Player Comments from Weekly U-M Football Media Luncheon
10/21/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Senior/Junior Defensive Tackle Grant Bowman
On starting fights ... "I'm not starting any fights. I thought it was a clean shot. I got a lot of flack for it. I turned my head and it looked like Zach (Kaufman) was running with the ball so I didn't realize he slid and so I turned my head and the closest thing was the quarterback. For the defensive line when you get an interception the first person you look for the quarterback. I tried to take a shot; I guess it was a little late or dirty. Oh, well."
On being blind-sided ... "I get hit like that every other play, it seems like. When you play inside you don't know who's going to hit you. I didn't hear anybody coming and I definitely didn't expect it. I was just walking away and I got blind-sided. I had no idea and I definitely didn't expect that."
On remarks about the hit ..."I hear that he said I should have been thrown out of the game or something somebody told me, but I haven't seen or heard it. I was just trying to play hard."
On stepping up in the absence of Norman Heuer and Shantee Orr ... "The thing we always talked about is the expectation for the position, which means that everybody that steps in there, it's not Norman Heuer is playing or Grant Bowman is playing, it's who's playing defensive tackle. There is an expectation of that person who's in there. So when somebody goes down, the next person has to step up, that's what we talked about. We had some experienced guys that were still able to play and we had to play some guys, like Pat Massey, that haven't played that much but they stepped in and did a good job."
On playing against Brad Banks and Fred Russell ... "I'm not looking forward to it. There is nothing worse than having to chase a guy sideline to sideline, getting tired, and then huddling up for the next play. Running quarterbacks are really hard to play against. You can have great coverage, get a great rush then they side-step somebody and still run for 10 yards, even though you executed defense perfectly. It's an extra dimension that is really tough to defend against."
On Iowa's offensive line ... "Well, I know that their offensive line is tremendous. They're really big and physical, I can remember from playing them last year. We have a lot of respect for them. They are probably as good as any front in the Big Ten and I haven't been able to watch a lot of film on them yet. I hear Fred Russell is a really good back; he is really quick and good. The numbers they are putting up offensively are amazing. I think they are scoring 40 points a game, Banks is No. 1 in efficiency in the Big Ten, Russell almost has a thousand yards already so it's a big challenge."
On Fred Russell ... "I think he was supposed to be in our recruiting class. He signed and was supposed to be in our recruiting class, but for whatever reason he wasn't in it. He was actually supposed to be here but that's his deal. I'm not from Michigan so it doesn't matter to me."
On his play against Penn State ... "I played a pretty good game. You are going to get lucky once in a while and I think some of it was luck, some of it was good preparation, and I was able to make a few plays. Penn State played hard and we played hard. I don't know if I can say any one thing that got me those plays that week. I was able to make the sacks and luck mostly. The harder you fight and the harder you work, the luckier you are going to get. I have been close a lot of times this year and that time I was able to get to it."
On the advantage of playing on real grass ... "Everybody has to play on it and so it sort of levels of it out. It is definitely a slow track, you are going to be slipping and sliding a little bit. We know that. It might be a little bit to our advantage because we play there, but I don't think it will be a big deal."
On the importance of this game ... "I think it is a pivotal game. Iowa is playing as well as anybody in the Big Ten could be playing. If you look at what they've done statistically and also at their record they should be the favorites of this game, considering their offense has amazing numbers from quarterback to the running game. I think (Brad) Banks has been sacked the fewest times in the Big Ten. It is going to be a heck of a game, I just hope the crowd shows up like it has the last few times."
On being the underdogs ... "I wouldn't be surprised. It is going to be a tough game, physical, and fun game to watch because it's two teams that are going to run the football, they have some really good playmakers, and going to play really hard."
On the mindset of being underdogs at home ... "You have to have a lot of pride as a Michigan football player playing in Michigan Stadium, being the unique place that it is. So to hear that it is a little surprising. You don't want to let some other team come in your back yard and beat you. But, the odds are just media stuff. Once you get out there and you start playing it doesn't matter if it's Western Michigan or Iowa, it's the same thing. You're going to play hard out there."
On past Michigan/Iowa rivalry ... "I can remember watching a lot of that when I was younger and definitely Iowa is a great tradition with a lot of things they do. I remember being in the pink locker rooms last year and it was a lot of fun playing there last year. They have a great stadium and a great program. They have been able to bring it back and playing great football."
