Brady Hoke Monday Press Conference: Miami University Week
9/8/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
• Game Notes 
| Game Central
• Full Press Conference 
| Inside Michigan Football
J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Coach Brady Hoke
Opening statement ... "Thanks for coming. As far as where we're at as a team, we went back to work yesterday, and the attitude and how we're staying together and the leadership throughout the team has been awfully positive. I liked the work ethic, and I still like the work ethic. From a physical and a mental standpoint, you always evaluate where you're at and what you need to do and what could you have done differently -- we've done that and talked about it from a coaching standpoint and player-wise. Preparation was awesome throughout the week -- as good as I've been around. The preparation down in Michigan City at the hotel was awesome. I feel very good about our football team in a lot of ways, and we've got to keep preparing. We've got to execute a little better, but as far as where this team is at, I'm excited about it. We understand that our goals are still out there. Now we turn to Miami; we'll be back at home with our students and the Michigan fans, and we'll go back to work."
On changing defensive approach when losing key players ... "You've got to know your personnel, and number one you have to make sure you put your personnel in position so they can be successful. In the second half, we played more zone. From a defensive standpoint, there are some things we need to be tighter on, some technique issues we have to clean up. Sometimes that happens when guys get in certain environments where your fundamentals and techniques are everything. I felt we lost that, and some of it is the environment that you're in. You either speed up, and I think we did that a little bit, or because of that you lose your fundamentals and techniques. To answer your question, you look at it and change a little bit."
On the return of TE Jake Butt ... "Jake was a game-time kind of decision in some ways and didn't play a lot of snaps, but we'll see how he progresses. We're going to be very cognizant of where he is from a physical standpoint and what's too much. We do the same thing in practice, what's too much and what's not. The technology today with some of the GPS things that we're into teaches a lot, and you learn a lot so with the health and wellness issues, part of that in talking about Jake is making sure we're doing the right things with him."
On TE Jake Butt's potential as a player ... "We think he's a very good football player. He ended last year very well. He's learned a lot, and he's one of the guys who are on that leadership council that isn't afraid, even though he's a young guy, to speak his mind and give his true reactions and feelings."
On positive improvements of the run defense ... "The front seven, I thought, did a pretty good job. From that standpoint, guys that we rotated throughout in the middle of the defense, I think they were aggressive, I think they were gap sound. I think Willie (Henry) had the most production of out all of them. Him and Ryan (Glasgow) as a group in there, I thought they did a nice job. That was a physical offensive line so we've got to take what they did last week into this week and improve on that."
On the health of WR Devin Funchess ... "He's fine. I'm not going to talk about any injuries, but he's fine. He was in the building yesterday."
On the development of DT Willie Henry and what he is doing to succeed ... "I think it's a maturation process with Willie. He played some a year ago, but he didn't play at all in this game a year ago. He had to earn his way back on and by the end of the year he was playing more. It's more of his maturity as it is, I think, with all the younger guys. They really don't understand how to prepare totally. You talk about the tape and you talk about the work ethic. You have a guy like Tom Brady when he came in and spoke to the team about what he does. Elvis Grbac has done the same thing. Richard Sherman has a video that he talks about being prepared every week and fundamentals and techniques being sound. We show that, we talk to guys about it, trying to help younger guys mature a little faster in their execution and preparation. I think Willie has done that. Willie might be the strongest guy on the football team, overall, but he still needs to separate himself, overall, from where we're at."
On evaluating if DB Jabrill Peppers and DB Raymon Taylor will play this week ... "I think it's a day-by-day thing. It's a day by day. Obviously, if they don't do much, we'll see what's best for the team number one. If it's the best for the team, it will be best for them."
On motivating the team to bounce back ... "They're pretty resilient. I think 18 to 23 year olds are all pretty resilient. The other thing is, from the leadership that we have within, I think the older guys, I think it's been addressed, and we've got to learn from it. You've got to make sure that things we can handle as coaches, we're handling those and then worry about the preparation again and the execution. "
On how DB Jabrill Peppers handles missing time due to injury... "I think he's a competitor, and we've got 105 competitors on our team. I don't think there's any doubt that he wants to play. I think it's part of what his DNA is and what he likes to do."
