On the second bye week

Yes, it was buy-in week. We really took it upon us to make sure that we're all bought into the next two games, to do everything we can to get better, really working on the fundamentals, the little things. Make sure we're all in and every piece, no stone unturned, every T-crossed, every I-dotted to make sure that we're in a great place and had some of our best-spirited practices. Came back from, you know, gave them a couple days off and they came out yesterday with fire, with energy, so it was really good to see the kids in a positive mindset.

On whether he felt the need to have a conversation with the team

I mean, just in general, I think at this time of year, especially with our, you know, where we're at record-wise, felt like, we wanted to have that and it really wasn't my decision, it was the captains, the captains had that. So, Max Bredeson actually came up with that, so credit to Max. And, you know, we all took it upon ourselves and it really turned out well.

On the importance of having a bowl game

Yeah, I think it's huge. It's huge for the program, obviously playing another game, getting another chance to play with your team, but building on the future, building, you know, getting more practices. You know, it's like another spring ball for the young guys. It's more football for the guys that keep getting better at football, so it's huge for us and huge for the program.

On more support from the donors and the university with NIL helped shape recruiting

Yeah, I mean, it's part of football now, right? NIL is part of recruiting and so it's been a huge piece of it, you know, we're just continuing to strive to get the best players that fit us and the best players we can and we're getting the support that we need to do that.

On whether transformational not transactional is still a pitch

Yeah, I mean, I think it has to. I think that's just a part of it because that's just a part of college football and recruiting now and so you still have to have the attitude that you want to come to Michigan to be transformed into something bigger than just yourself and for us, it's the support that you get isn't just always financial, you know, it's putting your guys in positions, whether it's internships or different things to make sure you can, you know, you have a goal that you want to do and football's not here forever. What can we do to help you to accomplish that goal? So that support's a big piece of it too.

On the younger players who could benefit from bowl practices

Yeah, I mean, I'll start on defense. Guys like Dom Nichols, you know, start up front with him because he's just, you know, he's showing flashes here and there and he's played, would be great for him. Mason Curtis has just been a tackling machine out there. He's gonna be a star. Jo'Ziah Edmonds is another guy on defense and I think and Cole Sullivan, you know, those guys on defense. Offensively, I've talked about Andrew Sprague, you know, watching him blossom and seeing what he's done. But really, the guys that hit me, Channing Goodwin is another guy. Then the backs, Jordan Marshall and Micah Ka'apana. We'll start to see a little bit more of those guys. You saw more of Jordan last week or last game as a kick returner but Micah Ka'apana, he has some, you know, dynamic speed and, you know, put that on display a little bit this week.`

On what the seniors have meant to the program

Yeah, I mean, they've been through so much for the program. The, you know, the record in the last four years, obviously this year not where we want to be but 50 and 8 to have that record is really big and guys like that, guys like Bredy, guys like Makari, Donovan, they've made such an impact on the team and those are some of the captains. Josiah Stewart was a transfer that came in but even guys like Myles Hinton, Josh Priebe, and go down the list. There's plenty of guys. Davis Warren. Those guys are all guys that really impacted our program in a huge way, in a positive way and so thankful for them and want to go out on a high note, especially their last game in the Big House.

On what he's looking for our of the team this week

That passion, that fire that we saw in the second half at Indiana, especially from the defensive guys. They played an incredible second half and offensively thought we could play better and, you know, attacking and fixing those things but I just want to see them have fun. You know, this game is about having fun and there's so many negative things that people try to bring you down in this world and, you know, at the end of the day, these are kids and I love these kids. Win or lose, draw. Like, they're our kids. They're my kids. They're Michigan's players. They're our team and I want to see them go out and have that competitive fire and have fun. Yeah, go execute at a high level and go win, 100 percent, but I want to go see them have fun this weekend.

On Will Johnson's status

He's still working through it so we'll see what happens as we go through his week.

On Ben Hall getting more carries

Yeah, we'll see. I think he gave us some good carries. We'll continue to keep working Kalel in there and Donnell, but I think he'll have some, he'll have some touches in there as well.

On setting the foundation for his program this season

Yeah, record's not where we want to be, but we'll continue to work and get better. I think we're going to be in a really good place. You know, had some great meetings with some of our players and they continue to stick together and that's really all I ask in situations because where struggle comes progress and we're going to have progress and we're going to get better. So just excited for our players to continue their positive mindset and stick with what they're doing.

On Kalel Mullings and the discourse after the Indiana game

Yeah, I just, I'd say this, you know, we we keep all our conversations internal and you know, he's a team guy and we're going to continue to stay together as a team.

