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PURDUE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 18, 2016

Gerad Parker

West Lafayette, Indiana

COACH PARKER: Thank you. Just want to get started. Obviously tough situation. Wanted to reach out and make sure to tell just the whole administration and Mike Bobinski and the Purdue family, everybody has been so supportive in a tough time for everyone including our staff and our players.

And just want to say thank you to all them for all the support, including my family and friends and past teammates and past coaches and all those that have reached out in countless number of texts and social media, and just reached out in support.

I really want to say thank you to all those people.

You know, I think in moving forward, and that's going to be the big topic for the week, and as we go, is to move forward, and moving forward from this we've got a bunch of committed guys on our staff and our players in our locker room that we're going to force into doing things a little bit different, no question, in how we move, how we talk and how we act.

And as we do that, we also gotta be under the realization that we are in the middle of a season and we're headed to go play a great Nebraska team that is undefeated and presents a lot of issues that we have to prepare for.

I think our guys and know our guys will be excited for the challenge to go up there. And we're just really excited to get back to work today and kind of get away from some of the distractions, some of the stuff that's went on the past 48 hours.

With that being said I'll open it up to you guys for questions and we'll go from there.

Q. How much of a whirlwind has it been these past couple of days? Is it like a 24-7 type deal?
COACH PARKER: It's been pretty interesting. I'd be lying if I said -- it's kind of been spotted sleep. It's like having a newborn and I have a newborn as well.

It's been pretty crazy. You wake up and stuff and you've got some cold sweats, and you're trying to think about everything in the world that you want to try to do to help this staff be okay and the players.

So it's been crazy for time obligations as well as just thought.

Q. How many changes can you realistically make? You only have certainly just a couple of days left before you play a very strong Nebraska team. What's realistic in terms of the changes you can make?
COACH PARKER: Yeah, I think you know what, mindset is going to be the number one approach. We have to get to our guys in a different way and get them away from what's happened in some ways and to still honor Coach Hazell, too, and what they thought of him.

It's a two-way deal that's a little bit complicated. But that will be the first thing is to attack us and how we prepare mentally. And then we are going to -- I think if you were able to see our practices, we're going to change a little bit of what we do and how we do it.

Anything from how we travel and all those things, I think, will be our biggest things. And we'll see if those can help us give something that we're going to be proud of on game day as well.

Q. Have you changed much in the way of schematics in terms of offense and defense, or at least from that standpoint have to leave most of that alone?
COACH PARKER: Yeah, we're going to leave it alone. We talked to both sides of the ball and special teams. We're all teaming up and doing this together. Everybody knows where we're at. We obviously know that on the defensive side we've got to find ways to get our guys to run around, be more physical and tackle the football and all those things.

On offense, we know we've got to be more explosive quicker and start faster and all those things. So we've addressed it. And the coaches know it.

It's not like being a current guy on the staff and moving in this role, it's a little awkward. It's not like I've walked in and said, hey, this is what we're going to do.

But I do want to at least put some ideas in and make sure those guys know they can think outside the box. They can do anything they want to do, change everything of our approach, anything they want to, let's try stuff new. We have six weeks to have a little fun with this and put something out there we're proud of.

Q. Would Bentley and Replogle be able to play?
COACH PARKER: We'll keep everything with our injuries inside of us. Both those guys are trying to get back and we'll see where they are this week.

Q. This week -- you just said it was unique. But is this week as much about the mental as it is about the physical, because sometimes when there's coaching changes made, teams don't react very well?
COACH PARKER: Sure. I hope you're wrong this week. No, you know what, I don't know. I've never paid attention to it. And have purposely kind of stayed away from it.

You can imagine the barrage of great advice I've gotten from everybody. Some really, really good and some that I wouldn't even know who it really came from on my phone.

So it's been a trip to say the least. But you know, I would say it's more so mental than it is physical, to answer your question.

And if there's one job I know I have, it is the mental part of this and how we're going to approach this game and approach practice. And all those things is my number one part of my job.

