Tim Polasek Press Conference R2 of the Playoffs - Dec 2nd, 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's just if I gotta cut this thing short. Around
two o'clock, we may be.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Getting some big news from the recruiting front, so with
that we'll open it up. We're just kind of talking
about last week.

Speaker 1 (00:13):
I thought last week's work prep during Thanksgiving was well
executed by our players. Just meeting Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday were
awfully physical, competitive practices. Obviously, we cut those guys loose,
got refreshed for.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Some turkey and football.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
That was good everybody but a couple guys made it
back for Saturday night. We had some travel issues and
got through that pretty good. And so excited about what
we've done Saturday night, Sunday and Monday. Today's a player's
day off. It's a refining day for us as far
as the game plan goes the players.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
That's some player only meetings.

Speaker 1 (00:47):
Really like how you know we've taken advantage of the
bye week. It's just as simple as that.

Speaker 2 (00:53):
It.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
You know, it looks to be a group that's real spirited,
that's willing to go out and compete right now still
and be really physical and pres so really pleased with
those things that we've been able to get accomplished. Congratulations
to all of our all conference performers. There's obviously, you know,
we really don't talk about that stuff a whole lot,
but I felt for a couple of guys, but also

(01:15):
seeing a little bit of a chip on their shoulders
with the way some of those results went.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
But we were most certainly well represented.

Speaker 1 (01:22):
On that on that team, and then again today with
the newcomer list came out, so really excited about the
future of this program as well.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
Saturday, you know, twelve o'clock.

Speaker 1 (01:31):
There won't be no easing into the playoffs here or
sliding in the side door or any of that kind
of stuff. Okay, So just kind of a little bit
of a message, you know, hopefully to Bison Nation. I
would just I would be really disappointed, and maybe I'm
shooting for the stars. We need fifteen thousand people in there,
and I'd like to say thank you to hurting Horns.
This morning, Rallied got me one hundred gift cards to

(01:53):
run around campus over at the student union, incentivizing the
student body.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
The student body, you know, there's momentum down there.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
Got good news from that standpoint, you know, hopefully it's
a dang party, but fifteen thousand people and I kind
of mentioned that because I think that's a difference making crowd.
It might not be a special environment, but it's a
difference making crowd, and.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
We want to play with twelve. Bison football is.

Speaker 1 (02:16):
An unbelievable product and it's something to be really proud of,
but it goes to a whole nother level when the
dome and when we're playing with twelve people in the atmosphere,
that they can provide and the spirit they can inspire
the football team is game changing. And it's a twelve
o'clock kick. There's a bunch of football on Saturday. Had

(02:36):
come to our game, go out to lunch, go out
to eat, and get to the basketball game.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
You know, athletics right now is a lot of fun.

Speaker 1 (02:42):
It's there's a lot of reason to get behind this
program and support what's going on. There's a lot of
believers in this program, and you know, I just it
would be really fun.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
To see a really good crowd. It's an Illinois state team.

Speaker 1 (02:54):
This will be the if they play the way they
played the last time we played them, it'll be the
second most physical game that we've had all year.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
Make no mistake about it.

Speaker 1 (03:01):
This defense sets edges and tackles the football as good
as anybody we've seen. And that was a physical football
game down there in Bloomington. When we played them several
weeks ago, it was eighteen to fifteen game going in
the third quarter, much like the fourteen seven game it
was two years ago. And so we respect these guys.
They got an unbelievable leader, Brock does a great job

(03:24):
with the defense, and then they're led by a quarterback
that's well over sixty five percent.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
Honorable mentioned player in our in our conference. It's had
a big year. He's playing better.

Speaker 1 (03:34):
They've got more guys involved in the past game right
now than they had. You know, when we were playing them,
it was like, hey, go out there and stop their
best receiver. Well they had the freshman or a freshman
newcomer number eighty four is talented. They're doing some nice
things getting the ball out in the screen game and
they still threaten you with the RPOs and so this
should be a fun game. So Bison Nation, Buyson Nation,
get out and support us once again. Herd and horns.

