Player Comments from Weekly U-M Football Media Luncheon
10/7/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Fifth-Year Senior Strong Safety Julius Curry
On watching Penn State play ... "We have been watching a lot film starting last week to prepare for this Saturday's game. They have a very explosive offense, their quarterback is playing great and their receivers are making all of the big catches. We have to try and eliminate their big plays and keep the ball in front of us. Penn State has also been doing a good job on special teams, too. Another big key is to make the plays on special teams that will allow us to be successful."
On the defensive secondary giving up many yards so far ... "Statistically, I think that we are not doing as good of a job, but as far as helping out our offense, I think that we are. We are helping them to put points on the board by creating turnovers. The teams that we have played may only be getting six or seven yards a play because of giving up a few big plays that give them over half of their yards instead of catching 15-20 passes against us. So that comes as a consideration when you tack on the yards from those big gains."
On what is causing the big plays ... "I think that it is just the game of football because there are going to be big plays. You are going to make them, and they are going to be made against you. We just have to focus on the next play as a defense and forget about the last play whether it was a five-yard gain or a 50-yard gain. Basically just stick together and stay focused and forget about the last play and forgetting about the negative things."
On what it takes to keep forcing turnovers ... "I think that it is basically a mind thing because you have to think about it consistently. Every day at practice and on Saturdays that is the one thing that you have to keep in your mind. I believe that if you really want to do something and if you really concentrate on it and everyone believes in it happening, it will happen."
On Penn State's Zack Mills ... "Overall he is a great quarterback. He doesn't really stay in the pocket too much but when he does throws the ball very effectively. He can throw it off of his back foot 40-50 yards pretty precisely. He can run the option real well and we are going to have a big challenge playing against Penn State."
On thinking about Penn State having a few guys dinged up ... "I never underestimate an injury because it can heal within minutes, hours or days. They are going to come in and be ready to play. They are going to get the rest that they need in order to come out and be effective on Saturday."
On Penn State's offense balance ... "They have the numbers all the way around because they are running the ball great and also passing the ball well. They have good receivers over there that are making a lot of big plays. As you can see in their record, they are doing pretty well."
On this year's Penn State team being different than last year's ... "I don't really think that they are different, but this year they are putting up the numbers. This year they are playing great and that is the thing that you always expect from Penn State no matter what happens in the game before. Last year they lost many close games because it wasn't like they were getting beat by 21 points every game. They were losing by maybe three or even one point last year and that all has to come into consideration when discussing a team's record from season to season. I don't think that a team is bad because they lost by a field goal. That is definitely not true."
On not playing Penn State for two years after this game ... "That two years off is definitely something that the juniors and seniors are talking about. They don't want to go out with two years under their belts knowing that they lost that game against that team. I wouldn't want the underclassmen to go through that, and it is hard to deal with sometimes, especially when you only play them two years later. It is different than being able to go out and redeem yourself the next year if you lose this year."
On staying sharp during the bye week ... "I think that Coach (Lloyd) Carr did a good job organizing our practices and giving us time when we could watch film. A lot of it wasn't mandatory, but many of the guys were there doing it on their own because we are in this trying to get to the championship. If we don't dedicate ourselves, then we won't be successful."
On simulating Zack Mills in practice ... "We have been playing against Spencer Brinton all year, so he gives us a pretty good look at practicing against lefthanded quarterbacks. It is hard when he's over there on offense on second team because he really can't give us the reps. So it is hard to prepare for it, but I think that we are going to do a good job since we will be used to a lefthanded quarterback. On the plays that we do get, Spencer is doing real well out there behind (John) Navarre. He gives us good looks when we get to go against him."
On Penn State being a big rivalry game ... "To me it has always been because ever since I have been here Penn State has always had great players and been a very effective team."
Fifth-Year Senior Linebacker Victor Hobson
On Penn State's offensive improvements ... "I think they've improved overall. Their offense has big-play capabilities. They can run the ball real well and they can pass the ball real well. They have people who can make big plays. That's something that we're going to try to eliminate."