Q. There's been a lot of talk about you guys -- couple people have asked me so I'll ask you -- you play sometimes that 4-2-5 and it would appear that your defensive backs are your least experienced. If you only play two linebackers you're taking that's maybe as good a position group as you have. Can you make some adjustments there schematically to help this situation against the run for lack of a better term?
COACH PARKER: Sure. In everything we're, like I said, just starting the new week, knowing where we're at with some of the guys that we've had in, had out, and all those things. And with what's gone on for the last little bit, you always are going to look at ways to find ways to adjust and Coach Els and all those guys, they're all smart guys and good coaches.

And they're all looking at ways to try to work their tails off to try find different ways to attack it so we improve it. That's what we're doing this week and what they've done since Sunday and certainly stuff to look into to find ways to make it better.

Q. You said you had a newborn and you haven't had any time, but is there any way to reach out to other maybe coaches or assistants that have experienced this for advice? You know, what somebody maybe got let go and then -- have you been able to reach out to anybody that's ever experienced this?
COACH PARKER: Not yet. But I plan to tonight. You know, just having a couple of connections in the business and stuff, there's some guys that have been through it. And going to try to reach out to a couple of guys to touch base, see if there's something. They have to have three or four things that you can talk to and kind of just check in with them to say, I didn't even think of that because there's certainly a bunch I haven't thought of.

Q. College guys or NFL guys?
COACH PARKER: College guys, yeah.

Q. On a personal note, when did you start thinking about I want to be a coach? I think you played a lot of athletics growing up, but when did it get in your mind, hey, I'd like to do this? Can you kind of tell us that story?
COACH PARKER: Good question. You know what, I used to teach basketball lessons in my backyard when I was 12 years old. So it probably started pretty quick.

I was just a little bit of a weird guy as far as how I had to prepare and do things because I wasn't overly gifted athletically. So I had to be really fundamentally sound.

Basketball was my first love. When I was 12 I ran into a coach that has impacted me named Wallace Dillon. And he changed my life. So from that point on I knew I wanted to coach.

And it wasn't in the start what I thought it would be. It ended up being in football after I kind of started playing football. And it's just funny, not to go too long, but being from a small town, I cut a deal with our high school quarterback, if I would play football, he would play basketball. That guy now, his name is Jason Michaels. He's the quarterback coach for the Tennessee Titans.

It's been a weird trip for all of us. I think I knew at a pretty young age it was something I wanted to do. I think I probably coach because probably knew I'd be hopefully a better coach than I was a player.

Q. Wallace Dillon, what town and what high school?
COACH PARKER: Yeah, when I was 12 it was all middle school stuff. And where I'm from is right across the river from West Virginia. And he was in -- there was a small town in Crum, West Virginia, that he put together a traveling team. We went around and won a bunch of games. And he taught us stuff I'd never been taught before, and how to prepare for opponents. And we ran stuff that you wouldn't believe a 12-year-old team would run.

It just taught me a lot about how to prepare and how to learn and think about the game. And it kind of carried over from there.

Q. Crum, C-R-U-M?
COACH PARKER: Yep, you wouldn't believe it.

Q. You talked about -- Coach Hazell usually update us on injuries. You say you want to keep it in house. On a non-injury front, any change in status for either Patterson, Rose or the other DB?
COACH PARKER: No change in status right now. Still stuff that's going on internally and we're going to deal with it and see where it goes this week. But no change that we can speak of or anything that we can put out there right now. Exactly, don't know yet.

Q. With Domo being out this past week, we knew someone would have to step up kind of perform, catching passes. Looked like the tight ends had a nice day. What did you think about their performance on Saturday?
COACH PARKER: You know, it is really good to see Brycen Hopkins, Cole Herdman, those guys had great days. They're both gifted guys. It's funny because I got a chance to recruit them before I moved to wideouts and both those guys are great guys, team guys and easy to coach. And Brycen's a guy that's young both here and hasn't played a lot of football. He's a basketball guy when he came out of high school when we recruited him.

You could see his athleticism starting to pair up with his football knowledge and his skill set here. They both had great days. Certainly helped us, especially in the second half. And kind of would be remiss to say how Bilal Marshall stepped up as well in Domo's absence.