On trying to put pressure on Notre Dame QB Everett Golson ... "If you go through the tape and some of you I know do that and play coach, but some of the three-step drop game you're not going to do much with anyone. That ball is going to get out. The best way to do that is not to rush and put your hands up, to be honest with you. (Golson) got out of some situations."
On the run defense ... "In some ways we expected us to play that way against the run. The biggest thing for us defensively is that we haven't created any opportunities for our offense. We haven't created field position, we haven't created any turnovers, and that's as much as anything. So what's that mean? We're not hitting the quarterback enough? Yeah some of it's that. We're not forcing bad throws, we're not playing tight enough on those bad throws."
On presumable starters who aren't able to play ... "The depth issues you have to depend on if you've got multiple guys hurt. I think that's part of it. I think from the standpoint of where we're at and where we want to be, there's some guys -- Jourdan Lewis, Terry Richardson. We talk about the expectations of their positions. How they prepare is going to be really important."
On how good the team is ... "If you judge it from that game, we did some things very well and some things not very well. We had eight tackles-for-a-loss defensively. That's the most we've had since UConn (last season). We held them to 54 yards rushing. We ran the ball efficiently at times and in spurts. What I think we didn't do; we didn't play the ball in the red zone enough defensively. We didn't finish drives. When you have opportunities to put points on the board, you've got to be able to do that. When you have a nine-play drive, and you don't finish, that gets a little disheartening. But the good thing was we stayed together, and they kept going forward."
On a message to the fans ... "Our goals are still there. Our goal -- stated a thousand times -- is to win the Big Ten championship. Now, do we have to get better and work hard? Yeah, we do and we're going to."
On the offensive line ... "When you take the film, you look at it; you know what the play call is or the check to that play call is -- who's in charge on what protection -- I felt that they hung in there. Now did they play perfect? No they didn't play perfect, but they are playing against some pretty good guys. That was encouraging."
On pulling starters when facing a big deficit late in the game ... "I think that's a delicate balance to some degree. If you are really someone who competes, is the game ever over? I know I played at Ball State, and we scored 21 points in a minute and six seconds. As far as a competitive standpoint, you've got a point there, you don't want to be too prideful and too bullheaded, but we we're still in the football game."
On the difference between running game against Appalachian State and Notre Dame ... "The root cause is Notre Dame. It's a different team. That was a little difference. Both of them (Derrick Green and De'Veon Smith) play wise -- not talking carries -- had around 25 or 26 plays each. But you've got to give Notre Dame some credit. If not, I think you're being foolish. We played against better guys than last time."
On what he saw from QB Devin Gardner on film ... "He understands and realizes that when we run the ball, we have to have better ball security. He understands that if he pre-snap reads something, there's also a progression from there that he has to do a better job of, but he also made about five throws in there that were pretty special. In the game, we tell him that we believe in him and to go through (his) progression, and I think that's one great thing about having (Doug) Nussmeier on the sideline."
On the Big Ten Conference ... "There's a bandwagon that people are jumping on, saying that our conference isn't any good, and I don't think much of that (sentiment). I will tell you we've got a great conference. You see the teams in our conference and the competitive nature that they have. We need to win games like the game we just played in. We've got to worry about Miami of Ohio. But most importantly, we've got to worry about Michigan, because that's where it all starts."
On the fans ... "If they're truly fans, they'll believe in these kids and what they've done and the hard work they've put in. If they're not, they won't."
On decisions regarding who plays on the offensive line ... "We are going to compete and challenge. By the end of the week it could be different. (Graham Glasgow) is getting reps at center. We've got a good rotation, good mix of what we're doing."
On if there is a competition at kicker ... "That's a good question when you put it that way. I think Matt (Wile), I've got a lot of faith in him. We've got to get him straightened away. To be honest with you, the one on the right hash, it was a little bit of a problem for him. On the second one, he slipped with his plant foot, and that's what caused it low. (Kickers) are no different than anyone else -- they are going to compete and challenge. We'll give some kicks to Kenny (Allen), too, and we'll see who we're most comfortable with. We'll see who can help Michigan win. That's who will kick for us."
On LB Desmond Morgan ... "If there was a guy who was out for the year, I would tell you. That's all I'm going to say."