On if an athletic quarterback puts pressure on the defense ... "In general it does, especially when we're in zone-type coverage because if he gets outside of the defense you don't want to leave your zone because somebody will get open, but at the same time you have to try to stop him from gaining yards. It puts a lot more pressure on everybody to make sure that you execute your assignment."
On if having played against a scrambling quarterback (Notre Dame's Carlyle Holiday) helps in preparing for Mills ... "I would say that that does help us having played at least one game against a quarterback who can scramble. It's just a matter of the defensive line being where they're supposed to be and the linebackers being where they're supposed to be and the defensive backs holding onto the receivers as long as they can."
On if he expects to see a lot of play-action fakes ... "I'm sure that's something we'll see a lot of, especially since it's hurt us a little bit. It's something that we've practiced and that we'll be prepared for."
On possibly going 5-0 against Penn State in his career ... "I try not to think about the past. I think about it as little as possible as far as who we played last year and what the result was. You don't want to go out as a senior losing to anybody. Obviously, we want to win and it makes it even more important because the next two seasons they're off the schedule. You don't want the younger guys to not be able to get that revenge if we do happen to lose."
On Penn State's will to beat Michigan ... "They're going to want to beat us badly anyway regardless of what happened in the past. We're going to want to beat them. It's two programs with a lot of pride and two good coaching staffs so we'll be prepared."
On the things the defense needs to work on ... "We're doing pretty well but we can always get better. There are certain plays that we shouldn't have given up, big plays in critical situations. That's something we have to eliminate."
On the confidence PSU gets from winning at Wisconsin ... "They're going to have a lot of confidence but I don't think it's going to keep them from wanting to win any less or any more. They're going to be the same team. They're going to be a team that's coming into the Big House and wants to win bad. We're going to have to be ready for it."
On how Penn State's offense has changed ... "I think, in general, their whole offensive game plan is different. They keep defenses off-balance. They switch their personnel in different formations and they aren't consistently running the same plays from the same formations. They keep the defenses guessing. We just have to be sure that whatever defense we implement that we are able to execute."
On the crowd noise at Michigan Stadium ... "We always want the fans to be as loud as possible. I don't know that I'm going to tell them to but we always want them as loud as possible."
Fifth-Year Senior Tight End Bennie Joppru
On watching last week's Penn State game ... "Yeah, I watched it. It was a good game and there were a lot of good games on Saturday. I laid on the couch on Saturday, which felt kind of good. I laid on the couch and fell asleep, woke up, and watched the game. It was a nice change of pace."
On Penn State's team this year ... "Defensively, they are a strong team. They are not going to throw that many things at you, but they are strong up front which is shown by Jimmy Kennedy getting four sacks. Michael Haynes is also a great player, and they have many good guys up front that are making plays for that defense."
On this year's game meaning more than last year's because of PSU's better record ... "No, because anytime that you play Penn State, you never want to lose to them. You have two great programs with two great coaches, which makes it a big game every year. If you lose the game it is a loss on your record and that is how you have to look at every game."
On the bye week ... "I think it helped us mentally and physically to get us out of the grind for a week. That was nice mentally and physically. It was good just to rest and take it easy, but you don't want to rest too much because then you might come out a little rusty the next week. We had a good schedule this week for the whole team, and I think that we are going to come back fresh tomorrow."
On the team's past success against Penn State ... "I don't really look at that going into this year's game. Every year is a different year with different teams, and every game is about winning the Big Ten championship. We both want to win the championship, so anything about a streak or whatever isn't really a concern for our team this year."
On the team taking advantage of opponents' turnovers ... "Turnovers really affect whether you win or lose games, and it is true every game. To get a turnover and you do something with it really kills the other team. The offense turns it over and hopes that the defense will get a stop, but if you score it really hurts the whole team. I think that it is a great way to win games."