Q. I thought on social media that Domo tweeted about his surgery. Could you talk about that? How did it go?
COACH PARKER: He came out of surgery. Came out healthy. He's got a long road ahead but he's got a lot of positive things coming out of it. We're glad he's healthy. His mom came back and had a chance to see her. She's going to be with him this week.

It's going to be a good situation for him to heal up and get back home.

Q. I think you said before, you confirmed it's season ending. But could you tell us more specific about what the injury was?
COACH PARKER: Not at this point. They keep us away from a lot of that stuff. Obviously it was a very traumatic injury, season ending. And those details as he heals up, I'm sure will come out.

Q. How about looking forward to the next game here. What does the defense do that presents problems for you guys what you have to be aware of?
COACH PARKER: They present a lot of problems. They're good. You put out -- they're really good on third down. They're really good on third down. They've got a great package of stuff they do as far as blitzes and the coverages they play. On first and second down, it feels like they've got 11 sets of eyes on the football at all times. They have two physical safeties that it seems like they're on the line of scrimmage by the time the ball gets snapped. Two corners are long. We got to know one of them really well, that was committed to us before he left to go there.

So they're good there. The linebackers flow and are strong and play fast. And they've got a defensive line that's adequate and plays hard and gets to the football and gets off blocks, too.

So you don't look at their defense and say here's one spot to -- they've got good football players over there. They run around and get to the football. So that presents a problem for us.

And then third down, their package changes, and then you're dealing with a whole new set of problems.

Q. I know you probably won't really be able to answer this question fully until you do it, but how is your game day going to change being the head coach versus the wide receivers coach?
COACH PARKER: It will be different. We'll see, I guess. Right? But it will be different. As far as my time with the wideouts and all those things we'll have to do some things different. And I'll have to pay more attention to the whole game instead of just one side of it, to where I can go spend some time with those guys and get back and forth and just kind of be on alert when it becomes third down.

So I think the approach will be different just because I have to pay attention to the whole game and be available to the staff and help us all through it.

Q. You said at the press conference that you plan to reach out to all the guys who had committed. Did you have an opportunity to do that, and just kind of how did those conversations go?
COACH PARKER: I did. Got a hold of -- last night I tried to get a hold of all of them. I missed out on a handful of guys. But for the 10 or 11 I did get a chance to talk with it went as positive as it could.

I think all those guys were glad to hear and be around and just hear my voice, hear our voice, obviously guys on our staff touch base as well.

So we had a bunch of guys hit them in different ways to tell them, hey, we wanted to touch base and be aware of the situation, we're right here for you, and kind of move forward. But it felt positive and we'll see where it goes in the next six weeks.

Q. Moving I guess beyond those middle school days, who have you admired as head coaches? And is there anything from those experiences that you try to apply to this experience now?
COACH PARKER: Sure. You know, it's tough that, as I went through high school, we had a great little environment where I was from, where we grew up. In the town of Louise has reached out in full force.

It's kind of two fold. We've got a bunch of families and staff members who are hurt because of what's happened because it affects our immediate futures. You want to feel good about that. I think all those people reaching out lose sight of that, and that's affecting me and all of our staff.

But they're all excited to see somebody from our area. And just can't say it enough how much the support from them and hearing from Louise and all my family and friends that have reached out it's been awesome.

But we had -- Took Williams was our head coach when I was there. Did a phenomenal job. Won a bunch of games over a run of four years, and that's one that sticks in mind.

I had a really good friend of mine that passed away a year ago named Phil Ratliff. Phil Ratliff was the first guy that really made it out of Louise. Was an All-American at Marshall, won a national championship back in the '90s when they were rolling through I-AA. And a guy like that's the one that impressed me to go on and get through my college career, and then we had a chance to go together at Marshall.

But in my playing days, you know, we pushed through, a guy named Guy Morris changed Kentucky for two years and then left us. I really wished he would have stayed. But Guy was awesome. And even Hal Mumme for one year when I was there. The offensive mind he had and what he did before he had to go was unbelievable.

