Player Comments from<br>Weekly U-M Football Media Luncheon

Senior Offensive Lineman Maurice Williams

On the Michigan State game ... "They are playing great offense and defense. It will be a great challenge for us. This is a big game. It is going to come down to who wants to win the most. I think it is a great rivalry."

On the play of the offensive line against Indiana ... "Well, Saturday's game we scored really quickly. I like that."

On the play of tailback Anthony Thomas ... "I see Anthony getting hit and not going down right away. I see him making yards after the contact. He is really running hard and that inspires me as a blocker that I know I have a running back that is going to run that hard play after play."

On last season's loss to Michigan State ... "Almost everyday we were reminded about the loss. You just have to look on the wall. People are still talking about how Michigan State beat us 34-31 up in their house. It really hurts but we are going to come out and play hard this week."

Senior Tailback Anthony Thomas

On the rivalry with Michigan State ... "When you first get here, you don't know much about the rivalries of the teams you play that week. The people that are from Michigan that played for Michigan and Michigan State, they take this game very seriously. It is for bragging rights in the state."

On the comparison between Thomas and T.J. Duckett ... "He is a big, fast guy who is doing a great job right now. He has a couple more years to get better so we'll see what happens."

On his running style against Indiana ... "I do whatever I can to help the team win. If Coach (Lloyd) Carr puts me in that role and tells me what I have to do, I will do that to help the team win games."

On the confidence of the offense ... "I always had the confidence. We are trying to get things to jell. This is the best time of the year to get everything to fit together. I think we are firing well right now but there are some things we need to work on."

On the things the offense could do better ... "The pass protection, myself, needs to give Drew (Henson) room to sit back there and throw the ball. I need to get myself back together for this game. We feel very comfortable with Drew."

Junior Inside Linebacker Larry Foote

On the rivalry with Michigan State ... "This is for bragging rights. When I go home this summer I see a lot of the Michigan State guys at different camps. They talked a lot of trash last year. This state is split blue and green; when you lose that game its tough. Everyone looks forward to the game. It is one of the reasons I came here, for this game."

On the challenge of facing T.J. Duckett ... "He is one of the best backs in the country. He has outstanding numbers. Playing in the front seven, we are going to try to get to him early before he gets to our secondary."

On the play of the defense against Indiana ... "I think the defense made a statement on Saturday, but we still are not satisfied. We have to finish the next four games. We are just trying to improve every game."

On confusing the young Michigan State quarterbacks ... "Coach (Jim) Herrmann has great plans for what we are going to do. We are going to drop a couple people, do a lot of shifts, disguise some coverages. He (Ryan Van Dyke) is a good quarterback. He looks like he could stand back there and take a lot."

On how the week of practice following the Purdue loss affected the Indiana game ... "The Purdue loss got us really focused. Everyday we go on the practice field we are going to have a greater amount of intensity."

Junior Quarterback Drew Henson

On how important the Michigan State game is ... "It's always a game you want to win. Playing in the state and being from the state you hear about it more often and that's what state rivalries are all about. It's got implications on the Big Ten race but it's a good thing for the state of Michigan."

On his contact with Ryan Van Dyke ... "We've never crossed paths before so this is the first time [we've played each other]. He's from the west side of the state, I'm from the east side. In all the recruiting magazines and that sort of thing, I never talked to him, never crossed paths. I was doing my own thing, I knew I was coming here from the start and he decided to go to (Michigan) State. It's not going to be a big part of the game this week. He's running his offense and I'm running mine. We're not on the field at the same time and after today that'll be about the last time I'll think about it."

On how important it is to take charge at the beginning of the game ... "It's something each week that we want to come out well and it's important to try and get that first score and be able to control the ball game."

On why Michigan was his choice over Michigan State ... "I liked Michigan even before I moved back to Michigan. I lived on the West Coast early on, and every year it seemed like Michigan was in the Rose Bowl and you got to know the helmets, you got to know the colors and just that they were a great football program. Coming back to Michigan it was a chance for me to see the program up close and see how big a deal it is in this part of the country. I was a Michigan fan from the start."

On MSU fans telling him about how many Spartan fans there are ... "You don't have to point it out to me. They had a great year last year, athletically in all sports. You see the fan support. You always know it's there. It seems like everyone in the state, it's hard to be a fan of both, you either pick one school or the other."

On where he is as far as his development is concerned ... "I feel fine. I feel in midseason form. I've played four games, I think. So the first two [games] I missed, the effects of that, if there were any, are gone and I feel good enough to go."