On playing as a defensive line ... "I think we are on the rise. I think a little bit at times we have underachieved, which is disappointing as a defense. I think the thing we are doing is we are staying together and playing as a team. As long as you have 11 guys doing the same thing, playing together, playing their assignment you're going to have a chance. Football is the ultimate team game. If you have 10 guys doing one thing and one guy doing another thing you are going to lose. The thing to do is come together and have 11 guys play as a team, which always gives you a chance to win."
On stopping third-down conversions ... "I think that offensive is made to get third downs. It is a real tough offensive to play against third downs, the way they can throw the ball and also with the mobile quarterback and anytime you can break out and run for third down. I think a lot of it's the offense and then obviously things we need to correct, but it's no different than any other week. Third down is the money down, it's when you need to make a play, and I think we need to improve on that."
On the defensive line ... "Coming into the season we were expected to be the rock of the team, not just the defense but also the defensive line. And so we had really high expectations as a group and as individuals. I don't know if we have played bad, but we haven't at times excelled the way we wanted to in stopping the run sometimes. We have been a little bit disappointed because it is something we pride ourselves on, in terms of our pass rush we want to get there every time. I don't know if it is disappointing but we haven't excelled the way we wanted to."
On three-man rushes ... "It's not any fun, that's for sure, especially when you rely right over the center. You go one way you got one guard, you beat him and you come back and there is another guard waiting for you. It's basically a fight in there but you just have to keep going. You know you're not going to beat some guy clean, you know there will be some other guy waiting for you and so you just have to keep going and going. It's no fun being in a three-man rush and they have five or six guys blocking you, but you have to realize that is going to happen, you're going to be in that defense, and you have to keep going."
On using a four-man rush ... "It is a gamble. You have to look at it and say maybe we will get to the quarterback with the three-man rush but if we bring an extra guy up it's one less guy on coverage. So you're just gambling on what you want to do. It's a game, almost like a chess match. Sometimes in there we bring four or five and then we sit back with three, trying to keep them guessing. It's going to change around but we felt with our game plan and the guys we had up front a three-man rush would give us the best chance."
Fifth-Year Senior Outside Linebacker Victor Hobson
On the Iowa offensive ... "Brad Banks is a mobile quarterback, but he is also a very accurate passer. They have a lot of skilled position players as well as a big, experienced offensive line that has been doing a good job of protecting them, so we have to be prepared for everybody."
On the magnitude of this game ... "This is a big game for us any way you look at it. We want to be the Big Ten champions. We know where we want to go and we know what we want to do and Iowa is one of those teams we need to beat to achieve our goal."
On looking ahead to next week ... "It is one game at a time, one day at a time. Right now our focus is on Iowa. We will watch the film, practice hard and get ready to play them on Saturday."
On the team's view of Iowa ... "I think it is always easy to respect Iowa. Just look at the last few years and how they have played us. I know they will be up and ready to play us again this week and we will be ready for them. We just have to do what we need to do to win the game."
On the Iowa running attack ... "They have a really good running game. They are mostly a zone-blocking team. They have a good running back in Fred Russell. He is small but he is real quick. He hits the hole fast so we will have to be ready for him as well."
On keeping the team's focus week in and week out ... "It is hard at times, but you just have to focus on your team's goal. We know what we want to do as a team. We want to be Big Ten champions and play in the Rose Bowl. In order to do that we have to focus each week and this week the team we have to focus on is Iowa."
On the defense ... "We are coming along as a group. There are still times when we give up the big plays, but I think that we are coming along and we will be ready this week."
On winning the game in the fourth quarter ... "As a defense, we want to be out there in the fourth quarter. If it is on our shoulders it is fine with us. If it is on the offense's shoulders it is fine with us too. You need to have confidence in each other as a team that no matter who is on the field can get the job done."
On the Michigan offense ... "I practice against them every day. I know what they can do; I have seen what they can do. I have always had the most confidence in their ability. The have been showing what they can do for the past couple of weeks.
On the linebackers' performance ... "I don't want to say that I am disappointed. There is always room for improvement. We can make some more plays, we can make some more big plays. I know that as a group we are coming along. We have some younger guys that are coming along and we are going to be all right."
