Coach Carr Comments from Weekly Press Conference
9/28/1998 12:00:00 AM | Football
U-M Head Football Coach Lloyd Carr
On defeating Michigan State ...
"A lot of good things happened that I had not yet seen this season. For instance, our backs ran as well as they have all year and I thought Clarence Williams had his best game of his career. In addition to running the ball well, he made some great blocks in terms of picking up the blitz. Along with Williams, Jeff Backus had his best game in a Michigan uniform. Backus had a big job to do in terms of pass protection and he came up big for us. Marcus Knight came up with some big plays and Tai Streets made a nice catch in the end zone."
On the improved play of Michigan's defense ...
"I thought our defense played their best game in spite of the fact they had poor field position because of a few turnovers. Our third-down conversion rate defensively was outstanding and that has been a weakness for us this year."
On the play of Michigan's secondary ...
"In particular, DeWayne Patmon really stepped up and played the finest game of his collegiate career. Patmon's interception on the one-yard line was a big play late in that ballgame as were some of his hits on receivers over the middle. Along with Patmon, William Peterson is a tremendous asset to have back in the lineup. Something not many people realize is the mental toughness James Whitley showed in the second half. He came back and played a solid half of football after making some mistakes early on, so I was extremely proud of him."
On the play of Jay Feely vs. Michigan State ...
"Jay Feely was a big difference in the win over Michigan State. That is the first time all year we have kicked the ball consistently from field-goal range. He was tremendous, and the 51-yarder he made was a huge play early in that ballgame."
On the play of Michigan's special teams ...
"If there is anything that concerns me, it is the kicking part of the game. We made too many mistakes such as mishandling a punt and allowing a long kickoff return, which led to 10 points for Michigan State. More than anything, I am concerned with the fact that we did not put an opponent away when we had the chance for the second time this season. Like the Notre Dame game, our special teams kept the other team in the game when we had a chance to put the other team away. We want to be the type of team that puts other teams away when you have the chance."
On the emergence of defensive tackle Jake Frysinger ...
"Jake Frysinger really played in the Michigan State game, really his best as a Wolverine. Jake has a great career ahead and he continues to improve each and every game. He is an extremely well-conditioned athlete, who has a big frame and put on about 50 pounds to move from linebacker to defensive line. Jake is a player we are very high on."
On what he expects at Iowa ...
"Iowa is a very capable team which has virtually all of its people in the trenches back from a year ago. They lost a couple of skill people but are still a very quick group defensively. Their defensive tackle, Jared DeVries, is back after he almost single-handedly beat us last year. Eric Thigpen is the leader of a secondary which is very active and aggressive. In addition to those players, I am very concerned with Iowa's punt return game. Kahlil Hill is one of the top return guys in the country right now and our kicking is not in good shape, so that is my top concern going into this game."
On the play of Aaron Shea ...
"Shea is probably the most underrated guy on this football team. He is the type of player who loves to play the game, almost to the point where he came back from an injury too soon. He worked very hard to get back from his last injury and was adamant that he was playing against Michigan State, even though our trainers were not certain. Shea was a big key in the win over Michigan State with his outstanding blocking as well as pass receiving. As a result, he will be playing an increasingly important role in our offense as the season goes along."
On who could see more time after the injury to Chris Ziemann ...
"We have a pair of sophomores, Adam Adkins and Jason Brooks, who will both have an opportunity to get some action."
On the play of nose tackle Nate Miller ...
"Nate Miller is a kid who walked on here and earned a scholarship a couple of years ago. He was outstanding on defense and provided us with a quality pass rush."
Contact: David Ablauf, Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