And then the guy that gave me a chance to get into college coaching was Rich Brooks. When Coach Brooks came in it was a different deal because he was an NFL guy. It was so different for us to start, and then he kept on caring about us and found a way to find his little niche on how he would get to his football team. We had a heck of a run there when I was GA and got through and just really appreciate him.

But you feel bad in answering that question of how many people. I think of the wide receivers coach I hope I am has in part a lot to do with Joker Phillips and who he was to me as a coach. I GA'ed under him. And then one of my biggest mentors is Randy Sanders who is at Florida State right now and is a guy that stays in touch with me and treats me like a son.

It could go on and on about the impacts. I think you pull from everybody to get to this point to hopefully put yourself in a position to have success in whatever ability I can.

But it's been a heck of a run. It would be a shame if I didn't mention all of those people that have done that because there's been a bunch of them.

And then the best two have been my mom and dad, you know, and what they've instilled in me to get me to this point is beyond remark. I wouldn't be able to put it into words.

And just to get a text from dad at 5:30 this morning saying we're going to have to find a way to get to Nebraska, just kind of tells you a whole lot about where our family's from and what they're about.

Q. I don't know how much time you've spent directly with the team in the last 44 hours or whatever it's been since we talked to you last. But have you noticed any change in mood or just their attitudes right now?
COACH PARKER: Not yet. Sunday was a meeting that was tough. And Monday is our off day. So today is about affecting and seeing our mood and where we're at.

So it will be hard to discuss with it. But there have been a lot of guys that have checked in, come in and been around academics yesterday, come by the office to see our office and my staff and me and seem to be happy and positive.

Q. Nebraska's secondary I think they have four guys that have two or more interceptions right now --
COACH PARKER: I think ten total, right?

Q. Ten or 11 total as a team. What is it about their defense that's creating that sort of -- those takeaways?
COACH PARKER: I think probably the number one thing is they make you throw it. So the ball's in the air. And, two, a lot like Iowa, they'll press enough and they do those things. They'll be physical line. But a lot of them is them being able to play off and have four sets of eyes on the ball back there, if that makes any sense.

There's not man eyes turning and looking away from the ball a bunch, so that everybody sees it, so they're able to break on it, have room to break on it, drive on it to get the ball out of the air. And I think it's worked for them because of what they've done back there.

Q. You guys didn't see Armstrong last year. Sounds like he'll probably play. I guess they're waiting on the ankle thing they've said it's probable that he'll play but how does that change the kind of team Nebraska is?
COACH PARKER: Everybody in this room and outside the room knows what a great player he is, what he can do with his arm and with his feet. He's extremely dangerous. Those guys all over the country that are able to do that make it a tough job on everybody on defense.

And he's no different. He's a great player. Great competitor. Coach Els knows him well from being there in the past. And he presents a handful of problems and makes it a whole, completely different game.

Q. You've been an offensive coach, obviously, throughout your career and especially here. How are you approaching being the leader of the defensive side of things now this week?
COACH PARKER: Well, I haven't -- to be honest with you, I've kind of left those guys alone. I don't think this is -- again, it's a whole new deal. It's a different set of things. And for me to be an offensive guy, be in my position where it's at, and then be promoted the way it has happened, I don't think it gives good staff morale for me to walk into the defensive room and beat the door down say, hey, guys here's what I want you to do on third down.

We've had discussions, I feel like, since this is in a weird way, a lot falls on me, first, I guess. And all those things, we're going to have discussions.

It's going to be discussions to say, here's what I think from a perspective of offense. What are you thinking, and like I said just turn loose the play book and find a way to get us closer to something we're all going to be proud of.

Q. You mentioned before changing obviously we'll see what you guys do differently in practice, I guess, but in terms of travel, what would be different in those circumstances?
COACH PARKER: Yeah, you know what, what we wear will be the first thing. What we do on Friday nights, without getting into too many details. How we handle Friday nights, how we wake up Saturday morning, the way we meet for all our meetings and special teams and all those things stuff like that. A lot of stuff, little things, and things that, again, not too much detail, but a lot of, again, what we wear, how we're going to approach meetings and all those things and what we're going to do with our Friday nights will be the biggest change.

