On J.J. McCarthy's unselfishness

I think J.J. is the ideal, not only quarterback, but really a person to represent a program. He's really unselfish, he's about the team. He's the type of leader you want at a program such as Michigan. Just an unbelievable kid, disciplined in life and how he treats his teammates is how he wants to be treated. I think that's infectious amongst the whole team.

On rotating quarterbacks

It's extremely vital. You never know when a helmet may pop off or a shoelace may break. These guys that have in-game experience, Jack Tuttle, Jayden Denegal, Davis Warren has gotten into the game. For them to have that experience is vital for us going forward because you never know when that situation may arise. They all performed really well so we're excited about that.

On McCarthy after his Bowling Green struggles

Nobody in life is ever going to be perfect. We talk about chasing perfection every single day, we want to do that but if you hold yourself to that elite standard and you're so disciplined that you don't achieve it, it can be a hinderance to your production on the field. I just thought that he had so much pressure on himself that he was trying to not throw an incompletion, never throw an interception. That happened in that moment might be the best thing that happened to him this season and going forward in his career. NFL, all that stuff. I thought it was a great learning experience for him in that moment.

On the QB2 battle

We're always evaluating our depth chart and our players on our team. Going into the Minnesota game, the first guy going on was Jack Tuttle. If he performs best this week he'll continue to hold that. That's a constant evaluation. That's a living, breathing document as far as the depth chart and we're trying to push everybody to be the best. Listen, it is my goal to get the best out of everybody on that roster in the quarterback room. If Alex Orji comes to me and tells me he wants to be the backup quarterback, I'm going to do everything I possibly can to push him to be the backup quarterback. That will constantly be evaluated weekly and we'll find out whoever goes as number two on game day.

On J.J.'s processing

I think the processing information, he always saw the field well last year but just giving him a pre-snap platform to execute, time his footwork and his platform. Looking at the safeties, identifying coverage. One-high, two-high, man-high, zone-high, whatever. Our whole platform to give him. I think that's an elite trait. Being able to do that at such a high level and so quickly, people can throw the football really well, in my opinion, and some people can run it really well. To be able to do all three is amazing. To pick one elite trait of his is hard but I think seeing the field is something you can help. You can give him tools but to be able to apply it on game day is such an important tool and he's exceptional at it. Hopefully, he continues at it.

On how he's gotten better

Just being able to rely on his pre-snap menu. That's something we really talk about. Identifying coverage. Whatever our tips, our test, key indicators are before the ball is ever snap. That gives you a nice platform to go execute once the ball is snapped. Obviously, the picture changes and everything but just being able to do that is a huge asset of him.

On whether McCarthy has improved identifying blitzers

Absolutely. That's part of our pre-snap menu. I'm a firm believer before you throw the ball as a quarterback, you have to protect yourself. Helping him identify coverage, rotation of safeties, linebackers. Doing all that is extremely important. Obviously, Drake does a great job of that as well but J.J., we can help out in any standpoint and give him those key indicators is only going to help him throw the ball better and our team better. We have great meetings as far as offensive lines, Sherrone and I, Mike Hart, just getting in there and figuring out what the blitz patterns may be or the key indicators and applying them to Drake and the running backs and J.J. and the rest of the quarterbacks. It's vital to our production on the field and hopefully we continue to apply that on game day.

On designing quarterback runs

I think it's important, we understand internally how great of a runner J.J. is. We also want to make sure we're smart with it, right? We're going to use him as a runner when need be. We're not going to run him into the ground, either. Those adlib plays you're talking about, scrambling, are a natural part of football. That's something Coach Harbaugh hit on that he thinks he's really, really good at. Extending plays and using his legs. There's a point in time, you've all probably witnessed, we've harped on him making sure he protects himself a little bit and getting out of bounds. That's part of it as well. I think both of them are important. We have to use his legs to help the run game with Blake, Dono and Kalel, whoever else is in there. Also, using him as a runner in the throw game. Whenever a play breaks down, that's hard for a defense. If you want to play a certain coverage, he can hurt you with his arm or his legs. That's an extra weapon for us.

On whether he's looking at other games for play ideas and whether teams are looking at Michigan for ideas

That's a Sunday project for me. I always look at some key indicators I personally break down. Obviously the Lions and the 49ers are a large part of that because they're successful at what they do but it's all throughout college football. From FBS to FCS to the NFL. Whether it's pass game, run game, whatever it is, trick plays, we look at all that stuff and I'm sure they're looking at ours, too. That's a play that's a new hotness right now. I think you've seen it. We've ran it, the 49ers ran, the Lions ran it. I think Purdue's run it, Illinois' run it. I think a lot of people have run that football play. It's a really good football play.

On whether he knows the origin of the flea flicker

I do. You may never know, right?

On the reaction when McCarthy lowers his shoulder on a run

That's going to happen, right? He's a competitor and we don't want to take that out of him. There's so many redeeming qualities of J.J. and being a competitor and wanting to fight for every yard is one of them. When you're at the goal line, yeah, that's a great opportunity to go score a touchdown. If you're in open field and you're at at the 38-yard line and you already have a first down, is that a smart time to take a hit? No. Just coaching him through those opportunities and being smart with them. Just making sure that when he does it, we don't extend the ball over the line on first down and stuff like that. Just continue to coach him because he's naturally going to make those plays and he's going to be aggressive. That's part of who he is and we never want to take that away from him.

On the luxury of being able to sit most of the fourth quarter

You want to be the healthiest when it comes late in the season. I just think that every game that we continue to get through and we're healthy as a team is important. Whether it's him playing four quarters and staying healthy or him playing two and a half quarters and staying healthy, that's the most important thing. Not that we're going to be overprotective of him but the more he can play late in the season and be the best that he can be is what's most important for the team.

On throwing passes down the middle

I think we've got some really good tight ends, one, I think we've got some really good receivers who aren't afraid of going down the middle. That's important. You can create advantageous matchups with our receivers or our tight ends on linebackers or safeties. I think that's something that I'm a firm believer in. There's tight-window throws that J.J. is really good at those so we'll be able to use that to our advantage. In the throw game, you want them to defend all 55 and a half, 55 and a third and 100 yards. If we can do that and put pressure on them down the field and horizontally, that's a benefit to us and now they don't have any tells for us. We're being cognizant each week that we have enough plays that attack them in every way possible so we can combat what they're doing defensively in the game plan.

On the special plays resulting in good play sequencing

As an offense, and Coach Moore does an outstanding job, he talks about always trying to paint a picture and I'm a firm believer in that. We also have to, collectively, when we put the gameplan together, make sure we can do that. Being able to complement what we did earlier in the game, if it's a motion, a shift or a formation. As a play caller, Coach Moore has a feel of when to call those things. I think that's a unique quality to play callers and you have to have it on the sheet agenda when they get it off the sheet as well.

On McCarthy's relationship with Donovan Edwards

Dono is another player, we have so many of them, but Dono has elite traits. We gotta use them to the best of his abilities. Getting him out on pass routes is a mismatch for the defense. We talk about throwing the ball across the middle, Dono one-on-one with a linebacker advantages us. Be able to have that and him and J.J. have a great relationship so him having that relationship beforehand, when they look at each other, it feels like the connection is going to happen.

On the pre-snap menu

We have different ways that we can do that. Obviously, I'm not going to get into all that stuff but he has a large menu that he is allowed to do a lot of different things.

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