On how his team handled the aftermath of beating Penn State:

Throughout the week, whether we were practicing, walk-throughs, or lifting. I thought Ronnie Bell said it well early in the week. Focus on being where your feet are at. I thought our guys did a tremendous job of that throughout the week.

On what Michigan State does well:

A lot of things. A lot of really good things. It’s a really good team. Dangerous in a lot of ways. I think the quarterback is really good. Physical team that runs the ball well. Really good off the play-action pass. Probably the best wide receiving core we’ve played. Defense is very opportunistic. They’ve got a knack for getting the ball out. Making big plays. Special teams are more of the same. The returner is outstanding. It’s a big challenge. Our team knows that. They’ve all been preparing to get ready for this game.

On the rivalry:

Everybody wants it so bad. Everyone wants to win. Players, coaches, fan bases. It’s about as high-level as it can be.

On how he approaches the MSU game:

In the way that you expect to be -- preparing 10-out-of-10 for every game you play, right? If you’re not then what are you doing? No matter what, if that has somehow decreased over the weeks … I have no doubt that’s where it’s at this weekend for both sides. The old cliche “you can throw out the records” is very true. Both sides just want it that much.

Is it easier to get players’ attention towards Michigan State given its struggles this year and success against Michigan the last two seasons?

Our guys really want to win this. I’m not going to lie to you. I really want to win it. I have no doubt that if you pulsed every player or coach on both sides, they’d say the same thing.

What’s motivating Harbaugh going into the MSU game?

I just really want to win this game.

On Michigan’s pass rush ascension

Keeps getting better & better. Love the way we’re trending there in the pass rush & run defense. Getting guys to the ball. That’s one thing I see us getting better & better at. Every team has a get-back coach, who gets guys back on the sideline. We’ve instituted a get-to-coach. Let’s get to the ball. Can we get five downs? Can we get six? Can we get 7 or 8? Probably not going to be able to get 10 or 11. I think that — pursuit — that’s what takes your defense from being a really good defense to being a dominant defense. Get as many guys pursuing the football. It’s been a focus. Just trying to take us to another level defensively.

Who’s the get-to coach?

I’ve taken the responsibilities of the get-to coach, but I have others listed.

On James Franklin’s comments about the Michigan Stadium tunnel:

I really got bigger fish to fry than Coach Franklin’s opinion on the halftime tunnel from a game ago. But all you have to do is walk into the other locker room. You saw pretty clearly that they completely stopped, and they weren’t letting us get up the tunnel. Just seemed like such a sophomoric ploy to try & keep us out of our locker room. And he looked like he was the ringleader of the whole thing. I got bigger fish to fry than to worry about that kind of whining.

On Jay Harbaugh’s coaching performance this season:

Jay has done a great job. Coach Clink, a monumental job that he’s done, as it relates to the secondary. I think Jay is doing a heck of a job with the secondary. he’s doing a monumental job with the special teams.

The staff continues to just be A-plus across the board. Everybody pulling in the same direction. Everybody bleeding blue. It’s been phenomenal, so, I want to keep that going.

On how to not overstudy or overanalyze your game plan during a bye week:

That’s a great question. You do, do it. When Saturday rolls around and you have no game to coach. It kinda felt like I was out to sea. Very, very happy to be back in the game week mode.

On Andrel Anthony:

He’s hitting his stride. I feel like he’s going to become more and more part of every game. Making a big play a game is what you have come to expect of Andrel. Just a phenomenal player. Doing everything right as always. Can’t say enough good things about him.

Will Anthony play with a vengeance given he's from East Lansing?

Vengeance? I wouldn’t use that word. He just always plays the game right. He always gives it everything he’s got. He’s always very polite, each and every week. Like all the guys on the team, as I said earlier, go talk to all of them. On both sides, everybody wants to do well and wants to win this game.

This team & last year’s team — there’s a great attitude, there’s a great culture. Everybody bleeds blue, everybody is pulling the same direction. There’s been a real cultural momentum from last year to this year.

On Harbaugh’s visit to San Francisco during the bye week, and if he has closure with the 49ers:

There was some closure right away, you know? I don’t get bitter. I get better. It’s what I strive to do. To serve, serve really well.

On TE Erick All's injury:

He won’t be back this year. He had a surgery that he needed, and it was successful. We look forward to rehab for Erick.

On how the rivalry has changed since Harbaugh played in it in the mid-80s:

I really haven’t seen that much of a change. It’s always been a red-letter game, big game. Bo used to highlight these red-letter games, and Michigan State was always one of them. So, we wanted to win. It was for the state championship. Conference championship implications every year. It’s the same now. We’ve told how you feel about it. It’s one of our four major goals. I really don’t think it’s changed all that much.

On Cade McNamara’s health:

I don’t really have any update on that