On the yard before and after contact being down from last year

I think they go hand-in-hand, right? If you don't get hit before. I think the missed tackles come when you're in the second level. You're on the safety, when you're making safeties miss, those are missed tackles. That's clear as day. That's why we had so many long runs last year when you get to that level. I think teams are playing us a little bit different this year. When you load the box, when you're getting hit at the line of scrimmage, it's hard to make someone miss at the second level. I just don't think we've had as many opportunities for those missed tackles. We're in game 9 now, week 9 now, so if you watch the Purdue game, the box is loaded every single snap. That's the way they play, though. How do you beat those teams? You throw the ball. We've had some teams like that we've played against. I think when given those opportunities, he's made guys miss. I don't think Donovan has had a chance to make a safety miss yet this year. Obviously, hopefully, we get there. We've got three games left. That's the plan. I think we're getting better every week, everyone keeps saying every week we're six inches away, we're six inches away, we're a guy here or a guy there. At the end of the day, we just gotta get it done. I think everyone is focused on that in this building. I think the running backs know that, the o-line know that, the receivers know that. We're winning games how we're winning games and teams our blitzing us different, loading the box on us so that's why we're throwing the ball. Receivers are having a great year right now.

On whether teams learned to load the box against Michigan

You know you have to stop the run and teams are doing that against us. Shows that we can throw the ball. I think we sat up here at the end of training camp and said we're going whatever we need to do to win and that's what we're doing. Week-to-week, it depends. If we can run the ball, we'll run the ball. If we can pass the ball, we'll pass the ball. Obviously, we want to do both.

On Penn State's run defense

They're one of the best defenses in the country. Start up front, they have one of the best d-lines in the country. Left defensive end to right defensive end. They got the best linebackers, up to this point, that we have faced. Their secondary is great. They're fast, they're athletic, they're tough. It's going to be a tough challenge. They're a really, really good defense.

On how much more effective is the run game when defenses have to account for J.J. McCarthy

When you have to account for the quarterback, it helps out. I think teams are trying to account for him. Even Purdue was trying to account for him. It's not like we didn't call any J.J. runs. We're not calling strictly J.J. runs to give him the ball. There's been read opportunities in there. It helps us out and D-end plays a little bit slower, the safety doesn't fit as fast. Definitely helps out. We're still intermixing in it but he's a quarterback, we want him to keep throwing that ball.

On preparing Kalel Mullings for a bigger role down the road

I think it all depends on who leaves, who stays, but I see Kalel coming back. He's having a great year this year, he obviously got dinged up, can't wait until he comes back (next year). I think I said I truly believe in him and I think he's going to be a really, really good running back. He is a good running back right now.

On whether the vibe is different heading into a Top-10 match-up

I think that's the great thing about our guys is they come in here and work every week. It's the most important game because it's the next game. There's no doubt, we're playing Penn State, in Happy Valley, when you pull up there and you get in that stadium, it's definitely going to be a different vibe. The guys are going to be ready to go. The preparation doesn't change. Preparation stays the same. We'll do the same thing on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and the guys come in and get the work done.

On the Semaj Morgan touchdown

No, that wasn't my idea. I'd love to say it was my idea but, no, it wasn't my idea. Coach Moore. Phenomenal offensive coordinator, a phenomenal man, he drew that one up. It was awesome. I think you just have to know where certain guys are. More guys, more tools that we have where you have to know where they are. What positions on the field, it's no different when Dono caught the deep ball. It's the same type of thing, where are these guys at that can make these big plays. Where's Roman Wilson all the time, where's Colston Loveland at? The more guys you can have to do things makes it harder on the defense.

On what makes Happy Valley a difficult environment

I just think it's obviously a top program in the country and it's a college town, just like Ann Arbor. They have great fans, they're passionate about their football. You can really say that about a lot of the Big Ten schools. They're passionate football schools, not just in Happy Valley. It's just a great environment to go play. Their fans get after you and it's just one of those fun environments to go in and you truly enjoy it.

On how he would evaluate Donovan Edwards

I think he's gotten better every week. I think everyone sees that. He's improved, he's healthy now, finally. From all his nicks and dings, offseason injuries. Last week was the first week that I'd say Donovan is back. Donovan is Donovan. It's fun to see him. Hopefully, he continues to improve and he will.

On evaluating running backs and the OL's ability to open up holes

I think it's on everybody. Did the back miss a cut? That happens. Did an O-lineman miss a block? That happens. It's nobody's fault, it's putting it all together so we can all come together to have success. You don't blame anybody for it because I won't say it's anybody's fault, it's all of our job to get better. There's no doubt, if the play is blocked for two yards, the running back needs to get four or five. If it's blocked for 10 yards then they better get 15 or 20. It's on all of us and the backs need to be better as well.

On the value of keeping a low snap count keeping his players fresh

I think this is the healthiest we've been heading into the final three games since I've been here. You got all three top backs available and a fourth back and a fifth back. At this point last year, I remember last time we went into Happy Valley, it was Hassan by himself pretty much. Donovan was coming off an injury and Hassan played probably 65 snaps that game. It's been great. Obviously played in the one fourth quarter this year with the starters. It's a good thing. We gotta stay that way, though.

On whether getting backs into a rhythm is a factor

No. You could say yes, you could say no, just depends on who you are. What type of back you are. No, I think that when you get in, you run the ball. It's the same thing in practice. You rotate two reps, two reps, two reps, you don't get 10 reps in a row at practice. You know how the run the ball. You're a running back, you shouldn't have to have 10 snaps to finally say on my 11th carry I'm going to be able to know what to do. I've never been a firm believer that you have to be in a rhythm. No, get the ball and run.

On the rush game against Purdue

There were a couple big plays to be had out there, whether it was a missed cut or a missed block—it wasn't a missed block, it just went the wrong way instead of continuing on the track. To me, we left yards on the field. There's no doubt. I think you always feel like you leave more yards on the field. The way they ran, the physicality of the offensive line, the effort, loved it. Loved it. You only have so many chances to make big plays and we just have to take advantage of those opportunities. The effort, the passion, all those things are there. That's how you know you're close.

On going up against a team with a high-ranking rush defense

Honestly, it's not even something we talk about. I can't even tell you what they're ranked. I just know they're a really good defense. They're good at everything. I guess we'll just go in there and do what we have to do to win the game whether it's running, whether it's passing, we're going to do what we have to do. If we have to play defense, we'll play defense. We don't even talk about those things. We just go into the game and say we're going to do what we need to do to win. Offensively, have a passing plan and a running plan and let's go.

On keeping the team focused

One-track mindset. Just a one-track mindset. Everybody knows what the end goal is. We know what we have in this building, we know who we are, the players know who they are, coaches know who we are. To me, it's one of those things we really don't even talk about it. Let's stay focused on the task at hand and control what you can control. That's all we can do. Control what you can control and it'll go from there. I know these players are hungry. They're thirsty. They want a Big Ten championship, they want a national championship and they know Penn State, we gotta beat Penn State. That's all they're focused on right now. That's what we're focused on right now and care about. That helps out.

On whether sign-stealing was a prevalent topic when he was a player

Honestly, I don't even want to get into it. It just is what it is. It is what it is. I don't even want to get into it.

On pass protection from the running backs

Pass protection is huge. From the O-line and—this D-line, it's the best linebacker blitzing crew that we've played all year and it's the best D-line that we've played all year. Between the O-line and running backs, we got our hands full. It's going to be tough, not going to lie. It's going to be a tough one. We'll get it done.

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