A few weeks ago, Mike Hart collapsed on the sideline during the first half of Michigan's road game at Indiana.
He was back on the sideline a week later for Penn State.
A month (and a day) since U-M's running backs coach survived a scary moment in Bloomington, Hart spoke to the media.
However, he made it clear from the jump that he was there specifically to talk about football -- not the incident.
Here's everything Mike Hart told the media ahead of Michigan's game against Nebraska in Week 11.
On his health scare at Indiana, how he's feeling, and if he can "walk us through" the event:
"Not talking about it. I mean, I'm good -- I'm healthy, I've been at every game. That's it. That's all the information I have."
On how far Donovan Edwards has come as a ball carrier:
"I think that what makes him dangerous this year is that he actually runs the ball as well. You can't just say he's coming in the game, and it's a pass play. Pass protection-wise, running the ball, he's developing, and that's what happens when you become a sophomore. You get better, guys get better, and he's just doing a great job running downhill. Just proud of the way he's running. He's running hard. And as a receiver, I mean, he's hard to guard."
How much confidence does that give you for the future of the backfield, knowing that he's really coming along and taking those big steps?
"Yeah, I think it's something we knew. It just takes time sometimes. Every part of his game is getting better, and that's just what I'm happy about. He comes in every day, he works; he's already up there watching film when I walk by, you know? Before meetings, he's already up there studying third-down blitz protection, doing those things that we go over today -- so he knows before I even go over it. Just proud of the way he's doing things, and he just works hard. It's great."
On Blake Corum continuing to vomit during games:
"He's throwing up every game. You sound like my daughter right now, my four-year-old, every day: 'Blake threw up again!' He just gets anxious. He's excited. So we're just working through it. The good thing is he is not hurt, so it's fine. He'll be fine."
On Michigan vs. Ohio State this season:
"Once we get there, we get there. We got to win the next two. I really don't think about it. I don't watch 'em. Haven't watched them. I mean, I watch them when they're on tv, so I see night games & stuff like that. They're a great team. They're tough. They have a great defense. When we get there, we get there, you know -- but worried about the next game."
How much in-season work can you do developing a running back's game?
"Yeah, I mean, I think at the end of the day, "getting better" comes with game reps, you know? We do individual, we do all that stuff. That's where Coach Harbaugh is great -- we get reps, and our guys get reps in practice. Then when you get to the game, they start to get ready. But they're not always there until they get those full-speed game reps. And it just, he's (Edwards) played a lot more. So when you play more, you're gonna get better, or you're going to get exposed. And he's just done a great job getting better.
Hart's advice to Blake Corum on handling national award hype:
"I think it all takes care of itself. You know, the biggest thing is just to show up and do what you've been doing. Don't change. Act the same, be the same person. And that's what he is. If it works out, it works out. If it doesn't, it doesn't. But he should be mentioned in those conversations. He's a special player. I said last year that his name should be mentioned in those conversations, so we'll see how it works. He just needs to keep taking it day-by-day, do what he does, and keep helping his team win."
On Donovan Edwards' increase in carries:
"You gotta manage Blake, right? Can't get Blake 30 carries every game, and I mean, he deserves it, you know? Like I said, a couple of weeks ago, I think last time, before I fell out at Indiana (laughs) -- I don't want to give Blake 30 to 34 Carries game, and I'd like to be 20 to 15. So that's what we're trying to do."
On the Michigan Stadium tunnel & if there were issues when he played at U-M:
"Yeah, I don't even want to touch that just because obviously it's in the investigation, all those things. So I don't even wanna say anything about it until all that stuff gets out."
On running backs building durability to increase carries:
Yeah, I mean, I just think that comes down to, like how they work in the weight room every day. You know, you, you prepare all offseason, um, weight gain, strength, taking care of your body, cold tub, hot tub, all those things on a day to day basis. And then me managing them throughout the week in practice to make sure they can handle it throughout the year. And with those two, I mean, they show up, and they work hard every day. They're getting treatment every day. Because they're never 100-percent, no one's ever 100 percent this time of year. So we just try to, you know, do the best we can do, plan the best we can plan -- but it all comes down to their offseason, the way they work.
JJ has talked about the offense going to another level, but is the offense is what it is at this point, and really, is there anything wrong with that, considering the efficiency you guys have had?
No, I think we just try to get better every week, you know? And we can get better at a lot of things, whether it's certain runs, whether it's certain passes, whether it's certain, you know, pass protections -- like we can get better. So as coaches, every week, we just say what can we work on? What do we need to get better at? Becuase, if you're not growing, it's not good, right? You have gotta get either get better or get worse. And so we gotta find those things that we need to work on. And everybody knows whether it's Red Zone, whether it's short yardage, whether it's play action, deep passes -- like we work on all those things.It's just not one thing that, that we try to work on. We just want to get better. And we can, And that's the thing, that's what makes it exciting, to be honest with you, is that we're not even where we can be if we get better.
On how Hart coaches running backs at the goal line:
"Don't jump high and get smacked (laughs). I'm messing with Blake from last week, but, uh, no. It's the same thing. It just speeds up, is really what it is. Everything just speeds up a little bit. It's faster. You gotta make your reads faster, and you gotta protect the ball. And they're gonna do it. They know what we're gonna do when we're inside the two. We know what we're gonna do. It's just man on man; let's go. Blake, I mean, he's been pretty efficient. We've been pretty efficient. We talk about 3rd & 1 & 4th & 1 -- it's okay to get two yards inside the six-yard line on first down. It's okay to get another two yards and another two yards and then go for it on fourth and a half-yard. That's kind of the way I view it. That's the way I see it. It's tighter, it's faster. They're gonna be digging in there, but we just gotta do what we gotta do.
When an opponent comes in, what is the trickle-down effect for an offense when you've got a consistent, deep passing attack?
I mean, you just gotta guard everything.
Does it open the run game more?
Does a run game open the passing game? Or does the passing game open the run game? Right. It goes one or the other. Right. It helps, without a doubt. And we're almost there. We're close, you know, close. We'll get there.
How close is it in practice? Are you seeing more consistency?
Yeah, I think it's always consistent in practice, but again, game reps matter, right? Matter. You gotta give them (game reps).
Is there any sense of mixed feelings when it takes four tries to get in from the one-yard line?
No, I mean, Rutgers was a phenomenal team, and I think people underestimate them. Schiano is a great coach. They know what they're doing, they know how to do it, and sometimes it takes that long, you know? As long as you get in the end zone.
Was there a point in this offseason where you knew that Blake Corum was the answer as the short-yardage back?
"I mean, I figured he could do it, you know? He's better than I thought he was gonna be to be, but I knew he can do it. He's strong, he runs low. He's a great pad level. Again, you don't need to be 230 pounds to be a short yardage back. And that's my biggest thing. I'm just proud of him, proud of the way he does things. And honestly, if he wasn't a short-yardage back, he'd probably be averaging 8 yards a carry. You know what I mean? Like you take all those goal line carriers away, you take all those 3rd & 1s away. I mean, the kid's special. So that's it."
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