On the takeaways from Rutgers

The thing that screamed off the tape was just how hard our players played in the game. 60 minutes, all four quarters. Defense was off the charts. Incredible game. With effort, with talent, the scoring line. Gave up two big plays on defense. The rest, magnificent. Four first downs in the first half, one first down in the second half. One rushing yard in the first half. I think 57 total yards or something in the second half. Was really amazed and happy. Happy with the way the offense played, too. No turnovers. Had long drives. Defense gave the offense a short field at the 10-yard line on one particular possession. First and goal on the 10, was able to get it into the endzone. All the way around, really good. Not our best game on special teams. Punt block for a touchdown. Our worst game, really. We missed two field goals. They were long ones, 50-yarders. Pretty good on kickoff coverage, Julius Welschof had two incredible covers in the game. Pretty good on the punt block, punt return game. That's the best punting outfit there is in college football in 2022. Even let him know we were there as the punter looked like he was attempting to run for a first down and Cornelius Johnson tracked him down and at the last second (punts the ball). He's so good at that. He can punt it from a full sprint. All in all, really good. Tough environment against a really good team. Played a tremendous first half of football. Crowd was full and loud. Did have a lot of Michigan fans, you could tell at the end. It was just the Michigan fans that were there. We're happy to have the win, happy to keep it rolling and get ready for Nebraska.

On the punt block

They didn't community the possibility of the twist. Veteran guard, should've been better at that and help the center. Those two should've really come off and picked up the twist. Something that's not easy to pick up but not super hard, either.

On the response to the blocked punt

I thought it was really good. You talk about a blocked punt for a touchdown, one single play in all of football. Be interesting to have that argument, what is the biggest momentum play in all of football? Is it a pick-six? Is it punching it in on fourth and one when you're at the goal line? Kickoff return for a touchdown? I'd argue the blocked punt for the touchdown is probably the single biggest thing that can happen in a game to not only change momentum but it's a game-changer. Also, towards win percentage. It might be the highest. Great job. The onside kick recovery was really good. Heads up play. This is the most offsides a team has ever been on in an onside kick that hasn't been called I think I can ever remember. Blatantly offside. As you know, if it's an onside kick, they call that like it's a plate of glass. You can't be over the line at all for an onside kick or a surprise onside kick. They missed that one. Should've been called offsides but we were able to get the ball.

On J.J. McCarthy

He does a great job of going through his reads. Executing from the quarterback position, I think he's doing everything really well. We've got to protect him better. I didn't like some of those hits. A blatant personal foul. He took a few other hits in the game. As an offensive lineman, you want to keep the quarterback clean. We need to do that. Really showed his toughness as well. Gave him an opportunity to show what a tough competitor he is. Didn't phase him. Actually just made him a little madder. That much more motivation. Nothing ever seems to rattle him, which is a great sign. Doesn't matter if he's on the road, or behind, or ahead. Whether we're at home or people are cheering him. Or if you're on the road and they're booing the heck out of you. Nothing seems to fluster him or get his train of thinking off what he's supposed to be doing.

On Jeff Persi

Special mention, heckuva game by Jeff Persi. So proud of him. He did a great job in covering up his man. Run blocking, pass protection, really good. The way he was striking was noticeably good. Next thing to sustain after the strike. In all ways, I thought he did a heckuva job.

On the health of the team

We'll see. Come back to practice today. Meet with the team and practice tomorrow. Find out where guys are. I think we'll be in better shape. We'll see if we're in a lot better shape for this Saturday coming up or a little better shape.

On Will Johnson

We've seen a lot of good play from Will Johnson already. Good coverage, good physical play. Now an interception. Looked like he was trying to score, too. Looked good with the ball in his hand, running with it. I think a lot like J.J., when J.J. would get into every game, you could see how good he was. When he got his first. He was really good, too. Will, tremendous game for him. You love seeing guys get their first start and to see where it goes from there. Keep learning, everything is a learning experience. Keep getting better.

On the defensive line

There's the five points to defeating a block. You come to your point, you deliver a blow, you control a block and you find the ball, get off the block and go make the tackle. When you're getting off the block, it could be an arm under, it could be a swim, it could be a rip technique. Quite a few. Could be a countermove. The way Kris Jenkins, Mazi Smith, Mason Graham have been playing. Mike Morris, Taylor Upshaw, Eyabi Okie, Braiden McGregor. There's a run wall that's really there. Junior Colson, Mike Barrett behind them doing a great job of playing their gap, playing off their blocks. Playing behind the blocks, falling back on the blocks. Sometimes shooting the gap. There's a ton of ways to do it. Really impressed with how they've all come together and playing team defense. Hustling, playing really hard. Just fabulous. A lot of mention for Mike Barrett, too. Such a great thing. He will remember that game for the rest of his life until they throw dirt on top of him. It was one of those great games. Mike has really come along. It's so good. In his fifth year, here's a guy who decides to come back for his fifth year and playing in a more traditional defense as the WILL backer. Used to be the VIPER when he was here, which is more of a hybrid between an outside backer and a strong safety. I think he's really found a home at that WILL backer position. So glad for us, so happy for us, that he came back. Really happy for him. Football identity for Mike Barret now as a linebacker, really good special teams standout. It's great.

On Nebraska

They're really good. They've put together some really good halves of games, three-quarters of games. Same challenges we all have. Every football team has good schemes, has talented players. Getting everybody to play at or near their best for a full four quarters is a challenge we all face. Nebraska faces that challenge, too. If they can, they can play good and play good for 60 minutes, they'll be really tough to beat. If we do that, we'll be darn tough to beat.

On Matt Weiss' growth as a play-caller

Both really good coaches, both really experienced coaches. They're doing a phenomenal job along with Mike Hart and Ron Bellamy and Grant Newsome. Really good coaches. Brad Engels and Kirk Campbell doing a really great job. Andrew Goodrich, Mimi Bolden-Morris. The whole staff on that side does a great job. Works really well together in terms of game planning. When it gets into the game, the calling of the plays. I'm happy. I'm happy with the offensive staff, how they've game planned, how they coach and how they call plays.

On halftime adjustments

The process is we go into the locker room, we meet first as coaches. Offensive coaches meet together, the defensive coaches meet together. Players are hydrating and sitting down. The coaches come over and it's really what looks are we getting, what are the coverages, alignments. If there are any tendencies, what plays we think are going to work based on what we've seen in the first half. Go over those with the players and we're pretty much back on the field at that point.

On only three games left

18 days to Ohio State and then 25 days to the Big Ten Championship. We're well aware of that. Still going to take it day-by-day. One day at a time, like Jackie Harbaugh likes to say. We're going to continue that approach but full knowing that there has been a lot of good work made already. Been a lot of groundwork that's already been laid. Our time is now. Our time is not last year, it's not next year, our time is now. We're on a ride. It's a happy ride. Could even be a magical ride. Let's focus on the task at hand, which is today. Let's have the best meetings possible, best practices possible. Actually, let's make it the best one of the year. Best meeting of the year. Best lifting session of the year. Best practice of the year. Do that today and come back and do the same thing tomorrow.