On what he's learned about his team after 7 weeks
Undefeated. Done so many good things. I think it's been the work ethic, the improvement from the guys. When you're working like that, it really improved the togetherness of the entire team because they see themselves improving both physically and mental toughness. Also athletically, you look at game one to game seven, the athleticism of the team, all those things, have been getting better and improving. Want to keep that going. Get a week in where we can get refreshed and even healthier. Get ready for Michigan State and the stretch run.
On whether there's a player or position group that has gotten better from week one until now
I would say that for so many of the position groups. Really all of them. Inside of the defense, coming off a great game. Mazi Smith and Kris Jenkins have done a really good job of creating the run wall. 4 tackles a piece for both of them. The edge rushers been very, very good. Ton of improvement there. Secondary continues to get better. Linebacker group, Junior Colson, thought he had his best game. 5 tackles in the ballgame. Offensively, the offensive line played their best. Hard-pressed to find the best offensive linemen this past game. Thought that this was their best game collectively. You could say it with Zinter, you could say it with Ryan Hayes or Barnhart. Olu had a heckuva game, so did Keegan. Quarterback continues to improve. Running backs, that's been well-documented how well that position group is doing. Tight ends led by Luke Schoonmaker have been outstanding. Receivers continue to be extremely good. Almost a tip of the cap to the '21 team that they were able to do so well without Ronnie Bell. As much as Ronnie Bell has done this season. Catching the ball, blocking, leading. That group has been really led by him and Cornelius Johnson, Roman Wilson, A.J. Henning. Special teams continue to play well. I think they all have the feeling that they keep doing what they're doing, keep working at it every day, not a day is missed, and they can keep getting better. That's a good place to be in at the halfway point.
On Ryan Hayes
It's just all good. The whole group. You look at most every game, the pass protection has been fantastic. From a team like Penn State, they were doing a heckuva job in the pass rush and the run wall, run defense was outstanding. Just become a complete player, is Ryan. His pass protection, the way he comes off the ball and run blocks, he's really having a heckuva season.
On Olu Oluwatimi
Been huge. Being voted alternate captain, now he's been in there, been that kind of leader all season long. If there's anybody that is leading the offensive line, it's usually the center. He's the most vocal, making a lot of the calls in there. He's been very steady but very good. Beyond what we were hoping for in every way.
On Sherrone Moore able to move offensive linemen around
He prepares them for it. Trevor Keegan played some tackle, he can do that. Karsen Barnhart, we knew he was a starter. We went into the season with six starting offensive linemen. Gio El-Hadi, he played his way into being a starter. Now he is considered a starter-caliber player because he did so well every time that he's been asked to go in.
On how J.J. McCarthy has grown as a starter
He's just soaking it all in like a sponge. Doesn't make the same mistake twice. You can make the case it's all a learning experience when you're starting for the first time. He's handling it extremely well. Has been really accurate, the thing that jumps out the most with the way he's been playing and the way he's throwing the football. Studies the game. Goes through his reads, progressions and he's got a flair, too. Continues to grow. Super pleased with how he's playing.
On whether he's surprised with what McCarthy has been able to do
You never know. When you watch a super-talented guy, especially in practice, that can be much like—if you're accurate in practice, you're usually going to be accurate in the game. Not always because you're like a golfer who plays the same golf course every single day. He's going to get really good at practice. But what's it like when you gotta play a different course under different conditions? You don't know until you know but, yeah, it's been phenomenal. It's been good in the pocket, he's been accurate out of the pocket. He continues to add time on task every time he's out there. Finds different ways to move the chains and get the team into the endzone. Really find out what his game is. It's evolving. Going really well.
On how valuable the depth at the tight end position has been
Been really great. Erick All, that's left a bruise, him not being able to play. Luke Schoonmaker has really shined, like we knew he would. The group, when you add in Joel Honigford, the way the freshman Colston Loveland is playing, everybody sees it. This player is going to be really good. Probably the longer it takes him to figure out how good he's going to be, the better off he'll be (laughs). Then again, he's got that mindset, you can tell him good job and he's like, 'Thanks.' It's nothing that's going to his head. Just the way you're supposed to be doing it. I noticed that about him when I went to recruit him in Gooding, Idaho. Great town, genuine, down-to-earth good people everywhere. Nobody has really seen a Colston Loveland-type of ball player, they don't come around every year. You can imagine, everybody there really looked up to him. Especially the younger kids. Adults, they love him because he's such a good young man and so respectful and everything. If it didn't go to his head coming out of that situation, a once-in-a-generation type of guy, I had a good feeling that his head was screwed onto his shoulders pretty darn well. Been raised really good. I think you're going to see more and more of the same. Certainly not going to fall into the trap of getting a big head, it's just not his personality. He's been tremendous. So many guys. Carter Seltzer, goes in and does a great job. Matt Hibner, does a really good job.
On Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards in the backfield
It's tremendous. I think everybody sees the talent and the one-two punch when they're on the field. It's phenomenal. The leadership of those guys is off the charts. They do that differently as well. It's a one-two punch in terms of how they go about it. First, Donovan, his personaly is high-energy. It's enthusiasm, love of football. He's never had a bad day. He's got a quarterback personality. I've known quarterbacks like Donovan Edwards, just from their play demeanor and their personality, day-to-day. He's like that. Just love of the game, exudes it. So does Blake. Blake has that same love of the game, now you're talking about a real example of laser focus. Nothing is getting by him. They could be rolling the secondary from right to left, they've got a disguise on him and he's locked in on who he's going to protect. As soon as the ball snaps and the look changes, he's a step ahead of everything. The cerebral side, much like a quarterback as well. Nothing gets past him. He trains with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind. It's just an example of, I watch him out there sometimes and I know what the play is going to be, it's like I'm in his head as he's ticking through what his next move is going to be. Such a high level. AP type of stuff. They both lead that way and they're both great examples in different ways, in different personalities. So good for our team and the production speaks for itself.
