On what it's been like at Michigan

Yeah, it's been great. Thanks for, again, thanks for having me. But no, it's been great, and just playing ball, trying to get better every week. So we got some things to do and continue to improve, but it's been, Jon, it's been great.

On his assessment of the running game through three weeks

Well, I think, first of all, we've gotta continue to gel and get better, and just collectively, and as you know, takes the line some time to gel and get together and play together to understand who's to the righty, who's to the lefty, and that takes a little bit of time. But, you know, and just situational football and not turn the ball over. There's a lot of things we gotta continue to improve on, and really, it comes down to just the details in perfecting your trade, and I'm a firm believer in how you practice. You know, you have to practice a certain way in order to perform a certain way, and that's on us coaches, too, to continue to harp in demand on those details.

On what it's like to have five new offensive linemen as a player

Yeah, I think, again, it's a collective deal, and we're all in this thing cohesively, just kinda talk about, hey, Grant, what do you see here? And there's a bunch of us who are involved in that, right? And just where do we expect the ball to hit on certain plays? Where's the nickel at? Is he apexed, or is he outside of number two, outside of number three? So just kinda where do we anticipate balls hitting based on leverages and alignments, and personnel? And so there's a lot of things that go into it, but again, that's why we've been sitting in that room for the past four hours, you know?

On how he's approaching Big Ten play

Well, again, this is Michigan, and so the expectation is to win every game, and to not only win every game, but to look good doing it. And so you're talking about a different type of opponent. We got USC coming in here, and I mean, there's high-end players, right? And those match-up games, people often talk about. So yeah, we have to be locked down, buckled down, make sure all the details are in order, and because there's no stone left unturned, as they say, and Lincoln, those guys have a great staff, and Coach Lynn being kinda new to the staff, I think it's his second year there as a coordinator, but they got a great staff, and so yeah, we gotta be prepared.

On how he prepares his players for big games

Well, I think that's why you come to school here, right? That's why you come to a program like this, is to play in big games, and match-up games of this magnitude. So I think, really, it's just, again, about keeping a level head, taking one day at a time. We don't have to play the game today, it's Monday. So I think it's really just a matter of going to work every day, getting better in that day, and staying in the moment, and not looking ahead, not looking back, just staying in the moment where you're at, and continue to get better, and work in your trade, and perfect in your trade, and continue to talk about the details, and the most prepared team usually wins. So just gotta be prepared for what we think's coming.

On how he helps his players get past the loss to Texas

Yeah, those things, losing hurts, as it should, and I don't know if you ever truly get over it, because, again, the expectation is to win, and a lot of people say, sometimes losing builds character. Well, hell, I think winning builds character, right? So that's just my own personal opinion. Those are the characters I want to be around, at least. So I guess who you talk to, but we just gotta move on, right? And I think that if you want the players to move on, you as the coach, we gotta move on. Again, own where the mistakes, right? And that's what we talk about. Own your piece of it, and where do we collectively get better, but there's no pointing of the fingers. It's like, okay, well, what can I do? Maybe I can study more film. Maybe I can do whatever it is, and it starts with the coach, it starts with me, and if something's happened with the player, how can I help prepare him better? Because that's what we're charged to do. So I think everybody just gotta own what they need to own, go fix it. What value are you bringing every single day, not just in the meeting room, but on the practice field, too? What value are you bringing? There's some guys that aren't gonna play. They're scout team players. There's other guys that they're gonna play minimal reps, and it might be on special teams. Well, okay, if that's your value, then use that to the best of your ability. And are you doing that every rep? And in the meeting room, that's a rep. There's these things called mental reps. Are you taking the proper mental reps so that when you do get tapped on the shoulder and you do get to go in the game, are you able to perform at a high level? And to say that, well, I didn't get to run that particular play in practice, that's not the answer. But that's incumbent upon me and to make sure that my players are prepared to play at a high level.

On Donovan Edwards

Yeah, I think sometimes he might press a little bit, trying to make a big play versus just let it come, right? And, but he's running the ball hard. You know, he's still what? He's averaging, I don't know, four, four and a half yards a carry, something of that nature, I think. But I think he's being asked to do some things he hasn't been asked to do before and kind of, you know, run up inside and some things of that nature. I don't want to say all that he's been done in the past, but no, Donovan's playing well and he's still one of the clear leaders of this football team. And he's a team captain, where guys look to him. But he's been, he's had such a positive nature about him, you know, through these times, especially coming out of Texas. And, but yeah, Donovan's playing, playing well and playing hard, you know. And so just continue to charge ahead.

On whether Edwards showed more patience against Arkansas State

Yeah, I think so. I think so and just kind of, like I said, just letting things come versus, you know, trying to make something happen and like I said, some of the patience and just not bailing out on some runs. I think there were a couple that he still, you know, I think if he had to pull it back and say, well, I wish I had that one back, you know, it's just bailing out on runs versus they just stay with the, you know, stay with it and the scheme and not bailing too quickly on some things and letting things flash at you and then all of a sudden you react.