(03:56):
That was really cool what they did this morning. And
you know, get this it it's there for the game.
Get them up to the Dome and they're putting some
things on for them, and that was pretty cool, and
so thank you for getting that done, you know, and
Brett Trvine and the team down there was really good
and that was just me asking and pretty phenomenal.

Speaker 2 (04:13):
So with that, let's open up for questions.

Speaker 3 (04:16):
What changes in your mind when you see a team
for the second time this season?

Speaker 2 (04:20):
If anything, I don't know. It's tricky.

Speaker 1 (04:23):
What could change is you could get all wound up
and think about over game planning and thinking about out
coaching people and all that stuff. And we want to
out coach people. I just they do what we do
and we do what we do. It's this time of
year you better think players overplays and then, like I
gave this some thought that game was a meat grinder

(04:44):
in there. Okay, so we have to find the vertical
ball de Brice, You have to find the forty eight
yard run that BK popped out of there on. You
got to find the wheel route to to Raja on
the sideline. You still need to find those big plays.
I equated talk to Dave last night. You know you
play back to back, right, you played the same team
twice in basketball all the time. Well, the first matchup,

(05:05):
you make eighteen threes. Well, in the second matchup, you
better get twelve different stops, so you better make those
same threes, right, And so good clean, tough football, not
beating yourself and making the makeable plays, and then all
of a sudden, the ordinary play will become extraordinary.

Speaker 2 (05:21):
I think banking on that is really important.

Speaker 1 (05:23):
It's important that we play clean and discipline football, you know,
out there on Saturday, and then I like our chances, right,
And I do believe this.

Speaker 2 (05:32):
I think our defense has.

Speaker 1 (05:34):
A good feel for things, but there's a couple of
plays out there that they're gonna have to go make
as well. You know, it's not as simple as just
line up and play defense and we're gonna be great.
And so execution is more important than diving into a
whole new plan or a whole new way of attacking
these guys.

Speaker 2 (05:49):
It's just not the way it is.

Speaker 4 (05:52):
Tim, going back to your last point on the crowd
with the rittenhouse as a player before, how big a
deal could that be a fact that.

Speaker 2 (05:57):
It can be?

Speaker 1 (05:59):
I like, if if we're all gonna just okay, you know,
it's not that big a deal. I said it last year, right,
it's a second round game, and all that these guys
are totally capable of coming in here and giving us
more than just a tough game.

Speaker 2 (06:12):
They're capable of beating us.

Speaker 1 (06:13):
They got weapons on the outside, two outstanding running backs
that they're getting, a third involved, a group of tight
ends that catch it. So the crowd can make all
the difference. You know, you talk about playing good, clean,
tough football, I'm talking about getting first downs on every
series that we get it. Well, what happens if the
crowd makes a difference on three series and those are
field position changing things. That's unbelievably game changing. And then

(06:37):
on top of that, the crowd and the support here
give us a chance to win. The moment's right to
step on the gas and to inspire us.

Speaker 2 (06:49):
Well, it's really good.

Speaker 1 (06:50):
And you know, I did some comparisons all year on
where he was at, and I was tracking him versus
our guys in several categories. He was better than anybody
that we've had play quarterback here, you know, outside of
hitting a little bit of a lull with passing touchdowns
for a game or three or whatever it was. I
think that's well deserved in it, and I give a

(07:10):
lot of credit to is that the stats people or
the people that recognize it, because they they're recognizing football
and a football player, not just a stat line. Okay,
and this kid's pretty done good and I'm really happy
that he's a Walter Payton finalist.

Speaker 2 (07:23):
Those long you.

Speaker 3 (07:24):
Talked about the growth of your offensive line. To see
three of them get first team, what's that mean? To
see that they're buying in and producing on the field
for you guys?

Speaker 1 (07:32):
Well, those three guys have been first teamers. Oh yeah,
I think Nate Testa is the one that's taking the
biggest leap here the last two to three weeks. And
then it's you know, Ryan's getting better every day, but
he's a you know, true freshman Josh right now. You know,
he did football activities yesterday but hasn't been cleared yet.