On going after big-time guys in NIL vs. spreading it out

I mean, yeah, we want to spread it out. So I don't know what the internet says or what that stuff is. I don't read it anymore. So half of it's fake news anyway. So we want everybody to get, everybody wants to eat. We want everybody to eat when it comes to that and they'll all earn their keep. They'll all get what they deserve. We got a great system in place and that's where I'll leave it at.

On working with team chemistry and NIL

Yeah, I mean, it's part of football now. It's part of college football. It's part of recruiting and I've had great talks with them. So we're all on the same page.

On who he's leaned on this season

Yeah, first one's been Coach Harbaugh. He's continued to strive to get better. He's been through good seasons. He's been through bad seasons. So he's seen it all. John, you know, his brother. Talked to him a good bit. Got in touch with Mike Tomlin a little bit. Then, you know, Coach Stoops is a guy that I've been very close with my whole career, obviously played for him. So those are guys that I talk to a lot and continue to talk to and, you know, lean on because everybody needs them.

On how often he speaks to Jim Harbaugh

Every week. Every week. Maybe sometimes twice, three times a week depending on it could be a text message here or there, but we're at least going to follow up every week.

On the difficulties of selling the vision where the record is where it is

How hard is it to sell that to the recruits? I mean, I'd just like to say that even in light of the negative questions that all is coming out that way, we just stay positive and we stay positive together. We're going to continue to stay positive. We're going to continue to be a team and that's what we're going to do. Like the recruits though in particular. Same, same. They come in here. They feel the energy. They understand the energy. They understand who I am. They understand how real I am with them. I understand the love that our players have for each other and that's a big sell to the kids.

On spending 50% of his time on NIL

Well, really just talking about the roster management more so than the NIL of what we're doing, how we're doing it, who we're recruiting. It's really so more recruiting than anything else and it's texting kids. It's talking to parents. It's talking to the brother, the sister, the kid, the teacher, the high school coach and continue to build those relationships. So the guys that we get here, I know everything about them and they know everything about me and then you know when I try to push them to that level that we're successful and they know I'm doing it out of love and care and in their best interest. So really that's really what most of my days are filled with.

On how early the money discussion comes up with players

I mean everybody, it's a conversation and it's not really like how much can you give for me. It's just part of the conversations now in college football. So we really rely on that not being the conversation with me. I really talk about the football aspect, what we can do, what the university can do, what our alumni can do, the education you're going to get because football is going to end and you're going to have a great education. So I think most of our recruits here you know they really value that.

On Northwestern

Tough, hard-nosed group on defense, physical, run to the ball. They had a great start to the game against Ohio and you know were close in there then had a fumbled snap on third down, snap over the head and put themselves in a bad place. A good football team that we are definitely prepared to go win.

On whether he looks back and would like to change anything in regards to preparation

Yeah I mean I think you always you have to adapt. I don't think you can always stay the same regardless. You know, even when we won games I would always look to figure out what we can do better, what we can change. So yeah, definitely, you look to things to make sure we get better as a team and how we prepare and how we go about our business. Not the way the kids were to the way the practice and all that. Just things that I have to do , that I will do, to make sure we're a better football team.

On whether there's been difficulties to shift expectations after winning a national championship last year

Yeah I mean I think when you have kids that have won it, I just had a great conversation with four or five of them just that have won so many games. It was cool to hear them like it's a learning experience. It's things you learn from that you have to grow from and it only makes you better. And you know we're going to take these as as lessons and make sure that these you know we don't have these feelings ever again. So our job now just to get better and that's what we're going to try to do.

On whether there's any piece of advice Harbaugh has given that has resonated

Yeah I mean it's usually the same but just stay the course. You know be true to yourself. Be true to who you are. Don't change who you are because you know people know that the players will know and know it's different but make sure you keep pushing everybody in the same direction and that usually works out the back end.

On the one thing he's most proud of outside of wins and losses

I mean I'd say the thing I'm proud of is the way our players will continue to fight in every game. That you see like there's there's opportunities for you know them to lay down. They never do. They continue to fight. They continue to scrap work. Got chances to win every game but we got to go win it. So we all know like we got to go finish these games and go win but watching our kids really go after it every single game and attack the moment has been great.

On where he thinks the offensive line is

Yeah. Not where we want to be. I think you always want to strive to be better but obviously, you want to be able to run the ball better. We've taken a lot of pride in that and the fundamental piece has to be better and you got to do soul searching within myself to see what I need to do to help to make them better whether it's things in practice or whether in the game plan or whatever it is but we just got to be better. Not where we have been obviously but definitely you can see us striving to get better and we will.

On where the problem with the OL is

Yeah. I mean usually, it's and it's the story of the one guy one thing here but you can't live in that world. You got to execute five is one and when you do that that's when you win.

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