Senior Defensive Tackle Shawn Lazarus
On Fred Russell ... "He is a hard runner. I think he's close to a thousand yards and that is going to be a challenge for our defense."
On stopping Iowa's offense ..."We are going to rely on our coaches having a great game plan for us plus executing it. That is what it is going to come down to -- us executing what the coaches tell us to do."
On defending a mobile quarterback ... "You're definitely aware if you have a mobile quarterback back there, particularly for the defensive ends making sure they don't widen the rush pass lane or rush lane, maybe contain them a little bit more."
On the defensive line ... "Overall I would agree with Grant (Bowman). I overheard him say I think we are a little bit disappointed and I would agree with that. We came into the season with high expectations and I don't know what people are averaging runs against us but I think it's too high. Our goal is ultimately to be No. 1 in the Big Ten if not the country against the rush and that should be everyone's goal."
On the rushing yards coming from passes ... "There were times when a couple defenses that we had where the scheme wasn't particularly what we wanted or needed to do. It was a mixture of coaching and players talking on the sidelines of what's happening and I think we could correct some of that. As far as this week goes, if you get the quarterback running around it's a good thing overall. We will have to have guys hustling to tackle and make them pay for running around."
On Iowa's offensive line ... "They're a tall group of guys. I wouldn't say they're as heavy but they're definitely very athletic. They move really well and they do a lot of zone schemes and they're very physical. They're well coached and it's going to be a big, big challenge for us. As an offensive line, this is going to one of the best, if not the best, offensive lines that we've played this year. That's going to be a big challenge for us. They have a great running attack and that's going to impact us directly."
On the Michigan crowd against Iowa ... "It's really exciting, as a player, when you hear about a 'maize out' and people being excited at Michigan Stadium. I think at times when you play certain teams the crowd tends to expect to win. It's definitely a help to the defense when the crowd is into the game. It's very exciting and that's what college football is all about. They definitely can help us out. The first thing I thought of was our last game against Penn State where we had a couple of defensive calls we didn't get because the crowd was so loud. We're not used to that I could say but that's something that we're ready to adjust to."
On the strength of the defensive line ... "I think it's our character. I think that our coach, Brady Hoke, is telling us to push and push and that you have to keep fighting and we all know that. We like to think of ourselves as a group of guys who are going to fight until the end. That's all we have to do. When you get down you just have to rely on the technique that you've been taught and just keep fighting."
On the depth of the defensive line and injuries ... "Throughout the season you're going to have various injuries. The past years we've been pretty lucky in not losing people. You go into the season ready for that kind of adversity. There's always going to be adversity in some form. That's just one of them and you have to play through it. It should make the group a little tighter and we'll welcome them back."
Senior/Junior Quarterback John Navarre
On Iowa ... "They were well prepared last season and had a good idea of what we were doing. They're a fundamentally sound ballclub; they line up and play their defense. They line up hard and play physical. They're somewhat basic but they're going to give us a lot of looks because it's a big game. They're doing some things well right now and they want to keep the momentum going."
On the importance of the upcoming game ... "Every game is a must win game for us. Coach Carr makes it a goal for us to win every time we come out; we're not worried about who loses where. We control our own destiny. If we win the rest of our games, we go to the Rose Bowl. That's our goal, nothing more, nothing less. That's our main goal and that's what we want to focus on."
On Iowa's defensive strategy ... "Purdue was not a basic defense, they blitz a lot, they have a lot of different coverages. Iowa will play a majority of the game with one coverage scheme. They may mix it up a little bit and throw in some blitzes. Their primary philosophy is one coverage. They're very good at what they do because they are so specific in one area. To beat them, we have to learn how to attack that defense. They are physical, the linebackers hit hard and their line is very aggressive. It was a very physical game last year and that's also how our defense plays. You can take the will out of team by being that physical. We both want to be the aggressor and you will see a very physical game on Saturday."
On the importance of containing Iowa's offense ... "They have a dangerous offense. Both teams are going to try to keep the other offense off the field. I think it's going to come down to turnovers. If we possess the ball and keep their offense off the field, we're going to have a chance. If we do get in a scoring battle, we have confidence that we will be able to give ourselves a chance and be there until the end."