Speaker 2 (07:51):
And that's I'm learning that term more.

Speaker 1 (07:53):
I listen to the Green Bay Packers and the NFL
guys talk about injury reports, you know, so he still
needs to get medically clear, but we're going to try
to push him a little bit and then we'll figure out,
you know, the combination of the five. But I think
we had a really good idea of what we were
gonna do until Josh's ankle, and so tomorrow that's a
big discussion point along with today when we have the
strength of conditioning staff up to talk some personnel, big

(08:16):
pitcher stuff moving forward. But it's the growth has been
phenomenal individually. And then I got to be honest, Brika
earned first team. That guy is playing the last five
to six games. I think we are seeing the best
version of him. I don't think we've seen his best yet.
But if he's decisive like that and all that, he
alleviates some pressure off of being perfect up front. Okay,

(08:38):
I like the idea of Finn Diagan's getting back, whether
it's fifteen to twenty five plays, that's a good blocker.
Carson Williams second team, he was recognized as a good Okay,
maybe it's maybe we're we're about to hit our stride,
but this is a really good defense. Guys that puts
a lot of runs stopping pressure on you, that has
answers because of the experience they have, and they've got
the defensive player of the year night camp.

Speaker 2 (09:00):
So we're excited about the channel. This is gonna be fun.

Speaker 3 (09:03):
You can't obviously speaking specifics, but just your view on
recruiting and how would that coming tomorrow, you making your
decision as far as your contract and things like that,
and just kind of holding down the fort until tomorrow.
And obviously there are folks looking at your class. I'm
sure with you know what I mean, and just kind

(09:27):
of holding it down.

Speaker 1 (09:28):
I'm not sure I know what you mean anymore, and
not being this is not me missing me and you connecting.
I don't know if anyone's recruiting high school. We got
a chance to get a kid, and I need to
get on the phone with this guy. I think we
can get them that aren't is not ours going into
this That would change some plans potentially how we handle
January second through the twelfth. I want to recruit high
school players. I think we're gonna seal this class up

(09:50):
and we're gonna be really happy with about the forty
nine or fifty high schoolers that we've recruited in the
last two years. And that's a direct message Jenny fan
that has a son, bring him the camp, and we're considering.

Speaker 2 (10:00):
High school guys.

Speaker 1 (10:02):
The whole month of December, okay, until January twelfth, will
be a little shaky and holding down the fort and
keeping this thing steady. But the green and Gold fun
made this week, made today for some really good conversations
where guys were really happy and excited.

Speaker 2 (10:17):
But we got work to do, baby, and it starts
with winning.

Speaker 1 (10:20):
Winning heels a lot, and keeping this team tight and
cohesive is critical, and then the next crop of Bison
coming in to learn how to be a former Bison someday.
Is just what we're doing right now, and I'm excited
about it. I really like our operation with high school recruiting.
A lot of credit to Pat Lilly and Cooper Man
doing a great job, and Derek Klulkin's helping with that.

(10:42):
All hands on deck, but our staff has done a
really good job communicating with these guys. This has been
a very low maintenance class, and not that last year's
was high maintenance, or maybe it was the bulk of guys.

Speaker 2 (10:52):
But every time I get on the phone, Coach, I'm good.

Speaker 1 (10:54):
Man, I can't wait to get there. I'm playing basketball.
I ain't thinking about recruiting much. Nobody's reaching out. I
think everybody focused on the portal already have.

Speaker 2 (11:02):
Five left out of sixteen, probably should have been six.
Is it stability? Is it resources. Is it? You know
what is it?

Speaker 1 (11:10):
I think it's the physical nature of our league. I
mean it really truly, everything starts up front. You know,
there's a lot of good defensive fronts and a lot
of good linebacker play in our conference. And I'll say
I wasn't surprised. I'm not ever surprised anymore. But I
thought our three linebackers had a shot for all three
of them to be first team.

Speaker 2 (11:30):
I think they should have been.

