Press Conference Comments from Michigan Football Players
10/25/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Player Comments from
Weekly U-M Football Media Luncheon
Previewing Michigan State (Oct. 30); Reviewing Purdue (Oct. 23)
Fifth-Year Senior Center David Baas
On controlling player's enthusiasm this week ... "I think the leadership role stays the same throughout the whole season. I think it's a big game but you just have to be focused every single week the same way. There is a different level of focus compared to emotion, so there's not really any controlling that needs to be done. Everybody knows what this weekend is about, so they're going to have their own feelings towards the game. We just have to make sure everybody is on the same page and is focused going into the game."
Do you need to speak to the younger players about the rivalry ... "I don't think you need to say anything. You can just feel it when you're in the building and are around the players and the coaches. I don't think anything needs to be said."
About rivalries ... "Every rivalry is different. You understand it when you're a part of it. But I think the untrained eye would see it as just another rivalry game. When you're a part of it, you feel something different. I think that plays into the way you play out there on the field."
On the offense ... "Each week we just improve. Our main goal is just to keep getting better. Mike Hart has done a good job, especially breaking tackles and getting extra yardage. The blocking has been pretty good. We have to get better and keep improving every week so we can win the Big Ten championship."
About the play of Chad Henne ... "He's playing like we need him to play. He definitely has matured a little bit more. He's still young and he's going to make a mistake here and there. He's just got to keep doing a good job for us like he's been doing."
About the Michigan State rivalry ... "Nobody wants to lose, especially when it's an in-state rivalry. You seem to hear a little bit more chatter between fans and players. You definitely hear a little bit more when you lose."
What do you need to do this week against MSU ... "I think we need to have a good running game. They do have a powerful front. That just gives the linebackers room to run. The secondary is good. We have to be able to control the ball like we've done for the past few weeks and put our best game together."
Is it important to score touchdowns in the red zone in a game like this ... "It's important. We have to be able to score touchdowns. Field goals and points are great, but you need to be able to score when you're in the red zone and not turn the ball over. We need to focus on that this week, just getting the ball in the endzone."
About last season's game ... "Every year is different. Winning the Big Ten championship is one of our main goals. Every single year, that is what you strive for. What happened last year is great, but we're focused on our team this year and getting it done this year. Winning it would be a great accomplishment."
Fifth-Year Senior Fullback Kevin Dudley
On Michael Hart ... "I could tell he was going to be a great back, I just didn't know if he was going to show it this year. The way he's playing is just unbelievable. Every week he's just getting better and better and he's doing things that I couldn't imagine a freshman would do."
On where the running game is headed ... "Last year's running game was great and I think we're on our way. Mike is showing that he can do things that a lot of freshman can't. He's doing things that a lot of upperclassmen can't. I think we're on our way to being a great running team."
On Michigan State's defensive line ... "They have a big and physical front. Stanley is a great linebacker. They're big and physical. They have a good front seven."
On the key to Michael Hart's success on the ground ... "I think it's his toughness, the way he runs and the number of snaps he gets each week. He'll play just as hard on the 40th snap as he did on the first snap. His consistency with the way he plays is unbelievable."
On the possibility of the running game struggling ... "If we don't come out and execute, there's a chance we not going to get the 100 yards. If we come out and keep playing the way we are and get better and better each week, I don't think that will happen."
On the progress of Chad Henne ... "He's getting more and more confidence each week. He's becoming a great leader and he's getting better and better in the huddle verbalizing the calls. He's really becoming a great leader."
On whether he thought the freshmen would lead them to the success they're having ... "I would never have thought that it could happen. Before he came in, I thought Matt (Gutierrez) was the real deal because Matt is a great quarterback. The way Chad came in and kept getting better and better each week, it shows that he's going to be a great quarterback."
On the importance of producing in the red zone ... "We put up some great drives, there were just some key mistakes in the red zone that killed us. We're really starting to click and put drives together. We just have to finish them."
On preparing for Michigan State during the week ... "The way the coaches go about everything and the way the practices pick up in intensity, the freshmen will understand what's going to happen Saturday. They do a little bit extra to get you motivated and fired up. This is one of the big ones. This is what you come to Michigan to play for."
On David Bass at center ... "He's showing great leadership with the way he plays. He's unselfish and his run blocking is unbelievable. He'll lay a hit on you."
Senior Cornerback Marlin Jackson
On impressions of Michigan State ... "It looked like a much improved team from earlier in the season, and from last season, they look a lot better. The quarterback is obviously doing a great job running and passing. The wide receivers have gotten a lot better, they are all athletic and guys who are capable of making big plays at any time."