On the excitement of playing in the Big Ten ... "You say after each game that we're going to make a run for the Big Ten championship. It gets closer and closer each week and you start to get excited. The key thing is to have patience; you can't be looking ahead to how close you are to a championship. The strategy is to take one game and one practice at a time. You really have to focus and take one step at a time and be patient."
On the offensive strategy against Iowa ... "You want to be balanced as much as you can each week. It's really up to what the game dictates. We're going to be ready in both areas, we're going to be ready to run and throw the football. Whatever works is what we'll stick with."
On this year's offense compared to last season's ... "We're a lot more balanced this year. Last year, when we couldn't run the ball, we tried to force passes and would abandon the running game. This year, if we don't run, we'll loosen them up with the pass and then come back with the run. If you can run the ball on first down and get seven or eight yards, it's a confidence builder for everybody, especially the quarterback. That's what we're going to have to be able to do. If we're getting those big runs and putting ourselves in good situations, we're going to have a good chance to win. Statistics tell a lot about the game, but the ones that count are the ones that are when the game is on the line."
On using the run or the pass to produce results ... "We have a lot of confidence in any aspect of our offense to win the game. If we want to run to win a football game, we have the will to do that. If we have to win it in two minutes, everyone on that field knows that we're capable of doing that. That comes down to preparation in practice and how hard we work at both aspects of the game. We're not going to get one-dimensional, but we will have the ability to focus on one part of the game to win the game. Whatever is needed we're going to be ready to do."
On learning the new offense ... "I think it's a learning curve. You come with a new offense, a new philosophy, and I think the reason why now you're seeing better statistics from the team is because we're getting the confidence, starting to get things, we're jelling. We've jelled real well in training camp, but you've got to play a game with the group and I think the first couple games you're feeling things out, and you're a little sloppy, but you're still doing some things right and there's that light at the end of the tunnel, and now we're running for that light at the end and we're right there. Now we just have to hold onto it and keep improving and keep running, and the light's getting brighter. That's just a sign that as the season goes on, the team starts playing better together and guys start stepping up and making plays and the offense runs more smoothly."
On looking past the first read ... "It's the way that you learn a system and the way that it's coached. I go into a play and I have three reads. My first read, the primary read, if he's not open, then I'm down to my second read. If he's not open, I'm down to my third read. If he's not open, I'm either running or throwing away. You don't go back and you finish your drop and you say one, two, three. That's just a reactive thing and it comes from practice and it's a reactive, instinctive thing that you have to do in practice. It's a rhythm, everything's on rhythm, everything is based on footwork, and once I finish my job, you have to be decisive and decide whether is this guy open If he's not, I'm down to my second read, and that's not anything I did in my vision, it's just a rhythm, a feel, an understanding of where the guys are on the field. I know where my second and third reads are, because I know the picture of the play. If I don't have my first read, I know exactly where my second read is going to be. The key to that working is that the second read has to be there. I have to depend on him. The reason why this offense is working is because those guys are there. They are practicing that and they're in that spot, they're where they need to be, they're in their places. That can change, where they need to be, because of the coverage, they have to adjust to that and I have to know that as well. That's why it's working. It's just knowledge of the offense and knowledge of the play."
On what to expect from the Purdue defense after last year's experience ... "I knew they were going to blitz, but I don't think they threw any new wrinkles. I think they just played very aggressive, very physical, and it's not that we weren't expecting that. They played a solid game, and when a defense doesn't give up big plays, plays fundamentally sound, and is solid in all aspects, it's tough to beat them. We had a couple of big plays last year that really broke it open for us, but they limit the amount of big plays that they give up. They give themselves a chance, just as much as we do. If we limit and take away some big plays, the defense gives us a chance to go score. A defense wants to get you off the field. They take away the big plays and keep everything underneath them. They're going to force you to punt the ball or turn the ball over, which you don't want to do. You don't want to force it. That's where they get their edge. They're fundamentally sound and in the right place every play."
On working on running with the ball ... "Now, more than earlier in the year, it is something that I really worked on. When I wasn't running, I wasn't trying to force the ball, I was just hanging onto the read a little too long, waiting for him to get open and not realizing that I had a first down if I would've ran. That's something that I've gotten more decisive with, that if I don't have it and I've got a lane, take off and I've worked on that in practice with Scot (Loeffler, quarterback coach) and I've gotten a lot better at it."