Speaker 1 (11:31):
But that's because I love our guys, and I love
the improvement they've made all those things. But you look,
when you started looking at that list, you could, Hey,
that guy's pretty good too, that guy's yeah, he might
be the defensive player of the year, okay, and.

Speaker 2 (11:44):
So forth and so on.

Speaker 1 (11:45):
So when you talk about the defensive front center in
our conference and the physicality upfront in the offensive line,
those are game changing things because when you add in
weather this time of year, when you add in wind, okay,
and you're not able to establish the run or if
you can, now you're dictating the terms of the fight.

Speaker 2 (12:02):
I think that has a lot to do with it.
And then I think.

Speaker 1 (12:04):
Most certainly, you know the schools in our conference and
the universities and our conference.

Speaker 2 (12:10):
I don't.

Speaker 1 (12:11):
I just I see I see more big time than
I do low level. And they're doing a good.

Speaker 2 (12:16):
Job of providing resources for their football team. And their
coaches say it's won six rug games. What's that saying?

Speaker 1 (12:22):
Oh no, you guys said that at the other day,
and I was like, holy smokes, what happened at home?

Speaker 2 (12:26):
But it says that they're a resilient group.

Speaker 1 (12:29):
I think there's there's there's a lot of veteran stuff
on their team along with the mixture of some young talent.
I just I look to their leadership of their coaching staff,
which you know, I know three or four. The guy's
pretty good. These guys can coach. I think it starts there.
But then their leadership must be strety, pretty strong. And
if you look at the the makeup of that, I'm

(12:50):
sure it starts with Tommy, their quarterback, and then you
go to nightcamp on defense, that's right there, that's a
pretty strong outfit.

Speaker 4 (12:57):
Where's mccaslyn at right now?

Speaker 1 (12:59):
He's gonna play with the club on I'm interested, you know,
I'm not a defensive guy, right I don't know if
he's gonna have his fingertips or is it a complete club?

Speaker 2 (13:08):
You know, what can he do best for us?

Speaker 1 (13:10):
Let's leverage that and if there's any questions, let's play
the other guys. But Calton has been a rock star
as far as coach. I'm gonna lay on the line
for you guys, and hey, thank you for everything the
Green and Gold Fund has done. I'm excited to be
a Bison, that's what That's what's really cool about that kid.
He's hustled back and Trish and the docks got that
stuff all done pretty quick.

Speaker 2 (13:28):
You kind of.

Speaker 3 (13:29):
Expect Finn to be on a didget something.

Speaker 2 (13:31):
Yeah, yes, Finn's gonna go. I don't even know that.

Speaker 1 (13:34):
I believe Finn's gonna go, meaning he's practiced and he's
went out there and he's fit his pads and he
I think on a six period team session yesterday. They
pulled him out with two periods ago, so he got
over two thirds of the work.

Speaker 3 (13:48):
Talking about Teltman and Toby just in general, that pass
for US group. You know there have been times where
you have a Kyle or you have a Gray Minard
and you get okay, well, this guy's gonna get us
ten eleven twelve thirteen sacks this year, and that just
hasn't been the case really either of the two years
you've been here. It's been kind of as a group
as a unit. Are there advantages to that? And I mean,

(14:09):
obviously you'd love to have a buck you can a guy, but.

Speaker 1 (14:12):
Yeah, well certainly that's probably that might be a really
good offseason study. I'm not sure if we're playing just
more ghost stuff, you know, a twist game or whatever
with Kylie manual or to hold back Minard on games.

Speaker 2 (14:23):
Would be a little bit foolish.

Speaker 1 (14:24):
I do think the RPO stuff of late the last
four or five years really does take away your opportunity
for sax.

Speaker 2 (14:30):
But Toby's kind of getting hot.

Speaker 1 (14:32):
I mean, if you look at it, I think his
number eight and a half sacks or something put him.

Speaker 2 (14:36):
Third in the league.