On Penn State losing at home then winning at Wisconsin ... "It just shows that they are a good team, and they are for real. It shows that they want this championship as bad as anyone else does in the league and they are just a tough team."
On the offense having its best game against Illinois ... "I think so, but we obviously could have done some things better. We are not satisfied with that because we want to improve every week. I think that we are getting to where we want to be, but we are not quite there yet and hopefully by the end of the year we will be there."
On what the key to the offense was last week ... "We communicated very well, especially on the offensive line. They communicated real well, and I know that the quarterbacks and the receivers also communicated very well, too. Not that we haven't in the past, but everyone was just really on the same page."
On Penn State being a rivalry game ... "Yeah, I think so. I think that every game in the Big Ten is a huge game because if someone knocks us off, that is knocking Michigan out of the Big Ten race and that is a big thing for them. We want to definitely win the Big Ten championship and any loss puts us out of that. Every game is a big game for us, and as far as the rivalry, I think that every game is a rivalry in the Big Ten."
On the Penn State game being a bigger game than others ... "Yeah, because the schools and the coaches make for a lot of things to write and talk about to hype the game up."
On winning the Big Ten ... "There is no reason why we can't, but there are reasons why we could lose every game left in the Big Ten. The Big Ten is like that and that is how it's always been. Every team will have to struggle to get some wins like some teams had to do last week. There is no reason why we couldn't win them all, but there is also reasons why we could lose some of them."
On the fine line of winning and losing in the Big Ten ... "Absolutely, because my whole career here has come down to a couple of plays here or there that effect an entire game and season. The worst part about it is that you never know which play or plays that it is going to be. You go back over the film after the season or on Sunday and see which plays were the ones that cost us the season or the Big Ten championship along with that game."
On Penn State winning at Wisconsin last week ... "It shows what kind of a team that they are. They had a tough loss the week before, and they came out and played hard, which shows what kind of a team that they are and what kind of character that they have."
On what the team did on the bye week ... "We had some good, hard practices and also had some days off like on Saturday. Just laid around and watched some games, and kind of get the mental aspect of football out of your heads for a couple of days."
On learning anything from past bye weeks about sluggishness ... "We made a point of that this week. While we were practicing, I thought that we did a good of keeping up the tempo and making sure that we weren't sluggish."
On college football in general involving upsets ... "Every year it is always like that to me. There are always upsets out there, and that is what is great about college football."
On this game being a shootout ... "I don't think that we are too concerned about that because that is the defense's main objective. We do have to do our part to help the defense by not turning the ball over and not having three-and-outs. We have to make a good, conscious effort to sustain some drives to give our defense a rest because that is a good offense that they are going against, and they are going to need all of the energy that they can."
Senior/Junior Quarterback John Navarre
On the timing of the bye week ... "We were playing well last week but now we have a chance to be more flexible as far as game planning. We can put a game plan in and watch another game and ask ourselves if we really want to do this or that. We have more time and more flexibility to do different things. The bye week definitely came at a good time for the Penn State defense. There are parts of your offense that take more time to develop. You can put a play in each week and just run and practice that play. But there are concepts and schemes that take longer to develop. In a bye week, you have a chance to work on those things."
On the offensive performance against Illinois ... "When we don't turn the ball over and capitalize on sudden-change opportunities, we have a chance to score. That's what we did against Illinois. We are definitely capable of scoring that many points and running and passing the football as well as we did."
On whether the team is frustrated not playing for an entire week ... "It's not frustration, we're anxious to get back on the field. Obviously we enjoy the off-week because this is the first break we've had since August. We're not frustrated, we just want to get out there and play. We're really having fun right now and our confidence is up. We're just anxious to get back out there and go."
On Penn State's game plan heading into Saturday's game ... "From the time I've been here, they've had the same game plan. They are well coached and disciplined and they will make you beat them. They've made some minor adjustments but overall their philosophy is the same. I think they are going to make some changes against us because it's a big game. They are going to look at what we're doing and try to counter. But they will stick with what they got because it's been working and they are definitely on a roll. They are a good ballclub and they're going to stick with what works."