On how exhilarating the Michigan State game is ... "I don't know, we'll see on Saturday. You don't need to be told about the extra preparation for this week. I think we all understand that being a big game, the coaches don't have to do a whole lot to motivate you. It's a game you look forward to get excited about."

On Coach Lloyd Carr's expectations for the offense now that Henson's foot has healed ... "Our expectations are to score every time we get the ball. Offensively, we want to put points on the board and we don't care if we have to 50 yards or 80 yards. We feel that as long as we execute, our goal is to get points every series. On Saturday we are looking to come out quickly and do that. Sometimes defenses are going to make adjustments and we're not going to execute as well but we are gaining confidence each week."

On last year's game being a learning experience ... "That was a year ago. It was just one game, and obviously it was a big game. It's not an experience that you like to have but since then there have been a lot of things going on in my life that I have had a chance to learn from, and of course you don't forget those games because I think it's important not to. Making amends, individually, that's not it. Its' just you want to go out there, beat one of our biggest rivals and try to stay alive in the Big Ten race."

On the defensive challenges Michigan State presents ... "They're one of the most talented secondaries we're going to play this year. They have a couple veteran [cornerbacks]. They're very strong up front on the defensive line. So it's going to take more than just a passing game or a running game for us to be successful. We have to have good balance and we have to be able to do both when we need to."

On being more comfortable within the offense ... "I'm a year older. The offensive coaches know my strengths and just tweak things here and there to help me play to my strengths. Other than that, it's just me having more experience and getting a little more confident and the receivers haven't dropped any balls."

On fans expressing their desire for him to win against MSU ... "No one's said anything yet. I'm sure a lot of the people from the state of Michigan that understand a little bit more than out-of-state students or people that haven't seen the rivalry develop through the years. For some people it's the biggest game of the year, for some people it's just another game. For us it's a game this week that we need to win."

On the different intensity one feels coming into the game ... "When you step on the field for the Michigan-Michigan State game, there's that little extra intensity, perhaps. Playing up there, last year, in a hostile environment, you definitely knew that we were not playing in our stadium and all 80,000 of them were cheering for us to lose. It's a fun game. It's one of the reasons you come to Michigan, to play in the these big games against your instate rival. I'm looking forward to playing this Saturday just as much as I will any other game this year."

On how it helps knowing he has a veteran offensive line ... "During the week, knowing the different blitzing schemes that our opponent will have and knowing that on the rare occasion when they bring an extra man is the only time I have to worry about the protection. Other than that, it's solid up there. I have a huge pocket to sit in and take my reads and they've done a great job. I just hope it stays that way and I'm sure it will."

Senior Offensive Lineman Jeff Backus

On facing Michigan State ... "I'm excited. It has always been a big game; the intensity rises especially since we lost to them last year. The game is a big rivalry and we have to win the rest of our games to accomplish our goals. This game is the biggest game for us this season no matter who we were playing because we have to win out."

"This week we have to put last year's loss behind us, so we can focus on Saturday. It won't be hard for the guys who haven't played against State to know what it's all about. I don't want to lose my last game to Michigan State because it's my last chance I have to play them."

On solidarity in the offensive line ... "I think all of us have worked out hard all year long and it has paid off. We ran and trained to make sure we have a complete and injury-free season. What we do up front will make the difference it most games. If we do our jobs we have a pretty good chance of winning."

Senior Offensive Lineman Steve Hutchinson

On playing Michigan State for the last time ... "Intensity won't be a problem this week. It's a big game and all we have to worry about is preparing the right way. For the past couple of days I'd been thinking this is my last go-around with them (Michigan State) and having them at home this year for all the seniors it will be special."

On the importance of the game ... "Our backs are against the wall because we have to win out. The Indiana game was a little relief, but we know every game now is the biggest game we have."

On the play of the offensive line ... "We are pretty healthy. We have four returning starters and we're playing the best we've played in a long time. I think if we're running the ball well it opens up opportunities for offense to pass and to put points on the board."

Senior Offensive Lineman David Brandt

On his choice of schools ... "My decision came down to here (Michigan) and Michigan State. It really came down to academics. My family was very supportive of my choice. This game is always special for me because these were the two schools I've followed when I was growing up."

On the intensity of playing against the Spartans ... "I played in this game three times before and it basically comes down to who fights the hardest up front. It's a harder-hitting game than most and the outcome usually is decided in the fourth quarter. So, this game most likely will be decided in the trenches."

Contact: David Ablauf, Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423