Coach Carr Comments from Weekly Press Conference
10/12/1998 12:00:00 AM | Football
U-M Head Football Coach Lloyd Carr
"We've had a very productive off week. Anthony Thomas missed the entire week. Dhani Jones did not practice all week. Steve Hutchinson had an infected toe and had to have a toenail removed. Yet on the plus side, Eric Rosel had another good week of practice and is returning to full speed. Hopefully we'll get those guys back soon. Northwestern played a very good game in Iowa City. They've had some injuries on their offensive line. This is probably as big of an offensive line as we'll play all season."
On Northwestern's defense ...
"They have some guys that have really hurt us defensively. We've had a difficult time running the ball consistently against Northwestern the past couple of years. Going on the road and playing under the lights, we have to be ready to play, and hopefully this off week will help to get us playing our best football. What I'm looking for is a football team that will cut down on the penalties that have plagued us and stop turning the football over. We still haven't established the kind of running game that I want us to have, which is important for us to have the type of football team we are capable of having."
How good can your running game be if these guys play up to their potential
"The guy I want to see play this week is Justin Fargas. He's much more comfortable. He has great speed, and he's improved his patience at the point of attack. In today's football, a back has to be able to run where the daylight is, and I think Justin has made some real improvement there. I don't know exactly how good we can be. We've had some inconsistency up front, I think that's been part of it, but I don't know."
What warrants possibly starting Adam Adkins
"Adam Adkins is a very good football player. He is a guy who plays with great effort and smarts. He has improved dramatically and had a very good spring. He is going to be a very good football player.
"The other part of that picture is Maurice Williams. He is an extremely promising player I think he is a guy who would have definitely redshirted had Chris Ziemann not got hurt. I would like to hold him out this year, and Maurice was interested in doing that, but we are going to evaluate things this week. Maurice is definitely a part of this puzzle."
How do Rosel and Gold improve the linebacker position
"If we lose Dhani Jones it could severely hamper us. The injuries are typical of this time of year; there are some pluses and minuses. Ian is not back to full strength but seems to be getting there. He is a guy who brings a lot to the team because he plays with emotion and brings speed to the ball. He makes things happen. Ian has also been out for quite awhile so we'll see what type of shape he is in.
About D'Wayne Bates ...
"He is an outstanding athlete and a big target. The thing I always look for in a receiver is if he can catch the ball away from his body. To make the great catches you have to do that and D'Wayne has shown the ability to do that. He can run with the football after catches it. D'Wayne is a tough guy and is not intimidated by contact."
About the punt return situation ...
"Marcus Knight has done a very good job in the last week. We spent a lot of time last week working on that aspect of the game, trying to get guys the opportunity to work. Marcus really had a good week and I think he'll probably be the guy Saturday."
About Northwestern's young quarterback Gavin Hoffman ...
"I think he is real promising. He's 6-6, so he has the type of height you like in a quarterback. He has a good arm and is improving. Any young quarterback who is playing for the first time is going to have his ups and downs. I feel he is going to develop into an outstanding quarterback."
About the possibility of getting Drew Henson action ...
"We'll see. Every day you get evaluated, that's the nature of this team. Sure, I'd like to play him more. Drew has his days when he is outstanding, then the days when you struggle. The process takes tremendous concentration every day, be it on the practice field for two hours or 45 minutes in meetings. That is something that takes time to develop. All of our attention spans are distracted and for a quarterback, that's something that you have to learn."
About Tai Streets, comparison between this year and last year ...
"The thing about Tai that I have always liked is that he is a very even-keeled guy. To talk to him you would think he is a very laid back guy with a real easy-going demeanor but inside of him is a real passion to compete and be the best. You don't play through all the injuries like Tai did a year ago unless you really love the game. I have always appreciated Tai Streets since the day he walked in here."
About what was done to address the penalty problems ...
"I think we put our players in positions where we could test their concentration. Particularly, penalties before the ball is snapped are inexcusable and I don't accept those and I don't think our players do either. We have to eliminate them."
What prompted the thoughts about changes on the offensive line
"It started really a week ago, prior to the Iowa game, when Chris Ziemann was injured. We were struggling in the running game but there were a lot of reasons for the changes. It certainly helps you when you have an off week, to focus on your problems and make adjustments.
"Chris Ziemann was a starter. Adam Adkins is a guy who improved tremendously and Maurice Williams has a lot of potential. We moved Maurice in the spring and talked about the upcoming season, how we would like to redshirt him so he could be a starter for three years. We agreed that we'd get into the season and see how things progressed. We'll make that decision later this week. If he is going to play and we're going to use his eligibility, he's going to play."
Contact: David Ablauf, Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