On Penn State's defense ... "Their line up front with (Jimmy) Kennedy played well against us last year. Last week, he had an opportunity to get in there and make some plays. They moved him around a lot and gave some new defensive front looks. They're going to try to give him a chance to penetrate against us and get one-on-one blocks where he can make some plays."
On the advantages he gains as a quarterback from the extra week ... "You can almost be an offensive coordinator as a quarterback. You can come up with ideas as well and your goal each week is to know the game plan each week so well that you know when and what's going to be called. With the extra week, it gives us a chance to understand why we're running the plays that we are. In a regular game week, you are grinding to strive to that each week. The extra week gives us more time and flexibility to be able to master that."
On the win over Illinois ... "The reason why we played so well is because we prepared hard and really studied Illinois. If we go in there each week with confidence in our offense and have the awareness of what the defense is doing, we're going to play well."
On whether the game has slowed down in terms of recognizing plays ... "It has definitely slowed down for me over my career. There is a definite change between game one and game five. That's just natural for any quarterback who is in a position to start the season."
On if the game has more meaning since Penn State will not be on upcoming schedules ... "I don't know if you want to make that an incentive. It's a Big Ten game and for some guys it's the last time they will be playing Penn State. You definitely want to maintain the tradition of that rivalry and continue the road to our goal of the Big Ten championship."
On the confidence of the receivers after a good game at Illinois ... "It was big for them to get back in the swing of things. From this point on, the level of play that is going to be produced is going to be that much better because they have that confidence from the Illinois game. The plays they make are going to be third-down conversions and big touchdown catches. They're going to go out there and run great routes. When one is not catching the ball, they're the reason the other guy is. They create spacing and clear out zones for other receivers. That's why our offense works the way it does, because we have guys like that who take pride and are leaders."
On freshman quarterback Matt Gutierrez ... "Every week this kid just keeps on getting better. I like him a lot. He's a very hard worker and he's going to be good. His head is very disciplined and very detailed. He's not going to get rattled and he's going to be a very good leader and his work ethic is going to be one thing that is going to help him maintain a great status here as a Michigan quarterback."
On sophomore wide receiver Jermaine Gonzales ... "Jermaine is coming along well; he's been showing some great strides in practice. When he gets his opportunity, he's going to be good. He's working hard and he knows where he wants to be. I think he needs to develop that consistency so that he can be a dependable guy who can perform day in and day out. He is a tremendously gifted athlete and I want him to do well. I love throwing to him."
On the chance to concentrate on designing plays during an off-week ... "I was at home with the guys and we were going over plays on a dry-erase board. You get a chance to draw stuff up. Whether it's going to run or not doesn't matter. You always want to be thinking of ways to attack the defense and you want to understand why you're doing things. That's one of the things you can do when you have to chance to sit and be a spectator on one Saturday."
On the games he watched during his Saturday off ... "I watched the Wisconsin-Penn State game and the Iowa-Northwestern game. I got some ideas from watching those two games."
On watching games on television vs. game film ... "I think the game looks a lot easier on film. When you watch film, you're always thinking of a play that will beat each coverage. It's easier to watch film. On Saturdays all you see are the guys that are up front and you don't see how a play develops. You don't really know how the play worked. On film you can understand those things."
On Penn State coach Joe Paterno ... "I think of respect, tradition and longevity. This guy has been around for a long time. He has a style all of his own. He has no headset or anyone around him. It's amazing how he can do that while having such control over his team and having the winning percentage he has. He's been a great coach at Penn State for so long. He's not on the phones with the press box and it's amazing how he has a great relationship and so much control over his program that on game day he can just walk up and down the sidelines and let his team and coaches go to work. It's great that he can do that and I think his style and skills allow him to do that."