Q. What do they wear?
COACH PARKER: We used to -- in the past, they all wore suits. And that wasn't wrong -- again, you're always on the line of, this is -- I like that we wore suits. But you know what, sometimes maybe our players didn't. And we're just trying to change it up. It's not a disrespect to what we used to do.

Because again I'm forever indebted to Coach Hazell and the opportunity he gave me and my family. I want to make sure everybody continues to know that, because I am.

But those guys need change, because it has changed. So things have changed. So we might as well go change some other things, too, to see if we can spark some stuff. That way next week at this thing, you guys may not be mean or as mean if we go out and do something we're proud of, you know what I mean?

Q. As you've come up through your career have you been one of those assistants who has already prepared yourself to be a head coach mentally for when this opportunity came? I know this isn't how you expected it to come but do you feel like you've conducted yourself like an as aspiring head coach so you have some baseline for when this opportunity did come for you?
COACH PARKER: I hope so. On my end, yeah, I've always taken notes in my phone. I've got a journal and those things, of guys I think I would want to hire or people you want to hire, and notes of the stuff that you loved that other coaches you worked for did and things. This has been a dream and a goal, and certainly wasn't ready for it right now.

So that part's been tough, but I certainly have always had this. This has been a goal of mine. You try to prepare and take notes of different things you would do to get you to this point.

Q. Do you guys keep moving recruiting forward or is it just a matter of keeping in touch with commits and whatnot?
COACH PARKER: You know how it is. It's obviously tough because as much as you would like to push things forward and do some different things in recruiting, to the court of public opinion and all those guys, it's hard because of the status of me and our staff, that an offer -- how much does an offer mean right now?

So on that front, there won't be a whole lot of change in how we'll do some things. But we still want to do as much as we can to help our staff right now and for the future of Purdue football. And we're going to make everything just based off that and I'll worry about the end result, and try to keep our committed guys very comfortable and let them know that they're informed and still loved and wanted here.

Q. What did Monday look like for you? How was it different?
COACH PARKER: Well, it was different -- the obvious, all the obvious, no doubt. I guess I didn't realize all the other things that -- it's eerie that as you go through stuff, I always used to tell Coach Hazell -- I would walk behind him when stuff would come up bad or whatever. And he would say "So you want to be a head coach?" Now I hear that loud and clear.

All this stuff, the other stuff of -- all the rest of the week and all the schedule and what do you want to do with this, where are we going to do with this, the travel, the plane, all the stuff, you'd rather say, well, I ain't gotta to worry about that. I'm just going to get on the plane. Now you have to worry about everything. It's been a trip for sure, which made it complete -- lack of a better term, I guess I won't say it, but it's been a tough Monday, right?

Q. Darrell had this kind of thing where he had a head coach for a week with different assistant coaches. Obviously you've been through that the last three years. Now that you're kind of starting in this more head coach true role, does that help you at all, doing the kind of head coach for a week thing?
COACH PARKER: That's funny, too, because when you do that, it would be such a stressful week to make -- because you wanted to do everything in your power to help.

And so now you realize that's a week by week, by week. But I think it did, having that to pull from, certainly helps you, because it makes you think about being that one day and now it's here. So it was different, though.

Q. How do you feel like you've done the past three plus years or whatever interacting with guys who aren't your guys, like weren't tight ends or weren't receivers?
COACH PARKER: Special teams, I think, helps that. But I think for whatever reason I hope in my coaching career, all of the past players I've been a part of and been around, and had a bunch of texts from a lot of them, have felt like I've cared for them and/or interacted with them.

I hope -- it's a hard thing for me to answer. But I would like to know that they thought I've interacted with them well and cared about them and kind of went across terms.

You obviously spend time around more guys, DBs and wideouts, because we go against them. But I feel like I have. Feel like I've done a decent job being around the whole football team. Have to do that more now.

Q. Will you have plans to do individual meetings with players or anything like that?
COACH PARKER: Not right now. Just with the time constraints of what we've got to get done, but I want them to know that the door's and everything we want to open them up and make sure they know to come up as we go through, because it's not like we're at a two-game situation. It's six games.

That's a long time. And so that role will have to change. And hopefully we don't have to deal with much negative stuff. But I want them to come talk to me and be around.

