you know, if we were to rewind to last January and say where’s Oregon going to be at next year, you’d say, you know, the O-line is something that they’re going to have to address, and they have.

I mean, they really have. Been really impressed with that group and the continuity that they’re playing with.

Oh, yeah, yeah, no, we’re familiar with him. (Thieneman) Really, really good player, and super instinctual.
Grant O’Brien, who’s on staff with us now, actually coached Dylan at Purdue from all accounts. Not only a really good football player, but just is about all the right things. And, you know, Oregon’s lucky to have him.”

On Limiting Explosive Plays:

“Yeah. Oregon’s going to make it really difficult. The way that they structure, you know, they’re playing early in the game, the way that they tempo, the way that they utilize their personnel, the quarterbacks playing at a really high level.

And, like, there’s this balance of, like, you know, okay, we need to limit explosives. Oregon’s done a really good job of also just being efficient and staying ahead of the sticks and not giving up TFLs, not allowing their opponents to get them behind the sticks. Like that’s where the challenge really presents itself.
At what point defensively do you start to get more aggressive to, you know, make sure you position yourself on third down to have an advantageous third down?

And Coach Landon will be very aggressive on fourth down as well to eventually, you you know get off the field um yeah it’s easier to talk about how critical those things are against these guys it’ll be much more difficult to execute but there is one thing that’s very evident. They have been very explosive on offense and you know if if we expect to to win and to play winning football on defense we’re gonna have to limit those explosives.”