On focusing the offense on his running ... "We're not going to rely on that. We're not going to go into a game relying on my running around end to save us a win. If I can get a first down on a second- or third-down pass, if I can run for a first down, that's just as good. It doesn't matter who's doing it. We're moving the ball and we're getting first downs. That's the total package of a quarterback, knowing what to do when the play breaks down. That's your job. A quarterback's job is to throw the ball, but if you can manage the game, if you can get us a first down by scrambling because your initial reads were taken away, then that's what you've got to do. That's what you're expected to do."
On focusing on running after the Notre Dame game ... "That was one that I was a little indecisive with and I looked at the picture and I really understood what the coaching points were and what I needed to do and really focused on it after that game."
On seeing the Notre Dame game on tape ... "Watching it was hard. During the game you don't understand why everyone is upset and why everyone is screaming 'Run, run.' You don't see it live real well, you just kind of feel it, but when you watch it on camera, it's really different. You get upset about it. That's another motivator for trying to change it."
On his nine-yard run in the second quarter ... "I lost my two initial reads. I looked to make a play, scan the field to see if anyone else was open. I started moving up in the pocket a bit. I looked to Bennie (Joppru). They had him double covered very well and then I saw the open field, just pulled it down and ran. It's a reactive thing. I looked to make a play. I didn't have the play. You have to either throw it away and in that situation I didn't have to because I had a running lane. If I were crowded or on the line, I would have to throw it away. You don't want to take a sack in the red zone. It's just the mental process. You can't be in the game and just think and go through that in your head step by step. That's got to be a reactive thing and that's what you're working on in practice."
On ball security when running ... "It's very important. Ball security is one thing you try to improve and everyone tries to improve. You have to secure that ball. You're carrying it for your team. When you come out of the pocket, the defense is going to go right for that ball, especially a quarterback who is not necessarily responsible for running the ball, who doesn't run the ball all the time. They're going to go after it, so you have to take care of the football there."
Senior/Junior Right Tackle Tony Pape
On being nervous for big games ... "No, that's what you come here for. That's why you come to Michigan, to play the big games. It's exciting. It's more exciting than it is nervous."
On the Iowa defense ... "They definitely have an amazing defense. There are a lot of athletic, tough, tough guys. Certainly one of the hardest we'll play. They're a real simple defense but what they do, they do really well. They're just tough guys who play their gaps and can get in your face."
On going up against the Iowa defense ... "It's exciting because they're a similar kind of team as we are. You know, they'll come right at you and what kind of team we are. We'll come right at you and you know what we're going to do so it will be a nose-to-nose battle with people grinding it out and having fun."
On wanting to have more short-yardage success ... "It definitely hurt us. The worst part of our game on Saturday was our short-yardage attempt. It's very upsetting and disappointing because that's what wins games, getting that one yard on fourth down. I want Coach Carr to have that confidence in the offensive line to get that yard."
On controlling the game ... "Iowa has a very explosive offense, so we definitely want to control the ball and have control of the game to take that away from them."
On playing crucial games ... "Every weekend is crucial. Someone's going to get knocked off here (Saturday), someone is going to get beat there. Last week, everyone was talking about how important it was to win against Purdue, and now it's no different. The week you're in is always the most crucial week."
On getting position on the line ... "It's all about leverage, getting under your defender. If you can set your guy back a yard then your running back should be able to get that yard. That's how it works, it comes down to the line."
On Chris Perry playing injured ... "Chris has a lot of heart for going back into the game hurt. It makes us feel good because he wants to run behind us and he wants to be in the game. It's an inspiration to be able to have that back that wants to run behind you."
On keeping the intensity week to week ... "When you come to Michigan you know that every team is going to play their best game against us. We just have to be the best possible team you can have out there every time you play. You have to have that mindset."
On finishing the year strong ... "Last year we kind of tapered off toward the end of the season. That's one of the big things for this year is 'finish.' We want to be able to finish teams in the fourth quarter and we want to be able to finish the season strong. We're a more experienced team, especially on the offensive side of the ball. We all have a lot more game experience and know what to expect."
On finishing ... "I think it comes down to how tough we are as a team. I think we wear teams down. By the fourth quarter we're playing just as hard as we are in the first quarter."