On Kalel Mullings

Again, I said this before, I mean, you and I spoke at the golf course and I talked about him being this consummate team player, you know, the selflessness and a guy that moved over from defense, plays, you know, on all the running teams and special teams and, you know, use them on the point in a bunch package and you put him in the backfield and you split him out and you should do a multitude of things with him, but he's so unselfish. And, you know, he's, again, he's a guy that's a team leader. He might not be the captain per se, but he's definitely a leader in our room and on this football team. He's got so much respect from his teammates and coaches alike, but he, again, a tireless worker, wants to be, wants to really be a good player and he works at it and he takes coaching and he's big and he's, what, 226 pounds or whatever it is. Yeah, so he's a big back and, but can run, man, and so he's really running hard and he's running behind his pads and he's making things happen and he's, what I love about him is he pushes the ball vertically. There's not a whole lot of east to west running. He's a downhill vertical guy and, you know, when I charged all of the guys with really making guys miss at the second and the third level, that was kind of our deal this week, of, hey, we've got to make safeties miss. We have to run, and I think people misunderstand when you say make a miss that you have to, like, shake him out of his shoes. That may just run through an arm tackle or whatever it is, but you come out the back end of it and he did a nice job of that.

On Tony Alford's big game as a player

You had- Yeah, you know, the late great Earl Bruce, you know, God rest his soul. I was at Colorado State. I had, what, 28, yeah, 28 carries for 310, and back in the, like, three touchdowns, way back when, with leather helmets and all that stuff. No. Not that far back. But, no, it was just one of those days, you know, and, but yeah, back when I played, but it was, yeah, it was one of those.

On how much he's able to reach back into his playing days in coaching

Yeah, every now and again, but I mean, I don't really share much, you know. One of the guys found a, was a toss sweep against Colorado and I kind of raised the ball up at the three and the ball came out. They gave me the touchdown because there was no instant replay, so I used that. Not to do, but no. In all sincerity, you know, not so much as do I really refer to my playing? I've been coaching for so long, right? And you think about our room with Freddie J in there, myself, and now, you know, Jayden Everett coming in. There's like 90 years of, 95 years of coaching experience in that room and so there's a lot of knowledge to draw from, but you're right, I don't think football's changed. It's really not. It's at the end of the day, it comes down to one-on-one battles. When I have to put my hands on you and blocking, it's about, did I beat my man in a one-on-one battle? And how do you do that with the fundamental principles on how you play? And so I try to break it down to that. To that, okay, at this point, when you get to the junction point, this is me versus you and how do I defeat my man? And it's a thumbs up, thumbs down. Either you did or you didn't. You know, they kind of laugh at me because I'm always doing a thumbs up, thumbs down, and really, there's nothing else to talk about. That's pass, fail. And it's for everybody to see and you find, and it's instantaneous information. Either did or you didn't. And so that's kind of how we approach every day.

On Ben Hall

Yeah, you know, I do, this whole staff, we trust him. But again, he's big. He's 235 pounds or whatever it is. And again, a guy that when he runs vertically, he runs downhill. Actually, he's hard to get a hold of because he can't get on the ground because he's not real tall, obviously, so there's not a lot of surface area to hit. And so, but he does have good feet and that agility and things of that nature, but he's strong. And so he's continuing to gain trust and it's just a matter of getting them in more. You know, and so there's that fine line. How do you get guys involved in the game more? But at the same time, give guys enough carries that they can kind of get in the rhythm of doing things. There's a fine line there, but he's an unselfish player. He's got, I think he has a very, very, very, very bright future here.

On Cole Cabana

Cole's been coming back from some injury stuff, as we know. And so really it's just a matter of getting him on the field consistently so he can continue to improve and show his skill sets. But that's been the thing with him, just having the consistency of being out there and available.

On Jordan Marshall

Now that guy, I think is going to be special, special. I really do. And he's violent. He runs violent. He blocks violent. He just has to play. And so hopefully we'll have him back here in a short order to get him back up to speed and running around again. But he's going to be a really, really dynamic player here, I believe.

On Tavi Dunlap

Oh, Tavi is an old guy, right? He's one of the old heads in the room. But he's shown his value on special teams. He's the guy that obviously we could put in there and in the games as well, because he's done it. So he's got value as well. And again, so we've got a bunch of guys that could truly go out and play. You know, you got Bryson Kuzdzal. He's another guy, you know, that I think is going to, young, mind you, but I think he's going to have a nice future for us as well.

On what needs to be better to prepare for USC

Well, I think they just have to do our job at an extremely, extremely high level. And once again, you have to make plays. Well, they say big time players make big time plays and big time games. And so that's our job. When the opportunities present themselves, you've got to make the play. When we run power and the hole opens up, you've got to be there on time. And then when you come out of the back end of a defense or get a chance to come out the second, third level of the defense, you've got to win. And we've got to continue to stay ahead of the chains. And that's not always with the linemen. You know, that's, we've got to fall forward. We've got to make guys miss. We've got to turn what was a three yard game into a five yard game. You know, at the same time, we've got to be able to pick up blitzes. And they want to say, well, the quarterback did this. Well, how about block for the quarterback so he doesn't have to get hurried? So there's a lot of things that go into that. And so we have to play winning football from our, in championship level football from the backfield. And that starts once again in practice and how intentional and purposeful are you when you take reps in practice. And that's on me to make sure that that's happening. And it's on them to make sure that they're paying attention and doing those things.

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