Wolverines Q&A: Hoke on Indiana, Northwestern
11/3/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Steve Kornacki
Michigan football coach Brady Hoke and Steve Kornacki will talk Michigan football each week on MGoBlue.com. On Sunday night (Nov. 2), the two discussed the 34-10 win over Indiana and Saturday's game (Nov. 8, 3:30 p.m. EST) at Northwestern.
Q. What are your thoughts on Jim Hackett coming in as the interim athletic director after Dave Brandon's resignation?
A. Obviously, I have a great relationship with Dave, and will always continue that. I think he is a Michigan Man. His heart was into what was good for Michigan, and he did a lot of good things. I met Jim before at speaking engagements, and when I was here before (as an assistant coach). I look forward to working with Jim, and he's a guy who cares deeply about the University.
Dave was very supportive, and Jim with having his roots and heart here at the University athletic department and football program, will be a great ambassador for the University.
Q. You have some younger players who are playing bigger roles on the team. Can you tell us what tailback Drake Johnson, wide receiver Amara Darboh, defensive tackle Ryan Glasgow and defensive tackle Bryan Mone each are doing specifically to excel?
A. No. 1, they are guys who are developing. That's what you do. They are young guys, and their development has come along. You start to see the rewards for their hard work.
You look at Ryan Glasgow, and he's a guy who came in here as a walk-on and just continues to be committed and practice hard. He learns fast.
Bryan Mone came here in January, and loves the game of football. He has done a really good job of being fundamentally sound, and has the technique, and plays with a great motor.
Darboh, part of this is a guy who got hurt and missed a year, and didn't run a route for almost a whole year. His development since he's come back is very good. I really like what he's done.
Drake Johnson is another guy who missed a whole year with an injury, and the opportunity came for him.
Q. You see them grow before your eyes?
A. That's right. The coaches have done a good job with them, and the kids have done a good job.
Q. What is your tailback situation moving forward after Drake's 122 yards rushing and two touchdowns against Indiana?
A. Obviously, De'Veon (Smith) got back in the game. As far as his health status, he appears to be fine. Justice (Hayes) got beat up a little bit in the game, but he'll be back. And Drake, because of the opportunity, there will be a few more carries, and things that he'll be comfortable with, and we'll be comfortable with.
Q. So, you will continue to rotate those three tailbacks in this game?
A. Yeah, I will. I think that's all part of it. And we'll have fresh guys and healthy guys throughout the course of the game. I do think that the different running styles of the three can be very effective.
Q. You will decide on your starter later in the week as the game approaches?
A. We will. And we talk about competition all the time, and that will continue. How do you practice? If you don't practice well, you're not going to play. That will stay the same, and they will challenge and compete. I think that what Drake has done is put himself in a better position.
Q. And the hot back in a game is the one you'll ride?
A. Well, yeah. You've got to stay with them. And guys get a feel for it. Last year, in the Ohio game, De'Veon (with seven carries for 57 yards) kind of got going a little bit. But that's what happens, yeah.
Q. What have been the improvements that have allowed Darboh to become a reliable, go-to receiver?
A. A little bit of it is that his number's being called a little more, and he's earned that with what he's done in practice. I also think the execution he's had in the last three games shows that there's a comfort level there.
Q. Is he running more precise routes?
A. Yeah, I think that's a part of it. And from the standpoint of route conversions, which is probably as difficult as anything for guys -- especially with the defenses today that give you one look and do something else.
Q. So, he's making those adjustments on the run?
A. Yeah, and that's a big thing. We've always felt very highly of him, and I think it has been a matter of seeing him grow before your eyes and mature.
Q. That was a pretty balanced offensive attack against Indiana, with Devin Gardner throwing for 220 yards and two touchdowns. What allowed your offense to click so well against the Hoosiers?
A. With a team like Indiana, which wants to run a lot of plays, and our time of possession 7:10 more than Indiana), third-down conversions (6 of 13, .462), taking time off the clock, and 22 of 29 is a pretty good pass completion percentage (.759). And so the clock ran. The run game, as it got better during the course of the game, you are trying to wear the other team down. That's part of it.
And you want to win the game in the fourth quarter, and we did that (10-7 scoring edge for Michigan). We wanted to take care of the football and we did that (with no fumbles). We got two turnovers and set up some field possession, and I thought that was really a good team effort.
And when adversity hit, nobody blinked. They just kept going. That was the exciting part. We had great energy, and we talked about that as a team. I met with the seniors today because they only have one more opportunity to play in Michigan Stadium (Nov. 22 against Maryland). And we want that to be special for them. We want it to be special how we end it for those guys.
Q. Your defense held Indiana to its lowest point total and rushing total of the season, while recording a season-high 12 tackles for lost yardage. What did you like the best about that effort?
A. No. 1, it was the front seven. They were embarrassed after how things went a week ago (at Michigan State). And we felt going into this game that Indiana's offensive line was a good one, an experienced line. And we knew that our gap integrity had to be perfect because (tailback) Tevin Coleman is so explosive. And the effort by the guys up front and Joe (Bolden) and Jake (Ryan) having the ability to run free to some degree really helped us. And when you watch the game, there are a lot of gang tackles. So, you're leveraging the support and getting to the football.
Q. Your defense really kept them inside, didn't they? Indiana seldom got to the corners.
A. Yeah, and we didn't want them to. We wanted to keep the ball inside and in front. If you were the cut-back player, you had to be a great cut-back player. If you were the chase-contain player, you've got to chase the ball down. If you are force, then be the force. And for the most part, we kept them inside. (Indiana had one play exceed 20 yards -- a 35-yard run by quarterback Zander Diamont.)
Q. You are going back to Northwestern on Saturday , one year after that memorable, 27-19, triple overtime win. Can you talk about the split-second execution at the end of regulation time that enabled you to drive into field goal range and send it into overtime?
A. That was one of the best team plays I've been associated with -- the offense having the mind-set that we have no timeouts and we've got to hustle. So (Gardner) hits (Jeremy) Gallon (at the Northwestern 27-yard line) and he does a great job of getting up and running off the field. And the offensive linemen who aren't on the field goal unit, they get off the field. And the offensive linemen who are on the field goal unit, they get on the field. And that gave us the ability to kick the (44-yard) field goal for the tie.
Q. I think what everyone remembers most is Drew Dileo sliding in to make the successful hold and the kick getting off in a nick of time.
A. Yeah, and we have a left-footed kicker. If we didn't have a left-footed kicker, we wouldn't have gotten it off. And the year before we won it here (38-31 in overtime) on a nice play from Devin Gardner to "Tree," Roy Roundtree. (Gardner's 53-yard pass to Roundtree with 18 seconds remaining set up a game-tying, 26-yard field goal.)
But, back to the play last year, I remember Drew Dileo telling the offense to hurry and spike the ball. Drew was definitely a guy who was like a coach on the field. He's awesome.