Speaker 1 (14:38):
Pretty productive here of late, and I think that he's
one of those guys I talked about may have a
chip on his shoulder. Calton has gotten some pressure, just
hasn't always finished. But then you mix in Jack right
who's flashed ten Broughton's flash now, and then Keenan Wilson
for an inside guy at four and a half sacks,
or five, whatever it is. I don't mean to be
wrong on the numbers, but that's really productive stuff. Really

(15:00):
pleased with his pass rush. I think Vanderpolt's coming out,
and so is Dout and effort. Yeah, we're ore sack numbers. Fine,
it's just more guys that are tied to that, you know.
Donovan wolin on blitzeres a linebacker here or there. I
think we've had some real good timely pressures dialed up there.
Sometimes hurt your pass rushers and free up the blitzers.

Speaker 4 (15:21):
Describe the team's reaction after finding out your news that
you got extended.

Speaker 2 (15:26):
What that was like Just I kind of walked in.

Speaker 1 (15:27):
And you know, the falling back and forth and this
and that, and the thing was between Matt and myself talking. Well,
I got into the indoor and like four or five kids,
you know, had no one and then all of a
sudden there's eight or nine, ten more guys walking through.

Speaker 2 (15:42):
You know, some guys are out there really early.

Speaker 1 (15:43):
Other guys are getting taped still and that kind of thing,
and just to get the knuckles and high fives and
the pure joy.

Speaker 2 (15:50):
Of the smiles like that.

Speaker 1 (15:51):
They had some concern, you know, and just the fact
that it looked like relief for the players was the
most rewarding thing that came out of this.

Speaker 2 (15:59):
I mean, that's where it all starts for me, is the.

Speaker 1 (16:02):
Opportunity to coach in the community where it really really matters,
number one, and then be able to know what you
can impact and influence players to get better daily.

Speaker 2 (16:12):
And we have that. I mean, I'm not sure we're not.

Speaker 1 (16:14):
At one hundred percent of our guys are committed to
being the best they can be fundamentally technique improving, and
that's really what all I've ever asked for, And so
that was really cool.

Speaker 2 (16:26):
It was it was a cool reaction.

Speaker 3 (16:30):
Coaches across FCS level, you know, either signing excisions or staying.
What's that mean to be able to see stability you
know in these programs and build them out and the
talent and everything.

Speaker 1 (16:39):
Yeah, sure, specifically exactly the other guys. I mean, you know,
one's a friend. I think that just I will not
speak for Brett, but it speaks for how him and
I came up in this business. Both parties, both families
want to be part of something that's a little bit
bigger than just money or or just wins.

Speaker 2 (16:58):
And losses.

Speaker 1 (16:59):
There's a big pitch to look at here, guys, And
that's all I simply did. That's all I want to
say is, is you just look at big picture stuff.
Jill and I are unbelievably happy here. I don't know
the other people's situations, but that means a lot to me,
and I just I think, I think good things will
happen for us in the future right here, and I'm

(17:20):
excited about that the most.

Speaker 2 (17:22):
And that's kind of all I've given.

Speaker 1 (17:23):
It's felt like a month has gone by and it's
only been four days. But the relief factor in knowing
exactly what we want to get done, you know, in
the next.

Speaker 2 (17:32):
Two three, four years is really I don't want to
call it relaxing.

Speaker 1 (17:36):
You guys know I don't relax, but man, it's we
can focus on what we have to do to win
and we can have some fun doing it together.

Speaker 2 (17:43):
You know.

Speaker 1 (17:43):
I mentioned that many times that Derek Lang, Todd and
Matt and like, that was one of the things that
was most important to me. You know, I love challenges, but.

Speaker 4 (17:52):
Tomorrow and the circus is going on. How would you
fix the calendar?

Speaker 2 (17:56):
What would you do right now? Say?

Speaker 4 (17:57):
If you got a blank slate.