On facing Drew Stanton ... "That is always a challenge for a defense, going against a quarterback that can run as well as pass. He can drop back, and you can have everybody covered, but he can take off at any time. That is going to be a tough thing to go against."
On need to win these remaining games for possible Rose Bowl bid ... "It's totally different, the Citrus Bowl and the BCS game, it's two totally different games, the atmosphere, just being at one of those games and in one of those cities is totally different. And that is ultimately what we want to get to. We want to get to a BCS game."
On opportunity to play Michigan State ... "It's great, especially since I didn't get to play against them last year. It adds so much more to the game, getting to go up against these guys. It's a very heated rivalry as everyone knows. It's very intense out there, and you just love those games where it's very intense, and everyone is just out there fighting and playing with a lot of heart."
On differences between MSU rivalry and Ohio State rivalry ... "It's different. They are two great rivalries, but they're different. This one is in-state, it's the state championship. That is how we see it. You want to have bragging rights in your own state. You don't want to walk around your state not being the champion."
On what needs to happen Saturday ... "It's going to be a tough game. We just need to come out there and match their intensity. Those guys are going to come out there just fighting, and we're going to have to do the same thing, because it's a rivalry game, and every rivalry game there is a lot of emotion that goes into it. It doesn't matter what your record is, it doesn't matter who is playing, both teams are going to come out and play hard."
On meaning of rivalry to a player not born in Michigan ... "I've been in Michigan for the past four years. It's kind of my second home now. Within this state, you see people around and you want to be in Ann Arbor and not have people ask you what was up with that' You want to be able to say you took care of business."
On the defense so far this season ... "I think we've done a good job so far this season. We've gone out there and executed the game plan each week. That is what we tell ourselves we need to do, we need to go out there and execute this game plan that the coaches have put in. We go out and work hard in practice every day. When we get to the game it comes a lot smoother."
Fifth-Year Senior Outside Linebacker Roy Manning
On starting the game strong ..."I think it's a plus when we can do that, especially early in the game. We can set the tone, let the other team know that we came to play, we came to hit and it's going to be a hard physical game. That's the way we like to play."
On the fans in his hometown of Saginaw ..."I think the vast majority of people in Saginaw are Michigan State fans, some guys I know that came out of high school, a couple of my buddies went to Michigan State, and I was the only one that came here, so most of the fans in Saginaw are probably rooting for Michigan State."
On his relationship with Michigan State's Ronald Stanley ..."We don't talk that much, but we'll probably exchange phone calls this week. We're good friends from high school. We played on our high school team together, so I'm looking forward to seeing him out there."
On bragging rights in his hometown ..."It's really important. All of your hometown people get on you when you lose. I don't want to go back to Saginaw and have people looking at me and calling me a loser. I think that is important. A couple of years ago when we lost at Michigan State, I caught a lot of flak from people back home, but that game is behind me now, and I'm just looking forward to this game."
On trash-talking ..."You get a lot of trash-talking in these kind of games, where you have such a rivalry. I'm just going to leave it all on the field. Whatever needs to be said, whatever needs to be done, I'm just going to leave it all on the field."
On playing Michigan State ..."It means a lot to me, just to be able to start my senior year and go out with a bang. I want to have my best game this Saturday coming up and it means a lot to me, and I'm looking forward to it."
On the excitement surrounding the game ... "Where would you rather be The Big Ten Championship is on the line, playing at home, playing in an instate rivalry. There's so much riding on this game, I'm sure everyone on both sides of the ball are going to be excited."
On Michigan's defense ... "This defense has gone above and beyond my expectations, as far as turnovers and keeping teams from doing what they'd like to do. Guys like Ernest Shazor and Marlin Jackson on the back end, when they hit some people it makes my job as a linebacker a lot easier."
On Michigan State's offense ... "They like to spread you out, get guys out of position, but I think the key to their offense is the quarterback. He's a passing threat, but he's also a threat running. I think he's the leading rusher on their team and so when you have a game plan for that, and have to include the quarterback in the running game, it makes it a little hard on the defense."
Senior Tight End Tim Massaquoi
On having the opportunity to make big plays against Purdue ... "Well, because of the receivers we have, you wouldn't expect a tight end to lead a team in receptions, but for the type of game it was, and with the way Purdue played, it was an opportunity for tight ends, myself and Tyler (Ecker), to make some big plays and I think we did that."
On the tight ends making plays in the game ... "[The receivers] attract a lot of attention and sometimes we get match-ups that allow us to take advantage. I'd rather that it be Braylon (Edwards) or Steve (Breaston) or Jason (Avant) that has a two-touchdown, 100-yard game, but if it comes down to it and the defense is taking them away, then we have to do our job and step up and make plays."