On the next steps he wants the see the offense take during the bye week
Really keep the details. In situations where you have a chance to hit a lot of situations that get somewhat rushed. You're putting in first and second down, what you're putting in on third down, what you're putting in on redzone, what you're putting in on two-minute. It's changing every week. Short-yardage, goal line, four-minute. Every week it's a different look and you've got to adjust what the defense is scheming up. It's a good chance, offensively, special teams, to really hone in on some of those situations you'd love to have more hours in the week to detail. Just preciseness in our splits, in our formations, and alignments. Making sure we're just honed in on our assingments. Just different plays off things we've done well. Being able to have compliments to them. Some really good play-action for some of our really good run scheme. Complementary type of things in the offense. Call plays that are married. We put a lot of good stuff on tape, if you can get the good complements to go with them that becomes even more dangerous.
On the importance of setting the tone against the PSU defense
It was a statement game. Really was. Looking at the defense to become dominant. Been a really good defense and they want to take it over the top. I thought they did that, really. Also, you see that we can get better, too, on defense. Starts with pursuit, getting guys to the football. Can you get 11 guys to the football? Probably not. Somebody is going to be on the backside of the play, somebody is going to be far away from the play. Possible to get 8 or 9 there. Even if you get 5 or 6 to the ball every single play. That's when some of those turnovers, most of the turnovers, come. When a runner doesn't see the tackler, they're coming from a non-aggressive angle, they're coming from behind him or the side. Be able to get the ball out and get some of those turnovers. Some of those bigger hits. Just put in the mind of the ballcarrier wherever he goes, he goes here or if he goes over there, man, there's like 5, 6, 7, 8 Wolverines in hot pursuit at all times, all game long. As an offensive player myself, is anybody blocking anyone out here? Why is there always this many guys around the ball. Instituting—it's very famous in football to have a get-back coach, we're instituting a get-to coach. Let's get to the ball. We coach guys to get to the ball, as many as possible, every single play.
On what he sensed from the players at halftime
It would be interesting to know if it comes through on TV or from the stands looking down on our sidelines and what it's like. I bet you could perceive it. Our guys are just supporting our guys all the time. It's good, bad. Everybody is always into it and supporting each other. That's what I sense all the time. I didn't sense any frustration or any—it was couldn't wait to get out there for the second half. Just reinforced exactly what we all knew had taken place. It was a bad play on offense that cost us a touchdown. There was a bad play on defense that cost us a touchdown and there was two of them. Just keep playing and playing hard. Getting after them physically, when you're doing that, good things happened.
On Mike Morris
He’s on a mission. I think he really knows, I think he understands, I think when players really elevate their game is when they understand how much the team is counting on them. That just takes them to another level You could see it last year with (Aidan) Hutchinson, (Hassan) Haskins, and (David) Ojabo. There's something about when you know your team is really depending on you, the team really needs you, it takes your play and elevates it. It's really the only thing that can elevate it. It gets so good, it's the only thing that can really elevate it again, in my opinion. It's not anything that anybody says. Hey, we really need you. You know it. When you've got that kind of feeling for your team and your teammates and you're all playing for each other and playing to win for each other, that comes out. I get the sense—I haven't talked to Mike about this but it's what I see and sense.
On the DL being able to stop the run
Playing so good. I bet Mazi has more tackles this year than he had all of last season. I don't know, I haven't checked the stats but I think it's pretty darn close. Same with Kris Jenkins. The interior of that front, being able to create a run wall when you can take away teams—make them more one-dimensional, that's what you're about. Especially when they're a good running team. That's been a really good—it's a sign of a dominant defense. As I said, I think we can still get better. You're doing a lot of things, taking on a double team, freeing up linebackers, keeping blocks from getting up to the second level. Now, they're getting off those blocks and they're making the tackle right at the line of scrimmage. Those tackles are not getting bled out for one, two or three more yards. Those are getting knocked back toward the offense's goal line for no gain. Definitely want to keep that going. Mason Graham has contributed a heckuva of a lot, too, for that interior front. So has Kenneth Grant. Kenneth Grant you'll keep seeing more and more of Kenneth. Big, big improvement from last year's defense. Gotta keep that going as well.
On preparing for Michigan State during the week
Like I said, regrouping, want to refresh. We're going to practice, though, four times this week. It's all going to be Michigan State except the practices we do for the young guys. We also want to get those guys getting reps, playing football and getting good at football. Taking advantage of that this week. It's all going to be getting ready for that game.
On where the special teams can improve during the bye week
Just getting everybody in the right spot. I think we're there in punt, kickoff we may move a few things around. Some guys are really coming along. Micah Pollard had a great game this past game. He did a heckuva job, had that solo tackle at the 12-yard line. Getting guys in the best spot. Punt return, want to give A.J. Henning a little more room. We're constantly trying to improve every single phase. We didn't punt last week, which is good. A darn good thing. Always constantly trying to improve. Each week you go, ah, a big challenge is going to come in Michigan State. Their punt returner, can't let him affect the game dramatically because he's really good. Every week is a new challenge, every week we're striving, chasing, perfection. Hoping to come away being excellent.