Speaker 1 (17:59):
It's tied to the way that's we're doing a good job.
If you can continue to take care of the players
and slide it up. Let's start August twenty third, and
let's play all the championship games on Thanksgiving and let's
rock and roll and then keep the portal window right
where it's at. But then just fudge a little bit
of your spring ball work, you know, I know they've

(18:20):
talked about that. You know, could there be twenty workouts
between the spring and June and then just kind of
go from there and kind of maybe looked a little
bit the NFL. I learned this from coach Fans, So
I'm just kind of repeating the NFL has this stuff correct.
You know, you tamper, you get fined. Okay, you do this,
you do that, you get fined. If it's not in

(18:41):
this window, okay, you can't do it. And so if
we could just get some streamline guidelines on this thing
right along with the money, I think we could do
a lot of things that would be creative and fun
something to that effect. Though, dom college football playing into
the second semester or right up against it is really difficult.

Speaker 4 (19:04):
Going through some injuries and now in all conferences.

Speaker 1 (19:07):
Well, he is an all conference type performer, and we've
kind of known that. But Jalen's battling this thing of
Kenny stay healthy and consistently do it.

Speaker 2 (19:15):
I think once we see.

Speaker 1 (19:16):
That happen, you know you're really talking about a kid
that and there's another one. I mean, I really appreciate.
I'm his smile on his face this morning talking to him.
He's very appreciative. I think I think I have never
I haven't seen him or Jackies, you know, attack each
day as good as they are right now. They're in
a really good spot mentally. It was really good to

(19:37):
find out. Dulf went down to the Twin Cities to
see some of his cousins for the break. He was
excited about that. Jalen's a good football player and aggressive
football player.

Speaker 4 (19:46):
With it being a Valley team, is there there's no
worry of getting your team's attention, knowing full well what
you're going to face on Saturday.

Speaker 1 (19:53):
They just totally understand the physicality of it. I think
in other matchups in the past, none of the stuff
coming this year. There's always that question like can they
are they gonna hit with us? Can they block with us?
Can they can they hold up you know physically, Bill,
If we don't strap it up tight, put a little
gas in our rear end and make sure our cleats

(20:14):
are screwed in, these guys will knock us back and
we ultimately that's what this game is gonna come down to,
is who can who can physically hit the football really aggressively.
But then you know, displace and remove the line of scrimmage.
Can we play on their side? And so that's exactly
right down. I think this game has their full attention,
and they know we had to earn that one, and

(20:34):
we had to earn last year's victory and and those
things were not easy. Those were now thirty three fifteen
is not a representation of how that game went.

Speaker 3 (20:43):
Almost like it's better where like there been years where
it's oh, it's the Pioneer League champion, or it's this
or that, and is there you know your your your
massive favorite. I don't get a bonus are to look
at that. But this game, it's like, no, this is
a league opponent. We're just we're gonna strap in. And
then the playoffs with the playoffs, yeah, I.

Speaker 1 (20:59):
Mean kind of at the start right, there's just no
sliding in our guy. We got to be ready to go.
These guys are well coached on special teams, very physical
football team.

Speaker 2 (21:08):
And yeah, the part of the unknown.

Speaker 1 (21:11):
Versus some opponents that come from somewhere else can be exciting.
I mean the tournament's exciting. This is just you get
six teams in. There was no way to avoid not
having to have somebody or two teams on your side.
Illinois State's really good a challenge. Competition is why we coach.
It's got our full attention. And I really appreciate all

(21:32):
our guys that practice and they look to have a
good look in their eyes.

Speaker 2 (21:36):
It's not a player exposition.

Speaker 3 (21:37):
But to see Caleb get first team as your long snapper,
what's that say about your special teams and ELI as well?

Speaker 2 (21:43):
Yeah, I don't.

Speaker 1 (21:46):
I would typically vote for whoever is the best special
teams units and who's given us the most fits. And
then he hasn't had an errant snap in two years
and so he's been really productive. It's really good. It's
I think those kids like that deserve that. You know,
a lot of the specialists come here for nothing. They
get put on scholarship, they continue to climb, you get rewarded,

(22:08):
and so I'm excited for Caleb, and I really appreciate
his whole recruiting story, how late that was and all
that stuff. So for him to trust in it and
then get rewarded is a big deal.

Speaker 2 (22:20):
Appreciate you guys,