On Chad Henne's spreading out the passing ... "It shows his level of intelligence and his ability to play football. It shows his growth through the season. It seemed like a lot of times he was looking for Braylon, but as the season has gone on, he's started looking for other guys because he's gotten more comfortable with the offense. It shows his growth and maturity through the season."
On his improved confidence this year ... "It's the amount of hard work I put in during the off-season and the confidence that I'm playing with now. Last year I didn't have as much confidence as I do now. During the off-season I really worked at keeping the football in my hands and it seems to be paying off now."
On when he knows he needs to step up ... "Since we've started the season, we've been catching balls in practice. It's depends on what the defense does. If they leave Braylon Edwards open one-on-one, we're going to go for it, or if they leave Jason Avant open, we're going to go for it. But if they have those guys covered and put a linebacker on Tyler Ecker or myself, we have to go out there and make plays."
On Michigan State's defense ... "So far what I've seen is they're usually up front. They can play man-to-man a lot because they rely on the front, those big guys to stop the run. I think they feel confident that their guys can stop the run so they can play man-to-man and not support the run too much with an extra guy."
On what the offense has to do to win ... "We have to score touchdowns against this defense. We moved the ball pretty well on Saturday, but in the red zone we have to score touchdowns. Truthfully, we could have played better on offense. Our defense played great, but we didn't play our best game on offense. I think we can improve on that part. When we get into the red zone we have to score touchdowns, it's going to be a great game. It's a rivalry game. But to me every game from here out is a rivalry game. I think we just have to go out there and we have to score. The defense plays their part so we have to play ours; we have to step up."
On Braylon Edwards ... "I see a more mature Braylon Edwards this year than I did last year. His maturity, his ability to make plays and his presence in the offense and in the huddle, he's doing a great job this year. I think he knew he could do that, and that's why he came back."
On Michael Hart ... "We've got a guy back there, a fullback that's knocking people out, we've got Mike Hart who's just making great plays on his own. I think we've seen a lot of times, the blocking was good, but the extra guy that you can't always block came down and tried to make the tackle but he broke it and he made some big plays. It just shows what kind of person Mike Hart is and what kind of player he's going to be."
On all the different offensive formations and what the coaching staff has been able to do to create matchup problems for opponents ... "Our coaches believe in us. They're smart guys; they're like scientists sitting up there thinking of all kinds of ways to help us win. You usually think of Michigan as a hard running game and a good passing game, but football changes every year and you have to be able to adjust and change with it and I think our coaches do a great job with that."
Senior Inside Linebacker Joey Sarantos
On growing up with the U-M/MSU rivalry ... "My dad went here, I grew up probably the biggest Michigan fan there is, I still am even though I am on the team. As a kid you hear Michigan vs. Michigan State, and you feel that rivalry, just hearing those two schools. I always grew up not liking the colors green and white, especially together. It's definitely a big game every year, and this year is no exception."
On whether he knows anyone from MSU ... "I know a couple of guys, not personally, but just from playing in the state. They got a lot of guys from Michigan on their team just like we do. No, I don't really have any good friends on the team, but I recognize a bunch of the names."
On biggest Michigan vs. MSU memory ... "My biggest one is my true freshman year, when we were down there and lost in the last second. Like I said, I've been watching this rivalry for a number of years, and they are really big games. I just try and remember and focus on the Michigan wins."
How this rivalry compares to other rivalries ... "A rivalry is a rivalry in my book. Everyone says that Ohio State is our biggest rival, or Michigan State is our biggest rival. To me, just the word rivalry is enough to inspire great emotions and great play out on the field. To me growing up, I always thought of Michigan State as the biggest rivalry. I didn't learn until later that a lot of people thought Ohio State was our biggest one. To me I still consider Michigan State the biggest."
On feelings towards Michigan State ... "I don't want to give anything to fire them up, I respect them. It's a good school; I got a lot of friends that go there. I don't want to talk trash about any team, but there's definitely some harsh feelings, and I think they've got those feelings as well. It's a rivalry and there is going to be those kinds of feelings in any rivalry."
On Michigan State's offense ... "They have got a number of ways they can attack you. They've got very unique plays. They use their quarterback in a number of ways. He's their top rusher. It is not too often you see the quarterback as a team's top rusher. They have specifically designed plays for the quarterback to run. It's not like he is scrambling, or getting out of the pocket and running. These are specifically designed isolation plays and cutback plays for the quarterback. That's tough to defend, because a lot of times you have to just rely on defending the running backs and fullbacks as far as the running game goes. You add the quarterback into the mix, and it makes it a lot more difficult."