Q. You had said that you were going to change how they talk and how they act. What does that mean?
COACH PARKER: Tough to put into words in some ways. I want to make sure that there's -- whatever we decide to do for this week, as we push forward and how we're going to approach this week and the next five games afterwards, I want them to be able to echo that in how we move and keeping out distractions of what they do off the field and in the classroom and all those things.

I think our movements out on that field, in between, in transitions and everything, and what we're doing and how we warm up, the music we play and everything, just again to try to spark something a little bit different and give those guys a little sense of empowerment and feel something different to hopefully spark something different on Saturday.

Q. A bunch of country, is that what you're going to do?
COACH PARKER: No I wouldn't do that for them. If it were me --

Q. If you're in charge --
COACH PARKER: No, I wouldn't do that to them.

Q. I asked on Sunday, you guys weren't sure, any responsibility changes with the coaching staff? Are you changing anybody?
COACH PARKER: You know what -- obviously my responsibility's changed. And then we're going to put John Nussman on the field. He's been around here a long time and has done a great job for us as a graduate assistant and now in his role now just working on offensive side of things off the field.

So with that spot open and him being here the longest and getting another set of hands on the field to help us with special teams, anything we need on the field.

So we'll bump him up and put him on the field and kind of -- he'll be an analyst. We'll give him a little bit of garbage all the time. He's an offensive analyst whatever that means in college football anymore. Now he'll be an analyst and a college football again.

Q. Anticipate any depth chart changes to the starting lineup?
COACH PARKER: I don't think so. Based off of who we have available and all those things, you know, again we're just not going to discuss it through the week of those things.

But that would be the only reason it will. And there will be some stuff obviously by situation for red zone and third down and those things. But for the most part we'll stay as is.

Q. You know we'll keep asking even if you said you're not discussing it, right?
COACH PARKER: I know. I get it.

Q. Any changes to your contract with this promotion?
COACH PARKER: Not currently. Me and Mike have worked together on all those things and all that stuff goes down. That's awkward for me to discuss and talk about. It's weird. But I know there's stuff that will be done. I don't know what that is. And, heck, it doesn't matter.

My first priority is to make sure, take care of the football team and the staff. But Mike's doing -- he's been awesome and he's going to make it right by what he needs to do and it's all good.

Q. What's been the sleep total over the last couple of days?
COACH PARKER: Good call. You know what, Sunday night wasn't great. Give it three hours and go with it. And then last night was a little bit better.

We did pretty good last night and got out of there at a decent hour around 10, got home, got some sleep before we came in this morning. Gotta have some rest and passion and juice for these guys today.

So it's good and me staying in there all night and doing that too much like I did on Sunday is not going to do anybody any good. Because we've got to be alive and well when we hit meetings at 2:15.

Q. Among the practice changes, will they be open or closed?
COACH PARKER: Well, this week we're going to close them. And that's not disrespect to you guys or anybody. We're going to keep them closed. They've had enough on their mind and on their plate.

It was me and the staff that thought it would be a good idea just to close practices, make it about us for this week, see where we're at, everybody take a collective breath this week and stuff as we get through Saturday and then make more decisions on that.

So I hope you guys know that. It has nothing to do with that. I like the media. I've never had an issue talking with the media obviously and all those things but for our players and coaches and all those things we wanted to close things up, close the fence up a little bit if you will and see if we could put something together this week that will make everybody feel a little bit better.

Q. You've talked a lot about some of the tweaks you want to make. If you could characterize it all, are you looking for a more relaxed atmosphere? Looking for a more disciplined atmosphere? What do you feel like you need more of just in a -- if you could characterize it in some way?
COACH PARKER: You know what, as we travel, probably would err on the side of saying a more relaxed atmosphere during travel.

Then during the week, you would say we're looking for a more -- again, it's hard to put it there. Because I want to be respectful of what we used to do. But for what we have to move forward to do, we just really pushed as a staff to say, hey, there's some things we want to do a little bit faster, a little bit different, get our guys around each other more.