On his confidence level after his performance against Illinois ... "It did. I had confidence in my play since the season started. We just need to hang on to the ball. I was going to the right places with the ball, I was taking care of the football. My footwork and ball handling were all there. After the Illinois game, our offense really gained a lot of confidence. We now know we have the capability to go on the road and score a lot of points. We just need to take care of the football and take care of the little things."
Fifth-Year Senior Defensive Lineman Dan Rumishek
On what he did on during the bye week ... "Basically I just laid on my couch at home and watched football games. It felt good to stay off my feet and enjoy the day. It felt great."
On the Penn State-Wisconsin game ... "I thought it was a big win for Penn State. To win in Madison (Wis.) is a big win for your program because that stadium and those fans are loud and like to harass you throughout the game. It was a big win for them. Basically if you can win on the road you have a chance to be a champion. They went in to Madison and got it done and I am sure that they will play hard when they will come up here this weekend. Michigan Stadium holds a bigger crowd but I know that they will be ready to play."
On the Penn State offense ... "We have to look at a lot of film this week. We look at all their different formations and what plays they run out of those formations. We just have to know the game plan and if we do that I know that we can be successful."
On the Johnson brothers (Tony and Larry) ... "Both guys are playing really well. (Zack) Mills is throwing the ball really well right now. When the brothers get the ball in their hands they can be very dangerous. We just have to do our best to contain them as best as possible."
On keeping Mills in the pocket ... "We have to be more cautious with him especially on the defensive line because if he breaks contain it will stretch the defense even more and we don't want that to happen. The secondary can only cover for so long, especially if they're in man-to-man. I would hate to be them when you have a quarterback like Mills scrambling out of the pocket because as it is they're already running all around back there."
On the younger guys along the defensive line getting an opportunity to play against Illinois ... "I think they did a good job. Illinois got some yards on us but when you keep them out of the end zone you're going to win. The older guys on the line just said we have a lot of confidence in you and you're going to go out there, play well and have fun. I think they did that."
On trying to make a defense one-dimensional ... "If you make a team one-dimensional it is easier on the defense because you are expecting certain things. When you can anticipate what the other team is going to do that is almost half the battle. If we can get them into a definite passing down we can do what I like to call pin our ears back and come after the quarterback."
On Penn State's ability to come back from big deficits ... "The thing that remains the same with Penn State is how hard they play. Down after down they are going to keep coming after you and they are going to play hard through the whole game, no matter if they are up by 50 or down by 50."
On the Penn State offense ... "Some of their offense has changed but not the whole game plan. I think we see a lot of what they have done the past couple of years. They are just executing extremely well this year."
On Penn State quarterback Zack Mills ... "He knows it's his job and he is not afraid to make plays. I know that when you are afraid to make plays you are not going to have a big game. You have to go out there and take chances. You might not make the play all the time, but you still have to take the chance."
On the bye week ... "The break came at a great time because it gave us a chance to get off our feet and rest and heal up. Especially after Illinois where we had a couple of guys hurt so we had guys playing more minutes than usual."
On Penn State's success this season adding something extra to this meeting ... "I think it does. Whenever you hear Penn State vs. Michigan it's going to be a televised game no matter what the records are and you could say this game will be bigger because of their success and our success right now."
On Joe Paterno ... "He's been there forever. He's always been successful. He's always stuck to what he believes in and no matter what, whether he's up or down, he's going to stick with his philosophy and more times than not he'll be successful at it."
On playing against Penn State and Joe Paterno for the last time ... "I'll never forget my freshman year in 1998 when I came running out of the tunnel and they were taking the field after halftime and I nearly ran Coach Paterno over. I mean, I didn't know. Everybody was running and getting out of the way and I'm going, Wow, that was Coach Paterno. I think it's kind of special."
On Penn State's Larry Johnson ... "He just worries me because he makes plays. Anytime a person with the ball can make plays the way he is you have to be a sure tackler there. You have to wrap up and hope there are going to be some guys behind you who are going to help you."
Contact: David Ablauf, Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