On playing time ... "Yeah don't get me wrong, I'd like to get more playing time. At the same time, I am a senior this year, I will probably come back next year if Coach Carr lets me, but as long as we are winning, I am not going to complain one bit. I'm trying to do whatever I can to help out. I work behind Scott McClintock. He's my roommate, one of my best friends on the team, so we try to help each other along. If he's got a question, he'll ask me, and I'm trying to be as prepared as I can be to answer his question, to help him out. We're all working for the same cause, so I'll just accept my role and play it."
Junior Defensive Tackle Gabe Watson
On hearing the praise the defensive line receives ... "It's all a part of the game. You have to be physical. Purdue has a very good team and it's good to hear it every once in a while. You don't want to hear too much of it because you don't want to get a big head, so sometimes you have to leave it alone. But it's good because sometimes you don't get credit for the things you do. When you hear other guys talking about it, it works out well."
On having to be careful with what you say heading into the MSU game ... "You don't really have to be careful about it. It's a big game and everybody that knows the rivalry knows it's a big game."
On offenses wearing down throughout the game ... "Sometimes the power rush might not work, so you try to work on the edge and things like that. As you continue to do that throughout all four quarters, sometimes you see guys wearing down and asking for help from different linemen."
On being double- or triple-teamed ... "I don't mind it. At first it was kind of frustrating because I'd get right in the quarterback's face miss him or get double teamed. But I understand the whole concept and how it frees other guys up. It's not really a big deal to me."
On the importance of winning the Paul Bunyan Trophy or Little Brown Jug ... "I don't think it's based on trophies. I know there is a lot of tradition behind both of those, but the biggest thing is the Big Ten championship. We're trying to get that done and if we win a trophy in the process, then that's a plus."
On the key defensive plays against Purdue ... "You can say that Marlin Jackson's first hit on the receiver was a big hit and I believe it changed the game a lot. When a team sees that, they know that you're going to come hard no matter what. Sometimes you have to think about it, coming across the middle, you know someone is going to be there. Sometimes it causes receivers to turn their heads a little bit early and miss the ball."
On the importance of the Michigan-Michigan State game ... "I'm not sure if it's possible to make it bigger than it is. It's a huge game. It's at home against Michigan State and it's a big in-state rivalry. It's just a huge game. I don't think it could get any bigger than it already is. We have three games left, and all of them are for the Big Ten championship. Every team would like to spoil that for us. We're the defending champs and they would love to knock us off. We just have to come out prepared, prepare throughout the whole week, and watch tons of film Right now, we're behind. Michigan State had a bye week and had time to study a little bit longer. We have to get on the boat and prepare for them."
On MSU quarterback Drew Stanton ... "He's very poised back in the pocket and he has a strong arm. He's also a great runner."
On preparing for the next game after a big win the previous week ... "We've been in big games before and have won big games in the last second, so we're used to it. Purdue has a very good team and that game came down to the last two minutes in the fourth quarter. We got the win and guys were really celebrating. Once you go to the meeting rooms and watch film, and after that film is off, then it's done and you have to start worrying about the next team."
On Michigan State's offensive struggles ... "Every team gives up sacks. Every week you see teams improving, and Michigan State is one of those teams. You can't look too much into what happened before. You just have to take it a day at a time, and take the coaching and the game plan. You can't just go into the game and do your own thing because you'll be sitting right now next to the coaches. You just have to take the game as it is and prepare."
On the comparison between Purdue and Michigan State ... "Both are spread offenses. Purdue's quarterback doesn't like running as much as Michigan State's. Drew Stanton has good feet; he's not a slow quarterback. He's quick and he's got moves. We have to be able to defend against that as well."
On his memories of the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry ... "I thought about going to Michigan State for awhile. Coach (Bill) Sheridan recruited me and then at Notre Dame. Growing up, I loved watching the battles between Michigan State and Michigan. Sometimes sitting down as a kid, my heart would be pounding because I didn't know how the game would turn out. I just loved watching it. It's a big rivalry."
On the play of LaMarr Woodley ... "He plays very hard. For a young guy, he's come a long way. He's a big-time addition to the defense. He can overpower guys and he's a speedy rusher to the outside. You might look at his body and think he's slow, but he has a lot of speed. He gets after it."
On the success of the defensive line ... "I take a lot of pride in it, but it's a team effort. Pat Massey is doing a great job and so are all the other guys. Larry Harrison takes the double teams as well and we have younger guys who come in and get the job done. We can always continue to get better but I would say we're doing okay right now."
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