Wolverines Q&A: Hoke on Michigan State, Indiana
10/26/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 26, 2014
By Steve Kornacki
Michigan football coach Brady Hoke and Steve Kornacki will talk Michigan football each week on MGoBlue.com. On Sunday night (Oct. 26), the two discussed the 35-11 loss at Michigan State on Saturday and the Homecoming game with Indiana (3-4, 0-3 Big Ten) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Michigan Stadium.
Q. You released a statement earlier today about the pregame incident at the Michigan State game, where a tent stake was taken on to the field. Is there anything else you want to say about it?
A. I just want to reiterate my apology to Michigan State, its players and supporters. I spoke with Coach (Mark) Dantonio earlier today and we meant no disrespect. This was a motivational tool that we used on Friday night as a team, as most teams do, and it was strictly based on us and what we needed to be as a football team. It was nothing against Michigan State; it was for us. It was about being a team that's going to stay together and play hard and fight the fight. I think in the emotions of a rivalry game, maybe we got caught up and upset some people, and we didn't mean to. We have all the respect in the world for Coach Dantonio and for what Michigan State's doing.
Q. What were your impressions of the Michigan State game, which was interesting in the first half (MSU led, 7-3, late in the second quarter), after watching it on videotape?
A. When you watch the tape and watch it on the way home after the game last night, the defense had to do better from the point of attack from a defensive line standpoint. And we've got to secure gap integrity better and we've got to tackle better. And I think those things hurt us as much as anything. They did a nice job at the point of attack. We've got to do a better job and have. We've got to do a better job of keeping our linebackers clean so the integrity of gaps can be taken care of. You want to hold a double-team; you want to keep one guy on you for sure on the double-team, and it's usually the guy on the outside edge of you. You've got to keep him there because the inside guy won't get up to the linebacker. We didn't do a good job with that, and that's something that's disappointing because we've continued to make strides with our defensive line -- a lot of young guys are playing there, but they've played enough football that they've got to be better there.
From an offensive standpoint, we had seven drops (on passes) that cost us. And they cost us when you look at first downs, the emotions of a game, the rhythm, the peaks and valleys of a game, and keeping the defense off the field while continuing drives, chances for touchdowns. And then the (three) turnovers. We're in prime position with getting the ball back for the offense, and turning the ball over.
Those two points are it as much as anything. Would I have liked to run the ball better? You know, when we were in position to run the ball, we could run it pretty decent. De'Veon (Smith) scrapped away some yards. There were holes there that he did a good job with. He and Justice (Hayes) both made some things happen, and the offensive line did, too.
Q. Devin Gardner was replaced at quarterback by Shane Morris for one play late in the game. You talked about looking at the quarterback situation after the game. How have you evaluated the quarterbacks, and how do you move forward at that position headed into the Indiana game?
A. We'll keep evaluating all the time, but Devin would be the guy that will start. Right now, if we were playing tomorrow, he's our starting quarterback. And he did some really good things. He put some balls on some guys that we've got to come up with, and we didn't. I mean, there are seven drops. There was a touchdown dropped. If you're a great player, you make a great play. But the ball was on. And the way we look at it, and the way Heck (wide receivers coach Jeff Hecklinski) looks at it, if a guy gets his hands on it and doesn't catch it, it's a drop. And one was defended a little bit, but at the same time you expect more from your big-time players.
Q. You are going into a Homecoming game Saturday with Indiana. What is different about a Homecoming game?
A. Well, No. 1, there are a lot of alums who come back. And I think it's the only time they might come back all year with the global university that we are. We're not regional, we're pretty much world-wide. And so having those folks coming back and being on campus, getting the feel of a football game at Michigan Stadium, we'll be excited because of those who are coming back. We've met and our team is committed to one another and what we are trying to get done.
Q. What have you seen from Indiana on film?
A. No. 1, they've done a good job of taking care of the football (with nine turnovers in seven games), and that's a credit to them. Obviously, when their quarterback, Nate Sudfeld, went down it affects them a little bit from an offensive standpoint because he's very accurate and a very good quarterback. Running the football, Tevin Coleman (with 1,192 yards rushing and 8.8 yards per carry) is a big-play threat from any place on the field. He's a finisher and a guy that is very, very good. He poses a lot of things to you. He's very strong but also deceptive -- when you look at speed. It'll be interesting to see how many explosive plays he has in the course of a football game.
Defensively, I think they are improved. They are playing hard, they are well coached, they fit in gaps well. And, so, it will be a challenge.
Q. What do you need to do to slow down Indiana's offense, which is averaging 30 points per game and has Coleman with an 83-yard run and receiver Shane Wynn with a 76-yard catch and 75-yard run?
A. It's pivotal to do a better job in some of those things we didn't do last week (defensively) -- fitting gaps, pursuing angles to the ball, wrapping up, and in the open spaces -- getting guys to the ground.
Q. Tailback Justice Hayes, a redshirt junior from Grand Blanc, Mich., is becoming a bigger part of your offense. Can you talk about his development and how he's developed for you?
A. He has done a tremendous job and is one of the most improved guys on our football team. I've looked at his pass protection and what he's done when he's in there blocking. He was five-for-five this week against a pretty good and aggressive defense and linebackers. I think when he gets some space, his ability to get through the hole is something that you saw the other day (at MSU). He had a couple good runs where he was patient and hit that other gear. And from a receiving standpoint, we had a screen called that got sniffed out. But we should've got on the guy. We passed him up for one reason or other instead of blocking him, and that kept it (an 8-yard pass) from becoming a huge play.
Q. You are halfway to the six wins you need to be bowl eligible. Do you talk to your team about getting to a bowl game and what it will take?
A. The first thing we talked about (Sunday) was Indiana, No. 1. Today, it was what we needed to do at Michigan State and clean up what we didn't do well. And then we go to what's next, and that's Indiana.
So, we talked about that (bowl situation). Do you think about that? Yeah, it's out there somewhere. More so, we have to take care of Indiana first before we think about that. Every game is a building block, it is. But for us, Indiana is what's next, and that's what we're working on.