On not having a dominating running game ... "That is our type of offense. We are a very balanced type of offense. Once they start putting eight guys in the box, that is the time for John (Navarre) to throw the football. I think we have done a very good job of being able to take what they give us and be able to work with it."
On the balance in the offense ... "We have done that for the past couple of weeks. If they are going to line up and stop our running game that is fine. We have great pride in our receivers and quarterback and we will be able to air the ball out. If they want to cover our receivers, we will run the ball down their throat."
On not being unsuccessful in the short-yardage situations ... "Our point of emphasis is improving from that game in short yardage and goal line. It is one thing that we have been working on all week."
On the similarities between last year and this year ... "You have to take last year in perspective and learn from it. You have to learn from the mistakes that we made and know what you have to do to be successful this year in the second half of the season."
On Iowa's defense ... "Their defense is full of great athletes. We are going to have to be that balanced offense that we want to be. We cannot be one-dimensional with Iowa's defense. We are going to have to be able to establish the run and be able to throw the ball when we need to."
On establishing the running game ... "That is what we work on every year. We want to be that team that starts out running the ball. That has been the basis of the Michigan philosophy -- run the ball and be able to pass when you need to."
On being able to run the ball when the team has needed to ... "I think that the whole part of our offense is that teams respect our run and I think they put the eight or nine guys in the box to prevent our run. That is why our offense is so great because we can throw the ball when we need to. That is the major change from last year is we have that option to go to the pass when we need to."
Junior Tailback Chris Perry
On the upcoming game against Iowa ... "This is a real big game, a game you come to Michigan for. I can't wait to play."
On the strengths that Iowa brings ... "I love the challenge. I think anyone who plays sports loves a challenge. Their offense as a whole is great. We're going to have to keep the ball, run down the clock and keep them off the field."
On the offensive strategy against Iowa ... "There have been times when we have grounded the ball and have run the clock and there have been times when we've scored quickly. We're going to do what we need to do to win. If we have to burn the clock or score, that's what we're going to do."
On playing through pain as he did against Purdue ... "As a freshman when I got hurt, Mike Gittleson told me that you don't have to be perfect to play football. That kept ringing in my head last Saturday. I knew my team depended on me to come out there and perform every Saturday. I want to come out and keep playing. The pain is going to go away eventually."
On Iowa's strong running game ... "Fred Russell is a great running back. I always like it when there is another great running back on the other side of the ball. Whoever performs well, their team has a good chance to win. It's going to be nice to see him run and see his techniques and then go out there and perform at by best as well."
On the importance of protecting the ball ... "When you're a running back, you always want to fight for extra yardage, but you need to be realistic with yourself and let yourself know when you need to go down. At times in the beginning of the season, I wasn't realistic with myself when advancing the ball. Now, I've come to realize that you need to protect the ball and that's what I'm doing."
On his own evaluation of his performance this season ... "It's been a nice season, we're winning, so that makes it a great season. Personally, I want to do a little bit more for the team. I look at my stats compared to the other running backs and there's a big gap. I know I'm just as good as any other running back in the Big Ten. I expected to play a lot better. We have a long season to go, so I'm not really worried about it."
On playing against a running back who gets a lot of media attention ..."I like that, it means they're not expecting too much out of me, and when you do something it means that much more. It's fine with me, everyone can hype up Fred Russell. It's not going to bother me too much."
On his effort to block for B.J. Askew in certain situations ... "I try to get out there and really block well. B.J. sacrificed a lot; he was a great tailback. For him to be convinced to move to fullback for the better of the team really shows a lot about him as a person. I don't know, I would not have taken it as well as he did. But if it's better for the team and it helps you win, you can't really argue with that."
On what Sean Sanderson brings to the team ... "I think he brings size and intimidation. Askew is a great fullback, but he's 235-240 pounds. I think a defense looks across the line of scrimmage and sees that. They don't see a big and bulky guy like when they look across and see Sanderson. He's a good blocker and is a really good talent."
On the running game's problems against Purdue ... "I think the answer to the short-yardage problem last week was that we were making mental mistakes. We weren't getting a man on every man. You're going to have weeks like that, but we've been pretty good about those things prior to last week."
On the reverse play against Purdue ... "I tried to sell the fake as well as I could. It was nice to see Calvin (Bell) going down the sideline for the score."
Contact: David Ablauf, Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