During the practice, at the start of it, all those things, does that make sense? Juice up practice a little bit with what music we play and how we play it and get our guys transitioning a little bit differently, all those things.

So I know for you not being able to be there to see it it will be different but with them being closed I think that's the biggest thing the players will discuss is how we move and the purpose of our movement.

And that's the thing, again, it's not like it wasn't discussed before. It's just a matter of we're going to try to make it that much better.

Q. Have you ever been a part of an interim situation as a player or coach?
COACH PARKER: I have not.

Q. You've spoken about some of the challenges obviously throughout this today, but what was the thing maybe the most blindsided you or you're most anxious about?
COACH PARKER: Yeah, I think the biggest thing is the loss of Coach Hazell and the reaction and how that affects all our coaching staff and their families and kids.

That's the toughest thing about this whole deal. And knowing that makes this a tough position to be in, too. But the best thing we can do and I can do is help get us to some sort of normalcy and create something back in us to get our guys going and put us in a position to where we make this an enjoyable six-week run.

Q. How difficult is that when you've got a team like Nebraska on the road in your first week after this change?
COACH PARKER: Extremely difficult. I mean, we're going up to Nebraska and playing a team that hasn't lost, who is a very good football team in all three phases.

So we've got our hands full. And I think our staff knows that and all those things and but they're also excited -- we don't have anything to lose. There's a lot of changes and stuff that already happened.

So we'll go up there with a mentality of that. We'll take our team up there with the same mentality and see if we can again do something that's going to make this community and Purdue University proud.

Q. I don't know if you've thought about this, but you're talking about maybe not including -- not maybe -- but not including media in practice kind of tightening the circle. Does it help you to be on the road versus at home in this first week, or is that even a consideration?
COACH PARKER: Not really consideration. You know, I think either way would have been a tough deal in all those things. But sometimes you get a chance to spend a little bit more time on a road trip, spend more time with our guys.

And we're going to make sure, again addressing some changes how our Friday night will be more time around our guys, our players and coaches will spend more time together, not talking football. We'll spend some time together in leisure and doing those things and what we think is important and just pull our guys together even more.

So in that regard being on the road may be helpful to spend time like that and spend time together.

Q. Nebraska has been on a pretty nice run since their loss here last year and obviously last season was kind of a rough season for them. What's it like facing a team that you know probably remembers games like that and wants to right the ship there, I guess?
COACH PARKER: Sure, I'm sure it will get said or mentioned, but at the same time great football teams aren't motivated by a past season or much anyway I think they're motivated on trying to keep what they've got going. They've won a bunch of football games this year. Beat quality opponents, and we're the next one on their schedule.

I'm sure in their mind they're ready to bring us up there and do what they're supposed to do and like in great college football we'll go up there, try to make it different.

Q. One of the guys who played for you who really admires you, he put out a nice tweet, I wanted to get your reaction, Danny Anthrop said you're the best coach he's ever played for, he's somebody that would run through a wall for you and we would run through a wall for him. To hear something like that from a former player, how does that make you feel?
COACH PARKER: Well, certainly would be lying if I didn't say it didn't make me feel really good. I hope and I think I know and pray that I've never lost focus of why I've wanted to coach.

I've been whatever, I'm opinionated and all those things, and we make it fun and we laugh and clown in the staff room. But I've always cared for my players and they've always known that, no matter where I've been from UT Martin to Marshall to here.

And that means more to me than anything. If you care for your players and build that relationship, that's what we're supposed to do as college football coaches in my mind, is to help them become the men they want to be and also make them great players.

And to do that and have a guy like that say that about me and what a quality person and a player he was here, does mean a lot.

Q. It's a moot point, but bye weeks come for every team at different parts of the season, hypothetical, but would you, given the circumstances, in the next six weeks would it be nice to have a bye week to catch your breath and reaadjust some things?
COACH PARKER: Yeah, certainly. You never know and get how it's all solved through scheduling, all those things, but with the Big Ten schedule and nine Big Ten games, for us to play nine Big Ten games in a row probably isn't real advantageous, number one. And number two, with what's happened here, I'd love to have an off week to take a breath.

But we're not. We're going to go six straight, see what we can do.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

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